South Florida Cools Down and the Fishing Heats Up!
Before I get into my WEEKLY FISHING UPDATE FOR SOUTH FLORIDA, MIAMI, OFFSHORE and FLAMINGO I want to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING and hope this Holiday Season brings health, friendship, wealth and great fishing to everyone.
This past week we had two cold fronts pass through the Miami area bringing lots of rain on Wednesday and cool temperatures on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I was able to fish a few times with family members and clients this past week.
On Wednesday the morning rains canceled my fishing charter but then things cleared up so I took my son Zachary out on NORTH BISCAYNE BAY. We started the early afternoon in a light drizzle that gave way to clear skies and calm winds. Bait was tough to find at first but after a little searching we located a large school of MULLET and small PILCHARDS on a large grass flat. TARPON of all sizes, SEA TROUT, BARRACUDA, JACKS, BLUERUNNERS and small LADYFISH were feeding on the baitfish. Fishing with live ladyfish and mullet Zachary hooked a TARPON in the 100+ range that ate the live LADYFISH that was hooked to a MUSTAD ULTRA POINT 5/0 hook. After two spectacular jumps and a couple of long runs the Tarpon wore through the leader material and got away. We continued to slow troll the mullet while casting RAPALA TWITCHIN RAPS and X RAPS. The Twitchin Raps and X RAPS got us lots of hits by the ladyfish, sea trout, jacks, runners and barracudas and we released many before moving on. We fished a few other spots with no success before hitting our last spot where we caught two GROUPERS, three large JACK CREVALLES and lost a few SPANISH MACKEREL on live pilchards hooked to a MUSTAD ULTRA POINT short shank hook and RAPALA TWICHIN RAPS.
Thursday we had a great time with family and friends and ate until we could hardly move.
Friday I fished my son Zach again along with my brother in law George and his son Alexander. We were in SOUTH BISCAYNE BAY and the idea was to fish the FINGER CHANNELS for the wide variety of fish that can be found in that area during the colder months of the year. We cast netted a well full of pilchards and then ran o our first spot with hopes of catching MACKEREL and POMPANO. WE caught JACK CREVALLES and lost a few mackerel before moving on. Hoping from one spot to the next we caught and released easily 40 RED GROUPERS to 17 inches, 4 or five BLACK GROUPERS to 18 inches, at least 15 MUTTON SNAPPERS to 18 inches plus a few bluerunners, grunts and porgies and a 26.5 inch snook before calling it a day.
On Saturday I fished Gene, Bill and Lance again in SOUTH BISCAYNE BAY. The pilchards were scarce on Saturday but we had plenty of live SHRIMP and frozen pilchards for bait. Once again hoping from one spot to the next the guys caught over 30 red groupers, 20 mutton snappers to 16 inches, two black groupers, mangrove and yellowtail snappers, lots of bluerunners, porgies and grunts plus a cero mackerel and a Spanish mackerel. All of the fish caught in the FINGER CHANNELS of SOUTH BISCAYNE BAY were caught on live or dead baits fished on the bottom with MUSTAD 1/0 to 3/0 short shank hooks and the majority of the fish were released unharmed.
I have a few days off now and hope to start filling my calendar with bookings but I like many of my fellow guides and Captains we are feeling the economy crunch like everyone else. Our business costs keep going up and our bookings keep dropping off.
