HOT WEATHER TRIGGERING HOT FISHING IN SOUTH FLORIDA
Capt. Alan Sherman
July 24, 2011
Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report
Summer time in South Florida is heating up the fishing! Normally in late July I am fishing early mornings, late afternoons and into the evening in North Biscayne Bay but this year we have had some unusual weather patterns and for whatever reasons it has affected the fishing in a positive way.
Let's start with fishing in North Biscayne Bay. Baitfish schools that had all but disappeared have returned for at least now and with the return of the baitfish there has been a new spark in the Bay fishing. Early mornings are still when you want to be on the water just because it's so much cooler than in the midafternoons. During morning Bay trips my anglers have caught small barracudas, snappers, sea trout, bluefish and tarpon. We have had shots at bull sharks and a few snook but no solid hookups. Recent Bay trips have seen a lot of action from small tarpon in the 10 to 30 pound range and a bluefish that I thought was lost but a fellow Bay angler reported to me today that he has been catching a lot of bluefish, big sea trout and quite a few pompano. In July? Did someone say Global Warming? Probably the reason for bluefish and pompano in our Bay right now may be due to the return of the small baitfish that are back in the Bay and then again it might be due to a cold water influx that is taking place 100 miles to the north of us. Whatever it is I am looking forward to my next Bay charter.
Offshore the fishing has been very interesting. Start early and you can avoid the late afternoon thunderstorms that have been plaguing South Florida most of the past two weeks. I have been taking as many live threadfin herring and pilchards offshore and have plenty of action from large bonitos that have been wearing my anglers arms off plus a few nice kingfish, and quite a few sailfish and enough mahi mahi (dolphins) to warrant going offshore to look for the, On my last offshore trip we landed a 32 pound bull dolphin that ate a free lined pilchard.
The last place I have been fishing is in Flamingo in Everglades National Park. The mosquitos have been real bad at the boat ramp and near the shorelines but we have managed to stay away from them and still catch fish. We have had steady action from sea trout, mangrove snappers, jacks, ladyfish, sharks, redfish, snook and tripletail. The snook have been in sizes from 20 inch fish to over 30 inches and the tripletail have been up to ten pounds.
I have not fished for largemouth bass since the rains started and have heard that the fish are still biting but water levels have risen and allowed the fish to scatter up on the flats.
RECENT CATCHES:
Steve C and his son Evan fished North Biscayne Bay and during a half day trip released eight sea trout and lost a big tarpon fishing with Hookup lures tipped with Gulp and Trigger X shrimp under a Cajun Thunder float and live pinfish.
Ken M and his 13 year old son fished North Biscayne Bay and during a half day trip released six sea trout, four barracudas and two snappers using live threadfin herring under a Cajun Thunder float.
Long time regular Robert H and his son Carson fished a half day in North Biscayne Bay and released a bunch of sea trout using Hookup lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp and on live threadfin herring under a Cajun Thunder float.
Darien D and his son Jackson fished in Flamingo and each caught their first snook plus redfish, sea trout, jacks, ladyfish, snappers and sharks.
Faustino and his girlfriend Jualeska from Puerto Rico fished offshore during a short late afternoon trip and released a 40 pound sailfish that ate a free lined threadfin herring.
I fished with my wife Dana and son Zachary offshore and caught lots of bonitos and Zachary released a sailfish that was over 50 pounds using live threadfin herring that were free lined plus a few dolphins.
Charles F & Joe D. fished offshore and released six bonitos and a remora, lost a big sailfish and landed a 12 pound kingfish using live threadfin herring for bait.
Jordan D and his daughter Dani and son Adam fished North Biscayne Bay and Adam lost what may have been a nice snook on a live threadfin herring fished under a Cajun Thunder float but Dani had the hot hand and caught and released a sea trout, a nice barracuda and her first tarpon.
Mary K and Lyn from Dallas fished and sightseen in North Biscayne Bay for a half day. The girls had hopes of catching a few fish and seeing the Miami sights from the water. By the end of the day I think they had seen most of what they wanted plus got in a little fishing. While looking for bait and then catching bait we came upon a group of lounging manatees on a flat. The girls had never been so close to a manatee before. While fishing a few fish were missed before we landed and released a bluefish. In our last spot we released a nice barracuda and each gal hooked and jumped a tarpon although they both got away. The girls had more bites by the tarpon but couldn't get a solid hookup and asked if we could do some sightseeing. On the ride back from Government Cut a pod of bottlenose dolphins played just a few feet from us for at least ten minutes before we headed in.
Charlie F and Joe D are back again for a ¾ day. The weather is perfect and our plans are to find some dolphins. After filling the live well with frisky pilchards we head offshore. Once we located the right weedline that looked like it extended around the world the guys caught and released a bunch of assorted jacks and small dolphins before landing three dolphins in sizes of five pounds, ten pound and 32 pounds. The largest fish was caught on a new 844 jigging stick made by Key Largo Rods.
The last trip of the week is with Pat S and his buddy Tom and we are fishing in Flamingo. After catching enough bait for the day we head to our first spot where we catch a bunch of mangrove snappers to 14 inches keeping six, release a few trout to 18 inches along with jacks, ladyfish and catfish before moving on with hopes of finding some tripletails. For the next two hours we catch and five or six tripletail releasing all but two of the biggest but saw at least a dozen and lost one after a long run that was easily ten pounds before hitting our last spot that produced four snook bites and resulted in the release of three to 24 inches.
