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Flamingo - Everglades National Park
Capt. Ariel Cabrera
February 4, 2002
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
Warm weather has kept the tarpon on the move. Now is the time to head out to the Everglades backcountry and hook up with the silver king. These fish are creatures of habit seeking winter warmth in Whitewater Bay and nearby basins. Tarpon have been following this migratory behavior pattern for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Fly fishermen are doing well catching and landing the large fish because they are being flexible with fly selection. To start, try casting a yellow and white rabbit strip pattern. If that doesn't produce then a chartreuse and white needlefish or pilchard imitation should. When winds pick up I have been tossing large plugs on 12# bait casting gear or plastic worms on spinning outfits. There just isn't a better site than watching an eighty-pound tarpon hang on to a fly in the wilderness of the Everglades backcountry.
Florida Bay has been productive for trout, mackerel, and black drum. This is the last good month to score on Spanish mackerel. With February also comes the culmination of the winter camping season, unless you want to donate pints of blood to the salt marsh mosquitoes. Therefore, it is the last reasonable month for overnight trips. If you like canoeing and fishing get out there now because as soon as the waters start receding some trails will be impassable. And speaking of canoes and fly-fishing, Dr. Richard Sasseville set a personal record aboard my canoe last season.
Rick and I did something few men would do after just one fish. We paddled, poled, and nearly hurdled over many obstacles for an opportunity to toss a fly in a snook's lair. With no tide and low water as factors against our mission, we made it through a clearing where Rick would toss a white deceiver and connect with a fish of a lifetime. The 13.5-pound snook was one hell of a fish on an eight weight, especially caught aboard a canoe within a treacherous environment.
Good fishing,
Ariel
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