SOUTH FLORIDA OFFSHORE: Capt. Chris Lemieux of Boynton Beach said there’s been a great dolphin bite in 700-1,200 feet, with most of the fish caught by trolling small strip baits. “The fish aren’t schooled up, just scattered singles and doubles,” Lemieux said. “A few small skipjack and blackfin tunas were in 400-600 feet.” Inshore and bottom fishing was slow because of a south current. Capt. Skip Dana said he caught some dolphin up to 26 pounds this week fishing out of Hillsboro Inlet around weeds and debris in 750-900 feet on his center console Pop-A-Top. Look for the fish to move shallower with strong northeast and east winds predicted to start blowing on Saturday.
EVERGLADES/FRESHWATER: Capt. Alan Zaremba, of Hollywood, reported that some peacock bass were schooling in urban canals from the Lake Ida chain to Miami, resulting in good numbers of fish, and some were thinking about spawning, resulting in some big fish. His anglers were catching peacocks on flies, jigs, topwater plugs and hard jerkbaits. Zaremba said largemouth bass fishing in Everglades canals has been slow.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE: More and more bass are moving in to the grass in advance of spawning season, and anglers were catching them on topwater lures, plastic stick worms, creature baits and live shiners.
THE KEYS: Anglers fishing the deeper reefs were catching mutton snappers and some groupers. Dolphin were biting as shallow as 500 feet.
SOUTH FLORIDA INSHORE: Anglers in Everglades National Park were catching tarpon, snook and redfish in the backcountry.
