OFFSHORE
GRAND BAHAMA
Marvin Roberts at Blue Marlin Cove Resort and Marina in West End, reports the month of August has been super for yellowfin tuna and forecasts September should be as well. He said the bite off of West End has been right out in front, just 9 to 11 miles, with many good size fish caught. Some anglers are catching multiple snowy grouper averaging 30 to 35 pounds. And Marvin reports a lot of anglers are having great success heading only 500 hundred yards off shore of Blue Marlin Cove Resort and Marina and deep dropping.
ABACO
Occasional tuna are still to be found off the South Abaco coast through the remainder of August and early September. However, in September, most attention shifs to shallower water. Glen Kelly at Schooner Bay reports a lot of Abaco anglers are getting in the water and enjoying the spiny lobster season and pursuing their quarry with spear and sling. Grouper and snapper are plentiful on the reefs and ledges, providing great recreational free diving and dinner fare. Capt. Clint Kemp has reported great success with deep jigging in 100 to 150 feet of water, pulling in large yellowtail and mutton snapper.
BIMINI
September is a great time to be in Bimini, especially offshore. Conditions are typically light winds, calm seas and warm water. Capt. Skipper Gentry of the Carolina Gentleman out of the Bimini Big Game Club reports the August sailfish bite was red hot and forecasts it will continue to be so through September. With slick calm days, anglers witnessed free jumping sail sh as well as sailfish circling bait balls proudly displaying their dorsal fins. Grouper, yellowtail, and some mutton snapper are still biting around the reefs.
INSHORE
GRAND BAHAMA
Capt. Whitney Rolle at Firefly Bonefishing in East Grand Bahama promises September is a great time for bone fishing in the Northern Bahamas. He says it is still hot, but the fish are beginning to move out of the larger schools into smaller groups of fish on the flats. This means that more action will be on the flats. Instead of just a few large schools, you will see small groups all over the flats. Capt. Rolle says the best fishing times will be early morning and afternoon/evening with a rising tide.
ABACO
Forecaster Capt. Donnie Lowe from Bonefish Heaven shares September will be a good month for fishing in the morning. He forecasts there will be lots of tailing bonefish in the warm and shallow waters of the Cherokee Flats. The Marls, located on the south side of the island, will provide much better fishing. The water temperature there is cooler so a lot more fish will come in to feed, including permit. Over the next two months, there will be schools of mudding fish everywhere you go. Size of schools will vary, some low in number, 15 or 20 in the group, up to schools of 100 to 200 fish in each mudd.
BIMINI
Forecaster Bonefish Ebbie reports we are finally starting to “turn the corner” in the Northern Bahamas and start heading to autumn. With the sun setting earlier and earlier the water will steadily begin to cool. This will cause the bones to venture further onto the flats. You will see more tailing fish than over the last several months. There are still plenty of permit, barracuda and tarpon around and the mutton snapper bite has been particularly good of late. Live bait, particularly crabs will be the best for the bones.
Forecasts compiled by CAM staff with contributions from our Bahamas “on island” fishing forecasters. For complete forecasts and those from the Central and Lower Bahamas, visit www.coastalanglermag.com/bahamas.
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