Barracudas and more

After a morning of red-hot patch reef action my anglers asked me if there was any chance of using some light tackle to catch Barracuda. I said there was but first we needed to catch some live Ballyhoo which are choice baits. The bait was harder to catch than the Cudas. Castnet would not work so we hairhooked each ballyhoo till we had a few dozen.

Fox Sport Fishing Trek rods were bowed up
all afternoon on Barracudas

I rigged Permit Trek and Bonefish Trek rods up for Don Burchell and Arthur Kargen. After the first fish we switched to the Bonefish Trek and Diablo 350 combo. The boys loved how light the rods are and the long rod butts. The drags were sizzling for the next 2 hours as we released at least a dozen of the toothy critters and missed a bunch more. Big action. Lots of spectacular leaps as well. After running out of ballyhoo I put a live blue runner on for bait. Don caught a really big cuda pushing 30 lbs.

double of Barracuda on the light tackle

Arthur Kargen and Don Burchell
caught Barracuda up to 25lbs

Arthur Kargen loved using the
Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo Cuda fishing

he wants a piece of me

Arthur with a ultra light tackle Cero Mackerel

Don Mack exclaimed  these Barracudas
fight way harder than freshwater Pike and Musky

Don Mack loved using light tackle
Bonefish Trek rods and Diablo spinning reels

On the way in on a hunch we drifted over a patch reef rigged up with jig heads and live shrimp. We saw tails sticking out of the water and soon a whole school of Permit started cruising by. Arthur made a cast and hooked one and after a 15 minute battle landed his first ever Permit. We were able to relocate the school and Don landed his first ever Permit as well. Quite the sight to see a school of more than a hundred Permits swimming by in slick calm conditions.

Arthur had always wanted to catch a Permit and made the perfect cast

Don Burchell with his first Permit.
He caught it on a Bonefish Trek rod and Diablo 350 spin reel

The next day Arthur was back with another friend Don Mack. He asked if we could do the same as yesterday. It was a calm morning but the wind freshened during the day. Plenty of action on the patch reefs with Mutton Snapper Hogfish and Porgies and small Sharks. Ballyhoo were easier today. And the Barracuda action was outstanding once again. Don Mack could not get over how hard they fought. He has caught loads of freshwater Pike and Muskellunge and said the cudas are a lot stronger fight. We used the 4 piece Bonefish Trek travel rods fitted with Diablo 350 spinning reels for all of our fishing.

Spanish Hogfish on the patch reefs today

Don actually watched this Red Grouper eat his bait.
The 4 piece Bonefish Trek rod & Diablo spinning reel is a tough combo

Later we went and had a look for the Permit school but not a one was to be found. 

Captain Skip Nielsen

Mid Winter here in the Keys

Yes, we here in the Florida Keys think when the temps are 55 degrees F its winter. We are in a 2 week stretch of back to back cold fronts. Fishing is still very good though. The Patch Reef fishing is excellent as is the Sailfishing. In the Backcountry fish that don't mind the cooler water temps are targeted such as Redfish, Blackdrum and Seatrout. Snook perk up in the afternoons as watertemps rise.

I've even had a few reports of Bonefish and Permit being caught on the patch reefs the last few days. My guests have had great action the last couple weeks oceanside and bayside using light tackle. Fox Sport Fishing Diablo 550 and 350 spinning reels and Bonefish Trek and Permit Trek travel rods is the tackle I'm using lately. These outfits are 4-piece and extremely easy to pack and travel anywhere with.

Here are  a few pictures from fishing trips these past 2 weeks.

