Bahamas

A small group of us are heading down to Dead Man's Cay this November for some bonefish fishing. I've been to the keys once but that doesn't count. I've fished the salt for blues, stripers & Albie's up here in the North so I have an 8wt & a 10 wt with floating & intermediate lines for both rigs. My question is what should I expect down there, Wind, Flies to Bring. rods to use. etc. Some of the guys I'm going with have fished in that area but at different times of the year so I figured I'd ask this super "talent pool" for advice.

I will post photos if I catch anything

Hi FISHN50,

You should have a great trip. Is this a do it yourself trip or will you have a boat and guide?

Here is an article you should read before you leave. It has gobs of good information. The very best advise is to strip strike instead of trying to hook up with the rod. The two best sources for bone flies is Kaufman's Streamborn in Oregon and The Fly Shop in California. These two stores have people who have done a lot of bone fish fishing. You can ask for sample flies and then tye your own or just buy what you want.

Frank

Hi Frank
We're going to a lodge & they supply boats & guides, 2 fisherman per boat & guide. My buddy set it up & he's been down in that area in the spring only. I figured I'd get as much info as possible about the conditions this time of year so I know what to bring & what to expect.. I've only tried bonefishing once. We stayed at The Bonefish Lodge at Grassy Key this past Feb. Every morning before the wife got up I waded the Flats & tried. The only thing I caught was cudas. They were a lot of fun but I didn't have a boga grip with me & after seeing the teeth on the first cuda I went out & got a Gripper & wire leader.
I basically need all the info I can get because this is an entirely different type of fishing for me & from what I gather you have to bring all your equipment in with you...

FISHN50,

Sounds like fun. Two men to a boat is a good way to go. I would urge you to get trip insurance if you don't already have it. November is still hurricane season down there. Even if you don't get a hurricane there could be a lot of rain and wind.

Your 8wt should do the job for you. This is not the place for a moderate action rod. You need a rod with a fast action to extra fast action. Remember to always check your feet before you make a cast. You don't want to be standing on the line during the cast and especially after a hook up. If you get hooked up with a bone you have to immediately clear the line and get the fish on the reel. Use a strip strike and then jab the rod butt into your belly so the line won't wrap around the handle.

Two things I would suggest to take are some sun gloves to protect the back of your hands and a hat with a cape to protect your neck. Even though you will be there when it is cooler, the sun can still get hot after a long day.

Frank

I would echo frank's comments and add:
1/ rods 8-10, lines floating stiff core eg cortland tropic plus, RIO bonefish, airflo ridge tropic
2/ the wt depends on the wind...got to get the fly to the fish...if you can do it with 8 fine if not go to 10 wt ...the fish are not line shy in the wind...nor are they leader shy ...always use loop knot to fly...when in doubt take and use clousers
3/ leader and tippett bonefish IMHO the best is hard RIO both floro and mono...floro for deep flats
4/ best polars you got... copper my prefernce for contrast and brown best overall for flats...get some alcohol glass wipes in packets to clean glasses after you get them all fogged with salt spray sun block
5/ coverup...long sleves...long pants...and if you want to try use a "Buff" face/neck cover...it's not as hot as it seems and itworks the younger keys guides all use it
5/ Best line basket IMO ever used was the Fiskars collapsible leaf basket right size they make smaller one 10 gallon about 12-15 bucks...packs and works that is you can strip into...easy and recast
6/ Be patient...you are on island time...not like the keys where 7:30 on the dock means on the dock ready to go not just getting out of the car
7/ two in the boat means good friends who share and not good friends and one who does not share
8/ always strip strike and keep tip in the water pointed at the line
9/ drink rum it's cheap or kalik beer it's bahamian and cheap.. i

FISHN50 said:

A small group of us are heading down to Dead Man's Cay this November for some bonefish fishing. I've been to the keys once but that doesn't count. I've fished the salt for blues, stripers & Albie's up here in the North so I have an 8wt & a 10 wt with floating & intermediate lines for both rigs. My question is what should I expect down there, Wind, Flies to Bring. rods to use. etc. Some of the guys I'm going with have fished in that area but at different times of the year so I figured I'd ask this super "talent pool" for advice.

I will post photos if I catch anything

Click to expand...

