From late summer into early autumn, the flats of the Florida Keys are prime territory for scoring an inshore super grand slam of bonefish, tarpon, permit and snook– all caught in one day. And as …
BBGC’s Captain Skipper Gentry Lands Blue Marlin
15 Feb 201111:48 PM
BIMINI BIG GAME CLUB FISHING REPORT
CATCH: Blue marlin
Bimini Big Game Club offshore charter captain Skipper Gentry, captain of the 38ft. Hatteras Carolina Gentleman, landed a 200lb. blue marlin yesterday while fishing in approx. 660 ft. of water about a mile southwest of the inlet. A nice day’s catch by any standards. However, this story has a little twist – Capt. Skipper was fishing alone on the Carolina Gentleman!
Although he grew up in North Carolina, Skipper knows these waters well – he has been coming to the BBGC since the late 1970s when he was just a toddler! Skipper has now returned to Bimini to help reestablish the legendary BBGC as a world-class fishing destination. Anglers are fond of saying in order to catch fish, you have to go where the fish are! Well, Capt. Skipper knows where the fish are, so reserve your trip today on the Carolina Gentleman!
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![](mailto:?subject=Prime Time for an Inshore Super Grand Slam in Islamorada&body=From late summer into early autumn, the flats of the Florida Keys are prime territory for scoring an inshore super grand slam of bonefish, tarpon, permit and snook-- all caught in one day. And as if that's not enough, anglers and guides routinely pile on with sea trout, redfish, tripletail, and others.
"Everything is available fish species-wise," said noted South Florida light-tackle guide captain Andy Thompson. "The options are pretty endless. You can sight-fish on the flats. You can fish the island moats, the channels, spin fishing or fly rod."
Thompson, who runs a 17-foot Hells Bay Biscayne skiff, fishes the entire region from Biscayne Bay south to the Lower Keys, including Flamingo and Chokoloskee in Everglades National Park. He's especially fond of September-October because water and air temperatures grow cooler, tides are higher and the flats are not crowded with other guides and anglers.
"The permit fishing in September/October is really good," Thompson said. "With bigger tides, the back country banks behind Islamorada get a lot more water in the fall and that allows those fish to feed."
The best bait is a live crab (or a crab imitation if you insist on fly fishing) cast to fish feeding on the edges of channels and along narrow, rocky strip banks on the ocean side and bayside of the Keys where currents are strong. Permit also can be found around shallow wrecks and the U.S. 1 bridges.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Andytarpon.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-4218" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Andytarpon-1024x768.jpg" alt="Andytarpon" width="1024" height="768" /></a>
Continuing the inshore superfecta with tarpon may also be easier in fall than during the peak of the summer spawn. Thompson says plenty of juvenile tarpon can be found along the ocean side islands of the Upper Keys and in Florida Bay near Flamingo. In October, he often finds a resident population of 100-pounders that are "laid up" and easy to cast to with a live mullet or Deceiver-pattern fly. But some of the easiest fish to target are the ones following the fall mullet run all along the southwest Florida coast.
The seasonal bait frenzy also occurs on the ocean side of the Keys where huge schools of pilchards can be seen swirling and flashing. Just about anything can be found harassing these forage fish -- tarpon, sharks, snook, and jacks, among others. Snook are also plentiful on the crowns of the Florida Bay flats on an incoming tide, and often accompanied by redfish. Thompson goes after them using primarily pearl-colored soft plastic jerkbaits such as the D.O.A. C.A.L., but topwater plugs also can be effective if there's not too much floating grass.
Catching and releasing a bonefish is not as tough in Florida Bay as in recent years, according to Thompson. While their numbers are down considerably from the 1980s, Thompson says the torpedo-shaped silver speedsters are starting to recover.
"There's a lot of little fish in Florida Bay," he said. "The 2010 freeze put a hurtin' on them. But just this year, I started to see good numbers of them again around Rabbit Key and the Arsenicker Keys. There's a whole new class of fish showing up. It's encouraging."
The guide and his customers target them with live shrimp, small crabs, small skimmer jigs or shrimp-patterned flies.
To book a fishing trip with Thompson, go <a href="http://www.saltairoutfitters.com" target="_blank">HERE</a>. To book your stay at the Islander, a Guy Harvey Outpost in Islamorada, visit the <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Outpost web site</a>.
<a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/dive-packages/"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-4200 size-full" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ad.jpg" alt="ad" width="737" height="301" /></a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/prime-time-for-an-inshore-super-grand-slam-in-islamorada/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=GREEN Turtle Bahamas Billfish Championship Is RED HOT with WHITE Marlin!&body=The <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/">Green Turtle Club </a> Co-Hosted the action packed second leg of the 2015 <a href="http://www.bahamasbillfish.com/">Bahamas Billfish Championship</a>.
