Still No Cold Fronts
Capt. Freddie David
February 5, 2013
Haulover Inlet - Saltwater Fishing Report
We are in the month of February and it feels like spring. Still no cold fronts! We have been averaging temperatures in the late 70's with plenty of sun and blue skies. The weather is ideal and is a great time to get out of the cold and come to the tropics!
I started the year on a half day charter which consisted of a father and two small children. There has been a big school of Spanish mackerel off Key Biscayne so that is where we commenced. I anchored the boat in twenty feet and put a chum bag in the water. Within minutes fish were flying over the side. One after another for about two hours straight the family was bailing nice sized Spanish mackerel. What a blast to see these kids catching fish with giant smiles on their faces. Topwaters, spoons, gotcha jigs, bucktails, it didn't matter. Whatever hit the water was an instant bite. We caught our limit within a short time and began our journey home via the calm waters of Biscayne Bay.
As if you haven't heard the sailfishing is still slow in Miami. The concentration is above Palm Beach but will be down south in a moment's notice as soon as we have the conditions prevail. Aside from the sailfish we are starting to catch kingfish on the reef, bonitas, barracudas, and sharks. Artificial wrecks and reefs are holding amberjacks, almaco jacks, mutton snappers, and grouper.
When fishing is slow we have been targeting golden tilefish from 600-650 ft. The golden tilefish is a deep-water fish that lives in the mud. They submerge themselves in the mud until a prey comes out in front of them. Next they vacate their hole to ambush the victim. Golden tiles have magnificent colors of gold, silver, white, and yellow. They are excellent table fare.
To end the month I had the pleasure of fishing with Don Christie and his girlfriend Sue. It was a rough day and the winds were blowing 20-25 kts out of the east. I decided to run the bay south to Key Biscayne. Fortunately, there was a big school of pilchards and with one throw of the cast net, the live well was full. After we had our live bait we anchored by the bait school and caught Spanish mackerel until our arms were tired. Don wanted to catch a sailfish so we put the kites out and drifted north with the Gulf Stream. Make sure to check out my report on CyberAngler, but the conditions were perfect that day. Within a moment's notice we hooked three big dolphin at one time. Don landed all three of the dolphin by himself which were between 20-25lbs. We kept drifting for a couple more hours picking at some more dolphin but unfortunately were unable to catch Don his first sailfish. The day ended with a pair of big kingfish. We headed home with some good memories and sore arms.
Make to check my report on CyberAngler and One of the unique things about fishing South Florida is that we have many options and species to target. When one thing is not working we can switch to something else. With a positive attitude, patience, and hard work we will try our best to find fish and make sure you have a good time.
Spring will be here shortly which is the best time of year for fishing South Florida. If you would like to book a trip send me an email or pick up your phone and call.
Capt. Freddie David
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