Captain Michael Savedow of Edgewater River Guide out of Edgewater reported due to warm weather conditions his anglers have been enjoying a solid redfish bite with fish over 28 inches along with plenty of sea trout for catch and release. Much of the action is taking place on the flats around mullet schools. Also in the River fishermen are catching pompano, bluefish, flounder and black drum. Best baits have been live shrimp, finger mullet and Gulp baits fished on a jig head.
MIAMI DADE/BROWARD
Captain Mo Estevez of New Dawn Charters reported seeing a lot of mudding bonefish on the shallow flats of South Biscayne. Estevez’s customers have been catching yellowtail and mutton snappers in the Finger Channels using live shrimp and pilchards. Captain David Ide from the charter boat Lady Pamela Two out of Fort Lauderdale spotted a piece of floating bamboo 11 miles offshore and after making two passes with his trollers his clients ended up with eight wahoo to 25 pounds and eight dolphins to 35 pounds. Captain Dennis Forgione from the Free Spool charter boat out of Haulover Marina reported catching four legal size gag groupers, mutton snappers, amberjack and a lionfish while fishing wrecks outside of 100 feet of water. The top baits were large live pilchards and pinfish.
KEYS The Callen family from New York fished aboard the charter boat SeaSquared out of Marathon near the Seven Mile Bridge and caught their limit of mangrove snappers plus yellowtail snappers and cero mackerel. Captain Rick Rodriguez of Sea Horse Deep Sea Sportfishing charters out of Islamorada reported his angler are enjoying catching Mahi Mahi of all sizes plus sailfish, kingfish, blackfin tuna offshore and mutton and yellowtail snappers on the bottom. During the 47th Annual Islamorada Junior Sailfish Tournament Phillip Hess age nine and TJ Brown age eight from Gainesville fished aboard the charter boat Contagious with captain Brian Cone of Islamorada and took top honors with the release of eight sailfish.
TREASURE COAST Captain Tom Van Horn of Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters reported offshore anglers can expect large tarpon and sharks to be patrolling the beaches as they look for the last of the baitfish schools. In the areas of Pelican Flats and 8A Reef in 60 to 100 feet of water look for large kingfish that will eat slow trolled dead Spanish sardines or cigar minnows. Expect the kings to hang out as long as water temperatures stay above 74 degrees. Cobia and tripletail can be found along the Port Canaveral buoy line and just off the beaches.
FLORIDA BAY Captain Neil Baron reported anglers fishing the Shark River area are catching legal size gag groupers that can be kept untill January 1st 2012 plus mangrove snappers. Fishing the creeks small redfish, sheepshead, jacks, silver trout, black drum and a few snook to 26 inches are being caught. Len Ziegler, his son Steve and Steve’s son Zachary all from the Hollywood area fished the Florida Bay side of Flamingo with captain Alan Sherman of Get Em Sportfishing Charters and caught over 50 fish mostly redfish to 22 inches, black drum, sheepshead, snook and sea trout to 18 inches fishing live shrimp on a Hookup lure and under a Cajun Thunder float.
SOUTHWEST COASTCaptain Roan zumFelde of Rz’s Fishing Extreme Charters out of Naples reported fishing in his area has been phenomenal with great catches of pompano, trout and redfish. There have been a few good days of snook and tarpon fishing. Look for pompano in the Marco area near passes and flats. The pompano are hitting jigs tipped with shrimp and sinking flies on the early morning incoming tides. The redfish are scattered everywhere and crushing shrimp. Sheepshead and trout can be found on the grass flats and along the mangrove shorelines and snook and tarpon are in the back creeks.FRESHWATERJessica Baker from Slim’s Fishing Camp in Belle Glade reported bass anglers are catching their limits along the reeds in the areas of Ritta Island and Pelican Bay while using gold flaked Trixie Sharks. Limit catches of speckled perch are being made in the Rim Canal during the dawn and dusk hours on live minnows and jigs. Captain Alan Zaremba of Worldwide Peacock Bass charters reported finding a lot of snook up in the urban canals. The C-4 canal has been the best for the snook that are eating Baby Torpedoes and Rapala plugs.
