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When J. Mosby Vogler told us he was headed to the island of Exuma on a personal trip that involved fishing we prevailed upon him to file a report about what he caught and with whom he fished. We haven’t heard anything about fishing around Exuma since the Bonefish Lodge, on the southern tip of the island, was sold a while back. It’s good to know from Vogler that bonefishing on the island is still going forward. In case you don’t know, Vogler spends most of his work hours these days promoting the bonefish company he helped create on Grand Bahama Island, namely Grand Bahama Bonefishing (www.grandbahamabonefishing.com). Regarding his trip to Exuma, he writes:
“My wife, Meredith, and I attended a wedding this past January at the Grand Isle Resort on Great Exuma Island. Grand Isle Resort is a very nice resort on the north end of the island. It’s about 10 miles from Georgetown and a mile or two from the flats I wound up fishing. Anglers coming to Exuma should probably look for lodging in or around Georgetown unless they want to be in a resort area and fishing is not their primary reasons for visiting Exuma.
“At any rate, the guide I used on Exuma was Reno Rolle. He was terrific, and he had a boat with enough power to move us around quickly. The flats we fished were loaded with catchable fish. We hooked 15 fish and landed 12 the one day I fished with him. One of the fish weighed seven pounds, while the others were all in the two- to three-pound range. I would recommend Rolle to any fisherman going to Exuma or to a group of fishermen looking for a different place. You can get more information about Rolle on the Exuma Bonefish Guides Association’s Web site at www.exumabonefish.com. His cell phone number is 242-524-4215. Rolle has several quality guides who fish with him, and our group used them all. They proved to be very reliable. Rolle charges $375 for a day of fishing.
“From Exuma, I should note, we traveled north to Harbour Island to stay with friends for a few days. Harbour Island is just off the northern coast of Eleuthera. We booked two days of fishing there with guide Patrick Roberts (242-333-3014 or 242-422-9029). Roberts was great to be with, and he knows the waters well. We caught several fish the day I went out. While my wife and our hostess on the island (who, by the way, caught her first bonefish that day) fished with Roberts, I waded on my own. I had no luck but I did see several fish. It seems we did not catch the tides right, plus, the weather was not good. The flats here are very accessible to wade fishermen, and there are lots of tailing fish in the ‘backcountry,’ as Roberts called it. I recommend Roberts for a great day on the water if you are in Harbour Island. The restaurants on Harbour Island, incidentally, are some of the best you will find anywhere. Harbour Island is truly a special place, but bring your big wallet. Roberts charges $450 a day. His equipment is fine: a nice dolphin boat with a lean bar. Enjoy!”