The Bonefish of Abaco

By Jan S. Maizler
Article & Travel Editor
Photos By Art Blank & Jon Cooper

Abaco Bonefishing in Perspective

At some point in the life of a bonefisherman comes the awareness that the Bahamas offer a much more vast biomass of gray ghosts than does the more accessible Florida. While our famous Sunshine State offers the largest bonefish in the western hemisphere, it simply cannot compare to the sheer numbers of fish, expansive flats or wading opportunities that exists in our neighbors across the Gulf Stream.

My favorite island on the Bahamas is Abaco. This crescent shaped island offers whopper-sized bonefish on its' northeast side off of Treasure Cay at Man Jack Cay. To the south and on the islands' west side lie the mythical Marls, which may be one of the most fruitful and prolific ultrashallow bonefish grounds in the world- since the marls feature soft bottom, it must be fished from a super shallow draft skiff. All the way south lies Sandy Point, which not only has bonefish literally tailing on its' shores but is also the jumping off point for fishing More's Island and Gorda Cay.

Abaconians are some of the friendliest people in the Bahamas. They are a far cry from the hip-hop wannabes sometimes evident in Nassau. Abaco Island offers a past rooted in hard work, conservative Loyalism, and solid values as well as a present where tourists are treated like they were almost "family": this creates a wonderful welcome feeling for the traveling angler and their significant others.

Time to Fish, A Prelude

The day before my charter with Ricardo Burrows, I waded out to the channel in front of Rickmon's Lodge to play for a while. With my 12 lb. plug rod and a 1/2 oz. white Spro bucktail, my second presentation was smashed in the channel depths. After a fifteen-minute seesaw fight, I bested a 12 lb. mutton snapper. This gave the lodge cook, Mari, great delight!

Rumble Time

As I was wading in crystal-clear water about six inches deep, my guide Ricardo Burrows, suddenly whispered, "stop" and pointed to a disturbance on the flat about a hundred yards down tide. "Be still and quiet, they're coming our way." By the time "they" got within a hundred feet of us, I beheld something I'd never seen before: a school of tailing bonefish so immense they could have covered an entire tennis court. The multitude of flashing tails simply mesmerized me. I could literally feel my heart pounding out of my chest with excitement. Ricardo coached me. "Make your presentation well in front of the pack and when they close in start your retrieve with gentle bumps". I did just that — and the hookup was instantaneous. The silvery tennis court exploded into a white froth as hundreds of bonefish spooked in all directions. After a crisp, yet exciting battle, we released a healthy five lb. bone back into the shallow water to resume his cautious, grazing life.

This was typical Abacos bonefishing. From Key Biscayne to Key West, south Florida flats anglers are accustomed to pursuing Florida's gray ghost by poling after them in specially designed shallow draft skiffs. Florida bonefish are often seen mudding, cruising and tailing and usually run in size from 4 to 14 lbs. Targeting bones in the Bahamas is slightly different in a number of ways and Florida anglers should be aware of what to expect when heading over. I happen to have been fishing off Sandy Point in Abaco Island, which is fairly typical of Bahamas bonefishing on the "outside flats".

Hot Locations around Sandy Point, Abaco

The flats around Sandy Point abound with bonefish. If you follow the road to Rickmons Lodge, you can see a large sandbar exposed to your right as you gaze northward. On either side of the low tide, the bonefish that gather here only a hundred yards from the lodge, can number in the hundreds. As the tide gets higher, focus on the island 100 yards northeast of the sandbar, as the bonefish feed right into the black mangroves, along with loads of blacktip sharks. An excellent foul-weather hotspot is the mangroves past the boatyard to the right of the lodge where the bonefish spill out of the mangroves as the tide drops.

Bahama Bone Orientation

Here are a few pointers that will hopefully help you in your pursuit of Bahamas bonefish. Generally, Bahamian bones range in size from 2 - 5 lbs., although there are larger fish present on the islands that front oceanic depths. As a rule, plan to scale down your tackle, and go a bit lighter here: 6 lb. spinning outfits, and six-weight fly rods will provide excellent battles and more enjoyment with these abundant smaller fish.

