Fishing report
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
The approaching cold front, which will chill South Florida waters, should make bass lethargic and hard to catch until the weather warms unless you flip creature baits in mats of vegetation and around clumps of reeds and cattails.
EVERGLADES/FRESHWATER
Capt. Alan Zaremba of Hollywood reported catching good numbers of small bass using floating Rapalas in Everglades canals with falling water levels, such as along Alligator Alley west of the Miami Canal. The Lake Ida chain of lakes had good numbers of peacock bass, but the cold weather should slow that bite.
SOUTH FLORIDA INSHORE
The cooler weather should make for good sea trout fishing in Florida Bay and even better Spanish mackerel fishing, which has been good, in the bay and the shallows of the Gulf of Mexico. Shrimp have been running most nights in Biscayne Bay.
SOUTH FLORIDA OFFSHORE
Capt. Chris Lemieux reported an OK kingfish bite off Boynton Beach, along with the occasional sailfish and some snappers. Capt. Bouncer Smith of Bouncer’s Dusky 33 reported good fishing for keeper-sized schoolie dolphin Wednesday in 150 feet off Miami. A few sailfish also were biting. The sailfishing should get much better in the wake of the approaching cold front.
THE KEYS
The Sea King party boat of Marathon reported yellowtail snappers continue to bite and anglers also caught some hogfish. Kingfish 5-15 pounds were biting for charter boats in Islamorada, along with a few cobias and blackfin tunas.
