Info Re Bahamas

[Billy Boy]

Hi Folks

I am thinking of the bahamas for honeymoon may to june/july next year.

Is this time of year good for fishing & weather?

can anyone recommend someplaces with good hotels and flats, mangroves and bluewater fishing nearby?

Any help much appreciated!

Thanks


Will

[PanamaJack]

Hi Will
Um.....in part that's a bit of a difficult question to answer. Let's have a try though.

Nassau, the entry point for international flights, is on the main island of New Providence and it has a whole range of reasonable quality hotels. The outer islands though, in the main connected by inter-island flights, have smaller good quality hotels probably better suited to a honeymoon. But, outside of the hotel and its facilities, there won't be masses to do. Let me talk to a few of our Club members who've taken their wives down there.

In terms of when June/July's going to be quite humid and, especially near the mangroves, you'll start to encounter - from May onwards - mosquitos and the 'dreaded' 'no see 'ums'. The latter aren't dangerous they just irritate and home in on any broken skin.

Also the flats tend to warm up too quickly during the summer months realistically limiting sight fishing to early mornings and evenings. You can fish during the day but normally that would be restricted to casting at 'mudding' Bones in somewhat deeper water.

In terms of the offshore fishing you've got the 'Tongue of the Ocean' running up through the Bahamas and, during the summer months, you'd certainly encounter species like Dorado and Blackfin Tuna. Bottom fishing over the reefs you'd encounter things like Snapper and Grouper. Blue Marlin may also be present the closer to June you consider going. Prime time for those, and the Bluefin and bigger Yellowfin Tuna, tends to be slightly earlier in the year - April/May.

Any rate others may well have other views. I'll get back though with regards some of the lodges, linked to further information on the fishing.
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Hi Will
Here’re a few suggestions. But it might also be worth posting to somewhere like the Caribbean forum on http://www.reel-time.com for suggestions. Another option is to post to the forums on somewhere like http://www.tripadvisor.com.

Firstly there’s Kamalame Cay. It’s a private island, just to the north of Andros – about a 10 minute flight from New Providence. It’s a really luxurious resort and, as with many of these lodges, majors on Bonefish fishing but I know they do have a boat that runs offshore. Here’s their web site - http://www.kamalame.com/

Then I guess if you’re more interested in the bluewater fishing mixed with the flats perhaps Grand Bahama, somewhere near Freeport might be worth considering. There is probably worth ‘googling’ to see what hotels you can find.

Two other lodges that friends have suggested are either Peace and Plenty on Exhuma - http://www.peaceandplenty.com/en/resorts-club.html - or Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort and Fishing Club on Long Island. Again though, although they’re luxurious the fishing would very much focus on the shallow water Bonefishing.
Dave
PS The point I made earlier about seasons. You'll see many of the lodges shut from mid-July - the advent of hurricane season!

[Billy Boy]

Hi Folks

Having fished Cuba the last 3yrs I need a new destination for a honeymoon in May or June next year . As long as there are flats n mangroves i'll be happy! Anybody know any good places for a new wife and good fishing with no hurricanes in June?

I dont trust brochures!

Thanks

Will

[Cascars]

Many of the Bahamas 'Out-Islands' will have what you want. Avoid Nassau (New Providence) though. Not the best beaches and few flats and mangroves. Anywhere in the Caribbean area in June is on the hit list for an early hurricane though. The Hurricane season runs from June through to November although you would have be unlucky to get one at the beginning of June.

[Audrey S]

Hi Folks

Having fished Cuba the last 3yrs I need a new destination for a honeymoon in May or June next year . As long as there are flats n mangroves i'll be happy! Anybody know any good places for a new wife and good fishing with no hurricanes in June?

I dont trust brochures!

Thanks

Will

Canvey islands not bad, for certain you'll not get any hurricanes, ok so the mangroves are sparse too, but you can see the flats of Grays and tilbury in the distance

hth

Ubd

[Maywood]

Canvey islands not bad, for certain you'll not get any hurricanes, ok so the mangroves are sparse too, but you can see the flats of Grays and tilbury in the distance

hth

Ubd

Wicked but i liked it

[Spitfire66]

Bermudas cool & great boat fishing (although not cheap)

[PanamaJack]

Bermudas cool & great boat fishing (although not cheap)

Never been to Bermuda, but as Spitfire says the offshore fishing around the Argos and Challenger Banks is excellent. July's peak time for the Yellowfin, but lots of others species turn up in the chum trail. And every year, trolling, they get numbers of Blue Marlin, including at least one BIG 'grander'.

Don't know whether there're any mangroves but they do get Bonefish on the flats at Whale, Shelly and Long Bays.

If you're broadening your search though past the Bahamas have you considered places like Mexico (south of Cancun, around Ascension Bay), Belize or Venezuela?

In Venezuela you've got the archipelago at Los Roques (I've got some pictures I'll post separately) - great fishing for Bones, Permit and some Tarpon and it's a really relaxed part of the world, some 70 miles off the coast. I've only ever seen private boats bluewater fishing out there, but you might want to consider combining a week there with a week on the mainland or Margarita Island. (Although the best Marlin and Sailfish fish tends to be March through May and again September through December.) I think your're a bit far south there to be bothered by hurricanes.

Another possibility, and look back for posts particularly by Markthe Shark, is Tobago.

[PanamaJack]

These are a picture essay that a young Danish student, Ingrid, who crews on big game boats in places like Ascension Island, the Azores and Cape Verde, took whilst she was in Venezuela - http://ingridmarie.eu/. No problem spotting Bones off Los Roques!