bimini — alice town (north bimini)
The Bahamas island closest to Florida, on the edge of the Gulf Stream. Traditional offshore fishing for marlin, tuna and wahoo, with bonefish on the flats.
Bimini is the Bahamas island group closest to Florida, on the edge of the Gulf Stream. Its blue water passes near the marinas of Alice Town, on North Bimini, and the island became famous for sport fishing back in Ernest Hemingway's time. Boats chase blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and mahi-mahi, depending on the season, and there is bottom fishing for grouper and snapper on the reefs. On the shallow flats and mangroves between North and South Bimini there is bonefish year-round, and permit appear from spring to midsummer. The Bimini Big Game Club, with its marina and hotel, is the most traditional spot for anglers.
best season
On the Bimini Big Game Club calendar, blue marlin is most productive in May and June, yellowfin tuna (Allison tuna) from March to May, and wahoo from November to March. Bonefish all year, best in March and April.
Local rules: A foreign boat needs a sport fishing permit, obtained at customs at the port of entry; registration can be done in advance through the official systems listed on bahamas.com. Boat limit for foreign vessels: 18 pelagic fish (mahi-mahi, wahoo, mackerel and tunas combined), up to 20 bottomfish or 60 pounds (whichever is less) and 6 conch. Outside an approved tournament, marlin, sailfish and swordfish go back alive. Sharks have been protected since 2011. On the flats, a personal license is needed from age 12, and bonefish, permit and tarpon are catch and release only. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Short flights from Florida and Nassau to South Bimini airport, with a boat transfer to North Bimini. Private boats cross the Gulf Stream and clear customs on the island.
- facilities
- Marinas with berths for fishing boats, hotels and the Bimini Big Game Club in Alice Town, charter boats for offshore fishing and bonefish guides.
- country
- Bimini, Bahamas
tip
For marlin, use a circle hook and plan the release before the fight: outside an approved tournament, every billfish goes back alive. Wet your hands before touching the bonefish.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
before you fish in the Bahamas
A boat not owned by a Bahamian needs a sport fishing permit, obtained at Customs at the port of entry on arrival, before any fishing. Those fishing from the beach, the pier or aboard a Bahamian boat, such as local charters, don't need it. To fish the flats (bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and cobia), every person aged 12 or older needs a personal angler licence; for non-citizens and non-residents, the 2017 regulations set B$15 per day, B$20 per week, B$30 per month and B$60 per year (the Bahamian dollar is worth the same as the US dollar). The Fisheries Act, 2020 was published to replace the 1977 law on which these regulations are based: confirm amounts and rules with the Department of Marine Resources.
- Marlin, sailfish and swordfish must be released alive, except in authorized tournaments. Sharks have been protected since 2011: every shark hooked must be released.
- Onboard limit for foreign sport fishing boats, per boat and not per person: 18 pelagic fish in total (mahi-mahi, wahoo, mackerel and tuna), 60 pounds or up to 20 bottom fish, such as red snapper and grouper (whichever is less), 10 lobsters during the season and 6 queen conchs. Visitors may not sell the catch.
- In the flats, bonefish, permit, snook, cobia and tarpon may only be caught and released, with hook and/or bait; except for fish kept for food, no one may have more than one specimen in possession at the same time (Flats Fishing Regulations, 2017, reg. 9). Commercial fishing in the flats is prohibited.
- Fishing with scuba gear and speargun is prohibited. Hand spears only with written authorization on the permit, never within 1 nautical mile of the coast of New Providence and southern Grand Bahama, nor within 200 yards of the coast of the other islands.
The rules and closed seasons in the rest of the app are Brazilian. Outside Brazil, the regulations of the country and province apply: confirm with the official agency.
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official Bahamas.com (Ministério do Turismo) — Fishing Regulations & FAQSport fishing permit for foreign boats, on-board bag limits, mandatory release of billfish outside approved tournaments, sharks protected since 2011
- official Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) (Flats Fishing) Regulations, 2017 — texto publicado no bahamas.com (Ministério do Turismo)Personal flats license from age 12 and catch and release for bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and cobia
- market Bimini Big Game Club — Big Game Fishing CalendarMonth-by-month calendar: blue marlin excellent in May and June, yellowfin tuna March to May, wahoo November to March, bonefish excellent in March and April
- technical The Bahamas Fishing Map & Angler's Guide 2020 (publicado com o Ministério do Turismo das Bahamas)Bimini: famous since Hemingway, from bonefish to blue marlin and wahoo; marinas and hotels on North and South Bimini