mullet run
Capt. Jim Hobales
September 22, 2008
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
091508
There has been a Northeasterly breeze for the last couple days, that drives in the Mullet school from the north of us and usually the Tarpon, Snook and big Jacks aren't far behind. Monday evening I fished with Paul and in the North Bay and was hoping to catch the falling water somewhere around 930 PM. The water was really high, the wind was blowing and there was a lot of cloud cover. On the full moon you don't want cloud cover the fish don't eat the same. The water level made it tough to get our artificial baits where they need to be, we hit all the spot i like but the water was high and still ripping in. there was not really a good bight so we called it early.
091798
I am fishing with Joel and his dad Savy at Flamingo, We started out with a couple nice Snook just short of being a keepers. There was some surface action which had us hopeful, Joel landed a big Lemon Shark. There has been a good Tarpon/Snook bight to the west of Flamingo so we headed west. The wind picked up at the cape and the water was really stained and dirty, instead of running further north I headed back east. The rest of the day we caught fish but Savy's big Redish at the end of the day was his prize, he had never even seen one. The last bait in the live well was eaten by a huge Bull Shark and Joel pulled on him for 45 minutes before we broke it off boat side. It was hot and Savy said he had enough so we headed in.
091808
I am fishing with John this morning in Key Largo, we started out early and headed to Blackwater Pass. It was supposed to be a 5-10 mph day but it was ell into the 20 mph range. The Snook were there as they popped the mullet schools passing by, we position the boat using the Power Pole.
I rigged a couple of lures a Skitter Walk and a Twitch n Rap It took John a few cast to get used to how far braided line cast. It took a while but John got a monster hook up on a twictch n rap and wasn't fast enough to keep the big Snook out of the trees. We got into the Mangroves and lifted, pulled and maneuvered to get this big fish out but as we were pulling on him the line rubbed the roots and broke off. We landed some big Jacks up to 8 lbs and several cuda's as well. We cast at rolling tarpon but couldn't get them to eat. The wind was blowing so we called it at half a day.
091908
I am with Doug and his son Andy today, I netted some finger mullet and figured we were on our way to success, typically when I get the finger mullets like this it spectacular. We started out with a couple missed Snook bites, we had serious falling water plus the wind was driving it out and not letting it come back in. I hit all my falling water spots and it was slow, I was looking for big Snook because that's what Doug wanted. The wind picked up and was blowing hard, again the forecast was for light winds and I did my best to get out of it. I am not really sure of what we caught on this day but at the end of the day we had a giant Tarpon roll on an edge of the flat. I was excited! I grabbed a finger mullet and Andy pitched it out there in its path. Andy is a novice to fishing but got it in front of the Tarpon. The Tarpon was excited as well, chasing the mullet and knocking him out of the water. The mullet got eaten but we weren't hooked up! I pitched another and this was an awesome bite. The Tarpon ate it as it hit the water stripping off 30 yards of line and greyhounding 6 feet into the air, spectacular! We were using a circle hook and the fish tarpon was pulling drag great position to be in, until he jumps again and throws the hook. Andy and Doug were both excited, shortly after that we were hooked up again and Doug had a big Lemon just pulling al kinds of drag. Doug passed the rod to and after a while and Andy continued the fight until we popped him off. We called it off and will be back tomorrow.
092008
I decide to go into Whitewater Bay to only because I have some small Tarpon and Snook spots that could produce in the windy conditions. We got back there and it was absolutely calm and Tarpon were rolling all around us. The lure of choice Powerbait Hollow Belly and the Twitch n Rap. both worked although we landed no fish. Andy managed a few Mangrove snappers in the 12-14 in range while fishing a big fish point. The next spot was our lucky spot finally, Andy hooked up a 20 lb Snook which made an incredible run and jump before jumping in a tree and breaking us off. We worked around to another point and caught several nice Redfish up 24 inches. We kept hitting the points and passes, I had some jumbo live Shrimp in the well which had already produced the Reds and decided It might work for the Snook. I have a little spot between 2 islands which the currents smokes thru. This spot usually hold good numbers of small Snook, just as I said that Doug was hooked up to a very big over sized Snook. I lifted the Power Pole to get between the islands and Doug was sitting there with no fish. The numbers weren't here today but anytime you get two 40 inch fish hooked up its not a bad thing. We were fishing a short day so we headed in.
092108
This morning I am fishing with Steve out of Haulover Marina in North Miami Beach, we are going to chase the Mullet schools and see if when can get hooked up. It didn't take long and we found the Mullet getting busted up by Tarpon and big Jacks. The Jacks hit the top water plugs but we weren't getting hooked up. I ended up netting a handful of Mullet and putting them to work. It didn't take long and a Tarpon was hitting the Mullet like a Seal with a beach ball, the Mullet was in trouble. The Tarpon inhaled him doubled the rod ove and then let him go, couldn't quite figure that one out. I pulled it in and it was scaled a sign he was actually in the Tarpon 's mouth. I rigged anther and it didn't long again the rod doubles over and a fish jump off in the distance, but all we saw was the entry no fish. Steve fought the fish for 20 minutes and finally got him boatside. I wasn't disappointed but kind of in awe, it was a 60 lb Shark. I know they are around but we just don't see many in north Biscayne Bay. we went and played around for some Trout, Jack and Snappers. We dd have a huge school of 20 lb Jacks around the boat. Steve had to catch a plane so we headed in.
Flamingo Fishing Forecast:
Looks good, tropical system on the horizon to watch
Mullet run is here. check to the north of Haulover to Ft Laud.
Target Species:
Tarpon -Snook -Bonefish -Permit
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