Lessons Learned at Andros South

Relaxing in the Bahamas — Don't forget to relax.

A couple of weeks ago we ran an entertaining article by Kyle Perkins about his experiences getting ready for and joining us at our Andros South FIBFest last year. Today Kyle is back with some very practical lessons learned.

There’s no better place to go stalk bonefish than Deneki Outdoors’ Andros South Lodge. Here’s a few things I learned as a beginner, that I’ll never forget.

Limit Cotton. Yeah, I had too many cotton pants, socks, shirts, and underwear. While most of my stuff was quick-drying, I found myself sitting in a sand hole with cotton underwear early one day. To say the least, I was uncomfortable most of the day. Don’t forget those silk underoos.
Limit Zippers. I realized after my first salt experience that you really need to rinse everything when coming back to a dry climate. Those zippers were a bitch. I lost a few things, but most were saved by the great advice to soak and rinse all your gear in the bathtub once you’re home.
Rinse those reels and rods. Props given to the staff at Andros South for having a plan to rinse all rods and reels every day. If I didn’t see them doing it, I wouldn’t have thought about it. When you arrive home, take off the lines and rinse everything again.
Pack less. While most think you need everything for a week that you would need on a resort in Mexico sipping cocktails with your wife, you can usually wear the same gear a few times. Don’t go overboard, and only pack essentials – you’ll need the room after you buy your family goodies from the ‘shell man’.
Drink your water. Important: Drink all the water you can during your fishing trips. You might not notice because of the beautiful sun soaked weather and breezy conditions, but you’re sweating. Stay hydrated, because after the day is done, Andros South provides the beer while you share your experiences at the Slack Tide.