SOUTH FLORIDA OFFSHORE: Capt. Skip Dana of the Helen S and Fish City Pride drift boats at Hillsboro Inlet Marina said anglers caught a handful of kingfish this week, yellowtail snappers and a few mutton snappers. Dolphin bit good Wednesday for charter and private boats. Sailfish have been scarce. Capt. Chris Lemieux of Boynton Beach caught sailfish, kingfish and snappers this week.
THE KEYS: Capt. Richard Stanczyk of Bud N’ Mary’s Marina in Islamorada said given the weather forecast, Saturday should be the best day to fish. Charter boats were all catching a few sailfish and some kingfish up to 39 pounds using live speedos. The Miss Islamorada party boat had lane snappers up to 4 pounds fishing in 135 feet. Cero mackerel have been plentiful.
SOUTH FLORIDA INSHORE: Capt. Rick Stanczyk of Islamorada caught 16 snook up to 14 pounds Wednesday fishing in the backcountry of Everglades National Park. His anglers also were catching black drum and redfish.
EVERGLADES/FRESHWATER: Capt. Alan Zaremba of Hollywood said the cooler weather has peacock bass traveling in schools and biting hard jerkbaits. The best way to locate the fish is to troll jerkbaits around bridge pilings in urban canals and lakes.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE: Bass fishing has been really good all around the lake, with live bait anglers going through dozens of shiners. The key is to fish the wind; that is, fish the east side of the lake on an east wind. Plastic stick worms were catching good numbers of bass well back in the grass, as were creature baits pitched and flipped around isolated reeds.
