Great Shallow Water Bottom Fishing off of Miami
Capt. Alan Sherman
January 22, 2011
Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report
Once again it has been a long time in between fishing reports and that normally is due to a lack of fishing charters resulting in no fishing reports to report or lots of fishing charters resulting in no time to sit and write a fishing report. The last is the reason for that lack in reports and I hope this report will bring everyone up to date.
I hope everyone had a great Holiday Season and got all of the gifts for your fishing and boating needs that you wanted.
Because it has been so long in between writings I am not sure that you will be able to see all of the pictures that I have taken of recent catches so you might want to check out my web page at www.getemsportfishing.com and take a look at the photo page.
Now let's talk fishing! We are in the middle of January and the weather not as cold as last year but definitely colder as years in the past is having an effect on our fishing both positive and negatively. Water temperatures have been in the mid 60's in all of the Bays but along the beaches and further offshore water temperatures have been steady at 70 to 72 degrees. What's that mean! It easy! Bay fishing has been slow and fishing near the ocean much better.
On most of my recent charters I have either been offshore of Miami or down south off of Key Biscayne where I have been finding plenty of action from mutton, mangrove, lane and yellowtail snappers plus gag, black and red groupers for catch and release while fishing the bottom with light tackle in the eight to 12 pound class. Add catches of jack crevalles to eight pounds, big blue runners, cero and Spanish mackerel, bluefish and porgies to eight pounds and I'm talking nonstop hot action. All of the fish are being taken on live pilchards that on most days have been easy to cast net. If you're looking for a fish fry than this is the action you want to get in on because you can't ask for better eating than tasty snapper or porgy fillets. If you like a real hard fight that makes you appreciate the strength of a fish than tangle with any of these bottom feeders and you'll know that you were in a battle by the time your fish hits the StowMaster net. The past three weeks my clients have fished in winds from every direction and at times fairly strong and we still had decent fishing conditions. We are fishing near the ocean but not quite in the ocean.
Offshore fishing has been mostly for my family recently. Conditions have been a bit more unpredictable offshore and the fishing only so so but when you see the pictures of the snowy grouper and grey and golden tile fish that we hand cranked in depths from 450 to 700 feet of water you think it's better to look at the pictures than to have crank a 10 pound tilefish to the surface. We are using Daiwa Saltist and Saltiga conventional reels loaded with Fins and Berkley braided lines and Key Largo stand up rods. Otherwise a few kingfish an occasional dolphin and a decent sailfish bite has been happening offshore.
North Biscayne Bay besides producing baitfish for some of my charters has been good for sea trout but the rest of the fishing has been slow in that part of the Bay.
Flamingo has had very cold water temperatures that have made the mackerel, bluefish and cobia move closer to the Atlantic through the Florida Keys. These fish will return as water temperatures get back to the 70's in the Gulf and along the Parks boundaries. Redfish have been cooperative but mostly small, sea trout have been in decent numbers, black drum are available as are sheepshead, ladyfish and jacks. In the backcountry redfish, snappers, groupers for catch and release a decent amount of sea trout, bigger ladyfish and small jacks are being caught. My last charter to Flamingo was last week and we caught a bonnet head shark, lots of catfish, small jacks and ladyfish a small pompano, small red fish and sea trout with three nine year old triplets and their parents.
That catches us up now!
Recent Catches:
Today I am with Joel, Steve and Eli and we are fishing just off of Miami Beach in 20 feet of water and the Spanish mackerel are thick! In no time the guys have caught and released over 60 Spanish mackerel and bluefish all caught on live pilchards fished under a Cajun thunder and free lined and on Rapala X Raps.
Today I am in Flamingo with John, Jerry and Mike. We are only fishing a half day and in no time they guys have landed a nice sheepshead and released 35 redfish and an 8 pound snook and four sea trout all on ¼ ounce red Hookup lures tipped with a live shrimp.
Back in North Bay on a nasty overcast and wet day. We cast netted plenty of bait with my 10 foot Lee Fisher net but had a hard time finding anything that would eat them. Maybe too much bait in the bay. The guys Gene and Bill did manage to catch and release a few bluefish, sea trout, small jacks and a mackerel.
Back in North Bay with Jerry C and his friend Stan. After filling the live well with frisky pilchards we head out along the beach to see what's available. After catching a few Spanish mackerel and bluefish and losing many we hook up with a tarpon that after a short fight is released, a small 25 pound fish that ate a live pilchard under a Cajun Thunder. Not long after we hook a 45 pounder and release that fish as well. Next strike turns into a monster tarpon that is hooked on the same 12 pound spinning gear and fights us for three hours. At the 2:30 mark we get the leader to the tip but can't grab the fishes mouth. This fish is easily over 100 pounds. Thirty minutes later the light line finally gives way and we head home.
