May is cruising by us like a school of tarpon. It just meandered in on you but is quickly swimming on by. May and June are probably the best months of the year to fish for large tarpon on the gin-clear oceanside flats. The backcountry waters of the Florida Bay and Everglades National Park are also a haven for large migrating tarpon. My anglers have been fly fisherman for the most part, and the flies we are using are black and purple for the early morning and overcast skies. When the light gets higher and the water starts to warm, I'm using smaller flies that are brighter in color, like a chartreuse and yellow toad fly or an orange palolo worm fly imitation. There has been a small "worm hatch" in the lower keys this past week and the tarpon are starting to key in on this tiny tarpon delicacy. I received a report last week from Capt. Doug Mayer who hooked and played 5 tarpon to the boat and "jumped" more than twenty in just a few hours! That's good fishing.
While most anglers have been searching for the silver king, the bonefish or "grey ghost" are enjoying less pressure on the flats. Capt. Any Putetti has been reaping the benefits of wide open bonefish flats and is reporting multiple days of catching five bonefish or more each day. He's been using live shrimp, crabs and flies early in the morning when the water temperature is just right. The bonefish he's been catching are anywhere from 4 lbs. to over ten pounds. That's great news because the bonefishing should only get better as the summer rolls along.
Sam Kaufman fished with me in this year's Golden Fly Invitational Tarpon Tournament. This was his first competitive fishing tournament against some of the best fly anglers in the world. Sam fished hard for three days and learned that he can hang with the big boys. He hooked a lot, caught a couple, and had the time of his life. Congratulations to the winners and watch out for Team Steve and Sam next year!
Capt. Steve Friedman
www.afishingguide.com
