This is the summer and as summers go business is normally off due to the high heat and families taking a well deserved vacation. This summer is no different than others so the fishing reports have been on the thin side.
The best bet for me recently has been fishing in Flamingo in Everglades National Park. In my last report I stated that fishing in Flamingo was off and as of last week where I had opportunity to fish Flamingo three times I found the fishing to be just the opposite.
On My first trip last week with Jack and his friend Lucy we fished around some of the Keys and missed a nice snook on a Hook Up lure tipped with a Gulp shrimp and released a few small trout before moving to an area that holds lots of bait this time of year. After a few quick casts we had all of the pinfish and ballyhoo that we needed and headed offshore where we anchored in a few interesting spots and caught a nice mangrove snapper and a lane snapper plus a bunch of jacks and a couple of bluefish and a bunch of sharks including an 80 pound nurse shark caught on 10 pound spin by Lucy before the action slowed down. On the way to the next spot we saw a few nice tripletail free floating but could not hook up. We headed to a small creek where we released two small snook and then a school of tarpon moved in and started feeding on a school of menhaden. As hard as we tried we could not catch one of those tarpon. We had a ten pound tripletail swim right to us but ignored every offering before it went on its way. On to the next spot but before we got to it we spotted a number of free floating tripletail and ended up catching two keeps out of five that we saw. Lucy caught a nice tripletail on a ¼ ounce Hook Up lure tipped with a Gulp shrimp and Jack caught one on a Cajun Thunder and a live pilchard. We saw a cruising cobia that followed our Hook Up lure but split the scene before we could throw a pinfish to it. At our last spot Jack released a 26 inch snook caught on a pinfish and then both Lucy and Jack caught 22 inch redfish on pinfish before we call it a day.
Today I have Lucy and Jack again and the weather is horrible. A big storm is sitting over Florida Bay and ends up staying there all day. We ran out, caught bait and headed north to get away from the weather. At our first spot we released three small snook before Jack hooked up with a nice 25 inch snook and then Lucy hooked a good fish that turned into being a Goliath of about 10 pounds. A great fight on light tackle. Lucy hooked up again and this fish turned into a big sawfish that we were able to get to boat side but not o the surface. The fish was on 10 pound line and just would not let us see more than its tail and fins before breaking the line. The storm started to threaten us again so we headed further north and ended up in Whitewater Bay. Jack hooked a nice snook on a Cajun Thunder and a live finger mullet. That snook was 28 inches and 9 pounds. We released trout, jacks, snappers, ladyfish and had shots at six free swimming redfish before calling it a day.
Wednesday and Thursday I participated in the Lobster Mini Season and we ended up with a total of 55 tails for the two days.
On Saturday I was back in Flamingo with Paul, Bob and Ethan. Our first spot was a hot with the guys catching six redfish to 27.5 inches and released over 10 snook all caught on Hook Up lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp and Rapala X Raps. We caught and released quite a few snappers plus ladyfish and jacks. At one time we had a school of over 200 redfish swimming all around us. Unfortunately after each angler had hooked up the fish spooked and left the scene. The rest of the day we were running from storms but did have many shots at tripletail that were free floating and managed to land a nice 10 pounder caught on a Cajun Thunder and a live pinfish.
Today I have Manuel, his son Manny and Manny's buddy Carlos and we are in Flamingo again. After heading out into Florida Bay we immediatley are faced with a huge rain squall that is slowly pushing to the north. We take a few minutes and catch a well full of pinfish, ballyhoo and a few pilchards before heading north. The storm is still in our way so we stop on a grass flat and cast some Hook Up lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp. In no time the guys are catching sea trout, snapper, gag, grouper, ladyfish and jacks literraly on every cast. After an hour or more of hot action the tide runs out and its time to move on. The storm is still around and in our way and again we decide to fish short of my origional destination. As we approach our new spot I see a tripletail and we catch a nice six pounder and then we see another four or five more before they dissapear. The area I had intended to fish was still in the rain squall that looked like it would stay in that area all day and did. We headed closer to the marina to see if we could find the snook and redfish that we had had action from a few days before. The action was slow for over an hour and we kept moving around and then just before laeving the area we tried one more spot and bang we were into the fish. For the next hour or so the guys had a big redfish, snook or jack on their line till it was time to go in. These fish were eating a dead ballyhoo or live pinfish attached to a Hook Up lure.
Well that catches us up for now!
Give me a call and let's go fishing!
786-436-2064
Check out my new web site and see your monthly catches and 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 or tune into the Florida Sportsman Magazines Live Radio Show on 1080 WMCU on the AM dial or listen on the internet at www.1080wmcu.com every Saturday morning from 7 to 8 AM and here the up to the minute fishing forecasts from some of the top Capt.'s in South Florida like Capt. Jimbo Thomas on the Thomas Flyer, Capt. Bouncer Smith on Bouncers Dusky, Capt Skip Bradeen on the Blue Chips Too out of Whale Harbor Marina, Capt. Wayne Conn on The Reward Fleet, and more.
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
Capt. Alan Sherman
"Get Em" Sportfishing Charters
www.getemsportfishing.com
Host of Florida Sportsman Radio Live/South
1080 WMCU AM Saturdays from 7 to 8 AM
786-436-2064
Miami Fishing Forecast:
Fish early and get the best results and remember our fishing in South Florida can and will change at the drop of a hat.
Target Species:
Snook, Tarpon, Redfish, Cobia, Kingfish, Dolphins, Permit, Sharks