myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Hi my name is Jon Schwartz. I'm an elementary schoolteacher from CaIifornia, and I do a lot of kayakfishing in Baja and Hawaii, where I try and hook into big game, like 30 pounds and up to 100+ pounds. You might be surprised what kayakers can land! Anyway, I am looking for a new place to try out and a mother of one of my students who is from Tobago recommended her home island. If we come, I will also be bringing my wife and 3 girls ages 1,7, and 9, in July, for 3 weeks. Basically I want to know if there are big fish close to shore- within 1.5 miles. Sounds like tarpon are a possibility. What else is within 1.5 miles from shore that I might paddle into and hook from a kayak? You might not have any kayak fishing experience, but I bet if you've fished Tobago, you can be a great help- just imagine fishing from a boat within 1.5 miles from shore- that's what I'd be able to hook into, whether it be dropping down baits, jigging or casting artificials, or trolling baits on the surface. The only thing I can't do from a kayak is troll stuff at high speeds like a boat can, but I can hook into the same fish (marlin, wahoo, dorado, tuna, if they are there) with slow trolled baits. Tx in advance for your input!
Jon Schwartz

Hi Jon

Kayak fishing is really taking off here in the UK and we are now very much aware of the large pelagic species that have been caught around the world from yaks.

Assuming that you can rent a kayak (maybe World of Watersports at Pigeon Point or by the Conrado Hotel, same area) you would have access to the crown point and outer Buccoo reef areas.

Tarpon are a good bet a few hundred yards off Crown Point - out from the airport runway and around to the oil tanker buoys. The same area will offer schooling horse-eye and crevalle jacks and bonito, if the baitfish are present. If they are, the birds will also be working the baitfish, so a good sign of likely sport.

There are some very strong currents past the buoys, so please be careful - next stop Trinidad

Around the outer edges of Buccoo reef (inside is a marine reserve) you can catch bonito on a regular basis. Occasional dorado and even rarer yellow-fin may be present, but further out would be a better bet for these and wahoo and sailfish.

Further up-island you can catch kingfish close in (a few hundred yards out from shore) by either spinning or trolling lures like rapalas or metal jigs and there are always barracuda hanging around the rocky outcrops.

The North of the island is the place for YFTs, especially the Sisters and around Giles Island, but I don't know of any kayak rental /hire this far North and it's a bl**dy long way to paddle from Crown Point

Have you read the myTobago fishing pages, here - http://www.mytobago.info/fishing.php

This should give you an idea of what is available, both inshore and offshore.

Let us know how you get on.

Very tight lines

Cheers
Steve

Steve, Thank you very very much for your input! I will read those posts. I actually was hoping that you might respond to my post. I guess those kingfish are similar to what we here in CA call yellowtail. How far out are those bouys?
Thanks again!
Jon

Hi John

I think you'll find that the kingfish aren't the same as yellowtail.
Here's a picture for you to ID them -



I think that they are closer to Spanish Mackerel, but they don't have spots.
The avarage size is around several pounds, but we have had them up to 15lb on light spinning gear and 15lb line.

The buoys are about 200 - 300 metres off the beach.
Here is an arial view of crown point.

http://www.mytobago.info/photos/aerial/IMG_4768.htm

You should be able to make out the buoys - one infront of the runway (to extreme left of picture) and the other off the sandy beach (lower-left of picture).
A Kayak would be a great way to fish the area, but there are also lots of submerged boulders and some heavy surf closer in, so please be careful.

By the way - I have Baja in my sights for a future trip - maybe next year.
Having watched the 'Running down the Man' short film on roosterfish, I have been bitten by the rooster bug.

Cheers
Steve

Steve, You will have a blast with those roosters! Do you have a place to stay there? I have some recommendations, complete with places to stay, pangeuros (panga/skiff captains) to fish with, spots to fish, technique, and even some tips on how to get the bait when no one else can. A secret source!I have spent a lot of time on the East Cape, which is on the other side of the peninsula than Cabo is. Better fishing, less crowded, and home of the Punta Colorada, the "Roosterfish capital of the world"!
I have written several stories about fishing for roosterfish on the East Cape. If you want to read them, I can forward you the url where you can read them- they're online.
Tx again for your help!
Jon
Oh one other question- couldn't I rent a kayak and plop it on a rental car?

Jon

From the looks of those photos you are a rooster expert!

I would love to read your stories, so if you would forward the URL it would make for something to read during these dark winter nights (and days).

I'll hold you to your offer of other helpful details on fisihng the Cape too - that's an offer too good to pass up.

I think that the only rental Kayaks are at Club Pigeon point. see the last entry in the watersports section here - http://www.mytobago.info/sailing02.php
You may be able to strike a deal for a 'takeaway' kayak and use a rental car to tour the island, but you are best to contact the operators of World of Watersports for that.

Looking forward to that URL

Cheers
Steve

Just noticed the picture in your last post - it isn't http://www.bluewaterjon.com is it?

Hi Jon

Just checked out your website (from work) - what a work of art!

I'll have fun browsing through your adventures this evening at home.

We have quite a bit in common, as I also like to travel and fish in exotic locations and have also written articles for magazines and made several films (now DVDs) along the way.

I notice your GT picture.
Having just come back from the Indian Ocean, where our quest for for Caranx Ignoblis, I'm pleased to say that we had some success, but I would never attempt to catch one from a kayak!
A few pictures of our trip here - http://www.mytobago.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4812

Got to dash - the boss has just come in

Hey Jon,

The kingfish is what we know in the USA as a king mackerel. This photo is from a trip we won from myTobago and Alibaba Tours. We left from Mt. Irvine and the fish was caught on the outer reef, a very long paddle from shore.

