This week’s best bet in fishing: Along coast north of Florida Bay boat ramp
BEST BET
Captain Nestor Alvisa of Hooked on Flamingo Charters reported fishing along the coast north of the Florida Bay boat ramp, his clients have caught and released more than 30 snook and 18 redfish in a day. Tarpon, sea trout and tripletail have completed their catches as well. The fish were eating live mullet, pinfish and pilchards fished under floats and attached to a jig head.
MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD
Captain Dean Panos of Double D Charters out of Keystone Marina in North Miami reported daytime offshore swordfishing has been outstanding. During recent swordfishing trips off of Miami, his clients have had up to five swordfish strikes and landed up to three to just under 200 pounds. Captain Mo Estevez of New Dawn Charters reported fishing in the Key Biscayne area, his clients have had good action from sea trout, jack crevalles, bluefish and Spanish mackerel. In the creeks on the western shorelines, snook have been feeding on the finger mullet and pilchard schools. Over the flats, there have been big barracudas and sharks. Captain John Barker on the charter boat Blue Sea 2 out of Bayside Market Place Marina reported on recent charters his anglers have had action from gaffer-size dolphins, sailfish and small kingfish. The action has been along the blue-water edge, and the fish were eating live threadfin herring.
KEYS
Brett Hogan out of the Holiday Inn in Key Largo reported offshore boats in his area have been hitting the Humps for blackfin tuna. Further offshore, there are still some good numbers of gaffer-size dolphins. Along the outer reef line, decent-size wahoo are being caught. Captain Rick Rodriquez of Sea Horse Deep Sea Sport Fishing Charters out of Whale Harbor Marina reported his clients have been enjoying steady top-water action from blackfin tuna, sailfish and kingfish, and when fishing the bottom, the yellowtail and mutton snappers continue to bite well.
TREASURE COAST
Captain Charlie Conner of FishTales Charters out of Port St. Lucie reported the action in the St. Lucie River has been very good. Around the ocean inlets, snook, redfish, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and jacks have been biting. Redfish, black drum sheepshead and some sand perch are holding next to and under many of the docks that have deeper water. Pompano are starting to show up in the River and can be targeted with Doc’s Goofy jigs, especially when the pompano are skipping from under the boat. Snook have been hot at many of the bridges at night.
FLORIDA BAY
Locals Michael Carney and his son Austin fished Florida Bay out of Flamingo and caught and released 16 of the 24 snook they hooked. The snook ranged in size from 25 to 30 inches. They also released tripletail and sea trout, and lost two large sharks and a sawfish. All of the fish ate live finger mullet and ladyfish attached to Hookup lures, Cajun Thunders and Mustad Ultra Point short shank hooks. Captain Alan Sherman of Get Em Sportfishing Charters was their guide.
SOUTHWEST COAST
Captain Rob Modys of Soul Mate Charters out of Fort Myers reported the inshore fishing guides have been finding big jack crevalles, redfish and sheepshead while fishing the mangrove shorelines near Hendry Creek. These fish were eating shrimp tipped jigs. The mangrove shorelines are producing best on the higher tide and then as the tide falls the better action has been along the edges of the grass flats, where Spanish mackerel and sea trout are biting. Snook are moving inland as they prepare for the colder weather that is coming. The near shore rock piles are holding mackerel, bluefish, tripletail and cobia.
FRESHWATER
Captain Michael Shellen of Shellen Guide Service out of Buck Head Ridge on Lake Okeechobee reported with cooling water temperatures, the largemouth bass fishing keeps getting better. The bass are schooling up and heading for the littoral zones as they prepare to spawn during the November full moon. The bass are feeding on shad and shiners at the moment, so anglers need to look for diving birds and top-water action. Lures that look like this baitfish will get you the most strikes at this time. Speckled perch have been small, but the bigger fish will show up as soon as water temperatures drop a few more degrees. The specs being caught now are going for minnows under a float.
This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 8:56 PM with the headline "This week’s best bet in fishing: Along coast north of Florida Bay boat ramp."