Cold Water Requires A Different Approach to Fishing Flamingo
Capt. Alan Sherman
February 8, 2009
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
It's been a while since my last fishing update partly because of being on the water and also due to being too busy with other things like getting ready for the Florida Sportsman Magazines Fishing Show that took place last Saturday and Sunday at the War Memorial Auditorium in Ft. Lauderdale. The show featured lots of well know local captains that gave seminars on the inshore and offshore fishing scene. I was on stage at noon on the inshore stage talking about fishing in Biscayne Bay. I think I bit off more then I could chew and tried to talk about an area that really should have had a full two hours to talk about and ran out of timre before I was able to cover the whole area from Dumbfoundling Bay the northern part of where I fish and then south all the way to South Biscayne Bay.
Flamingo has had some up and down fishing with sea trout fishing being very good but redfish, snook and tarpon action being hit and miss depending on the conditions. Mackerel, bluefish, pompano, cobia and tripletail are in the Gulf waters but recent cold temperatures have made them run for deeper warmer water. Fish the park on the nice warm days and the fishing can be great but catch a day when temperatures are dropping and things slow down but fish are still caught.
Recently I have been taking my clients into the waters of South Biscayne Bay. This part of the bay holds a lot of fish especially when the water gets rough and cold an this is where we have found lots of action on mutton, mangrove and lane snappers plus lots of red groupers and a few gag, black and scamp groupers, porgies, jacks, pompano, bluefish and mackerel.
Fishing in North Biscayne Bay has produced some great catches of sea trout but not much else.
I expect the weather conditions to hold as we get a cold front a week and the good thing is the fish seem to be getting used to it.
Give me a call and lets set up and fishing charter to remember.
Recent Catches:
Steve and Bruce are on the boat today and we are in Flamingo for a full day. The guys are looking for some fish to take home so we head into the outer edges of Florida Bay and catch some nice Spanish mackerel before trying a trout spot that had paid off the day before. We get there early and the tide has yet to start moving but there are some huge schools of mullet that get our attention. Every now and then something big strikes into the school so we go check it out. These mullet are so thick that just them swimming makes them bump into each other sending them flying into the air. These mullet are huge and easily weigh over two pounds with some over five. We spot some big lemon sharks stalking the mullet but other then lots of ladyfish we don't see much else until I spot a fin sticking out of the water right next to the boat. It's a huge hammerhead that looks to be almost as big as my 22' Pathfinder. Easy 12' and maybe more! We throw a live ladyfish at the shark but he isn't interested and why would he be with over 10 thousand mullet for him to eat on. We move down the channel and soon are into the trout. In no time we have our limit on trout to three pounds that were eating live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder and Hook Up lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp and decide to see if we can get into some snook and redfish. Once at our last spot we quickly catch three reds with one being in the slot, The reds were eating live shrimp on a ¼ ounce Hook Up lure.
Today I am back in Flamingo with my son and the fishing is tough. We catch a nice pompano off some structure and then spot two nice cobias that are playing hard to get. Zach throws a pinfish at the pair and gets hit but the fish gets away and we never see it again and were on the move. As we travel north we spot a big tripletail and catch a seven pounder before spotting some smaller ones that we pass up. As we head north we find lots of red floating algae and no fish. Now we are in Shark River and there is a huge school of mackerel that eat our Rapala plugs and spoons. Zach gets a small goliath and we are on the move. Up in Whitewater Bay we find a bunch of small snook on a point and play with then till its time to head in.
Today I am in South Biscayne Bay with Gary, David, Lois and Bill. By the end of the trip the guys had caught over 40 groupers and snappers plus porgies and grunts.
Fishing in North Biscayne Bay with Dean, Michael and Jason and the trout are biting good. The guys get 8 nice keepers plus lots that we release and then a few jacks and a cuda on a 4 hr. charter.
Dennis is on the boat this afternoon and the wind is blowing but we are in South Biscayne Bay and the fish are biting. In 4 hrs., we get over 20 groupers and muttons plus porgies, pompano, mackerel and six bluefish. Oh did I tell you I lost my balance while on the bow and took a dive into the water. I did get wet and embarrassed! It pays to have some dry clothes on board.
I am fishing David, Bob and their other friend David and we are targeting tarpon and snook at night. The wind had been blowing and the water was a bit cold but there had been some good tarpon action on the beaches. We head out top Government Cut and make a couple of long rifts but no action. We scouted the area but saw nothing. We now turn our attention to the bridge and dock lights and make our way around the bay as we look for fish. The guys caught a few small snappers and one small jack but no tarpon or snook. On the bright side it was by far one of the most beautiful nights one could have imagined on the bay.
Back into North Biscayne Bay looking for sea trout. I have Annette and her two daughters Tyler and Brady and David visiting from Washington DC. The wind is blowing again and the water is cold. We have plenty of shrimp and cast net some pilchards with my 10 foot Lee Fisher Net. Fishing all of my pet spots we find nothing biting until late in the morning with only one hour left the girls and their brother catch over a dozen trout to three pounds before we head in.
Today I am fishing Dan Smith and his son Casey. We will fish a half day on this day and a ¾ day the next. The first day we fish the Finger Channels of South Biscayne bay and for only four hours. By the end of the trip the guys have released 12 muttons, 20 red groupers plus fouir porgies and kept6 four porgies to take home. On day two we head north and try our luck in Government Cut. There is a lot of bait but nothing is feeding on them today. We move on and try a few trout spots with the last one being loaded with trout to 18 inches. The guys are catching them on every cast on Hook Up lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp. Once they have their fill of trout we look for some mackerel but only miss one before moving on. We check out some snook spots but find barracudas and the guys catch close to a dozen before we move on. We are getting short on time and try another mackerel spot but only get one hit and its from a bluefish that we missed.
Today I am fishing a short charter in South Biscayne Bay with Craig and Scott. Scott is a fly fisherman and with winds blowing from the north at 20 he will have to work hard to make a catch. Craig will be throwing a Hook Up lure tipped with a Gulp shrimp mostly because it was too windy the night before for the shrimp boats to catch shrimp for the local bait shops and we have no live shrimp. Working shorelines we spook a 20 pound snook that saw us before we saw him but nothing else so we head further south. In a channel we quickly catch lots of red groupers on the Gulps and Hook Up lures plus a few muttons but time is running out so we head to our last spot. Here the Scott continues to throw the fly and hooks a large fish. It's the one he has been patiently waiting for. A snook! The fish is kind of lethargic probably due to the 63 degree water temps but eventually takes off on a run and Scott has the fish on the reel. The snook looks to be in the 10 pound class and on its next run wears through the leader and is gone. Craig continues to cast and he hooks up on the Hook Up lure and Gulp shrimp. This snook is a 26 inch fish and is released after a few pictures. The guys have a meeting later in the afternoon so its time to head back to the barn.
Last up this week are Fred and his son Ben. Its Fred's birthday and his wife has treated him to a fishing charter with me. We start a little later in the day to let the water warm a bit and after launching at Crandon Park Marina we head to Government Cut to catch some pilchards. On the way to the Cut I discover that my Sabiki Rig bag is gone so we head over to Miami Beach Marina and buy a few. The bait is there in the Cut and we quickly fill the well with pilchards that help compliment the shrimp that we have for bait today. We fish from Government Cut south to the Finger Channels and by the end of a 6 hour charter the guys have tallied up a catch of three snook to 27 inches, over 40 red, black and gag groupers to 9 pound and mutton and mangrove snappers. Nice way to celebrate a birthday!
Well that catches us up for now.
Give me a call and lets go fishing!
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 or tune into the Florida Sportsman Magazines Live Radio Show on 1080 WMCU on the AM dial or listen on the internet at www.1080wmcu.com every Saturday morning from 7 to 8 AM and here the up to the minute fishing forecasts from some of the top Capt.'s in South Florida like Capt. Jimbo Thomas on the Thomas Flyer, Capt. Bouncer Smith on Bouncers Dusky, Capt Skip Bradeen on the Blue Chips Too out of Whale Harbor Marina, Capt. Wayne Conn on The Reward Fleet, and more.
Check out my new web site and see the monthly catches and pictures.
Sponsors: Yamaha, Bob Hewes Boats, Maverick, Minn Kota, Lowrance Electronics, Daiwa, General Motors & Chevrolet, Rapala, Mustad, Ande Lines, Pure Fishing, Gulp, Berkley, Precision Tackle, 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
Capt. Alan Sherman
"Get Em" Sportfishing Charters
786 436 2064
[email protected]
www.getemsportfishing.com
Flamingo Fishing Forecast:
Cool weather conditions continue to keep the waters of Everglades National Park on the cool side keeping many fish way out in the Gulf or deep in the channels and creeks where water temperaures are more desirable. A warmer trend is on its way and fishing should rebound at least until the next cold front arrives. Fishing in South Biscayne Bay continues to be very good for groupers to 9 pounds and snook to 27 inches.
Target Species:
Grouper, Snook, Tarpon, Snapper, Mackerel, Cobia
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