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Hello,
My wife and I would love to spend a 1/2 day (either 4 or 6 hours) fishing on one of our days in STJ. The only problem is that these charters are expensive! $600-$700 or so up to 4 people.
If we could split the cost with another couple, it would soften the blow. I've fished all over the northern US and Canada - mostly catch and release with a fly rod (trout, pike, salmon, etc.) - but would stick with the spinning gear provided by the captain.
Any takers? We are laid back Michiganders.
If not, I will stick with my collapsible ugly stick from the beach I guess..or end up renting a dinghy and trolling around. It wasn't very successful in Vieques last year, but I still had fun.
Any random fishing advice is welcome!
No takers on fishing? I've got a couple questions then for those in the know.
What kind of lures are people using? Rapala's? Streamers? Spoons? (anything popular for bonefish?)
Is it rare to see people fishing from dinghy's?
What do I do if I hook up with an eel? That would be interesting..
did you learn anything regarding your question? We are leaving tomorrow for a sailing charter and the captain told us that the fishing is very expensive to get a license and that everyone on the boat has to buy one for anyone to fish. This seems very strange. Does anyone know if this is accurate. We are in US and British VIs.
Have never fished STJ, but live and fish regularly on STT. From one freshwater fisherman to another, try and find some mangroves or flats. A dinghy may be your best option for this. Your main species there will be Snook, Tarpon, and Bonefish...at least on STT. I actually brought a lot of my bass lures down with me and have been surprised how well they work. I've been successful using a Fluke/soft jerk bait for Snook and Tarpon. Also a shallow running crank bait works well. I've caught several Bonefish on 1/4oz white hair jigs with a piece of shrimp on it. Believe it or not I've also caught 2 Bonefish using a white fluke. No one believes me but I got pictures and witnesses to prove it. Remember a Bonefishes mouth is pointed down so they do the majority of their feeding on the bottom. Good Luck!
Fishing licenses are required in the BVIS. They are about $45 and anyone who wants to handle a rod must have one. If a person does not wish to even handle the fishing gear then they do not need a license. They are available on line but you dont have time for that.
You can obtain the fishing license directly from:
The Government Administration building in Road Town
(next to the cruise ship's dock).
The government office closes early on Friday afternoons and doesn’t reopen until Monday morning (closed weekend and public holidays).
EACH MEMBER FISHING MUST HAVE A LICENSE
(Except person under 18 years of age)
Fines range to 6 figures, confiscation of fishing equipment and the boat.
Hope that helps. oh, no license required in USVI waters.
Pamela
