Fishing Reports 2001

PH. (305) 248-6126

F i s h i n g R e p o r t s

A p r i l - D e c e m b e r 2001

“ On The Flats “

By Capt. Dave Sutton
Well the winds have finally calmed down and the bite has drastically improved in the bay. The bonefish have been very present all over the southern bay in large schools, all the way down the
Upper Keys. I have seen schools in the twenties out on the inside of the Ragged Keys south down to Garden Cove flats. Inside of Rabbit key Basin has gotten much better as of late as well,
with reports of large schools moving on the strong tides. Look for tailers on the incoming tides on the outside of Elliot all along the deep edges waiting for the water to rise up onto the flats, but
keep an eye out for permit in the 2 to 3 foot water as the tide rises. Look for this to just get better as the water warms.

Tarpon have been reported moving north along the outside of Key Largo and the shore up to Sands Cut in good numbers and have been eaters on chartreuse early in the day and tans to olive
patterns midday. There have been good numbers of tarpon moving on the outer edges of First National Bank south & east all the way down to Springer Bank. Look for rollers and get in front
of them and take a shot. The patterns are a closely kept secret between the guides and to ask them for the color is my only hope. The colors I have had luck on are the same as listed above in
the Bay, just add a yellow and white in the mix for the midday bite. This will also improve as the water gets warmer.

I have just come back from fishing the famous Boca Grande Pass. I was invited to fish the Sportswriters Invitational Tournament held at Millers Marina. The Tarpon Club is the top outfitter
for fishing the pass and they are putting out the word about their new Mega Money Tarpon Tournament to be held on the 7, 8, & 9th of this July. The water temp was a little low but the bite
was great. Capt. Dan Haley (941-793-FISH) put us on big fish the first day, but no fish to the scales. The second day I jumped a huge fish with Capt. Tim Garland (941-626-2892) that he
estimated to be over 180 pounds. I fought the silver king for almost 14 minutes, just one minute shy to get a tournament release.

The tarpon is just as hard, if not harder in that scenario, to land with 30 boats all in an acre of water fishing over thousands of fish. I first thought I wouldn’t like that kind of fishing, but was I
ever wrong. This was the most exciting and exhilarating two days I have spent fishing in a long time. Something totally different you really should experience for yourself, at least once. There
season will last through July with the numbers of fish reaching into the tens of thousands all in an area of one to two acres. You will be amazed at how these Captains can handle a 24-foot boat
in the kind of traffic we have at rush hour on the Palmetto.

For more information about the $1 mil. Mega Money Tarpon Tournament or to set up a trip to this wonderful tarpon paradise contact Jack Harper of Millers Marine at 813-964-2232 or
contact the guides I fished for reservations. Both are on the Mercury teams and have the top names in gear aboard their boats. Look on my website for some pictures of the event and a link to
The Tarpon Club website.

Captain Dave Sutton is an IGFA Certified Captain, Met Registered Captain and a G.Loomis & Orvis Endorsed Guide fishing Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and he is an Everglades National
Park Guide. The skipper would like to hear your fishing stories and reports for his website and print. Call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at djsutton@bellsouth.net. His website is www.
saltwater-flyfisherman.com

“ On The Flats “
By Capt. Dave Sutton

Well the winds have finally calmed down and the bite has drastically improved in the bay. The bonefish have been very present all over the southern bay in large schools,
all the way down the Upper Keys. I have seen schools in the twenties out on the inside of the Ragged Keys south down to Garden Cove flats. Inside of Rabbit key Basin
has gotten much better as of late as well, with reports of large schools moving on the strong tides. Look for tailers on the incoming tides on the outside of Elliot all along
the deep edges waiting for the water to rise up onto the flats, but keep an eye out for permit in the 2 to 3 foot water as the tide rises. Look for this to just get better as the
water warms.
Tarpon have been reported moving north along the outside of Key Largo and the shore up to Sands Cut in good numbers and have been eaters on chartreuse early in the
day and tans to olive patterns midday. There have been good numbers of tarpon moving on the outer edges of First National Bank south & east all the way down to
Springer Bank. Look for rollers and get in front of them and take a shot. The patterns are a closely kept secret between the guides and to ask them for the color is my only
hope. The colors I have had luck on are the same as listed above in the Bay, just add a yellow and white in the mix for the midday bite. This will also improve as the water
gets warmer.
I have just come back from fishing the famous Boca Grande Pass. I was invited to fish the Sportswriters Invitational Tournament held at Millers Marina. The Tarpon Club is
the top outfitter for fishing the pass and they are putting out the word about their new Mega Money Tarpon Tournament to be held on the 7, 8, & 9th of this July. The water
temp was a little low but the bite was great. Capt. Dan Haley (941-793-FISH) put us on big fish the first day, but no fish to the scales. The second day I jumped a huge fish
with Capt. Tim Garland (941-626-2892) that he estimated to be over 180 pounds. I fought the silver king for almost 14 minutes, just one minute shy to get a tournament
release.
The tarpon is just as hard, if not harder in that scenario, to land with 30 boats all in an acre of water fishing over thousands of fish. I first thought I wouldn’t like that kind of
fishing, but was I ever wrong. This was the most exciting and exhilarating two days I have spent fishing in a long time. Something totally different you really should
experience for yourself, at least once. There season will last through July with the numbers of fish reaching into the tens of thousands all in an area of one to two acres.
You will be amazed at how these Captains can handle a 24-foot boat in the kind of traffic we have at rush hour on the Palmetto.
For more information about the $1 mil. Mega Money Tarpon Tournament or to set up a trip to this wonderful tarpon paradise contact Jack Harper of Millers Marine at 813-
964-2232 or contact the guides I fished for reservations. Both are on the Mercury teams and have the top names in gear aboard their boats. Look on my website for some
pictures of the event and a link to The Tarpon Club website.

Captain Dave Sutton is an IGFA Certified Captain, Met Registered Captain and a G.Loomis & Orvis Endorsed Guide fishing Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and he is an
Everglades National Park Guide. The skipper would like to hear your fishing stories and reports for his website and print. Call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at
djsutton@bellsouth.net. His website is www.saltwater-flyfisherman.com

“ On the Flats “

June fishing has been exactly what we had hoped for in the sense of wind direction, speed and temperatures. The afternoon build-up of thunder storms dictate we start
our days early and end them around 2 pm. This is a good practice also due to the South Florida sun backing our anglers to a crisp in the afternoon sun. Keep in mind you
must reapply a generous amount of sunscreen every three hours and keep the flow of liquids into yourself as well as your anglers to keep from becoming toast as we
head into July. Reminding my anglers of both of these necessities I feel is a very important part of being a good guide.
As July approaches we will see the water temperatures still rising to the point of driving the bonefish off the flats during the middle of the day, although the permit will be
showing more and more as the waters warm. Target your bonefishing on those days of an early morning, incoming tide. The influx of cooler water flooding the flats will
turn on the bite and give you a better chance of hooking the ghost of the flats.
When flyfishing for bones on the flats, I change flies almost as often as we change flats. I always try to match the bottom color with my selection of flies as I pull onto a flat.
The forage food of the bonefish will adapt a color consistent of the bottom color where they live to better camouflage themselves against being the main course of the
day. Fluorocarbon leaders are also a must to fool the bonefish, as well as a well-placed cast of your fly or bait. If you can position yourself in the path of the fish and pull
your offering straight away, the leader will be in front of the fly and not visible to the fish.
This is the best time to try for the Grand Slam of the flats. To catch a bone, permit and tarpon in the same day is very possible during the three months of summer. Permit
being the toughest of the three to get to eat, this is the time of year the greatest numbers of fish gather on our flats. Target them with a 1 ½ “ crab on a 2/0 circle hook, at
least a 20 pound fluorocarbon leader and hold on for the fight of your life. Have your boat operator keep fairly close to help keep the line out of the fan coral and ff the
bottom for your best chances to keep a fish on.
Tarpon will still be very much present in our waters, and in good numbers now that they have ended the spawning cycle. They will be much more aggressive feeders now
since they don’t eat much during the spawn. The cockroach patterns have been very successful in the early parts of the day and as the sun climbs higher in the sky,
switch to a chartreuse or white and yellow combination for the best results. I’m hearing more and more that circle hooks are being used rather than the old standard
hooks for a better catch percentage. Just fight the urge to strike and set the hook, with the circle hooks all you need do is lift the rod to lodge the hook in the corner of the
mouth and in the ensuing fight the hook will be imbedded deep enough to land the fish. Please take the time to revive the fish properly after you land one of these friends
of mine to ensure their survival. They are just to valuable to catch only once.
The ICAST Show is in Las Vegas this year and your captain will be attending, so look for a report in the July issue for the lowdown on this fishing manufacturers
convention. All the products for the sport will be there and it will be held July 11th thru the 13th. I am sure I’ll have a few new products to tell you about.
Until next month, I’ll see you “ On the Flats”

Captain Dave Sutton is an IGFA Certified Captain, Met Registered Captain and a G.Loomis & Orvis Endorsed Guide fishing Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and he is an
Everglades National Park Guide. The skipper would like to hear your fishing stories and reports for his website and print. Call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at
djsutton@bellsouth.net. His website is www.saltwater-flyfisherman.com

“ On the Flats ”
By Capt. Dave Sutton

   Has July been a month of nasty weather here in South Florida, or is it just me? Where are the calm days and the beautiful mornings I have been waiting for? The
afternoon storms have been building much to early making a short day out on the water. The Almanac says we should have a better month of August.
The water is at its warmest point of the summer so far driving the bonefish to feed early in the morning and in deeper than normal waters during the rest of the day.
Target the early morning low stages of the tides for tailing fish. The second week of July we found eaters in good numbers on the inside of the Bay, but only early and with
the tide at the low incoming stages. I like to fish a lot of clousers during this time of year in light yellow and tan patterns. Remember that you also need to step down in
your rod selection for a softer presentation during the quiet times of the morning. A 7 wt. fast action rod like a G.Loomis GLX with a full floating line is my choice for a long
quiet cast. The GLX matched up with the new Adventure Series Reels by Loomis, makes for a lightweight and comfortable rig to handle for a day on the water. A lot of my
anglers are used to the lighter weight sticks that are used for trout fishing, and when I hand them a 9 wt. they think it’s a broomstick. Just make sure that your reel has a
sufficient amount of backing to fight our Biscayne Bay Bones.
To keep your fly line, leader and fly from splashing down on the surface of the water as you make your last forward cast, aim five feet above the water and the leader will
straighten out, then float down to the surface. This will decrease the slap and also allow your leader to turn over properly. Keep your rod at the five-foot level until your
leader turns then lower your rod tip to the water to gather any slack, and you’ll find you will be in a better position for a strike, much quicker.
The permit are still getting more numerous in the Bay and on the outside flats. These guys are the toughest fish to target on fly. Compounding the problem, you also
need at least a 15-pound leader to reduce the risk of separation when the fish digs his nose on the bottom to try to get rid of the hook. I will increase my leader length to
sometimes over ten feet to keep the larger diameter fly line as far away from the fish as possible. The use of P-line Fluorocarbon Leaders has also increased my hook-
up percentage a great deal. The old reliable Merkin Crab and the newer Quan Fly are the best percentage patterns I have used this season. A 9 wt. seems to be the best
bet for the wilily permit and I also like a Loomis GLX for this challenge as well. The faster action rods like the GLX and the Trident TL’s by Orvis have a much better control
over not only the distance but also the placement of the fly. The proper shot, at the right time using the right fly will give you a very good chance of a hook-up to the black
eyed permit.

Captain Dave Sutton is an IGFA Certified Captain, Met Registered Captain and a G.Loomis & Orvis Endorsed Guide fishing Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and the
Everglades National Park. The skipper would like to hear your fishing stories and reports for his website and print. Call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at
djsutton@bellsouth.net. His website is www.saltwater-flyfisherman.com

“ On the Flats”
W/ Capt. Dave Sutton

The bonefishing has been just great as you hopefully saw on my episode of Addictive fishing this month. Capt. Blair and your own Capt. Dave caught and released five
beautiful bones weighting from six and a half pounds to the “MOGAN” almost ten pounder. All but one was in Biscayne Bay and the Biscayne National Park waters; the
exception was on the outside of Elliot Key. Go to the Addictive Fishing web site for streaming video of all the bones.
We fished with shrimp and circle hooks for the show but also threw a fly rod at some and landed another two fish in the eight pound range on the new crab patterns that
Biscayne Bay Fly Shop has. These patterns are very true to life patterns and look extremely good in the water. The balance of the tie is very well done. Pick up a couple
and try the tie yourself, just use a little patience when tying the knots in the elastic legs, what a pain.
We also tagged a fish on the show for the University of Miami Research Program. I have been on the program for almost two years now and have gotten a lot of
information from the research they are performing. If you noticed I didn’t tag all of the fish we caught, as is my standard practice. I will only tag a bone that has been
landed in the best of shape to lessen the impact on the fish. I will take a lot of time reviving every fish caught to ensure the fish has had a chance to recover from the fight
before releasing him. I hope you all practice the same care when releasing a one of our presesious bonefish.
During these calm and quiet days on the flats remember to step down to a lighter weight rod for a softer presentation to the fish. My eight-weight rod is my preferred rod
during those windy days, but most of the summer I throw a seven to the bonefish. On occasion, I will use a six weight on a school of smaller fish like we often see on the
outside of the bay along Elliot key and up to the Ragged keys and south to Garden Cove. These schools of fish are smaller than the Arsnicker fish and can easily be
managed with a lighter rod. Did I mention it’s a lot more fun on a lighter rod as well! Just keep your angles opposite the fish’s direction and apply the pressure from the
first two feet of the rod, rather than the tip, to reduce a long, drawn out fight.
The captain has gone off the deep end … that’s right I am venturing out into the deep blue. We have had a ball catching dolphin and the king’s are just starting to come
in. I have gone to the some of the area’s most accomplished offshore anglers for direction and guidance for the fine art of fishing the blue water, and it has paid off. Along
with a couple of new sponsors like Accurate Fishing Products and Garmin Electronics, an offshore rookie like me can consistently catch quality fish. The new reels from
Accurate I have used are unbelievable. The Boss 270 and 870 are the smaller size Accurate makes, but not small in performance. These reels have twin drag systems
and nine total ball bearings for a smooth, fast retrieve. Machined out Billet 6061-T6 aluminum, they are made to last a lifetime. Check out my web site for further
information.
Tournament time is approaching for the angler up for the test. The first one comes to mind is the Redbone Series of contests. Gary & Susan Ellis have been with their
daughter Nicole undergoing surgery for a benign tumor next to her spinal cord. Nicole is recovering well and the CF medications are still working well. I would like to wish
a fast and complete recovery to Nicole, and hurry back home. September tournaments upcoming are the Mercury S.L.A.M Celebrity tournament held September 7th thru
the 9th in Key West, and the Mercury Baybone Celebrity Tournament held September 28th thru the 30th in Key Largo. I will have a listing for the October and November
tournaments in next month’s column.
Until then I’ll see you “On the Flats”.

Captain Dave Sutton is an IGFA Certified Captain, Met Registered Captain and a G.Loomis & Orvis Endorsed Guide fishing Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and the
Everglades National Park. The skipper would like to hear your fishing stories and reports for his website and print. Call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at
djsutton@bellsouth.net. His website is www.saltwater-flyfisherman.com

“On the Flats”
By Capt. Dave Sutton
The September rains have cooled off the flats here in Biscayne Bay as well as across the whole state of Florida. I have just spent a day with Blair Wiggins up in the Indian
River area catching huge redfish (30+ pounds), and the story is the same up there. As the water temperatures fall off the eighty mark the bonefish begin to feel more
comfortable on the flats and will stay in the feeding mode all day. Take this time to watch your tides and record when you have had luck on certain flats. Take note of the
wind direction and its speed, check what moon phase was going on during a good day of bonefishing, and you will start to see that there is a pattern to it all. Granted,
there are some guides that are just awful lucky. Case in point, did you see my episode of Addictive Fishing?
This is the time of year that all of the major bonefishing tournaments are held from Biscayne Bay, down to the Keys. The permit are still very present on our flats. I have
found myself going back to the Epoxy Moe’s in a brown and a tan color on the flyrod. We took three during the second week of September using the Moe after a great
summer of luck with them. One thing to remember with an epoxy head is that you must lead your target a little farther due to the weight and lack of bulk, it does give you a
noisy landing.
Biscayne National Park has put out a question and answer pamphlet. The reason is to give the people who use the park a chance to give them our opinions and
suggestions on how we would manage the resource. It is an open forum to voice your views of what you think needs to be changed, or on the other hand, what should be
left alone. Don’t miss this chance to make your suggestions known. I have attended a meeting at the Keys Gate Country Club and got most of my suggestions an actual
response. That’s right, from an actual person, a National Park person. As a matter of fact, they asked me for help in spreading the word that this forum exists. There will
be another meeting the week of the 24th. In Miami. Look on there web site for the comments that have been made from the public, and a page that you can download and
fill out, then send in to be involved in at least some of the decisions that could change the way we use Biscayne Bay. Their web address is www.nps.gov/bisc .
The Flyfishing World Trade Expo in Salt Lake City was a very good show this year. There were many new products available from new and old manufacturers alike. I was
very impressed with a new folding net made in New Zealand that I had to bring back with me. Look for an article in next months paper on this folding net and the new
Cortland 555 fly line that was shown at the show. There will be a couple of other surprises I will have for you as soon as I get the press releases. These products will be
available right here in the South Florida market for you to water test yourselves. Until then I’ll see you “On the Flats”

Captain Dave Sutton is an IGFA Certified Captain, Met Registered Captain and a G.Loomis Endorsed Guide fishing Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and he is an
Everglades National Park Guide. The skipper would like to hear your fishing stories and reports for his website and print. Call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at
djsutton@bellsouth.net. His website is www.saltwater-flyfisherman.com

“On the Flats”
W/ Capt. Dave Sutton

The month of October has been a little warmer than most of us fisherpeople would have ordered. The normal cold fronts have not been present to help the bait fish start
their migratory drive south, but even without the drop in temperatures the bait has arrived, and in good numbers. There’s plenty of mullet in the bay and the fish are
responding well.
The tarpon have re-gathered in the normal haunts to feed on these mullet and we as anglers and guides have been in on the action. Fish the creek mouths on the west
side of Biscayne Bay and you will see schools of tarpon, as well as, snook and an occasional school of redfish.
The redfish population in Biscayne Bay has greatly increased in the past two years. The numbers of fish that I have been seeing have been coming close to those of
Flamingo. To find reds in the bay you must target them as a species and devote your day to them, just like fishing in Flamingo. Fish the western shores from Cards Town
Bridge, north up to the Key Biscayne Causeway. There are plenty of reds as well as trout and snook to be found up against the mangroves and in the mouths of the
creeks and channels. Use live finger mullet or pinfish and you will be pleasantly surprised.
I fished the Ladies “Lets go Fishing “ Tournament this year and had a great time. Sponsoring the event was Mercury Marine, Mako Marine and Lighthouse Boat Center of
Tavernier, to name but a few. Yours truly gave safe boating demonstrations in my Mako Inshore 2000 to two ladies at a time and tried to teach a little about the flats and
how to navigate without cutting the grass, the common courtesy of the flats we all would like to see, and some of the rules of the road as well. This was a great event
having seminars for spin casting, fly-casting, knot tying, gaffing a fish, how to bait and chum and many others. There are lots of other events coming up in 2002 and you
should get involved in. You can get more info at their web site at www.ladiseletsgofishing.com Tell them Capt. Dave sent you.
I will also fish the Inaugural “A Day on the Bay” tournament sponsored by the Florida Nurserymen & Growers Association (FNGA) this is a brand new, low entry, fun
tournament with the proceeds going to the Stan Weyrick Scholarship Fund. Entry fees are only $35 for adults and $10 for junior anglers. For more information on this
event please contact Katherine Walters at 305-248-1117. Look for the results in the next report.
As for fishing the bay for bones and permit, there are still good schools of permit to be found on the outgoing tides on the outside of all of the cuts to open water.
Wherever there is a good current, just pole up, crush up a few blue crabs, and keep your eyes open. The bones will be a day long hunt with the lowered temperatures we
have, just bring a five gallon bucket of patience with you and plenty of live shrimp, and you will have a great day.
Hoping all is well, with all of the fuss that is going on around us. Our spirit has never been more banded together than now, and lets keep it that way. We are all
Americans! To the people responsible for this mess, all I can say is “You have wakened a sleeping Giant” I’ll see you “On the Flats” Capt. Dave Sutton

Captain Dave Sutton is a Met Registered, IGFA Certified Captain, and a G.Loomis Endorsed Guide fishing Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and the Everglades National
Park. The skipper would like to hear your fishing stories and reports for his website and print. Call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at djsutton@bellsouth.net. His
website is www.saltwater-flyfisherman.com

“On the Flats”
W/ Capt. Dave Sutton

Fishing Biscayne Bay this November has been an exercise in wind resistance, and it’s just starting. Through the winter till maybe April the wind is your foremost
adversary on the flats. Just learn the flats in your area and the different drifts you will need to do during different wind directions, and you will start to see a pattern
emerging. The bonefish use the same tricks unless the current is different, then they are governed by the water flow over wind.

A bonefish will always be heading in a up current direction with his nose into the wind, so to speak. So many I have used the term “bird dogging.” A bonefish while
swimming into the current will sway back and forth to increase the chance of picking up the scent of a food source. Moving right to left as the fish moves up a flat just like
a bird dog working into the wind across a field. It really is a beautiful thing to watch.

Tour winter flats only after a couple of cold fronts have passed through the area to see if the fish have been active on them. By winter flats I mean the darker colored
grass flats that would warm up quicker than those lighter colored bottoms. If you don’t see fish in the ten to twelve inch water range, move off the flat a little and look for
mud’s in the two foot range. Sometimes the lower water temperatures will keep the fish from the tailing water and move them into deeper water due to more stable
temperatures.

I have had an advantage over most bone fisherman as of late; I have been using some newly available polar bear fur for my charlies, clowsers and fur shrimp imitations.
The results are truly amazing the difference between the craft fur and a natural fur. If inspected very closely you will find the polar fur looks like a glass hair, almost clear,
but hollow for floatation. Yes this fur is expensive, but it is truly worth it when you have the results I have been having.

Tournaments

The Boy Scout Backbone will be held in Biscayne Bay this December 6th thru the 9th.at the famous Ocean Reef Club. I will be fishing one of the top men in Gator
Leasing, Mr. John Hamil and his fishing partner the owner of Kerry’s Bromeliads, Mr. Kerry Herndon this year. A big thanks to both of these anglers for giving so much to
help the Boy Scouts here in the So. Florida area. I will let you know the results of this competition.

The Herman Lucerne Memorial is coming up in April, and the reason I bring it up so soon is the considerable savings for early registration this year. If you pre-register
before December 31st. the fee will be only $225, then before April 10th. The fees per angler will be $250, after the April 10th date the entry fees go to $295.00. There have
been a few changes in that there will be cash prizes as well as boats, motors and trailers and a chance to win a brand new Chevy Pickup this year sponsored by Blake
Chevrolet of Homestead for catching a specially tagged redfish during the contest. All of this is to benefit the Homestead Hospitals Pediatrics wing, that’s right, all for the
kids. For more info please contact Monty Lopez, contest director at 305-253-9548.

One last thing while you are surfing the net stop by www.extremeangling.com
This is my newest addition to my list of great sites on the net for fishing information, reports and stories. Just tell them that Capt. Dave sent you ….. Deal?
Tight lines and quick releases and I will see you “On the Flats”

Captain Dave Sutton is an IGFA Certified Captain, Met Registered Captain and a G.Loomis Endorsed Guide fishing Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and he is an
Everglades National Park Guide. The skipper would like to hear your fishing stories and reports for his website and print. Call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at
djsutton@bellsouth.net. His website is www.saltwater-flyfisherman.com

“ On the Flats “
With Capt. Dave Sutton

Well, we are still waiting for our first major cold front and we are already in December. Water temperatures are still very warm for this time of year and the bonefish are
still in there fall mode. We have been seeing schools upwards of twenty fish and feeding up a storm on the outside of Key Largo all the way down to Airport Flats.
The “Bear Bones” fly has done it again. This is my own pattern tied in polar bear fur and it has been responsible for a three fish day, on fly. This polar bear fur is really
working with not only the bones but the redfish and snook as well. I have tied a few whistlers and deceivers using the polar and Flamingo just isn’t the same. Stop in at
Biscayne Bay Fly Shop and take a look at this fur.
The Boy Scout Backbone was held December 7 & 8th in Ocean Reef for its second year and went off without a hitch. Some of our very best guides and anglers were
present for the contest and were treated to some challenging weather conditions. Rain and some heavy winds made for some tuff fishing conditions. I fished with the
Gator Leasing Group and had a great time with one of the owners of Gator Leasing, John Hamil and his partner from Kerry’s Bromeliads, Kerry Herndon on my boat.
Despite the fact I had two good anglers and fish all around the boat for two days, we just couldn’t get the job done. Capt. Rick Murphy and his team of the famous Stu
Apte and a very good female angler Susan Grant took the top team honors and fishing in Whitewater Bay for both days paid off. “Finding the edge of the sweet water
was the key with the conditions the way they were”, said TV host Capt. Rick, “ We had the whole place to ourselves for the first day and most of the second, and it really
paid off.”
Scout Boats and Yamaha Outboards were the major sponsors of the event and with the ambiance of the Ocean Reef Club; it was a class act from start to finish. If you
are looking for a tournament to fish and have your entry dollars go to a good cause, this tournament is just the ticket. There were fishing trips auctioned off at the awards
banquet for some of the hottest destinations around the world and some fantastic artwork, all donated to benefit the Boy Scouts of South Florida. My congratulations to
the tournament committee for creating another well orchestrated event.
Fishing with Chris Dolne of Indianapolis Indiana this second week of December we took a monster barracuda at thirty-seven pounds fishing in Angelfish Creek with a
silver spoon tipped with a slice of mullet. What a fight for a fish not welcomed as a game fish by most, but at fifty inches long this was all of a battle lasting for over a half
hour.
January promises to be a great month for fishing if we hold in this weather pattern. The bay will be full of bones still in the skinny water and the outside flats will still have
the chance of Permit for the angler who has the patience to fish them.
Happy Holiday’s to all of you and keep up the faith in our great country, keep those flags flying, and of course practice catch and release, and I will see you
“On the Flats”