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Locations — No Comments
08
Oct 09

Los Roques DIY Bonefishing

One of the most common searches I’ve seen landing folks here on Bonefish on the Brain is  “Los Roques DIY.”  So, I decided to look into it.

Los Roques is hard to get to, that seems clear.  I found a great little story from the NYT about Los Roques, complete with a quote from a Maine Game Warden who bonefishes there every year.  The article says you can hire a boat, find an island and be alone with your thoughts (and bonefish).  The details on how one does that, of course, is where the real questions have to be asked.

Los Roques… looks nice. Wish it cost more like $140 to get there instead of $1,400.

I have read at least one account of folks catching bones in the harbor and also read that flats around the main town get hammered.  You need a license, there are prohibited areas… sounds like you can certainly get yourself into trouble.

Oscar Shop, according to the NYT, can take you out to uninhabited islands, that sounds like the best bet to me (but what the hell do I know?).

There are tourist “posada” on Los Roques that range from $45 to $400 a night, I’m sure they very dramatically in quality, as you’d expect.

Now, it’s great to get a room for $45, get a boat to take you to some isolated island for $20-80 a person, but the real problem seems like the transportation there… Kayak puts a flight to Caracas from SFO at about $1,200.  The puddle jumper is about $220.  The budget angler might need to re-think Los Roques as a DIY location if just getting there will cost you $1,400… you end up at $2,000 pretty fast and if you are going to drop $2,000, you might as well get a guide.

Locations — 1 Comment
25
Sep 09

2010 Bonefishing Trip Planning

I am still looking for where exactly I’ll be headed for my 2010 Bonefishing trip.  I had been looking at the Name Removed out of Miami (his rates are pretty hard to beat), but in the end, I need to catch fish and the FL bonefish game just seems a bit too iffy for my taste (at least at this stage of my fixation).  I’m going to keep him in mind for the future…  that future being after 2010.

A reader I’ve been exchanging emails with had a list of low-cost options that included an outfitter with several budget bonefish destinations.  The operation is Cattaraugus Creek Outfitter.  They have packages on Acklins and Eleuthera that both sound pretty good.  Acklins takes a little too long to get to, so I was keen on the Eleuthera option.  Eleuthera is known as a DIY island. It’s a long island with lots and lots and lots of flats the self-guided angler can walk out on.  Cattaraugus Creek would get on the phone with you before your trip and Google Earth you onto some promising spots.  Their package includes lodging, meals and rental car with prices from $1,500 to $750 for a 7 day trip.  Shorter stays are possible.  I emailed with Vince at Cattaraugus and he was very willing to work with me on a shorter trip and gave good advice.

I was ready to hit the “go” button but the airfare sitch has tanked that particular effort.  I’m using frequent flier miles and it did not seem that there was a way to get to Eleuthera with my Alaska Airline miles (they have relationships with lots of carriers, like Denta and Continental).  In looked like I was going to have to burn a day in Nassau either coming or going and maybe  both.  That cuts too much into on-the-flats time.  I need to be fishing the day after I depart and I need to be home the same day I start my return.  Why it costs $350 to get from Miami to Eleuthera I have no idea.

Oh Grand Bahama, I think I’m coming back!

Locations — No Comments
06
Sep 09

That looks fun: Belize Bonefishing (DIY??)

Belize… a magical land of lots and lots of bonefish and lodges that are all shiny and wonderful.   Seems the lodge game is the current approved route, as opposed to DIY.  The Ledger.com ran a story about heading down to Belize that was a decent read.  Find it here.  The way the guide and client are not on the same page about the stripping speed made me think  of Shane Kohlbeck‘s article here a couple weeks ago.

Here’s a random guy fishing  in Belize.  His guide is very different from the guide mentioned in the Ledger.com article.  Seems like a cool cat, really.

Yeah… the “catch as many as you want” line got me wondering if A) that were true, and B) if this guy was in the sun too much… or C) A little of column A and a little of column B.  Having not fished Belize, I’ll have to wait until I  make the journey.

DIY may actually be a possibility, upon a little digging.  Bite me Belize offers three different options on a sliding scale from Kayak rental to flats wading to skiff fishing.  Check out Bite me Belize and you may just be thinking Belize-me!  This looks like a really good option and one that I’m certainly going to be checking into.

This could be your Belize Bonefish ride.

Gear / Tactics — No Comments
31
Aug 09

Deneki Drops Knowledge on… Everything

As I started this blog about a week ago, one thing became very clear… Deneki Outdoors puts out some great info.  From rods to reels to tips on wading, they just keep giving good info.

Here is a primer on… on everything bonefish related.

Deep Deneki Knowledge.

It seems that the bonefish game is primarily dominated by destination resorts and guides.  The DIY seems to make up a smaller percentage than, say, for trout.  Seems bones that get fished over get really picky, so folks are less free about the where and the what than with the more trouty fishing pursuits.  That’s another reason I’ve liked Deneki’s blog… there is a lot there for folks looking to get better… to grow as an bonefishing angler.

Locations — 3 Comments
28
Aug 09

Vieques Bonefish

Vieques, Puerto Rico… yes, the place we used to drop bombs on… turns out, might have some pretty interesting fishing too.  Vieques has several things going for it… first, it’s a US Territory, so travel is a little less complicated.  Second, you can actually camp there (although I’ve read not to leave anything in your tent when you leave for the day).  Third, and most importantly, there are bonefish there.  How many?  How big?  How hard/easy?  I have no frigging idea… but they are there.

There are a couple of guides that work the island… one of them has a blog (The Vieques Angler), which I read.

I found a story (in the NYT, of all places) about bones on Vieques and wrote the author.  He said that there were flats you could walk out on, and that for around $15 a day you could even rent a kayak that would get you to other, more promising flats.  This makes the island a good possible DIY/Self Guided location.

This is another trip that has some real potential to come in under that magical $1,000 threshold that makes it easier to negotiate on the home-front.

Vieques… looks nice.

Locations — 2 Comments
21
Aug 09

The quest… bones under $1K

I recently stumbled (and by stumbled I mean “found after searching for hours”) upon what sounded like my ideal trip for Bahamas Bonefish.  The island is Mayaguana, toward the tail end of the Bahamas.  The lodge, if it could be called that, doesn’t offer anything fancy.  Fancy would be code for “guide.”  They give you a place to lay your head, food and a canoe and point you toward a likely place.  I like the DIY mentality, mostly because it conforms nicely to my NEM (Not Enough Money) financial philosophy.

I could hardly wait to get to the bit where my dreams of a bonefishing trip for under $1,000 would spring from my overactive imagination and into my future reality.  The pricetag for a week of bed, grub and people propelled floatation… $1,495 a week… airfare not included.

Really?

Thusly, the search goes on.

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