Category: Florida

Florida Fishing

A Miami Inshore/Offshore Report :

Miami Fishing Report Updated July 22, 2009

Time for a Summer Doldrums fishing report! Yes things are getting hot here in South Florida and maybe a little earlier than normal. Water temperatures are reaching the low 90Õs and in areas where water depths are less than four feet that can be a bit uncomfortable for the fish. Unfortunately much of North Biscayne Bay is four feet or less and Flamingo very similar except that Flamingo does have deeper water in channels and in open water where fish can go to beat the heat. Off shore with deeper water fishing has been more consistent but a fish that normally is very prevalent in July has been nowhere to be found. That fish is the dolphin or Mahi Mahi. At this point you are probably thinking why bother fishing? The answer to that question is simple. We are fishermen and fishermen fish! It doesnÕt matter where your fishing adventure takes you if your mind is in the right place every angler has the chance to get something positive out of each fishing adventure.

In North Biscayne Bay early mornings has produced the best fishing with small tarpon feeding over some of the grass flats in the bay, snook looking to ambush a live bait fished along a shoreline, sea trout, snappers and barracudas feeding over the grass flats. At first light water temperatures maybe as low as 82 degrees but by 10 AM closer to 90. The fish know this so they spend those short few hours stocking up on easy prey before settling down in deeper water or under some shade till things cool off. Late afternoons have been disappointing but there have been some big tarpon that recently attacked some of our large threadfin herring but did not eat the bait on a recent late afternoon early evening charter. On that charter my clients were able to release a few small barracudas, jacks, trout, snappers and small tarpon. The highlight was that 80 pound tarpon killing our bait but not eating it. We did see some snook and other tarpon at lights during the night but the small jacks ate the baits before the snook did. On this trip three generations of one family spent four hours having fun on the boat.

Ocean fishing has been decent with kingfish and lots of bonitos hitting live baits. Dolphins were targeted on these trips but never found. Some bottom fishing produced some keeper sized mutton snappers that made their way into the fish box plus a few amberjacks, sharks, bluerunners and trigger fish that were released. On one charter we had a 100 pound hammerhead shark circle the boat for ten minutes but refused our offerings. Calm conditions made those offshore ventures possible in my 22Õ Pathfinder Bay boat powered by my quite and fuel efficient Yamaha F 225 outboard engine. During all of these trips offshore we had numerous cut offs by kingfish and had other baits crushed and killed to add to the excitement. On almost every trip we saw fee jumping sailfish, sharks and sea turtles.

Flamingo has been a disappointment to me mainly because I like to fish the Park during the summer. Yes it is hot and this year there have been mosquitoes at the boat ramp and some horseflies to deal with but if you wear the right clothing and have some insect repellent on hand the bugs are not a problem. Normally the fishing for snook, redfish, tripletail, sharks, cobia and others is very good during the summer months. This year maybe because of lots of west winds and stormy conditions things have not been the same. I have not had a lot of charters in the Park this summer but I was there yesterday with some repeat clients from up north and had mediocre results. We mostly targeted the waters of Florida Bay and avoided the shorelines where snook and redfish have been active. My clients wanted action and some fish to take home. The weather was nice with a light breeze from the east and plenty of small ballyhoo and pinfish were netted in our bait spot. Off to the first spot where the anglers caught a few keeper trout, ladyfish a shark and a few catfish before the tide ran out and off to the next spot. We were casting Cajun Thunders with either a ballyhoo or pinfish attached to the 1/0 Mustad hook. Next up I thought we might get a bit more serious and try our luck at some small tarpon, snook and redfish but besides seeing an American crocodile, a few rosette spoonbills all we caught was a few catfish and a couple of missed strikes. Off to the next spot where we found a free floating tripletail and caught and released him on a Hook Up lure tipped with a Gulp shrimp. From this spot we hit some more flats and landed a three pound trout a half dozen snappers, some large ladyfish and more catfish before a storm and a passenger that felt ill sent us back to the boat ramp. We did see a large pod of bottlenose dolphins playing a manatee and a few turtles plus countless numbers of birds before the day ended. I am scheduled to fish Flamingo a handful of times during the next seven days and hopefully with more normal weather conditions I will see the fishing get back to the way I expect it.

