Shore Fishing in Grand Caymon

My family is going to Grand Caymon on a Carnival Cruise in June. My husband wants to take his fishing pole and light tackle and find a spot on shore to do some fishing, while the kids and I want to be nearby on the beach. Any suggestions on where we could go to do this?

Shore Fishing

Our calm, crystal-clear waters, abundant marine life, flats and rocky shorelines make all three of our islands the answer to a shore fisherman’s dream. Be careful to familiarize yourself with our Marine Parks laws, which prohibit fishing or taking of any kind of marine life in specific protected areas. Among the species anglers can catch (and release!) are small barracuda and bonefish—even tarpon, permit, pompano.

Bottom and Reef Fishing

Our islands are surrounded by hundreds of square miles of healthy reefs that offer good fishing, both with natural baits and artificial lures. Bottom fishing is an activity for the whole family in the Cayman Islands. You can bring your own equipment or simply book a charter that includes all tackle and bait. Our local guides usually recommend natural baits, including small fry, squid and pieces of conch for better action.

Once again, we urge visitors to respect our Marine Parks laws when fishing on their own, and not to waste our marine life resources simply for the sake of pictures. In all three islands, angler can try for catches of yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, grouper, blue runner (also known as fry jack) porgy, almaco jack, bar jack and jack crevalle—the jack family are all fierce fighters and provide first-class light tackle action. Night fishing trips can also be arranged with local guides upon request.

Light Tackle & Flyfishing Action:

Bonefish,Tarpon & Permit

Good bonefishing (the fish average 3-8 lbs. in Cayman waters) awaits anglers in unexpected areas of Grand Cayman, including the shallow flats of North Sound, South Sound and Frank Sound—even off Seven Mile Beach, according to Captain Ron Ebanks, a Caymanian guide who specializes in flyfishing and light tackle trips. Anglers can also cast for tarpon in select areas.

Little Cayman is most famous for bonefish action, mostly in the coastal flats, including South Hole Sound Lagoon, off Little Cayman. Cayman Brac also offers some good action from small bonefish along the shallows off the southwest coast.

Visitors should be aware that guides revive and release bonefish (as well as tarpon and permit) in the interest of marine conservation, and to provide action for future anglers.

A little known fact to most visitors is the abundance of tarpon in Grand Cayman’s mosquito control canals, also called “dykes.” These fish are even found in land-locked brackish ponds island-wide and average 4-5 lbs. although we’ve seen them much larger—so have divers--on the North Wall and west coast grottos of Grand Cayman!

Sportfishermen will also discover the thrill of catching and releasing small tarpon, powerful light tackle fighters found in many of these same areas, but especially in Grand Cayman’s North Sound, canals and Little Cayman’s landlocked, mangrove-surrounded Tarpon Lake.

Excellent guides are available on all three islands, but Little Cayman is recognized as the best island to sample all three types of light-tackle gamefish action, from bonefish, small tarpon and permit, weighing up to 35 lbs. While good deep-sea fishing exists right offshore for gamefish including blue marlin, dolphin, wahoo, tuna and barracuda, Little Cayman’s main attraction for anglers is light tackle and flyfishing.

SUMMARY OF CAYMAN ISLANDS MARINE CONSERVATION LAWS

GENERAL RULES

Damaging coral by anchor, chains or any other means ANYWHERE in Cayman waters is prohibited.

No taking of ANY marine life alive or dead while on SCUBA.

No taking of any coral, sponges, etc. from Cayman waters.

Wearing gloves while diving or snorkelling in Cayman waters is prohibited.

Export of live fish or other marine life is prohibited.

Fishing with gill nets, poison or other noxious substances is prohibited.

Dumping ANYTHING in Cayman waters is prohibited.

The export of conch shells and or black coral requires a CITES permit, issued through the DOE.

PENALTIES

Violation of any of these laws is an offence carrying a maximum penalty of Cl$500,000 fine and one year in jail. Upon conviction, forfeiture of the vessel or other equipment may also be ordered.

Size limit

Twelve inch minimum size limit applies throughout Cayman waters year round EXCEPT:

Designated Grouper Spawning Areas are protected.

No one may take Nassau grouper from any of the Designated Grouper Spawning Areas.

No one may spearfish or set a fish-pot within a one–mile radius of any Designated Grouper Spawning Area

from 1 November through 31 March.

OTHER FISH

Protected fish: Jew fish, tilefish (whities), filefish

(pipers) and angelfish, including Grey, French and

Queen angels (old monks), may not be taken from

Cayman waters at any time.

