February 2008

Tarpon are in Tarpon are in February 2008 The Conditions have been warmer and that means the Tarpon are going to be a great target either in the back country at Flamingo or off of Miami Beach. The last 2 full moons have produced fantastic Shrimp runs which equals a great Tarpon bite. The Tarpon will be here on the beaches until July and the afternoon bite can be just incredible. . The Flamingo area has recovered from the big freeze and fishing is back to normal, on 01-30-08 I fished the flats and a couple wrecks in the Gulf of Mexico which produced several Redfish, Snook, and Cobia to 35 lbs. The Tarpon will be in the back country as long as the water stays above 70 degrees for a few days, the Snook, Trout and Reds will be cooperating as well. 020108 I am fishing with Kevin today off of South Beach and our target is Tarpon. The conditions are nice but a little breezy the Tarpon don't roll on the surface as much, making it more difficult to locate them. We made several drifts thru the area but we were getting beat up by the Blue Runners, so we moved into the inlet. Kevin had to be on a plane in a couple hours so the "pressure is on". We were working the tip of the jetties bouncing a jig and Shrimp off the bottom, Kevin set the hook and the fish was off to the races. We waited for the fish to jump initially but it stayed down deep. I told him it's either a big Jack Crevalle or a Permit as the fish continued to pull drag. Kevin did a great job on the fish and landed himself a 15 lb Permit. The best part is this was on his list of fish to catch in his lifetime, I am glad it worked out. He landed some good sized Mangroves, Yellowtails, Jacks and a few other species before having to leave. 020208 Tony called me a while back and asked to fish Stiltsville, not for the usual Bonefish and Permit but Mutton Snappers. The finger channels get loaded with them when it gets cold. I met Tony at his house and went out on his new boat along with his friend Jeff. I rigged a couple of rods with live shrimp and then another with a Gulp Shrimp. The first spot we stopped at gave up a several Muttons and Jack Crevalles, we moved on because it was more about Tony and Jeff learning the area and how it was fished than the actual catching. The catching was very good, we caught 30 Mutton Snappers, some Mangroves, Groupers, small Yellowtail and a couple of not so great species. This is a great way to teach kids how to fish, because it can be non stop catching. I like the Gulps because the small snappers are bait stealers and the Gulp allows you drop back after a bite and catch the fish without re-baiting. The Gulps worked pretty good we used the whole container of 20 Shrimp. 020708 I met Neil and his son Stephen at the world famous Caribbean club in Key Largo, we started out looking for some small Tarpon. We fished an area that always holds them but not today. I wanted to run out to the Bonefish flats but the winds were up a bit and opted for Flamingo and a guarantee of catching some fish. We got up on Snake Bite and Stephen caught his first Redfish 27 inches and then second Redfish. He then caught 2 Snook while his dad just smiled at his sons accomplishment. I asked what they were up for and we decide to go bend their rods as many tmes as we could. I ran to a grass flat with plenty of Jacks, Ladyfish and Trout and bent there rods until it was time to leave. 020808 I am fishing Flamingo today with Andy, Don and Cheryl. Andy called and asked if my boat had a place for his dad to sit because he has a from of Parkinson's and cannot stand. The Pathfinder 22 Xl TE with it's new console seat was perfect for Don. The morning started off with a couple missed bites, but then Don was hooked up to a big Red that was pulling plenty of drag. Unfortunately it came off before we could land it, but it was early! This was a day for Don to enjoy himself since he can't do it all the time, while watching Andy take care of him and making sure he was comfortable while catching most of the fish. We did get a chance to cast a some really big Tarpon while they rolled around the boat putting on a show but would not hit their lures. we moved on and just hit spot after spot catching Trout, Redfish, Ladyfish Jacks, big Snappers and Goliath Groupers. The heat wore Don out but he continued to fish until it was time to go home, on the way he asked if there was one more spot? I said sure "I have hundreds". The last stop produced more Redfish, Trout, Jacks and Ladyfish. He said now I am tired we can go! 020908 I with Charlie and Raul in Biscayne Bay, let go bend the rods is all Charlie said. We started out on the Bonefish flats , with a super low negative tide I thought it would be no problem finding Bonefish. The Bones weren't in the first 2 areas, so Charlie asked what else how about Snappers. I said we killed the Mutton Snappers last week not to far from here, so off we went. The next few hours produced Barracudas, Mutton Snappers, Mangrove Snappers, Red Groupers, Yellowtails and some not so desirable fish. Charlie said it about time why don't we head back, I said one more spot! I slowed and moved up with the wind that's when I spotted a 10 foot Bull Shark in 1 foot of water. I handed Raul A spinning rod with a big plug for Sharks, Charlie asked what are we going to do with that, I said hook that monster. It was the biggest Bull Shark have ever scene and I catch plenty of them. We chased him and had a couple