Here is some info on an inshore flats fishing report:

Report Updated April 7, 2008

The fishing has been good thru March, the one constant we have had is the wind which normally dies @ the 2 week of April. On the days the winds are down and and we can fish around the beaches and Government Cut there have been Tarpon, Permit, Snook and numerous other species. April is the month we switch to Crabs and the Tarpon bite is usually consistent every night. If you have ever read my reports you know I am a big proponent of the Gulp products and during the day they catch fish that Shrimp don’t, so use them if you can.

The Tarpon will be everywhere at Flamingo as soon as the wind dies, April and May are when we start to notice them in the Gulf in more than one area. There are still some Tarpon in the Back country but the wind has effected this in a big way. The Snook fishing has been and will be very good no that the water temperatures are back where they like it. The Redfishing is always good but during the next few months it will produce some schools on top of the flats which is what we all love to do and see. The Tripletails will start to show up in the Gulf as well and these are a bonus while Tarpon fishing. Every day and year that goes by I learn new info which in turn I offer to my clients. One of those thing I hope to capitalize on is the Permit I have found for the last 2 years while Tarpon fishing.

I am part of a corporate group trip today, I have James and his wife Linda onboard and we are starting out in Government Cut. The wind is up around 18 knots, we gave the Cut a shot for while but it was a little to much for Linda. James had caught a couple small Snappers and we decided to move to calmer waters. The bay worked out they caught 20 Trout and a few Barracudas.

Today we are doing the other half of the corporate group and I have Troy, Bruce and Larry. The winds are even stronger this morning taking Government Cut out of the picture. I decided with the other captains in the group to run north to the next inlet which was holding a lot of bait and some big Jack Crevalle. I spotted some birds diving on the way up and checked it out, on the first 20 cast the trio of anglers hooked up on Jacks. They kept me busy running from rod to rod unhooking there fish for about 30 minutes, it’s cardio fishing at it’s best! The Jack bite continues for an hour with a couple big Trout mixed in. I can still here Larry laughing at how incredible it was. we moved to the inlet where Troy had a monster Jack rip the eyelet out of his Rapala X Rap. Troy caught several nice Spanish Mackerel and Bruce had a big Jack hit his plug and come loose. We finished the day Trout fishing catching a handful.

Eric called me and said he wanted to take his 2 young boys Eric and Pete fishing and to concentrate on teaching them and letting them catch all the fish. I said no problem this is a big part of my business! I hate saying this in every report but it was really windy again which in turn muddied up the high water. The tide starts moving 2 hours earlier to the west so that’s the direction we headed. I was looking for schools of Trout, Jacks and Ladyfish for these guys to get the feel of catching fish. We worked on casting and then getting a feel for a Gulp jig on the bottom, it don’t normally take long for the kids to get it. The fish responded and the Jacks,Trout, Ladyfish and Snappers started coming in the boat as well as the wind gust that continued to get stronger. We ended the day Shark fishing but even the Shark didn’t like the wind today. The kids came up and thanked me for a great day without there dad telling them, to this really made my day!

Fort Lauderdale Fishing Report Updated November 20, 2008

Mid-November Fishing Report – Fort Lauderdale Fishing aboard Lady Pamela II

Captain Paul Palucci and I of the LP II headed out of Shallow Harbor in search of Daytime Swordfish looking to eat. On the way out, we crushed the mahi – mahi. The dolphin were ranging anywhere from 10 – 12 lbs. When we hit fertile grounds, we made our first drop and within 15 minutes the rod bent over. We had him on, he took a run, then pulled the hook! After our third drop of the day, the sun started to set. We rearranged for the nighttime bite and on the first drop we fought a 48 incher. Shortly after, we had a double header on. Nice size fish, a 48″ and a 48.5″ . Things were pretty much going as planned, we were getting bites and we weren’t leaving! Paul and I put everything back out and another one ate. After a 30 minute battle, he pulled the hook. Before we knew it, it was 2 AM and to the dock it was.