Jerome C is on the boat today with his grandkids Spencer and Jake. We catch all the bait we need for the day and after hearing about some dolphin offshore we decide to check them out. Once out in the bluewater we put a few baits out and in no time both Spencer and Jake have hooked and caught their first dolphins (Mahi Mahi). The guys hook a few more but they come unglued and we head into the Bay where we catch jacks and have shots at snook and tarpon but no hook ups.
Today I am with my son Zach, daughter Court and Dana my wife and we head down to Elliot Key to troll some Rapala X Rap plugs over the patch reefs. After an hour of trolling and catching a red grouper and a barracuda both released we headed offshore in hopes of some kingfish or sailfish but no luck. We did have some action on an artificial wreck that produced a nice scamp grouper and an almoco jack. We decide to head back inshore a bit when we run into a huge school of cero mackerel that were in a feeding frenzy. Casting live pilchards hooked to a Mustad 2/0 long shank we enjoyed the hot action for a couple of hours. Made a lot of people in the neighborhood happy today with this fine tasting cero mackerel!
Back on the water but today I have my nephew Alexander and son Zach out and after catching plenty of bait we heads offshored to do some deep-water bottom fishing. Once we had found the spot we made a half dozen drops and landed one nice snowy grouper Alexander's first plus a 9.5 pound golden tile fish a first for Zach plus three rose fish a first for me and Zach before heading into the Bay where we caught nice mangrove snappers and black groupers.
I have Michael and his buddy Alex on board today and we are in the Finger Channels of South Bay but its cold and windy and the fish are not real hungry but in a four charter the guys still managed to catch 12 bluefish, 5 mutton snappers and three gag groupers on live pilchards fished n the bottom.
Back in the Bay with Rick, Anthony, Joe and Anthony Jr.! The front dropped water temps a lot and the fish just would not cooperate anywhere we went during this half day trip. The guys fished hard with live baits and artificial lures but could not come up with anything other than two mud rays and two lizard fish.
Back in Flamingo today with Dr. Suarez, Sammy and Ed. On the ride through the Park air temps were as low as 29 degrees. Water temps were in the high 50's and by the afternoon had risen to 66. All of the bait shops failed to open or did not have live shrimp due to the cold and that meant things would be quite a challenge. Lucky I had brought some dead fresh shrimp with me because that is what the guys caught all of the black drum and redfish on. We later caught and released a bunch of small and big ladyfish and a few sea trout. Fishing by my standards was quite slow but the guys never gave up and seemed to enjoy all of the wildlife that the Park had to offer this day.
Back in South bay today with Steve T and his daughter Stacey and son in law Michael. Fishing the patch reefs off of Key Biscayne with live shrimp and dead pilchards the guys caught 8 mutton snappers to 18 inches, 10 yellowtail snappers, 10 mangrove snappers, 6 porgies and 4 red groupers.
Today I am back in South Bay fishing with Tino and Raul in the same area as the day before. We trolled some Rapala X Raps and caught three Spanish mackerel and then bought $20 worth of pilchards and fished them on the bottom catching over 60 mangrove, yellowtail and mutton snappers, red, gag and black groupers and loads of porgies to 8 pounds.
Today I have Jordan and David in South Bay fishing the patches again. After filling the live well with pilchards we headed to the patches and in six hours the guys had caught eight black groupers to 10 pounds, 15 mutton snappers to 7 pounds, loads of mangrove and yellowtail snappers plus over a dozen porgies and a bunch of bluerunners.
Finally a few days off to recover and back on the water with my wife and son. We head down to South Bay looking to catch some nice snappers to spread around to the guys at Bob Hewes Boats. These guys do a great job keeping my boat in top working condition. By the time it was time to go in we had put 11 mutton snappers all over 18 inches, 9 mangrove snappers to 5.5 pounds and four porgies for the friends and neighbors.
Last trip of the week is with my son Zach before he heads back to Delaware to start the beach nourishing project he is working on. We have deep dropping on our minds again and head offshore of Miami Beach and make our first drops in over 600 feet of water. Zach has the first hit but misses and then moments alter gets hit again and hooks up. After what seems like 15 minutes of hand cranking a nice golden tilefish hits the surface. I have still not had a hit and have never caught a golden before. My turn comes and I hook up and after the same long fights my 10 pounds golden tilefish hits the surface. We are limited out on Goldens. We move inshore a little in hopes of some snowy groupers' but instead we catch three grey tilefish to about six pounds and call it a day.
