Deep Water Cay, Grand Bahama – Proving that fishing ‘isn’t just a guy thing’ the 165 members of the Bonefish Bonnies are all about the catch! This year they returned to Deep Water Cay for their third visit with fourteen members who showed how ladies reel them in.
The Bonefish Bonnies are an all-ladies angler club hailing from the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. They named their club in honor of the first female bonefish guide in the 1940’s, called Bonefish Bonnie Smith, their members range from ages thirty to eighty-five. Officially established twelve years ago the club has monthly luncheons with educational and entertaining lessons on fishing skills, seminars on cooking, tagging, specific research studies on a variety of fish, presentations by celebrity anglers, fishing photography and environmental concerns about the oceans they fish in.
“Fabulous is the only way to describe our visit,” said, Nina Patterson, who is currently on the current Bonefish Bonnies Board of Directors, the and trip organizer. “We’ve had 100% great weather and are overwhelmed by the upgrades to the club.” Patterson noted that the service had also been exceptional and all the ladies were thrilled when one of their members’ mutton snapper catch was incorporated in their evening meal.
Buzz Cox, Deep Water Cay’s General Manager stated, “The ‘Bonnies’ were such a fun group to have here on the island! We see our role here on the island as simply facilitating the fun. We can’t wait to welcome them back next year!”
The ladies who are snow birds in Florida hail from all over the USA and Canada and spent three days on the island fishing all day with late evening sailing or massages. “What I love here is the guides really help us,” said Jeanie, who caught five bonefish in one day alone. “We ladies love having the guides instruct us and share with us the secrets of their best spots and techniques to improve our game. I don’t think some of our fellow fishermen listen so well,” she giggled.
The ladies were obviously listening as a few of them reeled in bonefish catches over ten pounds, all chasing the new fourteen pound record set at Deep Water Cay a few months ago. “You can fish for days in Florida and not even see a bonefish there,” said one of the ladies. “Here the guides take you right to them, improve your use of the long strip or short strip and bam, you’ve got a beauty on your line!”
The ladies who arrived using the island’s private airstrip are very serious about returning noting that a big draw was the ease of arrival and the close proximity of the fish. “If you want to catch bonefish, you need to be in The Bahamas, you need to be in Deep Water Cay,” said another member of the group. “This is the place to be and I’m hooked!”
