June 24 June 24
Since John last wrote on the first of this month, the weather has definitely made a change for the better. What had been a cool year, did a quick 180 and quickly became summer. I couldn’t be happier. We have been blessed with light winds and hot temperatures and the fish have responded. The fish have been in their usual haunts, laying up in shallow basins and cruising the Atlantic fish lanes. Some days you simply stop the boat and the fish quickly have you surrounded. With the summer-like conditions I have found sporadic shrimp and guppy hatches. The fish have been attacking the stunned bait and any fly placed in their path.
Last week I fish with Ken Linde from Oregon. Almost everyday was calm conditions although some days the clouds made spotting fish difficult. He caught a number of fish that ranged from around 100lbs to 30lbs, often in the same areas. We spent the majority of time looking for laid up singles and pods, but occasionally made the run to the ocean when the tide was just right.
The recent fishing has definitely been better than most of the season, but still not just fantastic. As we move into summer and the boats continue to thin out, hopefully the fishing will last and there will be plenty of big fish to chase without any other fishing pressure. As we move into July the focus will still be on tarpon, but bonefish and permit will definitely start getting more and more attention.
Capt Drew