Crooked Island Lodge

Accommodations

Oceanfront Lodge Rooms // Capacity - 12 Anglers

Season

Year-Round

Species

Primarily Bonefish With Some Tarpon & Permit Around

Ideal for

Solo Anglers & Friends

One of the Least-Visited and Most Productive Fisheries in The Bahamas

Crooked Island is one of the least visited and most productive fisheries in the Bahamas; about as far from Florida as one can get and still be in Bahamian waters. The location of the island is important when you consider that weather patterns in this southern area are usually more consistent and warmer than in other Bahamian islands, especially throughout the winter months. The expansive lodge grounds at Crooked Island Lodge include a pleasant swimming beach, with sea kayaks available to tour the coast. All guest rooms sit at the tip of Pittstown Point, providing easy access to the ocean. The lodge accommodates a maximum of 12 anglers per week, something that the owners believe will ensure the quality of fishing for many years to come. Aside from the fantastic bonefishing, permit and tarpon can be found during most months of the year, and the guides on the island are eager to fish for them.

Lodging Details
Located on the northwest corner of Crooked Island, Pittstown Point is an oceanfront resort with 12 island-style rooms. Ten rooms have two double beds, and two rooms have one king bed. Each of the rooms has a private bath. All bedrooms and bathrooms are recently-renovated, giving guests the choice of air-conditioned rooms or cooling rooms with natural breezes and ceiling fans. The lodge looks onto the beautiful Bird Rock Lighthouse, which was built in 1876. A 3,500-foot airstrip is available if you plan to fly your own plane to the island.

Food and Beverage
The dining room is an authentic local restaurant in which the culinary staff prepares fresh, locally-caught grouper, snapper, tuna, mahi-mahi, lobster, and conch. You can expect American-style breakfasts and fresh Bahamian cuisine for dinner. Lunches are packed in coolers for your days on the water. The lodge carries a fully-stocked bar offering beer, wine, and liquor and will be happy to keep a tab during your stay. Sodas, juices, and coffees are included in your package price.

Typical Length of Stay
Designated arrival and departure days for the island (via scheduled commercial service on Bahamas Air) are Wednesdays and Saturdays, which means that a seven (7) nights / six (6) fishing days itinerary is the standard package. Other schedules (Wednesday to Saturday, or Saturday to Wednesday) can be accommodated based on availability. Please call Yellow Dog for details. A charter flight option is also available. If you travel to Crooked Island by charter flight, you can arrive and depart on any day of the week, and trips of any length can be arranged. Please keep in mind that the guides on the island do not guide or work on Saturdays.

Non-Angling Activities and Options
Crooked Island is engulfed by beautiful turquoise flats, pristine coral reefs, and small cays. The lodge itself overlooks the picturesque Bird Rock Lighthouse, which is surrounded by an extensive reef system. Guests who enjoy snorkeling can wade into the ocean only steps away from the lodge rooms. Certified divers may experience unique and spectacular “wall diving” just a few hundred yards from the beach. Crooked Island Lodge provides comfortable accommodations and the complete service one would expect from a beach resort. Historical tours of the island, beachcombing, beach picnics, scuba, snorkeling, reef and offshore fishing, some nightlife and shopping in small villages (limited!) are all popular activities.

Internet / Communications
The lodge does offer Wi-Fi for guests. Some U.S. cell phones may work throughout the Bahamas depending on your service plan.

How To Get There
Most anglers fly commercially to Nassau International Airport (NAS). There are numerous daily flights to Nassau from many of the larger U.S. cities. From Nassau, you fly to Crooked Island’s Colonel Hill Airport (CRI). Designated arrival and departure days for the island (via scheduled commercial service on Bahamas Air) are Wednesdays and Saturdays. There is also a charter flight option that is available. If you travel to Crooked Island by charter flight, you can arrive and depart on any day of the week, and trips of any length can be arranged.

Arrival and Departure Details / Times
Most guests fly Bahamas Air from Nassau (NAS) to Crooked Island’s Colonel Hill Airport (CRI) on Wednesdays or Saturdays. Commercial flights depart Nassau in the morning. There is also a great charter flight option that is available, which means that you can arrive and depart on any day of the week at any time. Take advantage of arriving and departing on Crooked Island Lodge’s private 3,500-foot runway. Once you arrive on Crooked Island, a van from the hotel will pick you up for a short 15-minute drive to Pittstown Point.

