Captain Matt Bellinger

Islamorada Flats Fishing Report

You can contact Captain Matt Bellinger at 305/393-0909

www.BambooCharters.com

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Islamorada Flats Report Update: March 11, 2009

       This past week was a wild one!  Winter conditions still persist with windy and cold mornings and warm windy afternoons.  The wind has been the one consistent thing we have had around here. Yet the wind has been all over the compass, changing directions all through the day and reeking havoc with the backcountry tides!  The up side of the week is that snook season has opened at last and stays open until May 1. 

       The opening of snook season is always a welcome event.  We get to catch these fish all year long, but to keep the population of this game fish healthy the harvest of snook is only 5 months each year.  Snook are a warm water species and will take both natural and artificial baits.  The past few years area guides have been talking about the large numbers of small 18 to 26 inch snook that can be found all around the Flamingo area.  This is great news and just indicates that we have a very healthy snook population here in the Keys.  The snook is a beautiful fish that is a challenge on light tackle that we use here in the backcountry and they put up great jumps and blazing runs once hooked.  The super thing about snook is that they can be found from the bridges on out to the Gulf and up into the heart of the Everglades.  Find a guide and give these fighters a try.  

       March is the season of spring break and with this comes time for family fishing here in the Keys.  Kids of all ages along with their parents will be looking for things to do here in paradise.  If getting off of the beaten track appeals to you take a good look at going fishing with an area guide.  There is so much more to a fishing trip than just fishing.  You will see Eco - tours offered and they are fun, short trips around the near shore waters of the Keys.  A fishing trip into the back country is the original Eco - tour, we see so much wildlife as we travel through the Everglades National Park.  Your guide very knowledgeable in the where, what and whys of all of the wildlife that can be found there.  This is prime time for dolphin watching and birding and the guides of Islamorada are a great source of information sitting right there in his boat.  Bring a camera and a sense of adventure and you will be blown away at the sights and sounds of the backcountry. We have a listing of some fine guides in the back of this issue of "The Weekly Fisherman" give one a call.    

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  Islamorada Flats Report Update: March 04, 2009

       Who ever said something about a "Winter of discontent" was right on the money!  Right when it looks like that we are going into a spring pattern another cold front smacks the whole of North America!   Oh well we did have a great week of weather last week and this latest cold blast will move on and there is light at the end of the tunnel.     The good news is that mullet were starting to show around Flamingo in the channels and on the flooding flats.  Along with the mullet come tarpon, big tarpon at that.  Snake Bight channel will hold bait and thus tarpon and as of last week the big girls were showing up.  We hooked a few on live ladyfish that were drifted behind the boat in hopes of hooking into a big blacktip or spinner shark.  There were tarpon caught out to the west as well around the East Cape and Sandy Key Basin area.  These are some of the first tarpon to come to town following the first push of mullet and they are the bigger fish, not he little guys that winter here.  

   As I mentioned above, the spinner and blacktip sharks are pretty thick around the backcountry right now and they are a blast on light tackle.  To target these hard running and high jumping beasts use whole live baits, not chunks of bait.  Blacktips and spinners are hard chargers and love a whole live jack or ladyfish under a float or hanging from a kite.  That's right a kite!  More and more guides are fishing live baits under kites in the Gulf and the backcountry waters.  The bite on a kite bait is tremendous to say the least.  when a big shark homes in on a struggling fish on the surface the strike is more like an explosion on the surface.  You won't believe the speed at which a shark will tackle your bait as it splashes on the top of the water.  Captains Jim Dalrymple and Mark Johnson have had some tremendous catches of out sized sharks using this method and I saw some fantastic film footage of Captains Tom Roland and Rich Tudor doing the kite thing with sharks on their show "Saltwater Experience" it is a blast!  Don't pooh pooh the idea of shark fishing, the bulls, blacktips, spinners and lemon sharks that are common to our waters put on a great fight on 15 to 30 pound gear and these guys will go up to and beyond 300 pounds.  Soon enough the tiger sharks will show up in the shallows and that will pucker up your back side when the beast come to the boat! 

   The Gulf once again takes the cake for just plain fish after fish action.  I had my long time clients/buddies in town this past weekend and the weather was perfect for going to the Gulf.  We had bait fish at the transom in no time and soon it was game on!  All kinds of snappers and spanish mackerel were eating our baits and then it got hairy.  Cobia in small groups of 4 to 6 fish began to circle the boat looking for a fight.  Chris and Jim hooked into many cobia up to 32 inches on 6 - 10 pound spin tackle and man do those cobia go crazy.  Running and jumping all around the boat before finally coming along side for the release.  These fish ate live shrimp and pinfish on 1/4 oz Hook Up jigs.  The largest that we landed was 20 pounds and I think Jim is still hurting after the thrashing he took catching that fish on light tackle.  Capt. Kip Daugherty told me of a 40 pounder that his client caught on 10 pound spin tackle as well. Good times!

