BEST BET

Calvin Levy of Aventura reported excellent fishing on the Miss Islamorada out of Bud and Mary’s Marina. On Sunday, anglers caught a mixed bag of black grouper up to 20 pounds, flag yellowtail up to 4 pounds and smoker kingfish up to 35 pounds. Bob Ducket caught the big king. Live pinfish, whole dead ballyhoo and dead shrimp were the baits of choice. Jackie McGuire was their captain. Captain Bill Hauck on the Sea King party boat out of Marathon reported good action on yellowtail snapper and mackerel and expected cooling temperatures to improve the grouper action.

MIAMI DADE/BROWARD

Captain Jimbo Thomas on the charter boat Thomas Flyer out of Miami Marina reported excellent sailfish action in 120 to 200 feet of water off Government Cut, with the best action on live threadfin herring fished under a kite in depths that have had a good north current. Captain Jay Cohen from the charter boat Spellbound out of Haulover Inlet reported his clients have had amberjack up to 60 pounds, groupers from 10 to 38 pounds over the wrecks on live pinfish and good sailfishing. Jim Davidson and his daughter, Irene, caught more than 20 speckled sea trout, a Spanish mackerel and jack crevalles while fishing in North Biscayne Bay with captain Alan Sherman.

KEYS

Rick Berry out of Key Largo reported that Keys anglers have a large amount of ballyhoo and speedos, and fishermen are catching mutton snapper up to 18 pounds, goliath grouper, black and gag grouper, kingfish up to 40 pounds, sailfish, wahoo and bonito. Captain Skip Bradeen on the Blue Chips Two out of Islamorada reported lots of kingfish, a few wahoo and a real good bite of yellowtail snappers on the reef.

TREASURE COAST

Captain Charlie Conner of Fishtales Charters out of Port St. Lucie reported good snook fishing around the jetties and bridges using live baits and jigs. Conner reported excellent trout fishing on the flats north of Fort Pierce and in the Queen’s Cove area on soft plastic baits and live shrimp. But ladyfish have been so thick it has been hard to get a bait past them, and redfish have been inconsistent. Freddy Caimotto from the Snook Nook in Jensen Beach reported loads of baitfish have produced a great sailfish bite in depths from 40 feet to 180 feet, with a few kingfish and wahoo mixed in as well.

FLORIDA BAY

Captain Lain Goodwin of Dirty Water Charters has been running from Key Largo across to Flamingo to take advantage of the low-water conditions in Florida Bay. Lain’s fishermen have been scoring big on snook, redfish, tarpon, sheepshead, ladyfish, jack crevalles, sharks and a few tarpon by fishing live shrimp on Hook Up Lures in the channels that cut through the mud and grass flats. Captain Jim Hobales of Caught Looking Charters reported his clients have had great success on redfish, a few snook and big trout in Florida Bay by fishing in 7 to 12 inches of water with Gulp shrimp and Rapala Twitchin Raps.

SOUTHWEST COAST

Captain John Stark of On the Fly Charters reported his clients have been catching plenty of keeper snook and redfish up to 9 pounds on brown Toms Tantrum flies. Roger Hall of Marco Island caught a 31-inch snook, and Dave Smith caught five snook up to 25 inches and some nice snapper in the Lostmans River area. Captain Bob Lemay had Dave Johnson out for a day out of Everglades City and Johnson had a field day on small snook and redfish while fishing small creeks with artificial lures on spinning gear.

FRESHWATER

Linda Goss from Sawgrass Recreation Park reported excellent largemouth bass fishing in the east and north canals. Goss took some time off and caught a bunch of largemouth bass on red shad plastic worms with a 1/16-ounce worm weight fished closed to the grass line next to the sawgrass flats. Rick Soverns fished the Sawgrass Recreation Park and caught 19 largemouth bass. Speckled perch have been biting well in the deeper parts of the canal systems and around the dams. The best action has been on Missouri minnows.

CAPT. ALAN SHERMAN/

Trackback URI | Comments RSS