DEEP WATER CAY, Grand Bahama - Proving that fishing "isn't just a guy thing", the 165 members of the Bonefish Bonnies are all about the catch! This year they returned to Deep Water Cay for their third visit with fourteen members showing how ladies reel them in.
The Bonefish Bonnies are an all-ladies angler club hailing from the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. They named their club in honor of the first female bonefish guide in the 1940s, Bonefish Bonnie Smith. The club's members range in age from 30 to 85. Officially established 12 years ago, the club has monthly luncheons with educational and entertaining lessons on fishing skills, seminars on cooking, tagging, specific research studies on fish, presentations by celebrity anglers and lessons on fishing photography and environmental concerns about the oceans they fish in.
"Fabulous is the only way to describe our visit," said Nina Patterson, an organizer of the trip and current member of the Bonefish Bonnies' board of directors. "We've had 100 percent great weather and are overwhelmed by the upgrades to the club." Patterson noted that the service at the club was exceptional, and all the ladies were thrilled when one of the members' mutton snapper catch was incorporated in an evening meal.
Buzz Cox, Deep Water Cay's general manager, stated, "The Bonefish Bonnies was a fun group to have here on the island. We see our role as simply facilitating the fun. We can't wait to welcome them back next year."
The ladies hail from all over the United States and Canada and spent three days on the island fishing all day, along with late evening sailing and massages. "What I love here is the guides really help us," said Jeanie, who caught five bonefish in one day alone. "We ladies love having the guides instruct us and share with us the secrets of their best spots and techniques to improve our fishing. I don't think some of our fellow male fishermen listen so well," she remarked.
A few of the ladies reeled in bonefish catches over 10 pounds; all of them were chasing the new 14-pound record set at Deep Water Cay a few months ago. "You can fish for days in Florida and not even see a bonefish there," said one of the ladies. "Here the guides take you right to them, improve your use of the long strip or short strip, and bam - you've got a beauty on your line."
The ladies, who arrived using the island's private airstrip, are very serious about returning to Grand Bahama, noting that a big draw was the ease of arrival and the close proximity of the fish. "If you want to catch bonefish, you need to be in The Bahamas. You need to be in Deep Water Cay," said another member of the group. "This is the place to be and I'm hooked."
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