First let me wish everyone a very safe and happy New Year!
Now let's get to the fishing that is taking place as we speak. Unusually cool temperatures have given way to a more mild start of winter and the fish are responding in many areas in a positive way.
Locally fishing remains the same at least in North Biscayne Bay where sea trout are dominating the recent catches. Small barracudas, a few large jack crevalles that come and go as they please, small mangrove snappers and a few keepers, some real nice gag groupers in the secret spots in the bay, snook that have moved into the canal systems of which many of these canals are up in Dumbfoundling Bay and further north and require a slow ride through the manatee zones and finally a return of tarpon that have accumulated along the beaches and the inlets from Haulover to Government Cut. Spanish mackerel and bluefish never really moved into the area so far and at this time are only hit and miss. Snook fishing at night has been good on the calmer nights and then it's almost impossible on the windy nights.
Offshore has been dreadfully slow but that can change almost as fast as the wind changes this time of the year. When the weather has been calm enough mackerel, kingfish, dolphins and sailfish are the targeted species along with the tarpon and big jacks on the beach.
South Biscayne Bay has been very good. I have many areas in the Southern part of the bay that have produced lots of action on mutton snappers to 18"s, legal sized mangrove, yellowtail and lane snappers, red, gag and black groupers with most being under sized but others that could have been legal breaking us off on the rocky bottom and then large porgies, grunts, bluerunners, jacks, bluefish, sharks and Spanish mackerel and small kingfish. On some of the flats we have had crazy action on barracudas of all sizes and had shots at permit and bonefish.
Flamingo in Everglades National Park has been beautiful with all of its wildlife like the White & Brown Pelicans, Ibis, Rosette Spoonbills, Ospreys, bald Eagles, Skimmer Birds, Terns, Herons and birds that I don't have names off plus manatees, alligators, crocodiles, sharks, turtles and bottlenosed dolphins and I almost forgot the fishing. Although I prefer the Spring, Summer and Fall seasons to fish Flamingo manly because of the lack of fishing pressure that time of year and the large abundance of snook, redfish and tarpon the Winter season brings less bugs and lots of variety. Right now on any trip your catch could include snook, redfish, sheepshead, blackdrum, snapper, ladyfish, jacks, sharks, cobia, gag and goliath groupers, mackerel and small kingfish, bluefish, pompano, tripletail and permit.
And the last area is the Tamiami Trail a trip that is not for all because the fishing is done from land and requires walking a canal system for snook, tarpon and redfish and maybe largemouth and peacock bass. A freshwater license is required and cab be obtained through the internet.
Now that catches us up on what's available for the next four months or so and now for the
RECENT CATCHES:
Today I'm fishing ion Flamingo with Paul and Tom and the guys are looking for fish for the frying pan. Because of high winds we head into Whitewater Bay in hopes of scoring on some gag groupers, snappers, drum and redfish. Water levels are very low and the water is cold and the only thing cooperating is catfish. As the day warms up the guys get into a hot sea trout bite with most of the fish in the 2 to 3 pound range. The fish are feeding deep and hitting Hook Up lures tipped with Gulp shrimp and live shrimp fished under a Cajun Thunder. By the end of the day the two have scored on over 50 fish including one snook, one nice redfish, loads of snapper, jack, ladyfish and the trout.
Next it is Gene, Lance and Bill and again we are in Flamingo and again the winds are blowing strong. Another cold front has the water low and cold and things again start off slow with lots of catfish. Once again as the water temps raise so does the action and today it's mostly sea trout, jacks, ladyfish and snappers plus a small gag grouper. Hook Up lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp and shrimp under a Cajun Thunder were the best rigs today.
Today I am fishing Marty and his buddy Steve in South Biscayne Bay and after catching a bunch of pilchards we head for a grouper hole and only catch one small red grouper and a bunch of snappers but lose a few bigger gags to the bottom. Now were off to the Finger Channels were the action is steady and the guys catch lots of mutton and mangrove snappers, lots of red groupers, yellowtail, porgies, bluerunners, Spanish mackerel and fed a 6 pound mackerel to a huge cuda that refused a dead mackerel we tried to feed it to. During one part of the day we released a couple of snook as well. Baits fished on the bottom were the hot rigs today.
