Bonefishing, Berry Islands, Bahamas May 2006

El Pescador · May 30, 2020, 12:58:01 PM

Does anyone want to go Bonefishing? Hold tight, we'll be standing in the warm Atlantic waters in a moment.

Late May 2006, my business travels had me in Boca Raton, FL - the big PINK hotel - for a week of Continuing Education, Compliance Testing, and Product Training.
Yeah, like this Flexible Old German can be trained!!!

At the end of the week, Jennifer arranged for a short 3-night cruise with the first stop at the most northern island of the Berry Islands of the Bahamas - Coco Cay or as it was called Little Stirrup Cay.

The Berry Islands are on the left side of the RED LINE - wedged between the Grand Bahama and Andros islands.

And here is our quarry - BONEFISH!!!

I arranged to fish with Percy Darville - who was the ONLY fishing guide listed in the FODOR'S Travel Guide for the Bahamas - BUTT when I arrived his brother Jimmy Darville was there to take me fishing.

We had very little chit chat - then we took off for the day.

Said GOOD BYE to the cruise ship and my loving wife for the day.

We were skipping along, and I have NO idea where we are going. Remember this is 2006 - NO GPS, no iPhone it wasn't invented until next year, 2007!!! I'm using a BlackBerry phone today. Blackberry, they still in business???

Well, we stop the boat and get out and walked, and walked, and walked some more - with all our walking, we SAW NO ONE ELSE for the entire day.

I asked Jimmy where is this location, any name??? He said we are fishing at Ambergris Cay. Look it up on a map

Walked all day - barefoot - cause that's what the guide did.

Jimmy called this marl - a combination of silt and clay. Soft and squishy, each step.

What is this?? a Sponge??

Been fishing now for over an hour, and all I managed to do was bust up bonefish pods while casting to them. He would say, "40 feet at 2 o'clock", BUTT I COULD NOT see them in the water. That's when Jimmy told me, "Mon, don't look for the fish, look for the shadow BELOW THE FISH!!!" BOOM!!! There they ARE!!! And on my next cast.... Success!!!

MY FIRST BONEFISH!!!!!! The first run was a blistering 60-70 yards. I tossed my camera - a canon point and shoot - to Jimmy and he took the photo.

Bonefish are very silvery and with a blueish cast to the fish. Very cool.

And this is why they are called the Ghosts of the Flats - just released and you can only see their black eyes.

And the fly, a small Crazy Charlie - worked just great.

And with Jimmy's help, we continue to pick off Bonefish after Bonefish.

He tried to keep me 40 yards away from the Mangroves, they lowered our CATCH RATE!!!!!

Then trouble shows up. This shark began to swim closer and closer to us.

And for 20 minutes, would NOT leave us alone, we threw marl at the shark, and I used my fishing rod to bump it on the back a few times. I'm using a 9' rod.

During our flats walk, I found a conch, Jimmy kept it, said he would make me conch salad, Never had that before, let's give it a try.

So we wrapped up the fishing for the day and headed back to him home dock. BUTT not before seeing this, THOUSANDS of schooling bonefish!!! What a sight!

Here are more schooling bonefish!!!

We were running back to his dock, around 35-40 mph.

We arrived, Jimmy runs up to the house to get an onion, blood orange and a small green pepper that would take hair off your hide. REELY.

Here's Jimmy making me conch salad!!!! Wish I had make a video of him removing the conch from the shell. Very cool

And here is the extracted conch - which will be my lunch in 20 minutes.

Looks like conch is enjoyed here in the Bahamas.

We head back to the Cruise Ship, clipping over the waves at 40 mph, me enjoying my conch salad out of a ziploc bag and a cold local Bahamian beer - KALIK

It was amazing and saw NO ONE ELSE for the day.

Arrived back at Coco Cay - I settled up my day's bill with Jimmy, provided a thoughtful gift and generous tip,

and told him, I'll be back.

This was one for the books,

Wayne

Tiddlerbasher · May 30, 2020, 01:21:13 PM

Luv it - Thanks for that Wayne

Sharkb8 · May 30, 2020, 02:19:21 PM

Looks like you had a good time and caught some good fish in a beautiful location

Kim

Dominick · May 30, 2020, 02:31:23 PM

Wayno, nice job on the report as usual. What fun walking among the sharks. Do that again and you'll get to be called the shark whisperer. I'd have gotten out of the water in a flash. Conch salad is delicious. Dominick

Donnyboat · May 30, 2020, 02:55:30 PM

Great report Wayne, nice clear water, the way the bone fish were schooling, do you think they were spawning, maybe thats why, you did not see many when you were fishing, cheers Don.

