Everglades Fishing – Captain Ned Small

Stormy conditions with thunderstorm activity, lightning. Southwest winds 20 knots, storm cells and murky water. There is a front about to “dissipate” with a weak high pressure dominating early this week. Calm winds are being forecast for the beginning of the week. This is looking pretty good. Snook are still biting when you can get on them (find them), a few tarpon still showing here and there, we jumped one yesterday. Scott Harding, giant on fly.

Winds are increasing and coming around to the south. Jacks were coursing through the Islands today and a few ladyfish were skipping around. I haven’t seen a ladyfish in a while, since the tarpon thinned out, so this may be an indicator.  Baitfish have been conspicuously absent out on the keys lately and that is usually a prime indicator. The south wind could boost the water temperature and bring them in.

There are sleepers to be had for the patient. We are getting  anywhere from six to twelve legitimate shots each day. It’s long hours of hard work, coupled with brief moments of heart pounding excitement. You really should be an accomplished caster if you wish to succeed at this. Take some lessons.

Everything is a little out of synch. (less than perfect). The fishing is funny too. We are working on some tarpon, getting some sleeper action, but it feels like local fish waking up and getting a little loose for once. There is no Bonanza out there yet. Nevertheless, Bill Chorske, who hasn’t done this before, came this close: >< to jumping one, on fly, today. Clarity is mid range, not bad , really.  It fluctuates with the different spots: the outside keys are clear. Be prepared to cast far if you are going to fish outside.

Only the snook eluded us today. Otherwise, we might have had the Near BackCountryInshoreMinustheTarponSlam.  Pompano, spotted sea trout, jack crevalle, blue runner,  pufferfish, two species of cats, no lizardfish, a redfish and a miniature cobia.. Lots of sightings, sharks, stingrays, sheephead, houndfish, jack, redfish, eagle ray, manatee, diving osprey.  It’s not perfect.  You have to work for it.  No ladyfish.

Redfish in the moon path. Tailing, stranded reds on the shoals. 7 weight, 12 pound test, flouro, no shock. #4 fly. Paul Sebourn on the foredeck. No tarpon. Full Moon. Wait three days.

Dawn Patrol. Following the Path of the Full Moon across the Bay and into the passes. Beautiful weather, although still a little cool by tarpon standards. (Still not seeing any.) Clarity is improving, there are still the usual muddy places but other zones are improving. There are fish on the outside keys at high tide, you can even pole around out there in the wind because the water is so clear. Lots of big sheephead, black drum and redfish. Snook are wary. Redfish in all the low tide spots.

Offshore breezes in the morning, clocking through the south and southwest by afternoon. Clarity is improving although there can be big differences between spots. There is still some muddy water but I call that normal. There are also areas of superb clarity, especially at low tide. Gulf temps are rising, the weather is fair, and we are in a calming cycle. There should be tarpon around. There is one around that we know of because we tried to tie a string to it.  A string with a fly on the end. Lots of redfish, excellent redfishing right now. A few snook, too.

Southwest winds in the afternoon 18 mph. Morning off shore. I’m looking for tarpon.

Winds diminishing throughout the day, calm by evening. Barometer rising, two days after the quarter moon. A general westerly push to the weather but it’s loosing velocity. This could be it.