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I won't make this as long as I might otherwise in the hopes that the report doesn't lock up the board here.
First full day on Grand Bahama saw us go out with guide Bernard Bevans. He was not easy to get the trip details all sorted, as I didn't get back in touch with him until I was at the Miami Airport, but out on the water... that guy knows where the fish are. We drove from Freeport down to the very Eastern edge of the island and fished the area near and beyond the Deep Water Cay Club. Within 10 minutes of being in the boat I had caught my first bonefish. It was a smaller 2-3 pound fish, but it pulled with amazing force and put a real bend in my 9 wt. The rest of the day saw us land 7 in the boat (5 for me, 2 for dad) with some really nice fish in the 6.5-7.5 range. We had lots and lots of targets and Bernard found big fish for us to cast to. My dad caught a massive Mutton Snapper going 10-12 pounds. That was pretty cool to see and that fish put up one heck of a fight. The guide was very excited about the snapper. One of the highlights was lunch... the guide found some conch while we were poling around and then before lunch went to a couple of spots he knew and found three spinny lobster. He dropped those off and we returned a couple hours later for fried conch, butter soaked lobster tails and some stone crab... the biggest claws I've ever seen. The guiding was really wonderful and Bernard is very good. The only downside was Bernard sharing his views on a woman's place in the world, the dominion of man over woman and the use of a little physical violence to keep his kids and wife in line. He brought it up a lot despite neither my father nor I engaging with him in those discussions. Oh, and we had some motor problems and felt fortunate to make it back, although he could have just poled us there.
Next day my dad and I headed back east and found a massive sand flat. I saw a bone about 50 feet in and saw several more during the day. I blind cast into a deeper depression and was surprised to actually catch a small bonefish, about a pound. From there I saw fish, but they seemed to be really, really spooky, much more so than around the mangroves where we had fished the day before. We caught some small jacks and my dad ended the day stalking a pod of nice bones. Had some follows, but no hook ups.
Dad left the next morning and after I dropped him off I headed back to the place we'd been the day before. I saw and cast to a couple bones pretty early, but they seemed like educated bones. I saw a school of 20-30 moving quickly past me, but that was about all I saw... so, I got in the car and headed further east. I found a road heading to the water in an area with mangroves and went out there. It was here I saw some bones, made the cast, got the follow and set the hook. Not a big fish... again about 1 pound, but I felt very good about this fish since I did it all on my own. I moved down the road a little and found a nice sand flat surrounded by deeper water and mangroves... saw a pod of 5-8 NICE fish. Didn't catch them but got some follows and some opportunities. This was really skinny water, mayb a foot deep. It was a good way to end the trip, casting to a group of big fish and being in the game.
I'll post some pics and some questions I have in seperate threads so as to not lock up the board. Thanks to all that gave advice.
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