South Andros Bonefish Trip

Near Jackfish Creek, South Andros, Monday, 30 April. We set out at 8am and the plan was to explore mostly ocean flats of the Curley Cut Cays and the eastern most part of the Water Cays. The tide was low at 6am and we would be catching it in midrange. This is not the best for bonefish coming onto flats. We fished a dozen areas before noon. Each island picture perfect with mangroves right up to the water; huge flats of grass and corals and sand. Perfect habitat. The wading was firm. The flats are endless.

At around 10am I motored into an island that had a smaller island just off its shore on the ocean side. The separation between the two was only twenty feet. The water was knee deep and the tide was still running out. I approached from the east and could see a huge flat on the westerly side of this cut. Both islands had mangroves right up to the water. What I saw was several thousand bonefish stacked up on the flats on the western side trying to move through this little cut. The fished were over 100 yards deep. With a Deep Water Gotcha I caught over a dozen bones there. Each catch would stir up the group. But after I landed the fish, within a few minutes the fish were stacked up again. The beautiful part of this fish was that the fish would move through in groups of about 50 or so. Most of these fish were in the 2-3lb range. Largest one was a 4-5 pounder.

The best tide for fishing bonefish on flats is the rising tide. But the tide must be caught early when it begins to flood the flat. That afternoon the tide would be low around 1pm. But this area drains so much territory that the tides are often off by hours. For instance the ocean may be low at 1pm, but the ocean flats are still draining water from the interior 2 hours after that low. Near our morning bonanza spot we decided to wait for the tide change. The flats had drained dry and we were sitting around on our flats boats waiting. I even took a 30 min nap while waiting.

At 5pm the flats were drained and the tide was slack. Nothing but dry flats everywhere. We had stacked out near a channel that runs from the ocean into the interior flats, splitting two huge ocean flats almost in half. That is where we anchored our boats in order to get close. The wait was worth it. As soon as the water started to rise the fish started to stage in the deeper water. This is fishing in the shallowest waters, as the bonefish push onto the flooding flat. Stream after stream of schools moved onto the flats. Each school was tailing. What you say was pods of bonefish tailing slowly as the water rose. The opportunities were incredible. I picked a bead eyed Charlie that Alec had given me (get the name later). I matched the bottom color which was tanish. I fished on my knees in order to get close enough to cast to the fish. With water only ankle deep, my profile was spooking the fish before I got close. Some fantastic hookups in this shallow water. I landed 4 good fish and had another 3 break off.

It was a good day of fishing. Back to the mother ship for shower and dinner; and of course, rum and tonics.