That catches us up for now!
I do have scattered openings for the next three weeks so don't hesitate to give me a call so you too can have sore arms, big smiles and pictures of what you caught on the Get Em with Captain Alan Sherman!
Give me a call at 786-436-2064 or e-mail me at [email protected]
Let's go catch some Fish!
Check out my new web site and to read about the weekly catches and to see your pictures.
www.getemsportfishing.com
[email protected]
Rick Berry of Key Largo Rods (www.keylargorods.com) recently got in a new shipment of jigging rods. There model numbers are 843 and 844. These are 7 foot spinning rods with a lot of beef that will easily handle 12 to 30 and 15 to 40 pound braided line and a one to two ounce vertical jig. I have been using them for live bait fishing for snook, tarpon, sailfish, bonitos and dolphins and am very excited about the strength and feel of these new rods. I can't wait to give them a shot on snapper and grouper on the reefs! Check out the Key Largo Rods web site or give the shop a call and have a few made up.
Want to stay cool and look like you belong on the water? Than gear up with some Columbia Sportswear! For starters slip on a pair of cool fitting and quick drying Aruba III Zip Off Pants. They are so light you won't even know you're wearing them and they quickly turn into shorts if you feel the need. Find yourself in Flamingo in Everglades National Park where at times bugs can be a problem then add The Bug Shield long sleeve shirt that has the new Insect Blocker technology that keeps six-legged pests at bay and it offers Omni-Shade UPF 40 sun protection, and Omni-Wick advanced evaporation technology that keeps you cool, dry, and collected - leaving you free to focus on the adventure at hand. And then last but not least slip on a pair of Omni Free gloves and neck-buff that is outfitted with a UPF 30 sun protection enough sun protection to get the Skin Cancer Foundation's seal of recommendation.
Check out my report in the Miami Herald's Sports section under Fishing Updates each Thursday, the Florida Sportsman Magazines South Florida Internet Fishing Report (www.floridaspotsman.com), my monthly Action Spotter Fishing Report for the South Region in the Florida Sportsman Magazine each month.
I have recently changed outboard engines on my 22' Pathfinder XL Tournament Edition Bay Boat. I had an opportunity to put one of the first Yamaha SHO 250 Four Stroke outboards on my boat and the difference has been just amazing. This engine has 25 more horsepower but carries 77 less pounds allowing me better hole shot while giving great cruising fuel efficiency. What more can a boater ask for?
I have been wearing a lot of Columbia Sports Wear on my fishing charters and the new Blood & Guts shirts are amazing. I have had mackerel, cobia and snook just splatter me with blood and one good washing and the shirts are as good as new.
Check out their web site at www.columbia.com
Sponsors: Yamaha, Bob Hewes Boats, Maverick, Minn Kota, Lowrance Electronics, Daiwa, General Motors & Chevrolet, Rapala, Suffix, Trigger X, Mustad, Pure Fishing, Gulp, Berkley, Precision Tackle, Cajun Thunders, Capt. Hank Brown's Hookup Lures, Hydro Glow Lights, Saltwater Assassins, Key Largo Rods, Lee Fisher Cast Nets, Smartshield, Master Repair in Stuart Florida, Power Pole, Stow Master Nets, superfishlight.com, Columbia Wear, Tempress Seating, Aluminum Fabricating Inc.
Capt. Alan Sherman
"Get Em" Sportfishing Charters
786-436-2064
www.getemsportfishing.com
Field Editor of the Florida Sportsman Magazines Action Spotter Report South Region
Field Editor of the Florida Sportsman Magazines Internet Fishing Forecast South Region
Editor of the Miami Heralds South Florida Fishing Report Thursdays Edition
Miami Fishing Forecast:
I expect the fishing to be pretty consistent for the next three or four months with lots of SEA TROUT, JACK CREVALLES, LADYFISH, BARRACUDAS, SNOOK, TARPON in NORTH BISCAYNE BAY and OFFSHORE of MIAMI KINGFISH SAILFISH and DOLPHINS available on the calmer days and in FLAMINGO in EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK will have a huge amount of wildlife like the WHITE PELICANS, ROSEATTE SPOONBILLS, SKIMMER BIRDS,GULLS, OSPREYS, EAGLES, TERNS, EGRETS, HERONS, ALLIGATORS, CROCODILES, BOTTLE NOSED DOLPHINS, MANATTEES, SHARKS and TURTLES and of course the wide variety of fish that migrate into FLORIDA BAY and the GULF waters during the cooler months of the year. SNOOK, TARPON, REDFISH, SEA TROUT, SHEEPSHEAD, TRIIPLETAIL, BLACK DRUM, SNAPPER, GOLIATH AND GAG GROUPER, POMOPANO, COBIA, MACKEREL, PERMITS, BLUEFISH and I'm sure I am leaving a few other fish species out will be available to all anglers at one time or another throughout the rest of the Summer.
Target Species:
LARGEMOUTH BASS, SNOOK, TARPON, REDFISH, SHARKS, DOLPHINS, SAILFISH, TRIPLETAIL
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