Size limit:

Eight-inch minimum size on all other fish except goggle eyes, herrings (including sprats), anchovies and silversides (including loggerhead and fine fry).

FISH POTS

Must be licensed by the Marine Conservation Board

Only Caymanians over 18 may be granted licences.

Only two pots per family and pots must be identified with a DOE tag.

No fish pot may be set within a one–mile radius of any

Designated Grouper Spawning Area from 1 November through 31 March.

LOBSTERS

Closed season: 1 March through 30 November. No one may take lobster from Cayman waters during these months. No one may purchase, receive or possess lobster taken from Cayman waters during these months.

Open season catch limit: Three per person or six per boat per day, whichever is less.

Size limit: Six inch tail minimum size.

Only spiny lobster (P. argus) may be taken.

CONCH

Closed season: 1 May through 31 October. No one may take conch from Cayman waters during these months.

No one may purchase, receive or possess conch taken from Cayman waters during these months.

Open season catch limit: Five per person or ten per boat per day, whichever is less.

No one may purchase or receive more than five conch from Cayman waters in any one day.

WHELKS

Closed season: 1 May through 31 October. No one may take whelk from Cayman waters during these months.

No one may purchase, receive or possess whelk taken from Cayman waters during these months

Open season catch limit: Two-and-a-half gallons in the shell or two-and-a-half pounds of processed whelks per person per day.

No one may purchase or receive more than two-and-ahalf gallons in the shell or two-and-a-half pounds processed whelks from Cayman waters in any one day.

Chitons, periwinkles and bleeding teeth may not be taken from Cayman waters at any time.

TURTLES

No one may disturb, molest or take turtles in Cayman waters without a licence from the Marine Conservation

Board.

Possession of turtle eggs is prohibited.

For licensed fishermen, closed season runs from 1 May through 31 October.

SHARKS

No one may feed, attempt to feed or provide or use food to attract any shark in Cayman waters.

SPEAR GUNS & SEINE NETS

No one may use a speargun (includes Hawaiian sling, polespear, harpoon, hookstick or any device with a

pointed end which may be used to impale, stab or pierce any marine life but does not include a striker) or

seine net without a licence from the Marine Conservation Board. NOTE: A striker is defined as a

wooden pole, no shorter than 10 feet, with a maximum of 2 barb-less prongs attached to one end.

No one may possess a speargun without a licence.

No one may import a speargun or any parts for a speargun.

Only Caymanians over 18 may be granted licences.

Speargun catch limit: Three fish per licensed person per day.

No one may possess more than six fish that have been caught by a speargun.

No one may spearfish within a one–mile radius of any

Designated Grouper Spawning Area from 1 November through 31 March.

Licence holders must carry licence when using seine net or spear fishing and adhere to licence conditions.

ECHINODERMS

Echinoderms (includes starfish, sea eggs/urchins, sea cucumber, sand dollars etc) may not be taken from Cayman waters at any time.

FISHING LICENSES

Unless licensed by the Marine Conservation Board, residents who do NOT possess Caymanian Status may not take or attempt to take, by any means, any marine life while he is on shore or in any part of Cayman waters in which he can stand.

No licence is required for catch and release fishing.

FISHING LICENSES

 

Unless licensed by the Marine Conservation Board, residents who do NOT possess Caymanian Status may not take or attempt to take, by any means, any marine life while he is on shore or in any part of Cayman waters in which he can stand.

No licence is required for catch and release fishing.

To highlight and clarify, tourists do NOT need a fishing license. License requirements only apply to legal residents of the Cayman Islands.

Limits still apply as to manner and location where is is permissible to fish. Please respect our Marine Parks. We would encourage you to use catch-and-release practices.

Which fishing charters would you recommend for deep sea fishing?

I'll bump it again in hopes of a reply this time:rolleyes:

I am interested in getting more info on available fishing options in GC. My fiancee enjoys fishing and we will be in GC the second week of April.

We are spending a week in Grand Cayman the beginning of March. We have booked a Deep Sea Fishing trip with Captain Marvins. I'll post a review when we return.

We are spending a week in Grand Cayman the beginning of March. We have booked a Deep Sea Fishing trip with Captain Marvins. I'll post a review when we return.

PLEASE, PLEASE DO! That is who we were thinking of using in late April. I will be really interested in knowing how you did and what you thought. Thanks!

Bumping to top;)

where can i get information on Captain Marvin's?

where can i get information on Captain Marvin's?

www.captainmarvins.com

We are spending a week in Grand Cayman the beginning of March. We have booked a Deep Sea Fishing trip with Captain Marvins. I'll post a review when we return.

Did you go yet?