FishingReports2004

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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 2004

JANUARY
The cold fronts of winter have arrived, and in force. Water temperatures are down in the mid sixties and the bonefish are responding. Tailing will only occur late in the day after a calm, sunny
afternoon has a chance to warm to waters two to five degrees. A temperature rise will trigger a late feed in water shallow enough to see tails. For the most part target fish on the deeper edges
of flats and during the higher stages of the tides. Look for mudding fish in two to four feet of water and you will be pleasantly surprised.
    Most of my fishing has been in the backcountry of Flamingo this past December. The weather has brought most of the anglers and guides alike to the sheltered back bays of Whitewater
Bay. Concentrating mostly on the creek mouths where the sweet water meets the salt has been the trick, although the outside beaches of the cape north into Shark River have been on fire as
well.
    While on a busman’s holiday fishing with Capt. Eric VanDemark we were set up on the south bank of Conche Channel with a chum bag looking for pinfish and pilchards. I noticed a large
shark coming up the chum slick for a look at the source. “Look at the size of that Lemon Shark bud” I said to Eric, as he looked at the shark out about forty feet and closing. We both noticed
a pattern emerging on the sides of the seven-foot long fish as the shark got closer and closer to the chum bag I was shaking. “That’s a Tiger Shark” Eric said with an excited voice as he dashed
for a rod. I backed off the bow just a little as the shark nosed the chum bag and turned off circling back for another run at it. I kept the tease on till Eric got ready with some of the fresh bait
we had just caught, and upon hooking up the great fish for the third time the fight was on.
    This was about as close as I was going to get to this dude especially without a LONG wire leader. The Tiger showed no fear of the boat at all and kept on eating Eric’s baits even after he
had hooked the fish twice. This was the first time we had ever seen a Tiger here in South Florida waters. Being flats fisherman, and spending most of our time in twelve inches of water, I am
not surprised. I’m sure there are plenty of them offshore but to see one in three feet of water was a surprise.
    There have been lots of fish on the outside wrecks as well. Making the trip out ten to fifteen miles from the Shark River or Sandy Key has been a gamble. The choice must be made on the
right day to make the trip or the ride back can be very uncomfortable even in a twenty plus foot hull, but the trip is worth it. Large Snapper, Grouper, Black Drum, Tripletail, Cobia and a
host of other species await you. Just use your best judgment and of course, the weather reports, and you will have plenty of work to do at the cleaning table upon your return.
I’ll see you “On the Flats”
Tournament Report
ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys … Last year Bonnie Christ won the lady grand champion title in the Mercury Outboards/Cheeca Redbone Celebrity Tournament. This year, the Alexandria,
Va. Executive became the first woman in the 16-year history of the tournament to capture the grand champion title outright among the 134-angler field.
    Guided by Mercury pro team Capt. Andy Thompson of Homestead, Christ caught four bonefish Saturday and four redfish Sunday, all on bait, to make four combinations of “redbones.”
She took home a stainless steel Rolex timepiece along with artwork as a part of her winnings in the awards ceremony at Cheeca Lodge.
To further cap off the celebrity charity event that helps fund research efforts for cystic fibrosis, Christ and fishing partner Joe Viar, also from Alexandria and both long time supporters of the
tournaments, won the team grand championship title with three bonefish Viar released. Christ also released the most bonefish for that award.
Considering the cold front that dropped temperatures and brought windy conditions to the Florida Bay waters on Saturday, Christ’s performance was considered remarkable. “It was one of
those memorable days,” Christ said, “like the time I caught three permit in a day.”   On Sunday she listened to Capt’n Thompson’s instructions to pick up extra points for redfish and
bonefish combinations by “catching four redfish today”. Christ released all four redfish before lunch in two different places and in different ways sight-casting for some and blind-casting into
troughs for others. Kudos’ to Capt Andy Thompson

FEBRUARY
Well the cold fronts have become a weekly tradition this past January and look like they might follow into February. It has been a mixed bag of windy days and cold fronts blowing through
from the west and north making the bonefishing very tough. With the sudden drop of five degrees in water temperature the bones retreat to the deeper flats and forage there, rather than
suffer the cold water on the shallower flats. It will take two or three days in succession to bring them back to tailing water. Watch the surface temps and get ready to fish. I have found that
the magic number seems to be 68 degrees until the bonefish will begin to migrate onto the skinny water to feed.Young tarpon on the other hand can be found in the same cuts and channels
during the cold fronts and a well placed shrimp will produce an eruption on the surface that is almost as good as their larger fellows of spring. These young fish like to school and look for
the safest hiding spots from the sharks. Fish the hollows under the mangrove shoreline and keep a sharp eye out for snook as well. Any little creek mouth flow that is out of the normal
hustle and bustle of traffic will hold fish as long as the flow is coming out of the creek and into deeper water. Also start looking for the big brothers as they come into the Everglades
Backcountry.
The flyfishing for bones is still worth trying if you use a fly with weighted eyes and allow it to fall to at least three feet before starting to strip. I like to use clousers and Borski’s Fur
Shrimp for this due to the upward bent hook design of the fly and it’s sparse tie to help the sink rate. Colors we use are white and light tan, white and chartreuse and white and yellow.
These colors seam to be the best bet for the deep edges of the channel when you see mudding bonefish.
February will show a few more of these cold fronts and with it the blustery winds of early spring to deal with as well. Try to work a specific flat for bonefish over and over again and you
will see that there is a general set of conditions that will bring schools of fish to the flat. Wind direction, tide flow, tide time of day and of course the position of the moon. All of these
factors dictate whether you will see a few tailers or a few schools of tailers. But most importantly, be patient and enjoy the hunt, even if the score is lopsided. This is called fishing and
even the very best guides will return to the dock at times with a final score of bonefish 8 & anglers nothing, every once and a while.
I’ll see you “On the Flats”

MARCH
Miami’s Biscayne Bay has been full of bonefish and should continue to get even better as the month of March approaches. Water temperatures have been in the mid-seventies between the
cold fronts and the winds have been maintaining a somewhat easterly direction making for perfect conditions on the bay. Landing nine bonefish while only fishing for them for two day’s in
the past twenty is a testament to the availability of working fish. The bones have been active all over the bay with the water temperatures over the 72-degree mark, 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 and feeding very well. I have been on many nice schools of fish over on the east
side of the bay from Cesar’s Creek south to Angelfish & Broad Creeks as well. With the opening of snook season this February 1st we have targeted linesiders in the bay as well. Look in
the creek mouths, canal mouths and channel entrances during an outgoing tide for the bets shots. 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 many anglers 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 some nice fish. As tuff as it may sound, this has been the tactics that
has landed eight fish over eighty pounds in the last month. Snook and redfish are all over the backcountry of Flamingo as well as the outside flats into Florida Bay, but slow down your
presentations with the cold waters after a cold front. Black drum are a day saver when the water temperatures are below the 65-degree mark. Use a troll-right jig tipped with a live shrimp
and you will be surprised. Cobia and tripletail are on the crab pot buoys and the Spanish macks are in full force out in the deep waters of the gulf. If you are planning a guided trip here in
So. Florida there isn’t a better time to go than now
Gear Check
Now is the time to get out your 11 & 12 weight fly rods to prepare for the Tarpon runs of spring. You can loosen up in Whitewater Bay blind casting for the kings to get yourself into
the rhythm of throwing the heavy rods again. Clean your reels and lines then check your backing and don’t forget to throw out any old rusty hooked tarpon flies. See Franco at Biscayne
Bay Fly Shop for the latest patterns and “lets get it on”!!!!
I’ll see you “On the Flats”

APRIL
Hopefully the March winds have left with the passing of March and we can get down to some of our normal drifts. My Maverick HPX-V has been a blessing in these winds giving me the
ability to pole into a stiff wind without killing myself.
    I hope all of you have been finding the permit as well as I have this past month. Fishing with Rob Mallin from Village Office Supply in New Jersey for two days, Rob said, “Having a
double permit with a bonefish on at the same time is a very exciting thing”. Both anglers were fishing the South Florida flats for the first time and with a little coaching the two-day score
was two permit and a bone. With a good wind comes a little security for the flats inhabitants. The bones and permit tend to really eat well during a 20-knot wind. True, it is a little harder to
see them, but on the other hand it is also harder for them to see us. The wind also covers the splash down of your offering much better. If you have ever tried to land a shrimp near a tailing
bonefish in flat calm water, you know what I mean. Most of the time you get the reaction that you have hit him in the head with a baseball or something. So if it’s blowing, don’t hesitate to
go fishing, you will be happy you did.
    Look for the permit to be in the two to three foot ranges along the bonefish flats as they follow mudding rays. This is one of the easiest ways of spotting fish and a great chance to
approach those fish when they have their attention focused on something other than your approach or if there are any sharks around. Work an edge looking shallow for bones as well as deep
for the chance of a shot at a permit and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Gear Check
    Now is the time to get out your 11 & 12 weight fly rods to prepare for the Tarpon runs of spring. You can loosen up in Whitewater Bay blind casting for the kings to get yourself into
the rhythm of throwing the heavy rods again. Clean your reels and lines then check your backing and don’t forget to throw out any old rusty hooked tarpon flies. See Franco at Biscayne
Bay Fly Shop for the latest patterns and “lets get it on”!!!!

JUNE
June is here and I am hoping the winds have subsided for this spring season. It has been a constant battle with the 25 to 30 knot blow we have had for the past months, but I have cautioned
you about staying home and not fishing. The wind gives you an advantage if you know how to use it. Here is a perfect example of finding good fish in bad situations…we were throwing
Gambler soft plastics rigged weedless style in ten inches of milky water. We were having a hard time seeing the weed lines, never mind the fish ……
    Fishing Biscayne Bay on an east wind is tough but not impossible. Use the wind to do DOWN-WIND drifts over your favorite flats. Allow your boat to broach, meaning drift sideways
in the wind, this will slow your drift down to a reasonable speed for sighting bones and permit. If poling, pole 90 degrees to the wind in the morning with your bow pointing north with an
east wind. Your speed will be manageable and you can cover some ground as you hunt for big fish.
    Fishing the Rolex IGFA World Championship the first week of May was a challenge in the winds we had throughout the month. On the first day of competition we decided to go to
Biscayne Bay for permit and bones. Upon shutting down on our first flat we had a school of permit round the point and come straight at us. My angler’s first cast was perfect but the wind
left such a bow in the line he couldn’t feel the permit chewing the shrimp off his hook. We even had time to re-bait and try another shot, but alas the same scenario occurred. Throughout the
day we had a few more good opportunities but just couldn’t capitalize on them returning to the dock after running over 90 miles with a bagel, zilch, nada …. ZIP.
    Day two was much better scoring three snook on artificial (all over 30”) and three redfish as well. Day three scoring one snook and two redfish for a three-day grand total for my three
anglers of 675 points. Robert Collins (This years winner of the Herman Lucerne) won TOP Angler with 1300 points.
Fishing Flamingo during the last two months of windy conditions forced me to learn the flats I thought I knew so well in a much different light. As the water drained out during the outgoing
tides I realized the importance of staying in the zones I thought had fish. Having the confidence to continue to fish as the wind emptied the whole area into a couple of washes is the secret
to success in the type of weather we have had.
If you tell yourself that catching a couple of snook and red’s would make the day, why not commit to an area that you know will be productive and fish it hard. These areas we all know like
around Frank, Palm and the area I call Jimmies Lake. These areas will hold fish when the entire flats drain during a low tide made worse by a strong east wind. Just have the patience to stay
on the spot and work for those fish and you will be rewarded for your efforts.
Don’t forget to listen to 790 AM WAXY Radio on Sunday nights for my new fishing show “Strictly Snook From Florida” between 8 & 9 PM for the latest in snook fishing as well as all of
the other shallow water species. We will have fishing reports from some of the experts from Chevy’s Florida Fishing Reports like Ron Hueston, the Southwestern Expert and Mike
Holliday, the Southeastern Expert so don’t miss it.
Tight Lines and I will see you “On the Flats”

JULY
As July approaches we will see the water temperatures rising still 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 grey ghost of the flats. 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 30 pound fluorocarbon leader and hold on for the fight of your life. Have your boat captain 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.

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.
    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 in Las Vegas this year and your captain will be attending, so look for a report in the August issue for the lowdown on this fishing manufacturers convention. All the
products for the sport will be there and it will be held July 14th thru the 16th. I am sure I’ll have a few new products to tell you about.
    Until next month, I’ll see you “ On the Flats”