BBC Day One: White marlin dominated day one action. Something Fishy got off to a hot start with a double header of whites. Island Time got on the board with a sailfish. Game Changer, Marlin Raptor & Whisky Won all got in on the morning bite with white marlin. Wave Paver & Anticipation jumped to the top with afternoon blue marlin.
<a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2764 size-medium" title="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/green-turtle-cay-abaco-logo-option-3.jpg?w=300" alt="Green Turtle Cay Abaco logo option 3" width="300" height="264" /></a>
BBC Day Two: The white marlin bite remained hot with the blues showing up in the afternoon. Sandrita jumped to the lead today on the strength of on blue marlin and three white marlin today. Torta started their day with a sailfish added a double header of white marlin and nabbed a blue marlin late in the day to catch a slam; which will give them a nice bunch of bonus points and the overall lead after two days.
Early leaders Something Fishy improved their numbers with another white marlin to go with their day one pair. Anticipation added second day blue marlin to their first day fish to stay in contention for the top spot. Whisky Won released a blue and a white to go with their day one white to move into third place after two days. Nothing is settled and with the way some boats have gotten hot hands it is still anyone’s ball game.
BBC Day Three
The white marlin bite continues to build; 8 whites day one, 9 day two, with 11 on day three for a total of 28 whites! Seventeen billfish caught on day three including three sailfish, three blue marlin and 11 whites. This is more whites than were caught in all of 2014. Hopefully this is a sign of a rebounding white marlin population.
Wave Paver started things off at the six minute mark on day three releasing a blue. Ten minutes later Game Changer released a pair of whites announcing that the bite was on. Hit n Run followed with a white marlin and sailfish released. Something Fishy then released the first of their two white marlin for the day before Hit n Run released the third of their four whites all before noon. Wave Paver would add a white, while Hit n Run would get their "Slam" with a blue marlin late in the day. Pandemonium finished the day and the tournament hooked up to a blue marlin at lines out. All ears stay tuned to the radio when a boat is still hooked up at lines out. It only took Pandemonium another 17 minutes to release their fish.
Grand Slam points were key as Hit n Run won with Torta in Second Place on the strength of their Grand Slam bonus points. Wave Paver was third followed by Anticipation. It is great to see FIVE Lady Anglers on the board for the event.
Congratulations to the winners and all the anglers!
The next <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/">Guy Harvey Outpost</a> event will be the <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/bonfire-beach-bash/">2nd Annual Beach Bash Bonfire and Tournament </a>at <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/west-end-grand-bahama/old-bahama-bay-resort/">Old Bahama Bay </a>June 25-28th.
<a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/burning-series/"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2436 size-medium" title="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/burning-series/" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/burning-wahoo-logo.jpg?w=300" alt="http://ghofish.com/" width="300" height="300" /></a>
For the latest information on the BBC: <a href="http://www.bahamasbillfish.com">www.bahamasbillfish.com</a>
For more on the Guy Harvey Outpost Portfolio: <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/" target="_parent">http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/</a>
For Fishing with Guy Harvey Outpost: <a href="http://ghofish.com/">www.ghofish.com</a>
For the Guy Harvey Outpost Blog <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpostnews.com/" target="_parent">www.guyharveyoutpostnews.com</a>
For Guy Harvey Outpost on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOutpost" target="_parent">https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOutpost</a>
For Guy Harvey Outpost on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/GHOutpost" target="_parent">https://twitter.com/GHOutpost</a>
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![](mailto:?subject=Bimini Big Game Club’s New Year’s Three Peat Package Includes Free Room and Free Airfare&body=Get your New Year's Game On at the legendary <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">Bimini Big Game Club</a>. Get yourself and your friends to our "New Years party at the end of the world" in the original party town, Alice Town.
Got plans? Change them!! Bring the party with you! Have we got an offer for you! We call it the New Years Three Peat Package, because we love those Miami Heat...
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/drink.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-380" title="New Year's Party, Bimini Style!" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/drink.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="366" /></a>
Book three rooms for a minimum of four nights, checking in anytime between Christmas and New Year Eve, and we'll give you one of the rooms free! And, there's more! There's also 2-for-1 airfare...now, getting to Bimini is as cheap as a drive to Key West!
Take charge. Get your friends off the couch. Get your Game On...at the Big Game Club. Guaranteed more fun and less money than staying at home stateside, and no risk of a late night run in with the law!
Join us New Year's Eve for the <a title="New Year’s Boat Parade & Pool Party, Bimini Style!" href="http://guyharveyoutpostnews.com/2010/12/09/new-years-boat-parade-pool-party-bimini-style/" target="_blank">1st Annual Bimini Boat Parade and Pool Party</a>. Cruise the harbor with the Scuba Radio Mermaids on our 60' twin deck party machione, <a title="The Big Game Club’s Name That Dive Boat Competition is Over! It’s…Bimini Blue!" href="http://guyharveyoutpostnews.com/2010/10/15/the-big-game-club%e2%80%99s-name-that-dive-boat-competition-is-over-it%e2%80%99s-bimini-blue/" target="_blank">M/V Bimini Blue</a>. Then, join us poolside for live music by Mango Man, and drink specials till midnight when we ring in the New Year.
