April 25, 2015 Report (Tarpon)

Regular client of mine and friend David brought his friend Tracy and Tracy's two kids along, Carter and Logan. We fished David's new 32' Intrepid and the goal was to tarpon fish then hit the channels for snappers for the kids. Not 10 minutes after setting up one of the rods goes off and Carter is on a 150lb tarpon smoking 200 yards off the reel! He did a great job and then eventually turned the rod over to Tracy. This was a tussle. The big tarpon got us into a bridge and made another long run into two sets of bridge pilings. All hope was lost but an effort still had to be made so I locked down the drag risking a straightened hook or broken braid and had David put the twin 300 Yamahas in reverse. Unbelievably the fish started to come towards the boat an inch at a time and after what seemed like an eternity he was 30 away from the menacing bridge pilings. After 45 minutes of hand to hand combat the fish came to the side of the boat and we had the release, pis and a DNA sample for The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. Wow, what a ride! Congrats Tracy! We spent the rest of the trip in the channels catching snappers for the kids and basking in the glory of a tarpon victory.

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 24, 2015 Report

Today was certainly a tough day. It started with the stator on my outboard failing 5 minutes into todays trip and forcing me to idle for the entire trip. Thankfully most of the tarpon spots are close to the marina so we pressed on. There were few fish around today although pods of rolling tarpon were around here and there. We hooked on briefly and the rest of the day was spent in the middle of fish that refused to eat. I don't like days like today! Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 23, 2015 Report (Tarpon)

Kyle and his wife Liz were in town from VT and booked a last minute tarpon trip so off in the dark we ran in order to get into a good morning bite and be back at the marina before the crazy Sunday boaters hit the water. As we pull in to the morning's tarpon spot we see fish rolling around. A bit later Liz's bait goes down and she's on a tarpon! She reels to come tight to the fish and there is no tension. HUH? We reel in the bait and it's half eaten, the tarpon never got the hook in it's mouth. Geeze! A while later the other rod goes off and Liz is on a big tarpon jumping and tail walking right towards her! She reels in the slack, the fish comes a few feet from the motor and makes a long run. After a brief battle she hands the rod to Kyle and he fights the fish for the balance of the hour long fight. The tarpon dragged us about 3/4 of a mile from where we hooked up and soon I see a big bull shark near the boat. In an effort to save the tarpon we put max pressure and get the leader release on Kyle's first tarpon and try to drag the fish back to a flat away from the big shark. Unfortunately, 5 minutes after the leader release the shark obliterates the 150lb tarpon so close to the boat we could have grabbed its dorsal fin! It was a very exciting but very sad ending to see this fish lost to a shark. You never know what to expect in Miami!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 22, 2015 Report (Tarpon)

Tom and Cal have a place in Key Largo and we've fished together a few times and these guys are always great. Arriving at our first tarpon spot of the day immediately there were tarpon rolling everywhere and within a minutes of Cal setting up he hooks up to a nice tarpon in the 140lb class. He fought the fish for about an hour and as the big tarpon is close to the boat it did a 180 and headed right under the boat. No! Before anyone of us could react the tarpon was under the boat and broke us off. Urgh!!!!! The rest of the day was spend being teased by tarpon that refused to eat. Today was certainly a tough day!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 21, 2015 Report

Dean got his 150lb tarpon on a half day Sunday and he was back for a full day of tarpon fishing today. The bite was good overall and there was action throughout the day. However, we went 0-8 getting 8 bites, hooking four fish and losing all of them for a number of reasons. All in all it was a fun day with Dean but boy was I looking forward to getting a few to the boat today. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 20, 2015 Report (Tarpon!)

Dean from TX has fished with me several times before and has lost his tarpon every time for different reasons and we were both looking to today as being the magical day. Leaving the marina in the dark we set up on our tarpon spot and waited. Eventually, among a number of rolling tarpon, one of the rods goes off and Dean is on! Ten grueling minutes into a fight that had us dragging the big tarpon away from structure with the boat and he makes one last jump and comes off. Oh no! I'm starting to feel the pressure now but 10 minutes later one of the rods goes off again and Dean is on again. After a number of hair raising attempts to break us off and 40 minutes of intense man against beast battle Dean's fish comes to the side of the boat. A few pics and a DNA sample for the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust later the estimated 130lb tarpon swims off. Wheww, pressure is off and Dean had a BIG smile. I love tarpon season!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 19, 2015 Report (Tarpon)

What a morning! Joey and his wife Brandy boarded at 5:45 am and the goal was tarpon. Sundays on the bay can get crazy so the goal was to get in, fight some tarpon and get out before the mayhem began. Moments after arriving at our location and setting up Brandy's rod goes off with a big tarpon launching into the air and the braid breaking immediately. Urgh! Silence for a few minutes and then another bite, and another, and another. In total we had 5 bites and lost them all for a number of reasons. So frustrating for me but Joey did a great job on his fish before the premature release and we were able to get some nice pics out of it although I came close to the leader release but was short about a foot. Joey used to be a fishing guide and has caught numerous big tarpon so the morning is nothing new to him but I always hate losing fish. These were great folks and we were in by 9:30 am.

