Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
Includes Pompano Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Homestead.

Feb. 5-7

Another cold front is forecasted to move through South Florida this weekend. Winds are expected to be out of the south to southwest late Friday and into Saturday. Sunday looks to be the prettiest day with clear skies and winds from the northwest early shifting to northeast late in the day.

Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef

Tarpon have been holding along the beach just south of Haulover Inlet. Drifting large live shrimp has been the easiest way to take advantage of these giant silver kings. Best action has been just after sunrise, late in the afternoon and at night. Offshore Spanish mackerel have been feeding in 20 feet of water and on the reef from 80 feet out to 100 feet of water kingfish have returned and are feeding on live pilchards and dead ballyhoo fished on a three hook rig. Sailfish have been moving south along the bluewater edge. Live large threadfin herring and goggle eye jacks have been the best baits for the sailfish. Dolphins and a few blackfin tuna are working the weedline edge in 350 feet of water. Almaco and amberjacks are feeding near the bottom near many of the offshore wrecks in depths from 160 to 240 feet of water. Low tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 7:30.

North Biscayne Bay Inshore

Big schools of pilchards are attracting blue runners, small jacks, a few bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Look for the birds to help you find the baitfish schools and then cast live pilchards, silver spoons or Rapala Twitchin’ Raps and X Raps to get in on the action. Over the grassflats seatrout have been active and these fish are feeding on live shrimp and pilchards fished under a Cajun Thunder float and on ¼ ounce Hookup lures tipped with a Gulp shrimp. Nighttime snook and tarpon action has been fair in the bay. There have been a few good shrimp runs reported in South Bay.

South Biscayne Bay

The Finger Channels have been producing a nice mixed bag of snappers, groupers, jacks and sharks. Most of these bottomfish have been under the legal size and groupers are out of season. A few legal-size fish have put a big bend in the fishing rods and provided some great action. Live pilchards and shrimp fished on the bottom when the tide is moving have produced the most action. Spanish mackerel can be found in South Biscayne Bay. Try anchoring in open water and chum heavy while you fish live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder or freelined live pilchards. Bonefish have returned to the shallow flats of Biscayne Bay and can be found on both the oceanside flats and the flats around the Arsenicker Keys. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 9:18 in the morning.

Flamingo in Everglades National Park

Redfish have been available on the flats of Florida Bay and in the channels around Snake Bight and Tin Can. Live shrimp fished close to the bottom has been getting strikes from redfish, black drum and sheepshead. Black drum, sheepshead and redfish are biting in East Cape Canal, Lake Ingram and in the creeks and rivers north of Middle Cape. Spanish mackerel have returned to Gulf waters and along the edges of Florida Bay. Live shrimp fished under a Cajun Thunder is getting a lot of mackerel action. Snook have been caught in the backcountry of Whitewater Bay. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 9:28 AM and in Whitewater Bay high tide is at 11:12 AM.

shermana@bellsouth.net | www.getemsportfishing.com

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