By Captain Roan ZumFelde:
Summer has been thrust upon us. Water levels in the canals off 75 have been rising and the fishing slowing down a bit. Warm water and slow moving fish will necessitate you slowing down your presentations a bit. Smaller poppers and wiggle minnows should still work, but you might have to start targeting deeper fish off the drop-offs or deeper waters of the lakes and canals and creeks in South Florida. Dust off the weighted flies and go a little deeper for the larger fish.
Lake Okeechobee in June should get easier to traverse for the boaters. May lake levels were very low and made it extremely difficult for the general public to move around the lake and were very dangerous. With added rain of June, the fish should start spreading out to the main lake and into the scattered cover areas to feed on bait that has been safe out in the lake because of the lower water levels. Fly fishing the Lake should still be pretty good until the water levels get high and then it is all about shiners and Flipping and Pitching heavy cover.
Trafford Fishing might be removed from my report if fishing reports do not get any better out there. Bass fishing reports have been, well, not great. I could use harsher words but I have fished it a few times and wow, the fish are tough to target. The panfish should still bed into June and it should still be pretty good, but the only other thing I would like do on Trafford is maybe riding an airboat.
The Everglades Canals are starting to slow down on the catch rates. May was still good, but now that the heat and rains of June are here things might start getting a little tougher to find 100 fish days. When the water levels rise I like to target the canals that are less affected by higher water, like Interceptor and the Miami. The Golden Gate System can be pretty good as the waters rise and water is pushed over the dams. Another great canal that has a lot of fish in it and can be very good this time of the year is the Faka Union Canal out of Port of The Islands. When the waters start to run over the damn from the freshwater or north side, the small tarpon and snook really gang up early in the morning and late in the evening on the South Side. (Bring Bug Spray) Boaters can put in on either side of the dam and fish south in the salt water or go up to the gun range ramp and fish the Big T on the North side.
Come visit Mike and me at Mike’s Bait House and Indian Pass Outfitters on Danford Street, next to Bayview Park in Naples and we can talk fishing. We carry a full line of tackle including fly fishing needs, both saltwater and freshwater gear, food, drinks, and bait. Thanks, and good fishing! – Roan Z.
If you want to contact Capt. Roan Z for a freshwater fishing trip or ask any fishing questions he can be contacted at the Shop 239-775-2248 or cell number 239-269-4426. Check the Web Site www.indianpassoutfitters.com and www.mikesbaithouse.com.