December Fishing is Great
Capt. Bouncer Smith
December 4, 2009
Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report
The Holiday season has arrived with a bang. On Thanksgiving morning my nephew from Atlanta, Kevin Cote and I did a little fishing along the edge. We caught 3 nice mutton snappers, a small tuna, bonito, shark, a bunch of big blue runners and a beautiful tarpon.
Friday we caught 2 sailfish, a mutton snapper and almost caught a cobia, he jumped off after escaping the gaff. Fishing was very slow that flat calm day.
Sunday and Monday we fished with Mark McMillan from Texas. He wanted his first swordfish and first tarpon. We set out at 1 PM and hooked a swordfish over 200 pounds on the first drop. Mark fought the fish to within 100 feet of the boat before the hook pulled from the fishes jaw.
After we discovered the jinxing banana nut bread granola we had no more swordfish bites. As darkness fell we headed back to the beach for that tarpon. We fired out the live shrimp and Mark had 7 bites in 90 minutes, got 3 to the boat and posed for pictures with one of the silver kings.
On Monday we were back out after that swordfish. We had no action day dropping from 2 till 6. As it got dark we set out a spread of night baits. At 7 PM the long jug rod cried out. By 8 PM Mark was admiring his first swordfish. She was 110 inches length overall and about 140 pounds. She had been caught tagged and released off Pensacola Florida in 2006 when only 30 pounds and 30 inches from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of her tail. In three years she had gained 110 pounds and grown 37 inches.
On Tuesday old home week started. Todd Stegall reappeared after not fishing with us for 11 years. He always had great luck, and it continued as he scored with his first wahoo, a small tuna, 2 nice dolphin and a good sized king mackerel. He also got a great show from a sail that got away.
Jamie D'Antona and his father Joe first fished with me over 17 years ago and Jamie was a Met tournament Pee Wee Master Angler due to the catches we made. There first trip back was yesterday and was one of our best dolphin trips of the year. The guys kept 5 dolphin from 15 to 28 pounds, 6 dolphin from 7 to 15 pounds and a 12 pound skipjack tuna. They tagged and released 15 dolphin from 3 to 12 pounds. We were fishing in 175 feet of water along Key Biscayne with live herring on the kites.
Tarpon season is off to a great start, the winter dolphin seem to have arrived and someday the sailfish will settle into a steady pattern. Let's go join the fun. Send me a e-mail for reservations or information [email protected]
Miami Fishing Forecast:
Look for tarpon along the beaches for the remains of the winter and spring. Sailfish should be hot already and should turn on soon. Winter dolphin are found pretty close to shore. Swordfish will be there if the weather allows fishing way offshore.
Target Species:
tarpon, sailfish, dolphin and swordfish
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