# Everglades report, 10 January



## GTSRGTSR (Nov 10, 2009)

That first pic almost makes your guy look like Flip Pallot!!! Fly Rod, gray beard, Everglades in the background!!

Nice snook!!!

We are gonna be there this coming Sat, Sunday, and Monday, hoping to get backcountry permits to put in canoes for the Hells Bay Trail and camp at any of the available chickees.

Any suggestions for artificals in the back bays this weekend? I wont have a ton of fishing time, as most of the others dont fish... Its the only reason I am going, so I gotta make the most of it


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Since there's another cold front headed this way.... for arties this weekend I'd use a 1/8oz jigheads with gulp tails (either the 3" shrimp in New Penny or the 4" mullet tail in pearl white).  An alternative is what some over the 10K area call the LBJ (little brown jig).  Simply a brown bonefish skimmer jig (with a sweetener) or something similar in 1/8oz head.  That 'sweetener' can either be a tiny (no bigger than the tip of your little finger) bit of shrimp or a Gulp or FishBites small strip (I like the Gulp strip).  Keep the leader on the light side, use a light rod with braid for distance.... and you're in business.  If it warms up just a bit you can also add soft plastic jerk baits - but I'd forget any hardbaits until it's a bit warmer in general.  Good luck - I'll be at the other end of the Park, Everglades City, working charters.


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## richwalker71 (Feb 11, 2010)

Great report as always Captain.
I will be making my annual trip down in late Feb. and I am counting down the days.
Have had good success FINDING Tarpon but precious little CATCHING them, and my experience is largely with migrating Tarpon. Any advice to get bites from the Backcountry model?


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## GTSRGTSR (Nov 10, 2009)

Thanks Bob, never seen the "lbj" but will look for it. Good luck this weekend!!!


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

The LBJ, my favorite for the sloughs back in Snake Bight.
Rootbeer, pink, or white, tipped with a bit of fresh shrimp.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Backcountry tarpon come in all sizes but have two things in common... they need warm water (if I find big fish in less than 70 degree water.... I figure they just won't be interested, but when it does get to 70 - look out. Smaller fish will eat in a bit lower water temps, but not much.) and they absolutely do not like boat motors.... If you find fish and you've been running your motor don't expect any hits until about 30 minutes have passed. They'll put up with you idling toward them, but turn that motor off at least 100 yards away and use the push pole or trolling motor to get closer. Lastly, both large and small, tarpon are the laziest critters that swim. They don't want to chase anything down (unless it's a big fat live bait) so work your lures slow to medium, and slower is always better.... Everything changes if you get a hook in one, but fish that aren't migrating are happy as clams just hanging out and doing as little as possible....


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## richwalker71 (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks a bunch!


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## redfishguide (Nov 24, 2011)

Hey Bob,

Really appreciate your reports. I manage to get down to Flamingo about once a year. Would love to fish you one of these trips.

Like the looks of your Black light special. Did a Google search and couldn't find any info. Any chance you could share your recipe? or put me on a link with more info.

Thanks,
Jack


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## blackcircle (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks for the report! Good stuff as usual.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Hi Redfish... here's something I wrote up for another tyer on that Blacklight Special....

My Blacklight is pretty simple, it uses a #1 or #2, Mustad 34007 hook and the first step is to tie in a very small, sparse amount of black bucktail just forward of the bend (I'll also use fish hair instead or any synthetic similar to bucktail). That sparse amount has pearl flashabou on top (8 to 12 strands with staggered ends- both bucktail and flash a bit shorter than the maribou you'll add next, dyed black, at least one side of a blood quill stripped away from the shaft, then again tied on top of what you've already done. The idea is to have something for the maribou to lay on to prevent fouling (instead of one of those mono loops which I dislike..). With the tail completed, take some black Body Fur (a Dan Bailey product)and tie it in with the fibers away from the hook, then wind it forward
(if you haven't used it before it will take a few attempts before you're satisfied with the results)to within an 1/8" of the hook eye, then tie off. At this point take a pair of scissors and trim the sides of the Body Fur flat (almost to the hook shank) leaving top and bottom alone. Continue the thread forward and tie in a wire weedguard by the bent end (see pic) then tie in a wide, webby black saddle hackle with as much of the "fluff" left on as possible and wind it forward to form a collar, then whip finish (at this point the wire weedguard is still sticking out straight, bend it slightly away from the hook eye (so no glue can trap in the eye) then touch your thread with super glue. When everything is dry clip the stems from two solid plastic doll eyes (the same that Puglisi uses) and glue them in place using Fletch Tite (an arrow builder's cement - nothing I've found beats it for holding eyes in place). Before gluing eyes in place I pull the feather collar back over the Body Fur and each eye is then glued in place right on top of the feather (I only do one eye at a time, then clamp in place for about five minutes before the other eye is done - this prevents them from moving around, and I only use a clothes pin, the second notch, as my clamp...). When the eyes are done, bend the weedguard (#5 trolling wire, coffee colored, I prefer Malin's) into position, trim the end of the wire just short of the hook barb, then a final small bend at the very end of the wire and you're done. Here's a pic of the weedguards ready to go...


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## redfishguide (Nov 24, 2011)

Thanks a bunch for the reply. Definitely gonna try and whip a few up form my Flamingo trip.


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## idaho1333 (Jan 8, 2012)

Great report!


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

By the way, the "Blacklight" is just the winter version of that bug. In summer it's likely to be fl. green and white (for muddy conditions pink and white). In the Fall it's tan/white. I particularly like if for lighter rods (8wt and smaller) since it's pretty easy to toss.


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