Backcountry Fishing Reports

Well the weather man had it wrong today! It was suppose to be a washout 100% chance of rain, but we never really had a drop on us. Little breezy south wind but it did out in the backcountry, and some of the prettiest eater I’d seen in a while good to see. I had Jim and Steve two of my regulars this time of year. We caught our limit of snappers to start the day which was nice and easy. After that we hit the backcountry, the boys hadn’t been in the creeks before we usually fish the gulf or patches. Weird tide it never got very low some had to fish some more unusual spots. But once we got dialed in we had good fishing! Lots of redfish which had been the norm back there. As we got near the end of the tide we checked some other areas for snook. They were spread out but we had good fishing landing in the double digits. My kind of fishing where we had a couple bites off each stop and spent time working around in different areas, not seeing another boat back there. Saw a few Crocs and then headed on home. It was slick calm for the first half of the ride and the water was gorgeous, wish we had more time to stay! We will be back at it tomorrow looks like it’ll cool off a little and start windy but get nicer as the day goes on. We will see what the day brings!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Chilly, rainy, windy morning! Will wanted to give it a go though and so I was game. We had a half day scheduled which was perfect. We blasted through some drizzly rain that just didn’t end. We rarely get that kind of weather here in the Florida Keys, but it was one of those handful of days of the year. Unfortunately I couldn’t really get where I wanted to go with the tide, so we had to backtrack a little bit but got on some decent fish. Very nice size mangrove snappers which was great action and lucky for them we were releasing ’em because he didn’t need any table fare. We also got about a half dozen sheepshead or so and a few jack crevelles. We worked around an island fishing various edges and all of them held some fish. We tried a mud as well for some trout and ladyfish, but not much doing and it was hard to see where the active fish mud was with the rain and wind. We gave it a little extra time as it finally got nicer and stopped in a spot where I thought a few reds might be, and we caught more snappers but did get one redfish at least. The rain did stop the rest of the day seemingly at least and a few more boats made it out in the afternoon. Tomorrow looks like a similar forecast but hopefully we’ll be able to squeeze a half day in, then Monday at least the moisture clears out and it’ll be cooling down again for a few nights. No pictures as my phone and hands were all wet hard to get it to work when you can’t get dry!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Well good news I got my boat back up and running Wednesday afternoon.  We had tons of action with Jim and Gwen! They’ve been fishing with me almost since I started guiding. We were gonna fish yesterday but I had today scheduled as a day off, and the forecast didn’t look great the day before do we opted to go today. Of course it ended up gorgeous yesterday, weather man is often wrong! But today was nice too and north wind which I prefer. First stop was slow, current was racing and tide was high. But Jim got a juvenile Goliath here. Next stop we didn’t get much early on, but once the tidal current slowed down it was game on! Lots of redfish, a few snook, and a few sheepshead! We tried a couple spots after that for something big, not much luck though we did get smaller Goliaths again on each of those spots! We tried another creek on the way home and got one more snook. That wrapped up our day, it was colder on the ride home than in the morning. Half day tomorrow then looks like the weather may get a little nasty but we will show up at the dock and see how it looks and try to get our day in Sunday.

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

1/21/19 – Had regulars Frank and Julie out for the day.  Fishing was a little tough, we had a drastic drop in temperature, coupled with 25 mph west winds blowing the day before.  So the fish weren’t really happy and water very muddy.  We were able to pick away though.  Didn’t catch much of anything the first couple hours aside from a trout and a few catfish.  Finally around 10:00 we started to pick away at a few black drums, catching 5 or so along with a redfish.  Tide got high enough to jump in some other areas where I hoped some snook or other things may start biting with it warming up.  But no luck and water again was super muddy and nasty looking.  We bailed and tried some spots on the way home, tide wasn’t right in the first stop so we just kept moving.  Stopped by an island and did catch our limit of snappers for dinner, and a few more redfish.  Toughest day I’ve had fishing wise in a long time, but not terrible we had a good time which is the most important and some fish for dinner too!

1/22/19 – Got out with Joe and his dad Harold today, other regulars of mine.  Last year they caught it right and we caught several monster snook and some nice black drums in the gulf.  One of those perfect days where it got cold but was calm.  This year though not as much luck there, it was blowing pretty good.  Luckily though once we got half way into the bay, the wind died out as the cold bay water often does helped kill it, and was a more favorable direction north instead of southeast.  We made it deep into the backcountry.  Not much early on a black drum and trout, but when the tide bottomed out we got into a good creek and caught a bunch of redfish, a few snook, a few trout, and a sheepshead.  Even saw an otter which was a first for me!  Didn’t have time to get a picture though.  When the tide got a little higher we jumped into another hold and again bailed more redfish and a few more snook.  Good fishing!  The wind now though started cranking out of the east.  We hit one more stop and caught some more fish then headed home.  Unfortunately we had some motor issues half way back.  Broke down about 20 miles from home but luckily I have nice friends, and one of them came and picked my clients up and got them home by 4 PM or so, then the other towed me in and we got back around 6:45 just before dark.  Was a long wet ride in the 25 mph winds, but could of been much worse as we could’ve broke down 40 miles back there!  So at least Joe and Harold got to enjoy a great day fishing and just got home a little later than expected so no big deal.  I brought the boat over to the service center today hopefully for a quick diagnosis and maybe with any luck it’ll be back in operation Friday.  My friend who towed me is out of town and actually has my same boat so I am borrowing it for some trips until he gets back Sunday.  Then I’ll have another skiff to use if necessary but hopefully I’ll get mine back before that.  Oh well these things happen and could definitely of been worse!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

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