 |
Everglades National Park - Flamingo
Capt. Bob LeMay
January 7, 2004
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
Christmas this year was a busy time on the water. I was lucky enough to be on the water from Christmas day all the way through the New Year. During that week the water gradually warmed each day until we were in 67 to 68 degree water at the end of every day. Whitewater Bay has lots of fat winter trout in the 18 to 20" size range. If you're catching (and hopefully releasing) small trout, just move - you're not in the right spot.... I particularly look for areas with a little current, like the corners of islands. If there's a bit of structure on the bottom, like pieces of log or branches, so much the better. We've been getting bites on everything from live shrimp to surface lures. Usually they're mixed in with large winter ladyfish which add to the fun.
Redfish and snook have been available every day for sightfishing in shallow coves and corners both in Whitewater and Oyster Bays. This is also the time of year to work shorelines with lures in the distant interior bays like Tarpon and Broad River Bays. The water in these places is almost entirely fresh so turn off your livewell exterior pump if you make the run... We're fishing tipped jigs or soft plastics until late afternoon when the water warms enough to consider plugs. This is also a good time of year to work streamer patterns with a fly rod. All or our flies have wire weedguards and are a bit on the small side. A favorite pattern is the Silhouette on a 1/0 hook (think Seaducer with lead eyes and a tail like a Deceiver). The small (really small) creeks that drain into these interior bays are the places to look for baby tarpon now. If you can find a place where they're holding you should have a spot that will last all winter if you treat it gently. The big tarpon still haven't shown up yet in Whitewater Bay. If the weather stays mild they should show up any day now. We did see the big fish show up at one river mouth one day, but they're moving in and out - there one day and gone the next.
Next week I'll be holding an informal seminar one evening at one of the local West Marine stores. It will be on 14 January at 6:30Pm at the West Marine store in North Miami Beach, 16275 Biscayne Blvd. It's a free seminar and anyone can attend, just call (305) 947-6333, and ask about Fishing the Backcountry seminar. We'll try to cover a variety of topics and gear.
More Fishing Reports:
|
|
|
|