The next morning we didn’t get to sleep in, we had a full day of fishing ahead of us, literally. Fishing started off slow, not even a kingfish around. We ran to a wreck, made a drop and got a bite! An amberjack ate instantly.

November is taking off! With this 60 degree weather passing through Fort Lauderdale, the sailfish bite is on fire – the best I’ve ever seen. The bite has been consistent, anywhere from 4 – 8 sailfish per trip, leaving anglers extremely happy. On the 11th & 12th of November, I fished the Sailfish Cup out of Miami Beach. We caught a total of 20 fish in two days, coming in second place by 12 minutes. The Sailfish Cup had an impressive two days of fishing with a whopping 388 fish caught surpassing 2007 where the overall fish caught which was 208! That goes to show you fishing has been great.

The Blackfin tuna are offshore ranging anywhere from 10 – 15 lbs and the mahi – mahi weighing in around 20 lbs. Oddly enough, the mahi – mahi bite has been better this month than it was in August when it’s generally prime time to catch those delicious dolphin. Hopefully they stick around a little longer.

Here is some really interesting information regarding Night Fishing:
Summertime arrives with temperatures that are hot and nighttime fishing becomes an inviting proposition. However, fishing your hometown lake at night requires much more preparation than daytime fishing does. That body of water so familiar and friendly during the day becomes foreign and sometimes hostile as darkness descends. With just a little more preparation it can be enjoyed however and the results can be absolutely super. Being pro-active instead of reactive will ensure a safe and enjoyable venture in the darkness of night.

Fishing day or night requires that your boat be properly equipped as per U.S. Coast Guard required equipment.

Personal floatation devices (properly fitted) for each person on board are at the top of the list and should be worn by everyone when fishing at night. Finding someone that has fallen overboard in the daytime is generally easy, but in the dark can be quite difficult. A throwable flotation device is also required equipment and should be in a convenient location.

Off-Shore Life Jacket Best for open, rough or remote water, or where rescue may be slow coming. Provides the best floatation. Turns most unconscious wearers face-up in the water. Inflatable Type I PFD’s have two air chambers and inflate automatically when submerged. Near-Shore Buoyant Vest

Good for calm, inland waters or where rescue is likely to happen quickly. Turns some unconscious wearers face-up in water. Inflatable Type II PFD’s inflate automatically when submerged and are suitable for many rough water uses. Floatation Aid

Usually the most comfortable PFD for continuous wear. Good for calm, inland waters or where rescue is likely to happen quickly. Inflatable Type III PFD’s will keep unconscious wearers face-up in water after inflation. Throwable Device

Good for calm, inland water with heavy boat traffic where help is always nearby. Device can be thrown to the wearer and some can be used as a floatation cushion. Special Use Device

Made for specific conditions and activities and to be used only for the designated use. Some devices only approved when worn. Refer to PDF label on device for limitations on use. Types include boardsailing vests, work vests and hybrid PFD’s.

Bow and stern lights are required and essential equipment on your boat, and they must be lit when visibility is reduced. Striking unseen objects at night is the most often reported nighttime accident and unlit boats lead as those unseen objects. The temptation to venture forth without proper lighting is not only illegal, but also extremely foolish.

A proper and fully functional warning device (horn) becomes a vital piece of equipment in the darkness. It can be used to warn approaching craft as to your presence and also can be used to draw attention in the event of problems arising. Although not required unless off shore, visual distress signals (flares) should be on board.

An approved type fire extinguisher that is currently dated should be onboard and in a convenient and ready location. During a fire is no time to find out that the extinguisher will not function because it is out of date.

A paddle is required, not optional equipment, and again should be in a convenient and accessible location.

Recommended equipment that should be on board would include an anchoring device with adequate line in both size and length for your boat. Deployment of the anchor should occur at the first sign of trouble to keep your boat in its present safe location. Too often then anchor is the last thing thought of and boats end up drifting into dangerous situations. Some sort of bailing device should be on board. Pumps are useless when the battery goes dead. Flashlight and batteries (that have been checked) and spare batteries should be onboard when fishing at night. The one flaw in flashlights is that they seem to fail just when we need them. Check the operation before launching! A radio with weather band capability is not only recommended for day operation but is an essential piece of equipment at night. Those clouds that look harmless that you see floating over can be hiding a serious storm. The whole world could know about it but if you have no means of hearing the warnings you can be caught by natures worst. First aid kit, basic tools, manuals etc. are all recommended.

