The FishermanTraveling

by Capt. Bouncer Smith

Itook a whirlwind trip around Florida in the 3rd week of May. I started in lower Tampa Bay catching loads of trout and small snook with guides Gri n Dean and then Alan Engel. Next, I shed with Bill Lepree in South Palm Beach catching beautiful peacock bass and clown knife sh. Miami closed out the week with very slow wreck shing, but Captain Abie Raymond saved the late a ernoon with a variety of sh highlighted by a sail sh and a big tarpon for Ben Eskanazi. So, let’s look into July. As the temperature rises the shing changes a lot. You will nd that live baiting along the edge can get very slow, while trolling will improve. e most important weapon for summer trolling on the edge is rigs that run deep. Planers are the most popular approach in recent times. 3 and 1/2 drone spoons shed behind number 4 or 6 planers produce a great variety. Replace that spoon with a ballyhoo or strip behind a sea witch type lure may slow the action a little, but the quality goes way up. Wahoo, king sh and sail sh all like that meat and lure a lot more than metal.

Another option is large, lipped plugs like the X-rap 20 and 30 on braid line in the 30 to 50 pound range. We troll South varying the depth between 90 to 250 feet. When we get action, we concentrate on that depth for a while. If wahoo are your target then troll with the current and try to start before dawn or sh till dark. e wahoo like low light.

Your second choice is to head o shore. Everybody needs to be watching for birds and oating debris. If you are working sargassum, you need to watch to see if the birds are active in the area and watch under the grass for forage sh. ese two indicators tell you if you are in a live area or a dead area which will usually not produce game sh.

If you nd wood, rope or other otsam you need to get a bait deep to seek out wahoo. X-rap 20 or 30 on your braided line will do a good job without much rigging. Drone spoons or rigged bait behind a planer take more work, but are also productive.

If you add a big marlin lure to your trolling spread, it may pay o in two ways. First it draws mahi to your smaller baits as a teaser and secondly you may nd a giant mahi or marlin on the end of your line. Just drag this lure 30 to 50 feet behind the boat. It always pays to bring along your sword sh/deep drop rig. A daytime sword sh or some bottom dwellers may save the day.

If you want some good catch and release shing, snook will be schooled up in all the inlets. Remember these snook are spawning so always use circle hooks and keep those snook in the water while removing the hook and grabbing a photo. Snook, resident tarpon and snapper love dining at night and it is usually cooler, so this makes a few options to escape some of the heat. Speaking of escaping heat, don’t forget that the last week of July there is a two day lobster mini season. Please boat extra cautiously. Both boaters and divers need to practice safe dive ag rules.

Capt Bouncer Smith

305-439-2475 captbouncer@bellsouth.net

by Capt. Abie Raymond

To most July smells like hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, reworks, and freedom. To me, July smells like tarpon slime and fresh Mahi blood on the deck. Schools of small pilchards and sardines ood the bay. ese bait schools make the slick summer bay surface look like rain is falling on it. We even call them “rain bait” because of this appearance. In July we sh with these live pilchards large enough to hold a size 1 or 1/0 hook. e tarpon are smaller and more acrobatic in July. ey are lots of fun on 15-20 lb out ts. Fish for these tarpon with a 4 foot, 40 lb. uorocarbon leader and a hook appropriately sized for the pilchards you nd on that particular day. e tarpon will be stacked up in the inlets and under bridges facing into running tide. ey will bite better at night as they almost always do, in dock lights especially.

Snook will be there eating the same bait at the same places, but you’ll need to drop your baits deeper for them. Fish a Jig head heavy enough to hold bottom in your location.

O shore, July usually provides lots of small Mahi. In July the Mahi are typically 8-12 miles o Miami, as a rule of thumb. Usually, you will have to throw quite a few back that are under sized. Fish ultra-light tackle and y tackle and you will have a blast casting to big patches of sargassum and looking for sooty terns wheeling and picking low. Fish for them with live pilchards a er you’ve located them trolling a small feather or buck tail jig. Good luck and GO HARD.

Captain Abie Raymond

305.775.5197

@abie_raymond