Bimini is really a couple of islands 50 miles east of Florida's Gold Coast. Though it sits on the Western side of Bahamian Islands, it also fronts the edge of the Gulf Stream, a giant source of life and big fish. Because of this deep water proximity, the flats of the Bimini Islands (north and south) have some of the world's biggest bonefish swimming across their shallows.
Most big bonefish theorists often suggest small ecosystem deep water-adjacent islands as prime areas. Oahu, Hawaii, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas, and Miami's Key Biscayne all have similar conditions to Bimini and harbor some big "Gray Ghosts" as well. The good news is that Bimini also has some of the proverbial huge schools of smaller fish of which the Bahamas are so well known. The bigger fish seem to be caught more frequently during the cooler months of the year. My favorite lunker season is spring.
Bimini's flats are also home to the Atlantic permit. Some permit caught on these flats have pushed 40 pounds. Please bear in mind that the Bahamas are not known for the quantities of permit that abound in the Yucatan and Belize. I believe that the numerous wrecks that are shoaled up around the north and south islands there attract crabs and sea life that permit love to visit. The distance from these wrecks to the flats is indeed short for a permit. If I wanted to catch a permit in the Bahamas, Bimini would probably be my first choice.
You'll Need a Fishing Guide
The best flats waters cannot be reached by foot so you'll need a guide to access the flats of Bimini. The best guides have excellent shallow water skiffs quite capable of doing the job. The three guides I recommend are Bonefish Ansil Saunders, Fred "Eagle Eyes" Rolle and Bonefish Tommy Sewell with Bimini Game Club & Resort.
You should bring your own flats fishing tackle to Bimini. The standard 10-pound spinning rod and small skimmer jig and 8-weight fly rod with Crazy Charlie flies work quite well.
Other Things to Do
Bimini has a rich and colorful history. You can recall it all by hiring a guide or visiting the museum and Saunders Shell House. Be sure to walk through Alice Town and enjoy the straw market items, grillfish stands, and local "watering holes." Two of the leading hotels are Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina (north Island) and Bimini Sands Resort and Marina (south island).
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