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Plenty of Dolphin offshore

Plenty of Dolphin offshore

Offshore:
Plenty of Dolphin offshore, although the majority of the fish are school size, from two to four pounds.  Of course the gaffer size Dolphin will show up again, but most charter captains are looking for the Wahoo to make a showing amongst the Dolphin.  Also, we should see some Blue Marlin catches in the month of June.   Those captains who fish the Hump early in the morning will put some Black Fin Tuna in the box.

Reefs:
Yellowtail Snapper catches continue to be the highlight for reef fishermen.   Another very popular endeavor in the summertime heat is night fishing for Mangrove Snapper.  Fishing  the “patches” inside the reef  for “Mangs”, Yellowtail, Mutton Snapper and Grouper will be very productive in darkness.  Chum the fish on any hard bottom area.  Use 12 to 15 # spinning gear.   Drift Shrimp, live Pilchards or fresh cut bait back in the chum slick.

Gulf and Bay:
This is the time to fish the shoreline areas of Florida Bay for Snook.  Although the Snook season is closed, traditionally the Snook bite is good in the shade of the Mangroves along the shoreline.  Look for Tarpon action in this area also!   The Gulf is the red hot entity these days.  Water quality is good and for the most part there is little floating grass to deal with.  There are still plenty of juvenile Cobia and the Permit are making a good showing. 
For the angler that can not make the long run out into the Gulf, try anchoring and chumming  almost anywhere.  The mangrove Snapper will come up in the chum along with Trout and lots of rodbenders.

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Flats, Backcountry and Flamingo:
Capt. Vinnie Biondaletti from Bud and Mary’s Marina has been in pursuit of Bonefish this past week.  Although Vinnie did not tell how many his anglers caught, his report is that there are plenty of Bones cruising the Flats around Islamorada.  The Tarpon population in the channels and near shore around Islamorada is staggering. There are lots!  The Tarpon are eating mostly dead bait and mostly ignoring live offerings during the day.  That is what you call “programmed”.  As for the backcountry, most of the Trout have moved deeper, but are still plentiful.

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