Turks and Caicos: Look no further than Provo to produce piscatorial promises

Turks and Caicos: Look no further than Provo to produce piscatorial promises.

The Turks and Caicos had always been on my angling wish list, and I was finally headed to this tropical island paradise on a short 80-minute flight from Miami International Airport. Photographer Jon Cooper and I were thoroughly enjoying our time aloft through the cloudless china blue skies, while we dreamed about the fishing adventures the Silver Deep Sea Specialist had in store for us.

During our descent to Providenciales Airport, our jet made a banking turn which revealed a delightful view of sapphire colored-seas that surrounded our destination. As the jet straightened out for touchdown, the silver-green flats and shallows appeared in the lower crescent of our portholes. The broad expanse of this shallow-water habitat was clearly holding, and my heart pounded in anticipation of getting out on these stunning waters and pursuing a variety of inshore gamefish.

Getting Right to It: Day One.
Jon and I were whisked away by Silver Deep’s bus and deposited at their waterfront headquarters in what seemed a mere seconds from our resort.

As soon as we saw the Swiss-clock protocols of the immaculate multi-vessel Silver Deep operation, we felt safe and secure on a blustery day when the wind was howling 25-knots against the flapping brims of our fishing caps.

Our guide for the day was AJ Dean, the eldest son of Silver Deep founder Arthur Dean, and apparent heir to Arthur’s inshore reign. AJ’s boat was a brand new 17-foot Action Craft powered by a 115 H.P Yamaha four-stroke. His skiff featured a VHF radio, dual batteries, and a personal cell phone with unlimited minutes – this was a paradise of efficiency that writers find far too little of.

We made it clear to AJ that our first desire was to sample some shallow-water variety; he told us that the nearest blue-hole and adjoining channel might do the trick. Although the run was 45-minutes into the stiff wind, the Action Craft proved to be an astonishingly dry boat.

The drill at this blue-hole was a two-tier fishing system that would spell six straight hours of success. We started fishing whole fresh shrimp (that I’d brought from Miami) on Cottee jig-heads and eight-pound spinning outfits. Since the blue-hole and adjoining channel had depths of up to 25-feet, we found that ¼-oz. jig heads were more than enough to get our crunchy crustaceans to the bottom. Since we’d have to fish heavy bottom structure to catch a quality mixed-bag, AJ brought over 100 jig heads to deal with the inevitable hang-ups that are associated with fishing aggressive bottom like this.

Surprisingly, AJ was pleased with the less than ideal conditions as the rough-water would give the fish much less of a chance to inspect our offerings and feed more on a smell-and-pounce basis. That’s exactly what happened – any offering that didn’t snag the bottom was quickly smashed. We lost count of the mutton snapper and Nassau grouper we caught and released.

Whenever we caught a juvenile lane snapper, AJ would toss it in the livewell for the next phase of our blue-hole fishing adventure. When Jon and I were tired of catching snapper and grouper, AJ rigged our live lanes on 20-pound spinners with wire leaders and 6/0 hooks. He butterflied the snapper to add an irresistible scent to the water and advised us to slowly retrieve the baits just below the surface. It wasn’t long before I was hooked up with a 40-pound barracuda. Soon after, we began catching juvenile blacktip sharks one after the other. The highlight of the afternoon occurred when I caught and released a brick-colored nurse shark of approximately 70-pounds. By then, we were exhausted and called it a day.

On the Flats and Shallows: Day Two
This day we fished with Arthur Dean, who many reckon is the top flats, fly and light tackle guide in the Turks and Caicos. Arthur knew that our second day was reserved for flats fishing, and he was relieved the wind had lightened up a bit. With slightly milder conditions, Arthur decided to make the long 65-minute run to the Middle Caicos, where he had recently seen large groups of bonefish mudding and cruising the shorelines on the falling tide.

Arthur’s vessel was identical to AJ’s, with the exception of having completely flush deck hardware on the bow platform to accommodate visiting fly-casters. Once again, I was astonished at the speeds he attained headed directly into the wind while keeping the three of us virtually bone-dry.

After the long run, Arthur slowed down, idled into the wind-shadow of the shoreline and turned off his engine. He then rigged three ultralight spinners with the same ¼-oz. jigheads, however this time they were adorned with three inch twister tail soft-plastics. When I remarked that the offerings seemed a bit large, he told me that the bonefish in the Caicos were aggressive and gobbled large baits. When Arthur began poling away from the shoreline, he saw an old muddy area and told us to fan-cast the entire stretch using a moderate Florida whip retrieve. Within 30-seconds, both Jon and I had solid strikes and the serene setting was overpowered with the sweet sound of screaming drags. In five-minutes, we were both releasing bonefish around four-pounds.

After another ten-minutes of drifting and poling, we found a stretch of muddy water about a foot deep. In a repeat play, hard-jolting strikes and screaming drags convinced us that these bonefish were downright aggressive.

As the tide dropped out, Arthur cranked up the engine and ran to another promising shoreline two-miles west of our first spot. Arthur told us that this flat had a variety of game fish, and he advised us to rig two rods with light-wire leaders for the areas toothy locals.

