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Everglades National Park - Flamingo
Capt. Bob LeMay
March 23, 2003
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
It's been almost two weeks since my last report, but that doesn't mean the fish have gotten a break! It's been full tilt, day after day, with a brief few days off to visit the fly fishing conclave up in Baton Rouge. The folks with the Red Stick Fly Fishers (hope that I have it right) were just great. Those guys chase fish every way possible from pirogues to rigs suitable for the Chandeleurs...
The tarpon fishing has turned back on after a frustrating week of south to southwest winds shut down some of my favorite areas. Before our much warmer than usual weather we were jumping four or five tarpon every day on bait, lures, and flies. The Tarpon Snake continues to be the one pattern that works there. On three different occasions on one day the fly was attacked while floating just under the surface next to the boat in about seven feet of water.... The first time it happened my angler jumped out of the bow and back to the center of the boat. It was a bit spooky... He went on to land and release one of about 60lbs.
While the tarpon were absent the snook, redfish, and speckled trout took up the slack. We had backcountry slams on the boat three straight days along with snapper, grouper, jewfish (I know goliath grouper...), spanish mackeral, and others. Every day the water temps at dawn were about 80 degrees, quite a bit higher than the norm. By late afternoon they were up to 84 degrees in some areas. On 21 March the tarpon started showing again and we had an outstanding day. Visitors Dr. Randy Wong and Brad Moy got a double grand slam (each angler caught and released trout, redfish, snook and tarpon...) that Friday on lures and bait. The biggest snook was about 15lbs, the biggest tarpon was about 55lbs. On Saturday they continued their streak. Randy Wong caught and released a sawfish that was approximately 10 long. We had some hairy moments at the boat during the release and I was entirely too close to its three foot long bill and all those teeth... An hour late Brad Moy struck a 100 lb tarpon in a river less than 100 feet wide and fought it to the boat for photos and a release -- a great catch. That day we also added a half dozen other species to the release list including mackeral and bluefish.
Today Dr. Josh Luce and his 13 yr old son, Austin, fished the same areas where we had been putting tarpon in the air the previous few days. Austin, using spinning gear, hooked, fought and released his first tarpon. It was at least 120lbs on 20lb line and was fought exclusively in a small river. Definitely the catch of a lifetime. He went on to catch and release a 13lb jewfish (okay call it a goliath grouper...) on 10lb line and a small jig. His dad wasn't left out, he fought another big tarpon until it finally frayed through the leader. I'm guessing that both father and son will sleep well tonight. The entire time that Austin was hooked up, his dad was holding on to him to keep him from being pulled out of the boat. That tarpon weighed at least 20 pounds more than the angler! We'll be back out of Flamingo again tomorrow and those tarpon will get a visit...
Tight Lines
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