Everglades Fishing – Captain Ned Small

The wind is relentless, 20 mph every day, the effort and torque required to control the boat with the push pole, well, I no longer wait till I’m home to apply the Ben-Gay, just keep it slathered on all day. There are times lately when I can’t even pole from the tower, just not enough leverage, I have to stand on the aft gunwale just to get enough bearing to keep the boat from sliding backwards between each stroke. But we will not relent either, we’re going to that back corner of Bitch Lake, no matter what, that narrow window under the mangroves where the wind is finally calm, Don’t Screw Up! We’ve had some hilarious moments and some awesome opportunities. Despite the difficulty, over the past few days, we’ve hooked the Hog Mama Snook several times and lost it every time. It’s incredibly hard work, for your guide and for the angler in the wind, but if you have the ‘nads for it, it’s incredible fun. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is my favorite TV show and the Ultimate Fishing Challenge is my favorite obsession. Many thanks to Randy Lane, Greg Mentzer, Craig Masterman, Dr. Larry Knight and Bob Milgram, these are guys that enjoy every minute, no matter what, no matter how difficult the challenge.

If you like a fly fishing challenge, if you want to fly from place to place through the howling winds, run eighty miles a day, fight your way through the tides, the googans, and the limited water clarity, you might catch a few fish like these.  March is a bitch with the wind, but  the  snook are on the move, tarpon are popping up when you least expect it and the reds are eager. Just don’t expect to load the boat, this is extreme fishing and requires some dedication.  I’m booked through the middle of June but I’m hoping for a few trips in late June and July, unless Montana intervenes.

Pole for hours, drive for miles, catch a few nice fish, lose the Big One. I’ve heard it was Captain Steve Huff that said, “fish with me for a week and have the best twenty minutes of fishing you’ve ever had.”

The weather has come onshore. This has changed everything.