3 days 3 different weather patterns
Capt. Jim Hobales
December 20, 2009
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
121609
I am in Biscayn Bay today with Todd and his 10 year old son Curtis. We started by catching bait and then looking or some good bottom around Stiltsville. The goal was to find Mutton Snappers and Groupers. I put out a chum bag and started to throw out some live pilchards, it didn't take long and we had fish behind the boat. We caught a bunch of legal Mangroves but couldn't get the Muttons to come up behind the boat. The Mackerels were eating our chum but were not interested in a pilchard. We moved around just trying to keep the rods bent, they caught Mangrove Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Lane Snapper, Red Grouper, Blue Runners, and Yellowtails.
121809
I am at Flamingo today with Jeff, his brother Dennis and their friend Ed we are in the back country mostly because the weather conditions. I spoke to Jeff the night before and he told me they weren't afraid of a little rain and it's a good thing because it rained all day. We started out in Buttonwood canal where we caught 2 of 3 Tarpon. I could see the rain coming in from Fl. Bay so we ran to stay ahead of it. We got into Coot Bay and started to work a shoreline what had some wind on it. It didn't take to long and we had the Snook coming in one after another. Ed was fishing a popping cork with a live Shrimp and caught a couple Snook then had some thing that pulled pretty good and stayed down. Ed had back to back Sheepshead 4-5 lbs. respectively. Dennis was hooked up to a 30 lb Tarpon and was really enjoying it , the Tarpon was the fish that has eluded him in his fishing travels. Jeff was next with a 28 inch Snook but the tide slowed and the bite cooled off. We ran up into Whitewater Bay and worked some windy points, at this point we couldn't see the next island. We got onto a point that was loaded with a small Redfish, Jeff and Ed were using popping corks and shrimp. On everycast the cork would land and stay under thye fish were small but plentiful. It was raining so hard at this point I told them we had to make a run back for safety reasons. We got around the back of the storm and tried for Goliath Groupers. I rigged up a rod with a live Jack and sent it down it didn't take long either, Dennis couldn't believe how hard it hit and then ran. He did this 6 time and finally gave up then it was Jeff turn! Jeff was ready, he pitched the bait out and held on. The rod doubled over and he pulled and almost had the big Grouper out of his hole. Jeff tried several times but the fish were winning today. While we were working the Goliaths, Ed was catching Snook, Ladyfish, Snappers and had something he couldn't stop. We were whipped, between the rain and the catching it was time to go.
121909
I am with John his wife Gina and his 2 daughters Jackie and Matti. The wind is blowing 25mph out of the NW and its cool this morning. We started out in a cove with some protection casting at Tarpon and John caught a 26 inch 5 lb. Trout. The bite was slow and we moved, Gina caught a nice Redfish while bouncing a jig and shrimp. We set up and try to get the girls in on the action they are only 2 and 4 years old. We hooked the fish and let them fight them, they caught Jacks and Snappers. In the windy conditions we stayed close to the marina so we didn't beat the kids up to much.
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