Fishing The Everglades

Species We Target

Tarpon

Tarpon are just spectacular, during the warmer months tarpon can be found more regularly though some resident fish hang around all year. What an experience it is to be able to wrangle with a 100lb fish on a fly rod and witness it come thrashing out of the water. To even imagine a fish that size eating a little baitfish fly that’s only 3 inches long is insane to me. Nothing gets my heart pumping like a big Tarpon on fly. Juvenile Tarpon are great fun and do all the same amazing acrobatics as the big guys without wearing out your back.

Snook

Snook are very interesting animals, living in a variety of different areas. A snook may be right next to the boat and you could have no idea. They will often sit motionless waiting for the perfect chance to strike their prey. The take from a nice snook is what its all about, sometimes its a little sip of a fly and others its complete inhalation. The way a snook hits a topwater fly or lure is truly special, the sound the explosion, and then the bull dog fight. Sometimes snook thrash and jump when hooked and sometimes they go for quick burst runs that make the reel scream. Even in the dirtiest of water a snook can find a little fly with its lateral line. They’re main sense for finding prey is feel. It’s a toss up for me between the snook and tarpon as my favorite game fish.

Redfish

Redfish almost seem like they were designed for sight fishing. They take themselves so shallow looking for prey that their entire back will be out of the water sometimes. They are a great target for fly or spin tackle. Redfish are in the drum family which are primarily bottom feeders. Many of the flies and lures we use imitate small shrimp or crustaceans that a redfish will pick up off the bottom. A redfish tends to have a small strike zone than snook or tarpon often requiring the fly to be casted and presented very close for them to be able to notice it. On calm days they will tail meaning their tail will be just above the surface while they hunt around on the bottom. In the fall and winter the red fishing is amazing in the everglades.

Black Drum

Black Drum are very similar to redfish in the way they target prey. They can be more picky at times depending on location and time of year. They aren’t as sought after as the other species generally but any fish that you can sight fish in shallow water is cool in my book. Smaller Black Drum are very pretty fish with distinct vertical black lines across their body, when they mature and grow in size their stripes tend to fade. They do all the same things as Redfish and are often found around each other. Black Drum and Redfish are both in the Drum family. Many times you will hear them when they are around the boat. They literally make a drumming noise, usually when you catch one they make a drumming noise which is always interesting to hear.