Doctrine · not a honey-hole list

Seasonal fundamentals

When a coast, a type of water, and a fish actually line up. If you elected Texas on the list, this page opens on Texas — Seychelles stays off the board until you ask for it. Filter by region, method or habitat, and species. The year bar is peak versus present. Limits cite TPWD and FWC — verify before you keep one.

Bahamas

Bahamas — bonefish country

Winter singles. Summer schools. Permit on the west sides when it lays down.

Andros is the capital — west-side white sand, schools by the acre, double-digit singles in the creeks, tarpon in the bights, permit May through October on the west side and outer cays. Abaco is Marls and ocean cays; verify what is actually running after Dorian. Grand Bahama is the thinking wade, a town to sleep in, big singles on foot. Eleuthera and the Exuma edge take more weather and give you more permit. Tides here are a modeled lunar clock, labeled as such — there is no NOAA gauge on these islands. Flats licensing has been tightening; verify before you wade. Jacks will find you. They are not why you booked the week.

November. Winter singles begin. This is why people book Andros in November. Long leaders. Soft landings. Fewer boats.

November · peak

What is actually on

Bonefish

Greater amberjack

Peak Present Off

Closures

No coast-wide harvest closure on the board. Still verify before you keep a fish.

Bonefish

Albula vulpes

Peak NovemberBahamas

Thermal window

—

68–88°F · best 72–84°F

Absent in Texas. Keys: big, few, educated. Bahamas: the capital — winter singles, summer schools of 3–5 lb fish. Puerto Rico: east islands more than San Juan. Seychelles: Alphonse and Farquhar sand, not Mahé town water.

Fly. 8 wt. Gotcha, Crazy Charlie, shrimp. Long fluoro, soft landing. Bahamas will forgive more than Biscayne.

Spin. Possible with a tiny jig. The honest tool here is the fly.

Leads the brief on Andros, Abaco, G. Bahama, Eleuthera.

Bahamas. Bahamas: treat as C&R. Flats licensing has been tightening — verify before you wade.

Official source

Hogfish

Lachnolaimus maximus

Present NovemberBahamas

Thermal window

—

70–86°F · best 74–82°F

Keys and Caribbean patch reefs. Not a Texas bay fish. Not a bonefish headline. He lives on the hard bottom, not the grass.

Fly. 8–9 wt. A small crab or shrimp on the patch. He is a picker. Do not trout-set a hog.

Spin. The honest tool. Shrimp or a small jig on the reef. Spear is a different license.

Bahamas. Bahamas: verify current bag. Treat as reef fish, not a bonefish.

Official source

Yellowtail snapper

Ocyurus chrysurus

Present NovemberBahamas

Thermal window

—

70–86°F · best 74–82°F

Islamorada to Key West, then the Bahamas and the Spanish Virgins. Patch reefs and the first drop. Absent from Texas bays.

Fly. 7–8 wt. A small baitfish or shrimp on the edge of the chum. This is a boat on the reef, not a poling skiff.

Spin. Chum and a light fluorocarbon. The Keys live on this fish. Not a Galveston trout.

Bahamas. Bahamas: check current snapper bag before you fill a well.

Official source

Greater amberjack

Seriola dumerili

Peak NovemberBahamas

Thermal window

—

68–84°F · best 70–80°F

Gulf and Atlantic wrecks. Not a jack crevalle. Not a GT. Do not headline a flat with an AJ.

Fly. 12 wt on a shallow wreck if they come up. Most days this is a stand-up jig.

Spin. Heavy jig on the wreck. Season and slot are posted. He will spool a trout rod.

Bahamas. Bahamas: verify current bag. Not a GT.

Official source

Great barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda

Present NovemberBahamas

Thermal window

—

70–88°F · best 74–84°F

Flats and wrecks will find you. Keys, Bahamas, Yucatan, Puerto Rico. Noise. They do not own the headline.

Fly. 9 wt. A big needle. Fun. Not why you booked the week.

Spin. A tube lure if you came for him. Wire. Ciguatera is a real reason not to keep a big one.

Bahamas. Treat big cuda as catch-and-release. Not why you booked the flat.

Official source

Want this week’s weather on top of the doctrine? Read the Saturday Letter.