Gfish · May 30, 2020, 02:56:22 PM

Great, all-inclusive trip report, Wayne. Never knew the Bahamas had that many Islands.

Alto Mare · May 30, 2020, 02:58:52 PM

What a narrator!!great report Wayne👍.

Sal

the rockfish ninja · May 30, 2020, 05:55:01 PM

Great thread.

bonefish are the hardest pound for pound fighters I've ever encountered. Spent a week on San Salvador island, Bahamas fishing is excellent.

Just near the resort I stayed is Bonefish Bay Beach where they did the fly fishing like you did. I opted to target Wahoo during my stay but I did bring a telescoping spinning rig that only proved to frighten away any bonefish I threw a lure at. It wasn't until I tied up a hi-lo with little bits of shrimp a kitchen worker gave me and threw it in the middle of those schools of juveniles did I hit a few little ones. They jumped around like crazy, I was blown away at how hard they fought, and they were much smaller than the adults you were catching.

conchydong · May 31, 2020, 01:26:46 AM

Glad you experienced the Bahamas even if for a short visit. My ancestry both maternal and paternal is from the Bahamas before they migrated to Key West in the 1800's. I grew up eating Conch many ways and it is part of my heritage. Baked Bonefish was even on the menu.
Nice post.

Scott

Benni3 · May 31, 2020, 04:10:50 AM

Bonefish looks like very fun to catch,,,,,,

now that's got to be a great trip,,,,,,,,,

oc1 · May 31, 2020, 07:00:55 AM

Great report Wayne. Thank you for bringing it out of the vault for us.
-steve

El Pescador · May 31, 2020, 02:24:34 PM

Quote from: Dominick on May 30, 2020, 02:31:23 PM
Wayno, nice job on the report as usual. What fun walking among the sharks. Do that again and you'll get to be called the shark whisperer. I'd have gotten out of the water in a flash. Conch salad is delicious. Dominick

Thanks Dominick!!! Like the old saying, Cat's got your tongue??? Let's modify it to... Sharks got your toe??? And you know me, first in line for adventure!

Quote from: Donnyboat on May 30, 2020, 02:55:30 PM

were schooling, do you think they were spawning, maybe that's why, you did not see many when you were fishing, cheers Don.
[/quote]

Don, I have NO IDEA if they were spawning, I think Bonefish are on the flats only to eat, and they spend time in schools to ward off sharks & barracuda. BUTT I don't' know.

Quote from: Gfish on May 30, 2020, 02:56:22 PM
Great, all-inclusive trip report, Wayne. Never knew the Bahamas had that many Islands.

GFish!!!! LOTS of islands in the Bahamas. about 700 islands spread over 500 miles, only 30 islands are inhabited. Fascinating.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bahamas#Geography

Quote from: the rockfish ninja on May 30, 2020, 05:55:01 PM
Great thread.

bonefish are the hardest pound for pound fighters I've ever encountered. Spent a week on San Salvador Island, Bahamas fishing is excellent.

Just near the resort, I stayed is Bonefish Bay Beach where they did the fly fishing like you did. I opted to target Wahoo during my stay but I did bring a telescoping spinning rig that only proved to frighten away any bonefish I threw a lure at. It wasn't until I tied up a hi-lo with little bits of shrimp a kitchen worker gave me and threw it in the middle of those schools of juveniles did I hit a few little ones. They jumped around like crazy, I was blown away at how hard they fought, and they were much smaller than the adults you were catching.

Rockfish! San Salvador island has the entire Atlantic ocean to the east, how was your day for Wahoo?

? When are you and I going fishing?

?

Quote from: oc1 on May 31, 2020, 07:00:55 AM
Great report Wayne. Thank you for bringing it out of the vault for us.
-steve

Steve, IF.... Alan does not mind, I have many past trips to post if you wish to see more. What is your bonefishing experience in Hawaii?

Inquiring minds want to know,

Wayne

gstours · May 31, 2020, 03:20:32 PM

Thanks Wayne for the nive little trip. Sure looks like fun to me. Good pictures and story. Warm and Isolated from the masses, you made your siminar work great. thanks, post some mare trips when you can. gst.

Crow · May 31, 2020, 03:43:54 PM

Thanks for taking us along !

jurelometer · May 31, 2020, 06:55:22 PM

Great report Wayne. Felt like we were right there with you.

Those schools were not spawners. Schools of smaller Atlantic bonefish on the flats are common. Often they are feeding so heavily that you can't see any fish, just the cloud of mud, and an occasional flash. Spawning events occur in the evening. Bonefish aggregate in swirling schools in deeper lagoons (30ft or so) in the late afternoon, and head to the deep water drop offs to spawn at night.

-J