Captain Skip Nielsen

Brian Fiacco with a fat Seatrout caught on the Fox Sport Fishing
Bonefish Trek travel rod and Diablo 350 spin reel

Brian, Rob and Carmine with a Little Tunny from the reef's edge

Carmine and Brian with a Sheepshead

Carmine with a nice Black Drum on the
Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Fishing backcountry creeks in Everglades
Park Jeffrey Thompson caught Redfish .
He used the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 

Rainbow Runner on the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo .
This was a large Rainbow and an uncommon catch here in the Keys

Rob with a Redfish

we finished the day oceanside on patch reefs
where Jeffrey Thompson caught this Black Grouper
on the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350

..by the way. Last Tuesday I invited Rick Peper and my wife, Cyd, to go Sailfishing. It was an incredible day. Rough seas but the Sails were everywhere and hungry. Using the Permit Trek travel rods fitted with Diablo 550 spin reels we released 6 Sailfish.  We spooled the Diablos with 20lb braid and the Permit Trek rods being so light really made this fishing fun.

Brian Fiacco and Carmine enjoyed excellent
catch and release grouper fishing action . 

Cyd really enjoyed  using light tackle to catch Sailfish.
Fox Sport fishing Permit Trek travel rods are 4 piece and feather light

Cyd using the Permit Trek 4 piece on one 3 Sailfish she released

head shaking

lit up Sailfish release at boat

Rick Peper released 2 Sails using the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

SAILfish

Tony fighting Bonitos with the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Fishing report from December 15 - January 4th

Lots of great fishing was  had here in the Florida Keys over the Christmas holidays and New Year.

Using Fox Sport Fishing rods and reels my guests enjoyed some fantastic variety. We had warm days mostly with just a few cooler days. A little rain here and there but it was one of our warmest December's on record here in Islamorada. We even caught a few big Tarpon.

Fox Sport Fishing Bonefish Treks, Permit Treks and Sailfish Trek rods were our go-to rods along with Fox Diablo spinning reels. Here are some (just some) of the many highlights for my holiday guests using Fox Sport Fishing tackle.

Captain Skip Nielsen

Ana Timmerburg battles a Spinner Shark

another Snook with Scott Barco and Dr.Tony

Avi and Ben bailing Crevalle Jacks on Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combos

Ben Cohen and a big Sea trout

Ben Cohen and Serena Cohen  lots of Redfish

Ben Friedman wires a 300lb Goliath Grouper
for John Hudson on Foxsportfishing tackle

big day on the patch reefs for Randy Soth, here is a gag grouper

big Spanish were biting for Joe Des Rosier

Bill Blakey and daughter Carli caught a
little of everything including this huge Ladyfish

Black Drum action for the new years' eve crew

Carly Blakey caught a bunch of Spanish Mackerels

Dave Friedman and his Bluefish

Dick Friedman had a blast catching Spanish Mackerel

Gary Adiska pulled this Mangrove Snapper out of the bushes

Jaws

Joe Des Rosier and  Sarah Avigne  with a
very rare backcountry catch of a big King Mackerel

Joe Des Rosier caught several species on the 9 weight Fox fly rod

John Hudson and Ben Friedman released 2 big Christmas Tarpon
today in the back using Fox Sport Fishing tackle

John Mcward took his mom on her first keys fishing trip

John Walsh with his big Redfish

Kurtis Coady

Mom Mcward had fun

My friend since 4th grade , Dr.Joanne Mahoney
released a bunch of Snook

New Years Eve fishing crew.

Nick Charak with a nice Snook

Paul Timmerburg with a nice Ladyfish

Peter Aiello battles a Grouper using a Rage Ultralight rod

Peter Aiello with a fat Red Grouper

Randy Soth caught a Red Grouper

Sarah Avigne and Joe DesRosier had a huge day

Sarah Avigne with a big Bluefish and Joe DesRosier looks on

Scott Barco and Dr.Tony had some fun Snook fishing

Serena Cohen and Avi caught lots of big Seatrout on New Years eve

Susan Silver with a Seatrout

the Coady familly had a fun day with
Spanish Macs then finished with Spinner Sharks

this Blacktip Shark put a smile on Carly Blakey

to finish the day Joe Des Rosier caught this 30lb King Mackerel
out in the bay. Sarah Avigne holds the tackle used

Tom's Redfish

Tony Honour of Pagham, England had lots
of action including this big Redfish

Tony Honour released a good Snook using
a Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Tony Honour with a New Year's Pompano