South Florida Fishing

Spring and summer are normally good for hunting the flats and the cooler months normally good for fishing deep water with live bait. But both can be done year round.

If you like casting, using top water plugs May thru July is a great time for Snook and Tarpon. Watching both species gorge themselves with mullet on the flats is amazing enough, but “walking the dog” through that gauntlet of predators is a blast. Redfishing the flats is fun and action packed a lot of fish showing up in Spring.  I like using Berkley’s Gulp soft plastics reeled slowly through the grass and potholes, both Redfish and Snook are caught this way. There are many different ways to Tarpon fish, casting large plugs in deeper water where you see them rolling, live bait around bridges, casting small shrimp to small Tarpon around mangroves, fly fishing the edges of flats where Tarpon migrate and casting large flies in deep water.

Different methods are jigging or live baiting with shrimp, pilchards or pinfish in deep moving water around structure like mangroves or shallow wrecks.  This technique works for all inshore species including Cobia, Spanish Mackerel and Tripletail.  But without a doubt, I most enjoy sight fishing the flats for Bonefish, Permit, Snook, Redfish, and Tarpon on light spinning tackle or fly rod.

Snook

Snook are caught from Miami’s Government Cut with live bait to Everglades National Park where they will roam the flats in the warmer months and the creeks and deeper water in the cooler months. Flats Snook are normally looking for mullet which make them aggressive. The best baits to use are top water plugs, soft plastics, spoons and live bait. Average size is 4-7 lbs and many are over 20 lbs.

Tarpon

In South Florida, Tarpon can be caught on plugs, live bait and flies year round in deeper water. Tarpon migrate on ocean side and Gulf flats in the spring and summer. These fish are on a mission, normally small live bait or flies are best. Juvenile Tarpon, normally under 40 lbs, fill Everglades National Park in the spring and summer months. They will eat a variety of live and artificial baits. Average Tarpon size is 80-140lbs and can get over 200lbs.

Bonefish

Best caught on fly or real light tackle. Bonefish range from Miami to Key West on the ocean side, and in the backcountry of the Florida Keys in shallow water grass flats to the deeper channel edges. The Bonefish’s first run is the best in the business. Average size is 7 lbs. but they are caught up to 15 lbs. The best time is early spring and fall months. Summer months can yield a lot of fish, but fishing in these hotter months must be done either early morning or late afternoon.

Permit

Tall and lean wide and strong, is a good way to describe Permit. Crab eaters for the most part they roam in small packs, and large schools on the flats and deeper areas with sea fans, structure and moving water. They are hunted all over South Florida. Average size is 20 lbs. but they are caught over 40 regularly.

Redfish

A great fish to catch mostly on the shallow grass flats in Everglades Natuional Park. They are here year round but thin out in low light months when they spawn. Redfish are great on fly rod or sight fishing with light tackle. In late spring and summer months when they appear in large schools on the flats, they will eat live and artificial baits aggressively.

Sharks

The Sharks of South Florida are Spinner, Hammerhead, Bull, Blacktip, Lemon, Tigers and Nurse - if I left one out, someone let me know... I have tackle for them with plenty of steel. If you'd like to catch a shark, they're not hard to find and very cooperative.

Other Species

Other species include the Spotted Sea Trout which hang around grass flats. Fall, winter and spring are best. There's also the Black Drum. They are caught weighing up to 30 lbs in the cooler months, the average is 2-4 lbs. and the best bait here is live shrimp. Black Drum are a great rod bender and there's lots of them around.

PS: Capt. Jim likes to practice catch and release - especially for sharks... “They don’t fit in my cooler!” So bring a camera. If you don’t have one, he does.