Travelling to Cayo Coco

[master_baiter]

Hi Chaps Were soon to trave to The hotel El Senador in Cayo Coco. I'm a reasonably competent angler ( apologies for the user name :P ) and have done some saltwater fly-fishing in the Indian Ocean. ( we were booked there - but owing to the terrible situation in the region we have altered our plans )
Cuba has always been high on my list of places to fish err i mean visit ;D

I usually take 6-7 weight lines ( have traveller fly rods which will not take the heavier lines ) I also have a telescopic spinning rod which may be used for lure fishing, or bottom bait fishing.
As i'm travelling with my better half Rachel - it would be good to ' hit the ground running' with as much info. as possible. places, baits, flies etc.
I've read through some of the other posts here and found several good fly references - but ANY additional information will be greatly appreciated.
I live in the midlands (UK) and am an accomplished 'circuit' match angler with a good knowledge of the warwickshire Avon and surrounding venues - so if i can be of assistance to anyone else please do not hesitate to contact me

Hope to hear back soon, thanks in advance, and i cant wait to finally get to Cuba [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

Paul

[cubafish]

Your 6 and 7wt with a floating weight forward line will be fine. Take a little time and read the old posts in this the Fish Cuba Forum and you will find more information on the Cayo Coco area than you can use in 3 trips. All the information you will need is here, you just have to scroll down and read and read and read the old posts. :)

[master_baiter]

Thanks Cubafish i've done lots of reading on your most excellent site - ( grovelling over ;D ) but was after anything of a specific nature - i understand from your comments that Cayo coco would not be one of your preferred fishing places. I would not have a problem with a little travelling around though.

Thanks

Paul

[cubafish]

Paul - there is LOTS of specific information in the old posts on the Cayo Coco area and you will not find better information than is already there. *There are so much good information that I have copied and saved many of the posts although Cayo Coco is not on my list of places I'm looking forward to visiting.

[tinpusher]

I have been doing pre-trip research on Cuba for several months now. I have read every post on this site and talked to lots of flyfishers who are regular Cuba visitors. Here is what i have gathered:

If you have $$$$$ go to the Avalons floating fishing and diving resort at Jardines de la Reina. Price at least $2000 US/week.

If you want to stay at an all inclusive resort and use local guides with a little DIY fishing go to Cayo Coco. Guides should go for approx. $100-$150 US/day.

If you are a total DIY fisherman with no means and/or interest in shelling out money for guides stay in Cayo Guillermo (close to Cayo Coco).

In my research I have been looking for flyfishing information only. I have been told by several sources that due to Cuba winds the minimum rod weight is 8 and a lot of anglers swear by 10 wt. If you have set aside X number of days to go fishing don't think you can space them out over the duration of your stay. Go if the weather is suitable. The weather may be calm and beutiful every day but you can also find a front moves in and you cannot fish for days or longer. On a non-fishing point I have also heard that the food at the all inclusive resorts is nothing to write home about. One of my friends told me the bread is always fresh and he never goes down there without packing a big jar of peanut butter.

Enjoy yourself
Doug [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

[cubafish]

Doug - $2,000 on the Italians La Tortuga in Jardenis de la Reina? Last time I was there it was over $4,100 including the tip and drinking water - yes, that's right they charge you for drinking water. What a rip-off.

Good advice otherwise. Peanut butter is my staple. ;)

[tinpusher]

If you go to Last minute deals (http://www.avalons.net/lastminute.html) on the Avalon web site you can get the $2000/week price if not a little lower. Is $4100/week too much? For me it is unthinkable. But if you consider an all inclusive at Cayo Coco at $900/week and guides at $100/day then $2000 is not far off. Especially if you take into account that you are bound to find better fishing with the Avalon crew. I however will stick with Cayo Coco for my first Cuban adventure.

[canuck439]

Doug you need to consider that the $2000 is American, you need to get there (does not include flight) and you have to pay for water, pop, beer etc. I am with Cubafish. I just would not be able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning knowing what they have done to me. It is not all that more or less expensive than other operations in the Belize, Bahamas, etc. But it is in Cuba. ;D

[cubafish]

If you find a $2000 price on La Tortuga I would jump on it, although consider that at price you likely will not be going in prime bonefish months. Yes my price of $3800 was very high, then they required you to leave a minimum $350 tip ($50/day) which I later found out did in fact not go to the guides; and airfare & incidentials were extra - that's why I would never go back. Cayo Coco is a planned tourist destination patterned after Cancun, but the Cubans did not include any planning for anglers, but there are a few fishing options available; although fishing Cayo Coco is like fishing around Miami Beach. Good luck.

[tinpusher]

You are both right. I did forget to take the airfare into account. I get more out of finding my own secret spots and adventuring on my own so you are unlikely to find me at any floating fishing resort. :D

[SandyBeach]

um...er...sorry for interrupting the thread you guys ... forgive me? [smiley=curtain.gif]

canuck439 ::) ...what a delightful surprise [smiley=drummer.gif]

cubafish...tinpusher...master_baiter

just look at what canuck439 has brought to this site with his presence :D

i looked at the site you mentioned in another post canuck439 ... there is a super travel story and great photos... [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

Cuba Flats Fishing Adventures....

Be among the first to experience this live-aboard fishing excursion on Cuba's North Coast in the "Garden of the Kings." (Jardines del Rey)

You'll spend seven nights aboard the Coral Rojo and six days exploring the area's pristine flats. During your week in Cuba, the Rojo will move around in a remote mangrove wilderness east of Cayo Coco. You'll leave the Rojo each morning on a fishing skiff that will take you to nearby wade-able flats. Seventy percent of the bonefishing is done while wading the flats.

It is quite possible you could be the first angler to ever wade some of these flats and others have only been fished by five people. New fishing areas have been discovered on each trip...

click here to check it out=>http://www.ogmoreriver.com/images/fisherman_boat.gif (http://www.fishtales.ca/cuba_flats_fishing_adventures.htm)

All of the photos on this page were taken the week of November 27 to December 4, 2004.

::) so glad you are here amigo...are you affiliated with this site at all?...how many other best kept secrets of Cayo Coco are there :-/

ps...though i have never fished in Cuba ... i have fished since i was 18 months old ... and i aint nothin but a girl :-* ... are girls allowed to fish :-/ ... i will try not to be too intrusive on your fishing threads but is it okay that i contribute when i find something that might be useful sometimes? ... you can tell me no and i'll scram ... maybe i should start a ladies fishing thread ... it's up to you guys ...

[mellisas]

ooops

[canuck439]

Hola Kubaninta. Not sure what site you are referring to or if you have the right Canuck. I assure you I am not affiliated with any site. If I mentioned that link, I can only think that it would be to get information on tide times etc, but can not remember ever referencing an internet site. Your comments are welcomed as far as I am concerned and I would fish with a lady any day of the week. They smell way better then some of the company I fish with ;D.

[SandyBeach]

[smiley=smitten.gif] Let's Go Baby! [smiley=laugh4.gif]

I was reading some old fishing threads when I came across your mention of it... wouldn't you know they made an excursion just this December 2004!

Here is the thread you mentioned it in amigo...

you might want to call Dave at fishtales in Calgary. He has some contact information on guides in the Cayo Coco area. Don't want to post his number, but a net search will help you out. Cost me $100 us/day plus tip. They picked you up at your resort.



http://www.cubamania.com/cgi-bin/cubaforums/YaBB.pl?board=fish_cuba;action=display;num=1075053 733;start=2#2

[smiley=curtain.gif] did i make a mistake...i've been messing up quite a bit lately :-/

[canuck439]

Ahh, now I know what you are talking about. No you did not make a mistake. I did not know that Fishtales had information about Cayo Coco on their website and no I am not afflicated with them. Although I have used them for setting up guides in the area. [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]
I think Cayo Coco is/was undiscovered in the sense that up to a few years ago common thinking was that Bonefish on the north shore of Cuba did not exsist. We now know this to be untrue and though there may not be the same numbers of fish in Cayo Coco as other areas, they are as big as anywhere. ;D

[SandyBeach]

that is good to know canuck439 ... i am going fishing there in July with a friend that works at TRYP Cayo Coco ... we will be taking out a Catamaran and finding secret local spots ... i will have my very own fishing report to post :D

i will be looking for some tips on exactly what goes into a report, what order for the information, etc ... maybe you guys would think about starting a thread for fishing reports only (no responses, no comments) with the first post laying out the rules for a clean report ... don't forget ... it might be a good idea for one of the rules to be that all reports include a link in them for photos (if available) and another link to a thread for comments, discussion or questions others may have about the experience (that will help the thread stay clean from others questions and comments)

will that work fishing cubamaniacs :-/

[tinpusher]

What a great idea Kubanita however if you check out my thread "Cuban fishing reports thread???????" you will see that a little common sense idea like that will get shot down pretty quick. I would love to see your fishing report when you get back. :D


http://www.cubamania.com/cgi-bin/cubaforums/YaBB.pl?board=fish_cuba;action=display;num=1099668 310

[SandyBeach]

just as soon as i hear back from my Cuban buddy PoisonXA tinpusher, i will be able to explain why some of us human beings are so afraid to change the way things are ... never give up amigo ... sometimes you plant a seed and watch and watch and nothing comes up and then one day, long after you have walked away, a sprout appears :D

maybe this can be your sprout amigo ::)

[DavidB]

To all,

The message Kubanita pulled off the web is from our site. I just want to make sure there is no confusion out there. I don't have any idea who any of you are out there due to the nicknames but we have helped people in the past and continue to do so with lining up guides in Cayo Coco particularly.

We have been fishing with our friends for the past five years. They came up with the ability to do a live aboard boat and we went for the first time in May 2004. It was stunning. Trip number two was in November 2004 it was very good as well but a northern cold front came down and made 3 days tougher fishing. Them's the breaks! The operation is strictly Cuban run. With the announcment of the protected area in Kubanita's other post the fishery should improve over the next several years.

I hope that answers any questions there may have been.

David

[SandyBeach]

DavidB ... don't ever let it leak out how much I paid ya for making me feel so caliente ok ... let's just keep it between you and me ... ::)

[SandyBeach]

tinpusher :D

... i need an outline for an awesome fishing report amigo ... or are we just going to wing it all the time :-/

... how am i going to know what information to document on my next fishing adventure ::)

[tinpusher]

Sorry Kubanita I must have overlooked the latest post in the thread. I will start giving it some thought and get back to you.

:)
Doug

[tinpusher]

Kubanita
I have sent you a couple of messages. Have they got through? ???