090607
I am fishing with my buddy Paul today in the Chockoloskee area, we are fishing the Romp in the Swamp tournament together next week. The Tarpon were thick but would not really eat my Twitch n Rap the way I was working it so I slowed it down and let it suspend in front of a rolling fish. Im hooked up this is a sure way to catch Tarpon I've seen it work a few times before. Paul caught a short Snook and then we beat up the Redfish I was still throwing a Twitch n Rap and Paul was throwing a Gulp grub in the next 2 hours we caught 20 Redfish to 8 lbs. and a handful of Snook.
The fishing was good but we wanted bigger Snook, so we went looking! The fishing was good but the big Snook weren't really eating, we caught more Redfish, a few Goliath Groupers up to 15 lbs. Snappers, Ladyfish, and Jacks.
090807
I am with Robert his son Robert Jr. and his father Manual today at Flamingo.They are from San Antonio and have caught plenty of Redfish over there, we are looking for Tarpon and Snook. This morning started off slow, real slow! I netted a bunch of finger Mullet and started running for my Tarpon spot. Half way there I felt something funny and realized I spun the hub on my prop, luckily I could idle. I putted up to the mouth of East Cape Canal and put out a couple finger Mullet the action wasn't spectacular but we did have some really big hook ups. Robert Jr. was hooked up to a monster Shark that ate a 10 inch Ladyfish, after a while big Robert had to take over it was just to much for the little guy. This continued for about 25 minutes and the Shark finally bit thru the leader. It wasn't long after and Manuel was hooked a to a 30 lb Tarpon, the Tarpon ate the Mullet ran and jumped then thru the hook. I had one big Mullet and rigged it up, this was one of the best hits ever the Tarpon crushed it 30 feet behind the boat and jumped higher then we were standing. I had to work my way back toward the dock, as we were idling down the shoreline I saw a big bust. We got close and power poled down and started casting. Little Robert had a nice Jack and then a Redfish on a popping cork and a Gulp Shrimp fished close to the mangroves. Manuel was fishing a cut Mullet on the bottom he must of caught 10 Catfish and some Jacks. We were sitting there when all of a sudden we had 2 rods doubled over and both drags were screaming! Manuel fought his fish at the transom and Little Roberts was everywhere. Manuel fish was a good one,it was his first Snook. The Snook was 10 lbs and a perfect 33 inches the new limit. Robert Jr. was still fighting his fish which I guessed was a Sting Ray by the way it was fighting and kicking up mud. He didn't care it was really big and he finally got it up next to the boat where I broke it off. My buddy Capt. Mark Hlis was just pulling up to tow me in so we were done for the day. Not to bad for being broke down!
When you spend as much time on the water as I do, you really have to be lucky. Luck usually comes in the form of preparation and maintenance, but occasionally there's a mishap. There are so many things that can happen while on the water it helps to have great friends like Captain Mark Hlis who got me and my customers back to the dock. Thanks a lot, Mark.
The action is good, if your thinking about fishing this is a great time to catch Snook, Tarpon, Reds and, Bonefish and Permit.
Capt. Jimbo
305 333-8149