Archive for the ‘Fishing Reports’ Category

Time flies when you’re having fun, no doubt and this Summer was no exception… too many first time accomplishments and too many slams to count. It’s hard to believe the Fall should be better than it is now. The regulars know the promise of Fall time in Flamingo… we wait in great anticipation of cooler air and water temperatures.

In the mean time, the patient angler catches more fish. While water temperatures still exceed 90 degrees, slight changes in approach will lead to greater success. This week I took advantage of high water to find cooler temps and happy fish… when I went skinny in search of tailing Redfish, I slowed things down and switched often to stinky baits. My fly fisherman had the advantage this week… small shrimp patterned flies drew vicious strikes from all the major species. Pulling drag and high fives were very common sounds all week long… Flamingo is a special place.

First in, last out
Mike and Scott met me early last Friday morning… one of the first boats in the water. Having been out with me several times this year, they are very familiar with the drill. They expected to be on fish early and often… this day was no different. Within seconds of reaching our first spot, baby Tarpon from 5 to 20 pounds surrounded the boat… in no time, they each had one airborne. We left them biting in search of other species. For the next four hours we hopped from spot to spot, staying in front of the tide and on fish. The Snook were hiding in the grass and on edges of potholes, lying in wait for unsuspecting mullet. The Redfish were piling up on rays and tailing hard in every direction. They caught their fair share and completed their slams…

After being chased around by a few storms, things settled again. The water had risen higher than the morning high and the new water temperature was much better. As the sun began its decent, the fish fed hard. We found a large school of Snook mixed in with rolling Tarpon and had a blast… I even got in on some of the action. We ended the day with a couple of nice top water Redfish and Mike’s biggest Snook to date… the last ones out of the Park. What a day!

There are some advantages to being the last ones out…

Carla and Scott had a great day… Congratulations on your first Back Country Slam!

Another Redfish first…

Fellow PELAGIC Pro, Capt. David Trafton got in on some action as well…

The top water bite this week was just awesome…

Rapala Skitterwalk gets it done every time…

His best Shark impersonation

After a few short strikes and a couple of small Snook, Lex and Tommy struck gold with a Skitterwalk Redfish double…

Be sure to catch FSTv this week on the Sportsman’s Channel or Sun Sports… Blair Wickstrom and I hit Whitewater Bay and the Gulf Coast for some “Creek Smarts”, in a new Pathfinder 22 XLTE… http://www.floridasportsman.co….html

Until next week!

In Flamingo, lots of mosquitoes and lots of thunderstorms mean lots of fish. This time of year typically lends itself to the real Sportsman… one who can deal with the Flamingo winged natives and one who doesn’t mind sporting rain gear on occasion. The parking lot is empty and the fish see very little pressure… on some days, you feel as though you have the Park all to yourself. This week was no different… we did the mad mosquito dance every morning until we made our way out of the marina and in the afternoons we dodged some thunderstorms. The time in between was like that of dreams… tailing and schooling Redfish, hundreds of Snook corralling and smashing mullet, Tarpon big and small in shallow water eating anything that moved… What more could you ask for?

Inspiring Soul
This week I fished two days with a man I will not soon forget… a successful teacher, family man and sportsman. Confined to a wheel chair after breaking his neck in 1979, Rob Birk lives life to the absolute fullest. With very little mobility in his arms and hands, most of the daily duties we handle without issue or concern are difficult at best for him. Yet, the man let’s nothing get in his way and he does it with a smile. When he called me two weeks ago, I truly had no idea what to expect… but, I should have known when he said, “I’ll start driving tomorrow”, that he was not my typical guest. With a little help from his nephew Luke, he drove straight from Cincinnati to Homestead for a two day Everglades Adventure… now that’s hardcore.

Flamingo received Rob and Luke well… they caught over 40 Snook (to 31″) and 40 Redfish (to 32″), all while braving the bugs, storms and heat. Rob caught his biggest Snook to date (28″) and his first tailing Redfish (32″)… congratulations, my friend. You are a hell of a fisherman and an inspiration to us all. Thank you for choosing me…

Rob’s first

Luke’s first

They made a great team.

