Can you conquer the bones? Sure, the Bahamas can offer sunshine, seclusion, solace, and a sexy tan, but did you know it can also offer the chance to engage in some of the best fishing in the world? Exuma bonefishing is truly a challenging and gripping sport and the regional coastlines are particularly exceptional for this spirited pastime. Bonefish are some of the most elusive fish in the sea and can be a slippery prey to hook; however with a knowledgeable guide and a few tricks and know-how, hooking yourself a â boneâ can be a truly satisfying and pleasurable experience.

The Bonefish
Bonefish are native to the Caribbean, but are particularly plentiful just off the coast of the Exuma Islands. The immaculate sandy flats of the Exumas provide the ideal location for this sport, as bonefish keep to shallow muddy and sandy flats when digging for food. Parts of the south-east side of the island are known to have some particularly good spots. Bonefish are usually caught for the sport and spirit of the chase; they are not particularly known to be so great-tasting. In fact, bonefish are said to have the most fight per pound of any other fish!

Fly fishers flock to the islands of the Bahamas every year to experience the challenge and adventure of Exuma bonefishing. Bonefish are silvery in color and are very fast-moving; it is not uncommon to see three or four enthusiastic fishermen splashing merrily through the shallow waters, rods in hand, to chase down a school, which can reach up to approximately 300 fish.
A bonefish can streak up to 25 miles per hour in order to evade sharks, barracudas, and of course, energetic fishermen! An average bonefish weighs between 4 and 6 pounds, but can reach up to a whopping 19 pounds. Although bonefishing is popular in any season, the months of May to July are said to be particularly exceptional for this spirited sport.

By Bluewater Jon Schwartz
C.2007 Bluewater Jon Productions, LLC


The Kona Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii is known as the “Land of the Giants”, and with good reason: thousand pound monsters are caught within ¼ mile from shore. It’s a relatively new island in geological terms, and the ultra-steep drop-offs on the water’s edge make for some of the world’s most fertile hunting grounds. That’s why I was there - to pit myself, on a kayak, against the biggest fish I could possibly battle anywhere.


Having been there before, I had some idea of the types of fish I might find myself up against, and what special gear and techniques I would need to use if I had any chance of besting these beasts. Two speed reels, super short custom rods, spears, and state of the art shark repellant equipment were the tools I would use, and as you will see, each of these tools proved to be vital to my success, and indeed, to my survival…

Summer is almost here on the Indian River in Southeast Florida. The water is warming up and so are the fish. It s time to fish the flats for redfish, snook, trout and a lot of other saltwater species. I love this time of year out there on the water. It a wonderful place to watch the sun peek over the mangroves at first light. There isn t a better place to enjoy the quiet and solitude of the morning.

Flats fishing comes alive in late spring and into the summer months. Early morning fishing is at its best out there in a couple feet of water. The bait pods have come full strength into the river by now and so have all the bigger fish chasing them. There is action all over the river by now. This is the perfect time of year to target redfish on the flats.

I returned from fishing out of Abaco Beach Resort two weeks ago. It is located about an hour east of Wect Palm Beach by plane. There are daily flights to Marsh Harbour, Abaco Island where Abaco Beach is located.

The resort (www.abacobeachresort.com) has every amenity for the fisherman and his (or her) family. Everything- from the food, tours, beach, marina, fitness room, boutique- is excellent and will suit every family member.

It only takes 15 minutes from the Resort to the launch ramp, and another 15 minutes to have your guide pole you into the fabulous Marls. Since the weather was fair, the fish showed up immediately, and I released 9 bonefish to 6 lbs. in three hours.

I am not sure if there is anybody that is more obsessed with the pursuit of a truly monster trout than myself. During the Spring I wake up every morning at about four o clock and run outside to look at the water. I take into consideration the wind, tide, barometric pressure and whatever else I can think of that might give me an edge, and I start planning my morning of fishing. This is the time of year for the long trout to be fat and healthy. Every cast you make is like playing the lottery. Your chances are slim, but if you cast enough times you will someday hit the jackpot.

I have many different spots that I enjoy fishing during this time of year when I am searching for a big fish. Some of them are twenty miles north of the marina, yet others are less than a mile from the dock. No matter where I may end up fishing for the morning or afternoon I always have a plan that is a little more detailed than most people think. I have seen the look on my client s faces when I tell them where to cast. Just like a smart bomb from our U.S. Air Force can go through a window of a building. You can send a tiny lure into a certain pothole in a huge grass flat.

