Fishing on the way to the Bahamas

I will be leaving for a 2 week trip on a friends sailboat from Stuart
Fl. to the bahamas. I was wondering if anyone had any tips of
recommendations for places to look for information about fishing in the
Bahamas and on the way over. I am from California so I don't know the
water/fishing here to well and could use all the help I can get.
Thanks in Advance.
Gilbert

Originally Posted by

I will be leaving for a 2 week trip on a friends sailboat from Stuart
Fl. to the bahamas. I was wondering if anyone had any tips of
recommendations for places to look for information about fishing in the
Bahamas and on the way over. I am from California so I don't know the
water/fishing here to well and could use all the help I can get.
Thanks in Advance.
Gilbert

The fishing is great this time of the year. You will want to have some ballyhoos rigged or drag some lures. You are not actually supposed to fish on the way over because you cannot prove that you caught them in us waters as opposed to bahamian waters, but many people do. Just don't be advertising that you caught a mess of fish on the way over while you are waiting in the customs line.

Keep a close eye out for the following
1. Birds. If they are up high they are looking, if they are on the water and in the air they are eating bait fish that are being pushed to the surface by bigger fish, most likely dolphin or tuna.

If you can see what way the school is going and you can position your boat in front of them you may be in for a big treat. Cast buckhead lures and you can usually get the school over to you. If you want you can troll around the school and you will also be able to catch them.

2. Floating debris. Anything floating on the water deserves a good look at. we have caught a mess of fish just by trolling around a 10' board

3. Weed lines. You will see lots of scattered weeds, but if you see a long line of weeds, troll along that line and you will probably get something.

4. If you don't see any of the above and you still want to try trolling, you can look for current rips. They will appear like a road on the surface of the water. That is our last options when we are wanting to troll.

Once you get over there you have lots of options.
you can bottom fish almost anywhere, we look for the dropoff on the reefs edge. It goes from 100-150 down to over 800 very quickly. Fish the top edge and you will get snappers and groupers.

Find some rocky area about 40-80' deep and chum a bit and you will catch tons of yellowtails.

Have a good time, the fishing is great over there.

Ken