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

Nov. 20-22

Finally the weather has started to settle down and cool off at the same time. The forecast for this weekend is up in the air due to a surface low that may form in our area by the weekend bringing a southerly flow. Look for a slight ground swell to continue to move into South Florida into early next week.

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

Offshore fishing was the big talk this week with a large group of sailfish that moved through the Miami area. Area boats logged releases into the 20s this past week with the action taking place in depths from 180 feet on out to 300 feet of water. Along with the sailfish were a good number of dolphins and kingfish to 27 pounds. Live baits like pilchards and threadfin herring were the top baits. Bottom fishermen were making nice catches of mutton snappers along with a few grouper and yellowtails. Swordfishing has been on the slow side but once the conditions stabilize offshore that fishery should rebound. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 10:45.

North Biscayne Bay Inshore

Much of the bay has had a good amount of baitfish and snook, small tarpon, jacks, ladyfish, barracudas and a few mackerel and bluefish are feeding off the baitfish schools. Sea trout for catch and release have been thick on the grass flats of North Biscayne Bay but a little searching may be involved before you find a good sized school. Casting quarter ounce Hook Up lures tipped with a Gulp or Trigger X shrimp or soft plastic baitfish tail is a great way to locate the fish and then you can cast a live bait fished under a Cajun Thunder float hooked to a Mustad 1/0 long shank hook that will help keep the mackerels and bluefish from cutting your line.

South Biscayne Bay

Bonefish and permit have been moving on and off the shallow flats of South Biscayne Bay with the changing weather we have had recently. Catch a cloudless day with moderate temperatures and you may find bonefish and permit active all day. Check out the flats south of Elliot Key on the inside at the beginning of the incoming tide. The finger channels around Stiltsville are starting to fill up with small snappers and groupers. Water temperatures are in the lower 70’s and a few bluefish and mackerel can be found in South Bay as well. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 11:52 in the morning.

Flamingo in Everglades National Park

Water conditions were rough and murky last weekend with a return of a west wind to the Flamingo area. Expect a more easterly or southerly wind by this weekend. The easterly and southerly winds will make fishing Florida Bay a bit easier and more worthwhile for redfish, snook and sea trout. Lots of jacks and ladyfish have been literally everywhere in Florida Bay. Further up the coast as you travel north to East Cape and north look for snook, redfish and black drum to be feeding on live shrimp fished slowly and close to the bottom. If you can get offshore around the boundaries of the Park look for tripletail under the crab trap floats, cobia, Spanish mackerel, permit and pompano. Gag and goliath grouper can be found along the deeper shorelines in many of the Rivers and a good way to locate them is by trolling a Rapala X Rap as close to the shorelines as possible. Don’t be surprised if you hook into a nice snook as well. Low tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 2:03 PM and in Whitewater Bay low tide is at 1:45 PM.

By Captain Alan Sherman
shermana@bellsouth.net | www.getemsportfishing.com

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