Fishing report
BEST BET
Freddy Caimotto from the Snook Nook Bait and Tackle in Jensen Beach reported late-night snook fishing has been red-hot along the shadow lines of almost every bridge in his area. The snook have been of all sizes and have been eating top-water lures on the changes of the tides. Large schools of finger mullet are attracting the snook to the surface. In the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon, sea trout and snappers are feeding on large schools of small pinfish that have been over the grass flats. Bear Point has been holding a lot of fish. Along the beaches, plenty of snook and big tarpon have been eating large silver spoons. A few Spanish mackerel, bluefish and pompano have been caught near the inlets. Offshore dolphin fishing has been good in depths from 60 feet out to 300 feet of water. Kingfish, cobias and snappers have been biting around the Loran Towers.
DADE/BROWARD
Captain Ralph Mayans from the charter boat Sea Cross out of Haulover Marina reported migrating schools of baitfish have been pushing through the Miami area the past few weeks. Feeding on this baitfish have been dolphins, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, sailfish, bonitos and blackfin and skipjack tuna. At times, the dolphins are being caught in depths as shallow as 40 feet of water. Richard Lovelace brought his 5-year-old son Dylan and fishing partner Howard Grodin all from the Miami area out to do a little fishing in Biscayne Bay. Fishing with captains Alan Sherman of Get Em Sportfishing Charters, the guys landed close to 18 sea trout during their four-hour charter. Dylan was high hook, catching a 4.2-pound sea trout, plus many more. All of the fish ate Hookup lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp and live finger mullet fished under a Cajun Thunder float.
KEYS
Captain Brett Hogan out of Key Largo reported not many boats have made it out this past week from his area. The boats that did make it out were rewarded with nice catches of dolphins that were being caught under birds and along weedlines offshore. On the reef, mutton snappers and hog fish were biting, and in the backcountry, fishermen were doing well on snook to 33 inches, sea trout, jacks and redfish. Captain Bruce Andersen of Captain Easy Fishing Charters out of Islamorada reported offshore fishing for blackfin tunas has been awesome. Some of the blackfins are going 20 pounds. Most of the action is around the Humps and live pilchards, and cigar minnows have been the preferred baits. Large sharks have been a nuisance. Dolphin fishing and daytime swordfishing has been good.
TREASURE COAST
Keli Johnson from the Juno Fishing Pier reported that when the baitfish are holding around the pier, there has been daytime action from bluefish, ribbonfish, snappers, a few Spanish mackerel and a few kingfish to 60 pounds. A few small pompano have showed up in the surf, and when the large schools of migrating mullet have passed, the pier large tarpon have been blasting them.
FLORIDA BAY
Captain Jim Hobales of Caught Lookin Charters reported that fishing over the shallow flats of Florida Bay with his shallow-water skiff, his clients are catching snook, redfish, tarpon, sharks, jacks, ladyfish and snappers. The fish are eating artificial lures cast into potholes and cast up tight to the shallow mangrove shorelines. In one area, he fished he had large pompano skipping out from under his boat.
SOUTHWEST COAST
Captain Rob Modys Soul Mate Charters out of Fort Myers reported working the mangrove shorelines on an incoming tide with live shrimp, small baitfish and artificial lures is producing quality catches of redfish to seven pounds. Sheepshead, mangrove snappers and black drum are also being caught along the mangroves. The grass flats around Mound Key all the way to New Pass are producing catches of sea trout, jacks, ladyfish, small sharks and pompano. Along the outside beaches, large schools of small baitfish are attracting plenty of Spanish mackerel.
FRESHWATER
Jim Crego from Slim’s Fishing Camp in Belle Glade reported water levels on Lake Okeechobee are at 15.7 feet and rising. Largemouth bass are holding in the pepper grass in the areas of Tree Island. The bigger bass are eating live wild shiners. Speckled perch fishing has been best on large live Missouri minnows fished on the lee side of Kramer and Tree Islands.
Capt. Alan Sherman
This story was originally published October 15, 2014 at 9:33 PM with the headline "Fishing report."