The story of a fishing trip to Cay Sal Bank is a testament to the power of adventure and the thrill of the unknown. The trip took place on Scott Stokey's 39' Contender, with Casey Scott and myself as his fishing companions.
The goal was to fish, dive for lobster, and camp on the small uninhabited island of Anguilla Cay. However, the journey was fraught with challenges and unexpected obstacles.
The first hurdle was clearing customs in the Bahamas, which required a 90-mile crossing of the Gulf Stream to Bimini. From there, we embarked on a 150-mile crossing to Anguilla Cay. The weather was rough, with strong winds on our bow for much of the journey. As a result, we arrived at Anguilla Cay after dark and were met by Cuban refugees who had stranded on the island.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, we managed to find a safe anchorage and settled in for the night. The following morning, we woke up to perfect weather conditions, the only good day of weather in the forecast. We set up a trolling spread with Slip Stream flying fish on the outriggers and DTX lures on the flat lines. We were soon catching Wahoo and other fish with jigging and other techniques. We caught fish on the entire range of Nomad Jigging Lures. Lost some huge Mistic Grouper on PE 10 jigging tackle. We also started fishing with the NEW Squidtrex lures. Crushing large Strawberry Grouper, Rock Hinds, Black Snapper and Mitton Snapper. Mid afternoon we went diving for lobster and caught three of the largest lobster I had ever seen.
We ran back out to the drop off for the late afternoon tide. While fishing, we spotted a US Coast Guard plane flying over the island and dropping food and water to the stranded refugees. We later learned that the Coast Guard was planning a rescue mission for the refugees. The Squidtrex continued to put fish in the boat. The sun was getting low so we went back in to get a good anchorage and cook dinner. Fresh Grouper, Snapper and Lobster were on the menu before getting some much needed rest.
On the final day of the trip, we ran 50 miles north to the top of Cay Sal Bank. We trolled for Wahoo and fished with the Squidtrex lures before making the journey back to Islamorada. The Strawberry Grouper could not resist the Squidtrex and I also caught my personal best Mutton Snapper on one. We had a couple more of similar size pull the hook. It was then time to run home and try to beat the front headed our way. We nearly made the 70 mile run back to Islamorada, but the front had already reached us. Despite encountering this nasty front, we managed to make it back safely, with some great catches and incredible memories to show for our adventure.
The trip to Cay Sal Bank is a reminder of the beauty and power of the natural world and the importance of adventure and exploration. It is also a reminder of the challenges and risks that come with such endeavors. However, the rewards of overcoming those challenges and experiencing the unknown are immeasurable. The trip can be summed up perfectly, calling it "one of the wildest adventures any of us had ever been on" and stating that "despite the trials and tribulations it was a blast."