This week’s best bet: afternoon blackfin tuna offshore of Haulover Inlet
BEST BET
Captain Jamie Owens from the Kelley Fleet out of Haulover Marina reported there has been a great afternoon blackfin tuna bite offshore of Haulover Inlet. The tuna are medium to small and are being caught on vertical jigs in depths outside of 200 feet of water. Mixed in with the tuna are almaco jacks, amberjacks and vermillion snappers. Closer to the reef, kingfish, bonitos and a few sailfish are being caught.
MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD
Local anglers Adam Gropper and his son Ethan fished the sea walls, shorelines and open waters of Maule Lake and Eastern Shores with live pilchards and Mustad Ultra Point hooks, and caught and released 14 snook to 28 1/2 inches plus plenty of jack crevalles to six pounds and barracudas and jumped one tarpon. The Gropper’s were fishing with captain Alan Sherman of Get Em Sportfishing Charters. Captain Orlando Muniz of Nomad Fishing Charters reported the fishing offshore of Miami has picked up recently with quite a few small blackfin tuna being caught in depths from 200 to 400 feet of water. Sailfish have been showing up in better numbers and the bottom fishing over the artificial reefs has been excellent, with catch-and-release black grouper to 28 pounds, mutton snappers to 16 pounds, genuine red snappers to 15 pounds and a lot of almaco jacks and amberjacks. There have been reports of yellowfin and bluefin tuna in the area the past few days.
KEYS
IslamoradaSportFishing.com reported when possible the offshore fleet has been targeting the offshore Humps, where blackfin tuna to 35 pounds and big amberjack have been biting. Further offshore, there have been some gaffer-size dolphins available. On the reef, the yellowtail bite continues to be strong and sailfish have been available as well. Captain Chris Johnson of SeaSquared Charters out of Marathon reported he has been targeting yellowtail, mangrove snappers and hogfish on the patch reefs, and then targeting sharks and migrating tarpon along the Marathon bridges to keep his clients’ rods bending.
TREASURE COAST
Captain Charlie Conner of FishTales Charters out of Port St. Lucie reported there are big jacks, snook, Spanish mackerel and bluefish to battle in the St. Lucie Inlet. On the inshore side, his clients are catching snapper and sheepshead when fishing the rocky areas of the St. Lucie River. Snook, redfish and sea trout are being caught from under boat docks and along the mangrove shorelines using DOA Deadly Comb’s.
FLORIDA BAY
Captain Bob LeMay reported when the weather has been warm and stable, the fishing for big tarpon has been excellent at the mouths of the rivers and creeks from Little Sable Creek north to Shark River. Using ladyfish and flies for bait, his clients have had a lot of action from tarpon in the 70 to over-100-pound range. There have been some large snook in the same areas. Captain Jim Hobales of Caught Lookin Charters reported he has been targeting the windy points and shorelines in Oyster Bay and Whitewater Bay and catching snook, sea trout, jacks, snapper and a few redfish. These fish have been eating hard plastic artificial lures.
SOUTHWEST COAST
Captain Jon Fetter of Catching the Cure Backcountry Fishing Charters of Fort Myers reported he has been finding lots of sea trout for his clients this past week. Targeting the grass flats in three to five feet of water just off the deeper channels with shrimp under a popping cork is producing steady action all day. There have been some redfish to target along the oyster bars and mangrove shorelines on the high tides. The redfish have been eating cut ladyfish and shrimp on a jig head. Captain Gary Mounce of Fishin Finatic Charters out of Everglades City reported there has been a great redfish bite on the falling tides. The redfish are holding along windblown tree shorelines. Frozen sardines and chunks of ladyfish have been getting the most redfish strikes. Snook fishing has been very good throughout his area. The snook are eating live scaled sardines and finger mullet on the incoming tides.
FRESHWATER
Jim Crego out of Slim’s Fishing Camp in Belle Glade reported the largemouth bass fishing has slowed this past week but fish were being caught around Pelican Bay. Speckled perch and bluegills were hot this week, with fish being caught on crickets and night crawlers. The panfish hots spots were the Rim Route and Tree Island.
This story was originally published April 6, 2016 at 7:44 PM with the headline "This week’s best bet: afternoon blackfin tuna offshore of Haulover Inlet."