# Backcountry report, Flamingo Friday, Chokoloskee Saturday, 23 November 2020



## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

You've spoiled them now, Bob! They'll expect that every trip!


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## Kirc (Jan 18, 2020)

have been out of the area a few years, was curious if the jewfish have moved and found homes again since the freeze, looks like the answer is yes. Always fun to pull up on a known spot and see if someone can pull one out,....most the time get smoked, lol. For those that dont know whats lurking under the bushes, heres a 35"r a friend pulled out throwing artificials, biggest ive seen pulled out on light tackle. This was actually picked up right near where you were presumably fishing.









.....and that could be considered small. Kish (capt Donnie) was posted on the St Croix site for longest time with one that had to of been 150# or more, was an absolute beast, it was caught all the way in the back !!!


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Like you figured... they've come roaring back since the last serious coldkill about ten years ago now... I expect a killing cold every seven to ten years down this way (and by that measurement we're due again...). Nowadays they're everywhere, but still haven't made it into the interior the way they were before that big coldkill.... Out of Flamingo we were finding them in shallow coves way up in Whitewater Bay and even caught them in tailing depths up to fifteen pounds with fly gear sightfishing... After that kill they were gone from the interior -but they came back strong along the coast... The problem for many is that when the goliaths (jewfish for all you old timers... or mangrove grouper - the name I'd have chosen instead of "goliath grouper" when folks up north re-named them without ever seeing one... ) move into an area - other fish move out. There's many a great snook spot along the coast that only holds goliaths now (and after the coldkill the reverse happened jewfish spots turned back into big snook spots again...). 

Like many, I've advocated in writing and in person (in front of the FWC) that they re-think the protections goliaths have but so far there's been no action. Wish it weren't so.. The name "jewfish" by the way, was never a slur - it was a corruption of the original "jawfish" as early settlers called them. They're quite a fish - tough as an old leather boot, absolutely fearless, will bite lures, flies, and many different kinds of bait - and they fight really hard -never giving up... Along with that they're still grouper and smaller specimens (under 20 pounds) are great eating - back when it was legal to take them...


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

We found this one last year in about 2 feet of water along a mangrove shoreline. It took over 45 minutes to bring it to boat side and was caught on a 3000 reel with 30# leader. The fish regurgitated 5 catfish, each over 16". Dang things are everywhere and eating everything they can. I'm with Bob--the State should remove the protection...maybe one per day per boat within a certain slot size.


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## Svengali (Feb 28, 2020)

lemaymiami said:


> On Friday we fished out of Flamingo in windy conditions (seems like the wind has been blowing for weeks ...) with Nino Lenoro from Georgia and his partner Jack. Nino was using fly gear and Jack with spinning gear... It was a tough day -but we still managed to catch and release a few snook... Here's two pics of Nino's best snook...
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Great day out on the water!!!


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