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Fishing report, Everglades backcountry, Flamingo to Everglades C
Capt. Bob LeMay
December 9, 2008
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
As usual it's been too long since my last report. This one will cover the last four weeks from the very last of the late Fall warm weather to the current early winter season.
I've been fishing in a lot of different environments recently and doing different things on the water, from fishing kids with live bait and conventional gear out of Flamingo to stalking reds, snook, and tarpon with fly fishing gear in sightfishing situations out of Everglades City. First the kids. I get a real kick out of fishing father and son outings, particularly when it's the first time the kids have made it out with me. A few weeks ago, attorney Matt Santamauro from New York brought his 11 year old son out and we struggled a bit at first, catching small reds, trout, snappers, and a variety of other species. Toward the end of the day young Matt hooked up on a fish that was a bit bigger than he was, a solid 70lb blacktip shark that almost spooled his medium spinning reel. That fish jumped four or five times while grey-hounding away from us at terrific speed. The look on young Matt's face as he attempted to keep the rod tip up was just priceless. After another twenty minutes we finally got the fish to the boat to remove the hook and get a quick photo or two. For anyone that hasn't used one the new ARC de-hookers are everything they're claimed to be. Very rarely does a shark leave with one of my hooks anymore... My next kids trip was a week later with a pair of young anglers that were seven years old and up for their first 'Glades trip. The twins along with their Dad, Dave Blumberg of Key Biscayne, fished in tough conditions just before a cold front was passing. Although bad weather cut the day short I think they'll be back.
Last week it was fly fishing out of Everglades City with Bruce Rueben, again in less than ideal weather conditions. With the wind blowing and outside areas pretty much un-fishable we went back inside and up into some sheltered creeks. It was a good choice since Bruce was able to catch and release a dozen small snook on a light fly rod. For anyone looking for winter creeks holding lots of fish - just look for the birds. If you're in the right areas you'll see more wading birds this time of year than any other. It has to be a bird watchers paradise when you can see five different kinds of heron, every specie of egret, wood storks, both brown pelicans and their northern cousins the white pelican, hundreds of ibis, both cormorants and anhingas, the gorgeous roseate spoonbill.... All in the same areas, and many times by the hundreds, side by side working tiny glass minnows... Backcountry paradise, period. The next day, of course, the weather got worse with a drop in temperatures of almost ten degrees in some areas. We were still able to catch small snook, just not as many as the day before.
Last night was my first night tarpon trip of this winter season in Biscayne Bay. We found tarpon up to about 40lbs, snook up to about 15lbs in solid sight-fishing setups in the shadows under bridges and in dock lights... It was a frustrating evening, though, since the fish just weren't eating any of my angler's flies. We had everything except shrimp moving.... Like I said, frustrating. As soon as the shrimp get moving (any day now, I swear...) the night scene will turn on. I go through this every year at the beginning of the winter night season. I don't think even professional shrimpers know when the critters will start their annual ride to the ocean. When it happens the fish will feed all night long (and eat any properly presented fly...). Once the shrimp start moving at night the baby tarpon will be solid all the way until the end of April. All that's needed is an outgoing tide.
My next report will come a lot sooner and with photos. It's hard to reach for the camera when you're poling all day...
Tight Lines
Bob LeMay
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