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[therise]

I am heading out on a family vacation to Cayo Santa Maria in Cuba at an all inclusive resort. I have purcahsed a cheap, fairly heavy telescopic rod and reel with 20lb braid(which I plan to leave down there with a fellow less fortunate fisherman). I was hoping to do a few small outings down the beach, casting from shore. Has anyone had any experience? I am not looking to catch any tropies, basically the equivalent of fishing for sea perch and sole?

Lures? Baits? Let me know.

Thanks

[blaydRnr]

i've done some fishing off the shores of mazatlan and places like puerto rico...4 inch grubs with 1/4 oz lead heads and buzz bombs work well off the rocks and allow you to cast out into the deeper shelf where juvenile groupers and snappers feed...for bait the locals use small chad like fish and squid.

[Dogbreath]

Get up early-before sunrise-and hit the beach because once people start going in the water it's all over.

Depending on the place fishing @ night where the lights of the hotel shine on the water can be good-but it may be against the law to be on the beach @ night-seen that in a few places.

[therise]

I purcahed a few rapalas and "poppers". I will also see if I can grab a few raw shrimp from the chef before they hit the buffet line. I will let you know how I make out.

[cfo]

some the species you will find there are bonefish, cowfish, snook, baby tarpon, mangrove snapper & cuda...... small jigs/grubs will take bones, snapper.... 1/4oz  hammered nickel spoons (crocs) should work for the other species. also try f13 original floating rapalas.  dunisky ( mybonefish@gmail.com ) is an excellent guide for that area, his rates are very reasonable.

[Damien]

I will be in Cuba in exactly one week.  But nowhere near Varadero.

I will be in Havana and then in  Playa Larga/Zapata National Park.  I'll let you figure out where the bones are from that.   

[milo]

I spent a few years of my life living in Cuba in my childhood and went back many times.
Assuming a change to more moderate form of socialism where foreigners are allowed to own property, Cuba would be the one country I would give living up in Canada up for - unless we could somehow annex Cuba.  

Anyway...to your question:

Make friends with the cook in the resort. On the first day, give him a 5 CUC tip with clear instructions what it is for, and he will secure some prawns and raw squid for you every day. It will also get you some extra goodies that may not be on the menu. 
Tell him you need "carnada para pescar" (car'nadda 'pahra pes'cah). He will also point you to the right place to go. Cubans are very passionate about their fishing and love to share with tourists, especially knowing that being friendly will probably put some extra cash and goodies in their pockets. Just be discreet, as their Tourist Police is always watching them - they are not supposed to pester tourists for money or gifts. The visitors have to take a discreet initiative.
Before you leave, I suggest you go to A&N or WallyMart and get a couple of cheap spooled spinning reels and/or telescopic rods to take with you to use and leave as gifts. If not, just buy a few 300-1000 yard spools of monofilament. Nothing fancy - the cheap Korean or Chinese stuff is just fine, but go big - 10 or 12 pound test - even 15 is the ticket. Cubans rarely fish for fun - if they catch a fish, they want to yank it out of the water, kill it and eat it. If there are locals fishing with you, offer them the fish you catch - don't catch and release unless they don't want the fish or is an inedible species. (basic rule: the more colourful the fish - the less edible it is). You would also do them a great favour if you take a few bags of decent fishing hooks. I suggest you get the regular barbed chrome colour ones - size 1 and 2 are good. (Eagle Claw or DNE are just fine). Forget rapalas and other trolling tackle - Cubans are still not allowed to own private pleasure crafts. Only licensed fishermen can own boats under strict control and they already have their own gear.
Fish from shore where the locals do - you don't need to fish from the resort beach. There are plenty of better places, such as rocky points separating sandy beaches. Explore.

All that said, Santa Maria is heaven for tarpon (locally known as sabalo) and permit and a bunch of other species. Although December is not the best time of the year to fish for tarpon and permit, it can still be quite good if the weather cooperates. My advice to you is to take a couple hundred extra dollars with you and book yourself a guided tarpon and permit fishing tour. If you need a name or two of local guides who will certainly get you into some quality fishing, let me know.

A bonus not-fishing related tip: DO NOT buy cigars from your friendly local resort staff whose "cousin works in the factory". It is a LIE. The security in cigar factories is tantamount to that in the diamond mines in South Africa. They CANNOT take export grade hand rolled cigars home. All they can get is discarded seconds or even worse, leftover tobacco swept from the floor. It is crap - you are better off buying Swisher sweets than black market Cuban cigars. Buy only in the government store: Casa del Habano. Everything else is junk, garbage, waste of money.
I always laugh when people tell me about the super hot deal they got on their Montecristos or Cohibas.  There is no such thing as a good deal. A 25-box of Montecristo n.2 will cost you at least 200 dollars in Cuba, which is still a bargain compared to 550-600$ - the price the real thing commands in Canada.

Oh, one more thing: if you happen to have an old cellphone or two sitting in your drawers that still have some decent life left in them - take them with you and give them to some person who has provided you with outstanding service (or whom you simply liked a lot). Cubans crave that stuff (it is too pricey for most of them to afford it). They can unlock any cell you give them.

Oh, I envy you so much. I wish I could take a Cuban vacation again this year, but it won't happen for some time. I was last there in March and had a blast driving around the island with my wife. Cuba - best place on earth for fishing, music and cigars! BON VOYAGE.

