Hello Anglers , Captain Cliff here from Islamorada, Florida keys Things beginning to heat up down here the fronts have been mild and just get temporary set backs from them lasting about a day or so. The news from the backcountry is Sea trout are starting to bite with regularity and some 4-6 pound fish have been caught , mixed in have been your jack crevelles, Ladyfish and once in a while a pompano or two. While fishing for the snook and redfish there have been some nice size Black drum also. the snook have either been throw backs or real lunkers screaming out and almost stripping the reels. Redfish up to 8 pounds are mixed in but most are small. I have been fishing close to home [30 minutes or less} and catching the spanish mackerl Jack crevelles and some of the largest ladyfish I have seen in many years, the poor man’s tarpon have been up to 4 pounds and you think you got a whale on your line when they slam the bait. The mackerl have been small all the way up to 6-7 pounds and on 6 pound test they are a ball , this has been the half day trip mostly ,you get lots of fishing time and plenty of bites, we have caught as many as 70 fish total in a trip , can hardly keep the lines baited and the rods rigged.There have been small black tipped and bonnethead sharks mixed in too .So there is plenty to do! I have not been bonefishing so all I can tell you is it has been hit or miss from what the other guides are saying! OK, Ok ,OK what you are all waiting for–THE TARPON are showing up and are just starting to bite the water temp is marginal but since the mullet are beginning to show up so are the tarpon, just need a little more warm weather and things should explode. I myself have not caught any but I haven’t been fishing for them either ,I just keep seeing them in all the usual haunts.

Courtesy of Captian Cliff