Fishing Playa pesquero??

[Superfish]

Hi I am going to Cuba for the first time late April, and am looking forward to trying some fishing whilst I am there!

I have had a good look on the forum and have found lots of useful stuff regarding fishing, so this is what I was going to bring..

An 8 foot medium spinning rod with a fixed spool and 10 lb line plus small weights up to 2 oz, small spinners and plenty of size 6 or 8 hooks for the smaller stuff.

A 15 lb class boat rod and Slosh size multiplier with lots of line on it and some wire and hopefully some good size lures/plugs in case I get to have a go for a cuda (always wanted to see one) off a boat.

Also I hear of people going out on a sailing boat, or a hobiecat(?) do they lend you tackle or do you have to supply it?

Many thanx!

[waggerlad]

hi
if fishing off the hobbycats you will need all your own gear, plus some strong wire crimped to your swivel+hook. the lads at the daqurie supplied the bait but we took our own moarra, the cuda where going for them but lures work as well the big red+white raps. regards

[marktheshark]

The sea around PP is full of barracuda, mostly small, so the 10lb stuff will hold them. Anything a bit larger (seen 20lbers snorkelling the inshore reef) will dive straight for the coral (as will jacks, snapper and grouper) and snap you.

The 15lb class rod will be OK for light work from the Hobiecats. The boats usually don't have gear, or have gear donated some time ago and often fragile. If you're keen and want to fish off the Hobies - and there are big fish close inshore - I'd also take a 30lb boat rod.

It's the same with a lot of fishing in coral water: fish light for small fish and memories of the ones that got away; fish heavy for the catch of a lifetime. Choice is yours ...

[Superfish]

Many thanks!

I have bought a 30 lb class rod today and will load my multiplier with 30lb line. Can you take reels in hand luggage on the plane?

Also bought some 30lb wire, going to make some traces up with snap links for lures, and some with sturdy 2/0 hooks.

Ive also bought some large silver tobys, bass bars and blue silver rappalas hope they'll do! sounds good about the big fish you decribed!
How big and what types could you expect?

Many thanks!

[baino]

No you can't take reels as hand luggage. You'd more than likely throttle someone with the line, swing it round by the line and smash somebodys head in or throw it into the cockpit like a grenade. (part of a discussion I had with a check in agent)

Your choice of tackle is perfect. I use a 8-12lb ugly stick 8.5ft boat rod from the shore/pier & would trust it to handle anything that came along. It's paired with a slosh 20 loaded with 25lb nylon. I'd be more inclined to use bait/livebait than poppers & plugs. I've had 'cuda on the former but never on plugs except when trolling. You may want to take some size 10/12 hooks to catch mohara & sardine as both make perfect live/deadbaits. You canalso spin one of these for 'cuda.

[marktheshark]

Ullo Super
I've always taken my reels as hand luggage since they're valuable and weigh a lot; never been queried once by customs, except at Houston last year, when I was picked for a total search and the customs officer wondered whether braid might be a better choice in my Abu 7700 as 30lb mono kinda reduced the capacity. However, with what people are reporting, I think it will be inevitable and now I carry a spare TSA padlock in case I do have to put my hand luggage in the hold.
I take it we're talking about Playa Pesquero in Holguin (near Guardalavaca); if that's the case I was there a few years ago and had lots of barracuda to 18lb, some small kingfish, needlefish, yellowtail snapper, a skipjack tuna of 15lb, and an oceanic whitetip shark (yup ... ) of about 50lb from the Hobiecat. We also lost a wahoo in the 30-40lb range after it straightened the treble on one of my lures under the boat. There's a steep drop-off beyond the fringing reef there and some big species lurking around it. Also, the boatmen aren't (or weren't) afraid to go a fair way out into blue water territory.
Good hunting
Mark