Rob wanted to share this one…

Rob’s Snook… one of many

TT = Yum Yum

Luke’s 31″ tailer

Rob was not to be outdone… a large golden tail waved him down and with one good cast, it was game on.

One heck of an accomplishment big Rob

32″ and the biggest of the two days… awesome! Please come back soon.

   

Troubled double

Two beauties and the beast…

Brett and Shannon had a great day…

All on her own.

Wade started his day off with one on fly.

He switched to spin when the wind picked up.

We doubled up a couple times.

Nice fat momma, Dave!

Until next week!

Dangerously Hot
With water temperatures exceeding the mid 90 degree mark on the flats, it can be stressing on the anglers and even more stressing on the fish. High temps mean low oxygen, which pushes Snook toward deeper water and slows the Reds down slightly. Keeping this in mind is half the battle when formulating a game plan for the day. It is also critical to understand we must handle hot water fish with extreme caution… releasing them as quickly as possible and preferably, avoid removing them from the water all together. Personally, I have skipped picture taking when handling hot water fish and spend a little extra time with the revival.

Nicole’s School Work
Jon-Erik Escribano was back, but this time he brought his better half for a little schooling. Nicole’s fishing history was limited, but she was eager to learn. After many missed opportunities, we found a large school of Redfish willing to help with her lesson. It was not long before her drag was screaming and another fisherwoman was hooked for life.

The school was at least 200 hundred fish deep…

Nicole’s first… Congrats!

Look at the color of this fish!

Last week I was visited by Matt Kelly and his son Patrick again, but this time, Redfish on fly was their mission. Patrick struck first with a perfectly placed shot to a group of tailing Reds… you would never know he first picked up a fly rod last November. He already has several Snook and Large Tarpon to his credit… and now, tailing Redfish.

    

Upgraded

Then, Dad got in on the action… before the storms blew us out of town.

In true end of Summer fashion the Redfish, Snook and Tarpon have been out in full force. The crazy thing is it all usually continues to get better and better until those cold fronts start rolling in at the end of Fall. I can hardly imagine it getting any better than it is right now. This is certainly the time of year for fly fisherman and any hardcore sight fisherman… the sky is the limit.

Until next week…

When fish are even the slightest bit spooky, the first cast and bait presentation may be your only real chance at a hook-up… After that first presentation the fish may not move very far or at all, but it knows you’re there… and the game may be over. Make that first cast count by doing the little things right. Leave enough tag end when casting, so the leader to line knot does not hit the top guide… that distinct sound can spook weary fish. Make sure the boat is positioned correctly so your bait can travel well passed the fish without casting a visible shadow. Your line and lure should stay clear of the fish… I witness at least 15 fish daily that spook because the line or lure hit them. If possible, maneuver the bait in such a manner that it appears to be fleeing the fish. You can instantly increase your odds by paying attention to the little details…

Right place, right time
Joe Vasquez has been trying to plan a trip to Flamingo for over a year, but his timing couldn’t have been better. He wanted to sight fish big tailing Redfish and well, I’m not one to disappoint. After spending some time on technique and presentation, Joe was ready… As we poled up onto the first flat, we were greeted by very active fish and Joe warmed up with this solid 28 incher…

It pushed a large wake as it tracked down his bait… Joe was thrilled.

His next presentation to this tailing Redfish was perfect… he wanted the bait so bad, he hit it three times.

Later in the day, after catching his share of Trout and Snook, we made our way to a particular flat in hopes of intercepting a school of breeding Redfish. Boy, did we ever… they were there in huge numbers and eating everything in sight. This one measured just over 34 inches.

Say cheese!

This one was just over 36 inches!

Then, Big Mamma joined the party… Joe made another perfect cast and then held on for dear life.

Nice job, Joe… Congrats on a back country slam and some Flamingo Lunker Redfish.

