island news
Now is the time to begin the booking process for the 2020/21 Fall and Winter season. If you want to secure the best dates in prime time, booking in advance is the only way. We consider October and November, and March through May as the prime months, with December through February good winter fishing, especially for big bones. Those double digit monsters love the cooler water. And if your focus is tarpon along with the bones and the occasional permit, the fall and last spring is the time to consider. Keep in mind that if you plan to fly commercial, Bahama Air flies into Crooked and Acklins on Wednesday and Saturday. All other travel plans must match up with these flight for commercial travel. For charter flights, we offer great options from Ft. Lauderdale direct to the Pittstown Point airstrip, to Colonel Hill and Spring Point. Please email Stephen for the best travel options to suit your trip.
CROOKED ISLAND
Island News: Elton McKinney continues to lead a great group of independent guides that focus on bonefish, tarpon and permit along with other flats species like sharks, barracuda, snapper and more. Reef and offshore fishing is also available. Elton and crew are also excited about the improvement in permit fishing over the past couple of years. The guides have devoted a lot of time to understanding the permit fishery, and with a lot of success, and some of the permit are huge! Elton, Jeff, Randy and crew are popular so to secure these guys you need to be in touch well in advance. Please email Stephen directly soon to secure your dates.
Crooked Island Lodge -- at Pittstown Point is situated at the northernmost tip of Crooked Island overlooking white sandy beaches and the deep blue ocean. The lodge features 8 air-conditioned rooms with private baths and outside patios. The restaurant serves hearty helpings of local dishes including fresh seafood and lobster, conch, homemade breads and tasty desserts. The full bar servces ice cold Kalik and a variety of island cocktails. Lunches are packed to take on your day of guided fly fishing.
Casuarina Pines Villas - at Landrail Point is another great lodging choice to fish with our top group of guides. One and two bedroom cottages on the beach and a good local restaurant on-site.
Email Stephen directly for more details on both lodges and to begin booking your trip with the best guides on Crooked Island.
Flats Fishing Patterns: Normal spring/summer weather patterns are in effect. Fishing the southern Bahamas, including Crooked and Acklins, is a way to play the odds against unruly weather patterns. March through July and October through November are prime months, with December through February having a good chance of nice weather.
ACKLINS ISLAND
Chester's Highway Inn - located on the northern shore of Acklins Island, overlooking Lovely Bay, with miles of wadable flats nearby. Ten rooms have two double beds and a living area. Each of the rooms has a private bath, air conditioning, and a refrigerator. The dining room is an authentic local restaurant serving fresh, locally-caught fish and other local Bahamian dishes. You can expect American-style breakfasts and fresh Bahamian cuisine for dinner. Lunches are packed in coolers for your days on the water. The Lodge carries a fully-stocked bar offering beer, wine, and liquor.
Fishing Reports
Flats Fishing Patterns: Fishing the southern Bahamas, including Crooked and Acklins, is a way to play the odds against unruly weather patterns. March through July and October through November are prime months, with December through February having a good chance of nice weather.
Our favorite flies include #2-4 Gotchas, #4-6 Gotcha Clouser's and Gold Shiner Clouser's, #4-6 Spawning Shrimp, #4-6 Veverka's Mantis Shrimp, #6 Tan Yarn Crabs, and #4 Borski's Bonefish Critters and Bonefish Sliders. In general, the bonefish here are not spooky, so Clouser's Minnows in a variety of colors are also a good choice in the many deeper water areas.
The guides we recommend out of Pittstown Point Landings and Landrail Point, including Elton "Bonefish Shakey" McKinney, Michael Carroll, Jeff Moss, Derrick Ingraham, Randy McKinney and Clinton Scavella, work out of a variety of top-quality flats skiffs with 90 to 130 outboards that will get you to the fishing grounds in a hurry. The run down to French Wells only takes about 15 minutes in these boats depending on the weather and sea conditions. These guides are among the top guides in the Bahamas. They have worked extremely hard the past few years to put their guests on consistently great fishing, and have developed the permit fishery in a significant way. If you are looking for an off-the-beaten path experience, great wading for bonefish, plus the chance to catch a variety of species, this is the fly fishing program designed for you.
REEF/OFFSHORE: - This location provides the best reef and offshore fishing in the Bahamas, and some of the best in the world. There are 6 prime fishing locations within 40 miles of Landrail Point. For some of the best reef fishing, the run down to Windsor Point takes about 45 minutes. You can count on the reef fishing being great year-round. Snapper fishing, including muttons, is very good now between Landrail and French Wells. Live chum is used to stir the fish into a frenzy, and you can hookup fish with a 10-weight until your arms beg for a rest or a beer. For the bigger tuna you'll need a 12- to 14-weight rod. Our favorite flies for reef fishing include #4/0 Abel Anchovies, #2/0 White Deceivers, #2/0 Conomo Special, #4/0 RM Flatsides, and a variety of Bluewater Baitfish patterns. These patterns also work well offshore for tuna and Dorado, though we really like a #5/0 Green/Yellow Offshore Deceiver for Dorado too.
