Fishing in Miami

[BottleRocket]

Hey y'all... I'm in Miami visiting my folks for the holidays and I was looking for some places to hit while I'm here. I searched the forum earlier this week and already tried 2 spots: Tropical Park and Tamiami Trail (near the ValuJet Memorial). Unfortunately they were both a complete flop.

I went to Tropical Park on yesterday. I could see quite a few bass from shore, so it looked like it would be promising. I tried several different styles and colors of crank bait as well as plastic worms with not much luck. I managed to catch 2 small LMB and a tilapia in the lake near the equestrian center, but it was otherwise uneventful. I didn't try the other lakes in the park because one of the park groundskeepers said that the one by the equestrian center was the only one that was stocked regularly. Looking back now, I guess a few casts into the other lakes wouldn't have hurt.

I headed out to Tamiami Trail this morning. There was a bit of road work on the way out with one lane roads so it took me a while to get out there. I was hoping that the time spent sitting in that traffic was going to be worth it's weight in fish, but it didn't seem to pan out that way. After a couple hours of walking the banks and casting near the spillways, I didn't get a single bite so I decided to call it quits.

I'm probably going to give the lakes/canals by the airport a try tomorrow, but after that, I'm out of ideas. Has anyone been out to Tamiami Trail since the road work began? I'm just wondering if their may be some pollutants leaking into the water or some reason why the water seemed to be murky and based the lack of a single bite, uninhabitable. Does anybody have any other spots I should try before heading back out of town? What kind of bait do y'all recommend to use around here?

Thanks for any help.

[krash]

When I go to the Trail.. I hit 2 other spots, besides the ValuJet area and there I hit that yukky little canal leading South. I come form the North and stop at the last water gates before the Casino on Krome, or turn E. on the Trail and cross the gun range entrance and fish the Trail there to Krome ave.

Airport lakes is a tough place to walk, check Google Earth there are some places you can walk along the canal that runs SW to the Trail.

Look for Coral Reef park e. of US1 on 152nd st. you can walk that canal and catch an assortment of exotics on a good day.

I use Rapala X-raps or HuskyJerk ... black & silver or black & gold.

I don't spend a lot of time fresh water bank walking, but when I do I find the bite to either on everywhere or dead everywhere, keep trying.

[Moose]

i havent been since the fall runs started but the first flood gate heading west on tamiami trail right past the casino usually has some action...try at sunrise and in the afternoon...i have more success on the west side of the gate...if nothings there go to the east side of the gate, all the way down and there will be another canal that connects to it going north to south...i fish the edges of that canal tight for pea's with xraps or jigs...

[BottleRocket]

Despite the cooling weather and higher winds, I went ahead and gave Tamiami Trail a shot this morning (I've got limited time in Miami). I checked out the spots you mentioned, but I guess it just wasn't a Tamiami Trail kind of morning. I drove around the airport lakes and you were right. Not many places to park/walk. I hit a couple spots, but nada.

On my way home, I checked out some canals in my neighborhood. One in particular had a few clearly visible decent sized peacocks, but they weren't feeling the xrap or any other lure I threw at em. I managed to catch a couple small LMB before I had to head home. May try some other canals in the neighborhood tomorrow.

Do you guys find that peacocks bite more on live bait than crank bait? I've never actually fished for them, but have researched a little and I'm seeing people successfully use both live bait and crank bait.

[krash]

I never have seem the need to use live bait for Peacock, that's like shooting monkeys in a cage, don't have a lot of respect for those that feel the need to do so, same goes for nesting pairs.

While at cardiac rehab yesterday saw 3 kids, younger teens, fishing in the retention pond behind Memorial West hospital, (rehab center treadmill's face the lake), each kid had a spinning rod with x-rap, one kid was carrying home with him a peacock bass about 14".

Last week I saw a guy fishing the same sport with a little kid, did not notice them catch anything, but I know fish are there, seen them and have caught a few. The lake connects under the street to the canal along Flamingo which connect's to CB Smith park where for sure I've caught many peacock bass.

Problem is the pond is posted with "No Fishing" sign's and everytime I stop there and walk/cast mall security comes along and runs me off. The retention pond is pretty big, stretches from Flaming to Hiatus roads.
was talking to the re-hab trainer and told him everytime I go there security runs me off, just about the same time we see security walking up on the kids, the kid carrying the dead peacok dropped it, and they played dumb, but had to leave and I did not see him pick up his fish.

[chris21]

Is this the lake behind Pembroke Lakes Mall?? fished it before but haven't really seen much, theres a little area of the shoreline that is well hidden by trees, thats where I usually fish because its impossible for the guards to see you.

I never have seem the need to use live bait for Peacock, that's like shooting monkeys in a cage, don't have a lot of respect for those that feel the need to do so, same goes for nesting pairs.

While at cardiac rehab yesterday saw 3 kids, younger teens, fishing in the retention pond behind Memorial West hospital, (rehab center treadmill's face the lake), each kid had a spinning rod with x-rap, one kid was carrying home with him a peacock bass about 14".

Last week I saw a guy fishing the same sport with a little kid, did not notice them catch anything, but I know fish are there, seen them and have caught a few. The lake connects under the street to the canal along Flamingo which connect's to CB Smith park where for sure I've caught many peacock bass.

Problem is the pond is posted with "No Fishing" sign's and everytime I stop there and walk/cast mall security comes along and runs me off. The retention pond is pretty big, stretches from Flaming to Hiatus roads.
was talking to the re-hab trainer and told him everytime I go there security runs me off, just about the same time we see security walking up on the kids, the kid carrying the dead peacok dropped it, and they played dumb, but had to leave and I did not see him pick up his fish.

[krash]

Is this the lake behind Pembroke Lakes Mall??

Thats the lake...and I've fished days where the mall security missed me too, but more often they catch me. When I go Peacock bass fishing I usually hit half a dozen places minimum, Google Earth is my friend, when driving around and see new water I scout it on GE then go back.