FishingReports2003

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

J a n u a r y - D e c e m b e r 2003

JANUARY

Did someone move the Equator and neglected to let me know? As the cold fronts continue with the winds coming from all directions, even sometimes in the same day, I find myself waiting
for the right times to take my anglers out to fish. Of course some are here on vacation and are restricted as to when they can go, but my local anglers are on stand-by for some of the best
fishing they have ever seen. Watch the weather patterns develop, and you will see a cold front diminish to a two or three day warming trend until the next front will approach. These are the
golden days for the flats fisherman. The warming days just before a new cold front moves in will be the most active days for the fish.
As the barometer drops the bite will be on, all you have to do is be there.
I have had a chance to get one of my best anglers out there during this type of scenario and the day we had was astounding. How about a 37 redfish day, all but 10 fish were sighted and
cast to with the result being a fish to the boat. Over and over that day we were amazed to see the flaring of a redfish’s gills as he inhaled our MadMan Mad Shad baits. We motored to
Porpoise point and poled through Garfield and Rankin bites for nine hours and never going more than 30 minutes without seeing fish. But beware the shallow water in these areas, my
Maverick Mirage HPX-V was dragging butt for most of the day in six inches of water with myself and one angler aboard. It was a day we will not forget for the rest of our lives.
Redfish are a perfect example; these fish are very hardy and can withstand very cold-water temperatures as seen at the Titusville Professional Redfish Tour this past January 11th & 12th.
Water temps were down in the low fifties on the Wednesday before the tournament and the fish were not active at all. Thursday we saw a five-degree water temperature rise throughout the
day and the bite was on big-time. Just this small rise in temperature will trigger the bite. Holding the fifth spot in a 124-boat field on our first day (Friday) of competition we hoped the
patterns we were fishing would hold for Saturday. Our final day saw the wind come around 180 degrees and the air temperatures dip ten degrees. This was the end of the patterns we found,
on the flats we were fishing. We had to scramble, taking the info we had on a west wind we tried to target the same patterns on an east wind on the lee-side flats. With the colder water temps
and the windy conditions we could only muster one fish for a 26th place finish. We missed the last money spot (25th place) by .03 pounds. Considering we finished over 98 other very good
fishing teams, of which over 40 teams didn’t weigh a single fish, we were happy, not satisfied, but happy. You can follow each event at www.redfishtour.com Look at some of the pictures
of the combatants and you will think we are fishing in Alaska!!!!

FEBRUARY

With the cold fronts finally over, now all we have to put up with is this winds of March. It seems they have started early this year and will hopefully end early. Water temperatures are
reaching the almost perfect 72-76 degrees on our waters of Flamingo and Biscayne Bay, making the start of spring official.
    I want to say thank-you to all of those who came out on the High Roller/ Mad Man Weekend just to say hello. Many of those who stopped by came just to see the new colors of the
MadMan baits and the High Rollers I am always writing about, and maybe get a hat or Tee shirt. We had a great turnout at Don’s Bait & Tackle in the morning and also at A O’K Bait later
on that Saturday.
    I also worked the Bass Pro Shop Spring Classic. This was my first of these working the isles of a huge retail shop and I found it challenging. Eight hours flew by as I was fielding all
types of question from how to tie a hook on to the most advanced way to work jerk bait for redfish. There were so many guides, vendors and professional fisherman at the show giving
seminars and working the isles I was amazed. If you missed it this year you have to make this event next year just for the chance to talk to all of the Pro’s and get the skinny on your
favorite baits as well as the newest ones out and of course there was the sales!!!
    When Jon Hass came into town with the almost perfect water temperatures we were excited about the possibilities. I told him the bonefish were going to be pretty hot and I was right.
Fishing the inside of Biscayne Bay we were on fish the whole day boating three and having a huge fish (12 to 13 pounds) rub us off at the end of a two hundred yard run. These older fish
have the smarts to avoid capture using there power and speed running off the flat and then turning and putting a belly in the line. At that distance the angle of your line allows them to swim
through the grass and create friction on the line. I use Power-Pro 10 pound test for the bones and every once and awhile will have a fish rub us off. The strength of the braid has greatly
decreased the number of times this happens. Fishing my old friend Tony and his friend Doug out in Flamingo we scored eight redfish using MadMan’s Mad Shad up on the flats
sightfishing. This type of fishing was new to both anglers and I wanted to give them a real good dose of the hunt that is involved. The weather was perfect for the stalking in eight to ten
inches of water we would be in and the wind was blowing at only ten knots. After landing several fish that were sighted, cast to, and hooked, Doug turned to me and said, “this is something
I will be doing a lot of Dave”. When we landed the first double hookup we went directly to the livewell for the two we were going to keep and set up this photo. Yes, we released two of
these fish in great shape after we took this shot. The stalk and hunting of fish is something I enjoy very much and have inducted two more anglers into this club.
Gear Check
     This month I have been trying out the new 8 & 15-pound Power-Pro Lines. The 8-pound is just like thread (has a dia. of one-pound test monofilament) and throws a bait keeper hook
and a MadMan Mad Shad a country mile. The longer the casts, the longer your baits will be in the strike zone. Hence a 20-foot longer cast means a 20% better strike zone time. The 15-
pound test is a great tool for those tournaments that restrict my anglers to 16-pound test. Before I had to use 10-pound and on tarpon it makes it tough. The 15-pound has a dia. of four-
pound test monofilament and can spool over 300 yards on a Shimano Stradic 4000 reel. This is a great advantage for tarpon due to the casting advantage and the size of gear. Throwing a
Stradic 6000-size outfit in Whitewater Bay for six hours is a chore; this is what I needed when I used monofilament lines.

