Bahamas: Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge – South Andros

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About The Area

If you drive all the way south on South Andros Island, you’ll come to the small settlement at Mars Bay. Here, Bill Howard runs Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge and provides visiting anglers the best lodge-based access to the southern tip of Andros and the fantastic creeks that lie in between. Grassy and Hawk’s Nest Creeks are within easy reach and the legendary flats of Jack Fish Channel, Water Cay, and Curley Cut Cay are within a 25-45 minute run from the lodge. We consider Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge to be one of the Bahama’s top choices for adventuresome anglers and merits your close attention.

Mars Bay is laid back and unassuming. No mints on your pillows at night and you pour your own drinks. But don’t let that mislead you! Great staff, food, and guides are always creating a wonderful atmosphere and making sure your trip goes off without a hitch. Your accommodations are clean and comfortable so you can rest easy knowing the only thing you have to worry about is making that next cast count.

Included: Transportations to/from Congo Town airport (TZN), room & 10% VAT (Bahamas Value Added Tax), accommodations, wi-fi, meals, basic beer/wine/alcohol, & guided fishing

Not Included: Airfare to Congo Town airport, fishing license, laundry service, guide and staff gratuities, & any specialty alcohol

*Lodge alcohol is provided while at the lodge, NOT during the fishing day. If you would like beers for the boat the lodge will provide them at an additional cost ($4 each).

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Lodging

Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge

There is absolutely nothing pretentious about the lodge. We are not a high-end fancy resort. Mars Bay is a fishing lodge for fishermen. We use paper napkins, we won’t crack your pepper for you, you’ll not find a mint on your pillow, and you will not be greeted at the dock with a hot steaming towel to wipe your brow. You can grab your own beer and mix your own drink the way you like it. And we won’t insult you by charging you for every beer, soda, or glass of booze you drink like some very expensive lodges do. It’s included in the rate. Think of it as the difference between a stuffy dinner party or a casual gathering with good friends.

Bill Howard attends to the details. He is the American owner/operator and has been managing the lodge since it opened in 2002. He catches the fish and lobster for dinner. He maintains all the boats and equipment. He makes all the repairs around the lodge. He installed all the air conditioners and the tile new tile showers. He’s a plumber, welder, mason, electrician, mechanic, carpenter, web designer, takes the bookings, does the billing, and arranges your transportation to/from the airport. He orders the supplies, fuels the boat, and carries the coolers. He is hands on and has the reputation as being the hardest working lodge manager in the Bahamas.

None of it would be possible without having an excellent staff of cooks, maids, and guides doing their jobs. The lodge has a laid back vibe to but don’t let that mislead you. Everything goes off on time as scheduled. One review said the lodge runs like a Swiss watch. The reviews are always the same; great food, great house staff, clean rooms, excellent guides, well maintained boats, great fishing, we’ll be back. We are a small lodge with capacity for eight fishermen.

We take bookings for singles, doubles, and sets to fill the lodge. Because we are a small lodge it sets up great for groups wanting to reserve the entire lodge.

Mars Bay is situated on the southeastern tip of Andros that affords anglers a short and easy skiff ride to pristine flats teeming with unpressured bonefish. The lodge itself is located on a flat large enough for a dozen fishermen. Mars Bay is the end of the road. To go any further south you will have to hop in a boat. That puts you ten miles closer to the best fishing grounds on Andros than the nearest lodge. What does that mean to you? No less than a ten mile shorter run over rough open water and an extra hour or two fishing each day. By the end of the week you’ve fished an entire extra day or two.

You can expect to encounter everything from large schools, classic sight casting to smaller schools of five to twenty fish in the two to ten pound category, as well as shots at cruising doubles and singles exceeding ten pounds! You will be on the water early and back safely in time for dinner. In twelve years we have never had a boat break down. At the end of the day if you still want to fish or practice your cast you’re welcome to step out onto the flats in front of the villa and fish till dark. We catch bones there on a regular basis. That is assuming the tide isn’t up. You will find the accommodations clean and modern, the food is great, the equipment reliable, the guides excellent, and the beer ice cold.