Fishing in St. Lucia

[DanD]

Just back from St. Lucia and got out a few mornings fishing. Shore fishing at the resort, using raw squid (thanks to the Asian Restaurant and the busboy) and a single 2/0 hook (all I had), riged up in a drop shot fashion. Lots of hits but couldn't get a hook set; I,m guessing hooks were to large? One of the resorts maintenance workers, liked the pencil style sinker ("good for not getting snagged in the rocks" Yup) but agreed that I should be using a #3 or 4 hook. It was still fun feeding the fish from a 100 yards away? LOL Whatever the fish were; they'd hit and start pulling line hard; that's until the squid would rip away from the hook anyway.

On the Friday I chartered a boat for a 1/2 day, from a guy (Junior) that I met in Castries last year. He took us out maybe 2-3 miles off shore and started looking for a floating weed bed. Once he found a good sized one; we got set up for trolling. I don't know the name of the bait fish we were using and of course I didn't get any pictures while on board; but the fish (dead) looked like an 8" long silver sardine with about a 4" long black pencil lead sized snout?

It didn't take long before we got a few strikes and they were like bam and then gone; reel in and the 1 1/2" diameter bait was cut in half, like you took a knife to it.

Junior had one look at the bait and said get ready for some baracuda; because we found them. He re-rigged the bait, moving the 6/0 hook 3/4 the way to the back of the fish. Sent the line back out and with-in 5 minutes I was fighting a fish.

What a rush watching a barracuda come 3 or more feet out of the water and fighting so hard for what looked like maybe a 30 inch fish; I thought this thing is huge, no it just fought like a big fish..

We hooked into another 5 or 6 but only landed 3 for our efforts.

What a great morning, other than forgetting the camera on shore with our driver from the resort; but here are a few pics I did get when we got back in.

I brought Junior a gift from here and I think a lot of us here on the site will recognize it. LOL

 

Dan.

 

Oh Yea Junior cleaned the fish and cut them into steaks; I didn't want them, so he goes off looking for someone and came back with an elderly lady. He packed the steaks into a plastic bag and gave them to her. From where I was standing all I could hear was the lady saying; they were going to eat good tonight. LOL

 

[aplumma]

The bait was ballyhoo they are very effective. Sounds like a good time was had by all.

 

 

Art

[DanD]

Thanks Art that's the fish for sure

.

[misfish]

Great report, and you still have the yellow jacket.

[DanD]

No the yellow jacket is now an international jacket for the board.

Junior said he's going to wear it and tell everyone it's from his Canadian friends.

 

Dan.

[irishfield]

No .. he gave it to Junior by the looks of things!

 

Nice stuff Dan... I always loved St. Lucia and the wood fired stone oven pizza down at the marina.

[misfish]

What I meant, he still had one of them. LOL

 

Nice gift offering Dan.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Brian B

[steelhedrmatt]

10 years ago I got married in St Lucia. What a beautiful place. We stayed at randezvou resort. I fished almost every morning and night from the beach and breakwall in front of the resort. Nice fish. We caught small barracuda off the beach at night and silver snapper from the breakwall in the morning. Same rig as you with a drop shot style but we used raw chicken. Instead of a rod we used a type of spool. Seeing those pics brought back some find memories. Thanks!! If I'm not mistaken that's right near the market ( could be wrong). Good to hear you had a fishy day. One day we will return in sure.

[c10]

Nice report! thanks for sharing!

I have also thought the hooks were too large, but all the guides I talked to when I have been out ocean fishing said its not necessarily the hook size that causes the problem rather, its how hard the fish hit the baits and how hard their jaws are that sometimes they just don't catch - and the smaller ones bend out and break too easily resulting in more lost fish... I was never sure if they were being totally honest or just politely insinuating that I was doing something wrong lol, oh well, at least you had run right!? I sure feel out of shape most every time I catching something out there lol

[DanD]

! If I'm not mistaken that's right near the market ( could be wrong).

 

No you're not wrong; that's the pier right at the tourist market's water side entrance.

 

I've been to the island twice now and if you ever get a chance to go to St. Lucia, take it and run. Of all the different islands that I've been to, this one has to be the most friendliest one of all. People on the street that know there's nothing in it for them, will stop, talk and give directions. We've even had a cabby, walk us 3 blocks to show us where the store was that we were looking for.

 

Hopefully no one thinks this is spam; but here's a scan of Garfield's (AKA Junior) business card. I can personally guarantee that you will feel it was good money spent going out with junior.

 

Dan.