Documents Required
All U.S. citizens are required to have a valid passport that does not expire within six (6) months of the trip dates. Please be sure that your passport has at least two blank, unstamped pages remaining in the back, and that it is not torn, delaminated or damaged in any way.

Travel Arrangements
Yellow Dog provides airline reservations ad ticketing assistance through etcTravel Group, and a full-service airline logistics agent that can help book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and more. You can click here to request a quote or contact Yellow Dog for more information at 406-585-8667. etcTravel Group offers dedicated support services for all Yellow Dog clients. Service fees may apply when booking or researching tickets, and etcTravel will discuss this with you before sending quotes.

Travel Tools
– Airline Ticketing
– Moon Phases
– Rent This Rod
– Trip Insurance and Emergency Evacuation
– Global Rescue Membership

General Information
The fishing on the south side of Crooked Island provides numerous bonefish opportunities on vast white sand flats. The operation is limited to six boats per week, something the owners believe will ensure quality fishing for many years to come. The average bonefish in these waters runs two- to four pounds, and anglers will find themselves casting at larger fish on a regular basis. You can also expect to spend the week wading pristine flats that seem endless, with no other anglers in sight.

Permit can be found most of the year and guides on the island are continually dialing in on the ways to catch these fish with each passing season. This is one of the finest Bahamian locations to target the elusive permit, and good numbers have been taken on the fly by lodge guests over the past several years. While this is not a prolific or consistent tarpon fishery, tarpon can be jumped and landed in the late spring and summer. Sharks and barracudas are also abundant on the flats, giving anglers additional opportunities and excitement.

Aside from the fantastic flats fishing, anglers may experience the thrill of offshore fishing in the deeper waters that surround Crooked Island. These waters are rarely fished due to the island’s remote location. The lack of sportfishing boats in the area make for incredible catches. During the late spring and summer months, the tuna and marlin bite is normally consistent, and the dorado and tuna action can be good year-round. Inshore fishing has become very popular over the past year and takes place in 100 feet of water or less. Species include grouper, snapper, jacks, mackerel, sharks and cudas, all of which can make for some very fast-paced action. Night fishing trips are also available for the hard-core angler.

The fishing program on Crooked is staffed by long-time professionals, many of whom have worked here since the mid-1990s. They focus on bonefish but are knowledgeable and excited about the untapped and largely unmolested permit and tarpon fisheries.

January – February
These months are great for trophy bonefish, as well as for permit on the flats. Huge barracuda can be consistently targeted during these months as well.

March – May
These months usually produce the most consistent weather for fly fishing the flats. Large numbers of bonefish in all sizes can be found, and tarpon begin to show up in mid-April.

June – September
Typical summer days are calm and hot, but regular afternoon showers will cool off the flats, bringing in larger bonefish and tarpon. The bonefishing is best in the mornings, the tarpon fishing better in the afternoons. Sharks, barracuda, jacks, and snapper are also prevalent in the summer months.

October – December
Since Crooked is further south than other islands, these months can offer better weather than the northern islands. Bonefish are found in good numbers in the warmer, sheltered flats protected from the ocean trade winds. This is a good time of the year to search for permit.

Boats and Equipment
The guides on Crooked use a variety of flats skiffs, including 18-foot Hewes Redfishers, Action Crafts, and Super Seas. All boats are equipped with poling platforms, spacious decks, rod holders and radios. It is recommended that anglers bring their own gear and equipment, including rods, reels, wading boots, flies, and all terminal tackle.

2022-2023 Package RatesRemember that Yellow Dog’s services are completely free! When you book a trip with Yellow Dog, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge or outfitter. All prices listed below are per person and quoted in U.S. dollars.

