THE FISHING LINE | Archives

March 2008

Now that the last of our winter cold fronts have moved through the Keys, we can now expect a warming trend to start. Winds continue to blow but the easterly direction brings warm temperatures. Water temperatures are steady around the low 70’s, and once they reach a consistent 75 degrees or better, we can expect to see more tarpon patrolling the oceanside flats and cruising the backcountry of the Florida Bay. Fly anglers will be staked out on their favorite points casting toad flies and homespun never-fail flies at schools of migrating tarpon, which include fish from 60 pounds to 170 pounds. I recommend using live shrimp, crabs and pinfish for the spin-casters. Sometimes, I’ll use a cork, or bobber, to keep the bait from dipping too deep before the tarpon reaches its meal.

Permit swarmed the flats the last few weeks--when the weather was consistent. When the wind is swirling, variable or just plain unstable, they’re hard to find. Permit are deep-water fish that have adapted to the flats to forage for food. But they still spawn offshore around wrecks and deep drop-offs. Now is when they prepare to move from the shallows to the wrecks, which means they’ll be cruising the flats looking for food and a lot of it. I fished with Loren Rea of Sugarloaf Key in the March Merkin Tournament this year and we had some great opportunities, but the fish just didn’t want to cooperate. This is a fly- only competition and three fish caught by Jon Ain, who was guided by Doug Kilpatrick, took home the hardware. An awesome job considering the less than optimal fly-fishing conditions.

Once the water permanently warms up and the weather is more consistent with spring trends, all fish are up for grabs. Along with tarpon, bonefish will be more active and will feel less pressure as many anglers set their sights on tarpon. Snook and redfish will also enjoy the respite. As mullet and other baitfish start to fill the backcountry, “muds” can be seen in the deeper basin around Flamingo, which will offer ample rod-bending action from ladyfish, trout and Spanish mackerel. This is also where snook, redfish and tarpon will lurk for their daily meals. Early morning spin casters can use top water plugs like a skitter-walk or a popping cork with a troll-rite jig tipped with a live shrimp. For the fly casters, a gurgler on top will induce a strike. I like to use the “Fishalicious” fly in black or white because of the way it moves in the water, sustains its depth and how it can be cast underneath the mangroves when shoreline fishing.

I still have some great fishing dates available. If you’re interested in booking a charter you can reach me through my email address which is steve@afishingguide.com or by my cell phone at 305-393-FISH. I’ve also added a credit card payment feature to my homepage for the convenience of deposit and payment. It’s all very secure through PayPal. Hope to see you this spring. Tight lines!

Capt. Steve