Everglades Backcountry Fishing Report
Capt. Taylor Powell
March 31, 2016
Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report
Backcountry Fishing in the Park still remains strong. I sold my old skiff and upgraded to a new 2016 Maverick 18 HPX V. This skiff, in combination with my Yamaha 115 4-Stroke, is a complete game changer. It allows me to cover hundreds of miles and still have gas to spare. It poles shallow, is super quick, efficient, provides a dry ride, and is very comfortable for my clients. Some days I'll fish the park and in no short time, run over to fish the keys in the same day.
We've been on good fishing this past week in all areas of the Park. Tarpon season is now kicking into full gear, tarpon on fly is my specialty, and most of my trips have been Tarpon trips. We've been averaging 2-3 Tarpon landed on fly, per trip. Some days the hookup ratio has been better than others, but it's not uncommon for these trips to get around 10 Giant Tarpon bites in one day. Sight fishing these Giants will make anyone's knees shake, as they try to place the fly to a 100lb laid up fish. I also saw my first Albino Tarpon, we never got a shot at her but this fish was all white, like a Ghost, and around 120-130lbs.
I've had a few Redfish and Snook trips, we've been successful on those trips as well. We've been finding them on the lower stages of the tide. There's a lot of snook that have pushed out of the backcountry and are holding on the outside shorelines, points, downed trees, etc... Each trip we also managed some Triple Tail, this fishery still remains strong.
I have been exploring the areas of Florida Bay where the grass has died. I'm still finding fish, but it's not as good as it was in years past. A lot of guides I've spoken with, are not too happy with water quality in the Glades. But let's all hope that it improves soon. The gamefish have been mixed in with the bait. If you find the bait, you'll find the fish.
I still have some openings left for Tarpon Season, so give me a shout if you're looking to cross this one off your bucket list.
Cheers! - Captain T
305-546-8864
www.flyfishsouthflorida.com
More Fishing Reports:
