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Everglades National Park - Flamingo
Capt. Bob LeMay
May 7, 2006
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
It's been a long stretch since my last report. My computer crashed (actually it just quietly stopped working) about five or six weeks ago during a time when I was fishing seven days a week. This is that time of year when most guides are going full tilt... Finally up and running again with a new computer and will try to post a report weekly.
This past week the Gulf coast of the Everglades out of Flamingo was the place to be. Whitewater and Oyster Bays have slowed a bit and afternoon winds have muddied things up. The coastal areas have had all the action. Our best tarpon this week was estimated at 130lbs. Ron Krell of Tallahassee did an outstanding job fighting a big fish on spinning gear in shark infested waters (more about that later). After a few photos the big fish was released well away from where the hook-up occurred. Our best snook this week weighed 14lbs on the boga-grip for a photo and release. It was one of several caught by Bob Pierce, also from Tallahassee, on light spinning gear and lures. Unfortunately he lost half of one snook earlier that day to a shark at another spot. The half that we weighed went 8lbs... In some areas big sharks are around in large numbers. At times we could see as many as five or more lemons up to about nine feet long parading behind my skiff just waiting for us to hook something as we poled one stretch of shoreline. That area is great for fly fishing for them since they're so hungry. Our last mis-adventure in that area cost me a new 12wt fly line and around 250 feet of 30lb backing.... The big sharks are easy to tease up but the sunken trees in the area after Wilma tore the place up are really hard on fly lines. It's a heart breaker to hook an 8' shark on fly and then see that he's dragged you around a sunken tree.... Although snook and tarpon have been at the top of my list these days other species are around in numbers as well. Our biggest gag grouper this week was just over 24", the biggest trout was over 5lbs, there are lots of large spanish mackeral and small bluefish, and the list just continues...
The main reason that the Gulf coast is turned on now is water clarity and clouds of baitfish everywhere you look.... Friends have also reported good tripletail action and nice sized cobias for those that like to work the offshore shallow wrecks and markers.
The best news is that there's still no mosquitoes... (no rain, no mosquitoes --we'll enjoy it while we can)
Although I can't even begin to describe all the different trips good and not so good that we had in the last sixty days the most memorable ones were usually fish that we didn't land...
In early March we found two big permit riding a stingray in Biscayne Bay and hooked one of them on a light bonefish rod with only 8# line. That fish stayed on for more than 30 minutes towing us from channel to flats over and over again before finally breaking off. When I first saw the fish it looked like the permit were mugging the ray since they bumped into it repeatedly as it mudded along a flat....
A few weeks later we had perfect conditions in Whitewater Bay for fly fishing big tarpon. The Bay was glassed off at dawn and the big fish were floating at the surface. You could actually pole to fish that we spotted by seeing the tip of their tail sticking up at a distance.... Tarpon heaven. My angler finally got that perfect shot, a fish floating at the surface less than 40 feet away. He laid the fly out just right and we watched as the big fish spotted the fly, moved slowly to intercept it and ate within 20 feet of the boat. My angler struck the fish just right but then got "tarpon fever" and wouldn't let the fly line go when the fish moved. All we got was one magnificent jump as the fish broke free. We'll be working on what to do after you hook one the next time he comes down....
Tight lines
Bob LeMay
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