MARCH & APRIL
Miami’s Biscayne Bay has been full of tailing bonefish and should continue to get even better as the month of April approaches. Water temperatures are still in the mid-seventies and the
winds have been maintaining a somewhat easterly direction making for perfect conditions on the bay. Tagging nine bonefish in two days is a testament to the availability of working fish.
The bones have been active all over the bay with the warmer temperatures, from the west bay all around the Chicken Key area south to the north end of Key Largo. Large schools of fish
are up on the flats tailing and feeding. I have been on many nice schools of fish over on the east side of the bay from Caesar’s Creek south to Angelfish & Broad Creeks as well. With the
Tarpon and Snook hanging around the same cuts we have had good luck soaking mullet and pilchards as well. Look in the inside creek mouths, and channel entrances during an incoming tide
for the better shots.
Don’t forget the Herman Lucerne Memorial this April 12th & 13th. The Captains Meeting will be at Harris field in Homestead if you want to sign up late and fish for a $30K Hells Bay
boat. Lots of other prizes as well, plus all of the proceeds will go to the Children’s Services at Homestead Hospital, so how can you go wrong!
Winter Tarpon is in full swing from the bridges of Miami all the way over the Florida Bay and Flamingo. Whitewater Bay has been a frequent haunt for my anglers while throwing
HighRollers and Bagley’s mullet baits for the Kings. Landing two fish a day has been the average, although you need to jump another five to seven fish to keep the odds this good. Casting
poppers and shallow divers is a lot of fun for these giants, especially when they take a swing at your lure five feet away from the boat. Remember, natural colors in clean water and bright
colors in dirty water has been the measure of success on my boat this season.Throwing a fly has only been done by the die-hard anglers who can stand up to blind casting in a fifteen-knot
wind for a chance of jumping a fish up to 170 pounds. As tuff as it may sound, this has been the tactics that has landed eight fish over a hundred pounds in the last month.
Snook and redfish are all over the backcountry of Flamingo as well as the outside flats into Florida Bay. Cobia and tripletail are on the crab pot buoys and the Spanish macks are in full
force. If you are planning a guided trip here in So. Florida there isn’t a better time to go.
Gear Check;
Old Florida rods and reels have been passing out a real whooping to some very large Tarpon. I use a 12 wt. IM6 rod with a #8 Super Arbor that holds 300 yards of 30 pound backing and is
just as tough as nails. The drag performs perfectly and as smooth as the day I took it out of the box, but this reel has taken over twenty five
Tarpon this season alone without missing a beat.

