FishingReports2006

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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 2006

JANUARY
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. Now the park is finally open I have
had the chance to fish out in the backcountry during this type of scenario and some of the day’s we have been having are astounding. How about 28 redfish and 18 snook, 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 and snook pounding surface baits as they inhaled our
baits. We fished the northern creek mouths and points and never once going more than 15 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.
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.
The offshore scene has been fantastic for me exploring all of this new stuff, and I guess what I have been saying all along ”I’d rather be lucky than good”, is true. Fishing on my 28 Panga has
just been a hoot for sails, kings and lots of BIG yellowtails all along the reef edge in 90 to 180 feet of water.
The right live bait is the secret for what I can see to do this thing right. I have been finding Pilchards all over the bay then going out to the patches for Bally-Hoo and a few blue runners to
round out my Baitwell. I like to chum with the pilchards and bump-drift the hoo. The chumming will bring up the tuna’s and mac’s for some action between sail bites.
Gear Check
I have just started using the Odyssey Batteries on both my Maverick and the Panga and what a relief. No longer am I worrying about the bait wells, Lowrance Radio and GPS
being on all day and hoping the E-Tec will start. No longer am I uneasy about drifting for hours for swordfish with deck lights and the Hydro glow Fish Light on along with everything else.
Fishing on wrecks and being at anchor for three or four hours without starting the engine used to worry me but not any longer. Check out the very best battery on the market at:
www.odysseybatteries.com

FEBRUARY
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.
When fish move to this water depth of three to five feet of water they encounter many more predators than in the skinny waters. Therefore they will tend to gather in larger numbers.
This does two things. One, creates much larger shadows to look for while poling in these darker bottoms and deeper waters. Spotting a slow moving school is much easier when the school
numbers 200+ fish. Two, when they feed …THEY FEED HARD …creating large mud’s that can bee seen for quite a distance if you are looking in the right places. Sometimes called mud-
houses these mud’s can be as large as 30 feet across and there will be several of them to boot. Remember that bonefish will almost always feed into a current so poling up that current will
show you the mud’s first before you see the school of fish. This will allow you to get into position and get your angler a target to shoot at. This is the best scenario by far to a rookie on his
first bone. 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. Hell’s Bay has had good consistent water clarity and quite a few of those smaller snook that reside there in the brackish waters. Concentrating mostly on the creek mouths
where the sweet water meets the salt has been the trick, although the outside creeks of the cape north into Shark River have been on fire as well. There have been lots of fish on the outside
wrecks as well. Making the trip out twenty to thirty miles from the Shark River has been a gamble that has paid off. 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 eight-foot hull, but the trip has been 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. Please remember to take a few fish for
the table and release the rest for next time you go… I’ll see you “On the Flats”
Gear Check
I have just started Sailfishing this year with some pretty good results. Going back to mono was tuff for me. I love my Power-Pro but the NO-STRECH feature was pulling
hooks on these soft mouth sails. Reverting back to my old stand-by P-Line Premium CX This is the best I have found of the mono’s out there and it has a coating of fluorocarbon so it
looks lighter than is really is. Being to use 20 lb. line while only showing the fish a line diameter of fifteen is a real advantage. Think about this when spooling up your next reel.
www.p-line.com

MARCH
Hopefully the cold fronts are finally over, now all we have to put up with is the winds of March. It seems they have started early this year and will hopefully end early. Water
temperatures keep trying to reach the almost perfect 72-76 degrees on our waters every time we get two or three day’s in a row of sun.
With water temperatures 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
I also worked the Bass Pro Shop Spring Classic. This is something I do each and every year going and working the isles of a huge retail shop and I still find it challenging. Eight hours flew
by as I was fielding all types of questions from how to tie a hook on to the most advanced way to work jerk baits 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 the fine group of
Pro’s and get the skinny on your favorite baits as well as the newest ones out and of course there was also all of the sales!!!
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 South Florida there isn’t a better time to go than right now.
I’ll see you …”On the Flats”
Gear Check
This month I have been using the 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 Spike-it
plastic 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 260 yards on a Quantum Cabo 40 spinning reel. This is a great advantage for tarpon due to the casting advantage and the size of gear. Throwing a Quantum
Cabo 60 outfit in Whitewater Bay for six hours is a chore; but this is what I needed when I used monofilament lines. www.powerpro.com

