Fishing report (sort of), 21 April, 2020
Capt. Bob LeMay
April 21, 2020
Everglades City - Saltwater Fishing Report
Time for a bit of fishing info in a world without much currently... Like most I'm locked out of my favorite areas - particularly Flamingo, and won't be down there again until it re-opens. The good news is that areas just northwest of Everglades National Park (Chokoloskee to Goodland) are still open and available... I've made a few forays from there - both down into the Park to the south - and outside the Park. For any who might forget - here's one of a few pics I've taken over the years of the backcountry at dawn - and you need to be on the water an hour before sunup for this particular shot...
[img]https://i.imgur.com/gotGZbD.jpg[/img]
Like most I've been at home working on my gear (re-doing rods, filling lure orders, and doing a bit of boat and trailer maintenance or repair (aren't boats fun?). Every now and then I make a solo scouting run down to the Everglades City / Chokoloskee area to keep current so that I'm up and ready when folks are finally able to book a guide again. Last Thursday I was out of Port of the Islands (great ramp, nine miles west of Everglades City - all shutdown but the ramp still available) and go there a bit more than an hour before sunrise. I wasn't the first one there - early as it was, you could see that some other guy was already on the water... Idled on out into the marina - then down to the canal and found a docklight with small tarpon loaded up in it. These were fish from 3 to about 7lbs and they came after the popping bug I worked through the area. Since dawn was coming on quickly I only had a few minutes before the light was gone but those small fish still attacked on sight and I was able to jump two or three of them... Here's a pic of the bug I was using ...
[img]https://i.imgur.com/pVXI1MK.jpg[/img]
Called a SpeedBug, it's on a #1 hook and the tail is kept as short as possible...
Once the light was gone, a bit farther down the water, just before dawn I tossed an old Skitterwalk up against a spot that usually holds fish and was rewarded by an explosive strike in just a few feet... It was a great slot sized (about 29") snook - and it was promptly invited home for dinner... Here's a pic - and you'll note that I'm a bit "old school" as far as colors on my topwater plugs...
[img]https://i.imgur.com/bncOJkb.jpg[/img]
From there I ran all the way out to the nearest Gulf side islands then to the south a bit and gradually worked my way back up inside to Fakahatchee Bay and was back at the ramp by 12 noon... I only saw 8 to 12 trailers there so there were a fair number - and this is only one of four or more ramps into the 10K area still open... You do have to stay current when you run into the backcountry of the 'glades since things can change very quickly there.
Back at home it was back to filling lure orders and other home-type stuff... Here's a pic of one of them - a 200 piece order baked out and ready for packaging (powder coated lead heads need to be baked a bit to harden up the finish..).
[img]https://i.imgur.com/nuxua3K.jpg[/img]
Here's hoping we all come through these current circumstances in good shape -and that the authorities finally realize that a small skiff on the water is probably not a threat to much of anything at all... I know that many will need to get back on their feet financially after all of this is over - so whenever you're able - give me a call and we'll go entertain the fish if at all possible....
Be a hero - take a kid fishing
Tight lines
Bob LeMay
(954) 435-5666
More Fishing Reports:
