south county

inshore & Freshwater Fishing Forecast with

Ca PT. PaT ri C k S M i T h

the surface just as fast as you can and watch the fish fight over it. Sometimes, just before the day is over, we take the hooks off just so that we can watch them hit it and not have to fight any more fish.

Tarpon will be cruising the beach and will include both fish that are hanging out for the summer and fish that are headed northbound from The Keys. They are notoriously finicky, but if you take your time and approach slowly with a healthy live bait there is a chance of hooking up. As usual for this time of the year, the school of snook will be in every inlet up and down the coast, eating croakers and perch.

Casey and his father lost count of the mahi; they make awesome fly rod targets.

e’ve made it to July and it’s more than a little hot out there. The fishing can be incredible, but I believe the key is to fish at dawn and/or dusk and nap or hide from the sun for most of the day. Out on the ledge all the bonita, false albies, tunny, or whatever you feel like calling them will be thick and ready to eat. I throw a handful of chum between 80 and 140 feet, and it usually doesn’t take long for the surface to be boiling with fish. There will also be plenty of bar jacks, blue runners, rainbow runners, and kingfish mixed in. There is probably not a better time of the year to test out your drag. A topwater lure with both treble hooks removed and the back hook replaced with a single J hook is an awesome way to spend the day. Long cast and crank it back across

A surprise tarpon while we were targeting snook. You never know what might show up!

On the Lake Ida, Osborne, and Lake Clark chain, peacock fishing will be pretty amazing for the first few hours of the day until the water warms up and then it’s usually best to wait a couple hours before dark. The clown knife bite will be good around the full moon, and they are a great fish to target around bridges at nighttime. Small live baits, such as shiners or shad, drifted back into the shadows is your best bet.

When it comes to the Everglades, the water levels are up so the fishing can be a little tougher. If you do happen to find a congregation of peacocks, they are normally very willing to eat artificials and flies. You will just have to put your work in to find them.

Good luck out there!