First things, first. I suck.There, I saved you from telling me.
The wife and I are headed to the US VI in a month. Gonna have 4 full days. Planning on packing the 9 wt. and trying my hand at some bones and small tarpon.
I have no clue what I'm doing. A good guide runs about $600. :o
I'm here for the stellar, but cheap advice.
Probably just gonna wing it. I'll need to tie up some flies and figure out prevailing winds and such.
We're renting a car and we'll be out and about a lot, so I'll have lots of options on where to fish.
-0-
Be sure to stay out late and check out the local bars, carry lots of cash, 100s, and flash them around, you'll be sure to get good service --- might want to read Mexico Returns before you go !
If you want to find a cheaper guide, go to the bars early in the morning and look around back and you'll find them sleeping, don't worry if they looked passed out, they are just resting for the long day ahead. Wave a hundred dollar bill under their noses and they'll pop right up. For no extra they will take your wife for a tour of the real St. Thomas, non of the tourist crap, but real Caribbean living....
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Thoughts, and advice? Leave the rods and home. When the bar is on the ground, it is impossible to fail. When on vacation, the task of trying to work in fishing time causes me stress. To hell with all that crap.
Buy/rent a spear gun, and kill something for dinner. That would surely be gratifying. Native berry/fruit/nut hunting might also be interesting if such opportunities exist. The trees at the Keys fascinated me, as well as the birds. I bet there are some cool and groovy trees down there. Shit, I'd go full on Dr. Livingston.
Lay down some chocolate bar while yer down there -+;
LOL. You guys don't disappoint.
If you want to catch fish I'd say the guide is the way to go.. $600 for a guide with a boat isn't too bad, and your wife can go along for the ride.. or go to the beaches on St. John... like this dude points out...
http://youtu.be/KH4CWxVHnB8
I think St. Thomas beaches you have to pay for entry... and there is a lot of sketchy dudes there too..
I googled up some chit for you too...
http://diybonefishing.com/2016/06/20/u-s-virgin-islands/
This is where you want to go..
https://www.google.com/maps/@18.3668838,-64.7298527,1178m/data=!3m1!1e3
https://goo.gl/maps/NQf13kAohvq
Is this the guy you were looking at?
http://arawakexp.com/fish/bonefish/
Thanks. You and I found the same chit. Trying to figure out best February beach targets.
2oz sinker, some hooks, a spinning rod, frozen shrimp, and lots of beer. That should get the job done.
First, let me say I have never been to, nor do I want to visit, the US VIs. But if I was going, I believe Onslow is the only one to even come close to giving you proper advice, only because he recommended leaving something at home, your rod. I say leave the Mrs at home and take Big J. He doesn't drink and I believe over 40% of the VI residents are Baptist, so not only can he safely see your woozy figure back to your temporary abode, he can also communicate with the natives in times of worries and misfortune.
Muddy your too funny but not necessarily useful.
Doug I did a search a couple of years ago when my wife threatened to take me there. There was not a ton of info when I searched a lot of it was don't bother. But I do remember there is some flats on the undeveloped one. But pretty challenging. I hope you get more help than I did on my query about fishing in Maine.
Once again I see the BRFF Travel agency comes through for its members...for future trips I learned to leave the wifey at home, forget fishing and drink a lot.
All good thoughtful advice.
All of this should contribute to a good skunking.
Yo bro, dis here iz what yo' first trip will peep like sho 'nuff!
https://youtu.be/2DherT_I9IA
here is an excerpt from Mexico Returns (https://www.amazon.com/Mexico-Returns-Stories-Fishing-Guide/dp/061593711X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484183123&sr=1-1&keywords=mexico+returns)
QuoteNow to St. John...Most of the island is national park, with breathtaking views of mountains and the sea...beautiful beaches...and Goot Sand...No one ever talks about the Goot Sand, but if you get it on you, you will itch like a motherfucker for about five days...And I mean to the point that you can't sleep, eat or piss, cause you're an itching motherfucker....Anyway, the goot Sand is only in Grootpan Bay, which is a good thing...The bad thing is Grootpan Bay is right next to Keddel Bay and on the end of Mandel Estate Road, which is where Howie Mandel has his big chateau...The Goot Sand lies under the normal sand, so it's kind of hard to detect, and you don't start itching until you get out of the water and dry off, so the effects are neither obvious or immediate until later...Now Kiddel Bay has some pretty decent bonefish action, mostly 1-4 pounders, but a good number of fish you can cast at...Small schools and pairs running the beach mostly, but some good tailing stuff at dawn...Ghost crab patterns and tan Crazy Charlies work wonders on them...
