Cuba,Cayo Lago

[rosco]

May be a long shot.Going back to Cuba. This time with rods.A beach caster and spining rod.Advice needed on tackle and bait.Matt Hayes went out that way but i wasn't paying attention to the programe.Stupid boy.Anyway help this time will be
listend to.

Regards

Rosco.:g: :idea: :g: :idea:

[musket]

Rosco,
If you go to the home page here and then all our forums-page down to the bottom and there is an international forum.Hope you get your info,
Jon.

[marktheshark]

Hullo matey
Try CubaMania (www.cubamania.com); it has a forum devoted purely to fishing there and Largo has come up several times from people with the same enquiry. It works the same way as this site, Q&A from members, mostly based either in UK and Canada.
Mark

[PanamaJack]

Hi Rosco
That web site that Mark's suggested will certainly help, I'm sure. Just a small point though - clicking on the link comes up with an error because a couple of spurious characters have been included in the url. This should work - http://www.cubamania.com.

Albeit it's a fly fishing site, and covers pre-arranged guided trips, this also refers to the archipelago - http://www.castawayflyfishing.net/cuba.htm. At least it should give you an indication of the species you're likely to encounter, things like Bonefish, Tarpon, Permit, Barracuda and Jacks.

Subject to the feedback you get from that Cubamania site I doubt whether the beachcaster's going to be of much use unless you can find some of the deeper water channels where you might also encounter some sharks and rays. What spin rod(s) do you have though? Whilst something rated for freshwater Pike fishing coupled to say a 12 to 15lb line will work for most of those species you'd need something lighter, around 8lb test for the Bonefish.

I put together some fairly detailed notes for a couple of forum members who were planning to fish the Turks and Cacois Island that may be of use. Let me try and find it and I'll include it in another posting.
Dave

Hi Mark
Sorry, been in the 'thick of things'! Still got to respond to your PM which I'll do shortly.
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Hi Rosco
Here're those links to self-guided fishing in the Turks and Cacois Islands - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10506 and http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17148. Some are specific references to the T & Cs, others though are fairly general to just about anywhere in the Caribbean.

Hopefully they're of some help. But post again if you have any specific queries.
Dave

[rosco]

Rosco,
If you go to the home page here and then all our forums-page down to the bottom and there is an international forum.Hope you get your info,
Jon.




Thanks for that didn't realise it was there.

Regard's


Rosco.:)

[rosco]

Hullo matey
Try CubaMania (www.cubamania.com); it has a forum devoted purely to fishing there and Largo has come up several times from people with the same enquiry. It works the same way as this site, Q&A from members, mostly based either in UK and Canada.
Mark


Thanks for your time and effort great site:)

[rosco]

Hi Rosco
Here're those links to self-guided fishing in the Turks and Cacois Islands - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10506 and http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17148. Some are specific references to the T & Cs, others though are fairly general to just about anywhere in the Caribbean.

Hopefully they're of some help. But post again if you have any specific queries.
Dave

Thanks for your time and effort really helpfull:)

Regard's

Rosco

[rosco]

Hi Rosco
Here're those links to self-guided fishing in the Turks and Cacois Islands - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10506 and http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17148. Some are specific references to the T & Cs, others though are fairly general to just about anywhere in the Caribbean.

Hopefully they're of some help. But post again if you have any specific queries.
Dave

Thanks for your time and effort useful stuff:)

Regard's

Rosco

[rosco]

Hi Rosco
Here're those links to self-guided fishing in the Turks and Cacois Islands - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10506 and http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17148. Some are specific references to the T & Cs, others though are fairly general to just about anywhere in the Caribbean.

Hopefully they're of some help. But post again if you have any specific queries.
Dave

Thanks Dave useful stuff.There's been a great response to the enquiry.Again thanks for your time and effort.

Regard's

Rosco

[rosco]

Hi Rosco
Here're those links to self-guided fishing in the Turks and Cacois Islands - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10506 and http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17148. Some are specific references to the T & Cs, others though are fairly general to just about anywhere in the Caribbean.

Hopefully they're of some help. But post again if you have any specific queries.
Dave

Really useful info thanks again

Regard's

Rosco

[rosco]

I think i thanked everyone still learning how to use the forum.Anyway thanks again for all your time and effort.:) :clap3:


Regard's


Rosco.

