DIY Bonefish advice

[JDR]

Hi Guys,

Have gotten some great help here in the past and would like to ask for a little more advice with the following scenario:

Where would you go to chase bonefish if you were: late twenties with passable spanish skills, little bonefishing exerperience (1 good day) but 12 years fresh and saltwater FF exeperience, moderate budget (read grad student but almost done), had 5 or 6 days to kill in early January and maybe 1 or 2 equally motivated fishing partners?

Interested in doing it myself a) for the adventure of it and b) to save money. Totally willing to spring for a guide for a day or two as the information can be invaluable. Have no need for fancy accomodations at all, willing to sleep in a hut if its near good fishing but also wouldn't mind access to a good bar for a night or two.

Would welcome you input and offer good stories and pictures should I pull the trip off...


Jeff

[JCG]

Jeff
You've got the ultimate question, I ask it every year. Its really hard to find that destination that isn't mobbed and has DIY spots. I hate having to pay to go fishing, nothing against guides but I fish almost every day at home without spending a dime. So this is what I do, I search the net for articles and little tidbits of info that gives me a direction. I've found a few good spots but have never cleaned up and caught tons of fish like you could with a guide. I'ts hard to get to know a spot if you're only there for a few days. The tricky part is either finding a rental boat or flats that you can actually wade. I've had good luck on Long Island. You could fish for days on different flats, all by car. The nicest people in the world. You could probably lie at customs that you are staying at some resort and camp out instead although thats probably not cool. Its hard to get cheap sleeping on LI. Look into northern Eleuthera, I've read it can be good and cheap cottages (Bonefish Cottage!!!). Ive caught fish DIY at Treasure Cay, Abaco. I also hear you can find fish around the cheap resorts on the yucatan, although I dont feel very safe bushwacking in the middle of nowhere in Mexico. Bahamas are windy in January. Good luck.Jim

[widdoes]

Jeff- I'd try to contact Mark Dougherty on this board as he has done a fair amount of "modified" DIY in Abaco- fish a day or 2 with a guide to learn the locations and then DIY for the rest of the time. He also has a "line" on a cottage on Cheokree Sound. I think he may be there now, or else he would have responded to this message.
-Wild John

[Charles I. Wohl]

Try the Yucatan in Mexico near the ruins at Tulum. You can still rent some fairly inexpensive cabanas near the ruins and drive down the road to Boca Pailla where you can bonefish on your own in the lagoon or get a guide from one of the fishing camps near Boca Pailla.

[Coastalexplorer]

JDR:

I would look at Eleuthera - lots of flats and all accessible by inexpensive car rental. Stay at Morgans Bonefish Harbor (talk to Kimberly and Captain Sean). They have VERY reasonable guide rates to get a bunch of fish under your belt. Then you can go off on your own by car. Ask Sean about different flats or read the Vletas' book The Bahamas Fly Fishing Guide. If you fish Governors Harbor in the evening, you're almost guaranteed to find tailing bones. If you want more info, let me know. I lead a group of six anglers (mostly beginners) for a DIY trip there last year and we all caught bones.

Coastalexplorer

[bonesnbass]

Bay Islands, Honduras Utila and Roatan Island Utila DIY bones right off the airport runway and small permit and baby tarpon in the lagoons Dirt cheap lodging ,food and beer Go to bookstore and get handbook Honduras and the Bay Islands by Passport Press Awesome experiance

[Armando]

TRy Los Roques, you can have a guide the first two days, learn the spots and fish by yourself from the third day.
You can also stay with people in their houses also.

[Swalt]

If you stay at a lodge you will find that its 50 to 75% more when you do it on your own. The one exception I have found is Greyspoint Bonefish Inn on Acklins Island, Bahamas. It is under that even if you use guides all 6 days. You can also cut the price by fishing on your own part of the time. This lodge is located right on a bay with some really good bonefish flats that you can fish on your easily. They have a couple of canoes and kayaks that they provide free of charge. I fished here in November a couple of years back and had success on my own. You can also rent a car or probably get them to drop you off on other flats. It is a long narrow island and the road runs right along the shore in many spots and there is good fishing right off the road. The flats for the most part are easy to wade. The rooms are above average and the food is very good. You could probably find a place that would be cheaper for room and board somewhere on the island. I would not go planning on going out and eating at restuarnts etc., there just are not many.
A draw back to this trip would be airfare and time. You have to fly to Nassau on Friday and then fly to Acklins Saturday am. You could be fishing after lunch on Saturday. Google "Greyspoint Bonefish" and "Acklins bone fishing".

[Guy]

The Bahamas are a great bonefish destination but I would be hesitant to recommend anywhere in the Bahamas for an early January trip. The weather down there in recent years has been less tham ideal (lots of wind and cloud) and while you can get a cold front blow though anytime form November to April, chances of encountering a 5 - 8 day blow in January are good. If you have not had a lot bonefishing experience you really need a location where weather conditions will not make fishing difficult, if not impossible. While I have never fished there, I have talked to other anglers who have done the Bay islands in Honduras. Apparentally accomodations and the guides are still quite reasonable down there and the cold fronts are less severe.

Good luck!

Guy

[thelionzden]

SWALT, I CANT GET AN E-MAIL THROUGH TO YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ACKLINS. MY ADDRESS IS thelionzden@aol.com THANKS :cool:

[JDR]

Guys,

Thank you very much for all of your thoughts and advice. Nice to see that people are willing to share such valuable advice.

Looks like I am going to be heading to Turks and Caicos for the week. One of my fishing partners has a connection down there. It won't be quite the do-it-yourself adventure I was planning, but its going to be an amazing trip. Will be sure to post report and pics when I get back.

next bone trip is going to have to be at one of the places you guys recomended. thanks again.

Jeff