Additions to my last post:
What brand/model of 8-10wt?
I assume you are going to be casting from poled flats skiff and from your post you have not done this before...stripped line management when on the casting platform is critical...with or without wind got to keep the line on the deck but cn't take your eye off the fish...even if you have never done it before ,after a couple of fish closing on the fly you will know when they take it then straight back with strip strike...feel them first then strike don't strike until you feel the take in your strip hand...even if everybody says strike...don't ever raise the tip until you've got him on

your going to be in the sun for 7-9 hours take two liters of water drink one by noon the other by 3.. start one day before...don't wait to be thirsty by then it's too late ...you'll be still fishing at 4-5 when others won't...make sure your boat partner has his water so he does not gloom on to yours

clousers with lead eyes and bead chain eyes 4 to 1/0 white, yellow, black, lime/chartruse, gold....bead chain charlies 4-6 sparsely tied white, yellow, gold.

Hi to all,

Thanks for all of that good information Bonefish41. I think I will build on some of your information.

1. With two to the boat you need to work out how you are going to switch off before you get out there. It will save some hard feelings if you both understand the rules. It doesn't matter how you want to do it but you both have to agree that is the way its going to be. At the end of the day you should talk about how it went and if there should be any changes. It can be really hard to work this out on the water. .

2. The alcohol wipes for your glasses. Go to a pharmacy in a hospital and buy the big 2"x2" pads. They are better than the small pads used when giving you a shot. Buy a box because everyone in your group will want some.

3. Bone's comment about drinking water is right on. The worst to drink are sodas.

4. Line management will be the hardest thing you will have to learn. In the boat you need to know how to stack the line on the deck so you don't get your line tangled. You have two things to consider. The line you strip off of the reel and the line you strip in on the retrieve. You can't retrieve line and then strip line from the reel on top of the other line. Just remember the line you shoot has to be on top.

Frank

Additions to my last post:
What brand/model of 8-10wt?
I assume you are going to be casting from poled flats skiff and from your post you have not done this before...stripped line management when on the casting platform is critical...with or without wind got to keep the line on the deck but cn't take your eye off the fish...even if you have never done it before ,after a couple of fish closing on the fly you will know when they take it then straight back with strip strike...feel them first then strike don't strike until you feel the take in your strip hand...even if everybody says strike...don't ever raise the tip until you've got him on

Click to expand...

BF41 is right on the money about line mamgement. you need to focus on the fish while keeping in mind where your line is at all times. there is nothing worse than a loose line that "snakes" itself around an obstruction on the deck. youll be amazed how quickly a line can find a mooring cleat or snag on the deck. keeping the rod tip on or in the water is a must. when you get a bonefish on, it will happen fast!!! you will know when to raise the rod tip, and like Bonefish41 said dont strip until the fish is "on the fly". I wish you the best and look forward to hearing the outcome of your trip.

Sorry about that Frank. You too are right on the money as always. both Frank and Bonefish41 are 100% accurate about drinking lots of water.

Also make sure you have a spf30 or higher, put it on before you leave your room and periodically through out the day. A few other suggestions would be to practice your distance casting. remember that you will have one person on the polling platform calling fish behind you. A few last tid bits I can suggest is to check your line and leader between "turns" for abrasions as these could lead to lost fish. carry a small file with you to sharpen your hooks.


Last thing I have to offer up is have a great time.

Well, I'm back from our Bonefishing trip to the Bahamas & what a trip it was. There were 8 of us & we stayed at the Greenwich Creek Lodge @ Deadman's Cay on Long Island. The lodge was great & the fishing was fantastic. There were 2 men / boat + the guide & the Flats went on forever, We didn't fish much from the boats but mostly walked the flats. The water was from 5"'s to about 12 "'s deep & you could see the fish cruising around. You just had to get the fly in front of them & give it a few strips & hang on.. I was surprised at how strong those fish were, I got spooled a few times & loved it. That Teton Reel The 9-11 Model worked great, the drag was smooth as silk .......We went out on the ocean twice to "Turtle Rock" which is a mound in the middle of nowhere, the water was about 2 feet deep so we got out of the boats & the schools of fish were just swimming around the mound. The stinger on that was the sharks. There were Lemon sharks that came in & if you didn't let the fish run when they were after them, they got your fish, fly & some of your leader. I put up with that for about 20 or so fish each time we went out there & after that I just wanted to stalk them on the Flats. The wind was always present but the guides always put you upwind on the flats. The longest cast I had to make was about 50'. The biggest problem I ihad was getting them on the reel after they took the fly. They took out line so fast it whipped around & I had the line whip around the rod handle & the reel handle a few times. I made all the stupid mistakes & lost a few fish but there were always more.. Once I had a big tangle of line come up to the stripping guide & I possibly lost the biggest fish of the week but I just tried again after a few cusswords. This was without a doubt one of the best trips I've been on & we're booked again for next year. As soon as I get time I'll get the pictures off the camera & post them. I want to thank everyone who gave me advice on what to expect & what to do.....

Hi FISHN50,

Sounds like you had a great trip. Looking forward to your pictures.

Frank