Just got back from Coco Reef

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Phil Dean

Just got back from Coco Reef

Post by Phil Dean »

We had a great time, a wonderful relaxing holiday though unfortunatly alot of people felt that the levels of service had dropped, we still had a wonderful time, but we're happy to work to tobago time.

for the fishing friends out there in internet land, I'll post a report and some pictures, I saw 1 tarpon off crown point but caught none.

the species tally went Snook, gar, a fish I dodn;t recognise (i'll post pictures later), crevally, jacks, snapper and spiny blennie things.

the heavy swell over much of the second week slowed the fishing down though I did see sting rays octopus and huge moray eels which added to the fun.

birdlife was outstanding as always, the people were tobagans... there's nothing more to say...going to bed now.............
Phil Dean

Post by Phil Dean »

Finally managed to get my head out of the mountain of work I came back to.

The fishing report goes as follows:

Day 1 arrived and went to bed zero fish

Day 2, awoke in the dark and set out, walked miles to store bay (ABOUT 200 YARDS), cast in and landed fish number one within 1 minute, a small jack of about 5oz on sibiki lures, decided this was easy and put him back rather than using him as bait, 1 hour later had a small gar, decided that maybe I need to use a bit of him as bait. Set him up under a float on a size 4 hook, two minutes later had a large gar over 1lb.

It's easy this.

cast in again. One hour later reverted back to sabiki rig, had one more silver bottom feeder ..don't know species.

put a fly on (small bright pink shrimp pattern) had a jack crevalle first cast....went for breakfast. Wife had the rest of the day organised for me (getting her drinks from the bar) spent the day feeding bread to the fish from pellican point whilst she sunbathed.

Day 3

Got up about 5am and walked to the fort next to the airport. Lost two sabiki riggs in the rocks (only took 4) without catching anything.

At 6.30 I walked round to crown point beech. the pelicans were diving so I walked/eaded to the oil pipes. Fished in front of myself with the sabiki riggs, hooked a couple of tiny bait sized fish,

I hooked these up under the float on a size 4 hook. First cast, a gar took it and came off...bony mouthed critter.

A jack crevalle took the next fish under the rod tip when realing in.

Fished for more bait for a while, caught one more but couldn't get a bite.

By this stage the sun was up, so I walked back for yet another ridiculously large breakfast.

Again no more fishing.

Day 4

Went out about 8 following too many cocktails. went to crown point, struggled to hook any bait . Changed the weight on the rigg for a spinner which came in a "fisherman's pack" last year from matalan or similar. It was a heavy spoon of about 30g.

After no success I got a great pull, the rod bent over and I was into a reasonable fish. After a short run the fish turned belly up and came in, a small snook of about 3lb.

Having caught little else and nowing that I would miss yet another humongous and unnecessary breakfast, I went back. As always, the wife had plans so end of another day for fishing.

Day 5, I really shouldn't drink so much, made it to breakfast, just!!! the swell was picking up by now so the fishing looked like it would be hard work from the shore.

Day 6, quite aq powerful swell, no sunbathing on pelican point and beach fishing with the light weights I'd taken (2oz was my heaviest and no grip leads) so no fishing

Day 7, this was getting boring, I had now read two novels and needed to go fishing, but the swell was getting worse,

Day 8......the swell was really starting to get annoying

Day 9..... the swell was receding but still bad.

Day 10....the swell was getting better

Day 11...the swell was improving so I went and got some shrimp from jimmys shop (it opened at nearly 8am, advertised 7am, even I was getting a bit sick, should have bought it the night before), had a few bits but it was hard going

Day 12.... had a morning sessions at store bay with some friends I met, photos to follow, i baited the sibiki rigg with shrimps and had some hook ups with crevalle but very slow going, completly soaked by the swell, but it was reducing.

That evening I went with my friends to crown point beach, they'd managed to buy some frozen fish. After a few fish on the shrimp I had a decent take on the fish, but no idea what it was. The swell was still heavy so we got very wet....good fun though.

Day 13 Went out early morning with the fish and shrimp, made it to the oil pipes though it was throwing it down so we got drenched.

Fishing started slow but eventually some better fish turned up, in the end I had about 10 fish, the largest going about 5lb, and lost a few, nothing big but fun.

Day 14.....not allowed to go fishing, check in and chill out at 8am, not fair!!!!!!!!

I'll post the pictures over the weekend now that work has finished.

cheers
Phil Dean

Post by Phil Dean »

forgot to do this still, had pc problems, will get it sorted...............
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Steve Pitts
Tobago Anorak
Tobago Anorak
Posts: 710
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2003 11:18 am
Location: Bristol U.K

Post by Steve Pitts »

Hi Phil

Thanks for posting your report.

Sounds like it wasn't a complete waste of time - a reasonable snook and several jacks are worth a few early mornings and the occasional soaking.

Shame about the sea conditions - we were out there when hurricane Ivan was giving us a battering in Sept 2004. The jacks seemed to like the rough weather and we had three good ones on surface lures.

http://www.mytobago.info/photos/fishing ... e-jack.htm

The 'storm' chug bug was quite appropriate really.

Looking forward to some pics

Cheers
Steve
Take only photos - leave only footprints. I like that concept.
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