The Tradition Continues March 24, 2023

Ted was back on board today and if there is one thing you can count on is that we're going to have a great time together.  Oh, and the second thing you can count on is that Ted will catch a snook.  The morning started off looking for snook and as I poled him around and he tossed artificials we could see big snook blowing out in the same areas we were working.  Hmmm.  I ended up poling him around a flat that was about 12-14" of crystal clear water and there were some nice snook patrolling.  Finally, Ted was rewarded with a nice snook crushing his soft plastic and making some nice runs out in the open.  After a few pics and release we got into a school of tailing bonefish 100' from where we got the snook, so cool!  Well, they hit a deeper spot and we blew them out as they came right towards us without us being able to see them.  The rest of the trip was pretty slow and we decided to finish the trip bonefishing some more.  Not long after Ted hooks a really nice bonefish on fly and we ended the trip on a high note.  Cool trip! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

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The Curse Continues March 23, 2023

Today I got to fish with Nathan again for the second time and he brought Jordan along to try and catch Jordan a birthday bonefish. Nathan is so much fun to fish with and last time we fished he got tons of shots at bonefish and tarpon but it didn't work out.  Fast forward several years later and we were at it again.  Well, as the time implies we got skunked.  I did find a few fish in the morning for Jordan but it was hard for him to see them and the cast was just off enough for the bones to not see the fly.  Jordan is actually a really good fly caster and at 16 he can outcast most people I have met.  The rest of the trip was downhill with very few fish around and it sticks because I really wanted him to get his first bonefish.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

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Double today March 22, 2023

My morning trip was with Steve and his friend and they just wanted to catch whatever was the best bet.  Best bet has been fishing the finger channels so I took them to one and bounced jigs with shrimp.  Pretty easy stuff and you never know what you'll catch but they got yellow jacks, snappers and porgy before we headed in.  It was a fun trip with plenty of action. 

My afternoon trip was with repeat client Burt and his two friends Dave and Howard.  By the time we headed out the wind was pretty stiff and the bay was chopped up.  Thankfully Burt wanted to fish close in and not cross the bay so we did just that.  Burt asked me what we were going to fish for and I said "Bonefish".  The last time we fished he caught his first bonefish in about 20 years so he was game.  It wasn't easy at first with the wind and the water starting to get a bit dirty, I started to feel the pressure.  Well, I made a move and fished a bit different flat and it paid off with Burt getting a solid bonefish, his largest to date and Dave getting his first one as well.  As for Howard, well we missed a few bites but he caught a barracuda and he was all smiles.  What a great group! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

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Tough two days March 20-21, 2023

Two days with Mike again and it was a rough start.  First, my poling platform cracked and needed to be rewelded, the sky was black and the rain would not let up.  In spite of all this Mike but 3-4 bonefish to eat his fly but only managed one to the boat.  As soon as the weather cleared just a bit the fishing died off.  What?  Really? We decided to end the trip at 4 hours so I could get the platform fixed and the fishing was dead anyway.  The second day we had great weather and the highlight was Mike getting a huge snook to eat his fly half way to the boat, put max pressure in order to prevent it from getting into the mangroves twice just to have the snook break him off by cutting the leader with his gill plate.  Ouch, that hurt!

Capt. Mo Estevez

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It's turning around March 19, 2023

It was great fishing with George again and we got to fish a full day today, a rare thing since he usually fishes 4 hours with his little boys.  I could tell the fishing was improving and as we bounced from spot to spot things were looking better with nice yellow jacks and other stuff.  When I saw the tide towards the end of he trip I told him we would bonefish the rest of the trip and as always, George was cool with it.  I'm glad we did!  Pretty early in George lands a stud 12lb bonefish, then a 10, an 8, a few 9's, it was crazy!  In the end George went 6-7 all on big fish.  Wow! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

