Five Days Fishing in the Berry Islands

Five Days in the Berry Islands is sure to delight.

The Berry Islands hold great historic intrigue owing to their past as a drug transshipment Mecca and a playground for the rich and famous to live out their fantasies. Nevertheless, it’s the championship sport fishing and island tranquility (with their many secluded beaches) that attract leisure boaters.

On a five-day journey with two travel days and three fishing days, you can cover a lot of territory and catch a lot of fish in the Berry Islands. Here is a sample itinerary to spark the imagination.

Day 1: Arrival

Don’t miss a good day of trolling while cruising to the Berry Islands. Stop in Bimini to clear customs and immigration and secure your cruising permit. With permit in hand, take your time and cruise to Great Harbour Cay Marina. Let your lines out as you cross Little Bahama Bank. Troll for yellowtail, bluestripe, jack, barracuda, and mackerel, or along the ocean edge for tuna, wahoo, and dolphinfish (mahi-mahi).

Whether you arrive in time for lunch or dinner, request a complimentary pickup from Carriearl (pronounced Carry-Earl) Boutique Hotel, which is a cozy and casual resort with only four rooms. The restaurant and cocktail lounge is just over a mile away from the marina and a social hub for hotel guests and boaters staying on the island and cruising in the area.

Their signature appetizer is a “tasty tingum,” a shared plate of lobster, shrimp tempura, calamari, cracked conch, and other samplers. On the international dinner menu, you’ll find conch and lobster meals, both Bahamian classics, and a few elevated downhome favorites like crab and dough. There is a British stamp on the Barefoot Chef’s bangers and mash, a sausage entrée, and a French signature on the restaurant’s Coquilles St. Jacques, a beautifully plated appetizer with scallops and mashed potatoes.

Two minutes away from Carriearl, across the fairway of an unused golf hole and down a walkway of palm trees, a five-mile-long, deserted, white sand beach beckons. At the southern end, Shark Creek is a mangrove nursery ideal for kayaking, and Shelling Beach grows spectacularly at low tide, conjoining the offshore Hawk’s Nest Island.

Day 2: Bonefishing

The Berry Islands have a reputation for very large schools of bonefish. After spending more than nine years visiting Great Harbour Cay, Skip Whitman from North Carolina says the quantity of bonefish still amazes him.

“I have seen schools of two thousand bonefish where you cannot see the bottom. I’ve bone-fished in about seven or eight places between Florida and The Bahamas, and I have never, ever fished a place that has as many bonefish as the Berry Islands,” says Whitman, who loves the thrill of the hunt when bonefishing.

With over 30 islands and cays in the Berrys, bonefishing flats are located across the mini-archipelago. “Lord have mercy. A friend of mine caught about six bonefish in three days and it was his first time,” adds Whitman. “He caught all of these on a fly rod, not with live bait. For someone who has never done it before [and] to be successful on the first trip, that is wonderful. I think he saw ten thousand bonefish in the three days!”

Day 3: Deep Sea Fishing

From Great Harbour Cay, a centrally positioned island, take your pick of these top three deep-sea fishing areas highly recommended by Marina Manager Steve Johnson of Great Harbour Cay Marina: Tuna Canyon near Freeport, Grand Bahama is 40 miles northwest; Hole in the Wall near south Abaco is 40 miles to the northeast; and 20 miles south is the Pocket, a deepwater crossing marked by the northwest channel marker.

There is also a deep drop-off that runs 80 miles from Little Stirrup Cay to Bimini. There’s active fishing for wahoo along the edge, particularly during peak wahoo season between October and February. The banks’ side of this edge is also known as the Ginger Bread Grounds. For a change of pace, fishermen can also test their luck crawfishing.

Deep-sea anglers in the Berrys usually bring their own boat, so the day’s catch is often cooked fresh aboard; however, there are local chefs and caterers who can prepare meals, which local hotels and marinas can facilitate.