Navigation tools, which are helpful in the daylight, become absolutely essential for safety at night. Obviously your best choice for nighttime operation would be a GPS. However, a compass would be a considerable assistant in the dark. Not only is everything different out there at night, but also things such as fog can move in with no apparent warning and without a means of determining direction you are dead in the water. With both pieces of equipment that are mentioned above, being completely familiar with their functions is of extreme importance. A GPS is a basically simple piece of equipment but it does take some practice to use it correctly and efficiently. ItÕs a little late to start reading the manual and trying to figure out how the GPS works when trouble raises up to mar your trip. A compass is a very basic piece of equipment, but again to follow a path and navigate with it does take some practice. For example, did you know that when you make an initial turn to the left that your compass would swing right? For someone that has not used the compass this can be very confusing, especially when stress adds to your navigational problem. In addition, a compass only shows direction of travel, not the direction to your destination, so when fishing at night you should already have made the trips during daylight hours so you know the direction you need to go from your fishing spots back to the dock. Not many lakes have sufficient markers to combine with a chart so pre-locating and sticking to those pre-locations for fishing at night is essential for nighttime fishing.

File a fishing plan with someone so that in event something occurs you can be found. Of course sticking to that plan is absolutely a must if it is to have any value. Ideally, when fishing at night, make your plan so that you stay relatively close to the shoreline. However, with practice and experience you can venture further and further out without mishap.

With just a little preparation you can venture out in the dark and have a safe and enjoyable fishing experience. Without this preparation that adventure can turn into your biggest and darkest nightmare. The results can be a simple scare, or quickly turn into total tragedy. It is not uncommon to hear stories of absolute fantastic times fishing at night. Be prepared and have one of those fantastic times.

Miami Fishing Reports

September Fishing Reports:

Miami Fishing Report from September 2009:

BEST BET

Henry Caimotto from the Snook Nook Bait and Tackle in Jensen Beach reported plenty of bait along the beaches, Spanish mackerel in the inlets, kingfish in 50 feet of water, lots of blackfin tuna around Push Button Hill in 150 to 350 feet of water and sailfish and schoolie dolphins along the edge.

MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD

Captain Mo Estevez of New Dawn Charters out of Miami fished with local Alex Solares on the Oceanside of Biscayne Bay and had nonstop action on mutton snappers up to 12 pounds that were caught on live pilchards fished on the bottom. . . . Ricky Nolasco of the Florida Marlins and his girlfriend, Amber Metsumoto, from Los Angeles, fished aboard the Get Em with captain Alan Sherman in North Biscayne Bay and offshore of Haulover Inlet. Nolasco caught a fish for the first time, a legal-sized mutton snapper, and then followed that with an Arctic bonito. Metsumoto caught kingfish, sea trout, mangrove snappers, bluerunners and barracudas. . . . Fishing aboard the L&S with captain Jimmy David, Tom Andris from Michigan and Adrew Azadi from Miami caught wahoo, 25 dolphins, kingfish, grouper, tripletail, barracudas, bonito and snappers while fishing offshore of Government Cut in 100 to 1,000 feet of water. . . . Captain David Ide from the Lady Pamela II out of Fort Lauderdale reported finding gaffer-sized dolphins up to 20 pounds while working a bluewater edge in 200 feet of water outside of Port Everglades.

KEYS

Captain Izzy Donatiello of Reelstyle Fishing Charters out of Islamorada reported consistent action from blackfin tuna offshore, with scattered dolphin catches, kingfish and sailfish on the edge and yellowtail snappers on the reef. . . . Captain Bill Hauck from the Sea King Party boat in Marathon reported a steady bite from yellowtail and mutton snappers, plus a good amount of kingfish.

