May Fishing Off Miami
Capt. Orlando Muniz
May 16, 2017
Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report
Wow! It seems that just yesterday I was predicting some hot fishing in April and May. Well, the good news is that so far the action has been as good as expected and in some cases better. The only real issue has been a few days here and there of honking winds and high seas. As I sit here writing this report, we are anticipating winds from 15-20+ knots for the next few days. We are booked for the next four days so hopefully it won't blow as hard as predicted.
So far, Spring has produced an excellent mixed bag consisting of sailfish, mahi, blackfin tuna, snapper, grouper, and assorted jacks. On breezy days, we've been flying kites and catching sails, kingfish, tuna, and a mahi. During periods of light winds and slow current, we've been fishing a bit deeper and targeting snapper, grouper, and jacks. Both approaches have yielded nice catches and happy clients.
In just the last week or two, we caught a 15 pound genuine red snapper as well as a warsaw grouper estimated at around 60-70 pounds. On other trips we've caught multiple sailfish, mahi, some pretty large amberjack. We've also caught several nice blackfin tuna both on the surface baits and also on the bottom rod when fishing live bait.
My only real disappointment has been not spending more time targeting black and gag grouper on the reefs and wrecks. It seems like we haven't been dealt the right conditions, bait, etc. since the season opening. I am sure that it is only a matter of time before we get our fair share of these tasty, hard fighting fish. My preferred way of fishing for them is to anchor over good bottom or an artificial wreck and chum them to the boat while soaking baits near the bottom.
The coming weeks should see a lot more school size mahi moving into the area and becoming more and more predictable. I am hoping to have a season like we did two years ago when the fish held in the area for weeks at a time. My favorite back up plan during the summer months is yellowtail snapper. Although they sometimes require more work than dolphin fishing, they are just as good on the plate and often accompanied by their bigger cousins the muttons.
If you're interested in learning more about catching some of these fish, make sure you attend my next seminar at Bass Pro Shops in Miami on Wednesday, June 7th. The topic will be "Summer Dolphin Fishing" and more details will be posted on my website as well as social media (see below). Hope to see everyone there!
We'll that's pretty much it for right now. Also, don't forget that you can keep up with all of the action by following us on FACEBOOK, Instagram, and Twitter. If you like watching some of the action, be sure to check out my YOUTUBE page for the latest video additions.
SPONSORS AND FRIENDS: Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine, Baitmasters, Mercury Marine, Coastal Angler Magazine, Offshore Angler, Costa Del Mar, and SeaDek.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Orlando Muniz
Nomad Fishing Charters
fishingchartermiami.com
786-266-0171
Miami Fishing Forecast:
Fishing should stay strong for the next few weeks. Expect more mahi and snapper in the mix.
Target Species:
sailfish mahi snapper grouper amberjack shark kingfish
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