BILLFISH INVITATIONAL AUCTION ITEM: “Abaco Turtle Bones” Bahamas Bonefishing Adventure Everyone knows the Abacos are a long chain of islands that stretch across the Northern Bahamas – …
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=Billfish Invitational Auction Spotlight – "Abaco Turtle Bones" Bahamas Bonefishing Adventure&body=<a title="Billfish Invitational web site" href="http://www.billfishinvitational.com/" target="_blank">BILLFISH INVITATIONAL</a> AUCTION ITEM: “Abaco Turtle Bones" Bahamas Bonefishing Adventure
Everyone knows the <a title="About the Abacos" href="http://www.bahamas.com/out-islands/abacos" target="_blank">Abacos</a> are a long chain of islands that stretch across the Northern Bahamas - a lot of rock outcroppings, some infrequent settlements, miles of powder white beaches and a whole lot of world class bonefish flats. Welcome to the Abacos! This special vacation package offers four nights of dockage, five nights of luxurious accommodations and two days on some of the best bonefish flats to be found in the world.
Start and end your sojourn with two nights free dockage at the beautiful <a title="Old Bahama Bay web site" href="http://www.oldbahamabay.com/" target="_blank">Old Bahama Bay</a>, located at West End, <a title="About Grand Bahama Island " href="http://www.bahamas.com/grand-bahama-island/grand-bahama-island" target="_blank">Grand Bahama Island</a>, your main waypoint of entry to the Abacos, and a legendary bonefish destination. Break out the fly rod and practice up for the adventure ahead.....
From Old Bahama Bay, head east towards at the renowned <a title="Green Turtle Club web site" href="http://www.greenturtleclub.com/" target="_blank">Green Turtle Club</a>, established in 1964 on picturesque Green Turtle Cay, enjoying a two night stay in a Superior Deluxe room. Honoring the tradition of old English-Bahamian hospitality, the Club offers a quality of service and attention to detail that is no longer commonplace, finding a perfect combination of Out Island relaxation and sophisticated comfort. While in residence, you’ll enjoy a complimentary candlelight dinner overlooking White Sound Harbour , or if you prefer, inside in the elegant formal dining room.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bonefish1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-691" title="Bonefishing with Black Fly Bonefish Club" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bonefish1.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="345" /></a>
From the Green Turtle ferry dock, make your way by cab from Treasure Cay to Marsh Harbour, where you’ll be met by <a title="Capt. Clint Kemp's web site" href="http://www.secret-soul.com/" target="_blank">Captain Clint Kemp</a>, partner, manager and chef extraordinaire of the <a title="Black Fly Bonefish Club web site" href="http://www.blackflybonefishclub.com/" target="_blank">Black Fly Bonefish Club</a>, who will escort you and a companion to the southern reaches of Great Abaco Island for a three night, two day bonefishing bonanza. Spend two nights at the Black Fly Bonefish Club, the newest bonefishing lodging venture of flyfishing guru and Bonefish Bimini partner, <a title="Vaughn Cochran's web site" href="http://www.vaughncochranart.com/" target="_blank">Vaughn Conchran</a>, and your third night at the<a title="About Abaco Lodge" href="http://www.nervouswaters.com/LodgeDetail.aspx?ItemId=6" target="_blank">Abaco Lodge</a>, the newest property owned and managed by the luxury Argentine flyfishing operator, <a title="About Nervous Waters" href="http://www.nervouswaters.com/TheCompany.aspx" target="_blank">Nervous Waters</a>.
Your relaxing evenings will be punctuated by two days of world class backcountry fishing in the prized fishing grounds of Abaco, including Moore's Island and Gorda Key, with a half dozen distinct zones for non-stop, weather proof fishing action. Vaughn Cochran’s come a long way from his days playing bass guitar for Jimmy Buffet at night and fishing the flats of Key West by days. He’ll tell you hands down this area of the Abacos is second to none for great bonefishing and permit action, although famed outdoor angler and photographer <a title="Pat Ford Photography web site" href="http://www.patfordphotos.com/" target="_blank">Pat Ford</a> will tell you Bimini is without question the best for taking permit on fly...Sounds like Vaughn’s a winner either way.
