flies and tackle

BONEFISH
FLIES:

• Crazy Charlie: bead eye in chartreuse, pink, white, brown, sizes 6-8
  
• Crazy Charlie: mono eye in chartreuse, pink, white, brown, size 6-8
  
• Yucatan Special: unweighted in chartreuse, pink, tan, white, size 6-8
• Baited Breath: bead eye size 8
  
• Turneffe Crab: size 6
  
• Horror: yellow w/ white wing, tan w/brown wing sizes 6-8
  
• Gotcha: with weed guard, sizes 6-8
  
• Snapping Shrimp: sizes 6-8
• Belize Brown Shrimp: mono eye sizes 6-8
  
  

LURES:

• 1/8 oz. bucktail Gaines Phillips Wiggle Jig
  
• Jigs Spin Charlies in pink, white/brown, and sand/brown
• Saltwater lead head 1/8 oz. jigs attached to 2-1/4" soft plastic Mister Twister type "grubs" in colors white, yellow, chartreuse, pink, smoke glitter, hot pink and yellow pearl
  

BAIT:

• Live small crabs with 1/8 oz. slip sinker, small swivel, #4 bait hook or 1/8 oz. wiggle jig are generally used.

TARPON
When it comes to fly preference, tarpon can go from greedy to fickle in a matter of hours. Slight variations in shape and color can often make a difference in the number of fish you'll catch.

FLIES:

• Co ckroach: sizes 2/0-4/0 (2-3 each size)
  
• Stu Apte : orange/yellow sizes 2/0-4/0 (2-3 each size)
  
• Chico's Shallow Water Tarpon: burnt orange/grizzly, blue/grizzly, yellow/grizzly, green/grizzly, sizes 2/0-4/0 (2-3 each size, each color)

LURES:

• Lures (Surface): Rebel "Jumpin' Minnow" 4 1/2" 5/8 oz. (silver flitter and G-finish/gizzard shad), Heddon Zara Spook 4 1/2" 3/8 oz. (G-finish shad and G-finish pearl/red head). Heddon Lucky 13, 5/8 oz. 3 3/4" (silver flitter and white/red head)
  
• Subsurface (Minnow Type): Rapala CD Mag 5 1/2" (silver/ black back) or Bomber Heavy Duty Magnum 16J,, 1 oz., 6" (silver/black)
  
• Mirrolures: Mirrolure 52M, 3 5/8 " ; 1/2 oz., shallow runner; 65M, 3 3/16" 1 oz. deep runner; 38MR 3" 3/8 oz. (red/ white and green back/white belly)
  
• Jigs: I oz. saltwater jig head with 6" sassy shad (chartreuse/ black back and natural shad). Bucktails from 1 to 1 1/2 oz. in yellow and white can also be productive.

BAIT:

• Bait hooks #4/0 under 40 lbs., #8/0 over 40 lbs.
  
• In line sinkers 1-4 oz.
  
• Sliding sinker 1 1/4 oz.

PERMIT
Permit flies are generally larger than bonefish flies because permit seem to prefer a slightly meatier meal. Because of their larger body size, they also tend to put more of a strain on a hook, so it is a good idea to use larger/stronger hooks.

FLIES:

• Del Brown's permit fly: sizes 2, 1/0 (quantity 6)
  
• Clouser Minnows: chartreuse/white with red lead eyes, sizes 2, 1/0 (quantity 6)
  
• Blue Crab: size 6 (quantity 4)

LURES:

• Lures listed in the bonefish section in slightly larger sizes can all be productive. A Gaines Philips Wiggle Jig 1/8 oz. (pink or White/Brown) is also a good choice.

BAIT:

• Small swivel, 1/8-1/4 oz. slip sinker, #2 or #1 bait hook, or 1/8 oz. wiggle jig with a crab trailer.

BARRACUDA
FLIES:

• Krystal Kuda Fly: green/wh ite, chartreuse, blue/white, size 2/0 (qua ntity 6, mostly chartreuse)

LURES:

• Tube lures (chartreuse, orange) are especially effective, Zara Spook (see tarpon section), 5 1/4" Rapala Silver 9/16 oz. (Needlefish)

SNOOK
FLIES:

• Lefty's Deceiver: red/yellow , green/white, size 2/0 (quantity 6)
• Saltwater poppers: yellow/red, blue/white, red/white, size 2/0 (quantity 6)
  

LURES:

• Follow tarpon guidelines, but add a propeller-type surface lure like a 1/2 oz. Luhr-Jenson's "Bass Agitator" to the selection. (red/white, yellow/black and red spots, silver foi l)
  
• Subsurface: Again, tarpon selection will apply, but add two types of crankbaits: Bomber "Model 7A" 1/2 oz. 3 1/2" (fire tiger) and "Rattle Trap" 3/4 oz. (chartreuse shiner and/or chrome/black back)
  
• Jigs: 3/4 and I oz. saltwater lead head jig with a 3 1/2" and/or 4" "sassy shad" type plastic "grubs" (chartreuse/black back and shad). Bucktail jigs in the same color/size combination can also produce fish.