Report Date: August 6, 2011
Capt. Alan Sherman
August 7, 2011
Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report.
I HAVE RECENTLY SOLD MY NEW 22' PATHFINDER XL TOURNAMENT EDITION BAY BOAT WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THE MONTH. I WILL CONTINUE TO USE MY CURRENT BOAT UNTIL THE NEW BOAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED. I HAD NO INTEREST IN REPLACING MY CURRENT PATHFINDER BECAUSE IT HAS HELD UP EXTREMELY WELL AS ONE WOULD EXPECT FROM A MAVERICK BOATS PRODUCT AND SINCE MY ONE YEAR OLD YAMAHA 250 SHO VMAX OUTBOARD ENGINE IS THE PERFECT OUTBOARD FOR THIS BOAT AND RUNNING LIKE NEW A NEW BOAT WAS THE LAST THING ON MY MIND FOR AT LEAST A FEW MORE YEARS BUT ONE OF MY CLIENTS AND HIS BUDDY LIKED THE BOAT AND HOW IT WAS OUTFITTED AND THEY JUST HAD TO HAVE IT. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A BAY BOAT YOU TOO WILL BE BE AS HAPPY AS I HAVE BEEN WITH MY LAST TWO PATHFINDERS AND NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO PURCHASE THIS BOAT OR TO POWER ANOTHER BOAT SINCE YAMAHA IS OFFERING A GREAT PROMOTION THAT RUNS THROUGH AUGUST 31ST. 2021. PURCHASE ONE OF THE SELECTED FOUR STROKE MODELS AND RECEIVE AN EXTRA THREE YEARS ADDED TO YOUR FACTORY TWO YEAR WARRANTY GIVING YOU FIVE FULL YEARS OF WARRANTY COVERAGE OR YOU CAN GET UP TO $1500 IN CREDIT TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF GOODS/SERVICES.I
Hot days, mild winds and fantastic fishing! That is what you are missing if you haven't been out on the water lately. South Florida is experiencing a summer pattern a bit different than we have seen in recent history. Tropical systems that started forming months ago usually form in August through October but this year they started forming in late May. Fortunately none of these systems have really affected us here except to bring us some much needed rain. Water temperatures have been steady at about 88 degrees a few degrees warmer than we normally see in late July and early August but the fish don't seem to mind. Put yourself in the right place at the right time and the fishing has been very good inshore, offshore and in the freshwater canal systems.
Fishing in North Biscayne Bay continues to produce some very good fishing especially during early mornings. Small baitfish are schooled up in many areas of the Bay attracting the attention of sea trout that have reached 4 pounds, barracudas up to 10 pounds, jack crevalles, tarpon in the 10 to 40 pound range, bluerunners, mangrove snappers, bonnet head, bull and blacktip sharks, a few wayward pompano and bluefish and a few snook. I have been arming my clients with live pilchards and threadfin herring when available and we have fished these baits under a Cajun Thunder float and free lined. Pretty much all of the species that I have mentioned have gone out of their way to inhale these baits. On days when baitfishes have not been available we have cast Rapala X Raps, Twitchin Raps, Flat Raps and SubWalks plus Hookup lures tipped with Trigger X and Gulp soft plastics. Nighttime fishing I have been told has produced small tarpon, snook and snappers but I have not fished at night as of yet this summer.
Offshore fishing has been mostly for dolphins. The past two summers dolphins were almost impossible to find but not this year. Why not who knows and who cares at this point because these fish have been in great numbers and in the larger sizes. The key to scoring with the dolphins is to have a good supply of live baits onboard because the dolphins have not been eager to eat trolled lures or baits. The next step is to be in the right depth. Recently that depth has been in the 800 to 1200 foot depths. Lots of weedlines, mostly broken lines, slicks and some floating debris have been found from 200 feet of water out to 1200 feet of water but the real action has taken place in that 800 to 1200 foot depths. Here packs of dolphins with many fish in the 10 to 40 pound range have been hopping from one patch of weeds to another as they feed on schools of small jacks, filefish, trigger fish and very small dolphins. Locating the weedlines that have bait underneath them has been key to finding the fish. Terns have also helped in fending the fish. Normally trolling along these patches has gotten the dolphins to attack the trollers but not so much this year and maybe that is because of the large amount of food under the grass weedlines. Tossing out a few handfuls of live pilchards or threadfin herring is what has gotten the dolphins feeding for us and many others. Legal size tripletail and some small wahoos have been holding under the larger weed patches and pieces of debris. A hookup lure tipped with a three inch Trigger X shrimp or Gulp shrimp has worked on the tripletail and a large lipped deep diving Rapala plug with a piece of wire has gotten the wahoos attention. Along the reef line kingfish and bonitos have kept the fishermen happy.
