THE KEYS: Capt. Bill Hauck of the Sea King party boat in Marathon said anglers were catching big yellowtail snappers and some big black groupers. Dwight Ewing and his brother caught their limit of yellowtails up to 41/2 pounds and also had a 32-pound grouper. To get in on the good grouper bite before the season closes on Jan. 1, the boat has a trip from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
SOUTH FLORIDA OFFSHORE: Kaden MacNeil had the catch of his young life Tuesday when the 9-year-old caught a 40-pound wahoo on a sardine on the Lady K drift boat of Lantana fishing with his father, Kevin, and his stepmother Debbi DiMondi. Capt. Skip Dana of the Helen S and Fish City Pride drift boats at Hillsboro Inlet Marina said despite rough seas, anglers caught mutton snappers up to 10 pounds this week, plus yellowtail and mangrove snappers, in 35-50 feet. A few dolphin were biting.
SOUTH FLORIDA INSHORE: Capt. Brian Sanders of Davie said redfish continue to be the catch of the day fishing with live shrimp under a bobber in Everglades National Park out of Chokoloskee Island. Earlier this week his anglers caught more than 60 redfish, but just a few keepers, plus a couple of sea trout, sheepshead and some small snook. On Wednesday his charter had 15-20 reds, but all of them were keepers ranging from 22-25 inches, plus 10 black drum and big trout..
EVERGLADES/FRESHWATER: Capt. Alan Zaremba of Hollywood reported good sight-fishing for peacock bass in southern Miami-Dade County canals with jigs and flies. Hard jerkbaits were catching peacocks and largemouth bass in the Lake Ida-Lake Osborne system in Palm Beach County. Largemouths have been caught on big worms and creature baits flipped on the current breaks in the canals along Alligator Alley by mile marker 41.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE: With the wind calming down and forecast to blow out of the east-southeast and a full moon on Friday, try fishing in the needle grass fields around Belle Glade, where there should be good numbers of bedding bass. Swimbaits, stick worms and jigs have all been effective.