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 18, 2015 Report (crazy tarpon report!)

Wow, this tarpon fishing trip was crazy! Local client J.C. and his friend George hopped aboard while still dark for an early morning tarpon trip. Marking tons of fish on my Raymarine we get a hit while still setting up but George brings up a half eaten bait. Geeze! A bit after I mark more tarpon on my Raymarine and sure enough J.C.'s rod doubles over and over 100lbs of tarpon goes sky high and J.C.'s on tight to his fish. During the one and 40 minute fight the tarpon took us through an obstacle course of rock jetties, docks, anchored boats and markers but we managed to safely navigate all the obstacles in spite of some VERY close calls. Unfortunately, the end result of the battle was a big 9 plus foot bull shark eating J.C.'s tarpon. A real heart breaker for many reasons. In Miami's Biscayne Bay you never know what to expect!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 17, 2015 Report

Under clear skies locals Manny and Marcel were in for a full day of tarpon, bonefish and permit fishing. This was the second day of slow fishing so we ended the day fishing a few wrecks in the bay where we kept the rods bent. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 16, 2015 Report

Carlos and Eric hopped aboard for the 2nd straight year and with an early start Eric hooked a big tarpon but it spit the hook after it's 4th jump. Ouch! The rest of the trip was spent looking for sea trout but while they did catch some, the fishing remained slow. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 15, 2015 Report (Bonefish!)

I've been fishing the Bonefish Bonnies flats tournament out of Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo for several years now and today Joann and Eleanor boarded my skiff for another have at this fun tournament. When Eleanor jumped aboard she didn't know how to cast and told me it would be a miracle if she caught a fish, any fish. Getting into some permit and tarpon but getting no hook ups, Eleanor practiced the casting lessons I gave her and being a quick learner, was off to the races. Not only did she catch fish, she landed an 11lb bonefish on 8lb test! Way to go Eleanor. As lines out was closing in Joann hooks a monster fish that peeled line at an amazing pace but cut her off a few minutes into the fight after the initial run. NO! We all had a great time and Eleanor thanked Joan for talking her into joining her today. Great job ladies!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 14, 2015 Report (Tarpon!)

Scott jumped aboard for day two of tarpon fishing and the tarpon did not disappoint. We started by hooking one in the 120lb range on 10lb test on an artificial but losing him 20 minutes into the fight after a few jumps. Ouch! Shortly after we hooked two more in the span of about 10 minutes, one popped off after the first jump and the other jumped off after going ballistic, tail walking towards the boat, making a short run and then giving us his last jump. The rest of the day went on about the same. The final tally was tarpon 8, Scott 0. We have to change that next year Scott!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 13, 2015 Report

On a last minute trip out of Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, I picked up Dan and headed out looking for his first tarpon on fly. With steady 20 MPH winds and gusting a bit higher we had limited places to look for tarpon. In spite of our best efforts Dan didn't get his tarpon. Shoot, we only saw one all day! Tough day. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 12, 2015 Report (Tarpon!)

An afternoon charter in Biscayne Bay can be a thrill ride and so it was this afternoon with Scott from MD. With an unusual lull in boat traffic we decided to tarpon fish for a bit before things got crazy with boats, jet skis and all the other weekend mayhem. Eight minutes into tarpon fishing Scott hooks a BIG tarpon and the fish ran out over 200 yards of line before we could give chase. Along the way we had to scream at a passing boater that was about to run over the line and I had to almost fend off his bow pulpit with my hand, clear a crab trap the tarpon got us around, undo a tangle from the said crab trap around the motor, ask a growing crowd of curious jet skiers to give us some room and use the boat to drag the fish away from more traps and a no motor zone where swimmers were gathered. Ten minutes into the fight we got the leader release but wanted the "hero shot" and a DNA sample for the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. Forty minutes after hook up Scott released his fish having check off everything on our list and off the estimated 150lb tarpon went. Whew! What a ride. The balance of the trip Scott a number of sea trout in calmer areas. Wow, I'm still out of breath! Great job Scott!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 10, 2015 Report

Pete and his son Doug were in for some tarpon fishing and then a desire to mix it up. We started tarpon fishing but without any hits after a couple of hours and very few fish rolling Doug wanted to target other species so the balance of the trip was dedicated to just that. They both caught a number of trout and Doug hooked a big tarpon on an lure on lighter tackle and the fish mercifully spit the lure right back at us.

