Marathon- Florida Fishing Report, July 9, 2010
Scramblin' for Dolphin
The smoke has cleared from Sunday's spectacular 4th of July fireworks display and now it's time to focus our attention back on fishing. I'd like to start this week's report by reminding everyone that the Dolphin Scramble Tournament is taking place this weekend-with kickoff festivities Friday at 6:30 pm at the Sunset Grill, and boats leaving the dock at 8:30 am Saturday out of the 7-Mile Marina. For those of you that don't remember the event (it hasn't been held in a few years), the Dolphin Scramble throws a unique twist into your run-of-the-mill dolphin tournament. Basically, it's a race to see who can catch and weigh-in a legal size dolphin the fastest. The event is loads of fun for all participants, with $1,000 awarded for the first fish, as well as cash and prizes for the largest fish.
Speaking of legal dolphin, it begs repeating that fish must be 20 inches measured from the fork to keep. We're still seeing loads of small schoolies offshore and just beyond the reef in the 16 to 19-inch range. Remember, whether you're fishing in the tournament or just out with your buddies, measure your fish before throwing them in the box. Unfortunately, we're still not seeing great numbers of large dolphin offshore so chances are you'll have to weed through the small fish before landing a few keepers. If you are planning on heading offshore, you're best bet may be to make the run out to the hump and take advantage of the excellent blackfin tuna bite. Last week we caught several fish up to 15 pounds vertical jigging and trolling feathers.
On the reef, the snapper fishing has been nothing short of outstanding. Fish the deep reef in the mornings and early afternoons to take advantage of the red hot yellowtail bite; and in the evenings and after dark get ready to slam the mangrove snappers that are aggressively feeding in 30 to 50 feet of water. Pilchards or small pinfish fished on jig heads have produced the best results for targeting the mangroves.
On the other side of the islands, Captain Pablo Rodriguez of Slamtime Charters reports the lemon sharks are thick just outside the banks of Everglades National Park. Last week Pablo's anglers caught nine lemons in the 50 to 100-pound class in just over an hour burning only a single block of chum. Pablo has also been catching big redfish early in the mornings fishing the deeper water using live shrimp on ¼ ounce chartreuse jig heads, and says the snook bite has been phenomenal pitching live pinfish and pilchards on the outgoing tide. In addition, Pablo notes that tarpon "are everywhere" in the Park, and that he's been catching four to five-pound speckled trout outside the flats with small pinfish and live shrimp fished on jig heads. In Florida Bay, Mike Long, has been tearing up the mangroves fishing in the grass in four to six feet of water just north of East and West Bahia Honda. Small pinfish and fresh cut bait has worked the best, and you should have no trouble catching your share of pinfish behind the boat in your chum line.
Your Best Bet for the Week Ahead: Head out back!
If you're looking for a change of pace from fishing in the Atlantic, head over to Florida Bay or Everglades National Park. Not only will you have a shot at catching a wide variety of Florida Keys game fish, but it's also a great place to escape the elements and find calm water when it's rough out front.
