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

One Day Report

The McJunkin luck factor kicked in yesterday. After cast netting some live mullet we fished off the beach at Cape Sable. Stanley, Bobby and Paul released 4 Tarpon and 3 huge Snook up to 23 lbs. Sharks were absent from the scene probably allowing the other fish to bite so well.

We used Fox Sport Fishing Sailfish Trek 4 piece travel rods fitted with Diablo 750 spinning reels for the catches.

Captain Skip Nielsen

Bobby caught and quickly released this Snook
while fishing for Tarpon

off the beach at Cape Sable.
Bobby uses Fox Sport Fishing tackle to catch this Tarpon

Paul and Bobby hard at it

Stanley McJunkin caught this Snook over
20lbs while Bobby fights another

Stanley McJunkin uses Fox Sport Fishing Sailfish Trek rod
and Diablo 750 spin reel on this Tarpon

Mid June Fishing Report

6 foot juvenile Tiger Shark is beautiful

My favorite time of year. Loads of bait, hungry fish and lots of options. I have been taking my guests to the far backcountry of Everglades National Park the last 10 days. Baitfish such as pilchards and silverside ballyhoo have flooded the flats and are choice baits for Snook, Trout, Red-fish, and Tarpon. Lots of fat mangrove snapper have moved into the grass flats as well providing great action and good food. Snook have started their summer migration along the Cape Sable beaches. Medium and large Tarpon are in the backcountry channels. Not swarming but if you are patient you will get a couple on the right tides.

Fox Sport Fishing Trek rods and Diablo Spinning reels continue to do the job for me day in and day out. 

Here are some pictures as of late. A thunder storm chased us in giving me a  little time to post the report. Going back out for the outgoing tide when it clears up.

Captain Skip Nielsen

Bobby and his first ever Tarpon release.
He caught it using the Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo

David Kubert caught this beauty using the
Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

great snook fishing, 20 released on day 2 for Joe Kubert

Happy Father's Day to David Kubert  the father
and sons caught Tarpon and Snook and Sharks

Huge Redfish for Wendy Sims on the
Permit Trek travel rod and Diablo 550 spinning reel

interesting double header, Paul points his rod at a 100lb Tarpon
while Bobby gets a rare backcountry Tiger Shark release

Joe Kubert released this jumbo Snook he caught while
Tarpon fishing with the Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo

John Kubert used Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo
on his 100lb Tarpon release

Lots of big Mangrove Snapper in the mix.
Bobby caught this one on the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Paul releases this Snook.
Fox Sport Fishing Permit Trek rod and Fox Diablo 550 spin reel
 were used to make the catch

Paul with his first ever Tarpon

Randy Soth did a great job of angling.
Fox Sport fishing Bonefish Trek rod on a 50lb plus Goliath Grouper

she's a real Beauty

Paul's 2nd Tarpon was over 100lbs and he caught it
using the Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo

Snook bite was on for Stanley and Bobby

Stanley McJunkin gets a Tarpon release

Stanley McJunkin releasing Bobby's Tarpon

Tom got a big Redfish as well

Tom Sims caught his Snook on the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Using Permit Trek rods and Diablo 550 spin reels filled with 30lb braid
The rods were great. they allowed us to get the snook

Wendy Sims with a great Snook on the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo