World Class Fly Fishing for Bonefish on South Andros Island, Bahamas
Fishing the remote mangrove channels and hard sand flats of South Andros Island. If this appeals to you, please read on!
Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge : South Andros Island Bahamas
Miles of wadeable hard sand flats, mangrove creeks and Islands, excellent guides, good dependable boats, great food, clean and comfortable rooms, and ice cold beer, all at a bargain price.
Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge living room and bar, bonefish skiff and Mars Bay Lodge entrance sign
About Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge Bahamas
Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge Bahamas is a small lodge situated on the southeastern tip of Andros. It affords anglers a short and easy skiff ride to pristine flats teeming with unpressured Bonefish. In fact, right in front of the lodge you have an ocean side bonefish flat large enough for a dozen fishermen.
Mars Bay is located the end of the South Andros road; you can’t drive any further south. That puts you ten miles closer to the best fishing grounds on Andros than the nearest lodge.
I’m sure you’ve heard the age-old adage; Location, location, location. It’s all about location and Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge has the location! Mars Bay is the Bonefishing Capital of the World!
Edward Johnston with a very nice South Andros bonefish : Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge
What does that mean to you? No less than a ten mile shorter run over rough, open water and an extra hour fishing each day. You can expect to encounter everything from large schools of two to four pound tailing bones, classic sight casting to schools of five to twenty fish in the five to ten pound category, as well as occasional shots at cruising doubles and singles exceeding ten pounds!
The vastness of South Andros Island will appear similar to those of you who have fished the open areas of Ascension Bay and Espiritu Santo Bay in the Yucatan.
Lodging & Dining
The lodge is under American ownership and management. Bill Howard has been managing the lodge since it opened and attends to every detail. There is absolutely nothing pretentious about the lodge. They won’t crack your pepper for you and you’ll not find a mint on your pillow, but the staff will make you feel at ease. The atmosphere is comfortable…laid back and casual.
You will be on the water early and back safely in time for dinner. At the end of the day, if you still want to fish or practice your cast, you’re welcome to step out onto the flats in front of the villa and fish till dark. Bonefish are caught there on a regular basis. A variety of fly patterns are effective on the flats and creeks of South Andros, however, a handful of Gotcha’s will work just fine.
You will find the accommodations clean and modern; the food is great, the equipment reliable, the guides excellent, and the beer ice cold.
Big Bonefish photo courtesy of Bill Howard
Fishing
Andros is the largest of the Bahamian islands, located 150 miles Southeast of Miami and about 40 miles Southwest of Nassau, New Providence.
One mile off the coast of the island lies the third largest barrier reef in the world, the Tongue of the Ocean. Here, the water depth plummets from 30 feet to 6000 feet. The reef runs for about 170 miles. Cool waters from the deep flow upward against the walls feeding an unbelievable fishery. Just off the reef in deep water are Dorado, Tuna, Sailfish, Wahoo, and Jacks. On the reef are Barracuda, Snappers, and Grouper. All of this is surrounded by hundreds of square miles of fishable flats known worldwide for trophy bone fishing.
Mars Bay Bonefish Club bonefish skiff
There are permit and tarpon, but sightings are few and far between. If you come expecting to catch one, you will be disappointed. There are better places to fish for those species. South Andros is primarily a bonefish fishery.
It’s no secret that one of the largest populations and biggest bonefish are found on the flats of South Andros. You will be fishing areas like Beach Cay, Grassy Creek, Hawks Nest, Cistern Point, the Curly Cuts, Jackfish, and Water Cays to name a few.
Bonefish average three to six pounds with fish exceeding ten pounds. Andros has bragging rights as the Bonefishing Capital of the World. Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge provides the nearest access for those wanting to fish the southern tip of South Andros.
Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge has very reasonable rates so – Please book early as most dates are booked a year in advance.
Click Here for Mars Bay Bonefish Bahamas Rates
Leisure Time Travel – Your best and most knowledgeable choice for fishing the Caribbean.
Leisure Time Travel Inc.
531 N. Citrus Ave.
Crystal River, Florida 34428
352-795-FISH (3474)
1-800-771-2202