Florida fishing opportunities - Miami / Keys / Glades

[BSD]

I may end up in Miami in about a week and a half and will have a couple days to do some fishing.

Does anyone have any suggestions for this time of year. I will be flying in to Miami and am open to driving +/- 3 hours and will be booking a guide.

Stalking redfish on the flats seems like fun and catch rate looks pretty good.

Are there baby tarpon opportunities as well? Not looking to land a trophy, just to see the flats and/or mangroves and catch a few fish.

Thanks for any suggestions - whether it is guides, species to target, general areas or anything.

Brian

[dtp916]

Peacock Bass in the canals around Miami - I can get you the guide's number if you are interested. Clousers or gurglers all day.

There's always the snook, baby tarpon, and bones.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

http://www.floridakeysoutfitters.com/home.htm

[DocEsox]

Brian.....have fished that area many times and if you have just a few days here is what I would suggest for the time period you are going. Late July is the peak for fishing big snook in the Jupiter area north of Miami...this is when they catch most of the hogs between 20 and 40 lbs. I know a guide who fishes that area just in July.....if you want let me know and I can give you his name....well respected bonefishing guide out of Islamorada.

Also I NEVER pass up the opportunity for a day of peacock bass fishing in the canals in Miami.....these fish are extremely strong and very entertaining to catch....July is a good time for stripping streamers for them....you just gotta be stripping fast. Generally we catch 20-25 each in a fishing day. I know a topnotch guide I have been with several times...he specializes in fishing the canals....thought I would throw in a few pictures just to whet you appetite:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Peacock3.5.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/BriPeack3-1.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/BriPeack3.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/SteveBigP.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Peacock5.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/2BigPeacock.jpg

You're gonna have fun,

Brian

[jbird]

Brian

Those are some pretty awesome fish for such apparently accessable water. Can you give a little more detail? Are they similar to largemouth in the way that you fish for them? What rod/line/fly system did you use for best success? Do you need a boat?

I will be in palm beach for a few days at the end of sept. Can they be had in the fall?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, those look like amazon quality peacocks, right next to the road!!

I have a book called "Best Flyfishing vacations money can buy" There is a section on this area in it. Theres a lot of crazy fish in south florida, including giant arawana and pacu. I'll have to dig that book out.

Jay

[DocEsox]

jbird...these peacocks can be caught at anytime during the year. They are all butterfly peacocks which top out at 10 lbs.....that last one was nearly 8 lbs.. The real monster peacocks in the Amazon are speckled peacocks which get to 25 lbs.. They put a largemouth to shame....they are terrific fighters. To cover turf you do need a boat to fish, although there are areas where you can fish the canals from park areas. It is weird fishing in everyone's backyard. I use a 7wt, 9 ft Sage with a floating line or sometimes a sink tip. These fish will come upp and clobber poppers on the surface too. But when you are working a fly you have to strip pretty darn fast...they do not like a slowly presented meal and they can remove the rod from you hands when they strike. While fishing in the canals you also catch the occasional snook and tarpon. One weird thing you will see are iguanas....they dang things are running rampant down there and they can get huge....here's a pic of the largest the guide or I ever saw.....the fence showing is about 5 feet so you can get a feel for this beast:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/BigIguana.jpg

Brian

[Adam Grace]

Nice bass pictures, and wow that's a large iguana.