LOTS OF RAIN WIND NO PROBLEM PLENTY OF FISH!
Capt. Alan Sherman
May 23, 2012
Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report
It's been a few weeks since my last fishing report time to catch up. Who would believe last year at this time we were having a severe drought but this year it has rained hard and almost every day. All of this rain and windy conditions has made fishing a real challenge. But that never stops a real fisherman from trying to catch a fish. So we keep trying and keep catching! With warmer conditions and rising water temperatures plus lots of fresh water being pushed into the bays through the Salinity dams most of the baitfish schools have moved offshore and some of our predators have moved on to saltier waters. Here's what's happening in all of the areas that I fish.
North Biscayne Bay has been hit by lots of rain and a lack of baitfish. When we can find baitfish we have had action from snook, large jacks and small tarpon. Fishing these baitfish free lined hooked to a Mustad Ultra point hook or under a Cajun Thunder float has resulted in some nice catches. When we can't get the bait then the sea trout are keeping us busy with some outstanding catches of fish to 24 inches. Casting red ¼ ounce Hookup lures tipped with a Gulp or Trigger X shrimp is getting us nonstop action from sea trout, jacks, snapper and barracudas.
Offshore fishing when baitfish has been available is producing action from blackfin tuna and dolphins. I have not been able to get offshore much recently but the guys that have had kingfish to 30 pounds, lots of blackfin tuna to 30 pounds, dolphins to 30 pounds and a few sailfish. Best action has been early and late in the day.
Flamingo has been the most consistent fishing I have had. If I could get a nice day down there I know we would have nonstop action from redfish and snook. On my recent trips the winds and rain has been a nuisance but it hasn't stopped us from catching snook to 14 pounds and redfish over the slot. Big sea trout, sharks, jacks, ladyfish and lots of catfish have kept us busy.
Freshwater fishing for me has not happened because of all the rain. The largemouth bass are scattered up on the flats and that's not my kind of fishing.
This is my slow time of the year. If you're interested in bending a fishing rod give me a call.
786-436-2064
www.getemsportfishing.com
[email protected]
Recent Catches:
Today I am with one of my longtime customers Pat in North Biscayne Bay. The winds are strong out of the west and we hope to go offshore butt we will need a lot of baits before we can head out there. The bait is hard to catch and we only get a few but we head offshore anyway. With only a few cut offs and a bluerunner we head back inshore to see what we can catch. Working hard with the bait that we have left and using Hookup lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp and Rapala X Raps we managed to catch and release barracudas, jacks and 11 sea trout to 21 inches before calling it a day.
Back on the water with Arnie, Mitch and two friends in Biscayne Bay. Baitfish is scarce so we turn to using artificial lures. Casting Hookup lures tipped with Gulp shrimp the guys managed to catch and release a bunch of sea trout to 22 inches, jacks and a Spanish mackerel.
Today I am in Flamingo with Jim and Michael. After catching a live well full of pinfish we head to the fishing grounds in hopes of catching redfish, snook, tarpon and sea trout. Fishing through a high falling tide the guys are catching sea trout to 20 inches before we release our first snook a seven pound fish that ate a live pinfish hooked to a ¼ ounce red Hookup lure. We have six more good bites and release another 7 pound snook and land a seven pound redfish before we head in.
Today I am in North Biscayne Bay with Joel, Steve and Neil. The weather is stormy and we're not sure how long we can stay out. Not wanting to waste any time we decide not to try to catch any bait and instead cast artificial lures. Casting quarter ounce hookup lures tipped with Gulp 3 inch pearl colored shrimp the guys catch-and-release 30 sea trout with three of the fish being over 20 inches in length before we head in due to the rain.
Back in North Biscayne Bay with Matt and his brother Chris. The guys are here for a bachelor party and want to do some fishing before they head home. The fish they really want to catch is a tarpon. After hitting many spots looking for that tarpon the guys have released a bunch of sea trout and quite a few barracudas. But no tarpon! Fishing near one of the ocean inlets both guys hook big fish that turn into being jack crevalles that weigh10 and 12 pounds. We head to one more spot where we hook three more fish and lose all three with one of them being a tarpon. Maybe next time!
