Backcountry Fishing Reports

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

WOW what a day out there today! I had the day off and our friends Andy and Maria Newman wanted to get out along with my father again. I knew conditions were favorable and said let’s give it a whirl absolutely! It was fairly calm and the water still chilly, the possibility for big things was good! We got out into the backcountry and checked a spot. It was game on right away! Maria hooked a big snook that screamed out some drag, and after a hard fought battle we landed it her biggest ever! After that to be honest it’s kind of a blur… but we ended up with a half dozen very large snook and lost a good handful more. My dad had one we almost had and it took one more run straight into the prop and cut us off which was likely the biggest of the day a 20+ lber. But he couldn’t complain too much landing that monster a few days ago. We got a monster redfish 35ish lbs for Andy which was very cool! Some smaller reds that were still very big by florida keys standards as well, maybe another half dozen in total. Also a half dozen 10 to 15 lb black drums. The tide started rolling and then believe it or not, tarpon started to bite! I hooked a nice one that I thought was a snook, it never jumped and then ran me around the bow and once it got forward it jumped and threw the hook! We then missed another, but then we caught a double header Andy and my dad! Then I landed another one before we called it quits. We hit one other spot on the way home and caught a bunch of smaller redfish and smaller snook, and a few trout. But the morning sure spoiled us and we headed on in after getting a few trout for dinner. Truly spectacular we should get some more good fishing after this next front blows though, as long as the wind settles down a little we’ll have to wait and see! Half day for me tomorrow then we just cancelled Sunday as it looks like it’ll be nasty and I need a day off… too much pulling on big fish takes it out of you!

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

Got out with Reg and Lucinda today.  They found me at the dock yesterday afternoon and said they were going to be down here for a while as they are snowbirds.  Asked when I had something available if i’d give them a ring to go.  I said today was available, and conditions looked great and fishing had been really good… so we decided to go for it!  Things warmed up slightly though still chilly in the morning.  Winds were more easterly, and not blowing as hard as yesterday, so the ride wasn’t too bad.  We hit the drums to start.  Not a red hot bite by any means, but a slow pick.  We managed to catch about 8 or so in little over an hour, plus a few redfish and trout.  Lucinda did get a decent size drum not a monster but a 13ish lber.  After that we tried another area and got into a decent snook bite, landing 7 or so and a few more redfish.  Several nice size fish too which was great to see!  We tried one other spot nearby and got a little dink snook there.  After that we tried an area up in another spot that was good a couple weeks ago, though tide was high now and water muddy, so we didn’t have much luck there.  With the tide higher now, we decided to run to another area to try some things.  I hadn’t fished these spots in a couple weeks and was interested to see how the bite was there as previously it had been good.  Lucky for us it was on fire!  It was a redfish every cast, and we got another half dozen snook too including a couple nicer size ones!  A few trout too.  Great fun we just stayed about 45 minutes and then decided to check some of the spots for something glorious.  I had been having some luck with big snook in some areas with the nice conditions, and said we should give it a try.  Nothing but catfish for a little bit there, but we did catch a few redfish eventually then a few trout.  Then Lucinda hooked something that screamed off some line!  Unfortunately the hook pulled, but I was pretty sure that was our snook that we missed!  After that Reg got a black drum, and we decided to try one more spot as we had a few more minutes and it was just getting gorgeous out and looking super fishy.  The last stop Lucinda got revenge and landed a nice 16 lb snook!  Reg got a fat redfish too probably about the same size!  What a way to end the day!  We headed on home after that.  Reg and Lucinda can’t wait to go again and want to try for some tarpon soon, so we’ll likely be trying that when things warm up and get right!

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

Great day with Mitch and Mary visiting from Oklahoma. It was a chilly morning as temperatures dropped slightly and a little windy, but definitely gets worse! Once we got into the backcountry though it was nice just a little cold. Fishing was good we got into a great drum and sheepshead bite early! Mary got a lunker drum 30ish lbs I’d say, her biggest fish ever! We got a bunch of smaller ones too but decent size, some snook, redfish, and a bunch of nice size sheepshead too. I just got pics of the first one but we caught quite a few that were bigger probably a dozen in all. After an hour or so things slowed down. We found a few more snook and redfish in a other spot. Mitch had a nice snook on that threw the hook unfortunately. Later we hit another area near the tide change. More redfish here and some nice size trout! Also another snook. After that we hit a spot that was good yesterday but not much today, though did get a trout there. Lastly things got nice and the wind laid down, we gave the monster snook hole a try again. Nothing but catfish for a little bit, but then we got a nice black drum and a few more mediums sized ones. Finally a huge thump and screaming drag! I passed Mitch the rod and the fish made a big run then went under the boat. Unfortunately he made a few tricky moves and was a little hard to keep up with and we got tangled around the underneath of the boat. The one that got away! Oh well it happens and those are the ones that keep you coming back. But all in all another fantastic day. Just got booked for tomorrow and I’m pretty busy through the next 10 days or so. Looks like big weather/cold front coming Sunday, should cool off but when the dust settles and smoke clears, I’ll expect some big fishing!  I do have Friday open this week if anyone wants to go, conditions look pretty good.  After that I don’t have anything available until the 30th or so.

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