All;
Heading to Jost Van Dyke (West of Tortola) next week. Doing most beach/rocks fishing, maybe rent a boat a few mornings for some bottom fishing (w/ the wife)

anyone been to the area? Been to the Bahamas/Keys a bunch of time with pretty decent fishing results... not to this area...

Tackle/Species/Lures?
Well equipped w/ rods/reels up to 20lb boat and surf gear...
Bringing the usual pencils, metal, swimmers, along with some chunk rigs and bottom fishing gear...

Any tips/thoughts from someone who has been there?



Thanks!

How freakin' funny is that yhou selected that destination - Julie and I just decided to take a vacation there as well ... any way, have not heard about fishing that island - but do know that a lot of the islands in the Caribbean have jacks and tarpon in their harbors so you may want to consider that.

Also, there was an article in Saltwater Sportsman about 20+ years ago by George Poveromo about permit off the beach of St. John's or St. Thomas - which is likely that you can find permit on similar scenarious throughout the region -- his article stated that the fish came into the wash looking for crabs, etc., that got disoriented in the "washing machine" - sound familiar? Can't say it would be same on Jost Van Dyke, but why not?

Even weirder that your wife's name is Julie too...
I'll let you know how I make out.

Look forward to hearing about it too, thanks.

I went to St John last year.

Went fishing every day for the 8 days I was down there. The fishing from shore was pretty uneventful. Spent the first 3 days searching for bonefish. Each time we got a lead, we would show up to the "flats" only to be dissapointed. Some places from shore produced a few barracuda & small jacks, yellowtail snapper, some houndfish. The fishing from shore overall wasnt very good IMO. In comparison to some other tropical places I have been to. All of the reefs close to shore were in bad shape. Snorkling over them they looked badly damaged & devoid of life. Even with that said it was an incredible place to be.

The rest of the trip was spent on the boat a short distance from shore. It was like night & day compared to the fishing I had experienced from shore. The ocean was full of life with birds diving and fish busting underneath. Hooked into a few bigeye jacks on poppers that were splashing on the surface running the pilchards right up onto the rocks. Also caught some nice houndfish & barracuda casting Spoons near the reefs & reeling them in fast. Snorkling on the reefs just offshore revealed nice Tarpon close to 80lbs, which made our set-ups look like we had brought knives to a gunfight. Spent a good amount of time trying to hook some of the Tarpon with no success. Trolled rigged ballyhoo for more barracuda & snapped off what we guessed was a 40lb Wahoo after seeing it jump & snap the line. Lots of interesting sites to see with sea turtles & flying fish keeping you entertained while fishing.

A great trip.

Some of the most exciting moments though from the whole trip came while driving. The roads seem to be built for 1 car. You drive on the left (Of course you have the tourists that habitually forget). No guard rails. Steep cliffs that would lead you to your death hundreds of feet below just feet away from the dirt roads. :err:

Here is a little taste of it that someone stuck on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PITOhT4n5R0
doesnt quite do it justice though

Gonna be a blast though, wish I was going again.

I just got car sick.:yak:

well my sister in law spent a week there all you need is a bathing suit& flip flops ,she stayed @ the Sand Castle owners are from Plymouth GO figurer, if you go there you can hook up with the local fisherman and go out with them no charge from what i remember.
they made friends with locals easily total layed back no HYPE. they want me and my wife to go but were saving for JR LINK's 21 B-day in LAS VEGAS I hope they have a opening @ the Betty Ford clinic when I get back
Link Sr:walk:
PS: his 21st is 1/13/2007 got plenty of time 2 save