cast that were close but the big Shark was not interested so we packed it up and went home. 021108 Today is day 1 of a 2 day 7 boat charter, these trips are fun because we are all on the same page catch fish, have fun and laugh. I have Dennis and Chad on board today, as we leave the dock its cool and breezy only to get really windy later. The first couple of stops were very close in the back country and there was no current. We made our way to Whitewater bay where there was wind strong winds. I hit a couple of my favorite spots but only Ladyfish and Jacks were home. We finally made it up to the Shark river area where we trolled for some Groupers, I noticed a decent size Goliath Grouper in the current behind a log. I turned the boat around and rigged up a Shrimp and pitched it out and told Dennis hold on: Dennis said something "like that was a like being on a ride at Disney world. the big Goliath ran thru the trees and pulled as Dennis pulled back, this went on for 5 minutes until the Goliath had enough. Chad hooked another with the same result but landed a nice Gag Grouper and a big Mangrove Snapper. We packed it up and ran to an area I knew would be protected from the wind and we could get a couple good hook ups. The first couple cast they made got slammed and they started to look at me funny like "what was that". The Snappers were big and very aggressive They got bit on every cast and landed Snappers up to 16 inches in very heavy cover. Chad had a hit and and all I hear is drag getting pulled off, he was hooked up to a Goliath that did not want to come out and play. He fought it back and forth finally landing about a 7 lb Goliath Grouper. Don't let the size fool you they fight harder than any other fish in the same circumstance. The guys where having so much fun we lost track of time and got back a half hour later while the rest of the group was waiting. 02120 I am fishing with Jimmy today, he puts this trip together and he is a great guy. I fished with him last year on day 2 and I requested that I get to fish with him again this year. Today started out little different than any other trip I have made, we started out under a "Tornado warning". We laughed about it later but 24 hours later as I'm writing this we are still under a tornado warning and a major system sitting over us. The first spot looked good breezy, but water looked great and I was hoping for a good bite. It didn't take long and Jimmy had a Snook, there were some small Tarpon rolling but no tide movement = no fish. I moved a short way where the wind direction would help with the tide but the Porpoises moved in and ate everything on the flat as we sat in amazement. We made a move and got on the edge of a shallow bank and Jimmy go a couple shots at some big Sharks on a top water plug. There was a 200 lb Bull Shark which cam right up to the boat Jimmy cast but ended up just watching the Shark instead. In the meantime the weather was deteriorating and the rain squalls were starting to pour thru. Jimmy caught a bunch of Trout and another Snook and then it looked like the end of the world. it was time to make a run for it! As we got back everyone else were already there. 021408 I was supposed to fish with Sam Rose yesterday, but with the still pending tornado warning's and the driving squalls we canceled. Sam lives on Fisher Island which borders Government Cut which makes it easy; if the weather is good I pick him up. The weather has cleared and we have a spectacular morning cool with a light NW wind. We started out drifting jumbo Shrimp on the South Beach side but it wasn't happening. I said let's check the cut, they will be there when the tide switches to incoming. It didn't take long and the Tarpon started rolling all around us right as the incoming rip started to form. A school of Tarpon rolled right next to us, I told Sam cast in front of them he did and the fight was on! The fish stayed down for the first 5 minutes, I told Sam it's either a really big Tarpon that don't want to come up or Permit. The fish stayed down and I was convinced it was a Permit! The next 45 minutes was enjoyable for me knowing it was a good one and we needed to land it. Sam is 72 and the fish was not giving up, by know we had an audience watching and the "Giant Permit" came up but just short of being able to net it. The fish went back down for another 10 minutes, but now we new we had at least a 30 lb. Permit hooked up! It was long after the fish came to the surface where I netted it, but not with out an incident. The fish was to big for the net, his head was massive. I finally netted the Permit and we like the other boats were yelling like school girls. I have caught big Permit up to 37 lbs before and this one dwarfed any Permit I have seen. Sam said the same he has caught many in the 30 lb class he said it was 50, my guess 42-46 lbs and my 30 lb boga grip was useless. I took some photos of a very proud Sam Rose after a bottle of water he said let's go "I can't top that today". I dropped Sam off and headed back to the cut, I don't get to fish much so I took advantage. My first cast I caught a Mutton Snapper, then a Grouper At 1222 pm I hooked a 90 lb Tarpon at 1245 I released it. My phone rang it was my buddy Pete, asking what I was up to. I told him what the last 2 hours were like and he said I'm on my way! I grabbed lunch, Pete showed up and we went back out. I wasn't long after we got into the cut, I hooked a 30 lb