Cuba shore success! Read last post!

[rex.stpierre]

Hey guys,

Im headed for 1 week all inclusive to husa cayo santa maria in December. There is a big lagoon behing the hotel. You can book a tarpon 4 hour trip for 180 cuc and a 4 hour ocean charter for 240 cuc.

Im also thinking about bringing a travel rod (that I would buy at lebaron) or even get a speargun off ebay...

Has anyone been fishing out there. Any useful info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I went on a charter in Punta Cana this winter and got a 25lb dorado....it kinda gets you hooked...

[Todd B.]

You'll probably also have a good chance for bones on the flats there as well.

[rex.stpierre]

Bone fish is actually the only fish I'm geared up to go for with my current travel worthy gear.

Under perfect circumstances I would have my 9 foot one piece musky rod over there with 65lbs braid but its not going to happen.

I looked for 10-12 weight fly rods around here and it doesn't exist. Why would it, we don't fish for 200lbs tarpon here.

I think I'll just settle for the gear they have there. I'll bring lures that I will end up giving as gifts...good old 3$ lures in that big bin at SAIL.

[Todd B.]

I would inquire into how big the tarpon actually are. I would be surprised if they are over 50lbs. The "big" fish are the ones that have moved to open water. Even the fish that that catch on the pro tarpon tour are typically in the 150lb range. Some of the guys that I know that have gone down there try to avoid the larger fish because you're going to spending all your time landing a few fish when you can be having far more fun landing lots of smaller (but still respectable) fish.

[scuro]

I hate to rain on your parade but a Spear gun? One guy got detained at the airport for a 4 hours for simply bringing a Bunsen burner cooker. He gave it up to get out of there. Now there are National Reserve Parks in that area and all wild life is protected with no fishing so good luck on explaining the spear gun!! "Settle for the gear they have there"? No place sells or rents gear unless you go to Havana. They may let you use their crap gear on a $250 charter but you will be trolling for smaller cuda and snapper. Borrow a flyrod? Don't gear up...bring a decent muskie or pike outfit for shore fishing.

Bones? Have you ever fished them before? If not good luck on your first go!! You'd have better luck catching muskie with a butterfly net. Tarpon?...perhaps, perhaps not. Every time I go there the good charters are always booked for the week. Tarpon in the lagoon? If they are there that would be a worthy goal, a few smaller tarpon, that or a few snapper or cuda where one finds the tide. Those would be a worthy goals for your first trip down south.

[RJ]

Bone fish is actually the only fish I'm geared up to go for with my current travel worthy gear.

Under perfect circumstances I would have my 9 foot one piece musky rod over there with 65lbs braid but its not going to happen.

I looked for 10-12 weight fly rods around here and it doesn't exist. Why would it, we don't fish for 200lbs tarpon here.

I think I'll just settle for the gear they have there. I'll bring lures that I will end up giving as gifts...good old 3$ lures in that big bin at SAIL.

They will have no gear. If they do it's junk. $3 lures on saltwater fish wont last to the 3rd 1 lb fish. Saltwater fish are like nothing we have here.

I've done Cuba a few times, it's an awesome vacation but hardly a fishing trip.

You want Bones and Tarpon? Go in May and book a guide (not a charter).

My realistic suggestion would be to bring a pack rod, grab some shrimp at the buffet and head out in a paddleboat and try to jig up some different fish off the reefs around your hotel (if you have one nearby).

RJ

[scuro]

Look up tube lures for Cuda...lots of fun shore fishing on the tide. Snapper will take spiked deer hair jigs. The Brits catch small bait and then put it under a float, they do well. A baitrunner reel with some capacity works for that. A few resorts in Cuba do have baby tarpon in the lagoons. It's all dependent on freshwater. Smaller poppers and small life like lures work. The rooms that overlook the lagoon is the way to go. Bones? You could be walking in the water and not even notice them swimming between your legs. Get two decent travel rods. Enjoy the trip and get in tune with the tides. Dawn and dusk are prime times in the winter unless it is cold and cloudy. Cold in Cuba is 20ish.

[rex.stpierre]

This is all great info guys, to be honest, im not heading down there with great expectations. One cuda, one 15-20lbs lagoon tarpon for 180$ would make me happy. I' ll make sure i wear polarized glasses. I was thinking of a baja rapala travel rod... I want it for here too, not just there...

