Thanksgiving charter November 24, 2022

Ken and 10 year old Gianna were back on board today and they are always great to fish with.  Ken and I have been fishing for longer than I can remember and it's great to watch Gianna grow up with each trip we take.  The plan today was bonefish and lots of action so we started off bonefishing and while it didn't happen as quickly as the past few days, I'm getting spoiled I know, we eventually started getting bites and hooking fish with the total being 2-4.  Switching off to action fishing I made a long run, found a ton of pilchards and threw the cast net.  They were in 7' of water which is pretty deep for my cast net but I let it sink for an eternity and when I pulled it up it was loaded with tons of silver shining pilchards.  I loaded up the live well and gave it one more throw for good measure, plus it is so satisfying to watch the cast net load up with bait.  Hitting a couple of wrecks and channels live chumming proved to be dead.  This was unfathomable to me but yes, it was dead in spit of perfect baits and lots of live chumming.  Switching to shrimp Gianna caught a bunch of trigger fish before we moved on.  Whatever you stupid fish, we're off to bonefish some more!  We wrapped up our Thanksgiving Day charter but missing a few more bonefish bites and losing a solid double digit fish deep into the fight just a couple of minutes before release.  Ouch! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

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786-853-1409

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First time is the perfect time. November 23, 2022

The first time Ralph fished with me earlier this year we didn't catch bonefish on fly but caught a nice shark instead.  Today he brought his son Alex and the goal was to get him on his first bonefish on fly while Ralph would fish spin gear.  Same as yesterday, not long into the trip Alex got his first take from a bonefish but the bone didn't stick.  No worries, a bit later he was on and this time the end result was what we all wanted, Alex's first bonefish on fly.  Along the way Ralph had quite a few bonefish eats but they weren't playing nice and wouldn't get hooked.  Meanwhile Alex had another fish on and it came off right at the side of the boat and I seem to have taken in harder than he did as I held my head in my hands and said "Oh no, what the hell?" and his response was "No worries, I'm having a great time, this is fun."  Thank you Alex!  Not long after Ralph was on and landed a nice bonefish to brake the spin curse of the morning.  The run back to the marina was nice with some fish under our belts and smiles all over.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

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786-853-1409

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Not this time! November 22, 2022

Yesterday David and I met up at the marina for the first of our two day trip.  But, it was pouring rain and the wind was howling at about 25 MPH, pretty tough for fly fishing.  We called it a day and met up today instead with his buddy Clay.  The forecast was way off again today for, for the better with cloudy skies but no wind and no rain.  We focused  the first half of the trip on bonefish where the guys each caught their first bonefish on fly, yes!  Using a heavy shrimp pattern and a slower strip than normal in order to keep the fly deep in the unusually high tide we scored and missed a few more bites but the trick worked and the guy's patience paid off as we had two bonefish in the boat before the first hour of the trip.  Once that slowed down we made a long run to cast net live pilchards and then live chum a wreck.  This was fun and a great way to wrap up an already great trip.  The first couple handfuls of live pilchards produced constant explosions and the guys wore themselves out catching yellow jacks on fly with awesome surface explosions on baitfish patterns and gurglers.  I love it and the guys did too! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

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They got bigger and bigger! November 19, 2022

Fax and I had moved our last trip to today because of significant wind but today was looking only slightly better.  Anyway, we hit the water and I was apprehensive as to the state of the fishing after four days with Mike.  Ha, it started slow and I was secretly freaking out but part of being a guide is having a good poker face, plus it helps if you're covered with a buff.  :)  Anyway, eventually the overcast skies and increasing wind kept us moving slow through the different spots until Fax hooked up and landed his first bonefish of the morning, a nice 8 lber.  A while later he lands another one about 9lbs, then another one about the same size until he landed the last fish of the day at about 11-12lbs.  Dang Fax!  It worked out, the fishing is back on track and by the time we headed back it was blowing a steady 20 MPH.  What happened to the typical perfect weather pattern of November?  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

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Four days with Mike November 14-17, 2022

Mike and I always have a great time and these four days were no exception.  We changed it up between Biscayne Bay and Everglades National Park and the theme for the four days was tough, slow fishing.  It's incredible how fishing can go from epic to slow in a matter of ONE day!  Anyway, day one is Biscayne Bay we targeted bonefish at a number of different flats but all was slow until half way through the trip when Mike landed a cool bonefish on fly.  The morning did start with shots at small tarpon and although we got several eats, they never did get the fly in their mouths.  Why, how????  During the trip we targeted snook as well but that proved to be slow.  Day two in the Everglades the highlight was a couple of snook on fly for Mike and I landed a small red on lures.  Day 3 back in the bay and we fished a couple of wrecks that had small blue runners on them and then wrapped up the day with a last minute bonefish on fly.  The last day was back in the glades and this time Mike had a tone of shots at small tarpon, landed a snook and a nice lemon shark on fly.  Tough fishing but great company, great conversations and lots of laughs.  We'll get 'em in February Mike! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

