fishing report jan 19th - feb 2nd

[Mike Northcott]

We have just got back from a week in Castara and then another week in Store Bay.

We had a day out with Anaconda Cox around the oil rig in the first week, it has to be said it was slow. The sea was lumpy especially in an open small, 20 foot or so, boat and the tackle basic. We had a few takes mostly small blackfins and boated 2 and dropped 2 off at the boat. One very good take, ?? Yellow fin, which smashed the gear immediately. Lots of yellow fins 15-25 lbs being landed in Castara, 20-30 on each of 2 days that we saw, BUT all being caught at night from the rig or support tugs on live baits under lights, seems they are very wary round the rig during daylight. On the way back in we reef fished right inshore and caught an assortment of snappers, small groupers, grunts etc.

We hauled seine one day and although hard work it was a treat to be involved , several hundred small anchovies/herring types beached, a smattering of other small bits and bobs and one big stinger of about 80-90lbs which was returned to its duty as 'beach hoover' in front of the co-op. We were given a carrier bag full of the small stuff to use as bait / 'bribe' = groundbait and we returned at 17:00 and fished until 19:30 right in front of the co-op. We bagged up on mangrove snapper to 4lb, ladyfish/'ten pounders', parges, a big remora, some puffer fish and 2 small stingers. The local guys were highly amused and really pleased to have the snappers for their tea!! We fished the next night and had several more snappers and entertained a big stinger for 10 minutes before it decided to head off home

The second week we fished with Kester and Kevin and had our worst week for 5 trips, as in no big fish, but we didn't go out deep this time. Plenty of 'small boys', several kingfish to 10lb, 5 small tarpon 5-6lbs, more snappers to 4 lb, plenty of lady fish, my do thy go on 10 foot spinning rods, two crevally jacks best about 7lb. Two decent tarpon hooked one at Plymouth and one off crown point both lost, Kester convinced that the much increased jet ski activity has put most of the tarpon down especially off Conrados where we have had good fish in previous years! The flats were heaving with Permit but they didn't want to play, nor luckily did the 5 foot bull shark that came in for a look see at onme point.

For anyone interested in the rain forest Fitzroy Ouamina gacebv us a brillint tour down the Gilpin trail, 4 hours at 200 TT per person saw lots of birds we haven't seen before and 3 humming bird nests!

Roll on next time

Mike

[Joe Walker]

it may not have been the best ever, but compared to a a bleak February beach in Blighty it still sounds a pretty good bet to me! So the permit were on the flats at Sandy point then? In wading depth?