SOUTH FLORIDA OFFSHORE: Capt. Skip Dana said dolphin fishing “has been spectacular” 8-16 miles offshore under birds and around debris. His anglers on Pop A Top kept 30 of more than 50 dolphin caught Thursday fishing out of Hillsboro Inlet. Capt. Chris Lemieux of Boynton Beach said the reefs had lots of yellowtail snappers, plus mangroves and muttons, along with some scattered kingfish.
THE KEYS: Fishing for dolphin picked up this week, with lots of keeper schoolies biting, along with some bigger fish. Blackfin tunas were biting at the humps. Yellowtail and mangrove snappers were biting on the reefs.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE: Tony Crowder of the Everglades Bassmasters of South Florida reported that lots of small to medium-sized keeper bass were caught all day during a recent club tournament using plastic frogs, stick worms, speed worms, jigs, crankbaits and flipping crawdads. He said low water levels had many anglers fishing in the rim canal and dynamite holes, including tournament winner Dan Potts, who had fish up to 7.23 pounds using worms. Those who fished the main lake caught a lot of fish, but also spent a lot of time idling to avoid lower unit damage.
EVERGLADES/FRESHWATER: Capt. Alan Zaremba, of Hollywood, reported that peacock bass were running bigger this week in urban canals and grass carp were attacking berry flies fished around overhanging ficus trees. Largemouth bass also were biting flies. Topwater lures have been good early in the morning.
SOUTH FLORIDA INSHORE: There’s been good fishing for redfish on the flats of Everglades National Park. Small tarpon were biting in the backcountry, with bigger tarpon biting around the river mouths along the Gulf side of the park.
