BAHAMIAN FISHING

Winter 2008

South Andros Island

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Ben Mumford

South Andros is a wonderfully pristine island with white sand beaches and clear, turquoise water. Located the furthest south and east in the Bahamian group, it is scarcely populated with only 1800 people, most living on the northeast side of the island. The southern part of South Andros is made up of cays and shallow estuaries. There are miles of canals and creeks that could provide weeks of swimming, snorkeling, sun worshipping and exploring by kayak. However, we took a look at South Andros from the kayak angler’s perspective.

There are two completely different kinds of fishing experiences possible on the island—deep-sea fishing near a vertical reef unlike any in the world, and inshore fishing in the creeks where lies the illusive bonefish (Albula vulpes).

Although bonefish are not considered good to eat, and catch-and-release is the usual practice, hooking one of these translucent fish, known as the “white ghost,” will likely be the ultimate thrill for most avid kayak anglers—and South Andros is one of the best places on the planet to find them. Bonefish grow up to 22 pounds in weight and 3.4 feet in length. They spook very easily, but put up a fight to rival any sport fish. Anglers catch bonefish with a fly, however, you generally have to spot the fish first and then place your fly directly over the fish to be successful. This operation of placing your fly must be done with utmost care, as the fish will detect any movement on your part and quickly vacate. This game of cat and mouse can take hours. If you have tried unsuccessfully to hook into a bonefish from your kayak, guides will take you out in a very shallow skiff and spot the fish for you. You sit and wait for the guide to quietly tell you where to place your fly—“30 yards and 10 o’clock off the starboard bow”—then you try to place your fly exactly there. This is a very intense fishing experience, and guaranteed to make you focus your attention and forget anything else that’s going on in your life.

The other type of amazing fishing available to the kayaker on South Andros is deep-sea kayak fishing, made possible thanks to the US military. The tongue of the sea, as it is called, is a trench that splits the Bahamas. Between the Exuma group and South Andros lies 60 miles of water. However, just a mile and half off the beach, the depth is over 6000 feet. After World War II, six military bases were set up along this trench to test submarine warfare, and a buoy was installed two miles off Mangrove Cay in 6000 feet of water. Over time, this installation created a vertical, artificial reef. Coral adhered to the cable, encouraging bait fish and deeper water fish up the water column to feed. Predatory fish such as barracuda and tuna followed, making this one of the very few places on Earth where you can jig for tuna. So if the idea of hooking into a 30 pound fish from your kayak excites you, this is the place.

We took a guide boat out to the buoy, as the two-mile paddle wasn’t in our schedule, and because being towed around by a 40 pound fish for an hour also wasn’t on the agenda. Having the guide boat to assist if such a thing were to happen adds a certain amount of comfort to the operation. I spent 45 minutes jigging for a fish with no luck. Fortunately, on the way out to the buoy we had put out trolling gear behind the guide boat and in the 20 minute trip we hooked a 50 pound Wahoo tuna and a 15 pound barracuda—apparently my trolling skills are better than my jigging skills.

Roggie, the guide boat operator who took us to all the cool spots, is a great guide and provided an awesome experience. He operates a 25 foot prowler cat with twin outboards, and he was expecting a new 30 foot boat to arrive any day when we were there—both great expedition boats to get you well into the creeks to go after the fabulous bone fish. Roggie offers deep-sea fishing packages as well as day trip expeditions for kayakers. Daily expeditions are very reasonably priced, and for the amount of information you get out of the operator, it is worth every penny. Roggie will load your kayaks aboard the boat, take you to the best fishing spots on the island, unload your boats and keep a watchful eye out for you. He anchors and waits as you paddle through the shallows to the best fishing hole, and when you’re ready for home or want to change locales, he is there waiting.

Travel Information

Ripple Effect Charters (www.rippleeffectcharters.com) – did a great job of getting us to South Andros and setting up our tours
Andros Beach Club (www.androsbeachclub.com) – self sufficient accommodation in an historic fishing lodge
Emerald Palms Resort (www.emerald-palms.com) – wonderful pool, elegant rooms, spa and restaurant
Reel Tight Charters (www.mwpr.com/reeltight.html) – great fishing guide