The Big Game Is On! The 1st leg of the Bahamas Wahoo Challenge begins today at the Bimini Big Game Club! Capt. Ned Stone, Dir. of Program Development for Guy Harvey Outpost Ltd. , headed to the BBGC early …
Bahamas Wahoo Challenge – Day 1
13 Nov 201012:30 AM
Day 1 of the Bahamas Wahoo Challenge has come to a close (though the Big Game Bar & Grill will likely be open late into the night!). Capt. Ned Stone sent this report from the Big Game Club:
“Most of the anglers began the morning in pants and long sleeves, but were in t-shirts and shorts by mid-day as Friday eventually turned into a typical Bimini afternoon – beautiful and sunny with a brisk breeze.
The fleet got off a bit before 0700 – though a few stragglers (who shall remain unnamed) left a bit later, no doubt a result of having too much fun at the party last night! Most of the group ran south and enjoyed the following sea. The fishing was great – check out some photos here. Airborne is in the lead with 106.9 pounds, Shine On is in 2nd with 59.5 and Hit That is in 3rd with 42.2.”
More reports and photos tomorrow, so be sure to check in with us here and on our Facebook Page and Twitter feed.
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![](mailto:?subject=Bahamas Wahoo Challenge – Day 1&body=Day 1 of the <a title="BWC web site" href="http://bahamaswahoochallenge.com/" target="_blank">Bahamas Wahoo Challenge</a> has come to a close (though the <a title="Big Game Bar & Grill photo album" href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=10405&id=127094040665962" target="_blank">Big Game Bar & Grill</a> will likely be open late into the night!). Capt. Ned Stone sent this report from the <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">Big Game Club</a>:
"Most of the anglers began the morning in pants and long sleeves, but were in t-shirts and shorts by mid-day as Friday eventually turned into a typical Bimini afternoon - beautiful and sunny with a brisk breeze.<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hit20that_2606.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-271" title="Day 1's big catch!" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hit20that_2606.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>
The fleet got off a bit before 0700 - though a few stragglers (who shall remain unnamed) left a bit later, no doubt a result of having too much fun at the party last night! Most of the group ran south and enjoyed the following sea. The fishing was great - <a title="Photos from the Bahamas Wahoo Challenge" href="http://www.facebook.com/BiminiBigGameClub?v=photos#!/album.php?aid=26901&id=127094040665962" target="_blank">check out some photos here</a>. Airborne is in the lead with 106.9 pounds, Shine On is in 2nd with 59.5 and Hit That is in 3rd with 42.2."
More reports and photos tomorrow, so be sure to check in with us here and on our <a title="BBGC on Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/BiminiBigGameClub" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a> and <a title="Guy Harvey Outpost on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/GHOutpost" target="_blank">Twitter feed</a>. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bahamas-wahoo-challenge-day-1/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Red Hot Reds in Shallow St. Augustine&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sta.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2981 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sta.jpg?w=300" alt="StA" width="300" height="225" /></a>By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
[St. Augustine, FL--] We were not fishing the prime tide in the spartina marsh lining the east side of the Intracoastal Waterway north of St. Augustine, but apparently that didn't matter to the hungry redfish.
Past the flood stage, water was slowly draining out of the grass flats. But there were still plenty of small black crabs clinging to the emergent greenery, prompting the reds to tail and slurp enthusiastically.
"See him? His whole back's out of the water," captain James Dumas pointed to a dark hump on the surface. "He's almost in range."
Standing on the bow of Dumas' skiff, I saw the hump submerge and pop up again with a small splash.
"He just ate a mullet!" Dumas exclaimed.
I made a short cast with the 8-wt fly rod, aiming a few feet in front of where I believed the red's nose was pointed. But the breeze overcame the fly line and the leggy, purple-and-black crab pattern landed behind the fish.
I quickly stripped the line back in and made another cast to the obediently stationary fish, but that, too, was errant.
