Frequently Asked Questions.....to
Bill, the manager.
Under construction, gimme a couple
days.....Feb 2
What’s the best fly?
See our tackle section for suggested flies. Fishermen make this
much more complicated than it really is. There are numerous
flies that work well. I once told a fishermen that the bones will hit
anything but green/chartreuse. Just to prove me wrong he tied up a bunch
of green-headed gotchas and killed them all week long. Another group
threw nothing but a Gotcha style fly tied with nothing but gold tinsel,
gold flash, and gold diamond braid. They called it the Phyllis Diller
because it was so ugly. They killed the bones. Another group throws only
a Lefty's craft fur shrimp. I had a dog named Batman with long blonde
hair. One group cut all the hair off the dogs ass and tied gotchas with
it...called it the Batman....deadly. Unfortunately Batman is no longer
with us. Mantis shrimp, the Peterson shrimp, pink puffs, etc.....they
all work. I was fishing the Jackfish area one year and had caught a bone
on every fly in my box. Out of boredom I tied on a bare hook. I caught a
dozen fish on that hook before heading home for the evening. I wouldn't
recommend it, the bite was particularly good that day. The point is,
generally these fish are rarely selective.
After a frontal day during the cooler months they can get a bit
picky. Switching to a smaller #6 buggy, natural toned brown/tan fly
seems to work better. If you do get a couple refusals, and you're
sure you made a good cast and your strip is correct, switch the fly.
There are basically two color groups you should have in your box. The
sparkly pinks and pearls and the natural browns and tans. And tied on
any fly, you can't go wrong with a few silly legs hanging off it.
And finally, if you brought nothing but #4 Gotchas with bead chain eyes you would do just fine.
A good cast and proper strip is more important than the fly. If you can
drill a tight loop in a 10-15 mph wind your going to catch more fish.
When is the best time of the year to come?
This is easily the most often asked question. The fishing is always good
anytime of the year. It really doesn't matter. March, April, and May is
peak season and are the most popular. November, December, and January
are
the managers favorite months for trophy bones with November being his
favorite month of the year. Oddly enough not many fishermen come in January or
June which are excellent months. January is a great month for
large trophy sized bones and a chance to get away from some of the most
miserably cold weather of the year in the states. June provides
excellent opportunities for sheer numbers of fish caught. Double digit
days are common and the winds are light. Oddly enough, the most fish
ever caught at Mars Bay occurred in July. Fishermen were catching 30-50 fish a day.
So much for the "It's too hot" theory.
How many fish will I catch?
That is a tough question and not a fair one. South Andros is
arguably the best bonefishery on the planet. But every fisherman knows
some days are diamonds and some days are dust. All things being equal,
in the end it depends on well you can cast. On the same day an
experienced caster might catch twenty when his less experienced partner
hooks two or three. On Jack Fish flat you might find
yourself casting into a school of 200 two to three pound
bones that keeps circling back to you. Don’t mistake a big school for
cloud shadow. In other areas you’ll see sets of four to twenty larger
fish swimming to you in waves. If you find just one bone or a couple
swimming together odds are good they’re big fatties, get
ready for a rip!! Many times fishermen
have returned to the lodge after a day of fishing and say they saw a
Bonefish so big it was mistaken for a shark or cuda and they didn't make the
cast. Sharks swim in a slinking "S" motion. Cuda will sit straight and motionless. Bonefish are always moving
and swim straight without much bending of their bodies.
When in doubt...make the cast!!
How are the guides?
All our guides are licensed bonefishing guides who live in Mars
Bays and grew up on the water. We have had seasoned fishermen who have
fished the world say the guides at Mars Bay are as good, if not the
best, as any guide they have fished with. They understand the fish and
they know the fishery. They’re as comfortable in a boat as they
are on land and they’ll put you on fish! You have heard the stories of
rude guides who were abusive assholes. Maybe you've experienced one or
two. Not here, no way! Chris, Germaine, Pap, Loxley, and Ronnie are
patient and polite.
Do we pole or wade?
It depends on the tides and the fishermen. All boats are equipped
with poles and platforms. Two boats are equiped with leaning bars. Some
fisherman like to wade some like to pole. We'll do our best to
accommodate you but expect to do a little of both.
Will it be windy?
Not always but plan on wind. Most You'll need to be able to cast in
10-15 mph winds. Please practice double hauling and throwing a tight
loop before you come. It's the difference between catching one or two
bones for the day or twenty. Waiting until you get here will result
missed opportunities.