On New Years Day, its Rum Bloody Marys and football - all the games, all day long.
For all the details and to book your group's Ultimate New Year's Three Peat Package, call the Big Game Club today at 800-867-4764. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bimini-big-game-clubs-new-years-three-peat-package-includes-free-room-and-free-airfare/){kind=link}
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bimini-big-game-club-and-bonefish-bimini-announce-whatever-floats-your-boat-virtual-boat-parade-art-contest/&media=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/bonefishlogo2.jpg&description=Bimini Big Game Club and Bonefish Bimini Announce "Whatever Floats Your Boat…" Virtual Boat Parade Art Contest){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bimini Big Game Club and Bonefish Bimini Announce "Whatever Floats Your Boat…" Virtual Boat Parade Art Contest&body=Winning Submission Receives a Complimentary Two Night Stay at the Big Game Club
ALICE TOWN, BIMINI—JANUARY 7, 2011—The <a title="Wikipedia entry for bonefish" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonefish" target="_blank">Grey Ghosts</a> of <a title="Info on Bimini" href="http://www.bahamas.com/out-islands/bimini" target="_blank">Bimini</a> are beckoning!
For those who love fishing skinny water and have an artistic bent, the legendary <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">Bimini Big Game Club</a> is putting out a call for online submissions for a virtual boat parade to be celebrated as part of the inaugural Bonefish Bimini Challenge—scheduled for February 25th.
The day’s events will include a ‘bragging rights” tournament with some of the world’s top fly fishing writers participating to be followed by a real parade that celebrates the 40th anniversary of catching the 16lb, 3oz monster bonefish in Bimini guided by the legendary Ansil Saunders. <a title="Vaughn Cochran's web site" href="http://www.vaughncochranart.com/artgallery/" target="_blank">Vaughn Cochran</a>, the fly fishing guru and marine artist who recently formed the Bonefish Bimini Outfitter operation at the Big Game Club with fellow artist <a title="Guy Harvey Inc. web site" href="http://www.guyharvey.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey</a>, has decided to also add a virtual parade— so everyone can participate.
Cochran, who has crafted an example as the lead boat in the virtual parade, is looking for entries in any media.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/vaughnsbonefishparadefloat.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-425 " title="Lead Float in the virtual Bonefish Boat Parade" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/vaughnsbonefishparadefloat.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="149" /></a>Artist and fly fishing guru Vaughn Cochran has created the design for the lead float in the virtual Bonefish Boat Parade. To submit an entry, visit www.biggameclubbimini.com.
‘So dream big…dream in color….get fancy, or keep it simple,” said Cochran, whose celebrated marine artworks are found in numerous collections. “ It doesn't matter - except to the judges.”
Entries are to be submitted with a white background. The winner will be announced in Bimini at the conclusion of the parade and the award ceremony for the Bimini Bonefish Challenge on February 25th. The deadline for entries is 5:00 PM EST on the 23rd. The winner will receive a complimentary two night stay at the legendary Bimini Big Game Club, a celebratory dinner for two, and a day of flats fishing.
Now, go to your studio and unleash that artist in you….and remember, Vaughn and Guy are looking over your shoulder!
Entries can be submitted by email in a jpeg format and will be displayed in an updated loop. Visit the Club’s website at <a href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com/">www.biggameclubbimini.com</a> to submit your entry. Good luck!! https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bimini-big-game-club-and-bonefish-bimini-announce-whatever-floats-your-boat-virtual-boat-parade-art-contest/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Talks Fisheries Symposium & Guy Harvey Outpost Grand Opening with Fishing Florida Radio&body=<a href="http://www.fishingfloridaradio.com/mp3/guy_harvey_ffr_interview.mp3"><img class="size-full wp-image-1446 alignleft" title="Guy Harvey Interview with Fishing Florida Radio" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fishing-florida-radiologo11.jpg" alt="" width="130" height="88" /></a>Guy recently spoke with BooDreaux, Steve and Capt. Mike of <a title="FFR web site" href="http://www.fishingfloridaradio.com/" target="_blank">Fishing Florida Radio</a> to discuss the upcoming <a title="Fisheries Symposium web site" href="http://www.gulffisheriessymposium.com/" target="_blank">Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Symposium</a>, which is being held this week in conjunction with the Grand Opening of the new <a title="GHO on Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.297039977030459.74495.238365306231260&type=3" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Outpost on St. Pete Beach</a>. Click <a title="Guy Harvey Interview with FFR" href="http://www.fishingfloridaradio.com/mp3/guy_harvey_ffr_interview.mp3" target="_blank">here</a> to listen to the interview. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-talks-fisheries-symposium-guy-harvey-outpost-grand-opening-with-fishing-florida-radio/){kind=link}
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