[tbrillinger223]

Woo Hoo, Im flamingo bound on saturday!!!

We have a nice group going down on saturday, my buddy and I on his boat, mutual friends on their boats. the wind is in our favor for fishing on the "inside". With the cold front that has just come through it will push the snook up into the darker brackish water in the morning and the reds will be cruising the oyster beds. the trout will be up in the grass and feeding like champs. Hopefully will produce some excellent fishing for snook, reds and trout. if the wind changes or dies down more we will probably head out to the wreck and see if we can grab some cobia and permit. (if they show)

[fyshstykr]

Sounds like you will have a great time.

Don't forget the Scotch and Cohiba's.

[jimw]

TB
Have fun and catch alot I am typing this after starting the truck to warm it up to get the ice off the windows. i really need to move alittle further south
Jim

[Frank Whiton]

Hi tbrillinger223,

Have a good time and catch a snook for me. Do they still have a campground at Flamingo?

Frank

[tbrillinger223]

Originally Posted by Frank Whiton

Hi tbrillinger223,

Have a good time and catch a snook for me. Do they still have a campground at Flamingo?

Frank

Frank,

yes the campground is still there, but the lodge is no longer there. thanks to hurricane damage.

Here is the fishing report:

went into the freshwater early morning to fish for snook and large mouth bass. we boated 2 small snook and around 13 large mouth upto 5 lbs. and 2 that were around 7-8 lbs. the guys in the other boat caught several bass and small snook as well. around mid morning we headed back down to brackish water and started to fish for reds and snook up in the mangrove roots. (I mean UP in the roots) very tight overhanging mangroves, not much room for a fly rod. we were pitching jerk baits up under the trees. one of the guys on the other boat hooked and boated a very nice 36" snook, and a 24" red. action slowed down for us for a while. we moved in to the salt water mid afternoon to see if we could go for the slam. we fished one of the flats in the little shark and found several snook on top water and went 5-7 on them, no slots though. new regs for the west coast are 28-33" we boated 22-26" fish. late afternoon we went to a spot we clasified as the "giving tree" for reds. caught 3 nice reds all over slot, 27 1/2" 28" 28" and one keeper 26 1/2 hog!!! didnt get the slam, no tarpon There is always next time!!!

[Frank Whiton]

Hi tbrillinger223,

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a good trip.

I was in Florida back in the 60's and the Redfish were being over fished. After a big decline the Reds are back stronger than ever. The over sized fish is becoming the norm today.
I was at the motel when they were getting ready to open for business. They were still doing construction and we put in a Microwave link for their phone service. Too bad it is gone. This has nothing to do with your trip but I was also at Marko Island and there was nothing there but a few homes, one Snook guide and the first hotel was being built.

Frank

[bonefish41]

TB:

How many other boats put in?? Is the lodge forever morte?? what was the water clarity?? fresh, brackish salt??

Amazing...how those who call the slots...can pick those right numbers so we got to eat KFC..

[tbrillinger223]

Originally Posted by bonefish41

TB:

How many other boats put in?? Is the lodge forever morte?? what was the water clarity?? fresh, brackish salt??

Amazing...how those who call the slots...can pick those right numbers so we got to eat KFC..

BF41,

we got to the ramp around 6:15 and there were three on the ramp and prolly 25 trucks in the lot already and seven or so waiting. we fished the inside so the water was fairly clean and clear. when we got to the fresh water the wind was out of the north east so the water was pretty murky. as the tides changed and the winds shifted the water cleared up a little, not "gin clear" but better. we moved down to brackish and salt the clarity was dirty due to the winds. As for the lodge, hard to say.

Frank,

the redfish have had an excellent comeback thanks to conservation and help from the state they have made a great comback. there is a hatchery in the tampa area that has released juvies both on the west coast and east coast several times over the last few years. I had seen an article in either florida sportsman or south florida fishing magazine that covered this topic.


For All,

A visit to the Everglades National Park will be one of the best fishing trips ever. probably the only place that you can catch large mouth bass, snook, redfish, trout , snook, pompano, permit, tarpon, and other species all in one day. It is one of the most diverse fishing locations that I am aware of.

[tbrillinger223]

Originally Posted by jimw

TB
Have fun and catch alot I am typing this after starting the truck to warm it up to get the ice off the windows. i really need to move alittle further south
Jim

Jim,

hopefully it will warm up soon and you can get more time in. there homes for sale all over florida

[tbrillinger223]

Originally Posted by fyshstykr

Sounds like you will have a great time.

Don't forget the Scotch and Cohiba's.

Thanks Fysh,

sorry, but we are a dry boat. and the NP tends to frown on the open container.