NOW IS THE TIME TO CATCH AND RELEASE SNOOK!
Capt. Alan Sherman

Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report


What a wacky spring were having in South Florida! Lots of rain, windy conditions and even a tropical system all before July, not at all like last year. Living in South Florida you get used to different weather patterns each year. Even though the weather has been pretty crazy the fishing remains very good in South Florida.

The best fishing we've had recently has been an Everglades National Park also known as Flamingo. Fishing in the Park mostly in Florida Bay my clients are catching lots of snook to 14 1/2 pounds. These fish are being caught on Hookup lures tipped with Trigger X or Gulp soft plastic bait or with a live baitfish. We are also catching fish on a Cajun Thunder float and live baits as well as an assortment of Rapala saltwater plugs. On some of the charters we have had over a dozen large snook. This is all catch-and-release for the snook and it's a lot of fun. Besides the snook there have been quality redfish, sea trout to 4 ½ pounds plus jacks, ladyfish, tripletail and sharks. During our trips in the park we have seen crocodiles, manatees, sharks, bottlenose dolphins, turtles and lots of birds. Put that all together and it makes for a pretty interesting day.

Fishing in North Biscayne Bay we have had plenty of action from sea trout to four pounds, jacks barracudas, bull sharks, snook and a few tarpon. The tarpon and snook have been most active during the early parts of the charter. Once the sun has gotten up high and heated the water up we have been turning our attentions to catching and releasing sea trout. On many charters in the Bay we are catching at least one sea trout over 20 inches if not many over 20 inches with up to 40 fish in a short four charter. Most of my clients want to release them but they're very good eating. This time of the year our charters have started at 7:30 AM or earlier that allows us to get off the water before noon when the fish aren't feeding. Unlike Florida Bay where the fish will feed all day even when the weather is warm in North Bay the best action is in the mornings. When the weather is nice and baitfishes are available I like to mix my North Bay fishing trips up with a little offshore fishing where we have shots at kingfish, blackfin tuna, sailfish, bonitos and dolphin.