Spectacular Three Days Of Fishing

Mark and Liz got into the Redfish
on all 3 days using
Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

The last three days of fishing of my summer season were nothing short of spectacular. Doctors' Liz and Mark Harris from the Isle of Man were back and were chomping at the bit to go fishing. Mark said he had a goal, catching Redfish,Tarpon and a Snook in the same day which would be a West Coast Florida grand slam. I love a challenge, and with conditions and fishing having been good I felt confident as we headed out.

It was a magic morning. Slick calm with an incoming tide. I stopped at First National Bank hoping to catch a few baitfish but there was so much happening around us it was hard to concentrate on baitfish. Schools of small ballyhoo were getting showered constantly. I was able to castnet a bunch and the action began. Big Seatrout, Spanish Mackerel, Crevalle Jacks, Ladyfish and Mangrove Snapper kept the duo busy for a couple hours. They were using Bonefish Trek rod and Diablo 350 spinning reel. I was catching Pinfish in the chumline in my spare moments.

Liz Harris got her Grand Slam as well
with a Snook, Redfish and Tarpon
release in the same day

Liz with a major Seatrout

Mark caught this Snook on day 1 as part
of a West Coast Florida Grand Slam

Mark caught this Cobia on a
Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

I hated to leave this action but did not want to miss the morning bite of Tarpon at Cape Sable. But that did not happen. You should have been here yesterday. Ha ha. So we turned around and headed back to one of the many channels that drain the flats on the way to Flamingo. With a nice outgoing tide we switched to some dead bait on the bottom. Liz and Mark must be living right! Within 20 minutes they were hooked up to a double header of 60 and 80lb Tarpon. Wow...

Mark had some great Tarpon fishing

Mark Harris with fine Tarpon
caught on Fox sport fishing tackle

Mark releases one of his Tarpon

Mark spent some time in the hot July sun fighting this
Tarpon on a Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo

Mark uses the Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo on this jumping Tarpon

With the Tarpon out of the way I guided us to a small spot way up on the flats. By now the tide was coming in.. Mark and Liz each caught Redfish on the Bonefish Trek rod and then we changed spots and tried an underwater obstruction free lining small live pinfish. Now they each caught and released Snook. On their first day of fishing they had succeeded in their quest. congratulations Liz and Mark.

Day 2

On day 2 Liz caught a monster
Snook on a Fox sport fishing
Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Baitfishing was good but the action on the flats from couple days ago had slowed. With a livewell full of frisky pilchards we went in search of Snook at Cape Sable. Very slow....We went to one of my favourite spots, a deep depression with a couple ledges. Liz and Mark free lined Pilchards with light leads on Permit Trek rod and Diablo 550 reel.

Liz was first to score with a Snook of at least 15lbs. nice going. Mark was into the small sharks. I gave Mark a Fox Boat XT rod fitted with an EOS Trolling reel baited with one of the mackerel we had caught earlier and told him to hold on.  First was a 100lb Goliath Grouper. Next a 150lb Bullshark. The day was coming together quite well.After this we headed towards Islamorada. I stopped by some broken trees up on a flat from a hurricane in the past. Using Bonefish Trek rod and Diablo 350 reel we floated live pilchards on bobbers in amongst the roots. 3 Snook and 4 Redfish. Mark scored yet another slam. And I forgot to mention that on the first day Mark caught a Cobia whilst trying for a Snook. He had slammed again. Cobia, Seatrout and Redfish for an East Coast Florida Slam.

angry Bullshark action

Liz puts the pressure on a Blacktip Shark
using the  Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Mark caught this big Snook on day 2 using a Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Liz caught this Blacktip

Mark got a nice Goliath Grouper on a
Fox Trek Boat  XT  rod EOS 50 combo

Liz poses with an itzy bitzy Goliath

day 2 another Redfish and a 2nd slam for Dr.Mark Harris

Day 3
We had so much fun the first morning that we headed to First National Bank again and action fished all morning. I was very happy that the Mangrove Snapper bite was on as I was keeping some for the freezer. This was my last guiding trip of the summer and I was heading out to home in Montana. Fish fries in the backyard were in my plans. Anyway the snapper were taking small ballyhoo and on the light Bonefish Trek and Rage Ultralight rods were great rodbenders. After keeping our limit and releasing 25 more we moved on to some larger sport.

We tried some Snook spots at Cape Sable and managed a few nice fish but not enough to hold us in any one spot. I went back to the ledges where we had fished the day before and set up. Mark jumped a nice Tarpon off and Liz managed a couple small groupers. Mark next caught a Snook, easily his largest to date. That was on a Permit Trek Diablo 550. Now Mark was free-lining a live pilchard on the same tackle and hooked something large. It made a pretty good run to start then started circling the boat. It was not coming in and Mark asked me if we had a chance. I did not think so on the light tackle. The 550 Diablo reel was packed with Fox Horizon super braid of 30lb test so I told Mark to inch up the clutch which he did. He also was cupping the spool. I coached him to not hi-stick the rod and Mark was able to put incredible pressure on his quarry. The Permit Trek rod continues to amaze me. After an hour battle Mark had a 9 foot long Sawfish breaking the surface and we were amazed. Mark had asked earlier if there was a chance of seeing on. Never did I think it would be on a live pilchard and a light rod. A catch of a lifetime for Dr.Mark. And a great job of angling.

Dr.Mark spent a solid hour battling a Sawfish on a
Permit Trek rod fitted with a Diablo 550 reel. Incredible that the  rod held out

Mark has a release on a Sawfish

another shot of Mark's Sawfish

at our last fishing hole 30 Redfish were released using
Bonefish Trek and Rage Ultralight rods

Last fish of a great trip

this left handed whelk was our second most unusaul catch

We took some video and pictures and released this prehistoric fish unharmed. Well after that my crew was tired but halfway home I wanted to give  a spot a try that I had not fished in years. We set up casting small baits towards the edge of a mangrove island and finished with 20 Redfish releases.

Another fishing trip to remember for Liz and Mark Harris.
Captain Skip Nielsen