Spoiled man! November 13, 2022

Well, this turned out for the the best.  Stan had booked me for bonefish on fly and spin for Friday but after some change of plans on his end and an open slot on mine we changed it to Sunday.  I was expecting loads of boat traffic but it turned out to be fine and off we went.  I can tell you we had to be patient and work for it but eventually Stan got one on spin, a nice bonefish to break the ice and reward him his first bonefish.  Switching to fly he got another one, the biggest of the day before landing another one on spin.  Three for three, not bad Stan! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

Before Storm Nicole Hits November 8, 2022

Man, this all really worked out perfectly!  Nick had booked me for Wednesday to try for the second time to catch a bonefish on fly.  Last time we fished he had some shots but it didn't work out.  Now I'm staring at the forecast and tropical storm, possibly hurricane, Nicole is headed out way with really nasty weather and a blood moon lunar eclipse, not sure what that means though.  Geeze.  Well, we moved the trip up to Tuesday and went for it.  When we met at the ramp the wind was calm. What?  Where is the 30 MPH winds we had all day and all night on Monday?  Anyway, we get to the first spot in almost no wind, pretty skies and clear water and on his 4th or 5th cast he gets a bonefish to eat his fly but misses the hook set.  This happened 2 more times in 10 minutes until he hooked and landed number four.  Yes!  This pace kept up until he had hooked 8 and landed five bonefish on fly in an hour!!!! Crazy!  Eventually the wind kicked up to about 20 MPH, the fishing slowed and it was time to head it.  How crazy is that?!  Now as I write this it's raining and really windy but it's OK, Nick got his bonefish on fly! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

A Change in the Wind November 4, 2022

Two trips today once again.  the morning trip was with Vic and Billy.  They reminded me the last time we fished they only caught a flounder.  Oh, tough day that day.  Well, I wanted to make it up on this trip and they were up for bonefish so off we went, me stressing out hoping the craziness would continue today.  Ah, it took a little longer than usual (I've been REALLY spoiled), but after about an hour and a half we finally connected with Billy hooking up first but losing the right at our feet.  Dang it!  Next was Vic and he didn't forgive, landing his first bonefish of the morning.  This continued with good regularity until the guys decided they wanted to head in early.  The total tally was 5 bonefish landed out of 9 hooked.  Off to my afternoon trip.  

It's funny to me how things work.  I pay attention to most everything that happens on the water but miss a bunch of stuff in real life, like my wife asking me to do things around the house. LOL  Anyway, towards the end of the morning trip the wind started to kick up and when I read the forecast for Saturday the winds were cranking up to 20+ MPH.  As I waited for Patrick, my afternoon trip, the wind kept increasing until we got on the water a bit after noon.  Turns out the fishing was completely shut down at this point although water clarity was good, water temps were the same, the wind was ass bad as in the past were we've caught plenty of fish including bonefish but it may have been an approaching front/low pressure.  Anyway, we fished all over creation, no bonefish, missed a snook, caught a few cudas and jacks and snappers but no bonefish.  Although Patrick was happy and was a great guy, inside I was so frustrated.  Urgh!  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

The Insanity Continues November 3, 2022

OK, here we go again!  I had a double today, both trips with great long time clients and as I always mention, I have to be ready to change it up at a moments notice.  Staying flexible throughout a trip or throughout the course of the day is important with today being one of those days.  

My morning trip was with brothers Kevin and David.  I started off killing two birds with one stone, fishing for snook while looking for bait, neither of which were around.  Off to bonefish like Kevin wanted.  We started with bait and Kevin quickly got 6 to the boat using shrimp while David landed two.  Then Kevin switched to fly and missed the first two fish but eventually things worked out and he landed two on fly.  Wow, that was a solid end to a half day morning trip.  

My afternoon trip was with Kivi and Charlie and they wanted mutton snappers and other species to eat.  With this fishing live pilchards is of paramount importance so I crossed the bay and located some pilchards.  I netted a bunch but not enough to properly live chum since they were in scattered quick moving schools.  We made the best of it and in the end Charlie landed a 10 yellow jack, we missed two big mutton bites and landed a couple of smaller fish.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

5+5, My kind of Math October 29, 2022

I hadn't fished with Glenn in a while so I was really looking forward to fishing with him again today.  He was good with whatever we did so we started off fishing for snook.  It didn't take long for Glenn to get 5 snook in the boat using artificial lures.  Once the action slowed we moved off to bonefishing and it took some time for the fish to start moving but once they did Glenn quickly got 5 bonefish and called it a day early.  Nice!  The bonefishing has been incredible and we could have landed quite a few more if we stayed but to quote Glenn "why push it on an incredible morning?".  

Capt. Mo Estevez

http://www.miamibonefishing.com/

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing