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| May |
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| It’s
Heating Up!!! |
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| As I sit down
to write this month’s article, my back aches from the
constant high winds. But, the light at the end of the tunnel
is visible as the summer months approach. I have visions of
5-10 knot days with fish feeding along the flats waiting for
your favorite lure or fly. Well, maybe I am dreaming but,
the early summer months provide great opportunities for a
grand slam on the oceanside as well as in the backcountry.
On the oceanside, there will be good numbers
of bonefish on the flats throughout the day. Follow the bones
up onto the flat with the early incoming tides and look for
tailing fish in the morning. If you have an outgoing tide,
work the deeper edges of the flat as the fish move off with
the tide. If you can find trenches of deeper water running
through a flat then you have found the highway. On the latest
stages of the low and beginning of the incoming, bones will
move off and on the flats in the deeper trenches. The trenches
might only be 3 or so inches deeper than the surrounding water,
but they act as a funnel for the fish. Live bait such as shrimp
or quarter sized crabs are the most productive baits for bonefish.
But, don’t be afraid to throw your favorite shrimp or
crab imitation fly or small HookUp bucktail in pink, tan or
white.
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The
permit can also be found working the edges in search of their
next meal. Try to find an edge where there is a lot of water
moving through. You can’t go wrong with a live crab
for the permit. The tarpon migration will be in full swing
for the next few months. There are several options for jumping
a silver king in the upper keys. Any of the bridges in the
upper keys will hold tarpon throughout the day. Or, you can
anchor 50 to 100 feet off the edge of the flats on the Oceanside
and wait for the pods of tarpon to move by. The bait of choice
for these migrating fish is live mullet, but pinfish and crabs
will also catch their fair share of fish.
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This
is the best time of year to find snook, tarpon and redfish
feeding on the flats in the backcountry. When searching for
a good flat that will hold fish, look for activity from baitfish,
sharks and rays. If you find any combination of these fish
then there is a good chance that you have found a productive
flat. If the water level is high, spend most of your time
poling along the mangrove shoreline. The fish usually move
along under the overhanging mangrove branches. If the water
level is low, work the deeper potholes where the fish will
be laying along the edges of the surrounding grass. If you
are a live bait fisherman, you can’t go wrong with a
live shrimp or pilchard. My artificials of choice on the flats
is jerk bait rigged weedless or an artificial shrimp.
When fishing the flats there are a couple of things to keep
in mind. Most importantly, shut down the motor 75-100 yards
away from the flat and pole your way in. This will ensure
that you do not alert the fish up on the flat. If there is
another boat already there, make sure you let them have plenty
of room and do not disrupt their fishing. When poling, make
sure to move along at a very slow pace. If you pole the boat
too quickly the fish will feel the pressure wave created by
the boat’s hull. Finally, when you are done fishing
a flat, make sure to pole out to a safe depth before you jump
the boat up on plane. |
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Offshore Report
This month’s offshore report is provided
by Captain George Clark Jr. of Rodeo Fishing Charters. With
offshore fishing improving, expect schools of dolphin to migrate
thru Gulf Stream waters off our coast. Rigged ballyhoo and
small feathers will entice strikes. Try trolling a bright
Frenzie Lure to seduce that slammer sized Mahi. Wahoo are
also available as well as black fin and skip jack tuna. Remember
to adjust your trolling speed depending on the species. Wahoo
and Tuna are fast swimming species that can run down quickly
trolled baits. And, don’t be surprised if a dolphin
strikes one of your wahoo or tuna lures. Make sure to keep
an eye out for birds working the water especially around scattered
weeds. Floating patches of weed can be great structure for
baitfish to hide underneath and this will attract the predator
fish. Pallets, logs and floating debris like buoy’s
and rope are also great targets. Frigate birds will always
let you know where the fish are. Swooping and diving black
birds (Frigates) will hover above traveling Mahi in the hopes
of snagging a spooked flying fish. Cast a chunk bait or flyer
out, under a low cruising friget and chances are good you
will get hooked up.
Good Luck! Rodeo Charters has days available for offshore
fishing in the Upper Keys. You can contact Capt. George Clark
Sr. or Capt. George Clark Jr. at www.rodeocharters.com
or (305)522-5530 and (300)852-3829.
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Til’ next time, Tight Lines and Light Winds…….
Captain
Lain
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