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Upper Keys Inshore Report
April 9, 2001

"You didn't catch anything?" As we return to the dock his wife is there to greet him. His chin drops lower. We just completed a fair day of bonefishing, having had 20 or so shots at bonefish. I felt sorry for him. The wind was blowing 12 to 15 out of the East and the sun's rays were frequently obscured by the clouds. Just another normal day of bonefishing on the flats of the Florida Keys. Anytime you plan to fish for the big three, it's very important to have your casting skills (fly or spin) well honed before you pass Harriet's restaurant in Key Largo.

Brisk winds buffeted the coast for most of the week. Mid week a frontal system brought much needed rain to the upper Keys. Tarpon fishing was disappointing. If the wind dropped, there were a few fish caught, but it's not yet in high gear. Bonefishing was better on the falling tide. Strong full moon tides and a brisk wind made the water upon the flats a bit turbid. There were redfish to be found on the low tide levels in the backcountry. Most fish were feeding on the falling tide. Some very nice seatrout are feeding in the mullet muds that persist in the larger basins.

Monday I went bonefishing with Mike Smaltz. Although a bit breezy, Mike did very well. On his own Clouser pattern, Mike caught two bonefish and lost another.

Wednesday I fished with Jim Tropf and his 14 yr old son. After a slow morning, the bonefish finally appeared. We were also treated to a shot at laid up tarpon. Unfortunaltey we were unable to connect with either.

Friday I fished with Dale Baylet and his young son John. We caught lots of seatrout, a few almost made 4 pounds. The ladyfish kept us busy as well. We tried a bit of tarpon fishing, only hooking one. We caught a number of Blacktip and Lemon sharks up to 75 pounds.

Dan and Rochelle Smith returned to bonefish with me on Saturday. The clouds from the previous day had not yet passed through and made for a challenging day. We had 12 or 15 shots and caught one about 7 pounds.

Sunday I fished with Steve Simon and his friend Jack. It was a very slow half day. We didn't see many fish roll or any hooked. Hopefully they'll turn on as May approaches. Until next week, Practice that casting, stay warm, and Good Luck fishing!- Capt. Barry Hoffman

Capt. Barry Hoffman
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