Tarpon on a Gulp Shrimp. This fish didn't take long and was quickly released. We stayed out until dark but the fish didn't bite anymore so we called it. I had an awsome day! 021708 I am fishing with engineers and sales guys from Yamaha outboards which are in town for the Miami boat show, this is a nice break from their hectic schedule. I only understood one name so I am sorry for that. I along with Captain Alan Sherman have done this for the last 2 years and the trips aren't getting any easier, the weather just don't cooperate. It is breezy today @ 20 mph with some serious rain coming thru; but we managed to catch plenty of fish. They caught plenty of Trout, Jack, Ladyfish. Kurt is the one name I did get he hooked a 120 lb Tarpon for a few minutes, the Tarpon made 2 sky rocketing jumps which brought cheers from Captain Alan's boat. Kurt was extremely excited and will remember that Tarpon forever. He really couldn't wipe the smile off his face, the Tarpon out weighed him by at least 20 lbs. The bite was good but we were looking straight into a nasty squall and decide to make a run for it, we had been wet for 2 hours and they had enough! 021808 Today, I am with Kenji, Suzuki and another engineer from Yamaha, which again I'm sorry I can't pronounce his name. The wind is as strong today but out the south which gave me a little protection in Government cut and along South Beach. We rigged for Tarpon with the expectation of Mackerel, Blue runners and the outside chance a Tarpon. It is tough to get them to eat in the middle of the afternoon but that's time slot they were allotted. It didn't take long and we had a nice Spanish Mackerel hooked up, but it was bumpy and they didn't seem comfortable. I told them when it's to rough let me know and we will move. I finally got the impression it was time to go so we trolled a plug around the bait schools which caught a bunch more Mackerel. The guys seemed much more comfortable trolling, so I continued around the jetties. The 12 lb Biscayne Rod with a X rap trolled behind it was to much for the first Snook, The fish fought extremely hard in the current and choppy waters, which was from wind and boat show traffic (test rides). Kenji landed the 26" Snook and after a couple photos I asked if they would like to try again, they liked the way the Snook fought and wanted to make another pass. I got the plug back out and Trolled the same pattern again as the plug went by the rocks it got slammed again, this was a 25" Snook. We took some more photos and did it again so the last guy could catch a Snook. I trolled by the same spot one more time with the same result, but this was a much bigger Snook. The boat was rocking, the fish was pulling and I was trying not to end up on top off the jetty! The fight continued and I wanted that Snook, it was a good one. Suzuki got it close and I grabbed it, at the same time throwing the boat into gear and running it off the jetty (just another day at the office). I thought this could make a great photo opportunity! I put he Snook in the livewell and had Captain Alan get a group shot then, we released the Snook for another day. The guys had enough of the swells and boat rocking they asked for calmer water so we finished up in the bay with a bunch of Trout. 022208 Today I am with Anthony and his son Henry fishing the area in and around Government Gut. The conditions were nice but breezy as we did our first drift for Tarpon on the south beach side of the cut. The blue runners and Mackerel were in there but no Tarpon. Henry got a little quizy so we ran to more protected water. We fished around catching an assortment of Cuda's, Snappers and Trout. Anthony said more important than a big Tarpon was Henry caught fish and plenty of them. 022308 Colin and Tim flew in from a cold Chicago and wanted to catch everything that swims and more, I met them at the dock at Flamingo and we were on our way in to the back country. Tarpon is my first goal this time of year but while looking for them I fish a bunch of points in the area until I notice them. On our first stop Tim had a good hit which was a nice Redfish and then Colin stuck a fish which made a huge boil and then let go. After a couple Ladyfish we moved on looking for Tarpon in another area. The out going tide was very strong and I stopped at a spot where I told Colin cast right in there. Colin cast a Gulp sinking Minnow, it didn't' hit the water before a Goliath Grouper had it. It was a big one to because they battled back an forth until the Goliath finally nicked a tree and cut him off. We moved on to the open Gulf of Mexico where the Tarpon have been but they weren't as thick and only had a few rollers to cast at. We moved to another spot and there were more Tarpon for the guys to cast at. The Tarpon did not eat but we hooked plenty of other species, Groupers, Ladyfish, Jacks, Trout and a big Catfish, time to move again. We tried several thing but ended up on a shoreline that don't seem to let me down the big Mangrove Snappers, Snook, and Trout responded to our live Shrimp and Gulps. The winds were howling S.W. so a lot of areas we fished were right into the wind but still produced a fish or 2. It was getting late and we hit a couple of spots on the way in Snook Trout, Ladyfish,and big Mangroves responded to every cast for an hour, now it was time to head to the dock these guys were sun burnt and tired but could never ever catch enough. The wrote me a kind thank