Greetings from Captain Buddy,
Spring time in the mangroves brings clear, calm waters… and with that, good sight casting opportunities! Exploring the bays and small coves this time of year are the ticket to success during lower tides. Being the dryer pre-rainy season, the more sluggish tide more easily reveals our moving target. The windy days of the last couple months have subsided lately, and I’m seeing and catching plenty of Redfish. There aren’t too many little bays and coves where you won’t find them feeding. Locating them isn’t so much the challenging part. Putting the fly ‘on the money’, however, requires focus and patience. If you’re coming down to fish the mangroves, remember to take a little time ahead of time to cast in your yard, or a nearby park. Your casting makes a difference when it comes to making contact, so incorporating just a little advance casting practice as a part of your trip preparation is well worth the time spent. This applies whether conventional tackle or using fly gear.
The annual Tarpon migration this season has been slower than normal. The consensus, after speaking with several fellow guides, is that it hasn’t happened so far this year. Although we’re hoping for a later run, I’m not holding my breath. There are still lots of baby Tarpon in the back country, just not the numbers of larger females we optimally want to hook up with.
Large Snook opportunities are showing up now! We’ve hooked several very large Snook over the past few months. It’s a challenging game, that takes some luck (and skill) to pull the large ones away from the mangroves. I personally like fishing later in the day until dark, but charters generally don’t allow for those hours. Early is the next best, so we aim to get an early start and fish hard prior to the tides coming in.
There are undoubtedly more boats on the water this year. People have definitely been getting outdoors more post-lockdown. I’ve even heard boat sales have been through the roof, as well as camping gear, etc. Don’t worry, with over 2 million acres in Everglades National Park, and 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge, we’re never crowded. If by chance someone happens to be fishing our spot, we simply move on and around to the next chosen spot where we can fish uninterrupted, free of crowds and boat traffic. Grateful for every day on the water!
Take a listen and come on down for a memorable experience! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l3ukWqRU4s
Signing off,
Captain Buddy
