On The Water: Trout, Tarpon and Snapper Action Heats Up

There are some trips that hold a special place in your heart and my trip on April 30th was definitely one of them. Local angler Enrique and his son John were aboard to celebrate John’s fifth birthday and his last day of chemotherapy.

I wanted to make sure John had a great time and caught plenty of fish. I had to be careful though because the wind was pretty stiff and getting worse as the trip progressed. John ended up catching quite a few fish from a school that stayed close to the boat the whole trip. The run back was better than expected and he was all smiles. I was so appreciative that Enrique allowed me the honor of being part of John’s special day. Happy Birthday John.

Fishing at night in Biscayne Bay is a very cool experience and on April 29th Jeff and Ron were aboard. After a few drifts, Jeff hooked up to a big tarpon and the fight was on! I must admit, I have never fished with two more laid back people as these two guys. Jeff fought his birthday tarpon for an hour and 15 minures, but the fish eventually wore through our leader and broke us off. At that point the tide and the bite stopped in time for us to head back and call it a night.

Snapper and trout have also been biting pretty well in Biscayne Bay this week.

Tournaments

• Marathon, May 9th – 10th Mother’s Day Dolphin Tournament. This is a fun and festive one day fishing tournament for the heaviest dolphin. $15,000 in cash and prizes. Three entry levels: Pro, Weekend Warrior and Jr. Divisions. Tournament proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys. Contact 305-743-9828 for info.

• Florida Keys Dolphin Championship, May 16th to 18th. This Keys-wide dolphin challenge allows anglers to fish one tournament from Key Largo to Key West, and weigh in at five locations. An unlimited number of anglers can join a team, in this boat/team event. Contact: Mike Weinhofer 305-395-3474

• Original Big Pine & Lower Keys Dolphin Tournament, May 16th to 18th. Cash and prizes await anglers, also including first-place trophy to the angler who catches the 21st annual tournament’s largest dolphin. If the winning dolphin weighs more than 50 pounds, additional cash is awarded. While dolphin is the only species of fish eligible for cash awards, rods and reels are also to be presented for the heaviest wahoo and tuna caught. Presented by the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce. Entry fees are $150 for open and $50 for youth. Contact: 800-872-2411

• Gotta Luv Them Charity Dolphin Tournament, May 16th – 17th. Headquartered at Bud N’ Mary’s Marina, the second annual one-day tournament includes a Friday night kickoff party and silent auction at 6 p.m. Fishing is to commence Saturday at 8 a.m., and weigh-in is set from 3-4:30 p.m. at the marina, MM 79.8. More than $5,000 cash and prizes are up for grabs; the combined weight of three Dolphin shall determine the winners. The event benefits Gotta Luv Them Foundation, established by a group of Florida Atlantic University alumni to raise money to benefit the education of students in surrounding communities for them to receive higher education and become civic leaders.