Islamorada Tarpon and more

[SWS Regional Reports]

Summer fishing at its finest!

Lots of action and variety to be had. Tarpon are biting well at the bridge channels. The outgoing tide has been the best time to be fishng for them even in the middle of a hot day.

My clients have been averaging 2 to 4 releases a trip using Fox Sportfishing tackle. The Tarpon Spin cast 5 piece rods fitted with EOS 30 reels are really nice and light and perfect for fishing live mullet. For freelining crabs and fishing mullet on the bottom we have been using the Sailfish Trek rods fitted with Diablo 750 fixed spool/spinning reels. These are easier to let line out in a rapidly moving current and honestly most of my guests prefer this tackle for Tarpon fishing.

In the backcountry schools of bay-ballyhoo have moved in and I have been castnetting these for live bait. Everything in the bay likes to eat them. Snook,Redfish,Seatrout just love them.

As the schools of ballyhoo have invaded the grassflats loads of Ladyfish,Spanish Mackerel,Mangrove Snapper ,Crevalle Jacks and Seatrout are biting on most every cast using these for bait.

We are using the Foxsportfishing Bonefish Trek rods fitted with the Diablo 350 spinning/fixed spools for the light tackle action.

We are taking home our limit of Mangrove Snappers while catching and releasing the rest. Then we have been running back to Islamorada and fishing the outgoing tide for Tarpon in the channels.
I celebrated my 60th birthday and went flyfishing for Tarpon with my Foxsportfishing Cellmax flyreel and 12 weight flyrod. My wife Cyd joined me and we had great fishing but did not get any to the boat. I had 3 takes and jumped them off. That's fishing.

Life is good.
Captain Skip Nielsen