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Hail Mary. March 18, 2023

Mike booked a trip for his son Antonio who was in town for spring break and wanted to get his first bonefish on fly.  Antonio has only been fly fishing for a couple of months but after a few tips he was making some pretty solid casts.  The whole trip was pretty slow, I can't stand this moon phase, and we worked.  At the last spot I had high hopes that diminished by the minute.  Right when I was about to tell Antonio we had to head back I saw a flash.  I pointed it out, he made a cast and missed, then another cast and missed then another cast and he dropped the fly right in the school and he was on!  A long fight later and two runs getting deep into the backing, Antonio had his first bonefish on fly, a nice one too.  Congrats Antonio! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

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Close Call March 17, 2023

Today I fished with Andrew and his friend for bonefish on fly.  It was slow, very slow, no fish no eats and then I decided to make a long run and change the scenery.  The wind was pretty tough so I hid behind a key I like on the outgoing tide and waited for the bones to pour through.  They didn't but one did and Andrew nailed it on the cast and set and got one on.  As he was fighting his fish a shark came in after the bonefish and with the bone almost next to the boat Andrew made the right call to break it off and save the bonefish.  Good call and that was the trip.  Pretty slow.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

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Another Double March 15, 2023

Another two trips today out of Key Biscayne and I had Lenny and Bri as my morning clients.  Lenny is the son of a long time client of mine but we hadn't fished together before until today.  They were both great with Lenny not fishing often and Bri having never fished before.  Well, we took it easy and they caught a bunch of snappers, jack crevalles, yellow jacks and Bri landed a shark.  They were thrilled, Bri said it was super fun and Lenny was awesome to fish with.  

My afternoon trip was with Mike and I wanted to change it up from my morning trip.  I took Mike to an area for snook and tarpon and he caught a couple of snook, had four tarpon bites, hooked, two, lost both of them and landed a huge jack crevalle.  We did everything we could on those tarpon but they would not stay on the hook, so frustrating.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

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The two extremes March 14, 2023

 I had two trips today with both being the opposite ends of the fishing spectrum.  In the morning I had Blake and his father in law Craig and Blake wanted to fly fish for tarpon.  I looked high and low around Key Biscayne, usually the epicenter of spring tarpon season, and they were MIA.  This season is starting off like the last few years, slow and disappointing.  Anyway, I took them to a spot where there are usually some snook around and smaller tarpon.  Switching gears, I had Blake cast to some snook structure while Craig tossed a bait behind the boat.  On the second cast Craig hooks a smaller tarpon but it came off after the first jump.  Wow!  As expected, eventually Blake caught his first snook on fly and Craig caught his first snook while the tarpon moved through for a while and Blake took a bunch of shots but the tarpon passed on the fly, not a shocker.  

In the afternoon I had long time client Josh and his two boys, Will and Joshua.  They wanted a cool fun afternoon on the water catching anything and so we did.  We caught a bunch of snappers and hooked two black tip sharks before calling it a day.  It was great to see Josh and Will again and meeting Joshua for the first time.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

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Back on track!! March 13, 2023

I had two trips today and the first one was with Kev and his son Connor and they wanted to try and get a bonefish.  The weather has been perfect and we had plenty of shots at schools of bonefish swimming in really shallow calm water but no takers as things didn't work out perfectly as they should.  Towards the end of the trip the wind started to crank and we fished a spot I like out of the wind and here is where Connor got his first bonefish, a nice fish that swam off before we could get a good picture of it.  Nice work Connor! 

My afternoon trip was with Michael and Andrea and they just wanted to check out the are and catch whatever was biting.  Well, I took them to a finger channel that has been red hot across the bay and it worked out.  They were catching nice hard fighting yellow jacks pretty consistently and having a blast.  All of a sudden the wind started to howl and the bay was covered in white caps so we decided to run back and fish close to the marina before things got worst.  Here we decided to bonefish and we missed the first few bites but eventually we had a solid take and they were on!  Andrea fought the bonefish first and then Michael took over when she got tired and we were able to land a nice bonefish right at the end of the trip.  Way to go guys!