AUGUST
Summer is almost gone with the dog days of August here. The fishing has been very good this season in Biscayne Bay. Permit have been overrunning the flats inside and outside of the bay
with some very large fish being caught. Targeting permit on spin is a real treat; I start off at the bait shop. Rather than getting five-dozen shrimp and a couple of crabs like I do most of the
rest of the year, I order two-dozen crabs and a dozen shrimp. The first dozen of crabs should be the size of a quarter for the large bones and smaller permit, and the second dozen should be
the size of a silver dollar. The larger crabs will give you longer casts for the tailing fish and the fish over fifteen pounds will eat them up like M&M’s. 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.
We also tag fish for the University of Miami Research Program. I have been on the program for almost four years now and have gotten a lot of information from the research they are
performing. If you noticed I don’t tag all of the fish I 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. 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
precocious bonefish.
Gear Check
The gear we are using these days “On the Flats” with Capt. Dave is the Custom rod from VanDemark Rods. These rods are seven-foot six inches long, medium action rods made for 6-14
pound test lines, matched with the new Quantum Cabo 30 reel filled with 10-pound test Power-Pro Braid line. The Eagle Claw 2/0 circle hooks worked perfectly with all of the hooks lodged
firmly in the corner of the mouth textbook style, use a 4/0 on the larger crabs. The mono leader I will always run from the braid to the hook was 36 inches of P-Line Fluorocarbon leader
material in 25-pound test. The lighter the leader the better for the black eyed permit, but when you get into the fish 25 pounds plus and with the combination of large sea fans in the area I
will go to a 15 pound Power-Pro rig with 36” of 30 pound leader to increase the chances of a photo finish.
Tight lines & quick releases, and I will see you “On The Flats”

SEPTEMBER
First off let me say that my prayers are with all the folks affected by Hurricane Charlie. As a guide who went through Hurricane Andrew, I have a pretty good idea what you folks are up
against and believe me when I tell you there are thousands of people who are rallying to your aid RIGHT KNOW !!!! Don’t think for a minute that you are alone. Your fellow Americans
will be there for you in your time of need. The Youth Fishing Foundation is just one of many who is organizing supplies and making two trips a week to the affected areas with hurricane
relief items and will keep on doing it till you are back on your feet. So keep the faith brothers & sisters.
    With all of the hurricanes around the fishing has been tough. Windy conditions make for a tactical approach to fishing the flats of Biscayne Bay, or even Flamingo for that matter. Wind
direction is as critical as tides when making an approach to a flat. Keep in mind that bonefish as well as redfish have pretty good hearing and become spooky when in shallow situations.
Always shut down long before you hit shallow water on your approach to a perspective flat. I will give at least a two hundred yard cushion when coming off plane in an area that I want to
fish. Idling in a hundred yards is ok, but keep in mind the noise you make will put the fish on alert if nothing else. This slow approach also gives you a chance to observe the flat and prepare
you anglers for the hunt.
    I have seen too many fisherman run too close to a flat and then wonder why there are no fish on it, or why the fish are so spooky when they do see fish. Have you ever approached a flat
that has another boat on it and have the person polling start waving his arms? Most of the flatsmen you see on a flat will do a down sun, down wind drift depending the tide flow. Drifting
with the wind and with the sun at his back makes the visibility in front of the boat the best for sight fishing. DO NOT enter a flat downwind of someone who is already on there, you will be
cutting off his drift and hence the arm waving. Take up a position up-wind of him and start your drift to one side or the other. This will give him his room and also give you a chance to
intercept fish that got by him. Most of the time, if you watch him close, he will point out fish to his angler or even to you as he makes his way down the flat.
Gear Check
    My Maverick Mirage HPX is now going to be Yamaha Powered and is the best advantage I have against the wary bonefish. I opted for the Vee rather than the Tunnel due to having to
cross Biscayne Bay almost every day. The ride it offers is something I can’t tell you about, you have to experience it for yourself to believe. We were throwing High Rollers (Rip-Rollers) at
the snook as well as the new Strike-it soft plastic baits I found at ICast this year with great results using the Quantum Cabo rods & reels in the 8-12 pound class with Power-Pro 10 pound
test lines. P-Line Fluorocarbon leaders of 30 pound test were a must due the snook activity in the area blowing up schools of mullet along the drop-off of a flat into the channels.
Tight lines & quick releases.

OCTOBER
The month of September has been a little warmer than most of us fisherpeople would have ordered and with a bunch more hurricanes as well. 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.
October has normally seen the infiltration of the bonefish returning to the Biscayne Bay area in force. With the water staying warm, an 82-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 should be 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.
The resident 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.
I will fish the “Day on the Bay-Living Legends” tournament sponsored by the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscapers Association (FNGLA) on October 16th 2004. Kenny St. Germain a
world-class fisherman of St. Germain’s Dracaena Farms is this years “Living Legend” This is a great low entry, fun tournament with the proceeds going to the Stan Weyrick Scholarship
Fund. Entry fees are only $60 for adults and $15 for junior anglers. For more information on this event please contact Katherine Walters or FNGLA President Capt. Dave Baskin 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 water 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.
Don’t forget to watch Capt. Dave on the “Chevy’s Florida Fishing Report” every Thursday night at 7 PM on the Sunshine Network. Listen to Capt. Dave on the “Strictly Snook from
Florida” radio show on the 790 ESPN Network every Saturday Morning at 7 AM for great guests and up to date fishing reports.

