Everglades National Park - Flamingo

Capt. Bob LeMay
September 4, 2002
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report

While everyone else was chasing snook, now that the season's open for them, we were tarpon fishing and having a time. This week I've been breaking in a new engine (one of those new Evinrudes with the three year warranty...) as we run from Flamingo to the Gulf coast.

The giant tarpon are thick around river mouths and in most of the same places that they were in early May. We jumped fish that were well over 100lbs on bait and brought fish up to 50lbs each day to the boat on lures. It's quite a sight to see an 80lb fish trying to eat a small plug near the boat. It's even more fun when one catches that same plug or bucktail... What I really need is a couple of fly fishermen to put in front of the fish. Still lots of bait along the shorelines and still a few surprises while tarpon fishing with bait. I had an estimated 80lb jewfish eat the same bait three times while avoiding the hook. On the first pass the fish chased the bait to the surface like one of those big black groupers do on the patch reefs in winter off of Key Largo. The next time we're working that particular spot we'll see whether we can improve on hooking him.

For those that want to get in on the action, tarpon still don't like motors... If you idle in and out of an area where the fish are they might still bite. The tarpon fishing should stay hot until the first cool weather arrrives at the end of this month. After that the fishing for everything else along the coast will get better and better until the end of November.

Tight Lines

Bob LeMay

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