Website for Great Exuma tides? Going there in April

[dcsam]

My husband and I will be on Great Exuma the first week of April. We plan to fish with a guide and do some fishing on our own. Anybody know of a website that shows the tides? Also, what sort of timing difference is there between the two sides of the island? Are they the same? Tides are crucial, I know - and I don't want to waste time figuring them out when we get there. We want to fish. Also, any suggestions on where to fish on G. Exuma?
Thanks much!
Caroline

[Jim Royston]

You can go to www.noaa.gov and find the tide predictions for many of the Bahama islands.
Don't get too wrapped up in them. If you've already planned your dates, you can't do anything about the tides that you'll have anyway. Your guide can tell you what spots fish best on what tides and where to try when you are fishing without him.

[Swalt]

this is the site I use

http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/index.html

[Guy]

The tides on Exuma as you go west and south of Georgetown will be later. For example. the tides on the windward Atlantic side near the Peace and Plenty Bonefish lodge (by the bridge between Great and little Exuma) will be about an hour later. Go through the bridge to the leeward Carribean side and and you'll be 2 - 4 hours later depending on how far around you go. Conversely as you go north from Georgetown, the tides are earlier. The north tip is probably about 1 1/2 to two hours earlier if memory serves me right.

You'll be fishing a new moon spring tide by week's end. The Exumas have very good numbers of bones, but be aware that there also a lot of mangroves in many parts of the island that the bonefish can disappear into during high spring tides. Exuma Bones on some of the more accessible and popular flats can also get tight lipped at times. You'll want to make sure you catch the early to mid incoming tide in these conditions. I like to drop down a bit in size for shallow, fussy bones to #6, tone down the flash and incorporate some rabbit or maribou with rubber or silicone legs.

Good luck! :)

Guy

[Guy]

I should add that as far DIY goes, if you rent a boat out of Georgetown you can access some flats south of Georgetown towards the Peace and Plenty lodge. They'll want to stay within the Elizabeth harbour but if you can figure out how to get through the narrow shallow channel at the east end of the harbour, you'll find some decent flats off the smaller windward cays. To go by boat to the leeward side from Georgetown is a fairly long boat ride, - a couple hours one way- with that kind of ride, you spend half a day just buring gas getting there and back. By vehicle you can access parts of the Airport flat west of Rolletown, but so can everyone else. Those bones can be pretty spooky. Off the north end of the island, there are some good flats accessible by rental car as well.

Guy

[dcsam]

Wow!!! You guys are amazing! Excellent information here. Thank you so much. I'm making a copy of all the suggestions and we'll bring them with us. We've fished Belize, Eleuthera, and Spanish Wells before, but I selected Great Exuma because I'm hoping it has more to offer than just bonefishing. Also looking for nice, white-sand beaches, fantastic snorkeling and crystal clear water.
Oh, another question: What guides would you suggest?
Thanks again!
Caroline

[BobG]

I've used this site for various locations in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

here:http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/