Donated by Old Bahama Bay Resort, Green Turtle Club, Vaughn Cochran/Clint Kemp of Black Fly Bonefish Club and Nervous Waters/Abaco Lodge
AUCTION INFORMATION:
Tickets to nightly events of the inaugural 2011 Billfish Invitational are available for $150/pp. Price includes cocktails, dinner and participation in the auction and award presentations.
On-site auction is Thursday, May 19th at the Bimini Big Game Club. Online bids accepted through Midnight, Wednesday, May 18.
Please contact Capt. Ned Stone (<a href="mailto:nstone@guyharveyoutpost.com">nstone@guyharveyoutpost.com</a>) for details.
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![](mailto:?subject=Fishing The Wild West in Florida's Ten Thousand Islands&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/eveg.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2943 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/eveg.jpg?w=300" alt="Eveg" width="300" height="225" /></a>By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
[Everglades City, FL--] Yes, the weather may still be hot, muggy, and buggy in southwest Florida's Ten Thousand Islands, but the fishing is what is truly smokin'.
Pending the onset of late fall/winter cold fronts, this remote region of jagged oyster bars, mangrove-fringed mud flats, and offshore wrecks and artificial reefs can be unmatched for rod-bending action and bountiful table fare.
Consider: on calm-weather days, anglers are free to motor 30 miles west of Everglades City into the open Gulf of Mexico to catch a limit of snapper, grouper, and whatever else deigns to stop by on rock piles, artificial reefs, and shipwrecks.
Or, those who prefer near-shore sight-fishing can battle big snook along the shorelines of most of those Ten Thousand Islands, especially the natural moats surrounding the mangroves and in the sloughs that ring the outside sand bars on lower tide stages. Redfish also are plentiful along those sand bars, as well as oyster bars and island moats. Large numbers of spotted sea trout patrol the sloughs and channels on higher tides and can also be found --(surprise!)-- on live, rocky bottom 10-12 feet deep several miles offshore. There's also a good chance of locating resident tarpon around island points and river mouths.
Fall is a great time of year to hunt for tasty tripletail, a mysterious fish found throughout Florida from near shore waters a few feet deep to miles out in the Atlantic Gulf Stream. But here in the Ten Thousand Islands, the search area is narrowed to crab trap lines strung a few miles offshore in the Gulf and dead tree stumps that have washed up in the shallows.
And there are several more species to be found cruising the region this time of year, including cobia, sheepshead, pompano, black drum, and Spanish mackerel. And don't forget sharks; they're pretty much everywhere and very satisfying to catch and release on all ranges of tackle. Lucky anglers might even catch sight of an endangered sawfish-- a very distinctive-looking member of the stingray family-- plying the flats or the sloughs, but they are closed to all harvest.
While it is possible to catch many of the region's fish on fly rod and on artificial lures such as plugs, jigs, and soft plastics, using live bait is far and away the best bet for closing the deal. Securing enough bait for a day's fishing is rarely a problem around the Ten Thousand Islands at this time of year.
Check out dimples on the surface revealing the presence of threadfin herring and pilchards. In open water, diving pelicans are very helpful guides. Mullet can be found schooling on the flats, especially in coves and creeks; single fish will be seen flipping for no apparent reason or else leaping en masse when chased by predators. Bait hunters finding no joy on the flats may find it necessary to head offshore to live-bottom areas to get what they need. Being able to throw a large cast net is a necessary skill. Caution: using live shrimp for bait will probably draw all kinds of unwanted interlopers such as ladyfish, blue runners, catfish, and who knows what.
Anglers not inclined to get wet and dirty throwing a cast net will probably do just fine purchasing live or fresh-frozen bait in Everglades City. A couple weeks before the Oct. 8 recreational red grouper closure, part-time Everglades City resident Lou Volpe and a companion caught their limit of four (and released 30 that were undersized), plus a dozen lane and gray snapper and a limit of eight sea trout using mostly dead finger mullet and pilchards on 'knocker rigs' where the egg sinker is next to the hook. The pair had a well full of just-caught pilchards, mullet, and pinfish netted by Volpe on his 22-foot bay boat, but they didn't really need all that live ammo. And despite fishing on a sunny, calm Sunday, they encountered perhaps four other boats the entire day.
