March 4, 2016 Report (Video!)

Being off yesterday and with the fresh memories of the epic fishing day we had on Wednesday I was eager to get regular client David and his son Tommy out. Our first few drifts provided just a few tarpon and no hook ups but the morning wouldn't continue this way for long. As we changed it up the rods starting bending and the drags started to get burned up. There were schools of different species of fish around the boat but most wouldn't reach the boat as spinner sharks were in thick. We took advantage of the situation and got numerous hook ups on high flying spinner sharks and what a sweet sound hearing the drag scream non-stop until having to chase these fish down to prevent from getting spooled. Today was another day where my guys were worn out before the end of the trip. At one point we had a double header and another time when chasing a fish down for David the other rod got hit twice with both times the fish making a long run then spitting the hook, one of the few times I looked forward to losing a fish, twice! I love it!

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

January 24, 2016 Report (Winter Tarpon Video!)

Friday we had a massive cold front, the same cold front tormenting the northeast and yesterday we had 30-40 MPH winds so I was looking forward to today. Meeting Charlie and Christina at 7am, they boarded and we were off. The conditions were brutal, temperatures in the 40's, 20 plus MPH winds, water temperatures in the high 60's, dirty water and steam coming off the water in spite of the wind. WOW! I had 4 layers on and I was still cold but I located some clean water in the lee of the wind and warmer incoming tide but struggled for the first half of the trip hooking and losing a spinner shark and missing a few bites. One the tide turned the bite was on and Charlie hooked his first tarpon, hooked a couple of really nice spinner sharks and caught a few other species. The trip ended on a high note and the run back felt shorter and warmer after the tarpon!

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

October 9, 2015 Report (Mullet Run Video!)

Doug was back for his second trip and today we would use mullet. Pulling in to a spot that had been holding mullet I filled the live well with two throws of the cast net, one had big mullet and one had finger mullet. We head back to South Beach and the action was slow, for a while. Then the mullet started to move through and it was on! Tarpon would cart wheel and blow up on the schools of mullet not 30 feet from us. Early on Doug watches as a tarpon comes up and destroys his mullet but doesn't get hooked. Ouch! There were a few nice barracudas in the mullet schools and Doug hooked 3 or 4 of them. The action died about an hour into the frenzy and we hit a few other tarpon spots without success but ended the day catching a few more jacks on fly.

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

June 29, 2015 Report (Tarpon)

With tarpon season over, the remaining fish are resident fish but equally fun and Bill from the S.F. Giants baseball team had never caught a tarpon. Well, we had to give tarpon fishing a try. Spot one had some rollers but no takers so we moved to spot two. Spot two would be the magic spot and Bill would hook into one about 50lbs that tested the drag and Bill as he fought his fish in windless 90 degree weather. After a 25 minute fight we got his first tarpon to the boat and celebrated the well earned release. Congrats Bill!

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

June 4, 2015 Report (Tarpon!)

With the weather forecast looking absolutely horrible we made the call to cancel our trip on Wednesday only to find great weather. Urgh! Oh well, we hit the water today and Paul got another nice tarpon to the boat while Neil lost a few others to spit hooks. These guys are great and tomorrow we continue our adventures.

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

June 1, 2015 Report (Tarpon!)

Paul and Neil fished with me for 5 days last year and we had a blast last year so I couldn't wait to fish with them again. We started early and had a solid day going 2-7 on tarpon with both Paul and Neil getting their fish of the week at around 140-150lbs each. We had a blast, the tarpon bite was on and hooked into some real bruisers. This is what tarpon season is all about!

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

May 29, 2015 Report (Tarpon)

Two time U.S. Olympian skater Evan and his girlfriend German national team skater Kavita boarded my skiff at 6am and off we went tarpon fishing. Within seconds of dropping a bait in the water Evan was on to a hot 150lb tarpon that ran over 150 yards and jumped about a dozen times. Fifteen minutes into the fight the hook broke and we lost his tarpon. Urgh! We spent the rest of the morning fishing for smaller game where Kavita not only caught her first fish but the most fish and is now hooked on fishing. We got it done Evan! ;)

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

May 27, 2015 Report (Tarpon Video)

Local anglers Rick and his 15 year old son Ricky and I headed out today in Rick's boat for a morning tarpon trip. The bite was slow but then it turned on and Ricky was on to a 120lb tarpon that he fought for about an hour. Ricky did a great job fighting his fish and we got the leader release before breaking off. Congrats Ricky!

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

May 24, 2015 Report (CRAZY Tarpon Report!)

When I go to work everyday I never know what to expect and although I have seen a lot, Nick from N.Y. and I would experience something nerve wracking today. The plan was to tarpon fish early morning and then hit the flats to avoid the Memorial Day crowds. Arriving at tarpon spot number 1 we set up and I walk Nick through the intricacies of tarpon fishing on fly. No instruction I gave him could have prepared him for what would happen just minutes from now. Just minutes into casting at tarpon I see him strip strike, the rod bend and 130lbs of angry tarpon hits the air making several jumps right at us, 40' from the boat and closing! Nick stays tight to the fish and settles down into a long fight. Halfway through the tarpon takes us through a series of pilings and we manage to clear the menacing cluster. He was just getting us warmed up. After a brief tussle on the flat he hits deeper water and races to a nearby dock. In spite of our efforts and to our horror he gets us under a dock. My instincts kick in and I tell Nick to jump on the dock while I hold the fly rod. Once on the dock I give the tip of the rod to Nick, he grabs it on the other side and by now the tarpon is under another dock! He keeps the rod bent, I come around, Nick jumps into the boat and we speed to the next dock with the reel screaming. We repeat the process under and around a smaller, tighter dock with about 3 feet of clearance between pilings and while still handing the rod to Nick, the tarpon is under a 3rd dock! This is beyond crazy! Nick jumps into the boat on the other side of the dock and the 3rd dock is yet higher than the previous 2, they were getting progressively higher. Nick tries to jump on the dock and I grab his leg and lift him up with one arm and the fly rod in my other hand. I hand him the rod under the dock and go around for him to jump into the boat. By now the fish is out into open water where we managed to get the leader release, several times for good measure. Nicks tarpon makes another run for the docks again but we stop him short but 25' away as Nick is putting the pressure on the fish to get the hero shot and I get a DNA sample for the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust the fly line breaks where it had been shredded by the pilings. Nick got his tarpon and a workout to boot. What a morning!

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

April 30, 2015 Report (Tarpon!)

After a few days off due to engine problems and severe weather I was back on the water today with Adam and wife Lee from N.Y. Last time Adam and I fished he caught a trophy 35lb permit and today the goal was tarpon. The weather was still iffy but under dark skies and brisk breeze we headed out. About an hour into the trip a big tarpon comes up to one of our baits and takes a swipe at it but missed the bait. As the tarpon activity around us dwindled and the wind increased we moved to another spot that proved to be the winner. Less than 10 minutes after setting up Adam's rod goes off and he's on to a nice tarpon. Thirty minutes later we had the leader release and 10 minutes after that we had the photo op with Adam's first Miami tarpon.

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

April 25, 2015 Report (Tarpon)

Regular client of mine and friend David brought his friend Tracy and Tracy's two kids along, Carter and Logan. We fished David's new 32' Intrepid and the goal was to tarpon fish then hit the channels for snappers for the kids. Not 10 minutes after setting up one of the rods goes off and Carter is on a 150lb tarpon smoking 200 yards off the reel! He did a great job and then eventually turned the rod over to Tracy. This was a tussle. The big tarpon got us into a bridge and made another long run into two sets of bridge pilings. All hope was lost but an effort still had to be made so I locked down the drag risking a straightened hook or broken braid and had David put the twin 300 Yamahas in reverse. Unbelievably the fish started to come towards the boat an inch at a time and after what seemed like an eternity he was 30 away from the menacing bridge pilings. After 45 minutes of hand to hand combat the fish came to the side of the boat and we had the release, pis and a DNA sample for The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. Wow, what a ride! Congrats Tracy! We spent the rest of the trip in the channels catching snappers for the kids and basking in the glory of a tarpon victory.

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

April 23, 2015 Report (Tarpon)

Kyle and his wife Liz were in town from VT and booked a last minute tarpon trip so off in the dark we ran in order to get into a good morning bite and be back at the marina before the crazy Sunday boaters hit the water. As we pull in to the morning's tarpon spot we see fish rolling around. A bit later Liz's bait goes down and she's on a tarpon! She reels to come tight to the fish and there is no tension. HUH? We reel in the bait and it's half eaten, the tarpon never got the hook in it's mouth. Geeze! A while later the other rod goes off and Liz is on a big tarpon jumping and tail walking right towards her! She reels in the slack, the fish comes a few feet from the motor and makes a long run. After a brief battle she hands the rod to Kyle and he fights the fish for the balance of the hour long fight. The tarpon dragged us about 3/4 of a mile from where we hooked up and soon I see a big bull shark near the boat. In an effort to save the tarpon we put max pressure and get the leader release on Kyle's first tarpon and try to drag the fish back to a flat away from the big shark. Unfortunately, 5 minutes after the leader release the shark obliterates the 150lb tarpon so close to the boat we could have grabbed its dorsal fin! It was a very exciting but very sad ending to see this fish lost to a shark. You never know what to expect in Miami!

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

April 22, 2015 Report (Tarpon)

Tom and Cal have a place in Key Largo and we've fished together a few times and these guys are always great. Arriving at our first tarpon spot of the day immediately there were tarpon rolling everywhere and within a minutes of Cal setting up he hooks up to a nice tarpon in the 140lb class. He fought the fish for about an hour and as the big tarpon is close to the boat it did a 180 and headed right under the boat. No! Before anyone of us could react the tarpon was under the boat and broke us off. Urgh!!!!! The rest of the day was spend being teased by tarpon that refused to eat. Today was certainly a tough day!

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