APRIL
Well the winds of March have not calmed down yet but the bite has drastically improved in the bay as the water temperatures rise. 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. 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. 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. With the weather being warmer than normal for this time of the year, expect to find the spring quarries here and in full regalia sooner than the calendar dictates. The
Tarpon will usually be in Flamingo’s Whitewater Bay till the April run to the Keys, but this year the bite has been on & off to say the least. The slightest bit of cold front that comes thru
gets them in the eating mood, and then they disappear. Look for the bones to start moving to the south on the outside of Biscayne Bay and the permit showing up on their usual haunts. The
bones will also start to form schools with up to 20 fish pushing a big visible head wake to shoot at. There is still a ban on taking the Goliath Grouper in Florida waters, but I have been
catching far too many of them to feel a need for a zero bag limit. The same story is true of the gulf fishery. Fishing the sand holes, potholes and wreaks of the gulf I have experienced the
abundant numbers of Goliath’s. While snapper and cobia fishing we have found that a Goliath has moved in to the wreak and will not allow us to boat more than four to five fish without
turning our snappers into live-bait. Once the grouper has moved out of his hole, you cannot bring up another fish without him jumping all over it. I think we should have a minimum size and
a daily bag limit of at least one of these fish to help ease the pressure a 200-pound fish like this can make on a small fishing spot.
Have you seen the Sun Sports Network Show called “Chevy’s Florida Fishing Reports” Well we’re back on the air and again with 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 eight regions with each of these regions having an expert that gives an offshore as well as an inshore report
each week on the Sun Sports Network between 7 & 8:30 PM on Thursday night. There is also a very detailed fisherman’s weather report for the upcoming weekend, so check it out.
Gear Check
I have been using the Spike-it Holographic Baits with some great results. Offshore the boot-tails in a black back color put together on a 200-pound leader has been teasing up sailfish, kings
and even cobia on the reef edges from Pacific to Carysfort lights. In the backcountry the 5 inch jerk baits have slammed the snook and reds as well. You can see the whole line of Spike-it
products at www.ispikeit.com

JUNE
As June sets in the permit will be getting more numerous in Biscayne 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 Maxima Fluorocarbon Leaders has also increased my hook-up percentage a great deal and the cost is
the lowest I can find for a quality leader material. The old reliable Merkin Crab and the newer Quan Fly are the best percentage patterns I have used this season, but always keep a few
epoxy Moe’s handy. A 9 to 10 wt. seems to be the best bet for the wilily permit and I like the Thomas & Thomas Horizon II for this challenge. The faster action rods like a IM 10 are good
for the windy days but the slightly slower rods like the Horizon have a much better control over how hard a fly lands 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, and in this game you need every advantage you can get. To keep your fly line, leader and fly from
splashing down on the surface of the water as you make your presentation cast, aim four to 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 that 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. Also remember that June is the best time to Grand Slam on the flats. The Tarpon are all over the inside and outside flats,
Permit are here in great numbers and the bonefish are starting to school in their summer patterns. Now is the best time to go for the big three and receive the coveted award from the IGFA.
All you have to do is record your catches on film and have the paperwork from IGFA to apply for the certificate that is a beautiful addition to anyone’s trophy wall. I carry copies of the
application with me at all times and have found that I have been using a lot more lately. Don’t forget the plastics when in Flamingo. My Spike-It Holographic Jerk 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. Remember that
the snook is a nocturnal feeder so the best time will be at dawn and dusk for the biggest fish. The Gulf fishing is at its best during June as well. I have consistently found cobia, tripletails and
of course the GOLIATH GROUPER to provide great table fare as well as a good tug on the line. Run the markers like everyone will tell you but if you want the secret here it is…. Take a
weekend when the flats are full of boats and the winds have been calm for at least three days and head out into the gulf. Don’t stop at five or ten miles out because this is where everybody
fishes, keep running and look for any visible marks in watercolor. Plan NOT to fish much just put some new waypoints on your GPS and you will have your own Glory Hole. There are so
many wrecks out there in 18 to 30 feet of water and almost all of will be holding fish that have not been tromped on. So check it out and remember to practice some catch and release or the
next time you show up there wont be anyone home.
Gear Check
I have just received my new batch of Van Staal fly reels and I am in seventh heaven. I have an old one that’s eight years old and it is just as smooth as the new ones out of the box. Van Staal
has increased the arbor size so the retrieve is just outstanding and the finish is the very best you can get. If you are in the market for a new fly reel and want to have it for a good long time
consider Van Staal. Don’s bait & Tackle is a dealer and has a full line of the Van Staal products including the pliers. Want the best? www.vanstaal.com