The size of bonefish schools here can range into the hundreds of fish, something south Florida anglers don't commonly see. These huge schools are often encountered tailing or mudding during lower tidal stages. If you catch the right season, you might find bonefish spawning on the surface in the thousands! In Abaco, the guides call this "dancing". In Eleuthera, they call it "bibbling." Whatever name it's called, these massive groups of bonefish provide new meaning to the word "action".

Bahamas bonefish will head deep into any available mangrove "forests" to feed during the rising tide. Therefore, a falling tide is often better in these kinds of areas, as the fish will be coming heading back out of the roots to continue their search for crustaceans. It's common to see mudding schools of bonefish working the deeper drop-offs adjacent to the flats and inevitably, these fish will be accompanied by marauding blacktip sharks. What makes Bahamian bonefish muds so different than typical keys muds is their size, which can often cover an entire acre. Although you may not see individual fish to cast to, fish these muds for a while and you will probably be surprised with some quick, delightful action.

Any kind of light tackle setup will work quite well here. The ultra shallow flats in the Bahamas can run for immense distances, unlike the typical sloping flats of the Keys. This means you can often leave your boat anchored on the edge and wade the sandy shallows for miles. Wading the flats for bonefish is extremely common in the Bahamas. Although, if you do plan on leaving your boat for long periods of time, remember to take your water bottle.

There is an abundance of bonus fish on the Bahamian flats as well. If you like, you can rig up a short wire trace and cast to countless barracuda and sharks as the tide rises on the outside flats. You may also get a shot at a permit during the higher tidal phases or along the channel edges.

Planning a trip to the Bahamas Flats

Generally, it's better to use an outfitter or travel agent to book your trip. Remember, they obligate themselves to your trip, and are extremely concerned about your having a great experience. Firms like Angling Destinations (Scott or Brad at 1-800-211-8530) specialize in representing your interests with the myriad numbers of Bahama bonefish clubs.

If flying, back up your tackle with your carry-on luggage, in case your rod tubes or other luggage is lost or damaged in transit. Better safe than sorry should be your watchwords. Bring everything you can imagine you might need. Photo documented ID's like drivers license and passport are the optimal rule. Think about taking all your necessary medications, including first aid items. Be sure to include these in your carry-on if flying. Be flexible. Life in the Bahamas moves at a more relaxed pace, and Bahamians live their life this way. Sometimes your flight inquiry might be met with a smiling shrug, surely not the American way! However, you are encountering a way of life where things do get done satisfactorily, maybe not at your accustomed pace, but perhaps at a healthier, wiser one.

Tooling Up

It's important to realize that you should bring your own tackle and accessories as these items are generally not in hand on Abaco Island or in the balance of the Bahamas.

Below is a very brief list of what you should take if you are heading over in your own boat or simply want to rely on your own equipment to forestall any problems:

• 7'- 8' spinning outfit with 6 lb. or 8 lb. line for flats and shallow water fishing
• 7' spinning rod with 12 lb line for barracuda
• Bonefish fly-rod- 9'-10' rod; 8- weight line
• Permit fly-rod- 9'-10' rod; 9- weight line
• Artificial Lures: Wiggle jigs. Flat head in various small sizes for bonefish and permit
• Tube lures for barracuda
• Various swimming plugs for inshore and offshore species
• Bucktail and nylon jigs in a variety of sizes
• Bonefish flies: Clouser Minnow #4, #6 in tan/white Crazy Charlie #4, #6 in tan/white Bonefish Special #4, #6
• Permit flies: Del's Merkin Crab #1,2 The McCrab #1, #2
• Hooks in various sizes for all flats species
• Leader material and extra line for all inshore applications
• Polarized sunglasses with side shields
• Multi-purpose tool
• Pliers
• Portable water bottle
• Hook file
• Reel lube

Contact Data

Abaco- Green Turtle Cay- Captain Rick Sawyer- 242-365-4361
Abaco- Marsh Harbor- Captain Danny Sawyer- 242-367-3577
Abaco- Sandy Point- Ricardo Burrows- 242-359-6696