Florida Keys backcountry fishing report December 20 2013

Posted on 12/20/2013
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Happy Holidays everyone! We had some great fishing last weekend in the Florida Keys backcountry. Anglers targeting Redfish on the shallow flats of Everglades National Park where rewarded with some great catches. The recent cool down we had spiked up the bite through out the Park. The winds are forecasted to freshen up for the weekend so concentrate on lee shorelines or areas that are protected from the wind. Fish the Snake bite channel in Flamingo for a mixed bag of Redfish, Snook, Sheepshead, Trout and Black Drum. A Shrimp and 1/4 oz chartreuse jig head crawled slowly on the deeper edge of the bank and runoffs will get plenty of action. Fish the deeper channels and runoffs in the morning with the falling tide and work the shallow flats with the rising tide in the afternoon. Farther West towards the East Cape canal and Lake Ingram area fish the mainland shorelines and creek mouths on the rising tide for great catches of Snook, Redfish, Sheepshead and Blackdrum. 
If the conditions let you head west to your favorite wreck for some great Gulf fishing. The Cobia have been showing up really well on all the usual places. The action has been great with all the regular winter species that inhabit the gulf waters. Bring plenty of chum, shrimp and Pinfish and you will be all set for some really Fun fishing. Tripletail are becoming more abundant so keep your eyes on the trap buoys for some good eating fish. The areas from Sandy towards Sprigger bank is full of life. We had some amazing days last week catching some big Trout, Snappers, Mackerel and Sharks. Anchor up just off the park boundaries and deploy your chum bag, rig some 1/2 oz white or yellow Pompano jigs with a couple of inches of light wire. Tip your jigs with shrimp and cast towards the chum slick for non stop action. Always good to have the Shark rod out since you never know what can show up. On a recent trip our shark rod bended over and up to the surface a giant Tiger Shark comes up, after a 45 minute fight we got the fish boat side for some great pictures for lifetime memories.  We also got our limit of beautiful Snappers plus some great action with Spanish Mackerel. It's a great fishery for any type of angler. 
The Bone fishing has been best in the middle parts of the day. Fish the Oceanside flats with an incoming tide, look for tailing fish on the lowest tide and mudding fish as the water rises. The overcast conditions last week made it tuff for sight fishing but most of the anglers that put their time and effort on it got rewarded. Couple of Permit have been seen cruising the deeper edges of flats and banks both Oceanside and bayside. Lots of patience and dedication have provided anglers with some great shots and catches. Don't miss out on the great fishing going on right now in the Florida Keys backcountry and give the gift of fishing for the Holidays!

Captain Juan Garcia