LHP MAG SEPT 11 8/10/11 5:04 PM Page 67
Florida Spo r t Fi s h i n g b y C ap t . M i ke Gen o u n
Island In the Stream
South Florida anglers, especially those calling either Boca Inlet or Hillsboro Inlet their home port, have easy access to a tropical island paradise just a mere 50 miles away. The heaven on earth I am referring to is called Bimini, and it’s an angling Mecca that you need to enjoy. Situated just over the eastern horizon and easily found on any paper or electronic chart, Bimini is the most western island in the 700 island Bahamian archipelago. Depending on your comfortable cruising speed it’s really a short hop, skip and jump away, easily reachable in less than two hours by just about any seaworthy vessel in the 23-plus size range. Checking in with customs and immigration is easy and requires a few hundred dollar commitment for all of the necessary paperwork including temporary fishing license. You can obtain all of the paperwork in advance off the Internet and have it filled out before you leave home. This will ease the check-in process. Numerous options exist with lodging and dockage ranging from beautiful Bimini Sands and the Bimini Big Game Club to Guy Harvey’s new Outpost. There are also private properties for rent, so plenty of choices exist to meet your particular needs regardless if you have a group of two or ten. The fishing in and around Bimini is generally spectacular. The western shores of the island are home to miles of fertile reef holding big numbers of flag yellowtail snapper, fat mutton snapper and of course, a variety of grouper. Lets not forget to mention king mackerel, cero mackerel, African pompano and a large number of other prolific, hard fighting species higher in the water column.This fishing can be done during the day or at night. If you intend to cash in on the hot reef fishery, bring along plenty of chum and as much bait as you can. Fresh goggle eye can’t be beat. The idea here is to chum, but not too heavy as the resident shark population will eat you out of house and home.
Rachel Genoun with a beautiful Bahamian mutton.
For offshore gurus, Bimini borders the Gulf Stream. That means the area’s rich blue waters are often filled with tuna, dolphin, wahoo and blue marlin.While each of these species is seasonal, they can be taken during any day of the year.And keep in mind that productive water exists for long distances north and south of Bimini, so don’t think you’re secluded to only one small area.You can literally fish offshore all day and never see another boat. If you are looking for something a little more low key, Bimini is also home to numerous flats with plenty of bonefish ready to test your skills and your patience. Hiring a local guide is the way to go here. The bottom line is that with so much to do and within such close proximately, Bimini really can’t be missed and late summer with typical flat calm seas is a perfect time for an escape.You owe it to yourself. For more tips, tricks, tactics and techniques, visit FloridaSportFishing.com.
www.lhpmag.com • Lighthouse Point Magazine
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