I expect the fishing to be pretty consistent for the next three or four months with lots of SEA TROUT, JACK CREVALLES, LADYFISH, SPANISH MACKEREL, BLUEFISH, GROUPER, BARRACUDAS, SNOOK, TARPON and some POMPANO in NORTH BISCAYNE BAY and OFFSHORE of MIAMI KINGFISH, MACKEREL, SAILFISH and DOLPHINS available on the calmer days and in SOUTH BISCAYNE BAY lots of action from a wide variety of fish like the SNAPPERS, GROUPERS, JACKS, BLUEFISH, MACKERELS, POMPANO, LADYFISH, PORGIES, GRUNTS, SNOOK and BLUERUNNERS keeping anglers busy catching and releasing fish most of the day. FLAMINGO in EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK will have a huge amount of wildlife like the WHITE PELICANS, ROSEATTE SPOONBILLS, SKIMMER BIRDS,GULLS, OSPREYS, EAGLES, TERNS, EGRETS, HERONS, ALLIGATORS, CROCODILES, BOTTLE NOSED DOLPHINS, MANATTEES, SHARKS and TURTLES and of course the wide variety of fish that migrate into FLORIDA BAY and the GULF waters during the cooler months of the year. SNOOK, TARPON, REDFISH, SEA TROUT, SHEEPSHEAD, TRIIPLETAIL, BLACK DRUM, SNAPPER, GOLIATH AND GAG GROUPER, POMOPANO, COBIA, MACKEREL, BLUEFISH and I'm sure I am leaving a few other fish species out will be available to all anglers at one time or another throughout the rest of our FALL and into WINTER FISHING SEASON.
I have a few days off now and hope to start filling my calendar with bookings but I like many of my fellow guides and Captains we are feeling the economy crunch like everyone else. Our business costs keep going up and our bookings keep dropping off.
That catches us up for now!
On a sad note I must take a moment and let all of my loyal readers and listeners of the Florida Sportsman Magazine Live Radio Show in South Florida know that my last radio show was last week and Florida Sportsman magazine Radio Live will air its last radio show here in Miami on October 31st. I have been involved with the radio show for the last eight years, the show was on the air for 12 years and only because of a lack of advertising is this show and three others being discontinued as of Oct. 31st. I want to thank all of our listeners for being there for us each and every Saturday morning at first when we were on WAXY at 8 to 9 AM and then from 6 to 7 AM and then when we left WAXY to go to WKAT at 7 to 8 AM and finally to WMCU from 7 to 8 AM. I want to thank all of our Action Spotters and Advertisers that helped make the radio show number one when were on WAXY 790. I for one am not happy about the show being canceled but the truth of the matter is if there is no income being generated by the show then the show cannot go on. If anyone out there is interested in being a featured advertiser at the cost of $250 a show each week then we can bring the show back on the air. I have been offered a spot at a very good sports minded radio station that is willing to give us an hour on Saturday mornings and for that $250 ad that person would get there name or company's name mentioned as the feature advertiser at the beginning of the show, after each break and at the end of the show. They would also have their name or company's name mentioned on at least one of this radio stations sister station plus the one we were aired on and possibly on a third one as well during week day and weekend programming.
Check out my new web site and to read about the weekly catches and to see your pictures.
www.getemsportfishing.com
Check out my report in the Miami Herald's Sports section under Fishing Updates each Thursday, the Florida Sportsman Magazines South Florida Internet Fishing Report
(www.floridaspotsman.com), my monthly Action Spotter Fishing Report for the South Region in the Florida Sportsman Magazine each month.
I have recently been wearing a lot of Columbia Sports Wear on my fishing charters and the new Blood & Guts shirts are amazing. I have had mackerel, cobia and snook just splatter me with blood and one good washing and the shirts are as good as new. Check out their web site at www.columbia.com
Sponsors: Yamaha, Bob Hewes Boats, Maverick, Minn Kota, Lowrance Electronics, Daiwa, General Motors & Chevrolet, Rapala, Mustad, Ande Lines, Pure Fishing, Gulp, Berkley, Precision Tackle, Cajun Thunders, Capt. Hank Brown's Hook Up Lures, Hydro Glow Lights, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Saltwater Assassins, Key Largo Rods, Lee Fisher Cast Nets, Smartshield, Master Repair in Stuart Florida, Power Pole, Stow Master Nets, superfishlight.com, Columbia Wear, Tempress Seating
Capt. Alan Sherman
"Get Em" Sportfishing Charters
www.getemsportfishing.com.
Field Editor of the Florida Sportsman Magazines Action Spotter Report South Region
Field Editor of the Florida Sportsman Magazines Internet Fishing Forecast South Region
Editor of the Miami Heralds South Florida Fishing Report Thursdays Edition
786-436-2064
Target Species:
Snook, Redfish, Tarpon, Sea Trout, Snapper, Grouper, Mackerel, Cobia, Pompano, Kingfish, Sailfish, Dolphins