What is the best moon and tide?
There seems to be some confusion about the moons and tides.
After ten years on the island and hundreds of hours fly fishing for
bonefish here are some thoughts from the manager, Bill......
First, some fishermen believe that bonefish feed at night
with the full moon and don't bite during the day. Who knows if they do
or don't feed at night. What I do know is it doesn't make one bit of
difference on feeding patterns during the day. I have seen epic days on
all the moon cycles. Regardless of moons the fish counts remain the
same.
There are four moons a month. The first quarter, new, second quarter,
and full. On the new and full moons there is a spring tide or a "big
tide". Because the moon and sun are aligned on these moons the
gravitational pull is greater. The low tides are lower and the
high tides are higher than usual. On Andros South, during the spring
tide, the variance between high and low tide is three feet. Neap tides
or "little tides" occur on the quarter moons the variance between high
and low tide is two feet.
The local Bahamians will tell you that the tides "switch" on the
weekends. This is generally true for most months. In other words, the
week will begins with either a low or high tide. The reason for
this is that peak low or high tide lags about one hour each day. After
six or seven days what was high tide on a particular day is now low
tide.
To complicate things further between Mars Bay and the inland
creeks of the Water Cays there is a four to five hour difference between
low and high tide due to bottom drag and creek restrictions. Throw in a
strong easterly wind and a high tide might hang up when one would think
it should be dropping. If you shoot into Grassy Creek where the tide
collides from the east, west, and south they can be even less
predictable.
It's another myth is that bonefish only feed on the is rising tide.
That is garbage! Low, high, rising, dropping tides, it doesn't matter.
If you can find the fish and put a fly in front of them they'll bite.
One of my favorite set-ups is fishing a dropping tide. As the high tide
starts to drop the fish begin moving out of the mangroves and into
deeper water. You can stand on one spot as the fish swim to you, wave
after wave. My highest fish count days were on the dropping tides.
Is there anything for my spouse to do?
If your spouse likes to fish they'll love it. All slots are
reserved for fishing guests.The accommodations are clean, comfortable,
and air conditioned. South Andros is undeveloped. There is no
night life, no place to shop, no quaint villages to explore. Any
convenience store in the states would qualify as a Super Wal-Mart on
South Andros.
What kind of money is used?
The U.S. and Bahamian dollar trade one to one, Both are readily accepted
anywhere in the Bahamas. Bring small denominations because vendors
sometimes have difficulty breaking large bills.
How’s the food?
If it requires a blow torch or flaming brandy we don't mess with it.
Having said that, everything is
Delicious!!
Ask anyone who's been here. Some guest say they'll return just for the
food. Everything is made from scratch. All the fish, lobster,
conch, and stone crab are caught locally. Breakfast is
usually American; eggs and bacon or sausage, omelets, biscuits and gravy, corned
beef and grits, pancakes or French toast. Cold cereal and oatmeal is
also available. Some of the more adventurous
guests like to try the traditional Bahamian breakfasts like boiled fish or stewed conch.
Lunch is kept simple; a ham, turkey, beef, salami, tuna or chicken salad
sandwich. You can have PB&J if you'd like. Included is a
piece of fruit, yogurt, chips and a candy bar. There is also plenty of
water and a couple sodas in the cooler. When you arrive at the
lodge after a day of fishing there will be an appetizer on the counter of either conch
fritters, calimari, smoked salmon, shrimp, stone crab, lobster or conch salad, chicken
wings, or ect. The dinner menu is a
Bahamian some nights and American others and is three course. We start
with dinner with a soup or salad. The main course is cracked
conch, lobster, snapper or grouper, chicken, pork loin, rack of
lamb, or rib eye steak. And then finally dessert. It might be a
cheesecake with a guava sauce made from local fruit, Please let us
know in advance if you have special dietary requirements like diabetes
or shell fish allergies.
Do you have
internet access and phone service?
Yes.....usually. Outages are common. The lodge does have wireless
service. Phone calls to the
states are complimentary. Mars Bay does have cell service and is GSM
compatible. Blackberry, Iphone, and most other cell phones usually work.
Check with your carrier prior to departure to be sure you have
international coverage. If you're not sure please remember to turn your roam feature off.
One guest returned home to find a $2000 phone bill.
Do you have
any fishing gear available?
No, bring everything you need. Check the "What to bring" page for a
complete list. If you forgot something Bill will gladly lend you his
gear.
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