Travel Channel 

Bimini in the Bahamas is made up of two major islands, North Bimini and South Bimini, separated by a narrow channel. Freed Bahamian slaves first settled the islands, whose name means "mother of many waters," in 1920. Soon after, Prohibition in the United States created a booming effect on the islands' economy, turning them into an operations base for Nassau's rum runners. By 1935, Ernest Hemingway had found Bimini and the islands began to develop their own tropical-vacation allure. Today the islands have earned the distinction of game-fishing capital of the world.

Sure, Ernest Hemingway worked a bit on "To Have and Have Not" while living on Bimini, but mostly the writer fished. And we guarantee that, despite Bimini's other activities, you'll want to get out on the water, too. When visiting Bimini, you can book a fishing captain to help you make a catch, and many of the local restaurants will gladly cook it up for you when you dock. The waters surrounding Bimini offer many different types of fishing: snapper, grouper, wahoo and billfish. At the reef, the action includes yellowtail, kingfish, mackerel, barracuda and sharks.

Charter boats are available for big-game and little-game fishing, as well as center console boats for bottom- and reef-angling. Experienced anglers can give you the inside scoop on the captains and their boats. Most charters will take on two anglers, and part of the fun in hiring a local guide is to hear the fish tales and other island lore. If you hear that a 16-pound bonefish has been reeled in, it may not be an exaggeration -- catches that large have been documented in the waters off Bimini.

Various fishing tournaments are held in Bimini throughout the year, such as: The Mid-Winter Wahoo and Hemingway Championship Tournament, February; Bacardi Billfish Tournament, March; Bimini Break Blue Marlin Rendezvous, Bimini Billfish Championship and Memorial Day Weekend Tournament, May; and Big Five Club Tournament, June. Click here for a full calendar of the island's fishing tournaments.

When staying in Bimini, Alice Town on the north island is the center of activity. If you're not sleeping on your boat, Kings Highway has a wide offering of accommodations, including the popular Bimini Big Game Resort & Marina. The resort is now better than ever after undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation. The hotel staff can help arrange a variety of fishing charters, and you can grill your own catch on one of their many outdoor barbecues.