By: Capt. Greg Poland
This summer has been a hot one, as they usually are, but the fishing has been red hot as well. I have been setting my alarm clock for zero dark thirty, which is quite early in the morning, but once you get used to getting up and out early it is really not that big a deal and the spectacular bonus of watching the sun rise while running into the backcountry of the Everglades National Park is something everybody should experience.
There is another big benefit of getting up and leaving early as we have been able to be the first ones on the scene to watch the juvenile tarpon rolling along the shorelines or hearing a snook blast something out of the water for breakfast.
I have not been spending much time on the Atlantic side of the Keys this summer, but my friends who have been fishing out on the reef or offshore are reporting lots of mahi along with some great bottom fishing.
In the coming months, my plan is to get back over into the Atlantic side and catch up on the great fishing opportunities on that side, but honestly, I just love fishing for the snook and juvenile tarpon so much it’s hard for me to do anything else this time of year. As we know, during the summer months we all have to keep an eye on the weather and dodge the storms!
I still have some prime dates open if you would like to experience the beauty and peacefulness of the backcountry with me for a morning you won’t soon forget. Hope to see you around the dock or out on the water.