Capt. Mark reports:

The fishing has been very good the last few weeks considering the low that hung over the state last week. Tarpon are still in the bays and are running off the beaches, snook are along the beach and in the passes and mackerel, pompano and sharks are easy.

A late season cool front slowly crept across Florida last week bringing needed rain although it stalled, turned into a low pressure and brought unsettled weather to the area. Now that has passes the weather is more settled and the fishing is easier.

I had some good days fishing for layed up tarpon the last few weeks. Fished with Ron Smith from Austin TX recently and we hooked 3 tarpon and landed one about 60lbs. A chartreuse/black keys style tarpon fly did the trick. The tarpon can be finicky so stealth is important as well as accurate casts. Tarpon are also migrating up the beaches along SW Florida. Around Naples I seem to have the best luck in 12’ of water, give or take. They also seem to move the best when the tide is running. The above fly is my favorite pattern and for live bait I like large pilchards, thread herring, mullet or big eye shiners. As we move closer to midsummer I like to get out at first light, they seem to bite better.

Snook are in the passes as well as adjacent bays, creeks and along the beaches. I fished with Martha & James Dyess this past weekend and caught all we wanted on the hard falling new moon tide we had late in the afternoon. Most of the fish were in the 15-25” range. We were using pilchards although flies and plugs would have worked. They were probably all males waiting for the end of the tide to spawn. Snook spawn at the end of the big tides around the full and new moons. Snook are born males and turn into females when they reach approximately 25”. They like to spawn at the end of the low tides so the incoming tide can take the eggs into the estuary for protection.

Sight fishing is a ball along Keewaydin Island. The snook will cruise in the trough that forms from the wave’s right next to where the water meets the sand. It’s like sight fishing bonefish. Recently on a charter I dropped off one angler on the beach while I fished the other angler from the boat. They both caught fish and had a ball.

Also for good action there is mackerel off the beaches and we’ve had good luck throwing yellow 3/8 oz. surgical tube jigs tipped with shrimp for pompano along the sand shoals in 5-7’ of water.

I’ve been doing some shark fishing as well. Sharks are fairly prevalent from the back bays to the coast to the offshore wrecks. Chunks of ladyfish, jacks or mullet do the trick. Black tips, lemons and bull sharks are the most prevalent. Sharks are a lot of fun and it is not uncommon to jump tarpon while shark fishing.

June is one of the best months of the year to fish. Tarpon, snook, sharks, snapper are all active.

Give me a call if you’d like to book a trip. I can check tides to optimize our chances.

Capt. Mark Ward - Everglades Guide Service
239-450-9230 c

A few pics from recent charters:
Craig Boswell with a nice red and snook


Lee Smith with a 19lb snook

Ben Haynes with a nice jack