Turneffe Flats Fishing Information

 FISHING INFORMATION & RECOMMENDATIONS

The Turneffe Atoll is noted for its variety of saltwater fishing. The availability of bonefish, permit and tarpon make Turneffe Flats one of the rare spots in the world offering a legitimate shot at a GRAND SLAM. In addition, Turneffe offers opportunities for several other saltwater species. We encourage you to come prepared for a wide variety of fishing opportunities.

Several outfitters and fly shops can assist you with flies and tackle. The flies and tackle that work best at Turneffe can also be purchased at the lodge. We do rent fly rods/reels and spin rods/reels; however, numbers are limited and rental arrangements should be confirmed prior to leaving.

BONEFISH: Our ocean-side flats are some of the most picturesque, wadable flats anywhere in the world, containing large schools of bonefish as well as smaller schools and singles. These fish average 3-5 pounds with some 8-12 pound fish.

Fishing the ocean-side flats at Turneffe offers something for anglers of all levels of expertise. Novice saltwater anglers see hundreds of fish providing a good opportunity to learn the basics of saltwater fishing. Experienced anglers find plenty of challenging fishing, particularly fishing to the smaller schools and larger singles.

Bonefish are present in equal numbers throughout the year. The ocean-side flats can offer some challenging fishing, and the right tackle, flies, presentations and fishing techniques are all important.

Bonefish also inhabit the mangrove-lined lagoons and flats on the interior of the Turneffe Atoll. These bonefish are often larger and take flies more readily than the ocean-side fish, although they tend to be on the move and casting accuracy is crucial. Fishing for these fish is mostly done from the bow of our 16' Dolphin Super skiffs.

Recommended Bonefish Tackle:

• Rod: 7 Wt. to 9 Wt.
• Reel: Saltwater reel holding at least 150 yds. of 20 lb. backing
• Fly Line: WF floating
• Leader: 9 -14 feet depending upon the fishing situation
• Tippet: 2X - OX (the new fluorocarbon tippets are preferable)
• Flies: #10 to # 6

Bonefish Flies:

• Pop's Bonefish Bitters, #6 and #8
• Pop’s Egghead Bitters, #6 and #8
• Crazy Charlies - white, pink, brown (unweighted for outer flats), #6 and #8
• To-Dy-For (small unweighted shrimp pattern), #6 and #8
• Turneffe Foam Crab, #6 and #8
• Gotcha, Horror, Baited Breath, #6 and #8
• Raghead Crab, #6
• Various small shrimp and crab patterns

On our ocean-side flats, smaller flies are more effective (6’s, 8's and some 10's). Unweighted flies are an absolute necessity. Larger flies (6's) work best on the inner flats, and weighted flies are often preferable here.

PERMIT: Permit are the primary objective of many anglers at Turneffe Flats. On the bars and flats within the Turneffe system, you can expect plenty of shots at permit averaging 10-20 pounds. You can also expect to see some 30-40 pound permit. Permit fishing at Turneffe is primarily done from the bow of one of our Super skiffs, although there are some wading opportunities for permit.

Recommended Permit Tackle:

• Rod: 9 Wt. or 10 Wt.
• Reel: Saltwater reel holding a minimum of 200 yds. of 20 lb. backing
• Fly Line: WF Floating (some anglers prefer a slow sinking line such as a slime line)
• Leader: 9 - 12 feet
• Tippet: 1X - OX
• Flies: # 4 to 1/0

Permit Flies:

• Del Brown's Permit Crab (Merkin), #2 or 1/0
• Raghead Crab, #2 or 1/0
• cCrab, #2 or 1/0
• Various other crab patterns

TARPON: In season, tarpon inhabit the creeks, channels and lagoons of the Atoll. Most tarpon jumped are 60-90 lbs., with some fish to 150 lb. Most of our tarpon fishing is to rolling fish with limited sight fishing.

Tarpon fishing is seasonal, as tarpon are migratory. Tarpon numbers begin to increase in April or May and drop off in September or October with peak tarpon months being June, July, and August. There are a few "resident" tarpon around Turneffe throughout the year.

Recommended Tarpon Tackle:

• Rod: 11 Wt. or 12 Wt.
• Reel: Saltwater reel holding a minimum of 200 yds. of 30 lb. backing
• Fly Line: Slow sinking (slime line) or medium sink tip
• Leader: 4 - 6 ft. butt section, 16 lb. - 20 lb. class tippet, 60 - 100 lb. shock tippet
• Flies: Size 3/0 to 4/0

Tarpon Flies:

• Apte style tarpon flies, 3/0 and 4/0
• Cockroach, Black Death & Purple Haze, orange & red, white & red
• Dark colors tend to be better in the early morning and brighter colors work best when it’s bright.
• Deceiver patterns - various colors, 3/0 and 4/0
• Abel Anchovies, 3/0 and 4/0

OTHER FISHING: The interior of the Turneffe Atoll offers miles of mangrove-lined bays, creeks and lagoons to fish for various snappers, jacks, and barracuda with poppers or #2 Clouser minnows. This can be some very exciting saltwater fishing – with either a fly rod or spin tackle.

Barracuda are an underrated and acrobatic game fish inhabiting the reefs at Turneffe in large numbers. Many anglers prefer to troll a fly for them, but they can also be taken by sight casting on the flats or by blind casting poppers into the deeper holes along the reef.

Along the reef, large snappers and jacks can be taken by casting deceiver patterns or poppers into the surf.

Recommended Barracuda Tackle:

• Rod: 8 Wt. to 10 Wt.
• Reel: Saltwater reel holding a minimum of 200 yds. of 20 lb. backing
• Fly Line: WF floating
• Leader: 20-45 lb. wire shock tippet (8 to 12 inches in length)
• Flies: Size 1/0 to 3/0

Barracuda Flies:

• Braided Needlefish or variations, 2/0 with tandem hooks

SPIN FISHING TACKLE: Although the great majority of anglers at Turneffe Flats prefer a fly rod, others wish to use spinning tackle, and some of the fishing at Turneffe is very well suited for spin fishing. We particularly recommend that you consider spinning tackle for barracuda fishing and mangrove casting.

• Bonefish can be fished with a 7-8 1/2 ft. rod with 250 yds. of 8-10 lb. line. 1/16-1/8 jig heads in various colors with bait work best for bones.
• Permit can be fished with a 7-8 1/2 ft. rod with 250-300 yds. of 12-15 lb. line. Crab or Conch bait on 1/8-1/4 oz. jig heads is very effective for permit. Also some larger crab patterns like the McCrab work well.
• Tarpon should be fished with a 6-7 ft. rod with 300 yds. of 15-20 lb. line. Mirrolures (65M's and 38M's) work well for tarpon and so do Rapallas (CD 14's). 60-80 lb. shock tippet is necessary for tarpon.
• Barracuda are best fished with a spinning reel or an open face reel with 250 yds. of 20-30 lb. You need to use 20-45 lb wire shock tippet (9-12 inches). Bright tube lures are the best baits for barracuda.
• Mangrove casting is best done with a set up similar to above for permit. Poppers and various other lures (Mirrolures and Rapallas) are the best baits.

FISHING SCHEDULE: Our fishing schedule is as flexible as possible. A standard day's fishing is about 8 hours. Generally the fishing day begins after breakfast and ends in the late afternoon. We do insist that everyone be back to the lodge well before dark for safety purposes.

During tarpon season, many anglers wish to begin fishing shortly after sunrise and take a rest during the day. There is a long, productive flat right in front of the cabins that allows the hard-core anglers a chance to fish from sunup to sundown.

You will be given the daily option to take your lunch or return to the lodge for the noon meal. Lodge management will coordinate your day's fishing the prior evening, i.e. guide, time, what type of fishing, and whether you wish to return for lunch or take a lunch.

FISHING SKIFFS: We fish from tiller-driven 16' Dolphin Super skiffs that were custom built in the U.S. These are comfortable boats with a nice casting deck, rod holders and dry storage.

CATCH AND RELEASE: With rare exception, all fish at Turneffe Flats are released.

WEATHER: Temperatures in Belize generally range from 75 - 95 degrees, and good sun protection is essential. Most of the time there is a comfortable trade wind, which cools things off. Cold fronts in the fall or early winter can occasionally drop temperatures into the 60's.

OTHER ACTIVITIES: We also operate a full SCUBA diving program. Diving Packages or Combination fishing and diving packages are available. A Discover SCUBA class is available for non-divers interested in trying some diving. We also offer an Atoll Adventure Package, which provides daily-guided activities such as snorkeling, sightseeing, dolphin watching, and bird watching. This is a very enjoyable option for non-angling partners.

DON'T FORGET TO BRING:

• Wading Shoes (These need to be firm soled shoes designed for flats wading and impermeable to small, sharp pieces of coral. Light tennis shoes or reef walker booties will not work and can be dangerous.)
• Polarized sunglasses
• Fishing Hat
• Light-weight long-sleeve shirt and pants (for sun protection, insect repelling and sunburn cover up)
• Water Bottle to Carry When Wading Flats
• Sunscreen and Insect Repellent
• Raincoat
• Fly tying equipment
• Snorkeling gear
• Camera
• Binoculars
• First aid medications (including a cortisone cream (Cortaid) for sunburn and insect bites)
• Prescription medications