HANABANILLA BASS FISHING

[jocelyn]

Hi! I want to known if somebody have fresh updated news on bass fishing in beautiful lake Hanabanilla. Thanks!

[cubafish]

I have been to Hanabanilla 6 - 8 times and was there last year, and agree that Hanabanilla is perhaps Cuba's most beautiful lake. Not sure what kind of fresh updated news you are looking for as nothing has changed in the 12 years that I have been going except the fishing (actually the catching), deteriorates each year.

The fishing has been crappy for the past 10 years and is not likely to improve in the near future due to the heavy handlining by locals who keep everything they catch. You will likely catch a few small bass, but the time it takes to do a trip is IMO, no longer worthwhile unless you want a diversion to enjoy a beautiful (and cool weather wise due to the elevation) setting while fishing.

[jocelyn]

Thanks for your reply CUBAFISH. I agreed with you, the bass fishing going bad year after year. The last time i go to Hanabanilla was in 2002, and the fishinf was poor. Its incredible how much this lake as decreased in quality fishing, because i make excellent bass fishing in 1995-2000. Sorry for my bad english. MERCI!

[Fantasia]

Mr Fantasia is a bass.

[cubafish]

Mr Fantasia is a bass.

Ha. And I bet he gets to ride the ferrie for free. :)

[cubafish]

As a follow-up to Jocelyn's question, I would certainly encourage anyone who wants to fish for largemouth bass in freshwater to plan a trip to Lake Hanabanilla (largemouth bass are aka "black bass" in Cuba - but interestingly many of the tour desk personnel in the hotels throughout Cuba call them "trout").

The lake is a 2 hr drive out of Santa Clara, so you are 4 hrs on the road going and coming, and the lake (actually a reservoir as there are no natural lakes in Cuba) is not a particularly easy place to find, but once there and see this beautiful lake nestled in low mountains, you will agree that the trip is worth it. Take warm clothing and rain clothing as the area around the lake is cold in winter, cool in summer, and rain is common.

As mentioned above, the trip is not worth it for the bass fishing, but for the scenery you will see as you travel around the lake imagining the big bass that "used to be there", so be sure to take your camera and be sure to ask about going to the waterfall that cascades over some rocks directly into the lake - what a beautiful sight.

ALSO - BE SURE to call ahead to find out if the fishing guide will be there, if the boats are running (ie. working), AND to ask if they have gasoline for the boats. Why ask these silly questions? Because "es Cuba," and oftentimes if you do not ask these questions you will arrive after driving from God knows where only to find (1)no fishing guide on duty, or (2)"so sorry senior but the boats are broken," or (3)"so sorry senior, but we have no gasoline." And unfortunately even if you do ask these questions you can arrive after a long drive only to discover you were given wrong information.