Vieques, PR Report

[kmb5isle]

Just back from two weeks on Vieques.

I fished two days with Capt J Ferguson. He has a 26' panga he uses for deepwater trolling. Our first day the wind was blowing pretty good (20-25) really testing the panga and its occupants. It was a wet ride and managed to land three big 'cudas in a half day of trolling. The second trip the wind did not let up so we fished the bays, casting spin gear. We caught several different types of snapper. The biggest, a mangrove snapper went on the grill that night. A bunch of other fish including a king size hound fish that put on a great fight on the 8# spin gear. Also hooked and lost a tarpon. Capt. J was a pleasure to fish with and very knowledgeable on the water.

I had a day booked with Capt. Franco Gonzalez to try the bonefish but boat issues, weather and scheduling made it impossible to hook-up for fishing.

Capt Gregg Mckee has moved his operation to Pine Island, FL for the summer and fall so I was unable to fish with him again. Gregg is a great source of information on Vieques DIY fishing. Check out http://www.wildflycharters.com/ for more information.

Fishing on my own I hooked three tarpon and landed one. Unfortunately one of the best DIY tarpon spots was inaccessible due to road work and my favorite spot was closed three days into the trip for the same reason. However I still managed to catch a bunch of snook and the usual variety of jacks fishing various beaches and arroyos.

I spent a couple of mornings on a local flat chasing bonefish. The 50% cloud cover made seeing the fish very difficult. I managed to scare two schools of small bones.

There are no tackle stores on the island. The only fishing supplies available are handlines, hooks, sinkers and mono at a local hardware store.

As usual we found the island food to be excellent. Roadside vendors feed two with great local dishes for well under $20. High end restaurants are also available and are as good or better as anything in the States.

All and all a great two weeks, even found the time to get married! For budget minded anglers Vieques is a trip that should be considered.

[Capt. John]

Good to see you fished with Jay for a few days, Franco needs a new boat, he has been having trouble with his Yami for awhile now :( .... Sounds like you had some challenges with weather. Glad you got into some tarpon... I cannot beleive that road is still closed :confused: been going on 2 seasons now !! Island time I guess. Great place to wade for tarpon...and one of the only places I know to do it with some success. Glad you had fun.

[fontinalis]

I'll be going to Vieques for a week in December. My son is getting married there. I expect to book a trip with Gregg Mckee but I would also like to do some wade fly fishing on my own. I've fished with a Chris Goldmark on Culebra a number of times but have never been to Vieques. Any tips on good wade locations for tarpon or bones would be greatly appreciated. I can be reached by PM or Email. Thanks. - Ken

[JDP]

I'm goiing to be in PR at the beginning of October and am trying to decide on which island would be better for a two day stay with some fly fishing, probably DIY or one possible charter. Unfortunately, both Chris Goldman or Greg Mckee will still be in the states at that time. Any comparisons between the two islands and/or recommendations regarding fishing, lodging, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks.

[kmb5isle]

I haven't been to Culubra. However a couple of quick comments on Vieques.

For do-it-yourself fishing check out Gregg's web site better-flats-fishing.com. It covers most of the fly fishing places on the island. I have had success at many of them. There are other opportunities if you aren't set on fishing only for the glamour species.

I also highly recommend Capt Franco Gonzalez (787/741-1337 or 787/450-3744). He has been guiding on the Island longer than anyone. He specializes in wading the flats and also does the boat thing.

From what I'm told Vieques has more family options than Culubra. It's a bigger, more populated island so that makes sense.

The food on Vieques is excellent, though you will be there during the slow season, many restaurants may be closed.

If you are looking to have a beach to yourself Vieques has lots of options. We've never had more than 6-8 people on the beach with us. If that's too crowded just try the next one. All are beautiful, most have a least a few jacks to catch.

I'm sure either choice would be great. I can't wait to return to Vieques.

[JDP]

I decided on Vieques and am waiting to hear back from Capt. Franco Gonzalez about a charter. Either way, I'll be fishing from shore at least one day. Hopefully the weather turns out okay--there's been a lot of rain in the forecasts lately.

[bluebass]

Capt. Franco is a great guy. We only fished with him for a half day morning charter but he showed us good number of fish and helped my wife land her first bonefish. It was a good sized one as well.