TREASURE COAST

Captain Charlie Conner of Fish Tales Charters out of Port St. Lucie reported baitfish schools in the Inlet River and along the beaches. Conner reported that anglers are catching lots of snook at night on the jetties, docks and bridges, and tarpon are mixed in with the snook. Spanish mackerel are in the turning basin, along with a few bluefish. FLORIDA BAY

Captain Jim Hale of Florida Sportsfishing Fishing Charters reported lots of juvenile tarpon in Florida Bay, and these fish have been hitting live shrimp, Gulp soft plastics and Rapala Skitter Walks. Snook are on the flats and in the potholes, and big schools of redfish continue to work the flats and channel edges.

SOUTHWEST COAST

Captain Jim Hobales of Caught Lookin Fishing Charters fished the Upper Ten Thousand Islands while preparing for the Romp in the Swamp Fishing Tournament out of Goodland. He reported finding lots of baitfish along the shorelines, snook under the docks, gag, red and goliath groupers along the shorelines and dropoffs, sea trout and jacks and redfish on the flats and bars. . . . Captain Carlos Escarra of Gone Fishin’ Charters out of Marco Island and captain Shane Miller of Naples finished first in the Romp in the Swamp, with a total catch of 14.04 pounds of redfish and snook.

FRESHWATER

Captain Michael Shellen of Okeechobee Bass Fishing Charters reported steady action from largemouth bass during early hours on top water baits, and then soft plastics later in the day. The artificial lure Skinn Dipper, flukes and plastic worms were used to catch lots of bass this week. Large bluegills are spawning in shallow waters. . . . Fishing with captain Alan Zaremba in the C-100 canal, Debri Hartlin and Robert and Teresa Kolinek of Chicago caught 20 peacock bass on floating Rapalas.

— CAPTAIN ALAN SHERMAN

Miami Fishing Report Updated July 27, 2009

The rod bending action for kingfish and bonito in the 110 – 150 foot range has and continues to be off the scale. Many times during a trip we are getting hit as the baits are being deployed and this happens numerous times during each trip. If you want to have plenty of action then fishing for these two species is your best bet. Throw in a few barracuda, an occasional cobia or sailfish and if you drop a bait to the bottom on a wreck you’ll find decent mutton snapper fishing. You’ll be very hard pressed to find any better action for variety and quantity during the daytime. Get out early as the thunderstorms have been rolling through in the late morning to early afternoon and they have been very strong.

Dolphin fishing offshore continues to disappoint most everyone who has gone out looking for these colorful and tasty fish. There have been a few caught, however, nothing like it normally is and most anglers come back in with empty fish boxes and no fish tales to tell.

For the small children and young anglers who are going out for the first time, there is plenty of none stop action on the shallow patch areas and artificial reefs. The variety includes grunts, triggerfish, bluerunners, yellowtail snapper, lane snapper, mangrove snapper, and more. The action is fast and furious and will keep your young anglers busy for hours.

Steven Grover and his sons Joshua (8 years old) and Ethan (4 years old) along with his friend Johnathan Robertson and his son Peyton (7 years old) wanted to try for dolphin. Our search took us as far as 21 miles offshore. We found very little to say that there should be dolphin. We live baited the most likely looking areas and blind trolled jigs for about ten minutes. The result was no fish. While running back in we found a weedline with some debris in it and still no fish. To save the day, we fished the 120 -130 foot range and had the boys and their Dad’s busy with action on bonito. Double hook ups were common and each young angler got his turn pulling on these hard fighting fish.

Fred Gates and his son Michael along with Prosper Azerraf and his grandson Benjamin Siboni started the day off with fast and furious action catching pilchards and herring. We then anchored up on the shallow patches and artificial reefs. Both boys had none stop action and it wasn’t long before Fred and Prosper had to get in on the action also. With about an hour left in the trip, I suggested that we take a quick run out to deeper water and see if we could catch a larger fish. Off we went and out went the live pilchards and herring. It didn’t take long before we got our first kingfish cutoff. Then the bonito attacked us. While Fred and Michael fought one fish, the second rod got hit and it was Prosper and Benjamin’s turn. Both fish were landed and it capped off a great morning of fishing.