[marktheshark]

Rosco
Thank you notes ... how terribly polite of you!
Good luck, and as always, let us know how you do. I'm off to Cayo Guillermo (on the north side of Cuba) this week and will let you know of anything interesting that might help.
Mark

PS: when are you going?

[rosco]

Rosco
Thank you notes ... how terribly polite of you!
Good luck, and as always, let us know how you do. I'm off to Cayo Guillermo (on the north side of Cuba) this week and will let you know of anything interesting that might help.
Mark

PS: when are you going?


Get married 25th November.26th Cuba HOORAH.Counting the days.Very exited about it all really.:yeah: Hey you have a great time as well:)
My email address should you want to use it is rj@roscojoey.com
It's a great place to be even if you don't catch a fish.
Safe journey and tight lines.

Regard's

Rosco.

[PanamaJack]

Hi Rosco
Just picked up another couple of references from a Saltwater Flyfishing forum I also post on. Although the whole focus will be on fly fishing you'd be able to target all the species mentioned on spin gear.

Firstly there's this 'commercial' site - http://www.cubaonthefly.com/cuba_op.html. It has some excellent references (and photographs) taken at Cayo Lago. You'll just need to 'dig' a little to get some meaninful information.

Then there's a very extensive thread (3 pages worth) on several areas of Cuba on this url - http://ukswff.proboards26.com/index.cgi?board=sea&action=display&thread=1139744626. In it you'll find quite a few references to the use of guides. Might be something you want to consider, if possible bypassing any 'middleman'.
Dave

[PanamaJack]

MarktheShark kindly identified the CubaMania web site and its Fishing forum, and mentionned that he'd posted some detailed information on one of the threads. Here's it url - http://www.cubamania.com/cuba/showthread.php?t=16107. There's some great information on it including specific marks around the Cayo Coco and Guillermo area and details on tackle and techniques. Well worth reading!

Just to give you a taste here's the detail of one of Mark's postings but there're others as well.


Right ... I've been to IberoDaiq and this should fine-tune my earlier reply. First up, you've picked a very sweet spot, with at least four good marks where you could catch the fish of a lifetime, and I didn't even think of fly-fishing for bonefish!
First is the Melia jetty. It's a wooden pier 300 yards long and loads of tourists fish there. It's open to anyone, not just Melia guests. The pilings are full of sardines, which attract predators. There's loads of big needlefish (garfish) - i caught one 5ft long - and barracudas, some to more than 40lb. You can tell when one's around when the snorkellers start heading for the shore. Also present are some smallish Spanish mackerel (kingfish) and, in the evening, red and mutton snappers. The real bonus is amberjack: some enormous fish drop in in small schools, eat a few sardines, then clear out. A Cuban guy took a 42lb fish from halfway along the jetty (and there are bigger ones around), but only after he'd jumped into the water (the fish went under the pier), climbed back up, climbed his way around the head of the pier, then landed the fish 200 yards down the beach after a 45min struggle. As you can see, a spinning rod and 10lb line might be a bit undergunned for the big game here. Bring small (16-12) hooks for sardines and ballyhoo. They'll take bread, shrimp and bits of ... sardine, which stays on the hook better.
Second place to try is the channels directly in front of the hotel, for tarpon. There are some to 30lb in there. The best I took was 12lb, but I lost several bigger fish. I took loads on an 8wt flyrod using sandeel imitations with a soft fur or fleece body in blue/pale colours. They take freelined prawn too, apparently, and are an absolute joy to play .... they fight like crazy. You can fish from the hotel side, but the better fish are to the right of the island, and I had to wade throught some pretty, um, fecal water to get there. It's only thigh-deep. Watch out for crocodiles: two of the hotel staff said they'd seen them in the channels, and they'll have your fish if they're around. You'll need a 25-35lb leader for tarpon, or they'll just wear away the line, and tie any knots with absolute care. Wire will do for the crocs (only joking!)
Third place is the Guillermo bridge, which is about a mile away. It's 3 Pesos by taxi, or for a Peso more you can arrive in style on the hotel's horse buggy. I only had one go at the bridge this time as I was caught under a horrendous storm, but I took a silver bream-type fish close to the pilings on shrimp. See my earlier note about last time I was there.
The final place, and quite possibly one of the best big-fish marks in the Caribbean, is the rocky headland to the west of Playa Pilar. It's about 5km from the hotel. There's a little noddy-train that takes you to Pilar every morning, and returns at around 4pm, but the rocks are about 1km beyond and a taxi is better. I caught a nice Spanish mack of 8lb when I was there, loads of needlefish, and a small cuda, but the fish that I saw .... fantastic. Two guides brought some English guys down one evening and they started by poppering; that brought in a school of horse-eye jacks, the biggest about 25lb; there took an 8lb cuda, I lost a much larger Spanish mack, they hooked, and lost, a big snapper, then, got busted off by a tarpon in the 80-100lb range. You've got to fish heavy there: 20lb line minimum, wire traces, heavy duty hooks and swivels, rods capable of casting a 3oz lure 100 yards and fighting fish of more than 100lb. It fishes best in the evening, so bring a torch. An the mozzies are horrendous - solid clouds of them after dark - so bring bug spray, a bug hat, and maybe clothes that can protect you. The rocks are horribly sharp limestone, so trainers or boots help too, and something you can sit on unless you want an acupunctured arse.
My advice would not be to go alone the first time: either book a guide (Duniesky and Jordan were the two I met; they're based at the Parque Baga www.baga_commercial@sica.inf.cu ). At the Iberostar, Edgar, one of the entertainment staff, will arrange to take you to the rocks, time permitting, and show you the ropes generally. He's a keen fisherman but not an expert like the Baga boys. The round trip by taxi was 20 Pesos. Edgar will take a tip, and any spare tackle.
Jordan and Duniesky also do bonefish and permit trips. If the weather's poor and they offer you tarpon instead of bonefish, beware, as you might end up paying for a 50-yard walk to the channels in front of the hotel. They speak English well and have some good equipment for the rock fishing.
Other marks that looked good which I didn't have time to explore: the flats at the eastern end (the Coco side) of the Guillermo bridge, which looked very bonefishy; the flats on the beach in front of the Cojimar, especially at low tide; the rocks just beyond the Sol hotel on Guillermo; and the bridge between Cayos Romano and Coco. The guys at the Ibero watersports centre will take you out on a Hobiecat for 20 Pesos an hour but they didn't seem as keen as the boys at the Sol Coco, and charged twice as much. You can also fish the bay from a pedalo - again, livebait is preferable for this.
Stuff I'd bring: a bait tank and aerator will give you a huge advantage. I gave mine to Duniesky, so he may be able to provide livebait on his trips now. There's also sardines at the base of the rocks at Pilar. Ask at the hotel buffet for prawns. As you've gathered, you'll need some heavy tackle. I'd get a bug cap if you want to do the rocks or bridge, and some heavy-duty repellant.
If you want to go on a boat trip, Avril, the rep at Iberostar, will arrange it for you for 250 Pesos (4hrs) or 400 (8hrs). There's not a great deal around offshore at the moment, just smallish barracudas and a few jacks and kingfish. If you want to take some lures the one they all want is the Rapala Magnum in red/white or green mackerel. I lost mine, together with the rod and reel it was tied to, when something big wrenched the whole lot out of the rodholder and bust the safety line too. November to March is better for the boats, apparently.
Right ... that covers just about everything I know. The rest is up to you. Let us know how you got on and tight lines.
Mark


Finally, Thanks Mark for identifying that site and the specific thread.
Kindest regards
Dave

[Billy Boy]

I fished there April 2005 whilst staying at Cojimar - absolutely stunning.

Wading out to the channel at the edge of the flats with hotel shrimp on basic ledger rigs you can catch bajonado (bream type) grunts (wrasse) and yellowtail snappers. All hard scrapers on light spinning gear. Fishing the road bridge next to cojimar and marina also v.good. Lost a 14ft beachcaster&multiplier over the side when I left rachet off. Was using a whole sardine on a 10/0 hook with wire trace.
Locals reckon it was near treble figure cuda or cubera snapper.

Taking a boat trip up the mangroves is excellent for popping for cudas to 10lb, mangrove snappers, tarpon etc.

Locals also reckon that nurse sharks and stingrays cruise in over the flats at night.

Definately back next year!