[Todd B.]

be sure you've got a good wire leader if you're going for cuda. Also if you're thinking of wading around the lagoon, keep an eye out for salt water crocs.

[scuro]

Not sure if you will be able to get guided Tarpon. If so try to book that first day and take any day with Tarpon and channels. Do not take a deep sea fishing charter.

They are trying to shut down the DIY and resort fishing in this area but your resort sounds new. If you see no fishing signs, don't fish that area. The hobbies may take you trolling and that is worth the money, it may be something they do hesitatingly. Usually small cuda and snapper for I think 20 cubans an hour. Sometimes big grouper, a heavy rod and reel is good for that application. Be prepared for DIY. If there is a lagoon near your resort, scout it. Tarpon could be there. I've hooked about a dozen but never landed one...so if you do land one it will be special, heck for me it's special to even find them within that week. DIY Cuda..order a tube lure online and walk the beach. I've also caught them with long narrow sweedish pimples. They are like pike and will be in ambush places. The trick is not to find the ambush spot but the movement of their dinner! If conditions are right they can go crazy but like pike on the ambush that window is usually pretty narrow.

[rex.stpierre]

Not sure if you will be able to get guided Tarpon. If so try to book that first day and take any day with Tarpon and channels. Do not take a deep sea fishing charter.

They are trying to shut down the DIY and resort fishing in this area but your resort sounds new. If you see no fishing signs, don't fish that area. The hobbies may take you trolling and that is worth the money, it may be something they do hesitatingly. Usually small cuda and snapper for I think 20 cubans an hour. Sometimes big grouper, a heavy rod and reel is good for that application. Be prepared for DIY. If there is a lagoon near your resort, scout it. Tarpon could be there. I've hooked about a dozen but never landed one...so if you do land one it will be special, heck for me it's special to even find them within that week. DIY Cuda..order a tube lure online and walk the beach. I've also caught them with long narrow sweedish pimples. They are like pike and will be in ambush places. The trick is not to find the ambush spot but the movement of their dinner! If conditions are right they can go crazy but like pike on the ambush that window is usually pretty narrow.

Why not charter? I'll be glad if I catch anything really... The have a lagoon, trip for 180cuc, you get one guy driving boat, two people fishing and I think you rent your gear for a few bucks per hour...

[scuro]

I believe there is one decent charter in that region and if it is inshore chasing Tarpon it might be worth the dollars. If it is actual casting bring your own gear. You never know what they have and sometimes it substandard. That is a charter that I said is usually sold out. They usually have a "deep sea" charter on every resort island in Cuba. This is simply trolling along reefs and generally 200 to 500 cuban dollars depending on the length of time. Most don't see much value in that charter. May people fish off the hobbies and I've done it several times. If nothing else it is worth it to take your girl out for a sail. They troll also but for less. I think it was like 60 cubans for what was supposed to be two hours but usually is closer to 3. Forty for the two hours and 20 for the rod rental...or something like that. The rods they get are from tourists and they will barter for them. They want thick pool cue type two pieces which are generally inexpensive.

[rex.stpierre]

Im getting a rapala magnum baja rod this weekend. They are 64$ to 82$ at lebaron. I gave up on the speargun idea. I will not fish the surf until im certain i can fish on that beach. I will give a priority to a boat trip on the lagoon for small tarpon and cuda. My new rod with 40 - 65lb braid should be fine... I will have different fluoro leaders. I might offer the guys at resort to also bring me out on a small catamaran to fish on top of coral. My gf would love to go dive for langousts...i think i might get some 5$ polarized glasses and some on sale lures with ocean worthy hooks as gifts. I have a few lures and hooks i know i can bring in salt water( crankbaits and topwater)...

[scuro]

15 to 20 pound braided will do....for inshore. Mono is better around rocks and bridges. The larger inshore fish won't snap the line with a good drag but they can spool you. The rod sounds fine. You don't need large lures...anything silver with not much wobble should work. Fish everything faster. Cuda will need wire, tarpon and snapper 60 pound fluro will do.

[rex.stpierre]

15 to 20 pound braided will do....for inshore. Mono is better around rocks and bridges. The larger inshore fish won't snap the line with a good drag but they can spool you. The rod sounds fine. You don't need large lures...anything silver with not much wobble should work. Fish everything faster. Cuda will need wire, tarpon and snapper 60 pound fluro will do.

Spool me? How many feet or yards of line should i be using? Braid will help me maximize my spool.