   Keep up with the action from the water with my daily fishing reports on Clear Channel Radio and watch for my show "Reelin' in the Keys" on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm and Fridays at 8:30 pm on Comcast channel 5.

Take a look at the Captains and Guides listing in this issue and get on the water while you are here.

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Islamorada Flats Report Update: February 18, 2009

       This past week I had the pleasure and the honor of going fishing with four American men who chose years ago to serve their country.  Three were enlisted men, one was an officer, all are heroes.  They were part of a group down here in the Keys from the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. These men all carried scars and horrific wounds that stop you in your tracks. They referred to the moment that they were wounded in terms like "there I was walking on patrol and I got blown up" or "there was a flash and I was down crawling to my buddy"  almost like me saying "then the fish peeled off 200 yards of line".  It just happen and they moved on.  They spoke of the efforts that they are making to get back into shape to go back to Iraq, but in terms of when they get their running leg adjusted and their stump heals completely.  I heard a Staff  Sergeant from North Carolina who handles bomb sniffing dogs explain to me with total clarity and need, how he will be back on patrol in combat as soon as he gets his wind back and his sprint times down.  All this as he was adjusting the spring action on his artificial leg!  There was no false bravado here, just everyday American men who have made sacrifices of the time, their bodies and their futures so the rest of the world not just America may be a better place one day.  

   We were fishing on the charter boat "Relentless"  out of Bud ‘n Mary's Marina at mile marker 80 in Islamorada.  Capt. Paul Ross and mate Jimmy Hendricks put on a show!  Its no wonder these guys have dominated the sailfish game as of late, they never stop looking for signs of bait, birds and sailfish.  We ran up and down the reef-line all day, constantly changing baits and setups as conditions changed through out the day.  We caught 3 sails the first day and they caught 6 sails on the second day and won the tournament that was held for them and their buddies.  The soldiers were far removed from the hospital halls and the hours of therapy that makes up their days in D.C. They were given a dose of medicine that can only be found out on the water while fishing.  The effect of the day's fishing is so effective, yet so simple, you could see the disconnect from the hospital and how their focus narrows down to the moment, the task at hand, the rod, the reel and the fish.  When you are concentrating on a running, leaping sailfish on a blue - blue sea, you can't and won't look too much past the task at hand. That is the beauty and power of fishing for anyone who takes a rod and reel up in their hands for a day on the water.  The level of commitment these men showed to recovery and moving on is amazing and has humbled me. I have an artificial knee and my other replacement knee is in my future, I will never complain about either joint again.  If you come across a soldier or veteran of our armed forces take the time to shake their hand and tell them "Thank You" and keep your opinion of world politics to yourself.  

   As far as the fishing on the flats and backcountry its red hot in the Gulf and the trout bite around Flamingo is great on either tide. The warm weather has redfish and snook getting back on track.  Soft plastic jerk baits were producing large trout and snook on the edges of the channels out west of Flamingo on the incoming tide and the falling tide was prime time for live shrimp work low and slow on the bottom.  

Thank you to all of the boat crews and to Mangrove Mike's in Islamorada for taking care of the soldiers from Walter Reed.  Also thank you to the Elk's Club for their efforts, the lunches from The Island Grill, and many other people who helped.  And thanks to Elizabeth, of this paper, for all her effort she somehow fit into her schedule to make sure these soldiers had fun on the water…and her work as the committee boat and tournament director.

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Islamorada Flats Report Update: February 11, 2009

No matter where you live, last week was a cold one!  We saw the upper 40's for overnight lows and we had a hard time cracking the 60 degree mark for a high.  Out of towners are laughing after reading this but those temps are tough on us thin skinned islanders.  The winds that brought these cold days came out of the north and northwestern part of the compass and they blew upwards of 20 mph for some time.  

      Due to the lay of the island chain here in the Upper Keys those winds with a northern accent don't really affect the near shore waters of the Atlantic.  This makes for some great patch reef fishing for local guides.  Bay boats and poling skiffs alike can take full advantage of the calm side of the islands and cash in on the patches.  Capt. Fred Ferreira and Capt. John Gargan both fish out of Whale Harbor Marina in Islamorada hit the reefs in very shallow water this past week and they were on fire!  They both reported good catches of tasty hogfish, groupers and snappers and the surprise is that they never went deeper than 10 feet of water.  John fishes a poling skiff and said that it was very fishable on the Atlantic side, the backside of the Keys or the Bayside was rough and tumble due to the northwest winds.  These patches hold a vast selection of fish from speedy mackerels to bottom loving groupers and all it takes is a live well full of shrimp and some chum.  You will find all the fresh cut bait you need swimming up in your chum slick in the form of ballyhoo.  Chunk these guys up for bait or drift a whole live one behind the boat on some wire for good mackerel action but don't be surprised if a big mutton snapper or grouper blows up on this bait.  