As you wade north along Kiddel Bay, it abuts Grootpan Bay, so be careful you don't get overzealous and wander into Grootpan, which is easy because it has a ton of fish, and it's for a reason...The reason Goot Sand itches is because of a parasite called a boella worm, which lays eggs in your skin, which hatch after about an hour...The boella juveniles then spin, which separates the different layers in your skin, causing irritation...Over time, (like two or three days) they die, and unfortunately, their decaying bodies tend to bloat, so end up with small red pustules where the worms are...And dude,,,,There will be hundreds of worms under your skin, so by the fourth or fifth day, your feet and legs will be covered in red pustules, which besides waiting to pop and ooze are just the Mack Daddy of chick magnets...And don't even think about wearing shoes to cover them up, cause that will make them pop, and when they do, you won't believe the amount of fluid that comes out of that tiny pustule...And it stinks...Like sulphur...The locals have a name for the people who try to cover it up by wearing shoes, which is merde dans votre culott, and you'll hear people saying it and pointing to you on a regular basis...And your shoes will not only be squishing when you walk, but you'll have to throw them away afterwards because, dude, you're not that fucking tough that you can deal with the smell...
I remember reading that. Lovely.
When we going?
Quote from: Big J on January 12, 2017, 08:52:41 AM
When we going?
3 weeks from never. :banana072:
Go scout out some more streams for me, OK?
Which island are you staying on? I know of a flat on St John that supposedly has bonefish. I found a guide that was much, much less than $600 that put me on some tarpons near St Thomas. I actually don't think he was a guide. Just a guy who had a boat and new where there might be fish.
Learn how to strip set.
I think ODA has the skinny on that area also.
Leave Big J at home and take me.
Staying on east end of St. Thomas. Will be on St. Johns at least one day. You would drink all my beer, btw. Fact.
Quote from: Dougfish on January 12, 2017, 11:51:02 AM
Staying on east end of St. Thomas. Will be on St. Johns at least one day. You would drink all my beer, btw. Fact.
You are probably right. Better stick with your wife or Big J....
Go to the brewery on St Johns. They had surprisingly good beers.
This is some limp dick old man fishing advice. How many times are you going to go to USVI or be within a short drive of a bonefish flat? I would go DIY and have a blast. I have soured on the idea of paying for expensive guides in what are ultimately marginal destination fisheries. USVI has a good number of mid-size tarpon, bonefish and I've seen more than one gigantic permit tail within casting range. I've heard BVI is even better as far as flats/bonefish go, but ultimately this fishery and others in the middle Carribbean rank far below premier flats fishing destinations. USVI is an amazing place but I will save money for a full day guided trip on a flats boat when I go to Belize or the Bahamas.
Jfey has a good point too, if you can find a local spin or bait fishing guide to put you on fish for cheap, it might be worth the money. I paid a guy in Grand Cayman $150 including tip on a "guided trip". I met him at the bus stop, he was wearing Air Force Ones and Old Navy swim trunks. His uncle dropped us at a public beach and he found bonefish along beaches that I would have had no chance finding myself. And I didn't get stabbed so it was ultimately a success.
(top secret intel coming shortly)
Quote from: OldDominionAngler on January 14, 2017, 12:38:27 PM
This is some limp dick old man fishing advice. How many times are you going to go to USVI or be within a short drive of a bonefish flat? I would go DIY and have a blast.
(top secret intel coming shortly)
My man! 0:0
Every day I manage to not get stabbed I consider a victory.
1000 years ago my new bride and I went there. Take the boat over to St Johns, go to the other side of the island, rent an inflatable. Sight fish. We did hire a guide to go offshore. That worked but tuna, and sharks eating tuna, are hard on 9wt. They are really just fish, gotta find them. Get a boat. You know how to fish. The resident fish do love the marinas. Tarpon, barracuda. Stupid as trout.
All I gotta say is that with all this valuable "help" you better come back with a doozy of a TR!
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Just ordered all my SS hooks, ball chain and the balance of my materials. Confidence is high? -+;
Cleaned the bench. :o Ho Lee Fuk.
It begins.....
Gotchas, Crazy Charlies, Mantis Shrimp, Tan Crab, Bonefish Junk, Glass Minnows, Clousers.
(http://i.imgur.com/kNZBq9p.jpg)
Here goes nuthin'. Later homies. :banana072:
(http://i.imgur.com/b8DpLKS.jpg)
Good luck!
Have fun. Don't get any of those parasitic sand fleas!
Quote from: driver on February 08, 2017, 19:03:38 PM
Have fun. Don't get any of those parasitic sand fleas!
Bastard! Hey, do bonefish have teeth?
Quote from: Dougfish on February 08, 2017, 19:17:38 PM
Quote from: driver on February 08, 2017, 19:03:38 PM
Have fun. Don't get any of those parasitic sand fleas!
Bastard! Hey, do bonefish have teeth?
Let me google that shit for you....
Quote3. Bonefish don't have teeth in the conventional (or at least visible) sense. They do, however, have granular, crushing teeth on their tongue and upper jaw, and in the throat, helping them to grind up prey.