The third cast proved the charm, with the fly planted correctly in front of the target.
"Start bumping it," Dumas directed. "Now he'll eat it."
Dumas was right: I moved the fly a bit and the red chomped on it decisively.
After a brief tussle in the grass, I brought the fish up to the gunwales to be photographed and released.
"They'll keep giving you shots till you hit the fish or you stomp on the boat," he said.
Now it was Vaughn Cochran's turn on the bow and he quickly caught and released a slightly larger red on fly.
What fun! Cochran and I were fishing the late October full moon which pulls king tides into the shallows, greatly expanding the habitat of redfish bulking up on crabs for winter. Had our schedules permitted arriving an hour earlier-- before the tide started draining out--we likely would have hooked even more fish. And nobody knows their habits like Dumas, operator of <a href="http://www.drummancharters.com" target="_blank">Drumman Charters</a>.
"When it gets cold, they get shallower," Dumas said. "They get in big schools on the flats. They get in the creeks too. The best creeks are the ones that empty into basins."
The guide said he typically switches to small shrimp patterns and Clousers in wintertime when waters become clearer. Non-fly fishers can use live shrimp or cast artificials like D.O.A.'s or Z-man Shrimpz.
And redfish aren't the only targets in the cool season. Fly anglers get shots at flounder by bumping Clousers in pot holes while live baiters toss mullet or minnows. For sea trout, the ubiquitous Cajun Thunder-- a rattling float to which you can attach a live bait or a soft-plastic shrimp lure-- is probably the best choice. For fly anglers, poppers are tops.
One of the most popular local spots for shore and wade fishing is the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve located just off A-1-A about halfway between St. Augustine and Jacksonville Beach. When the dam between the Guana River and Lake Ponte Vedra is open, anglers enjoy good catches of flounder, redfish and other species on foot using finger mullet, crabs and other live baits.
The St. Augustine area has plenty more to offer besides shallow-water fishing. Check out this blog later for more on bottom fishing; dining, and unique attractions on Florida's First Coast.
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Sue Cocking chronicles the Guy Harvey Outpost travel and adventure experience in regular blog posts on GuyHarveyOutpostNews.com/. For 21 years, Cocking covered the full spectrum of outdoors adventure opportunities in South Florida and beyond for the Miami Herald, including fishing, diving, hunting, paddling camping, sailing and powerboat racing. She is a certified scuba diver and holder of an IGFA women's world fly fishing record for a 29-pound permit. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/red-hot-reds-in-shallow-st-augustine/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Friends of Bimini: Your Invitation to the Billfish Invitational, May 18th – 21st at the World-famous Bimini Big Game Club&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bi-mayevite.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-597" title="BI.MayEvite" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bi-mayevite.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="733" /></a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/friends-of-bimini-your-invitation-to-the-billfish-invitational-may-18th-21st-at-the-world-famous-bimini-big-game-club/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Extreme Kayak Fishing’s Summer Slam Results in a Heavy-Weight Bout&body= Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournament's "Summer Slam" produced some terrific fishing for its 108 kayak anglers. Even with a 6am launch there was a party like atmosphere with rock 'n' roll piped through the PA system. When "Sailfish On!" came over the VHF 45 minutes later the trash talk evaporated. Joe Kraatz got on the board 30 minutes later releasing a nice sailfish.<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/sail-2.jpg"><img class="wp-image-2182 " src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/sail-2.jpg?w=660" alt="Joe Kraatz's Sailfish. Photo credit: Jorge Bustamonte" width="660" height="440" /></a>With the ice broken, the bite was on. For the next two hours the pick up boats had their work cut out for them picking up kingfish to be iced down. Things quieted down for a bit as lines out started to loom on the western horizon. "Massive Wahoo... I could see stripes.." came from John Moody's VHF. Those near by report they did not need a radio to hear Moody's excitement." With anticipation still high, the word "Cobia" spread over the air-waves. John SIms would be the first angler to land a cobia during any <a href="http://www.extremekayakfishingtournament.org/">Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournament </a>if he could boat the beast. Sims triumphant fight and paddle to shore for the 2pm weigh in took a toll on the angler as he needed help getting the Cobia to the scales.