Everglades backcountry, 29 May
Capt. Bob LeMay
May 29, 2016
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
As usual each spring guides stay pretty busy and fishing reports are the last thing that gets done. This will be my first report in a while and in the interim I lost quite a few photos after my camera quit on me.... As a result I'll only focus on my last day on the water since it pretty much provides a current look at what we're finding along the Gulf coast of the 'Glades and back in Whitewater Bay...
This first photo is almost the first pic from the new camera...
[img][img][URL=http://s235.photobucket.com/user/lemaymiami/media/fishpics/first%20redfish%20on%20fly%20-Whitewater%20early%20May_zps7jtxkve8.jpg.html][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/first%20redfish%20on%20fly%20-Whitewater%20early%20May_zps7jtxkve8.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Here's Mike Grodner's first redfish on fly along a sheltered shoreline in Whitewater Bay, it was one of several we spotted and targeted with our Clousers.... Earl Zagrodnik got its twin a few minutes earlier (and about 300 feet behind us... It was early May and both the interior and the coast were holding fish if you could find spots out of the winds that just howled day after day...
My last day on the water a few days ago was with Bob Wilder from up north and that day we hooked up on a big tarpon, at least 80lbs - but looked bigger.... along the coast on medium heavy spinning gear with only 15lb line. He fought the fish to a standstill and we were home free (not another boat in sight anywhere and nothing the fish could cut us off on in about five to six feet of water). After about 20 minutes the fish had showed its tail (when a tarpon is exhausted the first sign is that big tail sticking straight up in the air and not kicking any more....). Before I could work over to the fish along came a bull shark and that was that.... We tried opening the bail to let the fish run but the shark had hit it on first contact -the rest was inevitable. Unlike many other areas the Gulf coast of the 'Glades, although it has lots and lots of big sharks.... you rarely lose a tarpon to one. That was our first big fish of the day and we were not happy, but quickly managed to find a few small snook on lures in the same area to ease the pain. We also managed to take a big jack crevalle on our last tarpon bait...
[img][img][URL=http://s235.photobucket.com/user/lemaymiami/media/fishpics/Wilder%20jack%20crevalle_zps53ty1vv1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/Wilder%20jack%20crevalle_zps53ty1vv1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
From there we worked our way to the north towards the Harney, Broad and Rogers rivers, hoping to take advantage of the falling tide in that area. We spotted a few tripletail right at the surface but had to work to catch our first one -here's a pic...
[img][img][URL=http://s235.photobucket.com/user/lemaymiami/media/fishpics/Wilder%20tripletail_zpsywnhhykc.jpg.html][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/Wilder%20tripletail_zpsywnhhykc.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Since we were working artificials this fish ate a small jig with Gulp tail on very light line... A few moments later we hooked a big, fat trout in the same spot....
[img][img][URL=http://s235.photobucket.com/user/lemaymiami/media/fishpics/Wilder%20trout_zpsesugc22n.jpg.html][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/Wilder%20trout_zpsesugc22n.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
We ended our day with another snook not far away..... but still more than thirty miles from Flamingo.
[img][img][URL=http://s235.photobucket.com/user/lemaymiami/media/fishpics/Wilder%20snook_zpswxsglqd5.jpg.html][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/Wilder%20snook_zpswxsglqd5.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
It was Bob's third or fourth one that day...
This is pretty much a hint of things to come - all summer long the fishing along the coast and interior will continue to get better and better. I'm looking forward to it.
Be a Hero... take a kid fishing!
Tight Lines
Bob LeMay
(954) 435-5666
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