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 9, 2015 AM & PM Report

Am Report Todd and his 10 year old son boarded with one goal, get Jack lots of fish. So off we went to get Jack lots of fish, and boy was Jack busy. Taking a break I took them to a tarpon spot and went to work. Soon after we set up Todd hooks a big tarpon but it spits the hook on the initial jump. We dedicated a bit more time to tarpon but with the "natives" getting restless off to keep Jack busy we went and one again, fish on almost every cast. Jack had a big smile on his face and that's what it's all about.

PM Report From N.Y. Alan and his friends boarded for my afternoon trip and while we didn't hook any tarpon, they did catch a number of trout. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 8, 2015 AM & PM Report

AM Report Mike and his son Dominic were in town from N.Y. on a boys trip to Miami so if you're in Miami you have to go fishing! We fished a spot to catch shark bait and kept the rods bent for a while. Moving on to the flats we set up and not long after they came. All 5-6 footers and a few bigger ones. After a while and watching a few 6 footers come with 10' of the boat, a 6 footer commits, eats and we're off to the races. Three times the shark ran about 200 yards of line requiring us to chase it down. After a 30 minute fight and the shark tiring he rub us on a coral head and broke the braid. Ouch!

PM Report John and his son boarded my skiff for the afternoon trip and of course, we went tarpon fishing. Not long after setting up a monster hits one of the baits and launches into the air. One of the guys grabs the bent rod but the slight hesitation provided enough slack to allow the tarpon to spit the hook. The rest of the trip was dedicated to catching a variety of species. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 7, 2015 Report

Steve is a local angler whose fished with me before and today the target was tarpon, 8 hours of pure tarpon fishing. Awesome! Tarpon fishing is one where just when you think you have things figured out you have to go back to the drawing board. Today was one of those days. It was definitely slower than I had expected but manageable. We had 5 bites over the course of the trip and hooked two fish, both well over 100lbs. Unfortunately both came off! Urgh!!!! Steve and I will head back out in May looking for some serious redemption.

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 6, 2015 AM and PM Report

AM Report Brad from Maryland was hoping to tangle with some saltwater fish and boy did he! Tarpon fishing early morning was a heart breaker as we got a massive hit from a huge tarpon that broke the braid on the strike. We moved off to fish a few spots and they were slow so I pulled a trick out of my hat and Brad landed 3 mutton snappers, a 5lber, a 7 lber and a massive estimated 15lber. That's a career mutton snapper inshore! We moved off to the flats where there were plenty of sharks around the boat but would eat, feel the tension of the line and spit the bait. Fourth quarter, 2 minutes left and a nice 5 footer takes a bait, I used a trick of mine and got him on. 150 yards later the shark stops his initial run and Brad fought him back to the boat for the release. Way to go Brad!

PM Report The afternoon trip was with Sidney and his niece Bailey and nephew Joey. We went to a nearby spot and spend the en tire trip pulling up fish after fish that was both fun and action packed for the kids.

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 4, 2015 Report

Sal, his son Michael and daughter Catherine were in town for Wisconsin and enjoying the warmth so off to the water we went. Tarpon spot 1 produce a hit and no hook up. Again?! Kids getting bored so we headed to the flats, caught a bunch of snappers and then hit the shark flats where a number of them swam up to our baits but wouldn't eat. Eventually Michael got one about 6 feet and Catherine had all she could handle with her 4 footer. Michael by way won the day with largest fish. I won't mention what that spared him of!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 3, 2015 Report

John and his son Joe were a lot of fun today, another father son charter. Twelve year old Joe is a hardcore fisherman and he displayed it today. Variety was the key today and making sure Joe caught plenty of fish and so we did. Tarpon fishing a bit in the morning resulted in one quick bite so off we went to fish the flats. Along the way we stopped off at a spot and we caught dozens of snapper and other species with non-stop action. Moving on to the flats to shark fish we drew in several sharks, got one nice shark to eat and we were off to the races! After landing the 5 footer we had a nice run back to the marina. What a great couple of guys and nice day on the water.

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 2, 2015 Report

Kurt and his 2 kids fished with me back in the fall and today they were back for a little tarpon fishing and then catching what was around. We got a solid tarpon bite but the fish never got hooked. Then we moved off and got into some bluefish and had a triple header going at one point then off to another spot where we ended the day catching a variety of snappers and losing a grouper or two on almost every cast.

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

April 1, 2015 Report

Father/son charters are always a blast and Patrick and his son Graham were no exception. From the moment we got to our spot for the day the rods were bent and stayed bent. Along the way there were tarpon around and we had one eat our bait but spit it out before we could come tight. Urgh!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409