Took a few days off to take part in my son Zachary's graduation at the U of F. Zach finished his 4 and half year degree in Civil Engineering Summa Cum Laude and now will do another year and get his Master's in Coastal Engineering. If anyone knows a company that specializes in Coastal Engineering and needs a promising young Engineer Zach is their man.
Back ion the water win Don and Sandra and looking for lots of snappers and groupers for Sandy so she can move up the ladder in her fishing club. The Finger Channel is where we head the fish are there and waiting. At the end of the day Sandra has caught and released 41 snappers and groupers on 6 and 8 pound line. The snappers were mutton and mangrove and the groupers were red and black groupers. Other fish that were caught were bluerunners, jacks, porgies and grunts.
Back o the Finger Channels for a quick half day charter with Michael and his girlfriend Mary. In a short four hour charter the two caught mackerel, bluefish, small kingfish, mutton and mangrove snappers, red groupers, grunts and porgies.
Today I am fishing in Flamingo with son Zach. We head on out to the Park's Boundaries and anchor and start chumming. Five hours later we have had non stop action on snappers, jacks, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel the whole time fishing into a 20 mile wind. Hot baits were shrimp and pinfish on a Hook Up lure and Hook Up lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp.
Back to the Finger Channels on another half day charter with Jerry and his grand son's Spencer 11 and Jake 7. Looking for action and the second spot we fished provided us with lots of that. 16 mutton snappers to 18 inches, three red groupers, bluerunners, margates, mangrove snappers, four nice porgies and four sharks.
Back to Flamingo today with Tom and Evan. The guys are looking for some variety and with the nice warm conditions they got what they wanted. We started the day working the Florida Bay area with Hook Up lures tipped with live shrimp and in three hours the guys caught lots of jacks, a few snappers, trout, three snook and three redfish and that doesn't reflect all of the missed strikes and fish that broke lines or got away. Now we head for another area to see if we can get Tom a backcountry slam all he needs is a trout and Evan has already accomplished that feat. There are trout in the spot and Evan catches some but Tom never gets that trout. Were on the move again and the next spit has three cobias on it and Even hooks up. While Evan is fighting his cobia we try to hook a second but the others flee the area. Evan lands his fish and we release it. On the move again and we spot a tripletail floating. Its Evan again and after a nice battle the tripletail is added to the catch. Our last spot is in a river and it's like a fish bowl. Everywhere you look its fish crashing into schools of bait. After all is said and done the guys have caught lots of ladyfish, jacks and a bunch of nice bluefish. Hot baits were shrimp on a Hook Up lure, Gulp shrimp on a Hook Up lure, live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder and Rapala X Raps.
Last trip of the week is with Gary and his son in law Victor and Vic's son Shane. Once again we are in Flamingo. The first stop is a snapper hole but the wind is blowing from the north and a cold front has moved into the area and the fish won't bite so we move on. Our next stop is a spot we fished on Friday and the action is slow to start but finally we start getting some strikes and land six nice mackerel, a bluefish, snappers, jacks and release a small kingfish. Shane had two large fish that we suspect were cobias but that's how fishing goes and we are on the move. Were following a line of trap buoys and I spot a nice tripletail. Vic hooks up with the fish and on the Boga Grip it tops out at 12 pounds. Were on the move again and Shane spots a tripletail and hooks up and lands the fish but its only 14 inches and gets released. A little later we spot two more and Gary gets one and the other flees the scene. The last spot we spot two cobias and Vic is up again and hooks up and after a nice fight lands a 30 inch fish that is quickly released.
The New Year brings quite a few open dates and hopefully that will change and 2009 will bring lots of clients to me and "GET EM" Sportfishing Charters and great memories to the new and regular clients of "GET EM" Sportfishing Charters of 2009.
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, the Newport Fishing Pier and more.
Check out my new web site and see the monthly catches and pictures.
Sponsors: Yamaha, Bob Hewes Boats, Maverick, Minn Kota, Lowrance Electronics, Daiwa, General Motors & Chevrolet, Rapala, Mustad, Ande Lines, Pure Fishing, Gulp, Berkley, Precision Tackle, 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
Capt. Alan Sherman
"Get Em" Sportfishing Charters
786 436 2064
shermana@bellsouth.net
www.getemsportfishing.com
Lots of Open dates for 2009 and great fishing adventures to come.
nook, redfish, sea trout, jacks, ladyfish, snappers
Happy New Year From Capt. Alan Sherman and "Get Em" Sportfishing