Hoping all is well, with all of the fuss from the hurricanes that is going on around us. Our spirit has never been more banded together than when our brothers & sisters are in need, after all,
we are all Americans!
I’ll see you “On the Flats”

NOVEMBER
Bonefish, Bonefish, Bonefish, this month is the best for my favorite target. With the water staying warm, a 74-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 work a flat 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.
Wind direction is as critical as tides when making an approach to a flat. Keep in mind that bonefish as well as redfish have pretty good hearing and become spooky when in shallow
situations. Always shut down long before you hit shallow water on your approach to a perspective flat. I will give at least a two hundred yard cushion when coming off plane in an area
that I want to fish. Idling in a hundred yards is ok, but keep in mind the noise you make will put the fish on alert if nothing else. This slow approach also gives you a chance to observe the
flat and prepare your anglers for the hunt.
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.
Allowing your boat to broach (drifting down wind with the boat sideways to the wind) will slow down the speed of your drift. This helps you to see the fish without running over them
and at the slower speeds you can also stop the boat for a shot without making a lot of noise and commotion. My Mirage HPX allows me to pole up-wind to a tailing bonefish or redfish
without making a sound, yes even in a 20-knot blow. Having a power-Pole is also a distinct advantage; I can drop the Power-Pole and stop the boat while still having my Stiffy push pole in
my hand to position my bow for the perfect angle for a presentation of a fly or a better angle to present a shrimp or crab to a fish. Little advantages like these make a big difference when
the conditions are against you. Tight lines & quick releases.
Gear Check
My Maverick Mirage HPX is the newest advantage I have against the wary bonefish. I opted for the Vee rather than the Tunnel due to having to cross Biscayne Bay almost every day.
The ride it offers is something I can’t tell you about, you have to experience it for yourself to believe. We were throwing High Rollers (Rip-Rollers) at the snook as well as the new Spike-It
Holographic plastic baits with great results. Check these new baits out at www.ispikeit.com . Van Demark Custom rods in the 6-12 pound class with Power-Pro 10 pound test lines are the
preferred sticks I use spin fishing.. P-Line Fluorocarbon leaders of 30 pound test were a must due the snook activity in the area blowing up schools of mullet along the drop-off of a flat into
the channels.

DECEMBER
Here we go folks, the winter fishing is in full swing. The recent November cold fronts have done the trick in bringing the winter bite to a full term. Flamingo’s gulf edges are full of Mac’s,
cobia, tripletail and snapper and the flats around the inside are teaming with large trout, redfish and snook. December will bring the backcountry of the Everglades alive.

Whitewater Bay will soon be seeing the winter tarpon run and fishing the creek mouths on the northeastern shores are already producing redfish, and snook as well as a great snapper bite.
The New Spike-It Holographic Series of plastic baits are responsible for these redfish and snapper we caught in the backcountry. The curly tail pattern in clear does the trick.

    As the water in Biscayne Bay cools down you will see the bonefish begin to congregate in larger and larger schools. This is a great advantage to an angler due to the competition factor.
When presenting bait or a fly to a school of feeding fish you have a much greater chance of a hook-up. The fish are not as spooky in a school of a dozen or more and will move across a flat
in a formation like combat aircraft leaving a very noticeable head wake.
A water temp of 72 to 78 degrees is the optimum range for the bonefish, but he will feed in much cooler water, as this 11.5-pound Cutter Bank fish will attest. Jessie Karen and his dad
Harvey fished with me with the water temperature around 68 degrees and we did very well. Harvey caught his largest bone ever and had his first two bonefish day.

    Permit are still around with the majority of them on the smaller side and in definite schooling patterns. Look for them around the western banks of Biscayne Bay due to the warmer water
temperatures that are found there. The darker grass flats will hold the heat from the sun longer. Watch your surface water temperatures very closely during these winter months. If you can
find a flat that has a two to three degree temperature rise you will find bonefish and permit on it for sure.

