Fishing

Well the winds have finally calmed down and the bite has drastically improved in the bay. The bonefish have been very present all over the southern bay in large schools, all the way down the Upper Keys. I have seen schools in the twenties out on the inside of the Ragged Keys south down to Garden Cove flats. Inside of Rabbit key Basin has gotten much better as of late as well, with reports of large schools moving on the strong tides. Look for tailers on the incoming tides on the outside of Elliot all along the deep edges waiting for the water to rise up onto the flats, but keep an eye out for permit in the 2 to 3 foot water as the tide rises. Look for this to just get better as the water warms.

Tarpon have been reported moving north along the outside of Key Largo and the shore up to Sands Cut in good numbers and have been eaters on chartreuse early in the day and tans to olive patterns midday. There have been good numbers of tarpon moving on the outer edges of First National Bank south & east all the way down to Springer Bank. Look for rollers and get in front of them and take a shot. The patterns are a closely kept secret between the guides and to ask them for the color is my only hope. The colors I have had luck on are the same as listed above in the Bay, just add a yellow and white in the mix for the midday bite. This will also improve as the water gets warmer.

I have just come back from fishing the famous Boca Grande Pass. I was invited to fish the Sportswriters Invitational Tournament held at Millers Marina. The Tarpon Club is the top outfitter for fishing the pass and they are putting out the word about their new Mega Money Tarpon Tournament to be held on the 7, 8, & 9th of this July. The water temp was a little low but the bite was great. Capt. Dan Haley (941-793-FISH) put us on big fish the first day, but no fish to the scales. The second day I jumped a huge fish with Capt. Tim Garland (941-626-2892) that he estimated to be over 180 pounds. I fought the silver king for almost 14 minutes, just one minute shy to get a tournament release.

The tarpon is just as hard, if not harder in that scenario, to land with 30 boats all in an acre of water fishing over thousands of fish. I first thought I wouldn’t like that kind of fishing, but was I ever wrong. This was the most exciting and exhilarating two days I have spent fishing in a long time. Something totally different you really should experience for yourself, at least once. There season will last through July with the numbers of fish reaching into the tens of thousands all in an area of one to two acres. You will be amazed at how these Captains can handle a 24-foot boat in the kind of traffic we have at rush hour here in Miami.

For more information about the $1 mil. Mega Money Tarpon Tournament or to set up a trip to this wonderful tarpon paradise contact Jack Harper of Millers Marine at 813-964-2232 or contact the guides I fished for reservations. Both are on the Mercury teams and have the top names in gear aboard their boats. Look on my website for some pictures of the event and a link to The Tarpon Club website.

Captain Dave Sutton is an IGFA Certified Captain, Met Registered Captain and a G.Loomis & Orvis Endorsed Guide fishing Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and he is an Everglades National Park Guide.