APRIL & MAY

Here we are in the glorious month of May again. Bonefish are schooling all over our Biscayne Bay flats, permit are working on the edges and deeper flats, and the tarpon are heading south
for the Keys. There is no better time to be a fisherman or guide here in South Florida. I find it to be the hardest at these times, when there are boats all over the place, to keep the right
distance from my fellow anglers. Other boats are cutting off my fish when I am on a tarpon run or a bonefish flat, people are running all over the flats trying to get from one spot to another.
This is when we need to discipline ourselves the most. When you are out there fishing, please try to remember not to run over flats that someone might want to fish, even if the isn’t anyone
in sight. Keep your distance from other boats that are in line on a tarpon run. When approaching another boat, try to think of how he or she is fishing, are they drifting a flat? Are they
poling down wind for the best visibility? Or they set up on a point waiting for a school of tarpon to cross their path. In any of these scenarios, give way to allow plenty of room. If you can
see who it is in the boat, or if it is a Maverick or a Hell’s Bay, YOU’RE TOO CLOSE.
I personally will try to give just a little bit more respect to “the other guy” out there this year. Ok, I’ve said my piece.
The Herman Lucerne was another success this year. With a grand total of 52 boats and 120 anglers that caught and released over 254 fish, it was a great weekend. Some of the very best
guides we have from Ft. Lauderdale to Islamorada participated in the event this year, some took top trophies and some just enjoyed the format of two day’s fishing for seven species of fish
in the waters of Florida Bay. There are a few anglers that deserve a mention from the tournament this year like Brian Brodrick, the new owner of Hell’s Bay Boatworks. Fishing with our
own famous guide and fellow Tournament Committee Member Rob Fordyce, Brian was able to amass 70 points on fly to receive the set of three fly reels donated by Tibor
I would also like to mention Flip Pallot who so graciously showed up for the Awards Banquet and told us an old story of how he meet Herman Lucerne. Flip was a guide for many years in
the keys and was in Hells Bay with an angler when he found himself totally lost. Hearing the sound of an outboard in the distance he headed in that direction and found Herman who led him
out. See, everybody gets lost in Hell’s Bay when they first start out. Flip is going to film our tournament this year, fishing with Rob Fordyce in the new Hell’s Bay Poling Skiff. The
strategies of how to win will be discussed as well as some great fishing action. The episode will air on “The Walker’s Cay Chronicles” so be sure to tune in. Check out walkerscaychronicles.
com for airdates.The top Team went to two of the best guides in the Keys, Rich Tudor and Tom Rowland. These two team up for Team Maverick/Yamaha to fish in the Professional
Redfish Tour and Tom is on the Old Florida Team with me as well. Great job guys.
Victoria Horn fishing with her husband Dennis took the Top Female Angler for the second year in a row, great job!!! Both belong to the South Dade Anglers Fishing Club and have had a
friendly competition going on with my wife Julie and myself for three years. This year Julie was only off by a half-inch of the Largest Trout and an inch off the Largest Redfish awards, but
had enough points to earn me the Top Guide.
If you haven’t fished this tournament, please check this one out and put it on your calendar for next year. Yes, there is stiff competition, and yes, you have to do really well to win even if
you are a pro, but all of the monies raised go the Children’s Services of Homestead Hospital where taking care of sick children is the #1 priority.
I have received a lot of calls about the February article I did on the McLean Folding Weight nets. Well, they are finally here in South Florida. Don’s Bait & Tackle and A’ Ok Bait & Tackle
both are as of know stocking these high quality nets. The Yellow Bait House in Key Largo will have them as well soon. Thanks to all of your interest, we all can have one of these great nets.
Be safe on the water and I will see you “On the Flats”

JUNE

June fishing should be 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 baking our anglers to a crisp in the afternoon. 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 the summer months. Reminding my anglers of
both of these necessities I feel is a very important part of being a good guide.
    As June approaches we will see the water temperatures 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 Captain keep fairly close to help keep the line out of the fan coral and off 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 too valuable to catch only once.
    The ICAST Show is again 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 9th thru the 11th. I am sure I’ll have a few new products to tell you about.
                                                                    I’ll see you “ On the Flats”
Gear Check
Even with the wind being up we have been able to fly fish with the help of the Pro Trim Line Tamer. This stripping bucket takes away almost all of the aggravation when trying to cast in a
wind and is a much-needed tool on my bow when there is a 15 or 20-knot wind blowing. We have been using the Old Florida Super Arbor fly reels with Old Florida’s new IM6 Graphite Fly
Rods with much the delight of my anglers. These reels are of the highest quality you can find out there on the market period. If you feel that you need to spend more money on a reel ….
Buy Two.

JULY

Has June 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 water is getting to its warmest temperatures of the summer 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 June 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 Old Florida Super Arbor, 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 20-
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 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.

Gear Check
    Just a reminder to you all who were asking for the new Folding Weight Nets, they are available now at Don’s Bait & Tackle & A’Ok Bait. There will be another new shop carrying some
of my favorite gear. Franco at Biscayne Bay Fly Shop will be stocking all of my favorite colors in High Rollers and MadMan Plastic Baits in his new backcountry selection, so check it out.
New this month I have been using the new MUSTAD Ultra Point Hooks with great success. I really like the strength and sharpness of the new line of hooks. Working the Mad Shad
Carolina style has produced quite a few snook out of Flamingo. Going weedless, I can drag the baits thru the grass in as little as six inches of water on the edge of a drop off. This is where
the snook are looking to ambush the mullet as they pass. It also works great on the beaches, just throw up on the sand and retrieve into the water for a great natural presentation. Until next
month, I’ll see you “On the Flats”

AUGUST

Well August is here again, and again we look forward to September first for the snook season to open. The flats are loaded with this fiery villain sitting poised to strike at a properly
presented bait. One of my favorites is the High Roller/Rip Roller in the 3.25” size and in the colors of either Florida Special or the new Green Back. Other top water baits like the new
Rapala Skitter Walk in the mullet pattern has worked very well. Capt. Rick Murphy gave me a couple of these baits after the ICAST Show to see what I thought, and I like them.
Don’t forget the plastics. My MadMan Baits have been doing the trick in this warm water as well. Rigged Texas Style using a 1/16th oz. bullet weight for casting distance really helps, it
also allows the head of the bait to fall naturally. This has been the formula for success catching at least two or three snook before the heat of the day slows down the bite and makes the fish
hide out in the deeper edges or cuts of Flamingo.
The early part of the day has been the best for the bonefishing. Being on the water at sunrise is a necessity due to the cooler water temperatures. This is the toughest time for me to tag a
bonefish with this hot water. I have been on the University of Miami Bonefish Research program for almost four years now and have gotten a lot of information from the research they are
performing. If you have fished with me you will notice I don’t tag all of the fish we catch, 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 and ensure it’s survival. 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 one of our precocious bonefish.
When flyfishing during these calm and quiet days on the flats remember to step down to a lighter weight rod for a softer presentation of the fly to the fish. An eight or nine weight rod is
preferred 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 great time catching dolphin and king’s summer, and yes I
bring my nine weight flyrod with me all of the time. 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 197 and 270 are the smaller sizes 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 a link or go to www.accuratefishing.com for
more info. Better yet, contact Jose Fonseca the owner of The Complete Angler at 305-665-2771, he has the whole line for your inspection.

Gear Check
There are some new hard baits I have been throwing since the ICAST Show. The Strike Pro Lure Company has given me a few of their new shallow diving and surface baits for testing. I will
be giving you a full report in the very next issue.