Despite its proximity to Naples (45 minutes) and urban Southeast Florida ( 1 1/2 hours), the Everglades City-Chokoloskee region still has the feel of a fishing frontier.
Saddle up and check it out.
*****
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/fishing-the-wild-west-in-floridas-ten-thousand-islands/){kind=link}
 these late winter reds are somewhat persnickety and a little spooky by nature. So picking the right artificial lure to get a positive reaction (we call that a bite) is very difficult. But during these warm up periods with rising temps the redfish typically get a bit reckless. That's when an experienced angler can take advantage of what I call the perfect scenario .
So what lure is ideal for this situation? Well the truth is several offerings will get the job done including spoons, jigs, plugs and even flies. Because when redfish are actively hunting and devouring food... all lures are in play. But still I have a few favorites that allow for accurate casting in spite of windy conditions like the BTB Jig (root beer) with a split tail trailer. Or the Mirrolure Catch Jr (finger mullet look) with single inline hooks, which plays well in cloudy or windy scenarios. And lastly the trusty Aqua Dream Spoons (black color) it gets the call for many anglers including me. Remember spoons are great choices if the clarity of the water is somewhat turbid (dirty/stained). But again if the redfish are fired up, any lure could be the answer... even top water plugs!
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/alure-image-for-redfish-red-hot-blog.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5007" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/alure-image-for-redfish-red-hot-blog-263x300.jpeg" alt="" width="263" height="300" /></a>
Additionally, don't use a long heavy leaders. Shorter leaders in the 20" to 24" lengths are adequate. Too much leader destroys the action on light weight plugs or pulls the jig down into the grass... creating a fouling issue. And unless your fishing an area inundated with lots of Oyster a 20lb. leader weight should do just fine in most cases.
Also consider, a small skiff or kayak is a huge advantage when targeting these low water redfish. The ability to be ahead of the grazing reds will allow you dozens of shots in comparison to the larger heavier boats more reliant on trolling motors getting to the feed zone a little later. I know it's more work to push pole or paddle into the skinny water (shallow) but that extra 45 minutes to an hour of fishing when the water is low, really pays off.
Here's what you really need to know and that is to focus your efforts on the warming trends later this month and the low incoming tides of course. It may be freezing in some parts of the U.S. this time of year but the light tackle action on redfish in Florida is "red hot"! https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/redfish-in-florida-is-red-hot/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bow to the Silver King!&body=Any day now, long lines of large silver gamefish with glittering scales can be seen making their way along Miami Beach from Haulover Inlet to Government Cut, and throughout Florida Bay and the Atlantic side of the Florida Keys. It's Tarpon Time--that bewitching season when local anglers and those from all over flock to South Florida in hopes of engaging in glorious battle with one of the hardest-fighting and most enigmatic fish in the world.
From now through about the end of June, wherever coastal water temperatures hit that magical 75-degree mark, schools of tarpon will aggregate in the annual marine version of the singles bar, looking to hook up, and then later head off to deeper water to spawn. If tide and weather conditions are favorable, they might just hook up with you too-- tempted by your offerings of live shrimp, crabs or mullet, or maybe a realistic fly pattern or swimming plug. But catching and releasing a tarpon is NEVER a given.
"Remember-- tarpon are a mystery," said veteran light-tackle guide Captain Joe Gonzalez of Miami, who fishes customers in his 18-foot Hells Bay skiff, "Funny Bone".
According to Gonzalez, March through May is prime time for pursuing tarpon in Biscayne Bay. In early winter, he said, the fish key on shrimp migrating through passes and channels on the outgoing tide at night.
In March, he said, "they're already moving inside the bay-- in the inlets, basins, channels, and around the bridges. If the weather gets nasty, they move offshore and go south, then you get another push of fish."
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/tarpon1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4598" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/tarpon1.jpg" alt="tarpon1" width="2100" height="1358" /></a>
Daytime fishing gets better, and as the waters warm and flush swarms of swimming crabs, it's time to use those silver-dollar-sized crustaceans for bait.
Gonzalez likes to fly fish for tarpon on the ocean side of the Biscayne Bay barrier islands all the way south to Key Largo.