Day 4: Bottom Fishing

The water in the Berry Islands is so clear you can navigate by sight out on the boat, and you can locate schools of fish by sight when bottom fishing. “Sometimes in eighty feet of water, you can see the fish with your bare eyes,” says Percy Darville, a seasoned local fishing guide.

On a good day, Darville starts fishing around 30-40 feet and ends up around 90 feet where he’s more likely to catch large groupers and mutton snappers. Sandy bottom is no good for fishing, he mentions, and the smaller the reefs, the better, as they gather more fish than the large reefs. In all of his years fishing in the Berrys, Darville says he’s never been skunked while bottom fishing.

Day 5: Departure

Boaters do not typically hang around long on departure day, although they might troll their way out of Bahamian territory as they head back toward South Florida.

Travel Tips

Two full-service marinas are well suited for cruisers: Great Harbour Cay Marina in the north and Chub Cay Resort and Marina in the south. They both serve as ports of entry and fuel stations. Great Harbour sees a lot of Bahama 41 open fishing boats or 40-foot Ventures in their marina. In Chub Cay, you’ll also see large sport fisherman yachts such as Viking and others.
There are hundreds of miles of flats, so hire a local guide and head to one of the many uninhabited islands where the bonefish are less stressed and riper for the picking.
Chartering in the Berrys? From Nassau, daily flights are morning and afternoon on Le Air’s 19-seater. From Fort Lauderdale, Tropic Ocean Airways offers direct flights every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
The fish bite better at night according to local fishing guide Percy Darville. When he goes bottom fishing for himself, he usually goes out at night.

By Noelle Nicolls, Southern Boating June 2018

Photos Courtesy of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Dockwa

Southern Boating returns to Chub Cay in The Bahamas – the first destination published in our debut issue – to see what’s different, what’s the same and what everyone who’s been there insists must never change.

In 1972, a three-martini lunch was not only tolerated in the business world but derigeur in Madison Avenue establishments like the Jockey Club. It was the Mad Men era, and fortunes were made on Wall Street. The wealthy bought homes in the Hamptons. The uberwealthy took their yachts and airplanes to private clubs on remote islands in The Bahamas, where shutter-hungry photographers didn’t have access. One of those clubs was on Chub Cay, a 1,000-acre spit of coral rock in the southern part of the Berry Islands.

The Crown Colony Club attracted an international, affluent clientele. Socialites, industrialists, former presidents, and actors and actresses frequented the island as often as their schedules would allow, and it soon became their favorite tropical playground, though not for the reasons one would expect. Compared with the glittering lights of casinos and luxury resorts, the accommodations Chub Cay offered were quite modest. But luxury wasn’t the main attraction.

Chub Cay’s location provided convenient access to the Bahamian waters known as “The Pocket,” which are arguably the best fishing grounds in the entire Western Hemisphere,
and, perhaps, the best for billfishing anywhere in the world. The Pocket is the area in the upper northwest part of the Berry Islands where the deep Tongue of the Ocean meets the shallow waters of the islands; when the wind is from the southeast, fish are pushed into the pocket.

Fish On

Few places offer competitive anglers such an opportune area to catch trophy-sized billfish. Consequently, fishing tournaments became a huge part of Chub Cay and the Crown Colony Club. Men and women alike competed for their names to be displayed on the coveted trophies. Yet for non-anglers, the resort’s swimming pool, 3.5-mile sandy beach and crystal-clear water for snorkeling offered relaxing enjoyment at a secluded tropical hideaway few knew about, another reason Chub Cay was so favored.

The island has changed hands a half dozen times since 1972, and the current owner, George Bishop, acquired Chub Cay in 2014—when it was in bankruptcy— and briefly considered keeping the island restricted for his friends and family. He quickly realized, however, that a private island wouldn’t provide enough of a benefit to the Bahamian
employees, a testament to the character of the new owner.