CROOKED ISLAND
Island News: Elton McKinney continues to lead a great group of independent guides that focus on bonefish, tarpon and permit along with other flats species like sharks, barracuda, snapper and more. Reef and offshore fishing is also available. Elton and crew are also excited about the improvement in permit fishing over the past couple of years. The guides have devoted a lot of time to understanding the permit fishery, and with a lot of success, and some of the permit are huge! Elton, Jeff, Randy and crew are popular so to secure these guys you need to be in touch well in advance. Please email Stephen directly soon to secure your dates.
Crooked Island Lodge -- at Pittstown Point is situated at the northernmost tip of Crooked Island overlooking white sandy beaches and the deep blue ocean. The lodge features 8 air-conditioned rooms with private baths and outside patios. The restaurant serves hearty helpings of local dishes including fresh seafood and lobster, conch, homemade breads and tasty desserts. The full bar servces ice cold Kalik and a variety of island cocktails. Lunches are packed to take on your day of guided fly fishing.
Casuarina Pines Villas - at Landrail Point is another great lodging choice to fish with our top group of guides. One and two bedroom cottages on the beach and a good local restaurant on-site.
Email Stephen directly for more details on both lodges and to begin booking your trip with the best guides on Crooked Island.
Flats Fishing Patterns: Normal spring/summer weather patterns are in effect. Fishing the southern Bahamas, including Crooked and Acklins, is a way to play the odds against unruly weather patterns. March through July and October through November are prime months, with December through February having a good chance of nice weather.
ACKLINS ISLAND
Chester's Highway Inn - located on the northern shore of Acklins Island, overlooking Lovely Bay, with miles of wadable flats nearby. Ten rooms have two double beds and a living area. Each of the rooms has a private bath, air conditioning, and a refrigerator. The dining room is an authentic local restaurant serving fresh, locally-caught fish and other local Bahamian dishes. You can expect American-style breakfasts and fresh Bahamian cuisine for dinner. Lunches are packed in coolers for your days on the water. The Lodge carries a fully-stocked bar offering beer, wine, and liquor.
Fishing Reports
Flats Fishing Patterns: Fishing the southern Bahamas, including Crooked and Acklins, is a way to play the odds against unruly weather patterns. March through July and October through November are prime months, with December through February having a good chance of nice weather.
Our favorite flies include #2-4 Gotchas, #4-6 Gotcha Clouser's and Gold Shiner Clouser's, #4-6 Spawning Shrimp, #4-6 Veverka's Mantis Shrimp, #6 Tan Yarn Crabs, and #4 Borski's Bonefish Critters and Bonefish Sliders. In general, the bonefish here are not spooky, so Clouser's Minnows in a variety of colors are also a good choice in the many deeper water areas.
The guides we recommend out of Pittstown Point Landings and Landrail Point, including Elton "Bonefish Shakey" McKinney, Michael Carroll, Jeff Moss, Derrick Ingraham, Randy McKinney and Clinton Scavella, work out of a variety of top-quality flats skiffs with 90 to 130 outboards that will get you to the fishing grounds in a hurry. The run down to French Wells only takes about 15 minutes in these boats depending on the weather and sea conditions. These guides are among the top guides in the Bahamas. They have worked extremely hard the past few years to put their guests on consistently great fishing, and have developed the permit fishery in a significant way. If you are looking for an off-the-beaten path experience, great wading for bonefish, plus the chance to catch a variety of species, this is the fly fishing program designed for you.
REEF/OFFSHORE: - This location provides the best reef and offshore fishing in the Bahamas, and some of the best in the world. There are 6 prime fishing locations within 40 miles of Landrail Point. For some of the best reef fishing, the run down to Windsor Point takes about 45 minutes. You can count on the reef fishing being great year-round. Snapper fishing, including muttons, is very good now between Landrail and French Wells. Live chum is used to stir the fish into a frenzy, and you can hookup fish with a 10-weight until your arms beg for a rest or a beer. For the bigger tuna you'll need a 12- to 14-weight rod. Our favorite flies for reef fishing include #4/0 Abel Anchovies, #2/0 White Deceivers, #2/0 Conomo Special, #4/0 RM Flatsides, and a variety of Bluewater Baitfish patterns. These patterns also work well offshore for tuna and Dorado, though we really like a #5/0 Green/Yellow Offshore Deceiver for Dorado too.