Reef Fishing with OutCast Charters

If you read my last post about OutCast Charters, you already know they're the real deal — offering truly authentic Caymanian experiences on every excursion. In that post I highlighted a morning with them that included snorkeling, Stingray City, and diving for conch with my husband (Brandon), my best friend (Jess), and her partner (Ben). This time, I'm sharing details from a fishing excursion the OutCast team took us on in the North Sound, where Daniel and Marc taught us the basics of reef fishing, everyone in our group caught something, and we all went home with insider tips, great stories, and even better camaraderie.

Heading Out for Reef Fishing

We started by heading to a few spots in the North Sound that Daniel and Marc knew were reliable fishing holes. Once anchored, they baited our hooks with squid and conch — some of which came from our trip with them the day before. I learned that squid is especially effective for luring snapper and mackerel, and snapper was the most prized catch of the day.

While the others in our group had experience with spinning reels, I was a first-timer. Marc walked me through the basics — how to control the cast with my thumb on the line and pole — and after a few tries I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

We did get our lines caught under rocks on the sea floor a few times while casting and reeling, but Daniel and Marc always knew exactly how to work the line free. I was impressed every time.

Our Catches

My best friend Jess got the first catch, landing a poggy. Then I caught a nice snapper, and Jess and my husband Brandon each pulled in a few grunts. They were on the smaller side — Brandon's being the tiniest of the bunch, which was especially funny given that he's 6'4". We gave him plenty of grief, though the teasing didn't last long because a big catch was coming his way.

While Jess was reeling in her grunt, a barracuda swooped in and took a bite out of it. Daniel and Marc jumped into action, using what was left of Jess's grunt and then Brandon's — along with a bigger hook — to lure the barracuda in.

Daniel made a long, confident cast, felt a strong tug on the line, and we all saw a huge splash. He handed the pole off to Brandon to reel it in. It took some real effort, but Brandon got the barracuda close enough to the boat for Marc to haul it aboard. Compared to everything else we'd caught, it was by far the biggest — a great reminder that we were fishing in a vast sea. To round out the day, Ben caught a snapper, and just like that, everyone on the trip had caught something.

Insider Tips & Stories

I asked Daniel how he knew where to stop the boat. Turns out, they use GPS to mark and save their favorite fishing spots so they can navigate back to them anytime — simple, but brilliant. I also picked up a classic rule of the sea: whoever doesn't catch a fish has to cook them later. Fortunately, everyone caught something, and the guys were happy to take on cooking duty, so no one was stuck begrudgingly preparing a meal. We all got a good laugh out of it either way.

At the end of the trip, Daniel and Marc cleaned and packaged up our catches for us. The following evening, Brandon and Ben prepared a delicious fish escovitch — Cayman style, naturally — for Jess and me back at the condos. It was amazing, and such a treat to have a place to cook our fresh catch and enjoy the sunset together.

Summary

If you're looking for a fun day out on the water, fishing with Marc and Daniel is absolutely the way to go. We had a wonderful time, were blown away by their knowledge, and enjoyed their company even more than even the fishing itself. Check them out at outcastcharters.net!