March 20, 2014 Report

What an epic tarpon battle we found ourselves embroiled in this afternoon! Joe had just landed in Miami and took a cab ride straight to the marina where we jumped onto my skiff and sped off to a tarpon spot that had been holding fish for me. With slick calm conditions tarpon were rolling all around us and within minutes one of the rods doubles over and the drag starts to scream. In a burst of silver rage, 150lbs of tarpon makes a few majestic jumps and starts a long drag burning run. Two hours into the fight, in spite of our best efforts, he takes us into a dock and wraps himself around two pilings! Using a guide trick we somehow manage to keep him on and the battle continues. With the line stretched to the max, a passing bird smacks into the line and nearly breaks us off. Then, he dashes under the boat and once again we avert disaster. To add more drama, twice the line wraps around the rod tip and I clear it a split second before he takes off on another run. After a 3 hour battle, Joe subdued the fish, snapped a few pictures and let it go free. Having dragged us nearly 2 miles back towards to boat ramp, Joe had a short run back as he began to feel the physical and emotional exhaustion that is brought on by triple digit tarpon. This fish took three years off my life! Capt. Mo Estevz www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 18, 2014 After Dark Report

Launching my skiff at Key Biscayne Marina at 8:00pm into the mirror calm waters of Biscayne Bay is always a thrill knowing what awaits. Tonight local angler and friend John was aboard for a night time tarpon trip. Working the incoming tide proved slower than expected although shrimp were skipping on the surface everywhere and a few tarpon pops were heard. At our second spot of the night one of the rods doubles over and quickly snaps back. Missed a fish. That stinks! The action didn't start in earnest until the outgoing tide and even still it was slower than expected. Finally at our last stop there is a pop and a swirl behind the boat, I cast to it and put the rod in the holder. Seconds later we're on! The rod doubles over, the reel screams and 80lbs of raging tarpon bursts out of the water numerous times with drag burning runs in between. After 45 minutes, getting the leader in the rod (an official release) and having him two feet from the boat several times he makes a run, bursts out of the water and spits the hook back at me. No hero shot but a great time enjoying our most powerful and acrobatic fish in Biscayne Bay. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 16, 2014 Report

Joe and brother Kevin were in town from PA on their way to Key West. We had a great time last time we fished about two years ago and Joe was the one with all the catches. This year was different. Fishing started slow with a snook taking a swipe at a soft plastic bait we were tossing but missing the hook. Later Kevin landed a trout on soft plastic but it was eerily quite in spite of the 20+MPH winds. We looked for bonefish and found none. However, once the tide turned the fishing picked up big time and Kevin and Joe had several shots at bonefish but the primary target was shark on the flats. With a six footer coming close but not eating we were driven crazy by the number of sharks that came to the boat but did not eat. Finally one moves in, Kevin makes a good cast and lets it sink to the bottom. The sharks body language changes and I hear, "I'm on!". The reel starts to scream and a while later Kevin scores his shark on the flats. There were other fish landed during our trip, all landed by Kevin. Now it's Kevin 1, Joe 1. Let's see who breaks the tie next time! Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 15, 2014 AM & PM Report

AM Report Brian and son Will booked a half day for some rod bending fun. We started early on tarpon with rolling fish in the 40lb-100lb range. While we deployed their favorite baits, they refused to eat. However, one of the rods goes off and starts to scream. Will grabs it and fights the fish like a champ subduing the BIG spanish mackerel like a pro. Moving to the finger channels Will was kept busy with an assortment of snappers and we ended the morning catching trout.

PM Report Greg and son Grant were here from Alabama and wanted to try bonefishing. With the last of the outgoing tide and perfect visibility we got into bonefish on the first flat we worked. Greg and Grant had several shots at big Miami bonefish but the casts were off just a bit courtesy of the 20MPH crosswinds. With time winding down we decided to fish the finger channels and Grant was kept busy by big porgies, mangrove snappers, mutton snappers and a grouper that found a rock after getting hooked. At one point we had a cloud of snappers behind the boat and rods going off within seconds of hitting the water!

March 13, 2014

Jacques and Ed were aboard for their second annual "fishing with Capt. Mo after the conference" trip. While the afternoon trip started with 20MPH winds, it ended with winds over 25MPH. Fishing was slow overall but Jacques lost a nice fish that seemed like a nice snook and we got into some tarpon but they had lock jaw. We also lost a few nice hits from trout. It has definitely been tough fishing in this wind. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 12, 2014 AM & PM Report

AM Report Ken and Cameron from MA were ready for some relief from the snow that has plagued the NE. The fishing was slower than expected but we did catch numerous trout and had about an 80lb tarpon blow up and try to eat Cameron's soft plastic on 8lb test! That was awesome!

PM Report Alan and son from Alabama were aboard in the afternoon to enjoy Miami from the water and catch come fish. We played hide and seek from the now 25+ MPH winds and managed to catch some trout and miss a few more that clobbered out soft plastic baits. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 11, 2014 AM & PM Reports

AM Report Scott was on a quick stop in Miami on his way to a cruise and wanted to fly fish for bonefish. The last time we fished we caught mackerel and trout on fly but today we were upping the game. Ran as we might and hard as we fished the bonefish and permit we scarce. We did manage a couple of shots at permit and a few more shots at bones but a slow day overall. PM Report Ryan from Montana wanted to try bonefish on fly so off we went to the oceanside flats. The tide was now going out and the fishing certainly improved. Ryan had half a dozen shots at permit and some shots at bonefish. On one cast he laid the fly right in front of the permits face, strip, strip. The permit sees the fly, turns on it, chases it to the bottom and then turns away and swims off! Wow, that hurt! That's permit for you, even when you do everything right they still reject you! Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com