       The cold weather dropped the Bay waters down into the low 50's and put the brakes on a good redfish bite around Flamingo.  Some guides were able to put together a bite out west at the East Cape Canal by sticking live shrimp down on the bottom and praying for a black drum bite.  Drum don't mind the colder waters and if you find one, you probably found them all.  In this cold, when you find fish don't leave them to find others.  Never leave fish to find fish!  The cold water will slow down the trout bite but as soon as you find 60 degree water you will find a good trout bite.  Trout go looking for the deepest water they can find and they prefer slow to no current at all as well, so go looking out in the deeper basins with mullet muds or just off color water.  Do this and you will find trout.  Live shrimp on a 1/4 ounce Hook Up Lure jig head worked under a popping cork or just bouncing the grass will find these fish.  I like the 1/4 ounce weight better than a 3/8 ounce jig simply because it will sink slower into the grass and a slower moving bait will appeal to these fish due to the cold.  A slow sink rate will keep the bait in the strike zone longer.  

         If you know a guide that knows the Whitewater Bay area -- that is a treasure to find.  This time of the year this area comes to life and is a blast to go out into and explore with a knowledgeable guide.  Whitewater is no place to explore on your own if you are not familiar with it. Hire a guide and go have a blast back there in a safe manner.  Take a look at our complete list of guides and captains in the back of this issue.  Get out on the water and Go Fish!  Also check out my TV show on Comcast Channel 5 the Keys Information Station it’s called "Reelin' in the Keys"  and it airs Mondays and Thursdays at 7:00 pm and Fridays at 8:30 pm and let me know what you think, really I am looking for input from you.  E-mail me at Matt@Bamboocharters.com or call me at 305-393-0909. 

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Islamorada Flats Report Update: February 4, 2009

       Here it is, Super Bowl Sunday and the first of Feburary and this past month was a roller coaster!  Advise to Al Gore, go back to school, global warming my ass!  Water temps today in the Florida Bay part of my globe was cold!  53f to 60f ain't what I'd call warm and the fish seem to agree.  Warm one day and cold the next has been the trend around here.  But some very good action has been going on out there.  So let’s take a look at the goings on. 

   I’ve said it time and time again; sea trout fishing is one of my favorite ways to spend a day out on the water, with or without clients.  Some of you are saying "sure trout are no big deal and they are easy to find”  just remember that  before you call me the next time you need to find the trout bite.  Just like any other fish that we pursue, you have to stay current with their where abouts and what is working best to catch them.  I run a good bit of family fishing trips and action trips, so I love the sea trout.  They will eat just about any offering and they run in huge numbers.  Sea trout also put up a great fight when you match your gear to the fish.  I prefer a 6 - 7 ft spinning outfit with a 6 - 10 pound action, for the most part you will find most of your trout out in open water, so let the fish run and go with light tackle.  To find the bigger trout use mullet look-alikes, pinfish or ladyfish strips to butt heads with the big girls.  I said "big girls"  because most to the truly big trout will be females and they are looking to put on body mass to ensure a healthy spawn.  These beauties will be over 20 inches and can get up to 28 inches around here.  To figure out boy trout from girl trout all you have to do is listen.  The males will grunt or drum as you hold them, females do not have this ability.  Try to release the females and keep only the males, this will help keep Florida Bay stocked with trout for years to come.  

   The sea trout bite has fired up over the the past few weeks and it’s safe to say that the bite is on.  Finding them is easy, look for mullet muds in the open basins of the Bay.  A mullet mud is a patch of muddied up water that will be as small as a VW Bug or as large as a football field.  Find one and drift through it throwing popping corks, bucktails, shrimp on a jig or various soft plastics.  If you hook up, stake out and fan cast all around the boat until the bite stops.  Then, pick up and drift until you hook up again; you will keep busy with a very under rated fish that will keep up the smiling.  As of this writing I'd call the bite "SUPER"  and the fish are running from 14 to 24 inches out there.  These trout are thick and it’s easy to catch 50 or more fish on a half day trip per person. I find a 5 inch soft plastic jerk bait on a jig head to be the best way to target the big guns, you will find your favorite way to go.  

   Like I said in the opening, it has been cold, the water has been heating up in the afternoons only to cool off over night.  This is true for the shallows of the Bay, the deeper water of the Atlantic will not bounce around as much.  This means you can get on the Oceanside patches in the morning and then scoot into the backcountry in the afternoon.  The patches are in 10 feet of water or better and will hold a great choice of fish.  As of late you will find hogfish, snappers, grouper, mackerel and more just offshore.  Live shrimp, chum and the same gear you use out back will do the trick, as you go ballyhoo will show up behind the boat.  These are great baits and you just need to hair hook them if you can't throw a cast net, chunk them up and you are all baited up.  

   Take a look at the Captains and Guides listing in this issue to find a great boat to get you out on the water while you are here in the Keys. GO FISH!