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Everglades National Park - Flamingo
Capt. Bob LeMay
March 2, 2005
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
This past week I only had one day in the 'Glades out of Flamingo. Although the weather had warmed up substantially, the wind and cloud cover concealed any tarpon that should have been in Whitewater Bay... We found lots of speckled trout and other species that took the flies and lures we were using but the tarpon still remained elusive in the areas we hunted for them. By the end of the week another approaching weather system again dropped temperatures as high winds muddied the water. Looks like another few days before the interior tarpon fishing kicks off again. Once it does, fishing for the big fish should get better and better as the month progresses...
Night fishing in Biscayne Bay, by comparison, was turned on. Barry May from Memphis, Tennessee jumped 8 baby tarpon on fly the first night we hit the bridges. The fish were not only hungry but many were supercharged, going aerial the instant the fly bit home. The next night was disappointing with few fish seen anywhere. I believe they were responding to an abrupt change of barometer as the weekend approached bringing that series of frontal movements that had the weather so unsettled... At any rate the one fish hooked that second evening had both angler and guide speechless, then laughing. We were fishing again for small tarpon with Barry using an 8wt rod when he struck a fish of about 80lbs under a bridge. We never saw the fish the way you usually see them before the strike. This fish came up so hot that its first jump was into a concrete bridge groin about three feet above the water. The second jump it struck another groin going south toward Government Cut and broke off... We both agreed that breaking that fish off in the first three seconds after the strike was probably a good thing since we didn't have enough gun for that particular elephant... High winds later that week cancelled one more night trip for another angler and that was my last shot at them for now. Anyone wanting to try the baby (and a little bigger) tarpon at night should remember to fish on an outgoing tide. They should be available in good numbers for the next two months.
The remainder of the past few days haven't been wasted. Bad weather is a good time for boat and gear maintenance. I still have a few rods to repair for other guides and I'm completing a fly order today for an angler that will be fishing the west coast of Africa shortly.
Tight Lines
Bob LeMay
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