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Everglades National Park - Flamingo
Capt. Bob LeMay
April 13, 2004
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
Finally the weather has changed in the right direction! In the past week the water temperatures here in South Florida rose 8 to 10 degrees and the fish have really turned on. Of course as I'm writing this a nasty weather front has arrived to slow things down. I'm only at home today after severe weather forced a cancellation...
The week started last Thursday morning with Joe Evans and Bill Cole in Biscayne Bay. If you're going to fish baby tarpon at night you have to have the right tide. That morning began at 3Am.... At the first bridge we came to we could see several fish hanging just inside the bridge shadow right at the surface. The first cast produced a strike and explosion from a "baby" of about 50lbs. Using #9 fly rods both anglers teamed up to jump a dozen before daylight ended the action. The fish ranged from 20 to as much as 60lbs and most did their own releasing. We used a small white fly on a very strong Owner Aki 1/0 hook (the Night fly) for all of our fish and each angler got a nice fish to the boat. At dawn we spent our last hour poling for bonefish. We spooked a few but never had a very good shot. The night fishing will continue strong for another few weeks as long as shrimp are moving at night. By the middle of May it will taper off then resume again in late June and be quite good most of the summer.
Saturday I was back at Flamingo chasing the big tarpon again, this time with Chip Willimon and his dad on their Hell's Bay skiff. What a difference warmer water made there. The first fish Chip hooked was a real big girl, estimated at over 150lbs in only four feet of water. The fish was so big it couldn't jump after eating a soft plastic lure on a medium spinning rod. That fish ran off more than 100 yds of line then turned back toward us at moderate speed as though the hook was just a minor irritant. It went back by the boat right at the surface so both anglers could get a good look at all 7' of her, then came halfway up, shook her head once and the lure came free. What a show! That day we had shots at fish in Whitewater Bay and Gulf side rivers and scored in both areas. Chip's dad hooked one over 100lbs on a plug in a small river that chased it halfway back to the boat before inhaling it just under the surface in full view. He had the leader to the rod for a release in only 15 minutes, a great job in close quarters.
The next day, Sunday, John Sheffield and Jim McEntire from Texas began a five day trip at Flamingo. That day Jim hooked and released an 80lb tarpon on spinning gear on his way to an outstanding day. He also caught trout, redfish, and a nice snook for a genuine backcountry grand slam. John also hooked up a big fish on fly in a nearby river but it got off after crashing into trees overhanging the river bank. Jim went on to hook a small fish of about 40lbs on light spinning gear at a nearby river mouth. That day we found tarpon of every size from Whitewater Bay through Oyster Bay all the way out to the Gulf. We'll be back after them tomorrow once the weather clears. Although temperatures are due to drop a bit the next few days the fishing opportunities at Flamingo are just about as good as it gets. With the Herman Lucerne tournament approaching this weekend I'll be looking for quiet out of the way places with hungry fish....
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