Season is a Changin'

In the keys this time of year the weather is constantly on the change. This past Monday morning we woke to East-North-East winds gusting to 30 knots. Just about all the guides cancelled their fishing trips for the day. My guests however wanted to give it a go. Fine by me as there is always a lee somewhere to fish out of the wind. Its the getting there and getting back that gets you bounced around and whipped with spray though.

I had Cliff Fox and Freddy DuPreeze on this very windy day. In the past I have fished similar days and if we could find the right size live bait I knew just where we needed to go to keep the rods bending. We did find the bait and off we went on an hour run to a small protected creek up in the Everglades. I hadn't fished this particular creek in a couple of years since the big freeze that had decimated the Snook population. But as I had been finding plenty juvenile snook lately it was the right weather condition to give it a try.

We arrived and tied up to an overhanging mangrove branch and threw out a few "freebies" while I rigged up our Bonefish Trek Travel rods and Diablo 350 spinning reels. I knew immediately we were in for a treat. Fish were exploding on the bait. Cliff and Freddy spent the next 3 hours catching Snook to 8lbs, many Seatrout, Redfish and Jack Crevalle to 10 lbs in this small creek. The wind was blowing the water out and the bite was on. Plenty of Mangrove Snapper were in the mix also. Its great to see the Snook population making a comeback.

Cliff Fox fishes a small protected creek deep in the Everglades

its blowing 25 mph on the other side of this island in the backcountry

It's great to see the Snook making a strong comeback

Freddy pulled this Snook out from under the roots

bobber fishing is so much fun

you had to get your bait tight to the bushes to get a Snook bite

Crevalle Jacks were great fighters on the Bonefish Trek travel rod

Freddy had a big battle using an ultralight Fox Rage rod

Freddy with a Seatrout

I caught a Redfish with no spots

Day 2 the wind was down to 15 out of the south east and Cathy Fox joined us today along with Cliff and Freddy. I went back to where I'd had the small Tarpon a few days back but they had moved on. No current and just a few snappers. So we moved out to the open bay and fished some of the "bomb craters". Nice mix for the light tackle. Grouper and Snapper to 4 lbs. Spanish Mackerel and Ladyfish were biting as well. The action was on the slow side with there not being water current. I remembered a spot close to 9-mile bank that usually held some fish and went there in the afternoon.

note the wire trace albrighted onto the mono trace.
Spanish Macks are toothy critters

we kept a few of the big Macks for the smoker

great action

we kept a few of the big Macks for the smoker

 Here we had a nice current flowing with the wind. The bite was on. Big Spanish Mackerel to 6lbs. Bluefish, Crevalle Jack and big Mangrove Snapper were biting. Cliff , Cathy and Freddy had a great time. Its great to keep 3 rods bending on every cast. The Bonefish Trek travel rods and Diablo 350 spinnings reels had a real workout.

Cathy caught a couple of Barracudas

that same freeze 3 years ago hurt the goliath groupers
but they are making a comeback.
Cathy caught this one on a Bonefish Trek

So during the night around 2am it started thundering and lightening. Big strong cold front pushing through. Around 9am the rain finally quit and we headed out. Just after filling the livewell with castnetted pilchards one last rain squall caught us by surprise. It was basically a white-out. Being close to home we did a quick change into some dry clothes and headed back out.

The wind picked up out of the west north west and the temp was dropping. By days end it was blowing 20+ from the north.  We caught a few Snook around the islands then headed into Flamingo. We fished in the lee of the mainland and got into a hot bite of 4 to 8lb Crevalle Jacks. It was wild action til we had enough and made a nice downwind ride home back to Islamorada and Bud n Marys Marina.

Cathy and Cliff finished out the day catching
Crevalle Jacks on the light tackle

Cliff really likes fishing Rage Ultralight rods

There is always a lee here in the keys to find some action when the wind is blowing.

This morning as I write this it is Thanksgiving day here and we have so much to be thankful for. As I write it is 57 degrees out and chilly. But it will warm up tomorrow. Last week we fished 3 days and the wind was down and we were able to fish the outer reefs so there you go.

Captain Skip Nielsen