By: Caitlyn Gatrell
With hurricane season comes a lot of uncertainty. Safety is always the number one concern, but for true Florida anglers, fishing comes second. With all the crazy weather changes and an influx on tides especially due to surges, fishing gets pretty crazy. As Tropical Storm Debby made its way to our coast, our eagerness grew and we made our way outdoors. It was not safe to go boating so we decided to do some land fishing instead. We stopped by a local pond and cast netted some bait, a mix of small cichlids and tilapia, and then headed to some nearby ponds and canals.
It was quite the scene as tree branches were down, ponds and canals were overflowing with water, and the sidewalks were covered in water and mud. Not to mention, when the wind was pumping, it was a little difficult to stay put! The rain came and went, but when it rained hard it was pretty cold and a little painful! It’s not for the weak out there, but hard work pays off!
After fishing some ponds with not much luck, we made our way to the canals of Tamiami Trail. One thing I can say, we weren’t the only ones out there! We passed multiple cars and people with the same crazy idea. We pulled off the road, grabbed a bait, and made our way to the canals. We stayed around the bridges, casting our bait as far under as we could. On the first cast we started hooking up to some nice snook. These snook are nice sized and pretty healthy, but they are very dark! It’s a little different than what you see when fishing the beach or ocean, as the water is dirtier and gives them a darker shine.
After catching a few snook and a small tarpon with some fun fights, we made our way further down the road. Stopping at another bridge, there were tons of juvenile tarpon rolling around and chasing small bait fish. We all were able to hook up to and catch some tarpon there, even with the wind kicking!
The canals of Tamiami Trail provide great fishing, and there are a couple things to keep in mind while there. First, be sure to check your surroundings! Between the fast cars passing by and alligators and snakes, you have to keep an eye out for yourself. In addition, having reliable leader such as 30 or 40 lbs is important. With the murkier water you can go higher as the fish won’t see it as well compared to clear water. There also is a lot of structure around there so it helps with frayage.
Overall, we had a great time fishing during the tropical storm! It’s worth getting out there in the crazy conditions, but always make sure you have a safe opportunity to do so and keep an eye on the reports!