Joe and Carlos were greeted a “Good Morning” by over 300 Black Drum… they were everywhere. This was Joe’s first Black…

As we pushed up onto the flat a little further, we were greeted by happy tailing Redfish… Carlos capitalized on his first attempt.

Joe’s first Redfish!

Mike and Scott were back again. After catching a few nice Snook on topwater, we switched over to sight fishing the flats… and were greeted by a large school of Redfish… it wasn’t long before they were doubled up.

Nice fish, guys.

Noah of Mystique Landscaping treated his top performer, James Garrison to a day in Flamingo and they wasted no time… this Redfish was the first of the day after it inhaled a Rapala Skitterwalk.

Noah and James countered each other for hours… good fish after good fish.

I spent a free day with Kenny… we stuck with the long rod in spite of high winds and zero visibility.

The first of many…

We were on tailers for several hours… but, we finally pried ourselves from them to search out other species.

We took turns at the next spot, practically catching Snook on every cast.

Kenny’s homemade fly concoction passed the test with every species that day… the Snook and Tarpon were blasting out of the water to eat it.

Summertime in Flamingo is awesome… and this year is no exception. Until next week…

Another great week rounds out a phenomenal month in Everglades National Park… with good numbers of Redfish and Snook on the flats, tons of Trout in every basin and pods of Tarpon cruising shorelines, you can take your pick or target them all! Summertime patterns are in full affect and once you get passed the mosquito welcoming committee, it’s smooth sailing…

This week was filled with heavy West winds and sometimes cool rain, but the fish did not disappoint. We managed a couple Grand Slams, many Back Country Slams, a couple 20+ Redfish days and endless Trout. It was also another week filled with client’ firsts… first Snook on fly, first Redfish on fly, first Redfish/Snook and first Tarpon. Rapala skitterwalks have been very reliable first thing in the morning or when dealing with high water. Five inch Gulp jerk shads in bright colors have worked well when Redfish are tentative eaters. Rapala Twitching Raps were big producers when fishing deep shorelines or flats. You can find all of the above at Don’s Bait & Tackle in Homestead on the way into the Park…

Doc’s Huckleberry…
Jeff (”Doc Holiday”) May came to Flamingo with one goal on his mind, catch all four back country species and complete his first Grand Slam… my glasses were sometimes fogged by potent gases, but I kept my eye on the ball. We should have known it was going to be a good day when we were met at our first stop by several hundred schooling Snook… no lie. Each cast was met by a hungry Snook until they left us.

Next, we went in search of Tarpon and found several small pods… after a few intercepted attempts, Jeff puts one in the air and successfully lands his first Flamingo Tarpon.

As the water slowly drained and the looming cloud cover finally cleared, the Redfish decided to show in grand fashion. We were literally covered in Redfish for nearly as far as you could see in every direction… and they were all active fish, crashing bait and tailing wildly. Jeff’s first presentation to a school of Reds yielded a surprise…

Then, it happened… Senor Redfish ate a perfectly placed presentation and the fight was on. It was a certified Flamingo lunker… not long at 31″, but very fat fish nonetheless.

It was bonus time after that and we exercised many Redfish and Snook thereafter. I had a great time with Jeff… the jokes were plentiful and the gases were flowing. My cheeks still hurt from laughing all day. Thanks Jeff.

More pics…

A special thanks to Kenny for more than managing second boat duties for a day with the boys from Florida Sportsman… Dueling T’s… it was a blast.

Lenny started his day off right with a nice Florida Bay Snook.

Then he proceeded to put a pounding on the Redfish… this was his first ever on the flats.

After logging his first Snook on fly, Charles worked through the tough 20+ kt West winds to find this hefty Redfish.

The Meeker Brothers didn’t let the weather get them down… Mike’s first Redfish was of the Leopard variety

After watching his first Snook of the day, a solid 31 incher get eaten by a bull shark, he made sure this one was released quickly and healthy.

Who knows how many Reds they caught… after they got the hang of it, they were exercising fish left and right.

Congrats on another couple Back Country Slams…

Until next week…

Flamingo 2009 from Gabe Lopez on Vimeo.

