By: Capt. Greg Poland
The dog days of summer are upon us here in the Florida Keys. In my area of Islamorada, the early morning fishing has been pretty decent lately as we have been leaving the dock by 6am and by the time we get 1/2 way to the Flamingo backcountry area to fish, the sun is just coming up. It makes for some great photos and it’s simply a great way to start the day!
The backcountry has been on fire with a lot of smaller snook and tarpon and we have been catching them on artificial baits as well as doing quite a bit of fly fishing. Because we get off to such an early start this time of the year and leaving so early, the fact is that summer shrimp are just so small now so it’s the perfect time to give the artificial baits a try. There are so many to choose from and honestly, I get my info from my neighbors next door as these kids are masters at making the rubber baits swim like pilchards do.
Attached are a few photos from some recent trips to the Flamingo backcountry area. I have also been hearing some great reports from the guys fishing offshore, but I have not been out that direction in quite a while. Mostly, I have been fishing for snapper and with enough chum and pilchards we have put quite a few nice ones into the Yeti. If you get out early enough you will stay cooler while out fishing and if you would like to get out on the water in your boat or mine give me a call and I’ll show you how we get it done this time of the year.