Florida Keys backcountry fishing report Sept 18-30

Posted on 10/02/2012
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Florida Keys backcountry fishing report Sept 28-30

Last weekend we had some stormy weather in the Florida Keys backcountry. The great part about it was the good bite and the break from the heat with the passing clouds I personally love to fish on overcast days this time of year, it makes the temperature more comfortable and the fishing is great. There is a lot of fresh water coming out of the mainland estuaries making the water tannic on a lot of areas close to the mainland shorelines. We fished some areas east of Flamingo with great success. I had my anglers casting white jerk baits rigged wheedles while working the shoreline. With the reddish color of the water and the overcast conditions it was hard to see the fish. Look for any disturbance on the water like a push or a swirl, lots of blind casting but it paid off with some beautiful Redfish. We also fished the runoffs and channels around Flamingo on the last couple of hours of the outgoing tide. The action was great with some nice Snooks, Tarpon and Redfish. Live pilchards and Berkley Gulp Shrimp did a very good job. The East Cape Canal has been producing some great catches of Snook, Tarpon and Redfish. Live baits have been best but artificial baits will get the job done. Working the shoreline from East Cape to Middle Cape has also been very productive with many species providing great action. Artificial baits casted towards the shoreline and bounced on the bottom will cover the ground more quickly. Live baits fished around shoreline debris like broken trees will get eaten by Redfish and Snook. Out on the edges of the Everglades National Park the bite has been phenomenal from Sandy Key all the way east to the intercostal and it's only going to get better as the  water temperatures continue to drop in the coming months. Head out to your favorite Gulf waters spot for a day full of non stop action and great catches. Nice Snappers, Mackerel, Bluefish, Sharks, Goliath Grouper, Permit and Cobia are all going to be making there regular appearance in and around the Gulf bottom structure.
The Bone fishing through out the Keys remains excellent. The overcast conditions made it a little harder to see the fish but if you knew what to look for they didn't stand a chance. The Incoming tide remains best on the Ocean side flats throughout the Keys. If it is cloudy or the glare on the water is preventing you from actually seeing the fish start paying attention to the water surface. Look for pushes,tails, swirls, muds and anything else that might give away the fish position. Remember to always cast up current from the fish so that the scent of your Shrimp or Crab flows towards your target. The edges of flats and banks both Oceanside and bayside throughout the Keys have permit lurking around the deeper edges. Again the overcast conditions made it tuff to spot the fish before they spotted you. If you put your time on it and are up for a challenge on a cloudy day you could be rewarded with one of the best accomplishment of Saltwater fishing. There are plenty of Tarpon around the local Keys bridges and Islands. A live well full of pilchards will get you in the action. The weather is forecasted to clear up for the weekend so get your plan together and take advantage of the great fishery the Florida Keys has to offer.

Captain Juan Garcia