Everglades National Park Flamingo Area

[SAMJOECAST]

I know this is a boatless forum, but I am heading down to the park this Sunday going out on the salt side. I am wondering if anyone has any hints or tips to catching some live bait there on the outside we will be going in a flats boat so not looking to go to far from land. I have read up on the chum bag hanging to get pilchards to come up to boat just trying to find best area to setup to do so. It's not the first time going down we have been many more times than I can count, but looking to try something new. Any help would be highly appreciated!!!

[joenofishhere]

Run to the middle ground. The edge of pretty much any channel will have lots of pinfish too. If you get there before sunup you can net bait in the marina. Lots of ladyfish to be caught and chunked for bait also. Good luck, and post up a report!

[SAMJOECAST]

Run to the middle ground. The edge of pretty much any channel will have lots of pinfish too. If you get there before sunup you can net bait in the marina. Lots of ladyfish to be caught and chunked for bait also. Good luck, and post up a report!

Thanks for the info.. hope to have a decent report!!

[SAMJOECAST]

***Report***

Everglades National Park – Flamingo – Ocean side

Headed down leaving around 4:50 am, later start than anticipated. We arrived just after sun up and headed for Middle ground to get the bait for the day, dropped chum bag in and got it flowing nicely started to see a few baits but water was churned up and milky, threw the cast net and pulled only 1 pinfish up so we tied on biki’s and threw back in the slick about 30 feet and there they were pulling 2 and 3 up at a time, damn catfish were fierce though almost 2 to 1 catfish to bait ratio but we got around 4 dozen pins and pulled anchor to start the day of fishing. First we tried going up toward shore near the East Cape Canal tide was high but levels were to low, we began to get stuck in the shallows along shore and polling was to no avail, so I jumped out and quickly pushed us to deeper waters allowing us to resume fishing without being stuck for the day!! We then went off the tip of East Cape and anchored in the sand to try fishing the swift current that was running along there, we dropped our pins in the water and sat back to wait for the bite… About ten minutes pass and my Flats Blue Blair Wiggin’s combo takes off, after a ten to fifteen minute fight with a few jumps I pulled in the Silver King!! Not sure of the exact size and weight as I did not want to pull him out of the water we estimate somewhere around 48” and probably 40-50 lbs. We stayed for another 20 minutes or so soaking the pins and only ended up with another Jack, so we pulled up and headed north as we were motoring north we saw what appeared to be a dead fish on top only to get closer and realize it was a Tripletail about 9-10 lbs sunning and waiting for a meal, unfortunately we did not stop for shrimp or we would have had him, so we continued on and slowed use the trolling motor along the mouth of little sable creek, setting pinfish out behind the boat as we threw lures to shore, again my Flats Blue takes off and I bring in a 26” Snook and release it, continuing on my buddy gets a Sea Trout on top water then we get a few Ladyfish and Jacks and he gets another smaller Snook. We pull up lines and move up toward little Shark River just before arriving there we hit the edge and there is a lot of action going on Tarpon rolling and Mullet jumping and slams along the shore, we started throwing lures and getting hit but no takers, weather started to turn on us and a storm completely overtook the area with lightning and thunder so we headed back south a bit to Big Sable Creek fishing the north edge going south still throwing top water I get hit and dropped by a massive Snook definitely way over slot, tried throwing pinfish but nothing, so as we continued around the inside edge I had a free swimming pin behind the boat and once again the Flats Blue sang out in a continuous almost non stop run, I had the boat owner spin us with the trolling motor and chase down this what turned out after a long fight, to be what I believe was a Bull Shark around 7-8 ft in length after completely tiring us both out I pulled the line taught and bent the hook free of him. Lastly was the run back in about an hour of bouncing in the 2-3 foot seas the storm provided for us with a light stinging rain.


Have two vids need to edit, then hope to post tonight.

[sn00kslayer]

i dont know much about tripple tail but i think theytake lures. why didntu try to drop a pinfish on him thosethings are soo good! and nice report sounds like you had fun!

[Chevy Juan]

great job sounds like a good trip man with a variety of things goin' down. Those flats blue rods are real nice man, I've held them and seem like they can take a load, also they look amazing!

[SAMJOECAST]

Have two vids need to edit, then hope to post tonight.[/quote]

combined the two....http://youtu.be/t8tguwti51s

[GetFish]

Nice vid. What's the name of the song?

[SAMJOECAST]

Nice vid. What's the name of the song?

Thanks,

Reaching Out - Nero

[joenofishhere]

Nice work! I think the shark is a big Lemon.