# Everglades backcountry report, 3 May



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

The fishing now in the Everglades out of Flamingo has been good for weeks (some days really good...). We've been mostly tarpon hunting and finding them in every size, every day. At present the big fish are still in rivers and along the coast of the 'Glades, north and south of the Shark River area. Being tarpon some days they're hard to feed, other days they'll eat anything they see. In recent days we've mostly fished lures or flies for the big fish. Live baits still work well but most baits are shark food long before any tarpon can make a pass.... even up inside rivers. Anyone wanting to fish for sharks this time of year had better be ready for non-stop action for hours with fish all the way up to 10 feet and bigger. On some days we've had ten footers come right up to the skiff as I'm poling -- looking for a meal... in less than four feet of water... The areas we fish aren't a good place for a swim - ever.... Bulls, lemons, blacktips, and others are common - the occasional hammer or tiger will show up but they're not very common along the coast. I'm guessing the tigers are around because of all the turtles (they're actually designed to feed on turtles - check out the teeth on a tiger) in river mouths and nearby shorelines.

This is the time of year for that slam (three out of these four - tarpon, snook, trout, or redfish) or the grand slam with all four by a single angler in a day. It will be that way now for the next six months... Here's a few pics of what my anglers have been up to...
























The first pic is Steve Kolbe and Dave Knorr with a nice pair of trout on small lures. The second is Steve with a nice snook that completed his first slam. Steve Kolbe is best known as the voice of the Washington Capitols hockey team. The last is Steve's tarpon (or Dave's since each got his first tarpon that day).

















Here's Stuart Osterweil and his seven year old son on a very nice tarpon. It was a bit too much for a young man that needs a smaller fish or to grow a bit bigger. He went on to hook and fight a really big bull shark before passing the rod to his Dad. That young man also caught and released mackeral, trout, snapper, small sharks, and a variety of other fish. Hat's off to a Dad who'll start his son fishing where there are lots of fish, many too big for a small boy... but that didn't slow him down at all.

























This was two days ago, Bruce Rueben on his way to his first slam on fly (tarpon, trout, redfish, we just missed a nice snook for the grand slam...). I've been experimenting with Whitewater Clousers tied up on jig hooks for fishing deep in rivers. So far so good.

This last picture is more common than I'd like. A perfectly healthy trout except that a goliath grouper almost ate it. I'm sure that the goliaths are eating lots and lots of fish wherever they're found inshore these days. That shredded tail is a signature for any fish that barely survives an encounter with a hungry goliath (jewfish for you old timers).










Tomorrow it's back to Flamingo with fly gear and more tarpon.


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## out-cast (Jan 27, 2009)

Fixed 'em for ya Bob. Nice report [smiley=1-thumbsup3.gif]


> The fishing now in the Everglades out of Flamingo has been good for weeks (some days really good...).  We've been mostly tarpon hunting and finding them in every size, every day.  At present the big fish are still in rivers and along the coast of the 'Glades, north and south of the Shark River area.  Being tarpon some days they're hard to feed, other days they'll eat anything they see.  In recent days we've mostly fished lures or flies for the big fish.  Live baits still work well but most baits are shark food long before any tarpon can make a pass.... even up inside rivers.  Anyone wanting to fish for sharks this time of year had better be ready for non-stop action for hours with fish all the way up to 10 feet and bigger.  On some days we've had ten footers come right up to the skiff as I'm poling -- looking for a meal... in less than four feet of water...  The areas we fish aren't a good place for a swim - ever....  Bulls, lemons, blacktips, and others are common - the occasional hammer or tiger will show up but they're not very common along the coast.  I'm guessing the tigers are around because of all the turtles (they're actually designed to feed on turtles - check out the teeth on a tiger) in river mouths and nearby shorelines.
> 
> This is the time of year for that slam (three out of these four - tarpon, snook, trout, or redfish) or the grand slam with all four by a single angler in a day.  It will be that way now for the next six months... Here's a few pics of what my anglers have been up to...
> 
> ...


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

thanks, I needed that (forgot to reduce the img stuff before posting and couldn't figure out where I went south...).


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## Swamp (Jul 12, 2010)

Nice! Which 60* jig hook are you using there?

Swamp


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## captd (Feb 8, 2011)

i just left all that to go north for a few months to fish stripers... wish i stayed, i left about a million poons there... ouch.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

And a sweet azz skiff!


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## captd (Feb 8, 2011)

haha, yeah, that too. don't remind me! i am getting a package together for you... just been booked every day, slammed.


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

Good stuff for your customers!


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## Michael (Jul 22, 2009)

That looks like an EC 413 Jig hook. George Glazener started spreading the word on that hook a while back on Dan Blantons board if it is in fact the EC.


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## Swamp (Jul 12, 2010)

> That looks like an EC 413 Jig hook. George Glazener started spreading the word on that hook a while back on Dan Blantons board if it is in fact the EC.


Actually it doesn't look like an EC413 to me, which is my staple hook.  I'm looking for a #8,#6, or #4 hook that is plated for salt water use.  I hate using bronzed hooks even for fresh water when I can avoid it.  That hook looks like it is a black chrome plated #2, I was hoping that it might come in smaller.

Swamp


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## floridanative1028 (May 30, 2009)

maybe 32786?


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## Swamp (Jul 12, 2010)

Could be, but the smallest Mustad makes that is in 1/0.

Swamp


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## floridanative1028 (May 30, 2009)

I think for smaller flies you could get away with a 90* hook which would give you more size options.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Sorry for the delay (I've been booked almost continuously the last few weeks), here's the hook I'm using for those deepwater Clousers. It's a Mustad 32786BLN. It's actually the same heavy freshwater, black nickel hook that all my bucktails and jigheads are made with. The fly shown has a 2/0 hook and we're hooking everything from a 6" snapper all the way up to fish in the 100+ range (bigger fish have only been on bucktails or jigheads with Gulp tails so far, whenever we're hunting tarpon deep we're using Tiemco 600sp or Owner Aki hooks). I only have one catalogue that lists this hook and the smallest they carry is size 1/0. Here's the address for that catalogue (it's a retail outfit) if anyone's interested...

www.lurepartsonline.com


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## Swamp (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks Capt. Bob. The search continues. I need to track down the Targus version, I think they go down to #4, but I still want smaller. Smaller versions would just be awesome for bonefish, or west coast snook on the beach where you don't want to drag the point in the sand all day.

Thanks

Swamp


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

For bonefish bugs (and I tie lots and lots of them...) I'm either using an inverted tie or mono weedguards (in some cases both). Here's a few pics....


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## Swamp (Jul 12, 2010)

Wow, those crabs look great!  That is the kind of thing I want small jig hooks for.  Do you have a recipe for those?

Swamp


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

All those crabs are just my version of the Matthews Turneffe crab on #4 hooks. Don't have a recipe, but the body is just "furry foam" from Wapsi. You cut a strip about 1/2 " wide, pinch it in half and tie it in behind the lead eyes, then pull the strip back up over the head (after adding the silli legs), then a tiny puff of spinning hair before finishing. Weedguards are just a loop of 15lb Ande, that's cut in the center after being raised up at a 45 degree angle with thread.... The Fly Shop of Ft. Lauderdale stocks them (and I usually keep them in good supply for them).


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## Swamp (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks! That's what construction looked like to me. Next time I'm close to Lauderdale, I'll have to pick up a sample.

Swamp


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