The Hunt For Big Fish with Larry Dahlberg

Larry,
I am a land locked (Utah, USA) fresh water fanatic but I will soon be going to Tortola and Virgin Gorda, BVI for a few weeks in February. I will be staying mainly in Road Town and I have limited salt water experience and gear. I have a 7 weight fly outfit but that's not what I need help with. What would you recommend in a casting rig for shore fishing and reef fishing? Can the same rig be used for both? Also, I am overwhelmed by the selection of lures and was hoping you could help narrow it down some. I will be fishing mostly from the shore but will have access to a small boat. Any deep water fishing I do will be guided so my questions are for shallow waters close to the islands.
Thanks for sharing your life with us. We are all better for it.

hi big,
I'd pick either a 7'6" med heavy rod with a Curado 300 or calcutta 400, or a spinning rod 8' long with a minimum of 4000 size shimano.
You want some topwater poppers or walking baits, some spoons, jigs, and maybe 3/4 oz rattletraps.
The key in salt, if fishing for minnow eaters, is being able to wing it a mile and in most cases move it with a great deal of speed.
Yes, the same rig should be ok for both unless you've got tiny fish on the flats and huge ones off the edge. The issue then would not be so much landing the fish, but being able to effectively fish lures that might range from less than 1/4 to two oz or more.
You'll want to bring some wire and also "hard" mono for leaders. Also would suggest small hooks, sabiki rigs, etc. for catching live bait, and maybe some balloons to float it out on outgoing tides or offshore winds.
good luck, have fun!
L

Larry,

Along these same lines... Ive planned my honeymoon in BVI for the end of June and am already packing my tackle box for the trip. I'm a fairly experienced North East striper fisherman, mostly from shore, and have come to know something about reading the beach and locating fish in my neighborhoods.

When it comes to tropic island surfcasting, I'm somewhat at a loss. My research tells me I'll be fishing for baracuda and jacks mostly, does this sound about right? Do these fish come closer to the beach and feed at night like a striper would, or should I forget about night fishing and focus on dusk/dawn? Also, there's a barrier reef at my resort (barely reachable with the provided kayaks). Any advise about fishing this reef relative to rising/dropping tides or parts of the reef to pay particular attention to?

Thanks for all you do.

of course tides are the main deal. any steeper edges or configurations that create "box canyons" for bait to get herded into are worth checking. areas where surf breaks is big. Look for bait and you'll find fish.
All of your prior experience should be valid.
Bring gear to catch bait (sabiki rigs, small hooks for meat pieces) and terminal gear for same.
good luck!
best,
L

I've spent some time in the BVI and you can also get into some decent tarpon fishing. You can cast at night from the beaches and you can find some nice fish in the bays and lagoons amongst the 1000's of sailboats either near the boats holding schools of baitfish or under docks.