Capt. Mo Estevez

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Getting better! March 11, 2023

I've been non stop working and was hoping to take this Saturday off but Bradley called and wanted a half day to get his first bonefish and I couldn't say no.  I'm glad we got to fish as he was such a great guy and a pleasure to spend time with.  Well, it wasn't on fire but the fishing started to get better today and Bradley got his first bonefish plus we missed a couple of bites and lost a really nice one half way through the wife to a pulled hook.  Whew, finally! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

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It continues March 9-10, 2023

I had Leif and Nicole for two days fly fishing for bonefish and tarpon.  The first day we focused on bonefish and that was a bust.  All the flats had zero life on them, no bonefish, permit, sharks, stingrays and barracudas, all the usual suspects.  This was tough but they hung in there and we fished on.  Day two we focused on tarpon and found a decent number of them rolling and being very friendly but we didn't get one to eat a fly.  Although that in and of itself isn't shocking, what was shocking was that they were around for about 45 minutes and then disappeared.  I ran all over creation looking for more but they were MIA.  We changed it up and Nicole got her first snook on fly and Leif hooked but lost one. And that was it for two days.  Pretty tough! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

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Oh no, here it comes! March 8, 2023

I've been watching the moon and the fishing and it hasn't been good.  We've had a full moon but the full moon has taken a bunch of days to move on and I can tell the fishing has been slowing down.  Today I have repeat client Brian for bonefish on fly and in the afternoon Chris and his wife for more of the same.  Usually I have a really good feeling but as the day progressed it seemed like it would be tough fishing for the next few days.  My morning trip with Brian was dead until the last of the incoming when the bonefish started to move pretty good.  He had a bunch of shots and if all was as it should be he should have had at least one to the boat but it wouldn't be. The afternoon trip with Chris was much of the same but in reverse.  Within the first few minutes Chris hooked into a solid bonefish only to come off a few feet from the boat and then it was a wasteland after that.  I don't like these prolonged full moons!

Capt. Mo Estevez

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He got his first March 6, 2023

Here is Ludvig, he is a local but never got a bonefish before and so we were on the hunt for his first.  We worked and worked and boy I did notice a slow down in the fishing today.  But, Ludvig stayed patient and committed and it paid off in the end when he hooked up and was able to fight it light a champ to beat the bonefish and add that to his list.  Ludvig 1 Bonefish 0.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

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He fooled many of them! March 2, 2023

Dale is a first time client and he likes to throw artificials at bonefish.  On the phone he told me he had some favorite jigs he likes to throw but he would go with what ever I suggested.  Well, Dale boarded the skiff and we headed out on a run to the first flat of the morning.  Once on the flat he pulled out a pack of jigs and asked if they would work.  I looked at them and said "YES!".  They looked like one of my favorite bonefish flies.  We tried working it a bit but the really high tide made the 3/16 ounce jig take too long to get to the bottom and we missed a few opportunities.  After landing a few on a heavier bonefish jig I tied on for him the tide dropped enough where his jig made sense to use.  Well, Dale is a pin point caster and we had a school coming right at us at his 1 o'clock and made a perfect cast and worked that jig ever so sweetly, only to watch a bonefish follow it and turn away.  He quickly reeled up, recast and dropped it in the middle of the school where another bonefish crushed it and Dale was on!  A nice fight later we completed our day of hooking 9 bonefish and landing 7.  Dang Dale, that was awesome!  I loved those Buggs Jigs and I'll be ordering some.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

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First time is a charm March 1, 2023

After a day off Nikko was back in the boat but brought his brother Anthony along.  The last time we fished Nikko caught a few bonefish and wanted his brother to experience the sane thrill.  But, those bonefish made us work today.  The fishing was definitely slower today and it started off pretty slow but then it all changed.  The bones started swimming and we got a few shots until Anthony finally got a solid hookset and had the big bone blister the drag on a long run.  After a few breath taking runs and some powerful boat side antics, the big bonefish came to the boat and had Anthony really impressed.  Whew, that was close! 

Capt. Mo Estevez

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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