Backyard Billfish

THE ABACO ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS OFFER GREAT FISHING CLOSE TO HOME.

- John Brownlee

With the proliferation of bigger, faster-sportfishing boats, once-distant waters now feel much closer to home. For example, in the 1970s, most offshore fishermen considered a 50-footer to be a big boat. And if a boat that size cruised at 23 knots, that seemed pretty quick.

Those numbers seem like a distant memory these days as 70and 80-footers have become commonplace and cruise between 30 and 40 knots. Such innovations have radically altered the bluewater fishing geography, making waters that used to feel distant seem much closer to home.

Of course, many of the older boats made the trip to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands back in the day anyway, but it was a long, hard slog most of the time. Those same boats often went on to fish Venezuela later in the fall, until that country descended into political chaos.

Modern hulls, and engines have made these runs easy. The development of world-class marinas in the Dominican Republic has opened up a new world of exciting bill fishing and many of us are going there to explore them in our own boats. But by doing so, we may be passing up some excellent opportunities much closer to home, in waters that traditionally served as home base for lots of great tournaments and some outstanding fishing. I’m talking about the Bahamas, that dazzling chain of islands 50 miles east of Florida at its closest point.

Many great places to encounter marlin and sailfish exist within the Bahamas chain, but among those, the Abaco Islands stand out for its great action and wide variety of species that call it home.

The Abacos provide the infrastructure that makes visiting there a pleasure, with modern airports, well-stocked grocery stores, great restaurants, and world-class accommodations. And all of this sits more or less in our backyard.