Ending the month. February 27, 2023

This month has been on fire with me running a record number of trips compared to Februarys past and the fishing has been solid with a few slow days just to keep things interesting.  My last trip of the month was with long time client Brad who has been fishing with me for about 10 years, wow that's a long time!  Anyway, Brad likes to spin and fly fish but with perfect bonefish conditions we decided to fish fly for bonefish.  It was generally slow compared to other recent days but Brad got a bonefish on fly and missed a couple of quick bonefish bites that are hard to react to.  Oh, and we had an early morning hook up out of a school of bonefish that turned out to be a jack that beat the bones to the fly.  LOL 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

The long week February 20-24, 2023

This week I fished with long time regular client Mike, squeezed in another long time client Maria right after a long day on the water with Mike and fished both Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park.  I'll summarize because there was lots going on.  The tides this week were EXTREMELY low and caused us to adjust in both places we fished but the most extreme tides were in the Everglades.  During this week both clients were fly clients and Mike caught bonefish, a number of different fun species on fly and we wrapped up the week catching plenty of sharks on fly in the Everglades.  Maria brought the awesome Tom along and on the half day we fished I poled them around for bonefish and Tom did a great job casting and talking his bonefish into eating his fly.  He did a masterful job and the pics say it all.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

Repeat client, new species February 19, 2023

Mike and I have fished before and he called me up for another trip.  He didn't really care what we fished for so I told him we should give bonefish a try.  We lost the first couple of fish and then Mike finally scored his first bonefish towards the end of the trip and after the dust settled he told me bass will never appeal to him the same way again.  I agree Mike! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

The pressure was on! February 18, 2023

Wow, Tony sure put pressure on himself and me as he and his two boys Liam and Evan were REALLY looking forward to catching their first bonefish.  When he first called me to book the trip he told me they wanted to fish for bonefish and catch a lot of them.  I explained those were mutually exclusive terms but we would give it a shot.  Ha, it worked out!  All of them caught their first bonefish!  Whew!  Then they wanted to mix it up so we fished the finger channels where they tore it up on several species of snappers, yellow jacks and more.  What a great trip! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

Honeymoon bonefish February 17, 2023

Jim and his wife are from Wyoming, a state I am eager to visit.  This trip was his new wifes gift to Jim as they were on their honeymoon. Long story short, these were great people and we had a great time with Jim catching a few bonefish on his first bonefish trip ever.  Nice! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

They keep me on my toes February 11, 2023

Fish, they keep me up at night and constantly trying to figure them out.  My morning trip was with Nikko again and his brother Anthony as he wanted to catch his first bonefish.  The trip was fun but fishing was slow until towards the end when Anthony landed a nice 9lb bonefish.  What a way to get broken in to bonefishing!  Something was not quite right today with the fish but I couldn't put my finger on it.  Well, I have an afternoon trip so let's see how that works out.  

My afternoon trip was with Doug and his wife and these were great people.  Well, the wind picked up, not a big deal but something still didn't feel right.  Doug wanted to catch anything on fly so we fished a shallow shipwreck and caught a bunch of small snappers and jacks.  Having bent the fly rod it was time to target bonefish and this is when it all went south.  There were zero bonefish around even in areas that are extremely reliable.  Wow, this was tough!  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

The final trip February 10, 2023

This was the final fishing trip for Brian and Rick as they wrapped up their Florida fishing tour.  They let me know the fishing in Tampa was slow and the bass fishing the day prior to our trip was dead so they were bummed.  HMMM, I want to change their fortune but they wanted bonefish so that is always a tall order.  Let's see what happens.  

Just a few minutes into the trip Rick hooks up to a thick bonefish only for it to come off as it was close to the boat and we could clearly see it.  Urgh, don't tell me this is how today will go!  OK, a while later Rick hooks up again and this time we land the first bonefish of the trip with a solid 9lb fish.  Whew, OK that's better.  Then it was a ghost town with zero fish moving through and nothing to be found.  But, with bonefishing you always have to be hunting so hunting we did.  

Working another flat and staying longer than I would have liked, I went with my gut instinct and worked it more thoroughly than usual and it paid off with the guys being treated to a flurry of activity in short order.  First Rick hooks up again and lands a solid bone, then Brian hooks up and losses one, then another school moves through, the guys cast and they both hook up.  Yes!  Brian's fish was a freight train and Rick's fish landed much more quickly at around 7 lbs.  But, there was a problem, a big problem!  As Brian is on his first few moments of the fight, the reel handle breaks off, completely off with a 12 lb bonefish burning up the drag.  NO!!!!

While i tried to remedy the situation, Brian had to fight the big bonefish and turn the reel's rotor by hand in order to take up line.  I tried putting on another reel handle but it wouldn't fit and then Rick realized if Brian would push the handle against the reel it would work. Well, the handle fell off a few times but Brian did a great job and landed his massive bonefish in spite of all the drama.  In the end we hooked 7 bonefish and landed four.  Wow, what a day, what drama and what an unforgettable series of events to land Brian's first bonefish, a true slob! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing