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Turks Bonefish

Ttannahill14

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Who's got any advice for DIY bonefishing in Turks & Caicos. Took advantage of the Covid hotel/flight sales and Just booked a trip for late October.


Got a few beaches/flats I've found online to check out. Really just want to spend a few hours every morning fishing.
 
Just do It! I've fished bone fish as a teen, and since where ever I find them. Just spending a few hours every morning fishing, is all that really matters.
 
Admire your adventure! The Mrs and I have entertained Turks & Caicos for awhile.
 
I can't provide much help as I've struck out everywhere I've tried. I did have a guy in Hawaii recommend giving up the fly rod and using live bait (little crabs) but I didn't know where to get them, and part of me would feel silly catchin' one on bait.
 
staying on Provo, I assume?

My personal intel on Provo is about 18 years old, but Flamingo lake holds bones. Sapodilla bay and Chalk sound were good, also. TBH, the coast along that entire Western edge is worth exploring.

TBH - the best bonefishing on Provo is in the outlying cays - Guides are frightfully expensive there (even by bonefish standards), but the guys used to do 'pickup/dropoff' trips to an uninhabited cay for about half the price of a full day fishing trip. Still expensive but worth it. Analagous to a Drop Camp versus fully guided. They would drop you off with lunch, beach umbrella, etc and pick you up a few ours later.
 
Admire your adventure! The Mrs and I have entertained Turks & Caicos for awhile.

Turks looks amazing I can't wait... and surprisingly affordable. We're not big drinkers so we don't do the all inclusive route, think I'll to the whole trip for 3k. Not bad.
 
staying on Provo, I assume?

My personal intel on Provo is about 18 years old, but Flamingo lake holds bones. Sapodilla bay and Chalk sound were good, also. TBH, the coast along that entire Western edge is worth exploring.

TBH - the best bonefishing on Provo is in the outlying cays - Guides are frightfully expensive there (even by bonefish standards), but the guys used to do 'pickup/dropoff' trips to an uninhabited cay for about half the price of a full day fishing trip. Still expensive but worth it. Analagous to a Drop Camp versus fully guided. They would drop you off with lunch, beach umbrella, etc and pick you up a few ours later.

Yes staying in Provo on Grace Bay... Getting dropped off on a cay would be awesome. I'll see if I can find someone online to do that, if not I'll ask around when there. Guides are like $1000 which is crazy talk IMO.
 
I can't provide much help as I've struck out everywhere I've tried. I did have a guy in Hawaii recommend giving up the fly rod and using live bait (little crabs) but I didn't know where to get them, and part of me would feel silly catchin' one on bait.

ha I feel ya man the only place I've ever been able to catch fish consistently on the fly is Alaska. These lower 48 trout are smart little boogers. Hopefully find some uneducated ones on Turks but doubtful.
 
Yes staying in Provo on Grace Bay... Getting dropped off on a cay would be awesome. I'll see if I can find someone online to do that, if not I'll ask around when there. Guides are like $1000 which is crazy talk IMO.
Yeah - for whatever reason Turks guides have always been 20-40% higher than most caribbean bonefish guides. Barr Gardiner (who may or may not still be active) did them (I fished with Barr a few times and did the dropoff once). Also Arthur Dean (Silverdeep). Google should turn up their websites easily (iirc, these guys were not on the leading edge of webpage technology so the pages may be a little funky).

Beautiful place down there, though. I'm sure if you bring a collection of Clousers/Baitfish flies there will be plenty of Jacks/Pompano/snapper/needlefish/cuda hanging around beaches (particularly in places where the mangroves cut in).
 
I have not fished there, but have in several places in central America and Caribbean. All my trips were backpacking trips on a shoestring budget. I had a lot of luck, especially with bones. 95% of what I did was from shore, but twice I found a random local with a boat to take me out for around $50.

Bonefish are easy to fool. A bonefish jig or fly bounced off the bottom will get them with a halfway decent presentation. I use jigs from anglersammo, but there are plenty of good ones around. I have used crab before as well, and obviously, it works great. Have gotten two permit on crabs after trying jigs and flies over a couple days. If you have not messed with permit and see some tailing, skip the jigs and throw a live crab. I have probably shot several jigs and at least 10 fly patterns at permit from the shore on one island and I think one may have taken a second look. I suck at them.

