Matt emailed last week and wanted to book today so we made it happen! A simple 4 hour trip was it and we did that. I’d been fishing mostly full days so was a change of pace for me. We tried an island out back that I had done well at a week or so ago with a lot of redfish and some nice snappers. I hadn’t been since then. Conditions looked good but we got there and there was just no life! No redfish and only caught a couple small snappers. We bailed and high tailed it to some channel runoffs where I know some redfish had been. Though it’s a ride and you are time limited, so I hoped we’d hit it right. Another boat was in there luckily someone I knew so we were able to work together. We caught some trout, jacks, and ladyfish and had some decent action at least as the tide fell out. Once it turned, we pushed further in and got into a good redfish bite! For about 25 minutes, it was just every cast. We caught a bunch on shrimp and then switched to artificials and caught several on that too! But once the tide got higher the water just got very muddy and it was like somebody flipped the switch – they just quit biting! We moved a little bit and did managed to catch a few more, but it seemed a wrap. Luckily that was right about time to go home. So overall a fun morning and it was beautiful out, kind of the calm before the storm as it’s suppose to get nasty tonight and tomorrow looks like it’ll be a good day to stay home. We already cancelled Sunday and I’m fine with that as I’m battling a cold and don’t want to be out in the cold rain and wind anyways. But Monday looks like it could be very good fishing it might be slow first thing in the AM, but I’m betting when the winds lay down in the afternoon it might be time for some of those big fish! Unfortunately Tuesday the winds are going to be cranking again out of the east and then going back to west/north by weeks end as another minor front comes through I think. But you never know what will happen.
Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing
