Backcountry Fishing Reports

We’ve still been bagging the tarpon pretty good back around flamingo and the rest of the backcountry.  Been catching fish every day and most trips multiple tarpon.  Still many 30 – 60 lbers.  We even had a double header two trips in a row with the same customers – on a full day trip and an evening trip.  The fresh mullet has been the ticket which I’ve been getting with ease most days.  There has still been some good snook fishing around many islands and creeks.  Casting big shrimp or soaking pinfish has done the trick for them.  We got into some big goliaths in the gulf the other day, groupers that is.  Along with some big bull sharks.  We also had some good action with a few decent sized sea trout on the edge of the gulf, mostly on shrimp though some on artificial GULPs as well.  If you want to go fishing this August, I can probably fit it in my schedule as it is getting to be off season.  Tarpon are still a very good possibility if your looking for them shoot me an email!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
305-747-6903
rick@fishingislamorada.com

The backcountry fishing especially around flamingo has been stellar the last few weeks.  It has been ‘the place to be.’  We’ve been catching tarpon just about every day.  The key is getting good fresh live mullet which we’ve been finding in the mornings.  It’s necessary to leave early and spend time catching these guys… once the sun is up high they get much tougher.  You only need a handful and the tarpon are eagerly awaiting them.  Many of these fish have been what we call smaller ‘residents’ – in the 20 – 60 lb range.  But still a heck of a lot of fun, and we’ve been still getting shots at some 60-90 lbers once in a while too.  In the mix is plenty of blacktip sharks along with a few lemons and bulls.  Of course a vicious hammerhead made his way into the mix as well.  The past few days we’ve caught multiple tarpon every day with many more ‘jumped off’ and a plethora of sharks.  The snook fishing has been good the last 3 days we’ve hooked double digit snook and boated almost as many.  Again lots of smaller fish though a handful of nice 5-10 lb fish in the mix.  Live shrimp have been fairly large so they work well, plus pinfish are a favorite bait of mine either suspended or put on the bottom with a weight.  Mangrove snappers have been around too as well as a few juvenile goliath groupers.  The snappers make good dinner.  Thats mostly what I’ve been up to lately there may be some other good fisheries but I’ve been having a lot of fun with two of my favorite species – the snook and tarpon!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
305-747-6903
rick@fishingislamorada.com

Well just get back from a mini-vacation.  The tarpon fishing before I left was off the hook.  We had caught 8 out of 14 in 2 days, plus several more the days we fished in the backcountry.  All these fish were on fresh dead mullet.  There has also been a good mix of trout and snappers in the bays.  Some sharks, goliath groupers, and a few cobias here and there have been on some of the near wrecks.  It’s been a little too rough for permit fishing the gulf which is unusual this time of year but conditions are conditions.  Snook have been around the mainland cape area as well as a few around flamingo, eating big shrimps on jigs or pinfish drifted back.  Tarpon is still a good point of focus this time of year and I have some night trips coming up.  That can be very good there is much less pressure on the fish and they are often happy to feed!  Today we caught this massive kingfish in the gulf while tarpon fishing, we also caught several goliath groupers, gag groupers, black tip sharks, and a big bull shark.  Plus plenty of snappers, some ladyfish, and a few trout in the bays.  Fun day fishing in the florida keys in july!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
305-747-6903
rick@fishingislamorada.com

Well tarpon fishing in islamorada in june is still the staple of my fishing business.  We haven’t had the big numbers of fish or catches as we did in April, however we are still getting them consistently.  Way back in the everglades during the day a good mix of tarpon, sharks, big mud marlin, goliath groupers, and even cobias have been being caught most every day.  Last week the start of the falling tide in the local Islamorada area yielded me a tarpon every day that I fished it, now the falling tide isn’t starting until closer to our evening trip times.  However the last 2 nights I fished evening trips we caught 2 out of 3 tarpon, and last night we got 2 out of 4 tarpon.  There has even been a few mud marlin caught here close by which is incredible as well as some different sharks.  Evening tarpon fishing Islamorada can still be very good this time of year especially fishing live crabs, but I recommend planning around the falling tides which I can help you out with.  Early July is still pretty slammed busy for me I have a couple dates open the 2nd week, and then end of July after the 15th I have plenty of open time.  Email or call me now to lock something in for sume good summer fishing in Islamorada!  Tarpon, sharks, goliath groupers, and big mud marlin are all possible plus shots at several other backcountry species including permit or snook can be had too.

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
305-747-6903
rick@fishingislamorada.com

Well it is officially summer time here in islamorada.  The backcountry fishing in summer can still be good though often is hit or miss as the warm temperatures can make fishing change day to day.  Yesterday we went fun fishing at cape sable and hooked several nice snook probably 8 in total though weren’t able to land any they all got us in the trees and a few may have been eaten by sharks.  Today we caught plenty of little guys such as trout, ladyfish, snappers, and a few spanish mackerels even.  A couple sharks, mud marlin, and a big tarpon to end the day was nice.  Also got a cobia.  The tarpon fishing had been good in the backcountry though today the fish were not to be found, we ended up getting ours near home in Islamorada.  Some of the fly guys reported tough fishing today though a couple days ago a lot of fish were moving along the shorelines and biting live bait good in the channels – as I said it changes day to day!  Give me a call if fishing in islamorada in july is of interest, later evening tarpon trips are possible as I am not fishing every day that time of year and the bite can be better when it cools off and gets dark!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
305-747-6903
rick@fishingislamorada.com