Back in North Biscayne Bay with Michael and Bryan. With the bait I had left over from yesterday and during four short hours the guys caught and released over a dozen sea trout to 22 inches, mangrove snappers, barracudas and a small tarpon.
Back in flamingo today with Richard and Arnold. With very strong winds and in stormy conditions we found the fishing to be very slow. Hitting every spot I could think of that recently had quality fish the guys could only manage six sea trout to 3 ½ pounds plus a few jacks and a lot of catfish and a few ladyfish.
Today I have Jerry and his friend Alan on the boat in North Biscayne Bay. The weather is calm and the skies are overcast. In no time at all I have filled one live well with frisky threadfin herring for bait. Because of the calm conditions we head out into the ocean in hopes of catching blackfin tuna. After working our way offshore we stop the boat in 200 feet of water and started fishing. With the lines in the water and a few live baits out for chum we missed our first bite. In no time Jerry had a big fish on. The fish fought hard and stayed deep. While Jerry was fighting his fish Alan missed a good fish. After a 30 minute battle Jerry landed his 22 pound blackfin tuna. With the lines back in the water Jerry had two more bites and landed a 22 inch dolphin. With no more bites we headed offshore looking for bigger dolphin. Finding a nice weedline we put our baits back in the water and quickly hooked another 22 inch dolphin. This one for Alan. With no more bites we headed inshore and called it a day.
Today I am with Bruce and his son Nathaniel and friend Danny in North Biscayne Bay for a 4 hour trip. After catching bait we worked grass flats and shorelines and released a 27 inch snook, barracudas, sea trout and jacks before heading in. All of the fish that we caught ate live threadfin herring fished under a Cajun thunder float with a Mustad 1/0 long shank hook.
Back in Flamingo today with Steve, Joel and Neil for a full day of fishing. Once again the weather is stormy and threatening. In our first spot we have many strikes of which two were sharks but both got away and the rest were catfish. In our next spot we caught more catfish a few jack crevalles, sea trout and a 10 pound snook that was released alive. The next snook an eight pound fish was eaten by a large bull shark. With the fish afraid to eat because of the shark we moved on. In our next spot we had no bites but we did catch a live well full of pilchards that we took to the next spot. This would be our last spot for the day. Chumming hard we had snook crashing on the surface. We released at least six snook and lost at least that many before we headed in.
Today I have Arnie with me again in North Biscayne Bay. He really wants to catch a snook before he heads home. After catching some baitfish we head to our first spot but no snook only jacks and barracudas. It's another stormy day and we have our Columbia Sportswear foul weather gear on. Once the weather started to calm down we headed offshore looking for dolphin but after an hour and a half with no fish we headed back inshore. Still looking for a snook we had some more bites and caught some more barracudas. Not wanting to give up we kept fishing when Arnie hooked a big fish. The fish with running hard and splashing on the surface, it was a big snook. A smart one! Arnie made a mistake he gave the fish some slack line and the fish through the hook. With no time remaining Arnie made one more cast and hooked another fish. A snook! A small one! But his first one! Released and we headed in.
Well that catches us up on what's been happening recently in Biscayne Bay, Offshore of Miami and in Flamingo.
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.
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
[email protected]
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
Miami Fishing Forecast:
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, BLACKFIN TUNA, SAILFISH and DOLPHINS will be available on the calmer days and in FLAMINGO in EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK we always 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 Spring and into the summer. And don't forget about the freshwater fishing in the Glades. Any day now water levels will drop and the fish will move into the canals and LARGEMOUTH BASS AND LOTS OF PANFISH will be available.
Target Species:
SNOOK, TARPON, MACKEREL, TROUT, REDFISH, DOLPHINS, SAILFISH, SHARKS, COBIA
More Fishing Reports:
