Everglades City, Chokoloskee, and the Everglades National Park
The Summer heat is here, and the bite is on! Day time air temperatures in June are hovering around 90 degrees each day, which has now brought the average water temperature up to 86 degrees.
Your best bet for fishing the shallow flats in June will be early morning up until about noon, and then again late in the afternoon after 4:00 until sunset. The regular mid day storms will become more regular as the month progresses, so why not take advantage of a mid day break off the water for a dip in the pool, a little nap, and a nice meal before heading out for an evening trip.
We are now fishing 90% on the outside flats and have pretty much left the backwaters for the summer. The Snook will be feeding on the outgoing tides along the beaches and troughs. You can "match the hatch" and throw them some nice live Thread Herring or Pilchards, or you can fish both soft and hard artificials that resemble these live baits.
Redfish are roaming the outside oyster bars looking for little crustaceans on the bottom. Try throwing them a live shrimp on a 4/0 circle hook under a popping cork. Keep ringing that dinner bell by popping that cork about every 5-10 seconds.
Trout are around in good numbers. Fish the flats on the incoming tide with your favorite bucktail jig, Gulp shrimp, or just about any other soft plastic jig…. Tipped with a small piece of shrimp. Once you find a couple of nice fish, throw out a marker and either anchor up on the spot, or continue making drifts past the same spot.
Mangrove Snapper are also around in good numbers around the mangrove roots. All you need for them is some live shrimp threaded on a small 2/0 hook. The trick to hooking the snapper is to let them take the shrimp for a few seconds before reeling in. Usually you do not even need to set the hook, as they will do this on their own as they try to run away with your shrimp.
Capt Pete Rapps
http://www.CaptainRapps.com