JULY
July fishing in Biscayne Bay should be HOT!!!! Ok, I am talking about the temperature AND the fishing. Permit started moving in late June and should be very prevalent during the month
of July. The permit has a very high tolerance to the high water temps we experience during the summer months approaching and exceeding 90 degrees.
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 off the bottom for your best chances to keep
a fish on. 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. 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. Look for a new episode of Addictive Fishing with Blair Wiggins and your captain. I took Blair out to some wrecks out in the gulf and whooped his butt. We caught
Tripletail on the way out, then cobia, permit, jacks and some nice Goliath Grouper when we got out on the structure. The sharks were thick so we had to use some awesome gear to get the
fish into the boat before they got eaten. Check it out. The ICAST Show is in Las Vegas again 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 19th thru the 21st . I am sure I’ll have a few new products for you.
Gear Check
I have been fishing with my long time friend Ron Hill who just got a new Maverick Mirage HPX-V in the 15’ version with a 40 HP. E-Tec by Evinrude. Ron outfitted this boat with a nice
Garmin and of course a Power-Pole. Running the fifteen for the first time I was very pleasantly surprised with the ride, stability and the pole-ability of this little girl. We were in four
inches of water on the outside of Elliot Key casting at tailing bonefish as close as fifteen feet away without spooking them out. Top speed with the forty was about 34 MPH, while cruising
at 28 at 4400 RPM was acceptable. It took the second day of fishing for the gas gauge to move and poling the skiff was a dream. Ron got the skiff from Bob Hewes Boat Center and is very
happy with her.

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 couple 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 Permit over fifteen pounds will eat them up like M&M’s.
Don’t forget the plastics. My Spike-it Holographic Baits have been doing the trick in this warm water as well. Rigged on a 5/0 worm hook using a 1/16th oz. bullet weight split shot available
at Don’s Bait & Tackle in Homestead, the 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.
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 drag over 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. The early and late parts of the day have 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 its 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.
The Mahi Mahi should at their best during the month of August along with some great yellowtail/mutton fishing. I am fishing a Wellcraft until my new Panga 32 arrives I am having a ball
out there on and off the reef. Call for reservations to fish the amazing 32’ Panga hull and see for yourself how this boat performs with ONLY twin 150 E-Tec’s.
Gear Check
I have been fishing offshore with the 28’ Panga for a year now and am currently waiting for my new “TOY” the Panga 32 to be outfitted. I am powering the 32 with twin 150 E-Tec’s
and she will be in service the beginning of September. I have procured the use of a 35’ Wellcraft with TRIPLE 250 E-Tec’s so give me a call and lets go Fishin…I have the chance to use a
few new offshore baits and one of them is a new processed bait called Tuff-E-Nuff. This is a squid wing processed tough as leather and developed to stay on your hook longer. I use a long
strip to drag on my feathers and if hooked right it will not spin at all. I will use smaller strips to tip a jig and even smaller strips to catch bait. Being processed it doesn't’t STINK like un-
processed squid and is very strong, and “Boy-O-Boy” does it catch dolphin. Check it out at http://anglerschoicebaitcompany.com/
Or give the boy’s at Anglers Choice a call at (877) 283-1670. Come out for a trip and I will show you what I mean.

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 ground to make a cast at a twelve pounder that is just tailing like there is no tomorrow 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 for them to get across, they will tail on the crown of the shallow flat as they feed. The tails will look like black
fillet knife blades as they stick out of the water darting along. Pushing over the hump on Snake bite flat on the other hand, 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 predatory fish like 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 and the Hewes Tailfisher 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”.