Walter Karas
MIAMI DADE/BROWARD
Captain Mo Estevez of New Dawn Charters reported seeing a lot of mudding bonefish on the shallow flats of South Biscayne. Estevez’s customers have been catching yellowtail and mutton snappers in the Finger Channels using live shrimp and pilchards. Captain David Ide from the charter boat Lady Pamela Two out of Fort Lauderdale spotted a piece of floating bamboo 11 miles offshore and after making two passes with his trollers his clients ended up with eight wahoo to 25 pounds and eight dolphins to 35 pounds. Captain Dennis Forgione from the Free Spool charter boat out of Haulover Marina reported catching four legal size gag groupers, mutton snappers, amberjack and a lionfish while fishing wrecks outside of 100 feet of water. The top baits were large live pilchards and pinfish.
KEYS The Callen family from New York fished aboard the charter boat SeaSquared out of Marathon near the Seven Mile Bridge and caught their limit of mangrove snappers plus yellowtail snappers and cero mackerel. Captain Rick Rodriguez of Sea Horse Deep Sea Sportfishing charters out of Islamorada reported his angler are enjoying catching Mahi Mahi of all sizes plus sailfish, kingfish, blackfin tuna offshore and mutton and yellowtail snappers on the bottom. During the 47th Annual Islamorada Junior Sailfish Tournament Phillip Hess age nine and TJ Brown age eight from Gainesville fished aboard the charter boat Contagious with captain Brian Cone of Islamorada and took top honors with the release of eight sailfish.
TREASURE COAST Captain Tom Van Horn of Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters reported offshore anglers can expect large tarpon and sharks to be patrolling the beaches as they look for the last of the baitfish schools. In the areas of Pelican Flats and 8A Reef in 60 to 100 feet of water look for large kingfish that will eat slow trolled dead Spanish sardines or cigar minnows. Expect the kings to hang out as long as water temperatures stay above 74 degrees. Cobia and tripletail can be found along the Port Canaveral buoy line and just off the beaches.
FLORIDA BAY Captain Neil Baron reported anglers fishing the Shark River area are catching legal size gag groupers that can be kept untill January 1st 2012 plus mangrove snappers. Fishing the creeks small redfish, sheepshead, jacks, silver trout, black drum and a few snook to 26 inches are being caught. Len Ziegler, his son Steve and Steve’s son Zachary all from the Hollywood area fished the Florida Bay side of Flamingo with captain Alan Sherman of Get Em Sportfishing Charters and caught over 50 fish mostly redfish to 22 inches, black drum, sheepshead, snook and sea trout to 18 inches fishing live shrimp on a Hookup lure and under a Cajun Thunder float.
SOUTHWEST COASTCaptain Roan zumFelde of Rz’s Fishing Extreme Charters out of Naples reported fishing in his area has been phenomenal with great catches of pompano, trout and redfish. There have been a few good days of snook and tarpon fishing. Look for pompano in the Marco area near passes and flats. The pompano are hitting jigs tipped with shrimp and sinking flies on the early morning incoming tides. The redfish are scattered everywhere and crushing shrimp. Sheepshead and trout can be found on the grass flats and along the mangrove shorelines and snook and tarpon are in the back creeks.FRESHWATERJessica Baker from Slim’s Fishing Camp in Belle Glade reported bass anglers are catching their limits along the reeds in the areas of Ritta Island and Pelican Bay while using gold flaked Trixie Sharks. Limit catches of speckled perch are being made in the Rim Canal during the dawn and dusk hours on live minnows and jigs. Captain Alan Zaremba of Worldwide Peacock Bass charters reported finding a lot of snook up in the urban canals. The C-4 canal has been the best for the snook that are eating Baby Torpedoes and Rapala plugs.
Walter Karas