Fishing in Flamingo continues to reward anglers with catches of snook, tarpon, redfish, sea trout, mangrove snappers, big sharks and tripletails. Last August my clients cleaned up on the tripletails with many of the fish being over eight pounds.
Freshwater canals and the Conservation Areas in the Glade's are higher now that the rains have come but Flood Management continues to release water from these areas keeping the largemouth bass in areas that they can be reached.
RECENT CATCHES:
Michael and his grandsons fished a half day in Biscayne Bay with live threadfin herring fished under a Cajun Thunder float and hooked six tarpon and released eight sea trout to four pounds.
Caught a total of 45 spiny crawfish with son Zach, his friend Chris, my wife Dana, and my niece Katherine and nephew Alexander during the two day Mini Season in Biscayne Bay.
Tom A fished North Biscayne Bay during a half day and hooked eight tarpon on live baits fished under a Cajun Thunder float and free lined plus on Rapala X Raps and released one of these tarpon along with three sea trout to 18 inches.
Fished with my wife and son offshore of Miami with live baits and landed 12 dolphins to 10 pounds plus two tripletails and a bunch of jacks.
Charlie and Mark fished a Half day in North Biscayne Bay with live baits free lined and under a Cajun Thunder float and released a 10 pound bonnet head shark, two blacktip sharks and landed six mangrove snappers and seven sea trout to three pounds.
Charlie and Mark fished offshore of Miami during a six hour day and landed 19 dolphins to 15 pounds. All of the fish were caught on live pilchards and threadfin herring although quite a few fish were hooked on Rapala Flat Raps and Skitter Walks. Sixteen of the dolphins were in the seven to 15 pound class.
That catches us up for now!
I do have scattered openings for the next three weeks so don't hesitate to give me a call so you too can have sore arms, big smiles and pictures of what you caught on the Get Em with Captain Alan Sherman!
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.
Key Largo Rods www.keylargorods.com) recently got in a new shipment of jigging rods. There model numbers are 843 and 844. These are 7 foot spinning rods with a lot of beef that will easily handle 12 to 30 and 15 to 40 pound braided line and a one to two ounce vertical jig. I have been using them for live bait fishing for snook, tarpon, sailfish, bonitos and dolphins and am very excited about the strength and feel of these new rods. I can't wait to give them a shot on snapper and grouper on the reefs! Check out the Key Largo Rods web site or give the shop a call and have a few made up.
Want to stay cool and look like you belong on the water? Than gear up with some Columbia Sportswear! For starters slip on a pair of cool fitting and quick drying Aruba III Zip Off Pants. They are so light you won't even know you're wearing them and they quickly turn into shorts if you feel the need. Find yourself in Flamingo in Everglades National Park where at times bugs can be a problem then add The Bug Shield long sleeve shirt that has the new Insect Blocker technology that keeps six-legged pests at bay and it offers Omni-Shade UPF 40 sun protection, and Omni-Wick advanced evaporation technology that keeps you cool, dry, and collected - leaving you free to focus on the adventure at hand. And then last but not least slip on a pair of Omni Free gloves and neck-buff that is outfitted with a UPF 30 sun protection enough sun protection to get the Skin Cancer Foundation's seal of recommendation.
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 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, Suffix, Trigger X, Mustad, Pure Fishing, Gulp, Berkley, Precision Tackle, Cajun Thunders, Capt. Hank Brown's Hookup Lures, Hydro Glow Lights, 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.
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, BARRACUDAS, SNOOK, TARPON in NORTH BISCAYNE BAY and OFFSHORE of MIAMI KINGFISH SAILFISH and DOLPHINS available on the calmer days and in 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, PERMITS, 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 the Summer.
Target Species:
LARGEMOUTH BASS, SNOOK, TARPON, REDFISH, SHARKS, DOLPHINS, SAILFISH, TRIPLETAIL
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