Bishop’s vision for Chub Cay far surpasses simply restoring the property to its former glory, even if he has to do some of the work himself. When he’s on the island, the successful businessman from Texas can be seen behind the wheel of one of the maintenance department’s fleet of heavy equipment, smoothing a spot on the road or transplanting trees or bushes from the nursery.

The nursery also supplies fruits, vegetables, and herbs for both guests at the hotel restaurant and employees in the air-conditioned dining hall in the employee village. All employees are provided with individual private cottages painted in tropical hues.
Of the 50 or so employees on the island, at least 30 are long-standing workers, having seen both prosperous and not-so-prosperous times with the different owners, but there was something on Chub Cay that compelled them to stay. Waiters John “Remedy” Rolle, for example, came to Chub Cay in 1976 from Nassau, as did Charles Ferguson in the early 1980s.

“I don’t just like what I do; I love what I do,” says Ferguson. His first position was as a waiter for the Fly Bridge Restaurant (it no longer exists) that catered to yacht crew. In those times, the crew restaurant was in a fishing village on the opposite side of the marina, where the fish would be weighed and cleaned.

The Harbour House was the members-only restaurant and decidedly more upscale for the wealthy yacht owners. It’s refreshing to meet two gentlemen who experience such enjoyment from serving others; their smiles exude something more akin to delight. Throughout Chub Cay, it’s evident that profound job satisfaction is the prevailing attitude regardless of the position, and it’s demonstrated to guests upon arrival and throughout their stay.

Long Timers

No matter when they arrive, boat and yacht owners and crew will have the pleasure of meeting Fuel Manager and Senior Dockmaster Tito Darville, who previously attended Langston University in Oklahoma. Midway through his college program, Darville came to the realization that his studies were for a career that held little interest. He recalled that some of his fondest memories were from childhood when he spent his summers washing boats at Chub Cay.

“The first boat I washed, I found out how much money I could make doing something I liked. My mom would buy school supplies that I needed, but I wanted the [cool things that] other kids had, so that’s what I’d spend my money on,” said Darville, who at age 12 or 13 knew that he wanted to be a dockmaster.

In addition to managing three full-time employees and one who works part-time, Darville manages the marina and fuel dock, including fuel for the resort’s power plant. For guests
arriving by boat, he checks them in if they’re staying at the hotel and makes dinner reservations as well. During the busy season, Darville’s day starts at 7AM and doesn’t end until midnight, but even then, he says it doesn’t feel like a job. “I don’t see myself anywhere else,” Darville adds. “This doesn’t feel like work! I have to say that I am in love with Chub and my job, so I know that Chub will love me back.”

Returning guests have their own reasons to love Chub Cay. Issy Perera, president of Apex Marine in Miami, Florida, has been going to the island since 1999. In fact, his first trip to
The Bahamas was to Chub Cay. “It is quiet and secluded, has a beautiful beach and the fishing all around it is fabulous. I go there at least four times a year. Two of those trips are purely fishing trips, and the other two are family trips with grandkids,” says Perera. “It is special because you have nothing to do! You can escape, grab a book, read, and forget about the world at large. It is a great place to rest and recharge your batteries.”

Doug and Kay Sartoris—with boating friends of 25 years, Tom and Cindy Wintermute—returned to Chub Cay in 2017, visiting twice on their 12-day Bahamas’ cruise. They keep
their 53-foot Ferretti Sarlusso in Palm Beach, Florida, but live in Corpus Christi, Texas, and commute monthly in order to spend as much time as possible on their boat. Their first visit to Chub Cay was the summer of 2016 when the hotel was still under construction. However, the pool and marina had been completed, and the Harbour House Restaurant was still open.

By then, the new owner’s development plans were taking shape, and boaters were beginning to return to the island. Then on October 6, 2016, Hurricane Matthew unleashed
its fury on Chub Cay, which was in the direct path of the northeast part of the eye of the storm. The hotel and villas held up under the Category 4 storm, but everything else on
the island was demolished. The work that had been done to restore the resort and provided steady employment for so many was destroyed.

