East End Lodge — Hotel in East Grand Bahama

I booked a fly fishing trip with East End Lodge for 3 nights and 2 days fishing. Unlike all the other reviews in this website, I’ll have to give East End a mixed review at best.

First, the Good

Service from and back to the airport was prompt, courteous and friendly. The accommodations were excellent. Rooms were large, well furnished and clearly well kept. The food and service at the dining room were first rate. We had three breakfasts and three dinners, in addition to the lunches that the kitchen packed. The meals were exceptional even compared with pricey restaurants on the mainland. The bar selection was great and the bartenders knew their business. In all, I’d give the room/lodge experience an A+.

Now the Bad

Our overall impression of fishing side of East End Lodge was one of disorganization and and inattention to the needs of a first-time client with no experience at bonefishing. On our first day, we received no introduction to the fishing staff; no orientation about what to expect; no instruction about casting, fly management and hook setting, and no information about the availability of tackle. In fact, a fellow named Cecil met us outside our room and said “Hi, I’m Cecil”, then turned and walked away. Cecil, it turned out, was the chief guide, but we didn’t know that, and he clearly had no interest in talking to us about tackle needs, casting technique.

Next morning, (our first fishing day), we found it impossible to obtain tackle, even after finding that there were numerous rods and reels available. I wound up using a trout rig I’d brought along for other purposes (we’d be on the island for four more days after our stay at the lodge, and I thought I might find some “walk in” fishing for other species elsewhere on the island). I knew from the start that the tackle I’d brought was not intended for bonefishing.

Having to use a fly rod, reel and line that were entirely unsuited to bonefishing, I’ll have to say that I was at a major disadvantage for both fishing days. (I did get one of the lodge’s fly rigs on the second day, but, on the second stop or the day, the rod came out of the rod holder with a broken tip. It was then that I noticed that the chief guide had put my trout rig in the boat that morning. Instead of going back to the lodge for another rod (about a ten minute trip) the guide simply handed me the rig with which I’d had so much trouble the day before.

Since we’d received no instruction whatever before getting on the boat, our fishing days were marked by frustration with 1) my tackle, which turned out to be almost totally ineffective the strong winds we encountered on both days; and 2) our guide, who said it was his job to put the boat on fish, while instruction on casting etc., should have been done at the lodge. The final frustration was to be told by the co-owner that 1) they offered no instruction at the lodge (that was the responsibility of the guide; and 2) my lack of fishing success was due to my poor casting and fly management skills.

I believe that a newcomer with no experience at bonefishing deserves better recognition and treatment than we received at East End Lodge. I’m unable to recommend their business to such newcomers whom, I believe, are the group most in need of the kind of introduction, orientation and instruction that we were never given. My grade for the fishing experience would be a D. The only reason for not giving it an F was that both the chief guide and our daily guide apologized sincerely for how we’d...

My wife and I have been freshwater fly fishing for several years, but we’ve always wanted to do a bonefishing trip. We’ve heard of how incredible the Bahamas can be as a bonefish fishery and, after some research, concluded East End Lodge had everything we were looking for. This type of fishing generally requires quick and accurate casts of 20-40 feet, but shots may be as long as 60 feet. That’s unlike what we were used to fly fishing for trout. We were excited about the challenge and opportunity to learn something new.

The East End Lodge guides are exceptionally experienced and can see fish in this water that we often missed. Our guide, Cecil, managed the boat with precision and created shots within our abilities. I had caught my first bonefish within the first hour on the boat! Over the course of three fishing days, we landed 18-20 bonefish, a big barracuda, and a cubera snapper. That doesn’t include the countless missed opportunities or break-offs we also had. It seemed like the opportunities were endless. On the third day we even had shots on a school of big tarpon, although we couldn’t get them to play along. Those tarpon will haunt my dreams for a while.

The lodge and staff were as incredible as the fishing. The lodge is located about a 45-minute drive from Grand Bahama International Airport (FPO) on the edge of a very small town called McLean’s Town. The grounds and accommodations are beautiful and we felt completely safe the entire time. With a maximum occupancy of 14 anglers, it felt like we were a part of a small community for a few days. Dinner is served at a large, communal dining table each evening in the main lodge after a cocktail hour. Everyone was friendly and the food was excellent. At dinner you receive a card to mark what you’d like for breakfast the next morning and lunch on the boat the next day. Most nights we had a fire by the water after dinner which was a lot of fun.

The 2019 Hurricane Dorian had devastating effects on this area which are still quite noticeable, however, the fishery seems to be as good as ever. The lodge was completely rebuilt after it was destroyed by the storm. It's clear the lodge is working with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust on conservation efforts to plant new mangroves in the nearby flats. Additionally, the economic impact the lodge has on McLean’s Town and the eastern portion of Grand Bahama Island is very apparent. We really enjoyed staying and fishing at a lodge that seems so focused on doing good for the local community – the fishery and the people.

Five stars doesn’t seem enough. We had a great experience and can’t wait to come back again! Oh, and the lodge dog, Teddy, was the icing on the cake....

First time fisher but I’m an angler for life after this incredible trip!! I was extremely nervous to fish especially since it was my first time and everyone had so much experience. Justin, our incredible guide was so patient and a true professional. I caught a bonefish within the first few casts I had thrown out I also caught a giant barracuda. This truly felt like a vacation because the east end lodge does an incredible job at making sure every single aspect is taken care of, from transportation to great meals. You truly feel like family when you’re at the lodge. Dinner every evening is at a huge table with all the anglers and it was great getting to meet everyone. In addition to my sweet catches, I had mentioned to Michael I wanted to catch a conch while out at sea and he took me to the perfect place! When we got back to the lodge with the conch they taught me how crack it open and Dexter cleaned it off for me to take home as a souvenir. The staff made some yummy conch salad for everyone. I am allergic to gluten and the staff was extremely accommodating!! Robert the owner is awesome and if you get to meet the lodge pup, Teddy he is such a sweet pup! Can’t stop talking about this trip, cant...