# Canceled Cancun...Abaco Bound!



## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

With all the Mexican drama lately we decided to cancel our vacation to Cancun and fly to the Bahamas. We should be there by noon this Saturday. 

Nothing planned but exploring the islands, fly fishing, and other things young couples do. We'll probably fish with a guide one day, but the rest will be walk and wade or golf cart and wade.

Let the quest for the double digit bonefish begin.


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## fishkillr (Dec 31, 2008)

good marlin fishing this time of year and a few bones back in the Marls. Make sure you hit the Abaco Inn on Hopetown and Mangos....Petes Pub is pretty cool too.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Smart move...and not because of the "drama". Its just a lot better in the Bahamas, everything.


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## Skinny Water (Oct 12, 2004)

So you'll be bonefishing and drinking Kalik, and I'll be getting up in the middle of the night to feed the baby. At least post a report so I can live vicariously!


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

If we can find some internet on the little island we are staying I'll post some reports and pictures.


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## John Cocktosen (Mar 26, 2009)

bslittle79- I am headed to Abaco next week and want some inside scoop. I am staying on Lubbers Cay (SE of Marsh Harbor) and will have access to a flats boat. Any information or suggestions you (or anyone else for that matter) can provide would be greatly appreciated. The purpose of the trip swims offsore, but in the afternoons, I will try for bones. Additionally, I have never met a Tarpon, Cuda, Permit, or Snapper I didn't like and I will have a variety of rods/lures ready.


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## davidb (May 10, 2006)

You should check out the book Fly Fishing the Bahamas by Vletas.

Good info and I think they updated it fairly recently. Also I think that you are supposed to have a Bahamian Guide for off shore and some areas they try to enforce this for inshore even though they are wrongly interpreting the rules. This may have changed since I was there last.

Just remember us vicarious fisherman.


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

*Abaco, Guana Cay*



John Cocktosen said:


> bslittle79- I am headed to Abaco next week and want some inside scoop. I am staying on Lubbers Cay (SE of Marsh Harbor) and will have access to a flats boat. Any information or suggestions you (or anyone else for that matter) can provide would be greatly appreciated. The purpose of the trip swims offsore, but in the afternoons, I will try for bones. Additionally, I have never met a Tarpon, Cuda, Permit, or Snapper I didn't like and I will have a variety of rods/lures ready.


Sorry for just getting back to your post. We got back late last night and I've been busy today with Mother's day and catching up with things. The fishing was great but the catching wasn't the best. We did not hire a guide but ended up renting a boat for three days and island hoping. I called 5-6 guides before we left and all were booked or too far from Guana Cay where we were staying. Since you are in Lubbers you should be closer to a guide out of Marsh Harbor and might want to hire one for a day just to get a feel of the fish, tides, ect.

I fished a small cove in Guana Cay all three days(at least in the morning or evening) casting to 3 pound plus Bonefish. The largest I caught was 7 pounds and the smallest was 3 pounds. Judging the 7lber to the larger fish I'd say I casted to some 8-10 pounders. I was told they were spooky in that cove and the locals were right. I used a twelve foot leader and some very small flys and they were still spooky. I caught all my fish on the end of the low or high tide on the minor and major moon phases. I was able to cast to 3-15 pound Permit working some shallow reefs on the south end of Guana Cay, but that day I left my sink tip rigged reel at the cabin and couldn't present a fly to them. I hooked one small Permit but it pulled off.

We did venture over to Treasure Cay for an afternoon and I fished Water Cay(south of Treasure) hooking one bonefish and landed my first permit. A small school of Permit were working in the Mangroves. That was cool to see.

I think the best part was seeing the Bonefish and Permit tailing. It didn't happen a lot but I got to see it a few times.

I spoke to a guy on our flight back to Florida and he was with a guide for four days fishing the Marls(lakes and bayous on the west side of Abaco) and had two good days and two bad days. He said a good day was landing 10 bones and a bad day was landing 3 bonefish. He claimed the fishing was still better than Florida. Whatever that means.

If you are going at it with no guide I'd find some business that sold "The Cruising Guide to Abaco Bahamas 2009". It's has some good maps and arial images, but most of it's for sailing or boating from island to island and doesn't mention fishing, but might help you locate some fishable water and save some fuel and time. Talk to the locals, most want you to have a good time so you'll come back and keep helping their economy.

I'll post some pictures when I get some time.


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## John Cocktosen (Mar 26, 2009)

bslittle79- Thanks for the info. Looks like I will be dealing with a 20mph wind out of the East for the duration of my stay. Typical. Hope I can find them. I'll keep my eyes open for your pictures. Glad you had a nice trip. Cheers!


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## Bayoufly (Feb 14, 2006)

Pictures?


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

*7 pounder*

Here's a picture of the 7 pounder caught on a 7 weight. All other fish were caught too far from the camera lady.

Check out the Hellsbay perched on the front deck. That ain't your daddy's house boat, haha.


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## RedXCross (Aug 7, 2005)

Nice job.. awesome scenery,


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