When cold fronts creep down from the north, bringing bright blue skies and cooler temperatures, it looks like a bonefish stalking day to me. Bonefish are so fun to hunt that they're worth even just trying to catch. With spooky and skeptical temperaments, catching one in a day can make for a life-long memory.
A sluggish current makes the bones hard to feed, but a tail in the air is a good sign -- it means they're feeding. Spot them from a distance in order to get the right angle and approach. If you want a shot, pole toward the fish as silently as possible. Once you're in casting range, assume you have one shot. Whether you're throwing bait or fly, make the very best effort on the first cast. How fast is the fish moving and in which direction? Cast up current from the fish, preferably, and watch for a reaction or take. No need to set the hook, the fish will do that when it picks up and runs like a freight train in the opposite direction. If the fish comes at you, reel like crazy or strip your fly line in until you come tight. If you get to the glory shot, be gentle when handling these fish at boat-side. I'm participating in a tagging program through Bonefish Tarpon Trust and tagged and released two fish the other day that went 8 pounds and 11.5 pounds. Sure hope someone catches these fish again and reports it in.
If a trip out to the gulf is more your style, you won't have to go far to get some action. The murky waters between 6- and 10-feet deep often hold hungry snappers, sharks, ladyfish, jack crevalle, speckled sea trout, cobia and the speedy spanish mackerel. All great rod bending action and a great place to start for the novice fly fisherman.
Expect the redfish and snook in the Everglades National Park to start moving to deeper channels and holes, looking for anything edible that floats in their path. They'll readily take a shrimp, pinfish, finger mullet and all kinds of artificial lures.
Though temperatures are dropping, action in the Gulf of Mexico is heating up. And there is no shortage of variety. I've been looking for murky or off-colored water about 2 miles west of Sprigger bank. If my bottom finder shows some structure, even better. Again, current helps. With chum bag out and jigs tipped with shrimp, I've found anything from mackerel to giant trout and stout cobia hanging back in the slick. It may take 20-30 minutes for a consistent bite to warm up, but as more cold fronts blow through, I expect the fish to show up behind the boat a lot faster. Patience paid off when I fished some of the boys who were racing with Nascar. When the bite turned on, we had rod-bending action of mackerel, trout, sharks, bluefish, snappers and ladyfish. The real reward came when the cobias started to attack. By the time it shook down, we caught and released three cobias from 16 pounds to 30 pounds.
Tip of the week: Invest in a decent pair of polarized sunglasses. They are an essential tool in the angling pursuit, allowing you to see your target -- and protecting the eye from misdirected hooks. Even a local drugstore has something that fits every budget. Going offshore? Buy blue/grey lenses. Choose brown or amber for backcountry trips.