As January wraps up and our sights shift to the month of February it's time to catch up on what's been going on. We did most trips during the first three weeks of the year and have slowed a bit during the last week or so. Earlier in the month we caught plenty of kings and sailfish to keep things interesting. Several anglers got to experience the thrill of catching their first sailfish. The only trip without any sailfish was one that we cut short due to high winds and then heavy rains. We actually caught three nice kings and a couple of bonito before heading in.
On the 22nd I fished the annual interclub sailfish tournament with my good friend and fellow captain Gil Gutierrez. Just two days prior to the tournament we decided to fish aboard his boat so that I could resolve a couple of issues on mine. Conditions were very tough on this day with poor current, westerly breezes, and off colored water. Other boats reported similar conditions up and down the line. We decided that our best bet would be to put out our baits and grind it out without wasting a lot of time running around. Within minutes of deploying we had our first sail of the day which we released quickly. From that point on we just kept plucking away to end the day with 6 releases and earned the honor of top boat. Our team also had the top angler (David Vittier) with 4 releases.
A couple of nights ago we headed out for an evening of Tarpon fishing with disappointing results. The water temperature at the inlet was around 69 degrees and it seemed to affect the tarpon. We couldn't muster a single bite and for a short time the fish were popping around the boat but would not eat our shrimp. The only good news on this night was that some fish were caught to the north of us around haulover inlet. Even thought the fish were turned off on this particular evening the bite should bounce back as temperatures begin to climb.
Well that is pretty much it for right now. Hopefully February will bring some great fishing and future reports. So far this season has been great for sailfish and the action is far from over. Look for more fish to continue making their migration to the south. If you're ready to go fishing now is the time to book you trip. Give me a call or send an email for more information and availability.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Orlando Muniz
Nomad Fishing Charters
www.FishingCharterMiami.com
(786)266-0171