“It was heartbreaking after all the work we’d put in,” says Anthony Del Duca, a business associate of Bishop’s, and the construction project manager. “It was very difficult to see the devastation and even to get our psyches to think about rebuilding. But both Mr. Bishop and I said it wasn’t going to defeat us, and we got back to work, removed
and cleaned up trees and replanted.”

By any standards—let alone how projects in The Bahamas are frequently reduced to a maddeningly slow pace—the rebuild schedule was aggressive to repair damage to the hotel, villas and other buildings, and to replace trees and vegetation.
A soft opening was planned for mid-June 2017—just eight months after the hurricane—with the Grand Opening scheduled for a mere two weeks later on the July 4th holiday weekend. Their moxie paid off, and a well-managed social media campaign publicized the openings.

Their grand celebration included a “Coachella” of sorts, that they dubbed a “Chubchella.” A professional singer was brought in to sing the national anthem for the weekend guests.
Bishop’s wife insisted that a second celebration be held after the guests left for employees to enjoy their own festivities.

Yet with all the work that’s been accomplished in restoring the resort to its former—and future—grandeur, there’s still much to be done to fulfill Bishop’s vision for Chub Cay, which is what attracted Stephen Robinson to the island. Formerly at the renowned Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island since 1998, Robinson was promoted to Director of Food and Beverage at the Ocean Club, the very upscale property that caters to an elite clientele and safeguards their privacy. Now, as Club House Manager at Chub Cay, Robinson is intent on elevating Chub Cay Resort and Marina to a level that surpasses the Ocean Club.

In fact, it was the development plan and opportunity that attracted him, since his experience with bigger developments is that they require many restrictions for decision-making. “After being with a large resort like Atlantis, the smaller quaintness of Chub is like a family,” says Robinson, who enjoys the freedom to create and develop future plans.

For now, his priorities include adding an exercise center, spa and beach sports, since not everyone who goes to Chub goes fishing. Anglers, however, will appreciate that plans are in the works to re-introduce fishing tournaments beginning in Spring 2018.

Whether for anglers or cruisers, couples or families, the accommodations at Chub Cay Resort are first-class. In the hotel, 11 rooms—including a two-story Presidential Suite—offer ocean or marina views. On the reception level, oak beams on the ceiling are from century-old Texas cattle barns, while the lobby floor—complete with a compass rose—
is made of Brazilian Ipe wood.

Ten out of the 11 villas available to lease are also for sale and offer two-, three- or four-bedroom floor plans. Additionally, eight one-bedroom beachfront cabanas all come with outdoor showers for guests to rinse off sand and saltwater and then go directly into the interior shower and bathroom. Chub Cay Resort, in fact, would be an ideal location for a private, island-themed wedding.

Furthermore, 60 residential, 2-acre lots are available for building private residences—all beachfront. But if you’re concerned about sharing your semi-private island with a high-rise condo or the 18-hole golf course that the island’s previous owners planned, that’s all in the past. Bishop is committed to making the least disruption to the natural environment and estuaries, and only approximately 160 of the 1,000 acres are slated for development.

Future projects include installation of a solar energy system and upgrades to the airport and runway. The airport—which provides on-site Bahamas Customs & Immigration for clearing—was built in 1960, and plans are being made to raise the runway and add hangars.

While many developers in The Bahamas have exploited the purity of its natural resources—the land, the pristine water and fishing stocks, for example—the new owners of Chub Cay are not your typical developers. What they are doing on Chub Cay is more aptly described as rebuilding hopes (of employees), dreams (of beachfront homeowners) and memories (for guests). But ultimately, by their commitment to Chub Cay and the people
that enjoy the island, the Bishops are rebuilding lives.

chubcayresortandmarina.com

By Liz Pasch, Southern Boating September 2017; Photos

Photos: Ariel; Liz Pasch, Historical Photos; Courtesy of Chub Cay Resort, Bahamas Tourism.