By: Capt. Greg Poland 
It’s the start of winter here in Islamorada and although we will not have any snowfall, the cold fronts will be headed our way which always sparks things up not to mention it’s simply a great time to be out on the water enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery. I love this time of year in the backcountry and can spend days working shorelines or heading deep into the creeks that just are not fishable in the summer because of the bugs and the heat, my advice is to get to know the area at low tide this way you know you can always get back out as the tide rises. I have been stuck out there and to be honest it’s not a great feeling, but I did learn a lot while trying to figure out how to get out of that mess. Take your time in the backcountry and enjoy the surroundings, sometimes it’s just not all about catching a fish! I am always amazed by the backcountry and the way the water flows around the mangroves and if you take the time to slow down and pole or fish down a shoreline you will find some secrets that will help you out next time you fish the area.
The snook fishing has been on fire lately and there are still some medium size silver kings around, just the other day I took my neighbor and his son Ryland out for an afternoon trip to catch a few fish in the backcountry and while fishing one of my favorite snook holes we found a beautiful tarpon. Ryland did a great job battling this silver king through several jumps and brought it in to his dad’s hands for a quick photo and release. There is nothing like watching a kid fight a big fish that runs him from the bow to the stern of a boat while jumping a few times and my hat goes off to this young superstar that spends most of the afternoon fishing off the dock behind his house with his brother and cousins. I am sure you will see his name on a trophy in the near future!
— Contact Capt. Greg at 305.393.3327 or email at gregpoland@icloud.com