LAKE OKEECHOBEE
Bass fishing should be much improved this weekend given the warm weather this week. If it rains, the overcast skies should improve the bite. Try using swimbaits, jerkbaits and stick worms around holes in the grass.
EVERGLADES/FRESHWATER
Capt. Alan Zaremba of Hollywood said the fishing for peacock bass in the Miami Airport lakes was great Thursday, as his charter caught 17 fish up to 7 pounds. Largemouth bass were biting plastic worms, topwater poppers and jerkbaits in the canals along Alligator Alley west of the Miami Canal as well as in the Miami Canal.
SOUTH FLORIDA INSHORE
Although the weather has warmed considerably, water temperatures in Florida Bay were in the 60s and fishing for snook and redfish has been tough. Sheepshead and jacks were biting.
SOUTH FLORIDA OFFSHORE
Capt. Chris Lemieux of Boynton Beach said the best bite this week has been kingfish in 80-120 feet. “Mostly 4- to 10-pound fish, but we did catch a nice 42-pound king,” Lemieux said. “Bottom fishing was good, with a lot of nice vermilion snappers, and we had to release some really nice red groupers. Also, there were some dolphin in 400-600 feet one day, but not a bunch.”
THE KEYS
Capt. George Clark Jr. of Key Largo said lots of mangrove snappers and some keeper mutton snappers were biting on patch reefs in 15-20 feet. Schools of permit also were out there. Cero mackerel were biting in 50-60 feet.