Mike and Richard Goulet were honoring and remembering their Dad and his love for fishing. Once again the action for kingfish and bonito was hot and heavy. We loaded up on pilchards and herring and both anglers enjoyed that portion of the trip. We ran south and fished between the Anchorage and the Twins to find plenty of action. Mike and Richard took turns and if one of them missed a fish or the hook pulled during the fight, there was plenty of good natured ribbing going on. They remembered how much their Dad loved fishing and wished that he could have been with them on this trip. When we returned to TNT Marine Center, the final count was 5 bonito and 5 kingfish in the 8 – 10 pound range along with some sore arms.

John and Annette Annoni wanted their son Landon (11 years old) to have plenty of action. Quantity was much more important than quality. They ended up getting both. We caught plenty of live bait with Sabiki rigs to begin with. We then anchored on a shallow artificial reef area. As soon as I put out the chum block, the quantity appeared. Grunts, triggerfish, bluerunners, mangrove snapper, and then yellowtail snapper. It soon became a competition between Mom and Son to see who could catch the largest fish. It was very close, however, Landon had a slight edge. John got in on the action also when we started using the Kaplan jig to catch bluerunners and yellowtail snapper. Once again, I suggested we run out to catch a larger fish. On the second drift, we found the bonito and Landon and his Dad had their hands full as the fish swam circles around the boat. In the meantime, Annette hooked up and here fish was making a run for Key West. As the fish started to slow down, the rod straightened up as the hook pulled. Back to Landon and the excitement rose a notch when he saw his fish. I leadered the fish and we took a few quick pictures before releasing the bonito.

Rob and Hunter Fitzpatrick and Dick Carroll fished a 3/4 day before the thunderstorms started to roll in. With a livewell full of bait, we headed out to find plenty of good north current. As I was deploying the second bait, the first bait got hit and the action started. The first three fish were a bonito, kingfish, and 21 pound cobia. That’s the way the action went for the remainder of the trip. Everyone took turns or if they were standing next to a rod when it went off, they’d grab it. The action was at all levels with the flatlines shining during the first portion of the trip and the break away lead and bottom rod coming on strong during the last portion of the trip. Final count was 6 kingfish in the 10 – 12 pound range, 7 bonito, and a 21 pound cobia. William Swantner’s half day trip was filled with more action than he ever imagined. His comment after catching bait was that he really enjoyed that portion of the trip. He had no idea what was about to happen when we started in 125 feet north of 71st Street. With only two baits out on flatlines, both rods hooked up. After a long battle, we broke our wire leader on both fish. While putting out the next bait, it got hit and we were hooked up again. Again, we broke the leader. Finally, we solved the wire leader problem and we started landing fish. All the while, I was marking fishing at a mid-depth on the recorder. The action was so fast and furious on the flatlines, that I couldn’t get a break way bait down. With flatline rods needing leaders retied, I put the break away rod down. No sooner did I have it at the right depth, then it took off and the action continued. The storms started to build up early on this day and William said he didn’t want to get caught in the ran. He was more than totally satisfied with the action and the fish and was ready to head in. We just about made it back to TNT Marine Center before it started to rain and luckily it only lasted for a brief period of time. The kingfish, bonito, and barracuda action on this trip was fabulous.

Once again we’re caught up with the reports. If you want action with your fishing and plenty of it, then take advantage of the action on the reef. There is no telling how much longer we’ll be enjoying it. The kings and bonito have put lots of smiles on the faces of many anglers and the great thing about our fishing is that you never know what is going to bite your bait next. It’s a beautiful thing.

Give me a call 305 965-9454 or send me an email nkostyo@bellsouth.net to get your trip scheduled so that you can get in on this action too.

July 10
Since my last report, we’ve done our fair share of fishing along with Knot Nancy going into Whitewater for new electronics and many new upgrades. In general, we are now into our summer fishing mode. The unusual thing about this summer so far is the numbers of days that we’ve had south, southwest, and west wind. It’s produced calm seas and driven the blue water edge out to anywhere from 600 to 1000 feet. This has resulted in many days of no current in the depths that we all like to fish. It has also given us a very poor dolphin season thus far. The bright spot has been that the kingfish action has been very good and bonito (little tunny) have shown up in massive numbers. Throw in some good mutton snapper and AJ fishing and it’s been quite easy to find plenty of rod bending action.

Let’s get caught up with the various reports on the fishing action aboard Knot Nancy.

Robert Dollar, Steve Pericht, and David Hirsch got in their tarpon trip after the first one had to be rescheduled due to heavy late afternoon and early evening thunderstorms. The wait was well worth it as the tarpon bite was very good that evening and when it was time to start heading back to TNT Marine Center, the final count was 4 for 4 on some healthy tarpon that tested each angler’s skills.

Knot Nancy then spent 7 days at Whitewater getting outfitted with new electronics, transducers, and some upgrades.

Rob and Laura Hughes fished a 3/4 day trip and saw plenty of action with a variety of species. The deep rod produced red grouper. The flatlines and downrigger added cero mackerel, several kingfish, and plenty of bonito. There was action on every drift from the beginning to the end of the trip.

Brad Coren, Brad Kiassman, and Charline Morris also fished a 3/4 day trip. We spent the vast majority of the trip looking for the elusive dolphin. The lines we found were needle and eel grass. Not the best for finding dolphin but better than a clean ocean. We managed two strikes from small fish that both threw the hook as they jumped. Then we found and followed a frigate bird for several miles as the bird was also looking for fish. After leaving that bird, we found another one that was diving and we could see a dolphin jumping as we approached it. Slow trolling our baits in the area finally paid off and we caught 1 decent dolphin to break the ice and it was big enough for at least two good meals. It seemed that the further we went out, the less we saw. The little we did see was just a clump of grass here and there. We worked our way back in with no further action. We had just enough time to make a drift and catch a bonito before the end of the trip.

Todd and Scott Milne along with Tom McSweeney spent some good quality time together as well as seeing action with bonito on their trip.

Knot Nancy then went back to Whitewater to finish up with all the various upgrades.

My next trip was with Shannon and Dan Geister who had just returned from their honeymoon cruise. When Shannon called to book the trip, she said they wanted to fight some hard pulling fish. Species didn’t matter, they just wanted action. After catching bait, we had action with the first bait I put out and got a clean cut line back. Then it was a bonito, followed by a kingfish, and then more cutoffs before the action died off. Two moves and about a hour and half later, I moved out to some deeper water and the action got real crazy. They both hooked up and were chasing their fish around and around the boat. I threw out another bait and it got hit immediately. As soon as one of them got their fish close, they handed me the rod and took the one with another fish on it. That’s how it went for the next 45 minutes. They were both on the verge of saying enough when we got a break in the action. They had long enough to rest till I reset our drift and the action began again. Each drift after that saw action with either bonito or kingfish. They both got their wish for plenty of action with hard pulling fish.

John and Kree Perkins along with Charlene Wilkinson got into plenty of kingfish action with every fish cutting off the hook. When I put out wire leaders, we saw no action on that rod. Stick with the mono leaders and we got cut off. We finally got the hook to stay in a fish without getting cut off and it was work our way up the food chain starting with a houndfish and progressing to a remora. The break away lead rod finally started doing its job with barracuda and bonito. The flatlines saw some action with the bonito. Most people have no desire to eat bonito and consider them a nuisance while they are fishing for other species. Everyone in this group decided they want to try the bonito and form their own opinion on how good or bad it might be. I fillet two of the fish and took the loins off the skin. The report I got was that they prepared it both Greek and Blackened style. The consensus from all three anglers was that they liked it and would definitely eat it again. That’s good news as there are plenty of them out there to give a hard fight and a good meal also.

There you have it, once again we’re caught up to the current time with the reports on the action off the Miami Beach area. There are plenty of fish out there to test any anglers skills. If you want action, it’s there to be had. When the wind turns back to the east and southeast, I would expect the dolphin action to pick up. In the mean time, take what Mother Nature offers and get out and enjoy the weather and the action.