pompano

2/20/13 February Fishing in Islamorada Backcountry

Well lots of half days this week, we are so busy it is making my head spin!  Double half days every day which is a good thing!  Today on our february islamorada fishing charter we fished a bit further in the backcountry.  Yesterday fishing was tough locally around islamorada, with the cold water temperatures from the cold front that passed over the weekend.  Though we did catch what we needed and the afternoon picked up quite a bit as it warmed.  Today was good all around.  This morning first thing we got into a mess of nice pompano which I’ve only been catching a handful of through the winter.  We got about 15 or so pompano fishing in islamorada.  Also some nice big drag pulling ladyfish kept mom and son entertained!  Next somebody hit the switch and the trout started biting one right after another.  Nothing spectacular size wise but it was fun, getting them on shrimp, gulp, artificial, popping cork – you name it!  In the afternoon we did the same thing… no pompano this time, but a lot of trout again plus ladyfish and jacks.  My same anglers from yesterday afternoon loved it and still had plenty of fresh mangrove snapper we caught yesterday for dinner.  All anglers reported sore arms which I like to hear!!!  Look for the florida keys fishing in february to pick up and with that hopefully being our last front of the year, tarpon can be just knocking on the door.  The water temps did break 70 this afternoon, a few more degrees and the tarpon should be much happier and willing to feed.  Well thats all for this february islamorada fishing report.

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

islamorada pompano

islamorada pompano

1/4/13 Gulf and Backcountry Fishing Islamorada Report

Well it doesn’t get any prettier than it did today on 1/4/13 while fishing islamorada!  We worked some island shorelines on the high in tide in the everglades national park first things this morning.  We picked several redfish, black drum, and a few sheepshead in this fashion casting shrimp.  On the tide change we went looking for a snook around some other island moats.  We did find one eager participant, alas we broke him off boatside.  However we did end up catching some more black drum jigging the bottom, as well as some more sheepshead from around the mangrove trees!  We then hit some scattered muddy waters in some ditches further towards the gulf area and got into a mess of trout, jack crevalle, ladyfish, pompano, and one juvenile permit.  What a mixed bag for this islamorada fishing report!  Continued cruising on out into the gulf of mexico along the crab bouys, and saw several tripletail fish.  We caught some for dinner, mostly again casting shrimp on a small cork, dragging it to ’em, and WHAM!  These high flying acrobats are fun on light tackle, and not bad blackened on the grill either.  A gulf wreck was next on the agenda, and we caught some cobias off of it, as well as a goliath grouper that took some convincing to get to bite.  Another permit was had in this area too – you never know what to except fishing the florida keys!  To end the day we caught some spanish mackerel closer to home in Islamorada.  And so ends another tale of wonder fishing islamorada backcountry.

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