On another note, I have been closely working with Lewmar Ltd. This is a worldwide company who has been a TOP NOTCH manufacturer of sailing products and has now entered the
powerboat side of the industry. They have produced a 316L Stainless windlass that is just awesome along with the assorted gear associated with the installation thereof. I am currently
looking for high profile captains in Tampa, Naples area, the Treasure Coast, and in the Lower Keys to add to the list of “Sponsored Captains” on the Lewmar web site.
This opportunity is offered to captains who will further promote the Lewmar name and demonstrate to the public the awesome gear that will be supplied to them. If you are such a
professional please E-Mail with your contact info and we will discuss the program in detail.
American Veterans Fish-Off
Veterans Day-November 11th, 2006
Were back …..and again this year, I will be looking for Licensed Captains to volunteer a day on the water to take our American Veterans fishing. Last year 20 Professional Captains
participated and took over 35 veterans fishing for a great day on the water. Again this year we will be filming the event with a full production company and producing a nice DVD. Great fun
and a whole bunch of flag waving saying thanks to our American Veterans who have served to protect the freedom we all enjoy. If you are a disabled veteran who likes to fish please contact
me to get your name on the angler list. We are also looking for any contributions to help fund the event. Last year we had free lunch & drinks, boat bags from West Marine for the vet’s and
some trophies from Julie Sutton Marine Art for the best stories of the day. Please help to make this “a day to remember” for our veterans.
If you are a guide and want to participate please call me to have your spot reserved. The more guide boats we have the more veterans we can take fishing. SO PLEASE CALL ASAP!!!!!!!!
Until then I will see you “On the Flats”
Gear Check
I have been fishing offshore and have the chance to use a few new baits. One of them is the Fishkin Flyer by ProFish Co. I like two colors, all clear/white and the green-orange-yellow
combination This is an ultra light trolling bait that stays almost weedless with a single hook and “Boy-O-Boy” does it catch dolphin. Check it out at http://profishco.com/fishskinflyer.asp
Come out for a trip and I will show you what I mean.

OCTOBER
I will be fishing the “Day on the Bay-Living Legends” tournament sponsored by the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscapers Association (FNGLA) on October 21st & 22nd 2006. 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 Past President Capt. Dave Baskin at 305-248-1117. There will be great awards for the winners from my wife and marine artist-Julie
Sutton Marine Art, and woodcarving artist Sean Callander, so look for the results in my next months report.
As for fishing the bay for bones and permit, there are 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. With the flush of fresh water from the torrential rains of late, I am not surprised were not catching bass in the Bay.
The west coast of the bay has a red tint to it from the rains filtering in from the mangroves and canals, but where you can find a good clear area there has been some bones tailing away in the
early mornings. I have also been finding those fall schools of young tarpon working the west coast of the bay as well as outside the bay south of Caesars Creek to Ocean Reef. These fish are
from two to fifteen pounds and are some fun on light tackle that we usually hunt bonefish with. The ten-pound test Power-Pro with a twenty-pound Fluorocarbon leader and a #1/0 circle
hook with a small crab as the final offering, is just right. A shrimp will work as well if you go to Don’s Bait & Tackle to get the special hand picked version of the shrimp, all others will be a
little small till we have a few cold fronts to bring the shrimp run back. The Hydro Glow light is a real advantage during my night snook and tarpon fishing trips I have been doing this summer
as seen in the below shot. The bait schools that gather are incredible and the predator fish that follow them in make for a wonderful nights fishing. This is a small investment that pays BIG
dividends on the water. Once again this year I will be looking for Licensed Captains to volunteer a day on the water to take our American Veterans fishing. Last year 20 Professional
Captains participated and took over 35 veterans fishing for a great day on the water. Great fun and a whole bunch of flag waving saying thanks to our American Veterans who have served to
protect the freedom we all enjoy. If you are a disabled veteran, active armed forces or just an American Veteran who likes to fish please contact me to get your name on the angler list.
We are also looking for any contributions to help fund the event. Last year we had free lunch & drinks, boat bags from West Marine for the vet’s and some trophies from Julie Sutton
Marine Art for the best stories of the day. Please help to make this “a day to remember” for our veterans. If you are a guide and want to participate please call me to have your spot
reserved. The more guide boats we have the more veterans we can take fishing. SO PLEASE CALL ASAP!!!!!!!!
Until then I will see you “On the Flats”
Gear Check
I have been fishing offshore and have the chance to use a few new baits. One of them is the Ribbonfish by Williamson Lures. I like two colors, all clear/white and the green-yellow
combination This is a great trolling bait that has some great action plus “Boy-O-Boy” does it catch dolphin. Check it out at http://www.williamsonlures.com/products/live_series.php Come
out for a trip and I will show you what I mean.

