Flamingo - 29 December
Capt. Bob LeMay
December 29, 2011
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
While everyone else is out shopping lots of guides are on the water almost daily with anglers. All of my trips in the past week or so have been out of Flamingo so this report will just cover the highlights and most of the story will be in the photos.
Running the backcountry a few days before Christmas, my first anglers were Jaime Rivero and with his son and daughter... Here's the two best fish (we won't count the bigger fish that just took us to school...). Alejandra did a great job with this large gag grouper... Hooked in less than nine feet of water in a river mouth, this big grouper was an outstanding catch - and it was her first grouper ever...
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A few minutes later her brother lost one that was even bigger....... right at the boat. Not to be outdone Jaime caught and released this 10lb snook on very light tackle...
[img][img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/1b12efef.jpg[/IMG]
A day or two after Christmas I had Ray Ritori and his son Mark aboard. Mark was using only fly gear and managed a backcountry slam, releasing snook, trout, and redfish on the same fly pattern (the Whitewater Clouser was hot that day...). Here's a few of the pics...
[img][img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/fe414d26.jpg[/IMG]
[img][img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/603a2245.jpg[/IMG]
[img][img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/4cce1e1a.jpg[/IMG]
Not to be left behind, Ray did his share of the releasing... using very light spinning gear and small lures.
[img][img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/435e6851.jpg[/IMG]
We were catching and releasing so many trout that week that I usually didn't think to reach for a camera....
The next day I was aboard an almost new Redfisher with Vince Williams and his partner Brad, helping them get oriented to running the backcountry (it's such a huge place that having someone aboard to point you in the right direction is a very good idea)..... With high winds that day we struggled a bit before getting into lots of trout and some nice reds. Lots and lots of trout now in this size range - both in the interior and on the outside....
[img][img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/24a5a3fa.jpg[/IMG]
Since it's closed season now for them, Brad carefully released his fish after a quick photo. Here's a pic of the reds we found that day as well...
[img][img][IMG]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/lemaymiami/fishpics/3f31083e.jpg[/IMG]
Vince lost a nice snook in that same spot that took his fly for a tour around an old log in less than 18" of water.... Despite the conditions we actually did find one large laid up tarpon in Whitewater... because of the conditions we only saw it as we spooked it out of the three feet of water it was laying in. Winds that afternoon were well above 20 mph so just finding a big 100lb tarpon was pretty good...
Fishing these next two months will be very weather related. In good weather we should have an easy time finding every kind of fish in the backcountry. In poor weather conditions we'll still find fish - but have to work for them. I'm still waiting for our first really good shot at the giant tarpon that will be there when it's mild and the wind isn't howling....
Tight Lines
Bob LeMay
(954) 435-5666
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