The weather is perfect with calm winds and a flat Biscayne Bay. Looking out on the slick calm water of North Biscayne Bay I can't help but get excited at what I am seeing. Schools and schools of mullet of all different sizes scattered out and along this one piece of water and I know because I have seen it firsthand this is what it looks like in many areas of North and South Biscayne Bay, Offshore of Miami and in Flamingo.
Some of the schools are obviously nervous and they have a right to be because lurking nearby are tarpon of all different sizes, barracudas, sharks, sea trout, jack crevalles and other predators and as I walk along the sea wall there I see a snook that is close to 10 pounds just cruising along the wall passing up one school of mullet after another. I follow him the whole length of the wall just to see what he eats but too my amazement he doesn't eat anything. He either is full from a full morning of feeding or he is being selective in what he wants to eat.
Biscayne Bay is loaded with baitfish, mullet of all sizes plus pilchards, Spanish sardines, threadfin herring and glass minnows, offshore there are schools of mullet, ballyhoo and flying fish and in Flamingo in Everglades National Park mullet, pilchards and pinfish schools are thick. The abundance of baitfish is attracting attention from a wide variety of larger fish and each area has similar and different species to be caught. The warm waters of South Florida is what attracts these baitfish to South Florida and then the predators follow the baitfish bringing them right to our door steps for us to enjoy the fishing action.
North Biscayne Bay is producing catches of sea trout as always, tarpon during early mornings and then again in the late afternoons, jack crevalles, ladyfish, snappers, big bluerunners and cero and Spanish mackerel. South Biscayne Bay has similar species available plus big mutton snappers if you catch the tide and conditions right.
Offshore action has been fantastic especially if you have lots of live baits and calm conditions so I can get out there. Big arctic or skipjack tuna, false albacore, kingfish to 25 pounds, wahoo to 100 pounds, sailfish, dolphins, sharks, barracudas, snapper, grouper and jacks.
Flamingo has been producing a few snook, redfish, tarpon, sharks, jacks, ladyfish, tripletail, bluefish and Spanish mackerel plus snappers and groupers in the creeks and rivers.
Recent Catches:
Tonight I am fishing with Alexander and George in North Biscayne Bay. Hook up on two tarpon and release one on live threadfin herring and release a few small snappers and ladyfish.
Fishing in North Biscayne Bay during a three boat charter fishing s a short three hours charter we released barracudas, sea trout and small jacks using live pilchards fished under a Cajun Thunder Float.
Fishing a 15 boat charter in South Biscayne Bay, John and Kunan, Livan released over 20 cero and Spanish mackerel to six pounds plus two dozen bluernnuers and a dozen small jacks and ladyfish fishing live pilchards under a Cajun Thunder float. The tackle was a 7 foot Key Largo fishing rod and Daiwa Advantage 3000 to 4000 spinning reels loaded with FINS braided line.
Fishing with Alex M from Minnesota in North Biscayne Bay we had shots at a bunch of tarpon but missed each fish and finished out the day catching sea trout and small jacks and ladyfish.
Fishing with local Gene and his grand kids, Eric, Ryan and Mathew in North Biscayne Bay, Eric caught and released a nice tarpon that ate a live mullet that was attached to a 4/0 Ultra Point Mustad hook. Gene and Mathew each jumped tarpon and then we finished the day out with lots of small jacks, barracudas, ladyfish and a few sea trout caught on live pilchards suspended under a Cajun Thunder float.
Next up were Jordan D and his wife Tammy fishing in North Biscayne Bay. We started out by catching all the pilchards and mullet we needed with my new Lee Fisher cast net and then we targeted tarpon and soon Jordan had a hot fish that ate a live mullet gray hounding along the water. After three nice jumps the fish threw the hook. Moment later Tammy gets hit but her fish jumps once and again throws the hook. Soon after the tarpon we were fishing for sea trout with live baits under a Cajun Thunder float and Hookup lures tipped with Gulp shrimp and in no time had caught and released over a dozen fish to 17 inches. Next spot the Spanish mackerel and bluefish are thick and Tammy has a fish on every cast. Jordan is casting a Rapala X Rap and is hooked up on every cast as well. Jordan lands a 1.5 pound mangrove snapper on the X Rap plus mackerel and runners. The couple released all the trout and most of the 20 plus mackerel and 15 bluerunners hooked.
My son Zach is back in town for a few days and we hit the water at 2PM. We quickly catch all the bait we need in North Biscayne Bay and head for the mackerel spot. The fish are there and we catch a few cero and Spanish plus the bluerunners and snappers before heading offshore. It's a bit choppy on the way out but once we hit the blue water edge it calms down a bit. Immediately the water along the edge becomes alive with activity. Gulls are everywhere and diving on small baitfish that are being forced to the surface by predators. At least ten frigate birds are working the area as well. We are off of Government Cut and the plan is to slow troll mullet down the bluewater edge towards Haulover Inlet in hopes of catching dolphins, wahoo, kingfish, tunas and whatever else might hit. Three hours later we have landed ten ski jack tunas (arctic bonitos) up to 15 pounds, release a nice sailfish, release a 40 pound shark and miss at least three large fish that either cut our line or slashed our mullet. Probably kingfish or wahoo!
I took some pretty good video and if I can find a way to post it where it can be viewed I will!
That's it for now!
Let's get out there are see what we can catch.
This is the time of the year that I wish I could fish all of my clients because there are so many fish available. Once temperatures fall a little more the Spanish mackerel, bluefish, large jacks and kingfish will be here and then it gets real fun.
The rods we used were made by Key Largo Rods. The reels were all Daiwa Advantages. The line was made by a company called FINS. The bait was caught with a West Coast 3/8 inch 10 foot net and the boat was powered by a new Yamaha SHO 250 four stroke outboard engine.
Give me a call at 786-436-2064 or e-mail me at shermana@bellsouth.net
Let's go catch some Fish!
Check out my new web site and to read about the weekly catches and to see your pictures.
www.getemsportfishing.com
shermana@bellsouth.net
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 changed outboard engines on my 22' Pathfinder XL Tournament Edition Bay Boat. I had an opportunity to put one of the first Yamaha SHO 250 Four Stroke outboards on my boat and the difference has been just amazing. This engine has 25 more horsepower but carries 77 less pounds allowing me better hole shot while giving great cruising fuel efficiency. What more can a boater ask for?
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, Aluminum Fabricating Inc.
Capt. Alan Sherman
"Get Em" Sportfishing Charters
786-436-2064
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
Miami Fishing Forecast:
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 FISHING SEASON.
Target Species:
Tarpon, Snook, Sharks, Mackerel, Kingfish, Dolphins, Sailfish, Tuna, Redfish, Cobia
