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

From one extreme to the other April 22, 2021

 Day two fishing with Alec and today I decided to take him to Everglades National Park for a change of scenery.  I had just gotten my COVID19 vaccine last night and wasn't feeling all that great with little energy but I pushed on, made the long drive and made the trip count.  I timed the tides just right and it actually turned out to be better then I anticipated since I got to the first spot on what should've been the slack tide waiting for the incoming tide but instead the tide was running late and we caught the end of the outgoing tide.  I didn't mind since I love that tide phase anyway and it was great.  

Capt. Mo Estevez

www.MiamiBonefishing.com

786-853-1409

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

90 Minutes of Magic July 9, 2020 Report

Wait, let me catch my breath! The plan was for my daughter and I to go fishing in the Everglades for a few hours but when I tried to wake her up it was a "no". So, I hitched up the skiff and headed out on my own. A couple of minutes into my run to spot 1 I saw some fishing busting on the surface so I took out the fly rod and caught a bunch of fun lady fish for about 15 minutes. Having warmed up I got to my first spot, and that's all I needed. The first 10 casts produced 10 hookups on snook, landing 4 and losing 6 on jumps. The rest of my time was very similar but not quite 10 for 10. For the entire 90 minutes I fished that spot it was fish landed, hooked or lost on almost every cast! I called it quits after catching a nice redfish (I had lost 3 or 4 reds prior) and having released close to or about 2 dozen snook. It was awesome and I had the special treat of watching a saw fish swim right by the boat. Such a great day in Everglades National Park!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.miamiboneFishing.com 786-853-1409 Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBoneFishing

Snook on Fly and on everything else! June 22, 2020 Report

It's hot but not just the weather, the fishing in the Everglades continues to be just awesome and so much fun! Last night I looked at the forecast and decided I couldn't live with myself if I didn't fish the Everglades today. With my family loaded up we took off and drove an hour into the Everglades. My goal was to finally break in my "new" personal fly rod and reel I bought over a year ago. Arriving at our first spot, I baited up the girls, kept them at the back of the boat and made one cast with a spinning reel and lure to "test the waters". Well, it was one cast, one snook and broke out the fly rod. A few casts later with the fly rod and I had the rod broken in with a little snook. Finally tally on fly was 4 snook hooked, three landed and lost a big snook on the first jump. Lures were definitely the choice today but my fiance Jeanny landed a nice snook on bait and the total tally was close to or about a dozen snook, some reds and trout and jacks and catfish (my daughters favorite) on bait. The highlight however, was a manatee that came to the boat and allowed the girls pet it. So cool!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.miamiboneFishing.com 786-853-1409 Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBoneFishing

First Timer with a Solid June 19, 2020 Report

Fishing in the Everglades has been so good I just have to keep going back and today Gianfranco joined me. Gianfranco is by no means an angler but he likes the outdoors so he was up for something different. I handed him a light bonefish rod with an artificial lure and showed him how to cast and work the lure. In no time he was on his own and working it just fine. After working the lure for a bit and not catching anything I hear "Oh!" and the drag screamed as a nice snook jumps out of the water. Well, turns out it was the biggest snook of the day and more were to come. Once the magical part of the tide was over with we called it a day after catching some redfish, about a dozen or more snook, trout and a nice jack completing a grand slam and a great day. Summer snooking is what's on my mind right now!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.miamiboneFishing.com 786-853-1409 Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBoneFishing

Almost a slam in 10 minutes? June 16, 2020 Report

Well, I have to tell you my little girl has fishing "juju", no doubt. I took my baby and my fiance to the Everglades fishing today and it was the first time down here for my daughter and she really liked it. On the fist cast she lost a really nice fish and on the next cast she lost a nice snook next to the boat. How about that for a start?! She also got to see about a 4 foot rare sawfish come right to the back of the boat just a few feet away. My fiance started off slow but then caught redfish, trout and snapper for dinner while I kept hooking reds, jacks, ladyfish and lost a few more fish plus missed some bites. Overall it was a nice day on the water with my family and boy did we take a long deep nap when we got home!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.miamiboneFishing.com 786-853-1409 Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBoneFishing

Everglades Fishing At the Last Minute June 14, 2020 Report

Once again I was back in the Everglades with Mike and we started late in order to fish the outgoing tide. Launching the boat at around 2pm, we went straight for a redfish flat and began to pole with the tide. It was a bit slow but Mike had some shots at redfish and caught a snook out of a pothole (classic!). With a building thunderstorm we decided to fish closer to the marina in case we had to high tail it back. Settling on a point we began to fan cast the area and we got 2 reds and a snook before deciding to call it a day in order for Mike to get home in time for a BBQ. BTW, Mike is a semipro photographer and I just love his pics!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.miamiboneFishing.com 786-853-1409 Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBoneFishing

90 Minutes is all it took! June 12, 2020 Everglades Report

Yes, that's all it took today, 90 minutes! I had the day off and wanted to go fun fishing in Flamingo for snook and reds. However, after a bunch of my buddies couldn't make it I decided to go alone. I have to admit, I hadn't fished alone in over 10 years and it was fun and so relaxing. Anyway, I launched the boat at 3pm and headed out to the first two spots of the day. The first bunch of casts produced nothing and then, BAM! Something crushed my lure and started to peel drag. A few head shakes and jumps later a nice snook was next to the boat and came aboard for a picture. That was the beginning of a stellar run where it was snook after snook and a redfish. I released almost a dozen snook, missed as many bites and lost a half dozen before they got to the boat. With the tide almost bottomed out and having had my fill I headed in. The boat was on the trailer by 4:30 pm and I was on my way home. Interestingly enough, it took longer to drive to the marina and back home than it took to crush the snook this afternoon. Ahh, I can rest easily tonoght!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.miamiboneFishing.com 786-853-1409 Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBoneFishing

She asked "Why is yours so small?" June 1, 2020 Report Video

It's a tough life being a man and being asked that question. Thankfully for me she was referring to the snook I was catching compared to hers. Whew, what a relief! It all started when my fiance', who's now hooked on fishing, asked me to go back to Flamingo in the Everglades and go fishing. OK, so I set the alarm for 5:30am but when it went off there was no moving her. However, we decided to do an afternoon trip instead and it worked out great. By the time we got to Flamingo, it was windy and the water was dirty but still fishable. She was adamant about using bait while I stuck to lures and the fishing was a bit better than I expected. She got three big snook, two on bait and one on lures and two redfish. I managed about 5 smaller snook on lures. Hence her question! I was glad she landed some really nice fish that she refused to take pictures with and we had a great time. Oh, we ended up at home after 9pm!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.miamiboneFishing.com 786-853-1409 Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBoneFishing

September 27, 2015 Report (Snook fest!)

On a guides day off my buddy Chris and I took his micro skiff down to the Everglades for some relaxing fishing for snook, tarpon and redfish. While we didn't see many reds we didn't even notice their absence due to the presence of so many snook and tarpon. Our first shoreline at first light held tons of small tarpon but wouldn't eat a perfectly tied dark tarpon fly. Once the switch was made to a gurgler, it was on! chris polled me into a creek we had heard some bait being busted and the tight creek gave me just enough room to make a cast a few seconds after a big explosion took place. Fly lands, strip, strip, strip, explosion, jump, jump, jump, tarpon on! Cool! The activity spooked the rest of the fish in the creek and fine by use as there were about 200 mosquitoes all over us. Another spot produced a snook for me and a couple more bites for us. After tucking into a creek to best avoid a rainstorm, the fishing just exploded in the calm after the rain. Total tally was 1 tarpon on fly, 12 snook, four trout, and well over a dozen missed bites by snook and tarpon as they would explode on the lure but not get hooked. I love a day off!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409 Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBoneFishing

March 7, 2015 Everglades Report

Taking a break from Biscayne Bay, my charter today was out of Flamingo in the Everglades with local anglers Austin and Larry. I will tell you this, we had some tough conditions with a slow bite but caught fish and had a ton of laughs. The morning started with a stiff NE wind that only got worst as the day progressed however, in the Everglades there is always a place to hide and so we did. Austin had never caught trout or redfish before and he would accomplish those two goals today including catching a monster 24 1/2" sea trout. Larry on the other hand had a redfish "pee in his Fritos"! Larry is a hilarious guy and was sitting in front of my console when Austin landed one of his redfish. Larry with a big open bag of Fritos in one hand and Austin just a few feet away with a redfish in his hand, the redfish began to "pee" some fluid out and it laded inside Larry's Fritos. Much more happened that day but that was our highlight, he had me rolling on the deck of my skiff! These guys were great and we headed back to the marina with deteriorating conditions.

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409

January 30, 2015 Report

Today found me in the Everglades with Jorge Sr. and his son Jorge Jr. We had an absolutely gorgeous day today with light winds for a big part of the day. Low tide greeted us with large exposed flats and hundreds of white ibis' feeding on the exposed flats creating an incredible contrast against the dark bottom. The bird activity was awesome with pink flamingos, white pelicans, ibis' and osprey's with fish in their grasps. At almost every spot we had dolphins playing and swimming by the boat, an incredible sight no doubt. But back to fishing. We had a nice day catching: black drum sea trout sheepshead jacks snapper and mackerel

These guys are always great when they jump aboard on my skiff and I look forward to fishing with them again. By the way, Jorge Sr. is an astro photographer (takes pictures of the heavens) and emailed me a few pictures he has taken from his backyard in SW Miami. They are incredible!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com 786-853-1409