you letter letting me know they had a blast,this makes my day. 022408 I am fishing with Tom this morning in Government Cut, we are early 630 am and alone for a while. The Tarpon are rolling and the tide is just getting ready to switch, which usually produces a bite or 2. The Snappers, Groupers, Mackerels and Blue Runners ate but the Tarpon had lock jaw. Tom did catch a big Grouper which rocked him and then he did something he saw on T.V. to get it out. He was just happy it worked. He had until 1030 he had to get back to get on a cruise ship. 022408 (afternoon) This trip only reminded me of why it's not a good idea to fish in and around Miami on Sunday's on a beautiful day. There was almost no protected water and although Mike from Nebraska was enjoying himself it was totally frustrating for me. We worked around the Cut for a couple of hours with out a strike and no the winds are starting to blow as well. I said let's go we run to some areas in the bay where we should be alone only to have a jet boat or jet ski run by. I had to get Mike a fish he had never caught a salt water fish, I love when guys tell me about Walleyes. We finally ended up in some canals where I started to live chum with Pilchards. I put a live bait out while Mike cast a plug, all of a sudden the bail was ripped open by a screaming Jack Crevalle. Mike picked up the rod and fought the fish in front of a passing boat which just happened to be my friends. We landed the big Jack and he got compliments from every one on the fish. We continued to chum and catch fish until we ran out of bait, now Mike has an appreciation for the salt water fishes pulling power. 022508 This morning I am the camera boat on a movie set doing a running seen on the water filming the downtown Miami area, pretty cool and a payday is a payday! (afternoon trip) Brian flew in for business a day early to get some fishing in and we did, I met him at 12 PM and we fished until 8 PM. I told Brian during the heat of the day the Tarpon bite might be slow but we should be able to catch plenty of other fish. Here's a list of the fish he caught Groupers, (Gags and Red), Yellowtails we found a area top to bottom loaded with keeper tails. Mackerels, Snappers, Amberjacks, Jack Crevalles, Triggerfish, Hog Snapper, Bonito's. The afternoon produced a ton of fish. The Tarpon Bite was slow with only one bite, the other boats didn't hooked up either. The winds picked up and we called it day. 022608 I met Art and Vinny at the Dock and realized I was going to have a good day with these guys. The tide was switching at 730 and I was really hoping for a big fish today they have not been playing much lately. The conditions were great calm and the tides starting to move 10 hours ago it was blowing 25 mph in this same spot. It didn't take long the Tarpon were rolling all around us and Vinny got a bite, the fish stayed down. After about 10 minutes I said it either a giant Tarpon or a big Permit, the Tarpon will jump unless they are "BIG". At 30 minutes into it I said this is a monster Permit, the fish was fighting straight up and down with 20 yard burst. At 40 minutes Vinny got tired and handed the rod to Art, I am not a fan of this! here is the reason for 40 minutes you have felt every move the fish has made and got a feel for it now you pass the rod to a new angler and the fish surges hard and breaks off. I don't know if it could of been prevented, I watched the surge and hit almost looked like a Shark might of got him. I spent the rest of the day wishing I would of seen that one, only because the big Permit have been in. The Tarpon didn't bite again today luckily the weather is changing tomorrow. Art and Vinny did catch Dog Snapper, Hog Snapper, Mangrove Snappers, Jacks, Blue Runners, Red Grouper and Gag Groupers and I treated them to a little place called Jimbo's on Virginia Key. 022808 I am at Flamingo with Don and his 2 sons Matt and Mike. It seemed like we caught 2 fish at every spot we went to today, the nice part is they were Snook up into the 30 inch mark. These guys were good anglers and had fun catching fish. We got into the fun fish for a while and they whacked Trout, Jacks and Ladyfish. At the end of the day we made one last stop, I don't remember who caught which fish but I know we had a couple big Snook on the Twitch n Rap and Gulp Shrimp. These guys left with some big smiles. 022908 Eric and his dad Burt are here from Maryland and we are fishing the Flamingo back country. It didn't take long Eric caught a 30" Snook within 5 minutes of the boat ramp, we hit a couple other spots with no luck . The tides were extremely low and the fish were off the shorelines in the mud. I was showing Eric how to use a X Rap and a big Snook slammed it but missed it. We had a live Ladyfish out for bait and all of a sudden it was moving away from us. Burt looked at me and I said let her eat it. There finally came a time were he had to get tight and let the fight begin. The Snook jumped 2 feet out of the water and it was big. Burt landed the fish it measured out at 38 inches. We had several more bite like that but no landed fish. We worked the back country but after the early bit it got slow. This is the time of year a lot of things can happen in a day, if you dream of catching fish give me a call and let me get you hooked up! Let's go catch'em, Captain Jimbo 305 333 8149 Select another page || Go to Home Page

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