Just got back from Exuma, another succesfull trip. Fished for 5 days with the P&P guides. All but one day it was pretty breezy.Started out fishing in the tail out of a cold front and finished with one big one coming in, I guess quite a few cold fronts have made it all the way down this year. Still managed to have my best trip in 6 down there though. Saw plenty on bones big and small, managed 2 double digits and a 8-9 lb-ish, a week I sure wont forget or expect to have happen for a while again . Tons of cuda although they were tough to get to commit. Finally managed 3 cudas on the last day after casting to them all week. All in all a great trip, we usually go in mid march so I was'nt sure what to expect.
JohnP
Adrian,
Alston, is still mixing and moving. Made the wife a killer Pina Colada and a couple
nice Jack and cokes for me. The lodge was pretty busy while we were there and Bob is working on a new outdoor cook and bar area. Been lots of little things done over at the Beach Inn in the last couple years too, except there are alot less Kalik's left on the island! Counting down till the next anual pilgrimage, although this year fish wise will be tough to beat.
JohnP
A friend and I are heading to Exuma tomorrow for a week of fishing with Garth Thompson. It was good to hear that there are still some fish left! A few other guys that I have talked to told me that Exuma is loaded with bonefish, but they are all small. It's all good- it will just be nice to get out of the snow and get into a couple of fish. I've appreciated all the info I've recieved from this board and am looking forward to the trip. I'll be sure to tell Garth to "keep driving" if he pulls up to the Airport Flats. I know the time of year and the place aren't exactly ideal for permit, but does anyone think it is worth spending some time chasing them down there? How about snapper and/or jacks? I've been tying like crazy and am ready for anything. Thanks for any input and I'll be sure to post a brief report on my return.
Geordie,
There are alot of fish there in the 1-5 range, but to be honest I can't remember a day in my 7 trips down there here I did'nt at least see a big fish, had lots of shots at them as well, just does'nt work out all the time, does'nt matter, even the little guys are a blast. This last time I saw a few tarpon but they were on the move so no shots at them. As far as permit I have seen very few down there,however I usually go in mid march or late feb and its not considered a good time for permit anyway. I hear they get some down to the south of the island. Maybe Adrian or one of the other guys that have fished barre terre up north could give you more input on that end of the island, as I have yet to fish up there.
Have a Great trip,JohnP
There are PLENTY of big fish on Exuma, as you are probably finding out as I write this. There are also plenty of smaller fish. As I always say... to catch big bones you have to stop catching the little bones. :wink:
The big bones are going to be dialed into more specific behaviors at certain prime locations, tides and times. If your guide knows these, you are in luck. If you are DIY, think about large nutrient rich structures with extended tidal flow and expect to see the biggest bones when these changes coincide with morning and evening hours after most guides are running back to the lodge.
For Permit Sandy cay at the extreme south end is the place. It's actually located at the southern end of Hog Cay ( a private island) and only accessible by boat. A series of sand bars extends south and east almost to Long Island and the Permit can be found around them year-round. Last time I was down that end with Alston a cold front was working through and the wind was really howling but the permit were there in good numbers. The problem was we just couldn't get into position. Up North some of the offshore cays in the Barraterre area also hold permit and that's where I connected with Tarpon. State of tide seems to be critical so local knowledge is key - even more so than with the bones. If you had a boat and the time to explore there are probably plenty of other places where they would show up.
Last time I was down that end with Alston a cold front was working through and the wind was really howling
Adrian, have noticed you haven't mentioned fishing Great Exuma in a while with your buddies from the UK. Any reason for this, jobwise, etc. or possibly now that so many are fishing G. Exuma on a DIY vacation, without booking the guides thru the lodges, that it's made a difference? Have you just gone onto other locations even though you and your f/f friends have always loved this area?
A great pal of mine is now there developing properties. I went for a visit in November of '03 but just not made it back. Too few vacation days! I would have been on the Acklins DIY trip but that's another story. There are a few guides on Exuma that I'd fish with in a heatbeat - Willy, Alston, Abby & Celey. Other than those guys I now much prefer to do my own thing.
Just got back- didn't fish with Garth- apparently he didn't think we were high enough rollers and Garth palmed us off on Drexel, which turned out to be the best move of the trip. That dude worked his ass for us for five days and poled us all over hell and back. Dude took us out in a hellish rainstorm on Thursday, and we caught fish. Talked to some people in the bar later that were with Garth and he told them fishing would suck and wasn't worth going out, so they didn't go that day.
We didn't get a lot of numbers, but the fish we got were exceptional. That's what we wanted, and we learned a ton. Waded some sweet flats and had classic shots at good fish. Saw two other guide boats the whole time. Worked out very nicely. No permit, but I wasn't expecting to see any this time of year. All in all, an excellent trip.
One day I would like to explore the Exuma Cays... hopping from one to the next and sampling each for it's angling opportunities, conch fritters, and kaliks. I liked fishing the big island and got to battle (and lose) the biggest baddest bone of my life so far, estimated at 12# but too much for me and the 12# flouro leader I was using despite a long battle. Good memories!
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