As I idled up to a famous Florida Bay flat, we were met by the Sun’s first peek over the horizon. When I turned the engine off, the familiar sounds of happy mullet surrounded us. I joined my long time client on the bow platform for the show… in the distance we could see dozens of wading birds and glowing golden Redfish tails. For a brief moment we just sat and watched. Back home we each had a myriad of stresses, but during that moment we had none. There simply is no substitute for time on the water… it can be your therapy, your release. I wish all of you more time on the water this Summer!

Redfish Rodeo
This week was filled with schools, and I mean BIG schools, of Redfish on every flat from Flamingo to Islamorada. I’m not sure what is tougher, poling to single tailing fish or poling in endless circles following hundreds… but, I can tell you I am exhausted and sore after a week of chasing schools around. It was certainly worth it, though… what a week!

After a few failed attempts, Perry finally landed his first ever!

Jon-Erik joined in on the melee with his first tailing Redfish.

… too many to count.

By the end of the day, they were Redfish Pros…

Lee Shaw got in on some action as well… Bass don’t pull this hard!

Mark Elliot was happy with his first tailing Redfish ever…

… but, each one was bigger than the last.

Nice work Mark!

Big Mike Battistoni from Maui Jim took some much needed personal time to bring his son down to Flamingo. He wasted no time putting the first one in the boat…

Until next week!

Whether spending a day with a guide or in your own boat, being properly prepared can mean a more successful day on the water. The next time a professional fishing circuit is in town, visit some of the Pro fisherman the day before game day. You will find them spending hours on hours checking line, changing leaders, greasing reels, organizing baits, etc… obviously, they represent the extreme side of the spectrum, but, they are the best for good reason. I used to keep a checklist I relied on while preparing for a fishing trip and it saved me more than once… sunglasses, check… hat, check… raingear, check…

If you plan on sight casting for fish, you may consider spending some time in the backyard practicing with a bucket and hookless lure. It is hugely important that you have the ability to cast several dozen feet with decent accuracy. The farther you cast and the more accurate you cast, the more fish you catch, period.

  

Mary was prepared… after a few restless weeks in anticipation of her trip to Flamingo, she calmed her nerves on her third cast. Her smile says it all…

  

Lenny had a true fight on his hands when this Goliath Grouper ate a pinfish just a few feet from the boat… what a battle.

 

Tino came to Flamingo in search of his first Snook… he caught a few that day, but you never forget your first!

 

There are a lot of big girls around… in the trees and on the flats. This one ate a large pinfish.

 

Donna was more than prepared… she made one cast to the first tailing Redfish of the day and made short work of the fight thereafter. Nice job Donna!

 

Here’s Ron with one of more than 25 Snook caught that day…

 

The couple didn’t miss a beat… with long accurate casting, they landed Redfish after Redfish… easily over 15 Redfish when it was all said and done.

 

… and more than a few over slot fish. Nice one Donna!

 

A tough duo to beat…

 

While Donna pretty much kicked his butt the first day, Ron came back strong on the second…

 

There is certainly no shortage of big Trout around… if Trout was your thing, 100 fish a day would be easy.

 

This Gag Grouper sky-rocketed on a Redfish colored Skitterwalk!

 

Sight fishing big Snook is so much fun…

 

Until next week!…

In the skinny stuff, stealth is key. If you want to catch the fish you see, both your approach and presentation have to be stealthy. Chances are, if the fish hear or see you, they will not eat. Everything is fair game here… sounds from the engine down to the whip in your cast will have an effect on the fish. Sometimes, it takes less than a sound to spook them… lateral movement in a skiff will send out small wakes that give away your presence. There are no rule books or guidelines on how to approach fish… use common sense. The fish are on high alert all of the time… be as stealthy as you can be and catch more fish.

Coach Tom and Scott Giberson from Pace High were back… this time in the little boat. Nice Redfish Coach!

Sightfishing is addictive… Tom put a perfect cast on this fish and then watched him chase it down.