I prefer 6lb mono with a 6 foot 6lb fluorocarbon leader. With a crab, just use a short, single hook, no weight. Buy a small aquarium net or two from a pet store. When the crabs scurry on bottom and bury themselves, scoop them up with the sand they are in and drop them in a Nalgene or Gatorade bottle with top cut off. Crabs are fail safe. Drop them well in front of the fish and they will hammer it. Sporting schmorting, it's fun as all get out.

To echo @cedabrinf bring stuff for other fish too. Even when I am after bones and small stuff, I take a big spinning rod with a silver Krocadile spoon and wire leader ready to roll. If big fish are around, or start jumping bait, I switch gears. Big lazy cudas will filter by too, and they are fun.

Interested in how you do. Good luck and have fun.
 
Turks & Caicos is where my wife and I honeymooned. Sorry no beta on fishing, but it was an awesome trip. I'd love to go back and spend some more time there - so it's been a good read.
 
I have not fished there, but have in several places in central America and Caribbean. All my trips were backpacking trips on a shoestring budget. I had a lot of luck, especially with bones. 95% of what I did was from shore, but twice I found a random local with a boat to take me out for around $50.

Bonefish are easy to fool. A bonefish jig or fly bounced off the bottom will get them with a halfway decent presentation. I use jigs from anglersammo, but there are plenty of good ones around. I have used crab before as well, and obviously, it works great. Have gotten two permit on crabs after trying jigs and flies over a couple days. If you have not messed with permit and see some tailing, skip the jigs and throw a live crab. I have probably shot several jigs and at least 10 fly patterns at permit from the shore on one island and I think one may have taken a second look. I suck at them.

I prefer 6lb mono with a 6 foot 6lb fluorocarbon leader. With a crab, just use a short, single hook, no weight. Buy a small aquarium net or two from a pet store. When the crabs scurry on bottom and bury themselves, scoop them up with the sand they are in and drop them in a Nalgene or Gatorade bottle with top cut off. Crabs are fail safe. Drop them well in front of the fish and they will hammer it. Sporting schmorting, it's fun as all get out.

To echo @cedabrinf bring stuff for other fish too. Even when I am after bones and small stuff, I take a big spinning rod with a silver Krocadile spoon and wire leader ready to roll. If big fish are around, or start jumping bait, I switch gears. Big lazy cudas will filter by too, and they are fun.

Interested in how you do. Good luck and have fun.


Thanks for all that. Might shoot you a PM as we get closer and I start rounding up gear. I'm not a fly purist by anymeans ha I have no shame in throwing crabs if it catches fish! ha
 
Thanks for all that. Might shoot you a PM as we get closer and I start rounding up gear. I'm not a fly purist by anymeans ha I have no shame in throwing crabs if it catches fish! ha
PM anytime. Happy to assist. DIY international fishing is a passion
 
Yeah - for whatever reason Turks guides have always been 20-40% higher than most caribbean bonefish guides. Barr Gardiner (who may or may not still be active) did them (I fished with Barr a few times and did the dropoff once). Also Arthur Dean (Silverdeep). Google should turn up their websites easily (iirc, these guys were not on the leading edge of webpage technology so the pages may be a little funky).

Beautiful place down there, though. I'm sure if you bring a collection of Clousers/Baitfish flies there will be plenty of Jacks/Pompano/snapper/needlefish/cuda hanging around beaches (particularly in places where the mangroves cut in).
I haven't been out to the Bahamas in 10 years. Please tell me the guides aren't running $800/day on, say, Andros.
 
I haven't been out to the Bahamas in 10 years. Please tell me the guides aren't running $800/day on, say, Andros.
I've been to the Bahamas a lot the last 15 years, but only DIY and not Andros so less 'prestige' - my services to myself are paid in beer and conch fritters :) I imagine Andros is 700-800 easy for day trips by the lodges, but IIRC, most of the lodges on Andros aren't really day trip kind of operations so you might find an independent for less.

Last time I hired a bonefish guide was in Ascension Bay in 2018 and it was $625/day. And Mexico has always been the cheapest of the Flats destinations.

The guys on Turks were $800 10 years ago. Supply and Demand, I guess.
 
That stinks. I have a DIY bonefishing/kayaking trip to Exuma story from 2003. It started two days after my son was born, the day we invaded Iraq (both generated much controversy in our family). It ended four days after he was born with a giant muscled Bahamian guide telling us to get the <bleep> of his flat. We had one good day of fishing though.

That kid will be out of high school next year so maybe I can get back after it. Sorry I know nothing about the Turks :D.
 

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