NOVEMBER
Well the green algae bloom is still here but you can still find fish in the bay. As the winds and tides shift the waters that are affected and if you pay attention you will find that there will be
areas that will be clear. That is where you will see the bones and permit feeding against shorelines and in coves on the west side of south bay. I was of the opinion that the fish would move
out of the bay and set up residence on the outside flats while the bloom was clouding the waters in the bay ….WRONG This past week we found several schools of 30+ fish feeding
heavily in the clearing water of the west shore line due to the combination of wind direction and the movement of tides. No permit were spotted just a boatload of bones that were feeding
very happily probably due to the fact there were no boats harassing them all day in the area.
    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 see the patterns. Just watch for those tails working and get ready for some action!!!!!
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.
    This is why the major bonefish tournaments are in the months that have those cooling water temps. Outside the bay has been good for permit if that is your quest. Fish the outgoing
tides at Sands Cut, Caesars Creek, and south at Angelfish and Broad Creeks for the best numbers of fish. Practice catch & release as much as you can and I will see you “On the Flats”
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
Last month we spoke about water temperatures and the effect it has on the bonefish feeding patterns. I have seen water temps in the lower sixties and even down into the upper fifties in the
past years. These temperatures make bonefishing very difficult, but not impossible. Have you ever heard of the term “deep water bonefishing”? When the surface water temperatures are in
the mid to upper sixties bonefish will tend to stay in water three to six feet deep due to the more stable temperatures. Spotting fish at this depth is a real challenge. I concentrate on looking
for mud’s put up by feeding fish, as well as ray mud’s. As a bonefish feeds he will have his head down in the grass routing out shrimp and small crabs creating small puff muds. These muds
will appear as very little spot muds and will dissipate very fast in any current situation. As a fish moves into the current he will put up a few of these puffs and let you know his direction
and how many fish by the amount of puffs. 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.

Snook season is closed till the end of January and for a very good reason. The gathering of the largest fish I have ever seen over the past two weeks has been happening here in Biscayne Bay
as well as in Flamingo waters. The winter migration of snook finds the masses moving into the creek mouths, under the mangrove overhangs and into the backcountry of Flamingo. These
fish are looking for more stable water temperatures just like the bonefish.
But the snook were feeding in the backcountry of Flamingo. We landed six snook this day with the largest being over twenty pounds. Just slow down you’re presentations just like you
would if you were bass fishing in cold water and you will find the fish. They gotta-eat man!!!!!
Tight lines and quick releases ………….and I will 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 basket 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. They also make a real nice forward casting platform made to accompany the basket I have been
using. The size and foam cushion is a favorite to all of my anglers who have the balance to stand and sight fish. We have been using the Van Staal C-Vex fly reels and with a great response
from my anglers. All who use the reel have commented on the additional weight from the last brand I used but the smoothness and durability is far beyond the former reels. With the
Thomas & Thomas Horizon II rods I have them on “a real sweet combo” is what I have heard over and over from my anglers. These outfits are of the highest quality you can find out there
on the market period.

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
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. With the weather being warmer than normal for this time of the year, expect to find the spring quarries here and in full regalia sooner than the calendar dictates. The
Tarpon will usually be in Flamingo’s Whitewater Bay till the April run to the Keys, but this year the bite has been on & off to say the least. The slightest bit of cold front that comes thru
gets them in the eating mood, and then they disappear. Look for the bones to start moving to the south on the outside of Biscayne Bay and the permit showing up on their usual haunts. The
bones will also start to form schools with up to 20 fish pushing a big visible head wake to shoot at. Tight lines & quick releases.
Gear Check
I have been using the Hydra-Glow light stick with some great results. This a whole new way to fish for me and I am liking it a lot. The light surrounds the boat and gives you a surreal feeling
as the red LED’s light up my deck of the Panga and the water glows green. It also brings in baitfish from hundreds of miles … ok … maybe not hundreds … and they in turn bring in the
predators of the night. The Flamingo and Biscayne Bay snook/tarpon have been in a lot of trouble since we have started using this light.