Easter in the 'Glades

No time off and no time to celebrate Easter in the traditional way, going to church, but I was giving thanks for all the blessings in my life while fishing with two great guys in the Everglades today.  I had Adam and his friend Larry for a full day in the Everglades.  The forecast was calling for light winds and when I pulled out of the marina I knew it would be a tough day with the water looking like chocolate milk from the high wind of the following days and super strong tides.  Anyway, I took them to a small island I have had good success at for snook and redfish but watch the tides because it gets very shallow very quick and I'd like to go home today.  Once there the tide was already half way out allowing me to only fish a third of the island but here the guys quickly got a few snook bites and each scored a snook in rapid succession.  To make a long day shorter on this report, it was terrible the rest of the day thanks to the extremely dirty water but we did find some tarpon towards the end of the now half day trip.  The problem is that the tarpon were focused on eating tiny inch long shrimp flowing out of a creek and the shrimp and lures we had were nothing like they were eating.  Urgh!  We went home.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

Catching dinner April 16, 2022

Stefan and Mark were aboard again today as the guys are getting into the habit of fishing with me every few months.  The stated goal was to catch fish and hopefully dinner.  As is typical in April, it was windy but we crossed the bay to a channel that I like to fish and set up.  However, with the full moon there was so much current it was hard for the trolling motor to stay put so I moved just outside the main current flow and had the guys fan cast to locate the fish.  Turns out the fish had the same idea and they were holding just outside the current as well.  Here the guys caught all the snapper dinners they wanted and then we moved about 100' looking for yellow jacks.  This is where Stefan hooked and fought one about 20lbs before a 200lb lemon shark ran it down and ate it right in front of us before we could react.  We wrapped up the trip shark fishing where the guys went 2 for three in about an hour sight casting to the sharks.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

Billy shined and Kelly hung out April 15, 2022

It isn't often that a father/son go fishing and dad doesn't fish so his son can catch all the fish and that is Kelly for you.  This is the second or third time we fish and they are always great to be with.  Since Billy was the one fishing I took him for snook tossing lures and he got a bite or two but no hook ups so it was time to move on.  I took him to the same spot I've been working during the mullet run and it was awesome watching him keep busy fighting a bunch of different species including big ladyfish.  As that fishing slowed I took him to a wreck where he was catching mangrove snapper on lures on almost every cast.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

Long time since the long rod April 14, 2022

Eugene hadn't used his fly rod for ten years he told me and with the windy conditions it would be tough to do some of the really hard stuff like bonefish on fly.  So, we fished the shoreline for snook but they were MIA.  Next I took him to an area that has been producing during the spring mullet run and there we stayed for quite a while as Eugene began to have fun catching lady fish, bluefish and a pompano on fly.  the trip was wrapped up fishing a wreck in the middle of the bay where he caught grouper, blue runners, snapper and porgy on fly.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

First time and the box is checked April 13, 2022

Dave, Dave, Dave, you need to find something else to do.  Dave is from N.C. and was passing through South Florida on his way out of the Keys when he booked a bonefish trip for today.  He told me he never bonefished before and all his fishing was in fresh water.  It wasn't easy with a steady 20 MPH wind out of the east but we worked and found it to be pretty slow.  Hmmm, I don't like this but not long after Dave gets a bite and it was a swing and miss through no fault of his.  Finally he hooks up and the rod gets a deep bend as the drag screams and screams and screams.  Wow, I could tell he had a nice fish on and several long runs later the nice 10lb bonefish comes to the side of the boat for some pictures and a healthy release.  Well, that's over and done with.  Now Dave can focus on the rest of his vacation trip and look for a new species to conquer.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

What a birthday gift! April 11, 2022

Brandon lives in Florida and it was his birthday today.  His goal was to catch a bonefish.  See, he has been to the Florida Keys a bunch trying to catch bonefish, striking out each time.  However, he did get a monster permit on one of those trips.  Anyway, the day was beautiful but the wind was doing April wind stuff, blowing 20 MPH.  I took him to a reliable bonefish flat and worked the flat being careful to deal with the wind and tide correctly to provide him with the best chance.  Well, it happened!  He hooked up and got a nice bonefish.  Yes!  Brandon and I both needed a day like today.  A bit later he hooked a second fish and this one was about 10 pounds but came off during one of the really fast and long runs.  We both wish he would have landed that second fish but hey, it's bonefishing and the mission was accomplished.  YES! 

 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

We were told no April 10, 2022

Travis and Jane were back on board today with some tough conditions once again.  What happened to the perfect weather from yesterday?  Where did it go?  Why did you leave me?  For today's trip we decided to do a half day instead of the original; 8 hours and off to look for tarpon we went.  I found them but just a single school of fast moving tarpon.  I would set up on them, Travis would throw flies while Jane used bait and time and again we were told "NO!" by the tarpon.  I moved on to a bridge where I found a bunch and they also refused everything we threw at them.  I'm not taking this personally though, they are tarpon after all.  I wrapped up the trip fishing a grouper hole, literally a hole, where they caught red groupers, lane snappers, mutton snappers and had plenty of shots at rolling tarpon that popped up for a while as if laughing at us.  Man I need a good day soon! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing