D.I.Y. Bonefish

[kamishak steve]

I'm currently toying with the idea of putting together a D.I.Y. bonefish trip, and was looking for suggestions. Where to go, what time of year, flies, etc. I'm totally new to bonefishing, so i am not really trophy hunting, just looking to check out the whole bonefish game. Time is flexible, but cash flow is limited. Between all the traveling anglers on this site, somebody's got to have some good suggestions. Thanks, ~ Steve

[Jamie Wilson]

I have some experience in Mexico in the spring- March and April, in the Yucatan. I hired a local guide and without one- I wouldn't of had a shot. The flats were sprawling, I didn't have a boat, etc. etc. You can wade - but you have to get on the fish. We did all sight casting - a little more like hunting. The wind was relentless - but we caught many nice bones, had a shot at some permit, and got a few very large barracuda to turn on our flies - very exciting! There was a really good thread in the 'Trips with Pics' section not too long ago - I believe it was posted by Anil. You should check it out!
Good Luck-
Magill

[gt]

if you have never fished for bones, you have a huge learning curve in front of you. better to same your money and buy a trip with an experienced guide who will get you into fish and show you the ropes.

[rick matney]

I am going on a three week DIY trip to the carribean starting in florida then the caimens, then jamaica, the dominican then back. Never been here but have a few guides set up and some local guys to help. The yucatan is great bonefishing and is possible to DIY but my advice would to get a guide for at least one day and concentrate on learning the gear, Knots, flies, approach and habbitat over trying to catch a fish. A lot of those guides are only about $150 for a walk wade trip and a little more for a boat. The informatoin you would get would be worth that. Read as much as you can before going as well.

[Denny]

I'm currently toying with the idea of putting together a D.I.Y. bonefish trip, and was looking for suggestions. Where to go, what time of year, flies, etc. I'm totally new to bonefishing, so i am not really trophy hunting, just looking to check out the whole bonefish game. Time is flexible, but cash flow is limited. Between all the traveling anglers on this site, somebody's got to have some good suggestions. Thanks, ~ Steve

Why DIY? There's nothing wrong with DIY, but it should be done only you have a little experience under your belt.

If you're totally new to bonefishing, you need to fish with a guide so you can learn how it's done and to learn how to spot fish. My first tip to someone going bonefishing for the first time is "Get your own guide." Even if it's for only one day. It's kind of like trying to learn the ABC's from scratch without a teacher involved; it probably can be done, but it's going to take a lot of time and frustration.

I'm dead serious. Listen to me now and believe me later!

[Citori]

I am a total novice, fished with guides twice. I recommend saving money on food, travel, motel, food, etc. to come up with the scratch for a guide. DIY later if you want. Then you will know what you are looking for, and what to do. After my guided day trips, I would no longer hesitate to go DIY.

Belize is very economical. We were there in Oct. 2 yrs ago, paid $55 per night for a place on the beach, and caught bones within sight of town.

PM me, I will tell you what little I know

[Redsider]

The cost of a guide is nothing compared to the cost of flying to a good bonefishing area and never seeing a fish. Hire a guide for at least a day, books and stories will never prepare you for spotting your first bone. Make sure he takes you walking through the flats too, instead of just poling you around because thats how you'll be fishing without a guide.

[Jamie Wilson]

One thing I forgot-
I always thought those flats booties were just another gizmo to spend money on until I waded a flat that wasn't that nice hard-white sand. The guide laughed as my Tevas came off in what he called the 'cemento'.
I'll say!! It's a 12 inch deep mix of sandy muck with razor-sharp shell pieces that will thrash your skin. Get some sort of wading boots for the flats! You will most likely want them.
Magill

[shawn k]

I would go to eleuthera in the bahamas. There are many flats you can drive to or take a taxi. There are Guides available at some of the hotels and you can also rent some beach houses thereThat have flats right in front of them. I would Hire a guide for a day or two then do it on your own.The hardest part is seeing the buggers.
Another option would be the florida keys there are operations that rent sea kayaks that you could take out to the flats. Plus there are lots of baby tarpon around in some of the back channels.

[rick matney]

One thing I forgot-
I always thought those flats booties were just another gizmo to spend money on until I waded a flat that wasn't that nice hard-white sand. The guide laughed as my Tevas came off in what he called the 'cemento'.
I'll say!! It's a 12 inch deep mix of sandy muck with razor-sharp shell pieces that will thrash your skin. Get some sort of wading boots for the flats! You will most likely want them.
Magill

Yes Yes Yes. No kidding My first trip to the flats was just that. I use dive boots, They are a lot cheaper then flyfishing boots and keep the sand out better, and I do a lot of diving so I have several pairs. $25 should get you a decent pair.

[Jamie Wilson]

Good call - the guy I was fishing with had those zip-front boots. They look a little funny but we're not hosting a fashion show- if you know what I mean. I am thinking the dive boots are similar. If the muck gets in, every step can be torture, as the muck just grinds away at your feet. Then, the next day, it gets even worse as new sores open up and the old ones get worse. We had to wade because the fish seemed spooky and would not allow the boat to get within casting range. All the fish we got were on the wade. I think sometimes wading can be the norm rather than the exception - even more reason to get some foot protection.
Magill

[Gary Thompson]

Send yourself to Grand Bahama Island and go out on the East end. (National Park). You should be there now until April.
Gotta's, Crazy Charlies and others in white and tan with some flash.
Good foot wear. Watch where ya step. Sting rays and other sharp stuff.

[Salvelinus]

Oh my God I am so annoyed I just wrote a whole huge response and then randomly pressed a couple keys and bam it all just vanished. Damnit. Well I'm going to go against the grain on this one and say you don't need a guide. Of course a guide would help. They are usually very expensive though. Location is everything. In some places it's harder to get around, to find fish, read the tides, etc etc. In some places it's easier. Bottom type is very important. On grass bonefish are damn near impossible to see. On sand, in good light, I personally think they are very easy to see. I had more to say but basically you can catch lots of bonefish without a guide, you just need to go to the right place. I generally think bonefish are a lot easier to catch than most people say. The hard part can be finding them, which depends upon tide, weather, stuff I don't know about, etc etc. I would say do a lot of research by book, internet, talking to people, and Google Earth and go to the Bahamas. If you have a GPS you can plug in waypoints of good looking flats and hike/taxi/hitch hike to find some cool places. PM me if you want info on Andros or Acklins.

[woodway]

I had a great time on South Andros Island in the Bahamas. Wrote a little report about it here (last post in the thread):

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/...ad.php?t=30354

BTW, I waded the flats in old sneakers. Just wore some really thin neoprene socks underneath to protect my feet. Worked like a champ. When the trip was over, I was going to just chuck the sneakers, but ended up giving them to one of the locals.

[MDK]

These posts are a bit old. Is there still interest in DIY bonefishing? I am an avid fly fisherman and have been fishing salmon and trout for over 50 years. I took up bonefishing about ten years ago. I DIY fish simply because I can't afford staying at high-end lodges or guided fishing. I have fished for bones in Hawaii, FL, Mexico, Hondurus, Nicaraugua and Belize. I have had, by far, the best luck in Belize and Nicaraugua. If you know where to go, DIY fishing can be real good in these countries. The biggest problem is weather. In the winter, when one of those big storms blow out of Canada and cause winter weather all the way to Florida and Texas you get bad weather in the Carribean. When the wind blows hard the bonefish head for deeper water and if you are looking for them in shallow water you are out of luck. On the other hand, if weather is right, I have had 30 bonefish days in Belize. I am always looking for other places for DIY bonefishing. I know Bahamas is good but believe it is too expensive. I have also heard Los Roques is good but over fished where access is easy and need boat to get to good fishing. I am thinking of trying Colombia where there are rumors of bonefish but little written about.