Being so close to the South Florida mainland, (only 50 miles), Bimini seems to get the cooler weather more quickly than the rest of the Northern Bahamas. While the offshore Gulf Stream waters stay consistently warm, the inshore flats surrounding on Bimini’s east side are cooling quickly. As they say “the bonefish will be getting solid” as we head toward winter.
The bones will be averaging in the 8 to 10 pound range and there will be lots of them, mostly in smaller schools. With the clarity of the water continuing to improve, it is a great time of year for sight fishing. My preference is natural baits (live or dead), such as shrimp or crab. The preferred tide (November has higher tides than most other months) is just after low tide when the water is the skinniest and fish the early part of the incoming tide. As a diversion there are plenty of permit, tarpon and barracuda to keep that rod bent. Nearshore reef and bottom fishing will continue to be excellent with plenty of grouper and snapper.
If you are planning a trip to Bimini this month, be ready for lots of fishing fun!