OFFSHORE
Grand Bahama
According to Capt. Keenen Baldwin at Reef Tours in Port Lucaya, there are advantages to being the most northern island in the Bahamas. “One is that the cooler water which drives the wahoo to the area reaches us first. Early catches of wahoo have been in the 60 to 80 pound range through October. Amazingly, the bite has been as close as one-quarter to one-half mile off the south side of the island. There have even been some catches of smaller wahoo on the drift fishing boats! Although wahoo will be the primarily targeted species, there is more in the mix for Grand Bahama Island. The yellowfin tuna bite has stayed strong along with some blackfin. Bottom fishing begins to take off in November as well. There have been plenty of queen and red snapper, as well as some mutton and lane snapper, along with some yellowtails off the banks. The West End area will also be very productive particularly around Memory Rock.”
Abaco
Kevin Sawyer, proprietor of Island Boy Tackle in Marsh Harbour shares a trip to The Abacos this November should be on your end of the year adventure “bucket list”. There is only one way to describe the offshore scene – HOT! Wahoo season has arrived in earnest. Catches during October have been steady with fish averaging 50 to 60 pounds. Not monsters but definitely keepers. Interestingly, we have seen lots of mahi-mahi catches similar to last fall, which is somewhat uncommon. While spring is usually considered blue marlin season, 25 to 30 miles east of The Abacos, the blue marlin bite has been consistent; there is definitely “blue marlin water” well offshore. For those who like bottom fishing and deep dropping, it has been fabulous. Grouper, mutton snapper, reds and yellowtail have all been plentiful.
Bimini
Capt. Skipper Gentry from the Carolina Gentleman out of the Bimini Big Game Club reports the wahoo fishing is in full swing. Your best bet, if set up for it, is to troll weighted lures along the edge at 12 to 14 knots. Zig-zagging between 200 and 500 feet seems to work best. Capt. Gentry suggests pulling 5 lines; one planer rod, one diving plug, two weighted Bluewater Jag’s on the riggers, and a bridge pole. This spread covers a lot of different depths and multiple presentation types. Other options he suggests trying this month is live baiting for sailfish. There is an abundant supply of live bait in the channel in Bimini so getting bait is easy. Using light leaders and circle hooks you’re sure to have a great time fishing in around 650 feet. He also shared you’ll probably also catch a stray dolphin or two throughout the day. (Don’t forget to check out the Bimini Big Game Club Wahoo Smackdown scheduled for November 15 – 17.
INSHORE
Grand Bahama
According to Capt. Whitney Rolle from Firefly Bonefishing in East Grand Bahama, November is an awesome time for bone fishing in Grand Bahama. The coast of Grand Bahama Island is blessed with hundreds of miles of flats, and he said ALL of them have lots of fish! The average size bonefish is about three pounds, but he says “we catch them regularly up to 15 and 16 pounds.” November is the time of year when the larger fish come up on the flats. Water temperatures continue to cool. Capt. Rolle recommends using an 8-weight fly rod with a 10 to 12 pound test leader with a number 6 to 4 fly. For Grand Bahama bonefish, he recommends using Crazy Charlies, Gotcha, and Mantis Shrimp, and if using spinning gear, live bait such as shrimp and crab.
Abaco
Capt. Leroy Lowe reports in November the water and air temperature will start to cool down, leaving the water nice and cool for the bonefish to tail and the permit to come onto the flats. The average size bonefish caught around the Cherokee flats is 3-to-4 pounds and on the Marls two-tothree pounds. In the Marls, which is on the southern side of the island of Abaco is a wide area of flats that extend from Sandy Point, the most southern end of Abaco, to Treasure Cay which is north. November in the Marls is one of the best months for permit and bonefish. Over the flats, Leroy says you can also catch mutton snapper, barracudas, tarpon and sharks.
Bimini
Being so close to the U.S. mainland, Bonefish Ebbie says 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 The Biminis are cooling quickly. Bonefish Ebbie shares the “the bonefish will be getting solid” as winter approaches. “The bones will be averaging in the 8 to 10 pound range and there will be lots of them.” He said it is not uncommon to see tailing fish right in front of the docks on the east side of the island. Ebbie’s preference is natural baits (live or dead), such as shrimp and crab. His preferred tide is just after low tide when the water is the skinniest and fish the early part of the incoming tide. Ebbie also reminds anglers that November has higher tides than most other months. As a diversion on Bimini, Ebbie promises there are plenty of permit, tarpon and barracuda to keep that rod bent.