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G a f f M a g. R e p o r t s

Fishing Reports and Articles

Fishing Report
July/August
2006

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.

Here is a nice 20+ pound permit on crab
and the new Cabo 40 by Quantum.

We also tag Bonefish 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.

Don’t forget the snook season opens Sept. one ….
Can’t wait. Call to book now!!!!!!

The flats are loaded with this fiery villain sitting poised to strike at 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.

Rapala’ s Skitter Walk

Gear Check
The gear we are using these days “On the Flats” with Capt. Dave is the Quantum Cabo gear. The Cabo CBIS70M Rods are seven-foot medium
action rods made for 8-17 pound test lines, matched with the new Quantum Cabo 30 reel filled with 300 yards of 10-pound test Power-Pro 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”

Captain Dave Sutton is sponsored by Chevrolet, Panga, Evinrude, Sea-Power, Costa Del Mar Eyewear, Odyssey Batteries, SOL Sunscreen,
Calusa Nets, Hydro-Glow Fishing Lights, Spike-it, Frogg-Toggs, High Rollers, Lipper Tool, Pro-Fish, Lowrance Electronics, Van Staal Fly Reels,
Thomas & Thomas 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 28 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 his website
and print, or to book a trip, call him at 305-248-6126 or e-mail him at djsutton@bellsouth.net.
His website: www.saltwater-flyfisherman.com