Rumor or Reality in the Bahamas ?

[Mark Dougherty]

First, lets all take a deep breath....there ...that feels better...now the issue:
I saw a post on another board that says the Bahamian Gov (if you can call it a Gov) is considering enacting a legislation making DIY illegal.....in other words use a guide or dont fish ! This could make me look hard at other destinations....I talked with my fav guide on Abaco last night and he has not heard anything on this issue....if fellow board members can help run down the facts of this issue I , for one, will sleep better..... :confused:

[Nassau Frank]

Gotta believe it's BS. I've got a call into my M.P. & leader of the opposition in the House. He'll be back noonish & I'll try to post this afternoon.

[Mark Dougherty]

Thanks Frank........I hesitated to even post this issue as it is explosive at minimum.....dont want to cause over concern.....but I felt it needed some visibility and clarification.....it could screw up a lot of folks trips.....

Mark :-%

[MDBones]

Mark -

I too saw that thread around a year ago on one IBS's message boards. Have never heard another word about it. I have done multiple searches at the NG website and never turned anything up either. It seems to me it was more of a Long Island local expressing frustration around the potential of lost income.

This does not mean that it could not eventually happen - I know that a bigger issues with the Andros guides (the most organized and politically influential) are the on/off again Mothership Operations that operate on the West side of Andros and the group of Florida guides that stake out the North end of the Island during the off-season. This might have something to do with the fact that Andros does not see a huge share of DIY's outside of the AUTEC area.

Based on this board and others - the DIY option is more than just an isolated trend - It is common to see groups targeting Islands other than Eluethera (not a lot of resistance here since very few established guides exist outside of HI) for extended trips. As more and more DIY anglers penetrate what had been traditional club fishing strongholds, It seems logical that some Guides would become concerned that incomes could be impacted and voice that opinion.

I would like to hope that that’s not the case - DIY offers a wider range of Anglers the opportunity to experience Bonefishing that otherwise could not within the existing club system. The Bahamas wins with increased Airfare, Hotels, Car Rentals, and Entertainment - The guides more than likely would lose much less than they would expect (Although after four years of 100% guided trips I am switching to 20% guided and 80% DIY). The existing market is still out there for the traditional Club Angler.

You can only expect the pressure to increase once the Updated version of the Vleta's Book is published which according to the Author will focus on expanded DIY opportunities. I have a feeling this is not the last post that we will see on the subject over the next three or four years.

Mike

[Jim B. Hawes]

I have to agree with you, requiring a guide to fish bahamas will cause me to re-route my winter fishing destinations without a doubt, even though I typically go at least a 1/2 day trip with a guide each trip. In the Northwest, some tribes required this, and I simply vote with my feet, and go around. Other tribes, merely require the purchase of a license from them to fish reservation waters, and I'm ok with that, though there is enough water around that I typically avoid that except on special fisheries; kinda like a rod fee on spring creeks in Montana, the way I look at it. I hope this is only rumor with no truth to it! Really love the Bahamas.

[Nassau Frank]

I just met with my MP (Brent Symonette) who is leader of the Opposition in the House and he told me of plans to decrease the bag limit for visiting boaters who sock away tons of gamefish. There should be nothing about DIY fishing as, by and large, the fish aren't kept. What you've seen at Briland or Highbourne Cay is visiting boats just slaughtering dolphin or wahoo or whatever, loading up the coolers & leaving. Bahamians are bad enough at this with crawfish & grouper but steps have to be taken to insure the fishery for everyone. Flats and the water belong to the people - up to the high tide line. You can't tresspass to access the flats and I can understand curtailing what is retrieved from the flats but how can anyone keep you off what is public domain.
Yes, I can understand guides wanting "all the meat" and no one wants to give up their honey holes but wading on your own just can't be regulated. That's the way a lot of Bahamians hand line or collect whelks.
The Bahamas is not everyone's paradise but it's been good to me.

[Henry]

Had me going for a day or so!

Henry

[Jim Royston]

I gotta tell ya, if I paid a guide $350 a day (and I do gladly) and he pulled up onto a flat with convenient parking and footprints to and fro, I'd be a ****ed off buckaroo.
There are so many flats that are absolutely inaccessible without a boat that the two groups should never bump into each other.

[BobG]

I've been doing DIY bonefish trips to the Bahamas for years now. Ilsands like Eleuthera and Cat offer a host of DIY bonefish opportunities, but only if you rent a car at $125+ per day! I can see guides wanting to have it both ways, but on Eleuthera and Cat, there are really no guides (esp for Harbour Island). So, the folks renting cars benefit from the DIY guys.

Now, on places such as The Abacos, boats, not cars are the primary means of transportation for DIY bonefish guys. I've rented a couple homes which came with 19' cc boats as a means of getting around. In all cases I used my boat to access excellent bonefish flats which I shared with guides who had paying sports on their boats. In virtually all cases the guides and I gave each other wide berths, and we waved hello when we passed.
However, I did have a minor issue with <majorly edited by mcahill to remove personal attack>one guide who acted like the flats were his alone.<sorry guys - Mark>

[Mark Cahill]

We tried to split this thread into two separate threads, and we ended up deleting a most of the posts by accident. Which actually may not be a tremdously bad thing. This thing went way over the line.

I'd like you guys to read this post and take it to heart: http://reel-time.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41455

While the deletion of the posts wasn't what we were trying to do, I will not go so far as to say I am sorry to see them go. Chill out, mon...

[BobG]

Next you're going to tell us we can't spit on the floor. :brow

[Bob Parsons]

Not in my house...Not now ...not never. Not in my house. But feel free to do so in the steeler's stadium. http://www.reel-time.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[Mark Dougherty]

In retrospect, I should have done my own research on this hot issue before posting here. Nassau Frank, many thanks....you put it to rest. My intentions were honorable, and designed to be of value as I and others plan out Bonefishing trips. I apologize if this thread caused consternation ....I will be more careful in the future.

Looking forward to my April trip to Abaco --127-3-

Mark

[BobG]

Mark,

Please do nothing of the sort. Nothing you did was out of line. As I mentioned before, and I'll say it again and if someone doesn't like it then I'll be happy to go elsewhere. This board, and especially this forum is to help and assist those who have gone before us. Long before the internet, tropical fishing trips were often at best, a shot in the dark. DIY was virtually unheard of until the advent of internet fishing sites such as this.
It's simply unfortunate that occasionally people with hidden agendas muddy the waters.