Out with March with a bang! March 16-31, 2026

As we end the month of March we had a cold front to deal with, high winds, no wind, cold and heat, what a crazy month!  Thankfully, fish still have to eat so it has been a good month with a few ups and downs towards the end.  Bonefishing has generally been good, tarpon not so good, permit have been around, shark fishing has been solid and the finger channels kept the clients and me busy.  

On one trip recently with regular client Jake and his two friends Antonio and Nil we started slow and ended on fire.  We were looking for tarpon and there were none to be found, a sadly recurring theme this month as tarpon have been inconsistent, but we ended the trip with the guys releasing 10 bonefish.  Insane!  The last trip of the month I had Jesse and 14 year old Miles who wanted tarpon.  Ha, Miles hooked three monster tarpon but all three came off for different reasons.  A heartbreaker yes but man was it exciting!  

In the finger channels we've been catching tons of look downs (weird but super cool fish), snappers, jacks and barracudas.  The sharks on the flats have been on a tear and showing up in big numbers and along shorelines and small back bays the ladyfish have been super fun on lures and especially on flies.  

April will be another solid month so stick around and watch for mid April's report in a few weeks.  

Capt. Mo Estevez 

786-853-1409

www.MiamiBonefishing.com

Follow me on Instagram @MiamiBonefishing

December 14, 2014 Report

Local resident Alejandro had his nephew Andres and friend Javier in town from Columbia and wanted to take them fishing. Conditions were nice today but a little cloud cover kept it in the low 60's most of the morning and a steady 20 MPH wind had us limited where we could fish. In spite of that we found fish at almost every spot although it was slower than I would have liked. Andres lost what was probably a nice snook to some pilings and the tarpon that were around would cooperate. Even still, the kids caught fish, had a great time and were able to catch some fish they hadn't experienced before.

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

December 12, 2014 Report

Good friends Jason and Brian were on a brief vacation before they headed to opposite ends of the country and wanted to get some fishing in. Under another day of clear skies, light breeze and early morning temperatures in the 50's, today was certainly more productive than yesterday. Peeling drag consistently, we went through over 50 baits in about an hour and a half. The action was non-stop with snappers, small amberjacks, big blue runners, yellow jacks a few mackerel cut offs, trout and a few mystery fish we couldn't keep away from structure. We caught fish on baits, soft plastics and lures. What a blast to see rods bent every few seconds, this is what winter in Miami is all about!

Capt. Mo Estevez www.MiamiBoneFishing.com

November 11, 2014 Report

Local angler Richard wanted to bend some rods and catch some fish on his fly rod. We were limited with the areas we could fish courtesy of a 20MPH NW wind but there is always some place to fish in Biscayne Bay. There were tons of pilchards on the grass flats and a few throws of the cast net and we had all the bait we needed. Fishing an area that I like during this time of year we live baited and caught an assortment of fish including small amberjacks, always a treat inshore. Some of the highlights was Richard catching a number of fish on bait and on fly including his fish amberjack ever, first snappers on fly and big mangrove snappers. All in all Richard caught about 8 different species, all while hiding from the wind. Not a bad day!

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

Biscayne Bay Report Week of April 23rd

Week of 4.23.11

This week has been a week of diversity for me. One day we tarpon fished the Oceanside of Biscayne Bay with Dr. Carlos V. and when that slowed down we were off to bonefish. The tarpons were moving south along the Oceanside flats and moving well in the early morning with each string holding lots of large fish. When we switched to bonefish later in the day, the bonefishing was really good as well with numerous shots at bonefish throughout the rest of the day.
The following trip would be with Dr. Daniel R. who wanted to learn how to fish Biscayne Bay. We were busy all day, first on Oceanside tarpons, then off to the finger channels for some rod bending fun and then we wrapped up the day on the west side of Biscayne Bay getting into about plenty of snook.
The last trip of the week was with a great couple from Philadelphia, Debra, Jack and their kids. With the wind blowing 20 MPH from the east and having no place to hide in the flats around Stiltsville, we pressed on and found bonefish around Soldiers including one school of big fish pushing massive amounts of water. This is always an awesome sight!

Well, it’s been a good week and off to enjoy the next one. Get out there, have fun and make that drag scream!

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

Biscayne Bay Tarpon Season is Here!

4.8.2011
Well guys, tarpon season has arrived in Biscayne Bay and tarpon fever is afflicting us bad. Clear skies, warm weather and an incoming tide are ideal conditions for Oceanside tarpon fishing and today was no exception. Getting a late start this morning we expected the traditional Oceanside spots to be filled to capacity with flats skiffs and as I rounded a point that proved to be the case. However, always having a backup plan is critical and the back-up plan paid off as expected. Finding an active and unmolested school of tarpons, we staked out and took shot after shot at these big silver fish. Finally we saw a big silver flash, the line came tight and the drag started to sing. A massive jump later the estimated 90lb tarpon shook the hook free and was off to catch his breath as did we. Shots at big permit and bonefish were not rewarded with a hook set. Although, it it is always exciting to see these fish coming towards the bow of the skiff making even the most skilled angler get nervous and force himself to maintain his composure. The tides will be strong this weekend so get out there and have fun.

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

Conservation News

FWC proposes catch-and-release only for bonefish



The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) proposed draft rules on Wednesday that would allow only catch-and-release fishing for bonefish, a premier saltwater game fish in Florida. The proposed rules would also establish new provisions regarding the possession of bonefish by anglers and the possession and transport of bonefish during bonefish fishing tournaments.

“Bonefish are an extremely valuable Florida game fish,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “These proposed rules will further protect bonefish populations in South Florida, while providing anglers with opportunities to document a record catch and enjoy the exciting action of bonefish fishing tournaments.”

Bonefish are prized by anglers because they are stealthy, fast-swimming fish that are exciting and challenging to catch. South Florida is one of the few places in the United States where anglers can fish for bonefish, and the shallow saltwater flats of the Florida Keys and Biscayne Bay are considered a world-class destination for catching large, trophy-sized bonefish. A recent study by scientists at the University of Miami estimated the value of a single bonefish in the Florida Keys to be $3,500 each year, and nearly $75,000 over the lifespan of the fish.

Based on bonefish’s economic value as a game fish, the FWC’s proposed draft rules would eliminate the one-fish daily bag limit for bonefish and allow only catch-and-release fishing. Most anglers already release the bonefish they catch as a conservation measure.

The proposed rules would also allow anglers to temporarily possess a bonefish where it is caught, so they can photograph and measure or weigh the fish to document a possible record catch. In addition, the proposed rules would allow anglers participating in specially permitted tournaments to temporarily possess and transport bonefish to tournament check-in stations for weigh-in under specified conditions. These fish would still have to be carefully handled and eventually released.

More information regarding the FWC’s bonefish draft rule proposal is available online at MyFWC.com/Commission, linked from the Feb. 23-24 meeting agenda, and a final public hearing on these rule proposals will take place in April.