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Everglades National Park - Flamingo
Capt. Bob LeMay
December 20, 2006
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
Did my first night trip of the winter season late last week. Not fly fishing but all the fish we found would have been perfect, right at the surface where a presentation would have been a snap... We went one for three on tarpon and released a half dozen snook up to slot size. The drive down to Miami Beach was solid rain, but it cleared up to just an occasional misting rain only once or twice. The fish we found were hungry although we never saw one shrimp at all. It should be off the hook when the shrimp start moving. Dan Gallucci hooked the very first fish he saw with his first cast of the night. A 30 to 35lb tarpon on 10# spin is a handful, this particular fish really worked him out. It was almost 40 minutes before the fish was finally leadered. A great release on light tackle!
The remainder of my bookings this week were out of Flamingo, almost 100 miles from my home base. As usual it's worth the trip... Sunday's trip was again in rainy conditions that finally cleared up as the afternoon approached. We managed a double backcountry slam of snook, redfish, and trout early on, but the snook and reds were on the small side (I think we were fishing in their nursery, to be honest). The trout, though, were very nice sized - and we caught and released them throughout the day. In fact I quit counting when we'd released more than 80 of them. When the trout season re-opens on 1 January, they should be going strong. In the afternoon we found some large aggressive bluefish (at 3 to 4lbs they were large by Flamingo standards) along with a variety of other species. The day's highlight, though, was the biggest pompano I've seen this year. It was every bit of 21" long and really fought hard before being invited home for dinner...
Yesterday's booking we concentrated on grouper and other eating type fish and it was a great day. My anglers took home spanish mackeral, snapper, redfish, and grouper. The catch of the day ( and my best grouper ever in the river system) weighed a solid 12lbs on the Boga Grip and measured right at 30". It was an outstanding catch on 15# spin. Alistair DeVertuill (hope I'm spelling his last name correctly) did a great job hooking and landing that grouper. Here's the situation, we work bucktails tipped with shrimp right on the bottom in one hole or other. When hooked the fish is only 10 to 13' below the boat, but is right next to a tangle of mangrove roots with a very strong current only a few feet away. Most of my anglers get their clocks thoroughly cleaned by a big grouper. That straight up and down war usually only lasts until the fish is able to get to cover, you really have to pull and take advantage of any movement to beat even a smaller grouper fishing this close to structure. This was a great catch and I wish we could do it more often. Yesterday we caught and released more than a dozen small grouper before missing a big one, then landing Alistair's fish. We also caught and released a few small jewfish ( I know, goliath grouper) in the same spot.
I still have a few days open before the end of the year. Here's wishing a great holiday to all the anglers that I know. Remember I'm still offering gift certificates if you want to give a fishing trip to someone for Christmas...
Tight Lines
Bob LeMay
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