Best bet for fishing: Bonefish, permit and shark action on oceanside flats and western shoreline flats
BEST BET
Captain Mo Estevez of New Dawn Charters reported the bonefish, permit and shark action has been red hot. All of these fish have been feeding on the oceanside flats and western shoreline flats. The best action has been on the rising tides. Over the grass flats near Key Biscayne, speckled sea trout and jack crevalles have been in great numbers and eating jigs tipped with soft plastics. Mullet schools in South Bay are being harassed by big tarpon and sharks..
MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD
Captain Quinton Dieterle from Cutting Edge Charters out of Crandon Park Marina reported the offshore dolphin action continues to be excellent. The Kelley Fleet out of Haulover Marina reported nighttime bottom fishing trips are producing limit catches of yellowtail, mutton and mangrove snappers. Captain John Barker from the charter boat Blue Waters 2 out of Bayside Market Place Marina reported during a recent morning charter fishing in 100 to 120 feet of water offshore of Government Cut, his clients caught loads of bonitos, barracuda, a wahoo and king mackerel. The fish were eating drone spoons and bonito strips fished deep on a planner.
KEYS
Captain Bill Hauck from the party boat Sea King out of Marathon reported the nighttime mangrove snapper spawning season has ended but the daytime bottom fishing trips are producing catches of big yellowtails, mutton snappers, gag, red and black groupers. Brett Hogan out of the Holiday Inn in Key Largo reported the offshore boats are reporting heavy catches of mahi mahi during the daytime charters. The backcountry guides are doing well on snook, snapper, redfish and tarpon.
TREASURE COAST
Captain Charlie Conner of FishTales Charters reported after Tropical Storm Erika moved out of the area he expects the St. Lucie River and beaches to start filling up with schools of migrating finger mullet. Once this happens, big sea trout, snook, redfish, bluefish jack crevalles and Spanish mackerel will be feeding heavily on these baitfish. Match the hatch by using artificial lures that resemble the finger mullet. If you’re looking for snook, redfish and sea trout, work the flats around Harbor Branch, Bear Point and Round Island.
FLORIDA BAY
Captain Bob LeMay reported during his last charter before Erika his clients had action from snook, large tarpon, snapper, flounder, small cobia and tripletail, ladyfish, jacks and sharks, and they hooked and lost fish that he believed were gag and goliath groupers. They were fishing the creek mouths and creeks on both sides of Shark River. The fish were eating jigs, bucktails and natural baits. During a busman’s holiday, captain Jim Hobales treated fellow fishing guide Alan Sherman to a day on the water targeting shallow-water species from his Maverick shallow-water skiff. The guys released redfish to 24 inches, snook to 27 inches and jack crevalles using soft-plastics rigged weedless and attached to Hookup lure jig heads. During the day, they saw crocodiles, manatees, bottlenose dolphins, big sharks, a bald eagle and more. Jason Sullivan of Rising Tides Charters reported having some hot action from small tarpon and snook in the backcountry out of Flamingo.
SOUTHWEST COAST
Captain Jon Fetter of Catch the Cure Backcountry Fishing Charters reported finding good numbers of redfish around the oyster bars and deeper mangrove shorelines. Cut ladyfish and pinfish fished under a float were getting the most strikes. The nearshore reefs have had a lot of baitfish around them, and these baitfish schools are attracting a lot of Spanish mackerel and big tarpon. The mackerel are eating silver spoons and live shrimp, and the tarpon are going for top water lures.
FRESHWATER
Thomas Dean from Slim’s Fishing Camp in Belle Glade reported early mornings on Lake Okeechobee have been the best time for catching largemouth bass. The bass are going for top water baits early and soft plastics fished deep later in the day. The bass are holding along the outer weed lines in the areas of south Pelican Bay and the West Wall. Panfish fishing in the Rim Canal has been hit or miss. The Lakes water level is up to 13 feet. Weston angler Joe Schillace fished the L-28 canal with freshwater fishing guide Alan Zaremba of World Wide Sport Fishing Inc., and caught and released 65 largemouth bass to 3.5 pounds.
Capt. Alan Sherman
This story was originally published September 2, 2015 at 8:46 PM with the headline "Best bet for fishing: Bonefish, permit and shark action on oceanside flats and western shoreline flats."