Summer Backcountry Fishing Is As Good As It Gets!

This past week we had great conditions for fishing the area around Cape Sable. It is a 30 mile run from Islamorada but is truly a wilderness and an awesome fishery.

My guests this past week included David Kubert and Steve Kost for an action packed 3 days, Jeff and Christine Thompson for a day, and Liz and Mark Harris for a couple days. All my guests had days of Tarpon, Snook and Redfish, along with all the action fish while baiting up like Mangrove Snapper, Ladyfish, Seatrout and Crevalle Jacks. 

The Tarpon bite was very good. Liz Harris got her first ever fly-caught Tarpon while Mark jumped a couple off and Jeff had a few in the air as well. Live bait fishing under corks was a blast for the Tarpon. These Tarpon are medium size fish. 20 to 60 lbs and jump like crazy.

Great sport using Fox Sport Fishing's Permit Trek travel rods fitted with Diablo 550 spinning reels. 

After spending mornings Tarpon fishing we explored creek mouths and shorelines. Snook and Redfish were plentiful and all my guests caught "Backcountry Slams" consisting of all 3 species on one outing. Nice!

Big Sharks are on the prowl and fighting a fish for any length of time invites them in so quick releases were done in most places we fished. Bull sharks and Lemon's are great sport in the shallow water as well and are part of the eco-system and unfortunately can associate boats with easy pickings so lots of the time we catch a fish or two then move to another spot. Bait on the edges of the flats is thick right now. Baby pilchards and Ballyhoo are swarming and all the Crevalle Jacks and Ladyfish are right behind.

Tarpon will be around the rest of the summer in the far backcountry and readily take flies and lures. Mornings are best for this action. In the afternoons thunderstorms build over the mainland and you should be on your way back by 2pm latest to avoid the threat. I backed off the drags, sprayed some lubricant and loosened the rod pieces up and stored the tackle til November. I am on a bus-mans' holiday until then fishing the western USA flyfishing.

Here is just a few pictures from my last week of summer fishing...

Captain Skip Nielsen

4-spotted Redfish for Steve Kost

Chistine Thompson with a jumping Tarpon

Christine's photo finish

David Kubert releases this Tarpon from the livewell
after carefully taking the hook out, Again

David Kubert with an honest to goodness Great Hammerhead

DK got his Redfish using a Diablo 350 spin reel
mounted on an Ultralight Fox Rage rod

DK had fun with the Fox 9 weight Trek Flyrod

DK with one of many Snook caugth the last week of June

double header of Tarpon for Liz and Mark on
Permit Trek rods and Diablo 550 spin reels

Fishing creek mouths with Bonefish Trek rods
was very productive for Redfish

fishing the shorelines of Cape Sable with Bonefish Trek rods
and Diablo 350 spinning reels David Kubert released lots of Snook

Jeff Thompson with a nice Redfish caught on a
Rage rod and Diablo 350 spinning reel

limit of tasty Mangrove Snappers.
All caught on Fly using Fox 9 weight Trek flyrods

Liz and Mark Harris

Liz Harris catching her first Tarpon on a
flyrod built by Fox Sport Fishing

Liz Harris Nice Redfish

lots of Jacks cruising the beaches of Cape Sable.
Steve Kost used a Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo here

Mangrove Snapper provided fast action for
Jeff Thompson on the Fox Trek 9 weight fly rod

Mark and Liz Harris had fun fly casting with the 9 weight Fox flyrod

Mark Harris and the Fox Sport Fishing Permit Trek travel rod
and Diablo 550 spinning reel on this crazy Tarpon

medium sized Tarpon perfect on Fox Permit Trek rods

nice air on this Tarpon for Jeff

nice Redfish for Liz on the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

since the big freeze in 2010 these guys are making a good comeback

Snook for Mark

Steve Kost points his Permit Trek rod at this Tarpon

Steve needed this Snook for his Slam

Steve with the 9weight and a fat Snapper

Tarpon on Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo for DK

we have lift-off

Tarpon Season Shifts Into High Gear

Tarpon season is getting into high gear but we have been fishing for variety as well.

Stanley McJunkin and Jeff Turner fished 3 days and had very good fishing. Lots of Snook, Redfish and Tarpon to report. Jeff released a Tiger Shark and a couple Bull Sharks that gave the Tarpon Trek and Sailfish Trek rods a thorough workout. One of the Bulls' was around 300lbs. That is a great catch on a 4 piece spinning rod. The  Diablo 750 spinning reels loaded with 50lb Fox braid handled the job. Stanley caught a big Goliath and a Mud Marlin and a few big Sharks as well. On one day the pair released over 30 Snook using Bonefish Trek rods and Diablo 350 spinning reels.

Fox sport fishing's 8 foot 4 piece Sailfish Trek rod and
Diablo 750 spin reel is an ideal combo for big Saltwater fish

Tarpon putting on a show for Jeff Turner

Stanley using a Tarpon Trek rod and Diablo 750 reel 
on a jumping Spinner Shark

Stanley McJunkin wires Jeff Turner's first ever Tarpon

Lot of Bull for Jeff

Jeff Turner getting a release on one of his Tarpons

Goliath Grouper on a Tarpon Trek rod Diablo 750 spin reel
for Stanley

Mug Shot!

Stanley used a Fox Sport Fishing Boatrod XT fitted
with an EOS 50 Trolling reel to best this Mud Marlin

Jeff caught Snook, Tarpon and  Reds for Backcountry Slams
2 days in a row

Jeff Turner and Stanley got into the Redfish

Stanley released over 20 Snook on this day using
the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

lots of Snook for Jeff Turner as well

I had Dr. Joanne Mahoney and Dr. Mark out on Friday. They released 25 Snook and then we caught a limit of tasty Mangrove Snapper. It was a slick calm day and the water was crystal clear. Jo released a feisty Red Grouper she sight-fished.

Mark holds a Snook for Dr. Mahoney on the
Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Joanne Mahoney and Mark had a great day releasing over 25 Snook

Joanne spotted this Red Grouper on the bottom and lowered a
bait down and caught it on a Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Mark's largest of the day caught on the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

On Sunday I fished my wife Cyd. She released a Tarpon around 90lbs on her fly rod. We were poling amongst laid up Tarpon early in the morning. The tarpon were all around us and it was thrilling for Cyd to have one take her well presented fly.

Saturday evening Bryce Henderson fished with me. Right at sunset he hooked a huge Tarpon. This fight lasted well into the dark. I estimated this Tarpon at 175 plus. Easily the largest Tarpon beside my boat in the last couple of years. Congrats Bryce.

Bryce Henderson caught this Crevalle Jack while sunset Tarpon fishing

Bryce Henderson fought an est. 175lb Tarpon
well into the dark before getting  a release

He used Fox Sport Fishing Tarpon Trek boat rod and EOS Trolling reel to make the catch.

Captain Skip Nielsen

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