The Fiji Islands are fortunate enough to enjoy Yellowfin tuna fishing pretty much all year round. The tuna migrate North past Fiji to the spawning grounds in the Indian Ocean and then come back through our waters on their return trip South. They are voracious predators that specialise in balling up baitfish, then smashing into the tightly packed ball from below, often leaping clean into the air, such is the speed of their attack. Yellowfin maintain a higher body temperature than the surrounding ocean giving them the ability to display sustained high speed bursts and dogged determined hard fighting abilities. They have a relatively high percentage of dark meat as opposed to white meat which basically means they fight hard and can go on fighting hard for extended periods. Their dorsal and pectoral fins fold into slots on their body making them perfectly streamlined for high speed. Their dorsal & anal finlets are specifically designed for high speed stability and drag reduction. When you hook up to a Yellowfin you know you have a battle on your hands.

In order to better understand why swordfish concentrate their feeding habits in certain depths on any given night or why the bite is better during different times of the month requires you to better understand how the effects of moonlight influence swordfish.

Before you can understand how moonlight affects swordfish, you must understand the moon and its phases. The moon revolves around the earth in 27 days. The first phase of the moon at the beginning of its new revolution is what we call the New Moon. The new moon is when the moons face is in the shadow of the earth causing the moon to reflect no light and look dark to us. A week after the new moon the moon will be in its first quarter, meaning that one quarter of the moons total surface is reflecting light back to earth. Since we only see 50% of the moons surface, when the moon is in its first quarter it is actually referred to as a half moon by many of us since one half of the moons face is reflecting light. One week after the first quarter the moon will be full, and the whole face of the moon which is visible to us will be reflecting light. One week after the Full Moon and again the moon will appear as half since it will be in its last quarter. One week after the last quarter the moon will have completed its lunar cycle and be a New Moon again.

The January and February ban on catching rockfish produced a nice surprise for Southern California anglers. Traditionally the winter months has sent the sportfishing industry out onto the deepwater banks in search of the tasty rockfish mainly because there was nothing else to fish for. Apparently, the ever abundant rockfish are in a state of decline so the moratorium was enacted. The new law states that anglers cannot catch or possess rockfish during the months of January and February. This really bent the sportfishing industry out of shape. Rockfish has always been the winter time savior for the sportboats and many landings thought they would go broke. Not so! Somebody found the halibut biting with reckless abandon.

To a boat owner, the approach of the holidays spells the end of the fishing season here in the northeast. Thoughts of delightful days on the water are replaced by concerns of winterizing the boat to protect it from the elements of the harsh winter to come. For me, this used to be a sad time, sort of like parting with a good friend. A few years ago, however, I discovered that I could still enjoy the rewards of a day of fishing all through the winter season. I discovered that fishing for cod on one of the local party boats was a lot of fun and very rewarding. Party boat fishing for cod in the winter is not at all like drifting for fluke on a balmy day in July. As such, it requires some important preparation. Protection from the cold ranks high on the priority list. If one would also hope to bag a few tasty cod to grace the holiday table, then some thought should be given to tactics and tackle. Living in Babylon, I find it most convenient to patronize the boats at Captree. I have found that familiar faces and the development of a rapport with the captain, crew and regular customers from one area or boat is most valuable.

Fishermen are facing a big problem; the government will probably shut down the LORAN system within the next few years. GPS or Global Positioning System will then be the only navigation system in operation. Before that time, all LORAN fixes in TD’s (time differences) must be converted to the GPS system which uses LAT/LON (latitude and longitude). A number of difficulties exist in the conversion process. Every fisherman has a collection of LORAN fixes for favorite fishing holes, wrecks etc.. With LORAN, these spots could be relocated with an accuracy of about 30 ft. using pre-established TD’s originally set on the same machine. When the LORAN system fixes a position it does so in TD’s and converts these to LAT/LON mathematically. The LAT/LON values calculated cannot be expected to be accurate to the degree required to find a small wreck or fishing spot. The user therefore cannot simply transfer this information to the GPS memory and expect it to be useful. It will get you to the general neighborhood but be off by up to 100 meters. Not very good if you are looking for a small piece of wreckage in a big body of water.