South Eleuthera is a magical place. My family recently got to experience all that the Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina has to offer as it’s where we spent our Spring Break. Though we were only able to fish two days out of the five that we were there, the fishing was incredible. However, if you ask my wife and sons, the fishing wasn’t even the best part.
Upon arrival, we were welcomed with very strong winds from the northwest. The forecast suggested that the wind would lay down, but that wasn’t the case. The next morning, we awoke to the same strong winds. Kim and the boys decided to check out the new oceanfront pool where they encountered a crab. The boys rescued it from the pool and affectionately named it Sebastian. They carried him a few steps away to the pristine beach where they thought he belonged and released him onto the beautiful pink sand.
With the wind still blowing, our uncle and host suggested that we go down to Lighthouse Beach to explore and have a hot dog cookout. It’s about an hour ride by car to get there with the last thirty minutes over some seriously rough terrain. The road was cut out of the limestone that makes up most of the island and is barely wide enough for one vehicle, but the bumpy ride is well worth it. Once there, our jaws dropped at the pure, unspoiled beauty. Without question, it was the most beautiful beach that any of us had ever seen. We hiked up onto the cliffs and looked out at the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Exuma Sound on the other. It was breathtaking to say the least and certainly an experience we will never forget.
The next morning, the winds laid down and it was time to go fishing. We left the marina aboard HOPE, our uncle Tom’s 55 foot Hatteras Sportfish and put out our trolling spread. After a few hours with no action, we were about to reel in the lines and go to a favorite deep drop spot when we got the bite we were looking for. A 60 lb wahoo crushed one of the long outrigger baits and went on a blistering run. The splash from the strike resembled a volkswagen being dropped in the water. Ten minutes later we had it behind the boat and our mate stuck it with the gaff. It came in hot with it’s sharp teeth snapping so it went straight into the fish box. A few minutes later, we checked to see where it was hooked and saw that the 200 lb leader was sliced. We were lucky to get it into the boat at all.
We reeled up the spread and headed for a deep drop spot close to the marina. Less than a quarter mile off the beach, we dropped in nearly 800 feet. Our sons each learned the basics of deep dropping and focused on the rod tip. Sam caught his first silky snapper and Nick caught his first blackfin snapper. We headed for the marina in anticipation of a wahoo and snapper dinner.
The next day, we left the marina in search of dolphin as the wind shifted to a more favorable direction, but we never found them. Instead, we went one for three on barracuda with Sam catching the one that didn’t chew through our leader. We then got a call on the radio from Captain Joe of Billistic, a 58 foot Viking Sportfish. He told us that the blackfin tuna bite was hot just off of Bamboo Point, a few miles south of the Cape. We decided to reel all the lines in and head that way. I went up to the bridge to reel in the teasers when all of a sudden, a blue marlin showed up behind the port teaser. He was lit up like a Christmas tree. I yelled blue marlin and our mate pitched a bait at him. The fish ate the bait and it was on. We quickly got the fish behind the boat and touched the leader, but he wasn’t ready to be released just yet. Billy the marlin, as the boys named him, took off greyhounding behind the boat and peeled off 300 yards of line in a heartbeat. As Captain Tom backed HOPE down and I reeled like crazy, we caught up to him and then he sounded. The game of cat and mouse began and we eventually tired the fish and brought him just behind the boat. Our mate, Mike grabbed the leader and we released my first ever blue marlin.
After all the high fives, we ran down to Bamboo Point to find the blackfins. When we got there, they were nowhere to be found, but we trolled around looking for them. Eventually we found the school and got a bite on a green and orange SeaUsmile lure. Nick reeled the fish to the back of the boat, but the fish came off as we tried to flip him in the boat. He was upset that he worked so hard only to lose the fish in the end. I explained to him that’s why we call it fishing and not catching. We got back on the troll and caught up with the school again. Another blackfin hit the same lure and this time we got him in the boat. Nick was a happy camper and I believe he learned a lesson in the process. After another successful day on the water, we pointed HOPE’s bow towards the marina with smiling faces.
Unfortunately, the wind started blowing again and that was the end of our fishing. However, the island of Eleuthera offers something for everyone and we decided to visit the Ocean Hole in Rock Sound. The Ocean Hole is a natural blue hole that the locals say is bottomless and it’s water has healing powers. It is actually an inland saltwater lake less than a mile from the ocean. It is believed that there are underwater caverns that lead to the ocean as the water level rises and falls with the tides. We jumped off the cliff several times, swam in the warm water and fed the fish by hand. It was an incredible experience, especially for our sons.
Our family spring break vacation was one filled with many memories that we will remember for years to come. Thank you to Tom and Margaret Dyer for being our gracious hosts. We encourage you to look into visiting the Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina and all that the island of Eleuthera has to offer. Learn more about this amazing place at www.capeeleuthera.com.
~ Gene Dyer