Grandslam Fishing in Cuba

	Largemouth Bass (micropterus salmoides). Largemouth bass are a freshwater species and although not indigenous to Cuba, they have been firmly established for many years, following their introduction by the Cuban authorities who were keen to offer fishing to pre-Castro American tourists. You will find Largemouth in many of the Cuban rivers, lakes, lagoons and embalses (reservoirs). They are very much at home in the tropical Cuban environment and their principle food sources are the sunfishes and in some lakes, eels. The largemouth is a member of the group of fishes known as black bass. They have an olive or green back, pale cream stomach and a vivid black lateral line from the eye to the base of the tail. The mouth, as the name suggests, is very large and hinged - the bass is a voracious predator. Largemouth are a fine opponent on light spinning and fly tackle. In Cuba, they typically grow to three or four pounds but in some lakes around the Trinidad area, huge fish weighing up to fifteen pounds have been caught. It is possible that Cuba could hold a world record Largemouth. Grandslam have access to previously un-fished lakes which are expected to hold a large head of bass.

	Shark. There are lots! Suffice to say that all of the world's top-five man-eating sharks live in Cuban waters! While blue water shark fishing is in its infancy in shallower water and around the reefs you will find various reef sharks. One of the key sport-fishing targetsis the the lemon shark (negaprion acutidens). The bronze/lemon coloured shark is a frequent visitor to the shallow water both along the reef edges and on the saltwater flats. Fish up to and over two hundred pounds are caught regularly.

	Billfish/White Marlin. Despite the fact that Cuba is famous for its billfish heritage, Santiago "The Old Man of the Sea' and the exploits of Hemingway, the bluewater fishing is nowhere near as prolific as it once was. This is due to several factors; worldwide commercial fishing, a general decline in billfish stocks and poor equipment and access among Cuban boat operators. All the billfishing in Cuba is government controlled and the lack of knowledge of the whereabouts of the billfish makes fishing for them a risky and expensive business. Having said this, billfish still exist in the waters off the Atlantic coast and a modern billfish fishing industry is in its infancy.

	Tuna. You will encounter tuna in Cuba in the open ocean and along some of the reef edges where the drop-off is steep and flanked by deep water. Chief among them is the yellowfin (thunnus albacares). Yellowfin are giant tunas, reaching weights of several hundred pounds. Most visitors to the Cuban coast weight between twenty and eighty pounds - an achievable target on plug fishing tackle but very difficult to land because of their deep-fighting tenacity, sheer power and uncanny ability to cut the line off across the sharp-edged backs of other school members.

	Blackfin Tuna (thunnus atlanticus) are also present but they are generally immature fish weighing between seven and twelve pounds. The Skipjack tuna (katsuwonus pelamis) is easily confused with the bonito (sarda sarda In fact, it is the skipjack that make up the big schools of tuna that are referred to as bonito in Cuba. These small tunas with their distinctive silver flanks and pyjama-like stripes are fantastic light tackle opponents. Though not common in Cuba small albacore (thunnus alalunga) can be caught along the South-West coast around Santiago.

	Mackerels (various). The mackerels in Cuba have teeth! Aggressive predators these killers are high-speed death machines that slice at their prey and consume them whole or in chunks. The most common species in Cuba is the king or sierra mackerel (scomberomorus cavalla). Its upper body is bluish-grey and its lower body is silver. In other parts of the world, king mackerel reach weights of up to one hundred pounds but in Cuba fish weighing six or seven pounds are average with occasional specimens to thirty pounds caught. The other relatively common mackerel species is the Cero mackerel (scomberomorus regalis). This is a smaller mackerel with spots and yellow-orange streaks along its flank.

	Wahoo (acanthocybium solandri). The wahoo is a regular visitor to Cuban waters but like many of the other pelagic gamefish is rarely caught. It is a long, torpedo-shaped fish a dark blue upper body and silver flanks with occasional tiger stripes. Its teeth, though not as fearsome-looking as those of the barracuda are very, very dangerous, forming a continuous cutting edge that literally slices its prey in half! Wahoo inhabit the open ocean and also patrol along reef edges. Revered as among the fastest fish in the sea they are a fantastic opponent making long, sizzling runs that simply leave the angler gasping in admiration. A wahoo can accelerate from 0 to 60 in less time than it takes a Ferrari! Wahoo can be caught trolling bait or on plugs. Generally, a faster trolling speed is better for wahoo. The fish can reach weights in excess of one hundred pounds but in Cuba, wahoo usually weigh from ten to thirty pounds.

	Groupers and Jewfishes (various). Fishing along the numerous reefs in Cuba is bound to result in a confrontation with one of the groupers or jewfishes. The jewfishes are fond of coral and rock, growing to huge sizes in excess of two-hundred pounds. These gigantic fish are often hooked on rod and line but rarely landed. The coral reefs also host a number of grouper species including the gag grouper, the spectacular marbled grouper and the black grouper. Groupers weighing between ten and sixty or more pounds can be caught on rod and line but they are tough, tenacious opponents that have to be hauled away from the coral instantly. Failure to do this inevitably results in smashed tackle.