    I don’t want to get off on another rant here, but I want to continue to address these issues. One of the things that drive me crazy (or crazier in my case) is the constant running (on plane)
over the grass flats. I have a Maverick HPX, and can with my trim tabs down and my engine trimmed up, can run in 4 inches of water without cutting the grass at all. Most of the flats
boats in the 18-foot class can run in 12 to 14 inches of water but you should take the time to go around a flat as you are heading for your next spot.

Our flats here have bonefish constantly moving on and off of them throughout the tide flows as they feed. This is why a guide will fish a flat that someone has just moved off of, if he moves
off slowly. Poling to the edge of the flat and idling till you have at least two feet of water or more is the best way to ensure that the fish have not been spooked. Taking the time to move off
a flat will also ensure that you will not dig a wheel ditch when you jump on plane. We all have seen these holes on our flats as well as the long wheel ditches going all the way across, these
scars will take years to recover.

    The other thing I have been seeing is the crowding of a flat. I have had a boat come down from plane two hundred yards away on my down-wind side. I will do a lot of down wind drifts
as we hunt the flats if the sun angle is to our backs, and by coming in on the down-wind side of me is cutting me off and cutting off my fish. Capt. Andy Thompson taught me the lesson of
shutting down long before the area I want to fish as not to spook out the flat. You may see bonefish on a flat you run up to but they will be on the offensive from the start. I try to come off
plane and start to pole at least one hundred yards before I get to the spot I want to fish as not spook any possible fish that might be there. Tide flow, wind direction and sun angle will
dictate how to approach and the direction of drift of a boat on a flat. Consider these three things when approach a flat that has another boat on it.

    Larger hull vessels should be aware of the flats anglers as well. When you see a flats boat in the distance it is easy to see if there is a person poling the boat. If there is someone poling,
HE IS IN SHALLOW WATER …… DO NOT APPROACH. This is the best indicator that there is a flat in the area, other than the obvious watercolor change. The south end of Biscayne
Bay is full of flats and small channels; most of them are ok to navigate with a flats boat but not a 24-foot deep Vee hull with twin outboards. Please check out your chart to find your safest
course and help us protect our grassflats.
Hoping all have Happy Holliday’s, and safe days on the water.
     Gear Check

    I have just received a new Thomas & Thomas Fly rod in a FIFTEEN weight, and am in seventh heaven. I am going to do battle with some very, very large sharks with this stick. I added
the new Nautilus 12S fly reel by Old Florida to this new stick I feel I have the best equipment there is to offer my anglers. Come out for a trip and I will show you what I mean.
    I have been fishing with some of the new Skitter-Walks from Rapala that Capt. Rick Murphy gave me 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, Sea-Power, Palmas Puro Cigars, 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

MAY
Well the winds have not calmed down yet but the bite has drastically improved in the bay as the water temperatures raise. The bonefish have been very present all over the 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 at the end of the falling tides as well as the first of the incoming tides on the
outside of Elliot all along the deep edges. The bones will be working the lower waters and stay just deep enough while 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 these scenario’s to just get better as the water warms to and over the 80-degree mark. The Tarpon are moving south along the
outside of Key Largo all along the shore up to Sands Cut in good numbers and have been eaters on tans and light browns early in the day and chartreuse to olive patterns midday. There have
been good numbers of tarpon moving on the outer edges of Florida Bay’s First National Bank as well 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 your 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

    Have you seen the new Sunshine Network Show “Chevy’s Florida Fishing Reports” This new show has our own Capt. Rick Murphy as a co-host and yours truly, Capt. Dave Sutton as
the “South Regional Expert” The show divides Florida into seven regions with each of these regions having an expert that gives an offshore as well as an inshore report each week on the
Sunshine Network between 7 & 8 PM on Thursday night. There is also a very detailed fisherman’s weather report for the upcoming weekend, so check it out. Next month I will give you
the listing of the guides, the “Magnificent Seven” Experts ALL around the state.

    Something else is NEW>>> look for a new radio show called “Strictly Snook from Florida” This is a new talk show dealing with, well, Snook of course as well as all of the other inshore
species we all know and love. The Host will be radio personality Tim Mullins and the Co-Host will be ….. that’s right …. you guessed it …Capt. Dave Sutton.

    Our first airing will be Sunday May 16th between 8 & 9 PM on WAXY 790 AM. We will be having some of your favorite guides on the show giving reports as well as the top
authorities in the preservation of Snook here in Florida. Also having some of the fisherman who love to fish for Snook from bridges, canals, jetty’s, docks and piers on the show will make
for a very interesting show. The phones will be live for your interaction. Stay tuned for more info…. Until then, I’ll see you “On the Flats”