April | 2016 | soflosportfishing

Fishing the South Glades: Coot Bay

Posted on April 7, 2016 by soflosportfishing

Where the swamps of Everglades National Park meet the seagrass flats of the Florida Bay, some of the most pristine fishing persists. The only major sign of human settlement in the area is a little fishing and camping town named Flamingo.

This past winter, my dad and I strapped our kayaks to the car and drove a few hours to target snook and tarpon in Coot Bay, a lake just a few miles north of Flamingo.

State Highway 9336 led us from Florida City down a winding road into progressively swampier land.

The area is so isolated that mosquitoes are extraordinarily rampant. Before applying bug spray we found ourselves covered with dozens of mosquitoes even though we were standing in the wind.

We launched our kayaks into Coot Bay Pond, a murky lagoon that leads to the lake through a narrow mangrove tunnel.

A school of little tarpon greeted us in the pond almost immediately. They were not much longer than a foot and adamantly refused any bait we threw at them. We brought a few dozen live shrimp and an array of artificials, but to no avail. Figuring there were bigger fish to catch we paddled past the baby tarpon and into Coot Bay.

The open water was picturesque. The lake is maybe a mile or 2 across and surrounded by mangroves. Other than an occasional skiff passing by in the distance we were the only people on the water.

Since cellphone signal is spotty and civilization is limited in Everglades National Park, it’s wise to have someone with you and to bring a GPS. The GPS can also come in handy saving fishing spot coordinates.

My dad and I began by casting along the mangroves on the edge of the bay. Although it was winter time, the water abounded with life. Jumping mullet and flocks of coots, the small birds to which the bay owes its name, were everywhere.

After several casts with live shrimp proved ineffective, I tied on my trusty Catch 2000 and landed a few casts perfectly under the mangroves.

It didn’t take long for a fish to strike. As soon as I felt the line scream I tightened the drag on my Shimano Spheros 4000, fearful that whatever I hooked would tangle me in the mangroves.

After a solid fight I pulled the fish alongside my boat so my dad could snap a picture. It was a fairly average sized snook with a very vivid complexion, probably owing to the clean water in the lake.

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The rest of the day proved somewhat uneventful other than a few alligators or crocodiles we spotted. Interestingly, this part of South Florida is the only region in the world where the two species coexist.

After using our GPS to relocate the mangrove tunnel leading back to Coot Bay Pond, we paddled back.

The tarpon were waiting for us in the pond once again. Determined to catch one of the them I tried a few more lures.

Finally, one of them found my MirrOdine enticing and decided to strike. After a few impressive jumps I pulled the little silver king up to my kayak. It appeared to be larger than most tarpon I had seen rolling, maybe a good 22 inches.

As the sun set and the mosquitoes started to eat us alive, my dad and I strapped our kayaks to the car.

Coot Bay was certainly one of the most unique places I have had the pleasure of fishing. Because of the area’s isolation, it characterizes pre-Columbian Florida as well as anywhere.

Surf Fishing Part Four: Summer

Posted on April 4, 2016 by soflosportfishing

To conclude my seasonal summary of South Florida’s surf fishing I’ll discuss the summer, arguably the most productive surf fishing season of the year. From late May to about September, South Florida’s beaches boil with baitfish migrating south for the winter.

The baitfish are followed closely by a variety of predators, including big-time gamefish like snook and tarpon. Other fish in the surf during the summer include jacks, barracuda, whiting, houndfish and ladyfish.

The most effective method for catching snook and other gamefish is to capture live bait and toss it in a bucket with a filtration system. Artificial lures, such as topwaters or hard-plastic jigs, work effectively, but nothing compares to the real thing.

Many surf fishermen use cast nets to capture dozens of baitfish with a single cast. Learning how to cast net isn’t difficult, but definitely requires some practice and dedication. An easier method is to use a sabiki rig to catch baitfish. These rigs consist of several hooks joined to a line with a weight on the end.

School of pilchards in Florida’s surf

Armed with a bucket of live pilchards or sardines, the chances of hooking a sizable snook are pretty good on most South Florida beaches.

The linesiders can be spotted cruising as close as a yard from the shorebreak. I prefer to target snook with a light-medium outfit and 15-30 pound test. A long fluorocarbon leader is helpful as these fish can be wise when confronted with a hooked bait.

Hooking baitfish properly is crucial because they must swim naturally in order to fool predators. Most fishermen prefer to hook them through the nose, just below and in front of the eyes. It’s also important to be careful when casting bait because the hook can slip out of the fish’s nose if you whip the rod too hard. Snook hunt close to shore just as often as in deeper surf, so flinging your bait a long distance is usually not necessary.

When using larger baitfish, like bluerunners, it’s sometimes better to hook the fish through the back, approximately between the tail and the pectoral fins, but closer to the dorsal (top) of the fish. Baitfish tend to die quicker when hooked like this but it also gives you a little bit more freedom to cast in the wind.

When aiming for snook and tarpon it’s best to allow the bait to swim naturally in whatever direction it desires. Most often, the baitfish will follow nearby schools. The bail should be opened when the bait tugs, but it’s also important to keep the line somewhat tense to ensure that you can feel when a fish strikes.

As soon as baitfish begin to go limp in the water they should be tossed back and replaced. Depending on the species of baitfish and the surf conditions, some can swim as long as twenty minutes, whereas others weaken and die after a cast or two.

Snook have a very distinct manner in which they strike. Typically they take a quick, light “chomp” out of the bait that feels like a brief tug. Then they take a second bite, crushing the bait whole with their strong mouths and launching into flight mode.

Larger snook tend to fight simply by going on long, energetic runs parallel with the shore. Smaller specimen, around two feet or less, frequently jump as they attempt to shake the hook.

One of the most interesting aspects of snook is that they are protodogenous hermaphrodites, meaning they undergo a sex change from male to female as they grow. This is important to the management of the species, as female snook must be kept in abundance to ensure that there are enough adult fish capable of breeding to sustain the population.

In Atlantic state waters, possession of a fishing license and valid snook permit are necessary to harvest the species. Both of these documents can be purchased online here. Additionally, snook must be caught during season and must be between 28 and 32 inches in length on Florida’s east coast. The snook season is closed from Dec. 31 Jan. 1 and from June 1 to Aug. 31. So snook fishing during the summer is done more for sport than food.

From over a decade of beach fishing I can attest that few fish put up the fight that snook do. They are an old favorite of longtime sportfishermen throughout the state, and are not found anywhere else in the country. Their preservation is important to the sportfishing community, so it is advisable to report any poaching to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Large surf snook caught by Steve Plamann in June 2011. Photo by Michelle Quigley.