Double Occupancy7 Nights / 6 Fishing Days = $4,250.00

Single Room/Shared Boat7 Nights / 6 Fishing Days = $5,037.50

Single Occupancy Room and Boat7 Nights / 6 Fishing Days = $6,750.00

What’s Included:

Seven (7) nights lodging as specified
Six (6) days guided bonefishing
All meals at the lodge
Landing fees and transport from Pittstown Airport

What’s Not Included:

Round trip airfare to and from Crooked Island, Bahamas
Ground transfers to/from the lodge and the Colonel Hill Airport ($100 each way — price does not change based on the number of anglers)
Ground transfer to/from Turtle Sound ($25 each way, per day)
Gratuities for fishing guides and lodge staff (a charge of $104 per person is applied to final bill)
Permit fishing fuel surcharge
All alcoholic beverages
All beverages outside of those included with guided fishing
Custom ordered meals
Bahamas fishing license
Flyfishing equipment, flies, and terminal tackle
Bahamas VAT Tax (10%) on package and all additional purchases

Crooked Island Bonefishing Lodge (Crooked Island, Bahamas)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS – CANCELLATIONS
For all cancellations, written notice must be sent to and received by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, LLC. For cancellations outside of 90 days from beginning of the trip, full amount minus the Yellow Dog handling fee may be refunded or a full credit applied to a future trip booked within one year. This decision will be made by the lodge. Cancellations 60 to 89 days prior to start of trip = 50% refund or trip credit of payment amount. No refund will be given for trips cancelled inside of 60 days from start of trip, regardless of reason. The lodge may, however, issue a partial trip credit to be used within one year. Again, this decision will be made by the lodge. If a cancelled package is resold by either the outfitter or by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, then a full refund will be sent minus a $100.00 processing fee per guest charged by the outfitter (in addition to a $100.00 per person cancellation fee charged by Yellow Dog Flyfishing.) Crooked Island Lodge and Yellow Dog strongly recommend that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance for your trip. Crooked Island Lodge will not refund payments in the event of a hurricane or poor weather. Receipt of deposit and/or final payment is acknowledgment that registrant has read and accepts the deposit, cancellation, refund and responsibility clauses for these packages.

Payment Terms For All Yellow Dog Trip Bookings
In order to lock in your trip reservation, we ask that you please remit payment at the time of receipt of invoice. For your convenience, Yellow Dog accepts on-line payments via a direct and secure ACH platform – a quick and easy way to complete your trip reservation. Note that all Yellow Dog invoices include a live link that takes you directly to the Yellow Dog ACH platform for fast and easy payment. For open and existing invoices with a remaining balance, payment reminders also include this easy link to the ACH page.

Other customary forms of payment that are accepted are checks or wire transfers. If you would like to pay in a different way or have any questions about alternate payment methods, please contact Yellow Dog at (888) 777-5060 or (406) 585-8667. We are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Beginning September 1st, 2020, Yellow Dog will apply a 3% convenience fee for all credit card transactions.

Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures Standard Forms For Payment

ACH online payments (for US banking institutions only).
Traditional checks (sent via mail)
Electronic wire payments (client is responsible for any wiring fees)

*Please contact us if you prefer or require a different payment option. Convenience fees may apply for other payment methods.

**Please be aware that the ACH platform is only available for US financial institutions and bank accounts. International payments can be made via wire or with a credit card.

“Crooked Island is an amazing, special experience. Relaxing, laid back, friendly and beautiful. The flats go on forever and there are chances to land a variety of fish- tarpon, large and small bones, trigger and the elusive permit.” – Vickie L.
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“The staff at Crooked Island Lodge treated us like royalty. They went out of their way to make this trip exceptional. The lodge is rebuilding after the hurricane but it is a comfortable and safe place with a beautiful swimming beach outside our doorstep. The food is some of the best we have eaten at various fishing lodges during trips to the Bahamas. This is a remote location and perfect for those who do not want to deal with crowds on the water and like a more laid back style. We caught bonefish up to 8 lb and cast to bonefish up to 12 lb. We fished with 2 of the 6 available guides and they were excellent. There is fishing to permit and tarpon as well as multiple other species. I hope to be able to fish again next year at Crooked Island Lodge.” – Mark I.
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“Crooked Island Lodge is the package deal for ease of travel, lodging, food, wading flats, poling flats, and blue water. Can’t wait to go back.” – Michael D.