We are full swing into summer now and the mid day sun confirms that truth day in and day out for us but it’s not just the weather that is hot. Slick calm early mornings can be red hot as well and I’m not talking about the weather either! This is the time of year where permit fishing can be off the charts and bonefishing isn’t far behind. Oh, I forgot to mention, small rolling tarpon are a routine treat mixed in to the grand slam equation. My favorite time of day for this fishing is early morning, really early morning, like at day break early morning. During this time of day it’s a win/win for all involved. Why? Well, first of all it’s typically really calm in the mornings and this allows us to spot tailing and waking fish much easier. How much easier, like 100 yards away easier! Secondly, these conditions allow for easier casting since there is no wind to contend with making casting easier and more accurate. Lastly, the weather is the coolest during this time of day making it comfortable fishing during the best time of day.
Summer time is also a great time to target early morning resident tarpon along bridges and inlets during the outgoing tides using live crabs and mullet as the bait of choice. Bridge tarpon can be tough though since most of these fish are lost to the bridge pilings and columns but the thrill of jumping tarpon is worth the early morning alarm. These are resident tarpon in the 40-80 lb range and they are a blast!
Moving away from silver into the realm of gold we have the summer snook spawn. All throughout the summer snook will stack up in inlets and bridges and do their snook thing. Thankfully, the “snook thing” gets them hungry and live white bait such as mullet, pilchards and pinfish will get thumped regularly as they get free-lined into the snook spots. When snook fishing it is important to fish areas of good current since these fish will stack up in areas of current so avoid fishing the slack tides. The tackle to use is medium spinning gear with 30lb braid (I love Daiwa’s J braid), 40lb fluorocarbon leader and size 1/0 “J” hooks. Using circle hooks works well also and is preferred to ensure there is no gut hooking involved, especially since this is catch and release fishing.
One of the keys to successful snook fishing is live bait, and while lures will work, its hard to beat live bait. Using artificial lures will work and I routinely use lipped plugs cast and retrieved along jetties, seawalls and pilings as well as plastic shrimp bounced off the bottom on ½ oz jigs. Yes, lures work but live bait is tough to beat for these wise Miami summer snook.
Well folks, get out there on the water, enjoy summer, stay hydrated and keep your kids safe while on and near the water!
Capt. Mo Estevez
(786) 853-1409