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Upper Florida Keys & Islamorada
Capt. Izzy Donatiello
November 23, 2003
Islamorada - Saltwater Fishing Report
THE LAST WEEK I HAD A GROUP IN FROM THE UK. THEY WERE RECORDING INFORMATION FOR THE BBC RADIO SHOW "FISH ON FIVE". DESPITE THE WINDS BLOWING EVERYDAY OVER 20 KNOTS. WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN A COUPLE DAYS OF FISHING. EACH MORNING I AND JOHN BEER WOULD GO IN SEARCH OF LIVE PILCHARDS. WHEN THE WELL WAS FILLED, WE WOULD HEAD BACK AND PICKUP THE REST OF THE CREW .OUR FIRST DAY, WE TRIED ONE CHANNEL CHUMMING WITH THE PILCHARDS. WE ONLY HAD TWO TARPON COME UP. HOWEVER, WE DID CHUM IN A SCHOOL OF CERO MACKEREL. IN FACT, AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR THERE WERE SO MANY MACKERELS. WE COULD NOT GET A BAIT DOWN TO THE TARPON. WE MOVE TO A DIFFERENT CHANNEL AND SET UP AGAIN, THE MACKEREL DIDN'T FOLLOW US BUT TO KEEP THINGS INTERESTING POUND AND A HALF TO 2 AND A HALF MANGROVES SNAPPERS CAME INTO THE SLICK. FINALLY JOHN HOOKED A 30 POUND TARPON AFTER A TEN MINUTE BATTLE HE HAD HIM SUBDUED. LATER IT WAS ANDY LITTLE TURN, HE WAS FISHING A DEAD BAIT ON THE BOTTOM; THE FISH TOOK A LOT OF LINE, JUMPED ONCE A BROKE THE LEADER. THEN IT WAS NICK HANCOCK'S TURN HE LANDED A TWENTY POUNDER WE HAD 6 TARPON ON AND MANAGED TO GET TWO TO THE BOAT.
THE NEXT MORNING WE TRIED FOR SHARKS. ANOTHER ANGLER, MIKE THRUSSELL, WANTED TO CATCH A LARGE LEMON SHARK. I MADE MY WAY OUT INTO THE EVERGLADES PARK AND SET UP IN A CHANNEL. WE HAD LIVE BLUERUNNERS IN THE WELL. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG. MIKES BAIT GOT HIT; HE WAS FISHING WITH FIFTEEN POUND TEST LINE. BY THE TIME WE GOT THE ANCHOR RELEASED; THE FISH HAD EMPTIED THE REEL, HE WAS DOWN TO THE KNOT. I RAN UP ON THE FISH SO AS TO ALLOW HIM TO PUT SOME LINE BACK ON THE REEL. THE WATER WAS SO DIRTY FROM THE WIND WE COULDN'T SEE THE FISH. WE WOULD GET CLOSE TO IT AND IT WOULD RUN AND TAKE OFF 50 YARDS OF LINE. AFTER BATTLING THE FISH WAVES AND WIND. MIKE GOT IT UP TO THE BOAT; IT TURNED OUT TO BE ABOUT AN 80 BULL SHARK. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS THE "FISH ON FIVE" CREW CAUGHT OVER 8 SMALLER LEMONS AND BLACKTIPS. MIKE AGAIN HAD A BIG HIT, THE FISH WAS AGAIN TAKING A LOT OF LINE. WE BEGAN CHASING THE FISH; TO MAKE MATERS MORE DIFFICULT THE WIND HAD INCREASED WE HAD TO STAY DOWN WIND TO PREVENT THE BOAT FROM BEING BLOW OVER THE FISH. THE WATER WAS VERY DIRTY AND AGAIN WE COULD SEE THE FISH AFTER 45 MINUTES THE FISH WAS HANGING 10 TO 15 YARDS AWAY. FINALLY, WE GET A GLIMPSE OF IT; IT WAS A HUGE SHARK. TWENTY MINUTES LATER MIKE HAD A MASSIVE LEMON SHACK NEXT TO THE BOAT. WE RELEASED IT; AND MADE THE LONG AND ROUGH RIDE HOME.
THE THIRD DAY WE HEADED OFFSHORE, FOR SOME SAIL FISHING. THE WIND WAS STILL BLOWING. WE PLOW OUT TO THE BAIT PATCH AND CAUGHT SOME BALLYHOO. WITH THREE DOZEN LIVE BAITS IN THE WELL I HEADED OUT TO 150 FEET OF WATER AND PUT THEM OUT. WE HAD A FISH COME UP A BAIT AND FOLLOWED IT FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES BUT THEN DISAPPEARED. TWO SAILS CAME UP AND EAT THE TWO OUTRIGGER BAITS BUT WE MISSED BOTH. WE HAD ANOTHER SAIL EAT THE CENTER BAIT HE WAS ON FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES BUT PULLED THE HOOK. THE LAST FISH EAT TWO BAITS, AND WE PULLED THE HOOK ON THAT ONE AS WELL.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS,
IZZY
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