"They're rolling and you can sight-fish for them in the basins and areas where they stage," he said.
There is nothing quite like sight-fishing for tarpon-- especially with a fly rod, since it's always a challenge to entice a wild animal to eat a man-made creation of fur and feathers.
You have to cast your bait very near the tarpon's mouth because it doesn't want to work very hard to catch a meal. Once the fish engulfs the offering, you must set the hook before it can spit it out-- a tricky business that goes wrong more than it goes right. When the tarpon realizes it has a hook in its jaw, it almost always jumps out of the water, and you have to see it coming and perform the maneuver of 'bowing to the silver king'-- pointing the rod down and toward the fish. If all goes well and you are still connected, you'll probably be engaged in battle for quite some time--either until you bring the fish up to the gunwales to be released or it breaks your line. Good luck.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Tarpon1-1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4599" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Tarpon1-1.jpg" alt="Tarpon1 (1)" width="4320" height="3240" /></a>
Biscayne Bay doesn't harbor as many tarpon during the spring as the Keys, Gonzalez says, because the waters of the island chain are a convergence zone for tarpon migrating from both the Gulf and Atlantic. But you might find Biscayne Bay to be less crowded with anglers than the busy flats of the Keys, and the fish tend to hang out in the bay into July-- after they've gone AWOL in the Keys.
In the Keys, you'll find tarpon in the channels beneath the U.S. 1 bridges; on the flats and channels in the vast back country; along the edges of ocean side flats; and there's usually big school right in busy Key West Harbor. Baits include pilchards, mullet, crabs, and pinfish.
One phenomenon peculiar to the Keys is the palolo worm hatch which usually occurs on the full and new moons of May and June during a falling tide in late afternoon.
When these magenta-colored marine worms start popping to the surface, tarpon gobble them to the exclusion of everything else. One Key West guide describes the fish as acting like they're on LSD. Double-digit releases on fly patterns that imitate the worms are common. Even if you miss all your strikes, it's a marvel to observe.
Tarpon charter openings are filling up fast. To book a trip with any Outfitter <a href="http://guyharveyoutpost.com/expeditions/expedition-adventures/tarpon-tango/">Click Here</a> or call the Travel Desk at 800-513-5257. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bow-to-the-silver-king/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bimini February Fishing Report from Coastal Angler Magazine&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/wahoo1.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1088 " title="Wahoo" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/wahoo1.jpg" alt="" width="495" height="662" /></a>Stephanie George shows off her first wahoo catch. Photo by Capt. Skipper Gentry.
The new year got off to a great start in <a title="About Bimini" href="http://www.bahamas.com/out-islands/bimini" target="_blank">Bimini</a>. In January, we caught a little bit of everything, from a scale bending 101.4 pound wahoo to a bright, beautiful sailfish that was hooked up and later released by a couple of newlyweds. As is customary this time of year, we also landed some big bull dolphins and several nice yellowfin tuna. The one thing all this action had in common – we caught everything right out front between Bimini and Cat Cay.
February is a great month to be in Bimini, with a wide range of target species in good numbers. We should see a few blue marlin showing up in the current edges, somewhere in the range of 600 to 1200 feet of water. Successful anglers targeting blues will be pulling mainly artificial. The blue marlin bite was pretty strong last year and should be the same this year.
For anglers wanting to do some high speed trolling, the wahoo bite will be in full swing this month. Zig zagging between 120 to 450 feet of water from Bimini to Ocean Cay will be the most productive grounds for wahoo. If you’re just looking for table fare, ballyhoo on mono, as well as a few #9 wire rigs, will produce a few wahoo, as well as a few dolphin. And, as always, deep dropping for yelloweye and queen snapper is an awesome way to guarantee a great meal for the entire crew.
FORECAST BY : Capt. Skipper Gentry
<a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">Bimini Big Game Club</a>/ <a title="GHO web site" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Outpost Resort</a><a title="GHO web site" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com" target="_blank"> </a>
Phone: (305) 320-3011 or (242) 347-3391
Email: <a href="mailto:skipper@carolinagnetleman.net">skipper@carolinagnetleman.net </a>
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TRAVEL DESK : 800.513.5257
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