By: Capt. Greg Poland
It is the end of another year, and it is officially winter here in the Florida Keys. What this means to me is that I will now be spending more time on the Atlantic side of the islands searching for big schools of jacks that are busting on pilchards or catching bonefish on the edges of the flats. This is not to say the backcountry of the Everglades slows down, and as a matter of fact it is still a great time for juvenile tarpon and snook fishing.
I like to start my charters by loading up both live wells on my Contender with as many pilchards as I can find, this way I can chum heavy to get the fish into a feeding frenzy. Once I’ve located them, I will then send a live bait back with a circle hook in it and let the fun begin. This time of the year is my favorite, and my fishing rods are set up with 10lb light spinning outfits loaded with beaded line and a fluorocarbon leader and a small circle hook.
The size of the hook I like to use depends on the size of the bait I’m using, but in most cases I am using a 2/0 with 15-20lb leader. If you find yourself in a spot with bluefish or mackerel try adding a short trace of wire if you keep losing your hooks, as these critters have some sharp teeth! I still like the circle hook method because I will catch a fair percentage of these toothy fish without having to go to wire, and it is better for the fish you are planning to release because most of the time they are hooked right in the lip rather than down in the throat.
I have plenty of days available, and if you want to get out with me or want me to join you on your boat and show you how I get it done, give me a call and let’s pick a good date. Happy Holidays!