BEST BET

Captain Jason Long from the charter boat Best Bet out of Key Colony in Marathon reported plenty of snapper, grouper and yellowjacks are being caught on cut bait fished next to the pilings of almost all of the Keys bridges and a lot of snapper can be found in the sandy holes in Florida Bay. …Captain Bill Hauck from the party boat Sea King out of Marathon reported night-time catches of very large mangrove snappers has been excellent. …Plenty of large yellowtail and a few mutton snappers are mixed in with the mangrove snappers.

DADE/BROWARD

Tommy Antonopoulos from Greece and local Ron Rabun fished off of Fort Lauderdale on the Crackn’crab out of Billy’s Stone Crab Restaurant in Dania with captain Billy Hershey and captain Don Scully and landed more than 16 dolphins up to 36 pounds. The fish were caught under birds and floating debris in 600 feet of water. … During the 5th Annual Treasure Trove Fishing Tournament out of Fort Lauderdale, the Miss Britt II took top boat honors with captain Ray Rosher taking took top captain honors and angler Bart Cleri taking top angler honors. …Captain Jay Cohen from the charter boat Spellbound out of Haulover Marina reported plenty of bonitos and a few 12 to 15 pound kingfish were being caught just outside the outer reef on big spoons and bonito’s strips trolled deep on a planer.

KEYS

Tony Nobregas of Islamorada fished the Del Brown Permit Tournament in Key West and took the Grand Champion honors with the release of two permits on fly measuring a total of 44.5 inches. Nobregas was guided by Islamorada’s Rob Fordyce, who took Grand Champion Guide honors. … Andy Newman of Miami fished with captain Scott Stanczyk on the Catch 22 out of Bud N’ Mary’s Marina in Islamorada looking for a swordfish in 1500 feet of water. Instead of a swordfish Newman hooked and landed his first blue marlin. The fish ate a dolphin belly strip and was estimated to weigh 125 pounds.

TREASURE COAST

Captain Charlie Conner of FishTales Charters out of Port St. Lucie reported catching over slot size redfish, sea trout and snook north of Fort Pierce over the grass flats in two to four feet of water on the incoming tides. … Best baits were the DOA shrimp, top water plugs and live pilchards. … Snook have been heavy around the inlets. … Captain Michael Savedow from Edgewater River Guide out of Edgewater reported catching sea trout to nine pounds plus over a dozen redfish a day fishing the flats, depressions, sloughs and holes with live baits and cut baits.

FLORIDA BAY

Captain Bob LeMay reported haiving plenty of redfish action along with sharks and small tarpon using live baits in the backcountry of Whitewater and Oyster bays and along the coast outside of Shark River. … Captain Steven Tejera of Knot Tight Charters has had no trouble getting almost non-stop action from redfish, sea trout, snook and small tarpon while working the very shallow flats of Florida Bay out of Flamingo with soft plastic jerk baits and flies.

SOUTHWEST COAST

Captain Herb Kehoe of Finnese Charters out of Chokoloskee reported his anglers are having great success working the outside points and along the beaches on the incoming tide for snook and redfish using live baits and artificial lures. … Offshore fishing the wrecks with four inch Bass Assassin Sea Shads on a 3/8 ounce jig head his anglers are catching big trout and cobias to 35 pounds.

FRESHWATER

Captain Alan Zaremba reported working the C-100 canal his anglers have had up to 25 peacock bass, snook, Midas cichlids and spotted tilapia fishing Baby Torpedoes and Blakemore Buck tail Road Jigs. … Jessica Baker from Slim’s Fishing Camp in Belle Glade reported anglers are having no trouble catching limits of shellcrackers and bluegills on live worms and crickets in the Rim Canal, along Kreamer Island, Pelican Bay and in the Airport Hole. … Largemouth bass fishing is still good with best action taking place during early mornings on wild live shiners and gold flaked soft plastic along the deeper weed lines in the Lake.

Capt. Alan Sherman

shermana@bellsouth.net