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Catch some fish. Have some fun. Good luck.
Good luck catch us some fish to see!
Good luck at getting skunked.
Sincerely,
I'm Jealous.
I think you tied up way too many flies and will return with all of them
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http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgin-islands/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=4b719b9a906b7b1ba6d9ab275183ed53
Put fishing in the search box. All kinds of info
Looking forward to this report...hope you got everything squared away with the airlines Doug
https://youtu.be/FTY8H7zjdtc
One of my favorite movies, The Usual Suspects, starts with the confusing finale and continues with the beginning and the rest of the story. Pay attention.
A very smart, awesome movie.
I'll start at the end of our journey. It's not very confusing though.
I caught 3 of these. Missed probably 10 more fish. Boom. The end.
(http://i.imgur.com/4PHNG60.jpg)
Turn the clock back...........
Scooted out of Roanoke Thursday AM. Stopped in Charlotte, then Miami before a St. Thomas landing.
BTW, if you have a 40 min layover in Miami and a 40 gate move......Run Forest! That is one spread out airport with nobody in a hurry. Lollygagging, no moving walkways, golf carts that will run you over, etc. We got to the door just before they closed it.
Picked up our red Jeep Wrangler (the rental car of choice) and headed out. Steering wheel on the left, but you drive on the left. Anne was charged with telling me Left!, Left! every turn I made. Plus, make the last look for danger to the right. After 2 days, I wasn't scaring the crap out of us.
Breakfast from condo unit looking toward Redhook harbor.
(http://i.imgur.com/RCfHbYT.jpg)
Our closest beach looked out on Vessup Bay and a big anchorage.
(http://i.imgur.com/2wqtIPZ.jpg)
After the first day on the beach, I came home to fried feet. b'; Aloe, aloe and aloe.
The second day on the same beach was spent with my feet covered by a towel all day.
We walked to the neighborhood bar and grill for lunch.
The mooch.
(http://i.imgur.com/azoACWJ.jpg)
Sunday was up early and off the nearby car ferry. St. John for the day.
The chickens greeted us at the wharf. In fact the chickens are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Feral chickens.
If you don't like cock-a-doodle-do all damn day, don't go.
(http://i.imgur.com/hBXa2zT.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/yPO5mED.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/yViidHI.jpg)
St. Johns is not St. Thomas. Former is 9 miles across, latter is 14. The former has a population about 10% of the big island. St. John is 70% national park.
More prosperous, better roads, much cleaner. I was blown away with the amount of litter along the roads and at beaches used by St. Thomas islanders.
Reminded me of NC interstates. ;D
We headed out of the port and climbed up around the north coast road.
(http://i.imgur.com/pFOm6yt.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Go1Pce8.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/El8bqUs.jpg)
As you can see, they are mountainous islands. Volcanic in origin. Most of the shoreline is rocky. Guessing that the sand beaches are only 20% of the shoreline.
Flats are few and far. I headed to the one ODA put me on. The idea was for Anne to have the beach, me the flats. The tide was still too high and there was zero sand for baybee b';
The tides do a false low tide, then it came up a little for a few hours before falling all the way.
(http://i.imgur.com/CpvHo6L.jpg)
Hiked up to the old Danish sugar plantation ruins.
Old windmill base, factory building, details. Look at the use of broken bricks and coral.
(http://i.imgur.com/83S46ZS.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/m6ndIU1.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/ZMxCmxH.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Msvvphn.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/pz2XRRZ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/FtlWAO6.jpg)
Gathered up our stuff and hiked down a trail to a out of sight sandy beached bay about a mile away.
Boom! Gobs of snorkelers, sea turtles, nurse sharks, needlefish, jacks, small barracudas and unknown more.
(http://i.imgur.com/F44E1l7.jpg)
Find the barracuda.
(http://i.imgur.com/bzrvmFk.jpg)
Off course, all the best fishing was full of snorkelers and morring lines.
I wandered off and fished for the first time down the rocky shore.
Got a few hits, nada. Not bonefish country. Blind casting with clousers and stuff.
(http://i.imgur.com/USTmvd1.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/DCxllvH.jpg)
This guy was crushing it.
(http://i.imgur.com/TYhLdfc.jpg)
We hiked out and a school of something was busting bait balls about 50 ft. off shore. Savage frenzy. then quit. Then it renewed a 100 yds. further up.
Rod was broken down and I felt like shit. Watched, but kept moving. n!n
Where I originally wanted to fish, and to the left were mangroves along the shore.
It was 4pm, still no sand, the tide was getting good, but we had to get back to catch our ferry. -0-
On to Monday. We did some early shopping and set off for a tour/new beaches to the north of St. Thomas.