This time Arthur kept a tight track next to the sandy shoreline. In the refreshing pleasures of fishing the Middle Caico’s unpressured flats, we immediately encountered hungry fish. For two-hours, we had a smorgasbord of bonefish, blacktips, and barracuda in a feeding frenzy around the boat.

Arthur kept a few snapper we’d caught alongside the bonefish and put them in his livewell. For the last portion of our trip, we ran a mile south to a blue-hole that hardly ever receives any angling pressure. Arthur rigged up two stout spinners with live snapper in the same fashion AJ did the day before. He mentioned that this hole went down as deep as 150-feet, and that there were some large sharks in the area.

Again, in the remote areas where magical fishing predictions come true, both Jon and I had large spinner sharks following our baits as soon as they hit the water. I found the best method for a solid hookup was to cast past the shark, stop the bait at their nose and set the drag to free-spool to create a dead-drop effect. Both of us hooked up with big spinners, only to have them break us off during mid-air gyrations. A long battle and close encounter in a small skiff was much more than we wanted. We had a long run home and it was time to quit and relish the satisfaction of a great day of shallow-water fishing.

A Look at Ocean Club Resorts
Ocean Club Resorts is comprised of two, all-suite, luxury beachfront properties, located just one mile apart, Ocean Club and Ocean Club West on the island of Providenciales. Nestled in the white sand of Grace Bay Beach amidst lush tropical landscaping, these condo-style suites offer a full range of amenities and feature a splendid Caribbean-style interior design. The suite featured a full kitchen, dining area, living room, master and second bedroom with private baths, pull-out queen sofa bed, and washer/dryer. This arrangement was undoubtedly ideal for all varieties of guests, families, and children whether they are anglers or not.

After a hot day on the flats, Jon and I would return to our little piece of paradise to find it cooled to a crisp level of comfort by the welcome option of air-conditioning. Depending on our mood, we’d either savor the caressing chill or set it aside in favor of the beach breeze as we snacked on pineapple, grapes, kiwi fruit, and Brie cheese.

As the sun dropped into the sea and dusk descended on Provo, Jon and I would walk to Ocean West’s Seaside Café – just steps from our suite – to enjoy a pre-dinner libation. Incidentally, this same café was where we dined on delicious tropical breakfasts before being picked up at the front lobby door by Silver Deep’s air-conditioned bus.

Two of the three nights, we dined at Ocean Club’s Gecko Grill on such delights as Caesar salad, bruschetta, lobster, steak, and fresh grouper. On our last night, we met up with some fellow journalists at the Caicos Café, a delightful French restaurant. While we exchanged notes and experiences, the aromas of fine wines, French onion soup, and broiled lobster filled the air. It became clear to me that Provo might have the finest dining in the entire expanse of islands in the Atlantic Ocean. 

The activities and amenities at Ocean Club and Ocean Club West are diverse. All diving, water-sports, and fishing activities are handled directly by expert contractors at both properties. Because our primary need was fishing, we chose Silver Deep, which has its’ well-appointed charter, outfitting, and clothing store alongside Ocean Club West.

The Provo Golf Course provides anglers with “skins” in addition to their fins, while the numerous shops and boutiques in and alongside both properties will keep non-angling friends and family busy as they look for crafts and mementos to take home.

The non-stop flight proximity as well as the fantastic fishing venues makes this a “must see destination” on the list of all anglers that travel.

Contact Data:

Ocean Club & Ocean Club West
Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
800.457.8787
www.oceanclubresorts.com

Silver Deep Sea Specialists & harters
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
649.946.5612
www.silverdeep.com

Important Facts about the Turks & Caicos:

Population - 30,000 residents, 200,000 tourists annually.
Location - 550 miles southeast of Miami, and northeast of Great Inagua Island in the Atlantic Ocean.
Geography – Forty limestone/coral islands with flat mangrove habitat and occasional hilly rises.
Language - English is the official language.
Currency - The U.S. dollar.
Travel Documents - A valid U.S. Passport is required for both entry and exit into the Turks and Caicos and the U.S.
Turks and Caicos Departure Tax - A departure tax of $23.00 is required of all persons 12 years of age and older. Check with your airline, as this fee may be included in your ticket fare.  
Traffic Safety - Rental cars are available, but visitors should be aware that in the Turks and Caicos you drive on the left. While driving at night, be on the lookout for traffic roundabouts in town as well as donkeys on rural roads.
Airport - The major airport is on Providenciales (PLS) and is served by American Airlines and other international carriers.
Weather - The Turks and Caicos are considered subtropical, yet have a slightly warmer calendar season than South Florida.
Activities - The Turks and Caicos have some of the finest flats, reef, and blue-water fishing venues in the western hemisphere. The reef and “wall” diving in these islands is outstanding. There are excellent time frames for whale watching, birding, as well as tours to study the ever-present iguanas. The restaurants in these islands feature some of the best cuisine in the islands. There are many tours for sailing, conch farms, Cheshire Hall, Grand Turk Lighthouse, Middle Caicos caves, blue-holes, and Provo Golf Club.