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An American spin fisherman has weighed in anonymously with a report about a fishing trip to the Jardines de la Reina archipelago in Cuba this past February 1218. The unnamed subscriber says he stayed at La Tortuga, a floating hotel in the archipelago anchored there by Avalon (www.cubanfishingcenters.com). The subscriber reports catching barracuda, snapper, large jacks, yellow tail, king mackerel, grouper, and various other species by trolling, casting topwater lures over patch reefs, and baitfishing in mangrove channels.
I grew up in Miami and fished the Keys during the 50s and 60s. The conditions in Cuba are similar to those I found back then, but better, he writes. The area has been almost untouched for 50 years and there are just thousands of big fish around. I had a big grouper hit my topwater lure in 60 feet of water. You never know what will hit next.
The subscriber goes on to give high marks to the food on Tortuga and its location. You are really isolated at the fish camp, but that is part of its charm, he writes. You are out in the middle of nowhere. He gives the cost of his trip as $4,000.