Be aware, the most toothless county of VA, WV TN or NC has better marked roads. Signs here are few and far between. I ran by unmarked roads that suddenly appeared, then had to find a U turn and try it out. 3/4 got me no where, the rest were semi-fruitful. Some of the advertised beaches were either private or sketchy as fuck.
One had a funky boardwalk along side a salt pond.
Termite mound up a mangrove.
(http://i.imgur.com/mlR4jzw.jpg)
Hermit Crab.
(http://i.imgur.com/q9jbLTk.jpg)
I think this is a Kapok Tree?
(http://i.imgur.com/RnPs90l.jpg)
The ones the looked the fishiest were impossible to find or sketchy. Moved on. Spent about 4 hours here. Probably the biggest and nicest beach on STT.
Downside was lots of cruise ship folks. Good people watching. A pop up rain appeared about 2 and we headed to Charlotte Amalie for some shopping.
Went back to condo with a few gifts.
(http://i.imgur.com/YTbUIZQ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/QvqqHfK.jpg)
Which brings us to Tuesday. The last day. A long day on the local beach.
Awesome lunch. (Anne cooked all our dinners, leftovers were most lunches. Mahi-mahi, lobster, shrimp, steak. Had shark bites and conch fritters out.)
I fished some. Blind casting, changing every 15 min. Nada. Sat down for more sun and beer and a local backed a Tacoma in up the beach.
Older (than me!) white dude hops out and pulls out a fly rod from a tube on his overhead rack. He proceeds to go to the water's edge and starts peeling off line. After 15 minutes of casting and nothing to hand, he put his rod away. I wandered over, introduced myself and picked his brain. He was from NJ and had lived in STT for 40 years. Ran a day charter cat until 2008. He was just down practicing for a Bahama trip. Fishes here, the Bahamas and Wyoming, mostly. Told me where I was sucked. In fact the VI is not great. Gave me a few better spots on the island, some of which require a no charge permit.
Told him I was leaving in the AM and I would put it in the memory bank.
After he left I wandered back into the water and headed to some rocks at the far left of the beach.
Fish on. Fish on. Fish on.
Misses in between, but no skunk.
If you are going to the islands, be prepared to pay a lot for lodging, meals, food supplies, rental car, etc. Liquor, wine and beer are about the same.
Honestly, we had the week we were looking for. No bonefish seen or caught for Doug. But that increases the hunger.
No computers, no radio, no TV, no internet (except twice at a hotspot to check in for flights.)
Watching the boats and ferries come and go from the porch. Sleeping with windows open and the waves crashing only 50 ft. from the sea.
Lots of reading and conversation. Good chit.
Scheming on our next trip already. New locale? Probably. Maybe BVI?
Sargasso?
(http://i.imgur.com/E2EfvpA.jpg)
The look of da feet.
(http://i.imgur.com/LdOhNLE.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/yyh5HaQ.jpg)
0:0
Digging those old colonial fort pics man.
Nice, Doug. Real nice....
Thanks for sharing some pics.
Although the Virgins are mountainous, the Keys are similar in many ways. Very little in the way of beaches, feral chickens in Key West, tons of barracuda, big lizards, mangroves....
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on February 09, 2017, 15:21:36 PM
I think you tied up way too many flies and will return with all of them
Brought back every one, Nostradamus.
Had fun tying them and it got me motivated to tie trout stuff I need.
(http://i.imgur.com/QjQFrBR.jpg)
Looks like a hell of a trip Doug! At least you avoided the skunk 'c;
Those old mill pictures were awesome, really cool to see what they did with the coral.
Well damn. Sounds like it was still a blast.
Looks like a good time to me.
Definitely lacking in the rhodo department. -0-
a for effort!
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Good job!
At least I know my flies work when presented to a bone. I sent my box with a 16 y.o. neighbor. He slammed them in the BVI. LOL.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170423/883a6e50550b13844d3fb98c2ef45dcc.jpg)
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Holy damnation no 16 y/o should be bonefishing
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Please don't tell me that the 16 y/o kid has been salmon fishing in Alaska as well. I'm 65 and have dreamed of two things my entire life -- bonefishing in the islands and salmon fishing in Alaska. Never have been able to afford either one.
If the 16 year old has been to Alaska, I'll go ahead and cut my throat now. b';
Quote from: Phil on April 24, 2017, 16:30:03 PM
Please don't tell me that the 16 y/o kid has been salmon fishing in Alaska as well. I'm 65 and have dreamed of two things my entire life -- bonefishing in the islands and salmon fishing in Alaska. Never have been able to afford either one.
If the 16 year old has been to Alaska, I'll go ahead and cut my throat now. b';
Screw Alaska, and its resident rednecks, and tourons. Quebec, and Labrador is cool.
I wanna stab a sheepshead in the face with a spear. We have riverine bonefish in the heart of Carolina....European Carp.
St. John's has a better basketball team but St Thomas will offer you a better education