The rods we used were made by Key Largo Rods. The reels were all Daiwa Advantages. The line was made by a company called FINS. The bait was caught with a West Coast 3/8 inch 10 foot net and the Get Em is 2008 Pathfinder 22' XL Tournament Edition Bay Boat powered by a 2010 Yamaha SHO 250 four stroke outboard engine. The Hooks are all Mustad hooks, the float are made by Precision Tackle and are called Cajun Thunders and the artificial lures are made by Rapala, Gulp and Hookup lures.
That's it for now!
Let's get out there are see what we can catch.
Give me a call at 786-436-2064 or e-mail me at [email protected]
Let's go catch some Fish!
Check out my new web site and to read about the weekly catches and to see your pictures.
www.getemsportfishing.com
[email protected]
Check out my report in the Miami Herald's Sports section under Fishing Updates each Thursday, the Florida Sportsman Magazines South Florida Internet Fishing Report (www.floridaspotsman.com), my monthly Action Spotter Fishing Report for the South Region in the Florida Sportsman Magazine each month.
I have recently changed outboard engines on my 22' Pathfinder XL Tournament Edition Bay Boat. I had an opportunity to put one of the first Yamaha SHO 250 Four Stroke outboards on my boat and the difference has been just amazing. This engine has 25 more horsepower but carries 77 less pounds allowing me better hole shot while giving great cruising fuel efficiency. What more can a boater ask for?
I have been wearing a lot of Columbia Sports Wear on my fishing charters and the new Blood & Guts shirts are amazing. I have had mackerel, cobia and snook just splatter me with blood and one good washing and the shirts are as good as new. Check out their web site at www.columbia.com
Sponsors: Yamaha, Bob Hewes Boats, Maverick, Minn Kota, Lowrance Electronics, Daiwa, General Motors & Chevrolet, Rapala, Mustad, Ande Lines, Pure Fishing, Gulp, Berkley, Precision Tackle, Cajun Thunders, Capt. Hank Brown's Hook Up Lures, Hydro Glow Lights, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Saltwater Assassins, Key Largo Rods, Lee Fisher Cast Nets, Smartshield, Master Repair in Stuart Florida, Power Pole, Stow Master Nets, superfishlight.com, Columbia Wear, Tempress Seating, Aluminum Fabricating Inc.
Capt. Alan Sherman
"Get Em" Sportfishing Charters
786-436-2064
www.getemsportfishing.com
Field Editor of the Florida Sportsman Magazines Action Spotter Report South Region
Field Editor of the Florida Sportsman Magazines Internet Fishing Forecast South Region
Editor of the Miami Heralds South Florida Fishing Report Thursdays Edition
Miami Fishing Forecast:
Miami Fishing Forecast:
I expect the fishing to be pretty consistent for the next three or four months with lots of SEA TROUT, JACK CREVALLES, LADYFISH, SPANISH MACKEREL, BLUEFISH, GROUPER, BARRACUDAS, SNOOK, TARPON and some POMPANO in NORTH BISCAYNE BAY and OFFSHORE of MIAMI KINGFISH, MACKEREL, SAILFISH and DOLPHINS available on the calmer days and in SOUTH BISCAYNE BAY lots of action from a wide variety of fish like the SNAPPERS, GROUPERS, JACKS, BLUEFISH, MACKERELS, POMPANO, LADYFISH, PORGIES, GRUNTS, SNOOK and BLUERUNNERS keeping anglers busy catching and releasing fish most of the day. FLAMINGO in EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK will have a huge amount of wildlife like the WHITE PELICANS, ROSEATTE SPOONBILLS, SKIMMER BIRDS,GULLS, OSPREYS, EAGLES, TERNS, EGRETS, HERONS, ALLIGATORS, CROCODILES, BOTTLE NOSED DOLPHINS, MANATTEES, SHARKS and TURTLES and of course the wide variety of fish that migrate into FLORIDA BAY and the GULF waters during the cooler months of the year. SNOOK, TARPON, REDFISH, SEA TROUT, SHEEPSHEAD, TRIIPLETAIL, BLACK DRUM, SNAPPER, GOLIATH AND GAG GROUPER, POMOPANO, COBIA, MACKEREL, BLUEFISH and I'm sure I am leaving a few other fish species out will be available to all anglers at one time or another throughout the rest of our FALL FISHING SEASON.
Target Species:
Snapper, Grouper, Mackerel, Snook, tarpon, Sailfish, Redfish, Dolphins
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