[BNF861]

Geez Milo with this internet hot spotting, those beaches will be packed

Great post with what I'm sure will be lots of helpful advice. Sure made me want to explore Cuba too.

[rhino]

cuba should hire you Milo!! No travel agent can compare to your genuine sales pitch!

[bigblockfox]

i am going their in april for a friends wedding. not sure where i am staying (wife booked it all) but would love to do some fishing their. thanks for the info.

[Steelie1030]

Outstanding E-mail Milo....I will pack up a few of these items to give the locals next time I go.Thanks for the tips!!

[Damien]

Milo, have you ever spent time down in Zapata, Playa Larga, Playa Giron, Bay of Pigs area?

I'm there next week.  I hear it is....rustic.  And that the fishing isn't as serviced like up north in Cayo etc.

[milo]

Milo, have you ever spent time down in Zapata, Playa Larga, Playa Giron, Bay of Pigs area?

I'm there next week.  I hear it is....rustic.  And that the fishing isn't as serviced like up north in Cayo etc.

Milo, have you ever spent time down in Zapata, Playa Larga, Playa Giron, Bay of Pigs area?
I'm there next week.  I hear it is....rustic.  And that the fishing isn't as serviced like up north in Cayo etc.

Yes, yes I have. How would I miss such paradise? 

The way I usually visit Cuba is I get an 8-day all-inclusive package for Varadero or some other all inclusive resort area. This way, for only 800 bucks or so, I get a return plane ticket to Cuba and a fairly posh base with unlimited food and booze.
Once there, I just rent a car and go wherever the roads take me. Car rental is more expensive than what we are used to, but it is very well worth it. When I tire out of being on the road after a couple of days, I come back to my resort and rest for a day or so.

Incidentally, last time I was in Cuba I took my wife to the south - the very area you speak of - National Park Motemar, Playa Giron and Playa Larga. It is a fabulous place for eco-tourism, a quiet family vacation. scuba diving and fishing. While I have never stayed in any of the tourist accommodations in the area for more than a night, I can tell you that it is indeed very rustic and a far cry from the all-inclusive charm of the much more poshier Varadero, Cayo and Holguin areas - or even Manzanillo or Santiago. But it has its charm and it's well worth the trip. It is the real Caribbean, after all. I find it much more appealing than the more developed and resort-oriented Atlantic Ocean coast of Cuba.
In Playa Giron, make sure you visit the Museum of the Revolution - locals are very proud of it and you get a really good idea of the guts it took to bring down the corrupted Batista regime. In the local eatery on the road out of Playa Giron, make sure to order crocodile meat prepared the local way. Very yummy and tastes better than chicken. 
Another place of interest is Cueva de los Peces (Cave of the fish) - a 200+ feet deep sinkhole connected to the sea by means of subterranean tunnels. Fresh and sea water mix in it and create a unique eco-system. You are allowed to swim and scuba dive in it with the fish and it is quite the experience. There is a nice restaurant there, too, where you can also try a variety of local delicacies including croquetas, congri, ajiaco and the already mentioned crocodile meat. It is a marshy area, and crocodile farms abound. The drive from Playa Giron to Playa Larga is probably my favourite stretch of road in the whole island. (watch the road though - lots of potholes). There are many spots to fish from shore, you wouldn't believe it.

You do, however, need to understand that the whole area is a National Park or at the edge of the park, so there is no nightlife of any kind around. For that, you have to drive to at least Cienfuegos. (well worth it, too, as it is a beautiful colonial city and one of my very favourite places.
In a word, it's the real rural Cuba you are out to see. Go with no expectations, and you will come back with the best memories ever.
If you tell me more specifically in which town/hotel you are staying, I may be able to point you in the right direction fishing-wise. There are a couple of guiding outfits out of Las Salinas and Rio Hatiguanico with whom you can chase tarpon, bonefish, permit and snook. It is the tail end of the season, but it would be worth it. Let me know.

Cheers,

Milo

[norm_2]

Milo, thanks for the interesting posts.  If you have any photos, I would certainly be interested in seeing them.  Thanks.

[Damien]

Hey Milo, great stuff.  Thanks for taking the time to write all that.  It was very informative. 

We are staying in Havana for the week (at the Melia Habana in Miramar) as our jump off.  We will be down in the south for two days, one night.  It is our first trip to Cuba, but we have been to the Caribean a few times and are prepared for rustic.  We have been to the DR a few times, and the BVI.

We have not booked our room, nor our transportation to Playa Larga.  We are meeting our guide at 8am next Wednesday at the Playa Larga hotel right on the edge of the National park.  He is a specialized guide to bring us on a bird watching tour.

Most importantly, on the Tuesday that we get down there, I want to be able to wet a line and do some snorkelling.  I don't think we will have much time to really explore the Pay of Pigs and go anywhere east towards Playa Giron etc.  Which is unfortunate.  But that can be for another trip.  Your idea of using a cheap all in package from Varadero as a jump off point is brilliant.

So, back to that.  I will be in Playa Larga on Tuesday around noonish, depending on how long our 'chaufeur' takes to get us there.  Most likely leave Havana at 8am-ish after breakfast.  That leaves will leave me 4-5 (?) hours of light to make an attempt at hooking a bone and/or snorkel around close to the hotel.

The next morning is our trip into the park with our birding guide (should I bring my rod?) where the primary goal is bird watching with the Mrs.  But if there is a tranquil lagoon with some baby tarpon or bones swimming around, damn right im gonna toss a few casts at them.

Thanks again for all your info!