March 21, 2014 Report

Jim had sons Tommy and Matt aboard today as they had wrapped up a visit at the University of Miami for Tommy. Once again, in atypical March fashion, we had slick calm conditions. Tarpon spot number one is all we needed to get the day started right. About 45 minutes into our trip the rod goes off and a nice tarpon goes airborne. Jim fought the fish for 30 minutes and had it next to the boat when the hook pulled free and swam off breaking our hearts. Redemption would come in a different form of silver. Staked out on a favorite flat looking for sharks for Matt, two six foot lemon sharks move in but didn't eat our baits. However, two grey shadows appear that look like permit. A perfect cast was rewarded with a long screaming run and 20 minutes later Tommy holds his prize, a nice 20lb permit. We ended the day sight casting artificials to spinner sharks. Matt finally got hooked up to his shark and burned the drag more than most sharks can. However, as spinner sharks do, this one jumped, spinning in the air and broke Matt off. Tommy however, made a great cast to another spinner, watched the shark sprint for his lure and demolish it and head off towards open water. Thirty minutes later we snap some pics and let him swim away for the enjoyment of someone else. What a great day! Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

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

March 10, 2014 Report

Today I had Mo from N.Y. on board for a half day of fly fishing in South Biscayne Bay. We had some shots at bonefish and the elusive Biscayne Bay redfish but no takes. We then moved to trout fishing on fly but no takers. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 7, 2014 Report

Matt and Bill were part of a group of guys that wanted to spend a few hours fishing in Biscayne Bay. The day started with a run to South Beach for tarpon but a mild cold front scattered them. Running to a favorite trout flat that would block the now 25MPH west winds gave up trout as expected but the fishing was slow. We made the run to a new flat I had scouted which would block the now near 30MPH winds and we scored. Matt and Bill landed some nice trout and the short run back was certainly bumpy. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 6, 2014 Report

Local transplant Ross and his dad Brad from Virginia wanted to hit the water and catch some fish. We started tarpon fishing early morning trying to take advantage of the weather before it got worst with an approaching front. Finding several schools of tarpon, they were definitely present but finicky. We got a bite on one of the rods but it was a subtle bite and the fish didn't get hooked. With only two hours left and the cloud cover moving in we sped off to nearby trout flats. The first flat was slow but the second flat we worked definitely held fish. We ended up releasing numerous trout and losing about a half dozen BIG trout, one just a few feet from the boat. Our run back to the ramp was rough and rainy and we arrived just in time to avoid the worst of the approaching weather. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 5, 2014 Report

Scheduled to fly fish for bonefish with a local client I woke to some great conditions. Unfortunately, on the way to the boat ramp conditions began to deteriorate and by the time I met the client at the ramp it was rainy and windy. Geeze! We decided to reschedule for later in the month but being on the water already I decided to wait out the rain and do a little fishing myself. Wanting to do some laid back fishing and scout different areas I found trout in a fenew areas and landed a few with the fly rod. Sometimes you have to make lemonade out of lemons. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 4, 2014 Report

Dave from Indonesia came to Miami to try out the flats fishing we are known for and we had some gorgeous weather to welcome him. Beginning early morning we found tarpon in deep water and but not the big numbers I have been finding. After a few drifts we got a bite on one of the rods but no hook ups. Ouch, that hurts! With the sun angle more conducive to sight fishing we moved on to the bonefish flats where we had a few shots at bones and a couple of shots at a nice permit. With time running out and needing about an hour for the action to heat up again at the change of the tide we moved off to fish for trout. We caught a number of trout and ended the day landing a nice 20" sea trout. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

March 1, 2014 Report

I had met Angelo and Lissette at the Ft. Lauderdale boat show back in the fall and they had promised to book me when they were in town. They were good on their promise and today was the big day. What a gorgeous day today and we took full advantage of it. Early morning found us fly fishing for tarpon off the calm waters of South Beach. The fish were moving around quite a bit but we did have several solid shots at them on fly but no takes. Little consolation that none of the other skiffs hooked up either. Tarpon must have been partying a bit last night. We moved off to the trout flats and had to move around quite a bit to find clean water but once we did we started to get into them. Angelo and Lissette landed numerous trout including 20" trouts that put on quite a show for them. However, one the coolest moments of the day was watching tarpon cruise past the boat and then about an 8' hammerhead shark following close behind looking for a tarpon sandwich. This took place in 4' of water on the grass flats! The day ended in deeper water landing snappers and hooking but losing groupers in spite of stiff rods and locked drags. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

February 28, 2014 Report

After too many days at a conference in South Beach, Chris was looking forward to the day on the water we had booked weeks before. We had a late start as we waited for the rain and storms to pass through and it turned out to be the right move. We started by fishing for sea trout with soft plastics and landed dozens of them with several of them in the 20"-24" range, BIG trout by Miami standards. We then went off the beach in search of tarpon and while they were there, the conditions proved to be not to their liking and had lockjaw. Off to fish for snapper and grouper and we had a blast with hard pulling fish that barely gave us enough time to rebait hooks. Chris hooked three groupers, losing two to the bottom but finding redemption by finally getting one, a nice black grouper. Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com