SEPTEMBER

    Lets talk real skinny water for a minute. Whether you are in Biscayne Bay or Florida Bay some of the very best times I have had guiding a client is in six to eight inches of water.
Biscayne Bay and it’s bonefish tailing on the last of an outgoing tide trying to get the last feed on before Cutter Bank goes dry is what’s its all about for me. Pushing my Maverick along
leaving a vee pattern in the grass flats trying to get close enough to make a cast at a twelve pounder that is just tailing like there is no tomorrow, this is the very essence of flats fishing. To be
on the outside of Caesar’s Creek at a dead low just as the tide starts to flow in over the south side flats, the permit will be just on the edges of the cut. They will work up and down those
edges, then as the water level rises to the point of they’re being just enough water, they will tail on the shallow flat as they feed. The tails will look like black fillet knife blades as they stick
out of the water darting along.
    September is upon us again with the familiar warm evenings and wonderful sunsets after our seasonable afternoon thunderstorms. Snook season has opened and the hunt is on for the
linesiders. There are still plenty of fish on the beaches and creek mouths of Florida Bay. I have been up in the bites, you know Garfield, Rankin and that whole shoreline all the way to the
dragover with lots of luck. Young tarpon in the five-pound class rolling about, snook taking top water Rip Rollers, redfish tailing in the very skinny waters, it is the time to pole. The winds
are minimal this time of year making it a time to just pole along slowly in six to eight inches of water looking for pushes and waking fish.
Pushing over the hump on Snake bite flat as the tide floods the flat, the grass is slowly disappearing, and as the first wave of mullet start mudding is when the first redfish and snook will
slowly follow them. You have seen the bait being flushed out of the water as the sharks tear into the mullet...well it isn’t always a shark doing that. There will be plenty of snook, redfish
and of course large seatrout in the mix as well. But you need the shallow draft and silence of a top quality hull to get close enough.
Some of the hulls that can do this with ease are of course the Maverick HPX-V (my ride) and HPX-Tunnel hulls, most of the Hell’s Bay series of skiffs, and the Pathfinder Tunnel Hull.
Many people use an aluminum hull for this kind of fishing but I have found these hulls to be very noisy as well as providing a horrendous ride in a chop. But then again some of the
aforementioned tunnels ride very ruff in a chop but the advantage is they are silent and draft only a few inches when it is most needed, when “sight fishing”.
The shallow water and stillness of this water even in a fifteen to twenty knot wind makes approaching a game fish very difficult. Part of the key is to approach very slowly with very little
movement from you as the guide poling and from your angler. This type of “sight fishing” requires very short accurate casting and buckets of patience but the dividends are priceless. One
trick to having the visibility of the guy on the tower is to have a front casting platform, or you can take your cooler and stand on it on the bow. This will elevate you sixteen to eighteen
inches and you will not believe the difference. Just remember the fish can see you better as well. Keep your movements down to a minimum, when you see a fish go a crouching position to
make your cast, and cast from the side rather than overhead. Just the movement of your rod can spook fish in eight inches of clear water.
    Well good luck with the snook and I’ll see you “On the Flats”.
Gear Check
     I have been using the new 8 & 15-pound Power-Pro Lines now for almost six months and I am here to say…I am a believer. The 8-pound is just like thread (has a dia. of one-pound test
monofilament) and throws a 2/0 circle hook with a medium size shrimp a country mile. The long casts mean the less chance of spooking bonefish and permit while on the flats. The 15-
pound test is a great tool for getting those snook out of a mangrove shoreline. The 15-pound has a dia. of four-pound test monofilament and can spool over 300 yards on a Shimano Stradic
4000 reel. This is a great advantage for tarpon fishing and some of the offshore species.

OCTOBER
Bonefish, Bonefish, Bonefish, this month is the best for my favorite target. With the water staying warm, an 84-degree average, the bones are feeling fall slowly coming on, and with that
warm water and the lack of a strong cold front the permit are staying around as well. I have been seeing schools of LARGE bonefish all over the bay and they have been eating on fly as well
as bait.         A bonefish will always be heading in an up current direction with his nose into the wind, so to speak. So many we 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.
    The Redfish Tour in Jacksonville was all new ground for Ron Sprague and myself. We loved the four to five foot tides and the current flow that was happening, we found it to be
remarkable. Running along the Intercoastal north from the Saint John’s River the Spartina grass flats were vast and beautiful. We had a full moon two day’s before the event and the flats
would flood allowing the redfish the chance to get really get shallow and tail away, but when the tide dropped, IT REALLY DROPPED. The current in the backwater bays was four to five
knots of ripping outgoing water. It went from a beautiful flooded grass flat to mud flats with oyster bars towering above up to four feet tall. The first time we saw the low tide we were
shocked that we were only three hours ago running on plane across these oyster bars doing thirty knots. If you ever get a chance to fish this fishery, don’t pass it up.
We caught some great fish on High Rollers, but found it much harder during the competition due to the lack of strong tides after the full moon. Many teams went without a fish for the two-
day tournament. We struggled for a 69th place finish. I have been a woodworker for over 25 years doing finish woodwork for a living before I retired to a life of guiding. I have built hand
made wood canoes using the stripping method for years.
Gear Check
    After the Flyfishers Retail Show in Denver I have a new Sponsor. My new 8 wt. Thomas & Thomas rod with the new Old Florida Nautilus #8 reel was the best combination I threw
during the show, and I threw them all. I have been testing this new Old Florida Nautilus reel for a while and have found it to be the very best reel I have ever used, teamed up with the T & T
I have an awesome combination. The Redfish Tour gear was my Cape Fear rods in 8 to 15 pound class with the Finn-Nor Mega-Lites in the 4000 size loaded with the NEW 15 pound
Power-Pro line. We were throwing mostly Mad-Man Saltwater Baits with a few High Rollers and we even went to the old trusty Johnson’s Gold Spoons. Tight lines & quick releases.

NOVEMBER

Fishing Biscayne Bay during November will be 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 routes to
enter and feed on a flat. Depending on the current direction and if it is a tidal current of one dictated by the wind and it’s direction, you will se the patterns. Just watch for those tails
working and get ready for some action!!!!!

A bonefish will always be heading in an up current direction with his nose into the wind, so to speak. So many times I have used the term “bird dogging” to describe a bonefish while
swimming into the current, he 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.
    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. Permit being the toughest of the three to get to eat, at
this time of year the greatest numbers of fish gather on our outside flats on an outgoing tide. 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 captain keep fairly close to help keep the line out of the fan coral and off the bottom for your best chances to keep a fish on.
Gear Check
    Here is the reason I don’t mind fishing in the rain. Frogg Toggs are a 100% waterproof, windproof, lightweight breathable outerwear that everyone can afford. These guys have pioneered
the use of Microporous Polypropylene fabric’s and the “NO-NEEDLE” seam for NO-LEAKING.
    This rain gear is by far the best I have ever used, just ask any of my anglers who have used the on-board gear on my boat. They will tell you they have gone out and bought there own
set. “This stuff is as light as paper” I hear all of the time, but it is super-strong. I have had a set on my skiff for over a year, and that’s a lot of abuse !!!!!
Check out the gear at www.froggtoggs.com

DECEMBER

    Hopefully the winds of November will fade to a manageable ten to fifteen knots for December. Bonefishing has been tough in the twenty plus winds we have had, but the fish are there.
Time and time again in the Bay I have been lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time and have a three bonefish day. The water temperatures are just right fir the feeding frenzies
I have been able to pole into on Cutter Bank, the Rubicon’s and the outside flats of Elliot Key.
    Have you seen the sunken shrimp boat just to the east of the ICW, north of Cutter bank? How long is the National Park going to allow it to sit on the grass beds with it’s shrimp nets
strewn all over the bottom. As I am writing this it has been there for a week with only a couple of red buoys to mark the nets. Seems to me those nets would be a hindrance to fish in the
area, I am just hoping my bonefish stay clear of the hazard.
    I have been finding that there is still a few permit on the outside flats. We went down to the old Carysfort Marina and if you go just southeast about two hundred yards there is a shallow
flat about two feet during the low tide. I have been finding most of my permit there with a few tarpon passing by as well. If you check out your charts you will find quite a few spots like
this one that will hold permit till the water temperatures drop to below 70 degrees. After that they will move out onto the wrecks in deep water which is there wintering grounds.

    For all of those who have asked about my new skiff I am building, she is coming along real nice. John from Release Boats has offered me the use of his lay-up tables to do the bulkheads,
floors and top cap. This will give me that professional finish I am looking for without all the expense of making tables myself. Plus the all-important experience of using them, which are
skills I haven’t mastered … yet! I will have a few pics after the holidays for your inspection in the January Edition.
    I hope you all have a very happy and safe Holiday Season,
                                                                      and I will see you “On the Flats”
Gear Check
I have been fishing with some of the new Skitter-Walks from Rapala that Capt. Rick Murphy gave and I love them. The castability is remarkable, the action is nice and quite on the surface
of the water. The rattles add another dimension to fishing the sometimes very dirty waters of Flamingo with fish attracting sounds. Check these baits out at Biscayne Bay Fly Shop or the
Complete Angler. My favorite colors are silver mullet, gold mullet and the redfish.

Captain Dave Sutton is sponsored by Chevrolet, Panga, Evinrude, Palmas Puro Cigars, Sea-Power, Costa Del Mar
Eyewear, Power-Pro lines, Odyssey Batteries, SOL Sunscreen, Calusa Nets, Hydro-Glow Fishing Lights, Salt Water
Assassin, Rapala, Frogg-Toggs, High Rollers, Lipper Tool, Pro-Fish, Lowrance Electronics, Van Staal, Fetha-Styx
Fly Rods and is the Florida Ambassador to Lewmar Ltd. He fishes Biscayne Bay, The Upper Keys and the
Everglades National Park. Captain Dave fishes a Maverick Mirage HPX-V, and a new Panga 27LX from Panga.com;
he is on the Quantum Pro-Team, and on the Pro-Staff of, Power-Pole, Stiffy Push Poles and many others. The
skipper would like to hear your fishing stories and reports for inclusion on the Chevy Florida Fishing Reports, his
website and print, or to book a trip, call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at djsutton@bellsouth.net.
His websites are:
WWW.SALTWATER-FLYFISHERMAN.COM
WWW.ONTHEFLATSCHARTERS.COM