<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/dsc02100-21-copy.jpg"><img class="wp-image-2188 size-large" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/dsc02100-21-copy.jpg?w=660" alt="Top Five Winners. Photo Courtesy of Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournaments" width="660" height="411" /></a>Top Five Winners. Photo Courtesy of Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournaments First Place: Jack Daughtry of Maryland, two Kingfish, 51.7 poundsSecond Place: Joe Kraatz, two Kingfish, 47.8 poundsThird Place: John Sims, Cobia, 46.3 poundsFourth Place: Carl Torrensson, two Kingfish, 44.4 poundsFifth Place: Justin Moody, Wahoo, 36.7 poundsKingfish Calcutta Winner: Jon Cunningham, 32.4 poundsTop Junior Angler: Hunter Irvine, Kingfish, 11.9 poundsTop Billfish Angler: Joe Kraatz, SailfishWreck the Weight: Rob Rodriguez, AmberjackTrash Can Slam: John McKroid, Barracuda, 25 poundsTop Pelagic Angler: Justin Moody, Wahoo. Necklace courtesy of <a href="http://www.guyharveyjewelry.com/">Guy Harvey Jewelry</a>For more information on Guy Harvey Outpost and our 10 great resorts check out our website at <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/">http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/extreme-kayak-fishings-summer-slam-results-in-a-heavy-weight-bout/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bonefish Packages Announced at Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/vaughn-cochran-and-bimini-catch-lr1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-938" title="Vaughn Cochran taming bonefish in Bimini " src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/vaughn-cochran-and-bimini-catch-lr1.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="366" /></a>
Set a New World Record for Bonefish or Permit and Win a Week's Stay For 2
ALICE TOWN, BIMINI-NOVEMBER 21, 2011-Management at the <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bimini Big Game Club</a>, a <a title="GHO web site" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Guy Harvey Outpost Resort and Marina</a> has created a novel challenge tied into their newly announced bonefish fishing travel package - break any world record in any line class for <a title="About bonefish" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonefish" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bonefish</a> or <a title="About permit" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permit_(fish)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">permit</a> on fly or spinning rod and win a week's all-inclusive stay for two!
<a title="About Bimini" href="http://www.bahamas.com/out-islands/bimini" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bimini</a>, located just less than 50 miles from Miami/Fort Lauderdale, is home to some 50 World Records, with four of those current world records being for bonefish/permit.
Perhaps the most remembered bonefish record was set in 1971 by Virginia Beach sportsman Jerry Lavenstein, who along with legendary guide Ansil Saunders landed a 16-pound, 3-ounce monster just some 300 yards from the
historic Big Game Club.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jerry-ansil-record-catch-lr-1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-940" title="Jerry & Ansil with their world record bonefish" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jerry-ansil-record-catch-lr-1.jpg" alt="" width="495" height="640" /></a>
Break Lavenstein's 40-year-old record - or any <a title="IGFA web site" href="http://www.igfa.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IGFA</a> registered record for Bonefish or Permit - and the Big Game Club will provide a complimentary seven night stay, including airfare and transfers, and a day on the water with fly fishing personality Vaughn Cochran.
The competition challenge offer, which is open through 2012, is available to anyone purchasing the special Fly Fishing Package. Details are available at <a title="Bonefish Bimini web site" href="https://guyharveyoutpost.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bonefish Bimini</a>, or call Captain Vaughn Cochran at 904-997-2200 or BBGC reservations at 1-800-867-4764. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bonefish-packages-announced-at-bimini-big-game-club-a-guy-harvey-outpost/){kind=link}
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