Current Report
The yellowtail is really turned on out there
By Dave Navarro
Posted-Wednesday, February 28, 2007 9:06 AM EST Email this story
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But first, find out how to safely make the trip out
Two months into the new year, it's already been an interesting year for fishing.
We've had a few cool spells but overall, it has been quite warm. There have been the windy days, as well, but on average, we have been quite blessed with more calm, or relatively calm, days than normal so far.
The fish have been around in their usual areas in good numbers, with the occasional move that stumped us from day to day. Bait has been, on average, plentiful enough.
Now is the time to hit them heavy, as March is known for windy days, when you cannot get out for long spells at a time.
What's been good all year and is continuing is the yellowtail fishing all along the reef line. It will vary from time to time as to the best depth, but it has been by far the hottest fishery.
The average size of fish brought in has been larger than normal for this time of year. It has actually made yellowtail fishing, normally one of the most frustrating and aggravating types of fishing, very enjoyable.
What has been quite unusual has been the large numbers and size of fish that have been in relatively shallow waters, from 35 to 50 feet. This has given many anglers that are not that good at the art of yellowtail fishing an advantage, which you gain when you don't have to work them in deep waters.
There are many types of attractants used in addition to chum to raise the fish from the bottom into your chum line. The best has to be glass minnows.
These tiny fish are not that good for bait, as they are so tiny; and once frozen, they are usually too soft to keep on a hook. However, those with patience, not to mention a tiny hook, can thread several of them on for a good bite. They are usually used in addition to chum to raise the fish and incite a feeding frenzy the likes of which turn the waters behind your boat yellow with fish.
A better bait that looks similar is a silverside, which is actually a fresh water minnow that is 2 to 3 inches in size. It's much easier to put on a hook and will attract a larger fish to attack it.
Very near the yellowtail activity, which is usually concentrated along the edge, which is the drop-off section of the reef line where it falls from 35 feet of water downward to more than 120 feet deep, is another area that has been very good.
The patch reefs have been alive with a variety of fish from yellowtail to mangrove and mutton snappers, a variety of grouper species, hogfish and many more. These areas have also been covered time to time by a blanket of other species that stay in the water column between the bottom and the surface.
These include mackerels, jacks and others. These patch reefs that are usually in depths of 18 to 35 feet do not normally hold the big numbers of fish, but have been known to provide a bounty on occasion.
The patch reefs have been more than adequate for finding at least one keeper grouper, enough of a variety of snappers to provide a very nice dinner and enough action to keep everyone happy.
I don't recommend you plan to spend the entire day on one patch reef, but rather hit a good number of them to average out a good catch. Like anywhere else, the patch reefs are not all loaded with what you are after, but you may find that they have more to offer than you had imagined.
With the depths you will be fishing and the fact that you can use your eyes, a fairly accurate fish finder, to find the coral patch reefs, you will find it is an efficient way to fish.
The most consistent venue the past weeks has been the bay. It's usually one-third to a quarter as rough as the ocean on windy days in the open bay and if you get in the vicinity of the numerous flats, banks and islands, you will be sitting in less than a few-inch chop while in 20-knot winds.
It is these numerous banks, flats and islands that just scare the hell out of most boaters that are not used to transgressing the area.
What you can catch, how to catch it and most importantly how to make a round trip without incident will be the main topic of this week's free fishing seminar this Thursday in our outdoor amphitheater at our Marine Educational Center at mile marker 50 bayside. It starts at 6 p.m. sharp and is open to everyone.
The bay can provide the fairest of fair-weather sailors with a comfortable day of fishing along with a wide variety of species that not only challenge the angler but also provides them with a good box full of fish to feast on.
One tip about working around in the bay I can give is very similar to when you first started driving a car on your own. Remember when you said, "OK, let's see what this baby can do!"
Well, having that attitude in a boat in the bay will almost surely require you to take along a bonefish rod so you won't look so silly while your boat is 100 feet up on a flat sitting on its side. You can always say with your light rod in hand that you meant to do that.
Capt. Dave Navarro owns the World Class Angler in Marathon and captains the charter boat 'Dave's Dream.'