Then it was Scott’s turn… he watched a upper slot Snook come clean out of the water to slam his bait.

This Snook hit the bait so hard, it sounded like a car crash… then it ran off 50 or so yards of drag before Tom could make any headway.

Kenny had an itch… I told him to call a doctor, but he insisted on picking up the fly rod instead. I’m glad he did… this was the first of MANY.

Then, I had a shot at the bow and long rod for a change… man, that was nice. I just got in some new Maui Jim’s… Canoes with the new High Transmission lenses. What a difference! I had very poor light as the darn clouds kept following us around, but the lenses helped me pick out this bad boy.

On Monday, Diego and Gabe joined me for a couple of days with the long rod… they had never seen (other than on TV) a tailing Redfish before, so guess what we did! Here is Gabe’s first tailing Redfish and first Redfish on fly… congrats!

Then it was Diego’s turn… nice work! This Redfish fought like a much larger fish… it was a blast.

They caught many more Reds, Snook and Trout!

On the next day, Gabe sight fished this over slot Redfish with a Skitterwalk! It was an explosive strike and bulldog fight… congrats Gabe.

Gabe would go on to catch a nice Snook and Trout to complete his back country slam on the same plug… Rapala Skitterwalk.

Mike and Scott were back for seconds this month… with Redfish and Snook on their minds. Early on we had several blow-ups on the skitterwalk, but the strikes were a little lazy. As soon as Mike switched to this subsurface setup, he found himself in a tug of war with this lunker.

Don’s Bait and Tackle has a good selection of these swim baits… which don’t work at all

Then Scott struck gold with this tailing Redfish.

Later in the day we were covered up in waking Redfish and Snook… with a perfectly placed cast, Mike hooked another lunker. We caught several throughout the day, foregoing the Trout and slam to stay in the Redfish and Snook until it was time to quit.

Until next week!

In Flamingo if you find muddy water you’ll find the fish… hungry fish. Mullet muddied areas provide refuge, camouflage and food for predatory fish like Snook, Redfish, Trout and Tarpon. The great news is the fish that gravitate to those “muds” are there for a single main reason… to eat. While muddy water may mean poor visibility of your bait, it may also mean poor visibility of you and your skiff. Often times, the sighted fish, presentation and strike are within just a few feet of your bow… it can make for some serious nail-biting excitement. We had a few real close encounters this week… and some great results!
Graduation Gift

Andy Hogan spent the last four years at the University of Miami studying hard and acing every course he encountered. When graduation finally approached he realized he spent all this time in South Florida and never experienced Everglades National Park… and never caught a Snook. It was an easy decision when his mom asked what he wanted for graduation.

So, there we were, in Florida Bay aboard the smallest skiff and in the shallowest water he had ever experienced… and likely with the lightest tackle he ever used. The winds were certainly high and visibility was poor. After several missed strikes and even more spooky fish, we grew weary. Fortunately, Andy didn’t give up and after landing his first couple of small Snook, he was rewarded with a hefty prize… mission accomplished, but he wasn’t done there. In addition to his prized Snook, Andy would go on to successfully land a Tarpon, Trout and Redfish to complete his first Back Country Grand Slam. Congrats Andy… nice job in school and on the water!

Shortly after his nice Snook, he enticed this 15 lb Tarpon out of the mangroves for a photo shoot…

… and it thanked him properly, with a splash in the face.

Later in the week, Eric caught this nice Florida Bay “Silver” Redfish… he said it was the hardest fighting fish he’d ever caught!

In spite of the 25 - 30 kt winds, my day with Kenny and Rick was filled with lots of big fish.

This Trout was hiding in a mullet mud waiting for unsuspecting prey… the strike was simply awesome.

This Redfish chased his bait down from over ten feet away, pushing a massive wake and pulling drag the second he hit.

What a Snook… easily 20 lbs… she was stalking mullet in dirty water. This picture does her very little justice… the other pic was submitted for further publication

The reptiles have been out in force lately… we saw a large Crocodile on a flat in Florida Bay!

Until next week!