I looked at your website and I enjoyed seeing that wicker fighting chair in the old photo of Gramp's grouper! I need a couple of those for Tobago.

Thanks, Hugh

Hey guys, Thanks for the replies. yeah, the uluas (GT)'s are wild from a kayak, but doable, expecially if they make the mistake of towing you around horizontally. I have been brought to the point of shaking in my cockpit just wishing for an end to the fight by a 40 pounder. I had a small portable fishfinder on my kayak, and the worst part was that even when I was exhausted I could see him only slowly making progress up from several hundred feet below. Once, when I was super duper lucky, in 3 days in a row in the same spot I caught a 55, 40, and then 64.5 pounder. In a kayak, the vertically fighters are the toughest, because we have little leverage and standard harnesses and so forth are useless ( at least in my experience). A 150 pound striped marlin is way eaier to land, usually, than a tuna or ulua or amberjack of 50 pounds, because the marlins will tire themselves out. Anytime you guys wanna talk further about Baja, lemme know. I just may luck out and be there next Thursday ( Cabo side for a change)- supposed to be a crazy striped marlin bite and some fellow wants action shots.
Hope to speak with you all soon,
Jon
http://www.bluewaterjon.com/

Hi Jon and Hugh

As you both live in California, you must know each other - right?

I've been studying the very good Google Earth images of the East Cape and have IDd the lighthouse that you mention in your rooster story. It certainly looks like a good area to fish.

I'd like to try fishing from a kayak and notice that a hotel up at Punta Pescadero has them available for their guests. The hotel also looks very nice from a comfort and amenities (wife friendly) point of view. They even have quad bikes for hire - now there's a good idea, with miles of beach to explore.

I think I'm talking myself into a trip next May/June. Is this a good time for roosters and jacks Jon?

Will continue my research over the weekend - servicing the car and laying a new carpet in the bedroom can wait!

Cheers
Steve

Steve, I recommend two places- Rancho Leonero, and Punta Colorada, with the former being my favorite, by a longshot, for many reasons. I know Rancho so well that I could tell you what rooms to stay in, which panguero to hire, blah blah blah, I really have the place wired. Anybody else who has spent as much time there as I have would too! Plus, the reef right out in front, unlike Punta, is awesome fishing. At Punta you have to get out much farther. Beach fishing there is overrated in my opinion. Yeah you can catch stuff, but I can't tell you how many times I have paddled by guys throwing lures into the surf because they read an article on the net that a popper will get them a nice rooster or jack. Roosters are the pickiest, most frustrating fish I know of. They usually laugh at artificials, and will even ignore unhealthy baits- even mackeral! The manager of Rancho, Gary Barnes-Webb, is really the guy who I think knows the most about roosters. I know a good deal but this guy has it so down it's ridiculous. He lives on the beach there in a nice house with his family he's a former big game hunting guide from South Africa- and like I said, he's the man. You'll need live bait- preferably mullet- without a scale out of place- and your "luck" will depend on your ability to secure a good supply. If you want to talk with Gary, or John Ireland, the owner, lemme know. I mean you could contact them yourself but I could introduce you to them, etc.
J

Hi Jon!

There are lots of big fish within the distance you requested. We have a large variety of game fish. As someone who spear fishes off of the shore I can tell you that you can find some big ones! I would try Castara (no secret why ) and the surrounding area. At night there are also big snappers, silver fish, and such for the taking! Good luck and have fun!

Oracle, Thanks for the input, and good to know it from someone with the view you have. When you say "silver fish" what do you mean? Also, isn't Castara the place (or one of them) where thet fish from the beach with seining nets? How far out do the nets get? What do they catch in them, and how big? How about bait- do you see anyone using live bait? I wonder if I could catch my own with a sabiki rig. Here in CA we catch bait on them by finding the bait with a fishfinder, or simply jigging the sabiki near structure with some squid tipped on the small hooks, and then we put the bait we catch (mackeral beteen 5 and 10 inches) in a livewell in the back of our kayaks. In Hawaii where it's harder to get live bait, I troll dead opelu that I buy in the markets, or drop it down, and they work really well.

Hey guys by the way- how in the world is it possible to make an avatar from a photo with a 7kb limit? When I make something that file size it looks like, uh, not so bueno!

Jon Schwartz wrote: Hey guys by the way- how in the world is it possible to make an avatar from a photo with a 7kb limit?

Your fish are just too big Jon!

Thanks for the run-down on your favourite East Cape venues - I've checked out Rancho Leonero on the web and it looks like our kind of place.

I wonder if Oracle is referring to Tarpon (silver fish), which are active at night and do frequent some of the bays around Castara?

The local folks do sein net from the beach here (several other beaches around the coast too) and much of what they catch are small baitfish that are then kept in communal livebait nets by the local fishermen for handlining for tuna etc. out on the Sisters rocks.

You could catch your own livebait on sabiki rigs, or with a cast net, or negotiate for a few baits from the netsmen. Helping haul sein may be appreciated in kind

Cheers
Steve

Hi Steve

These fishermen!!!! Always bragging that it is bigger than it is. Being an expert on small sizes, just send your photo to me and I'll get it down to size for you.

Hi Steve

It's great to see you appear in one of the fishing threads - we'll make a convert of you yet (and David W too )

I take it that your offer of re-sizing a picture for an avatar was aimed at Jon?
My fish are far too small.

Cheers
Steve