Miami Fishing Report Oct 22, 2010 Bonefish & Permit
Started out the day with low outgoing tides, cloud cover and wind from the N/E at 15-20 but with friends in from Orlando, Atlanta and Tampa, we were going to give it a go. We would run my boat starting with Steve Radcliff and Ty Smith while Henry Schmid would follow in his Smitty’s with Matt Andrew. We ran NASCAR Style across the flats two wide searching for Bonefish. We were lucky in the draw and spotted the first set of tailers that popped up off our bow at 1:00 o’clock. Ty Smith pitched a shrimp and 15 minutes later, he landed a nice 9lb bone. We took another pass on that flat with no one getting a shot and moved on to the next spot.
At the next flat, we were lucky enough to spot and 30lb Permit going wild in 6 inches of water. She was in there sideways and looked like a fat man trying to use 5 gallon bucket as a hot tub. Everything but those big white lips was out of water flopping around. She was so cranked up; she ate the crab Steve Radcliff pitched instantly without even investigating it. Had we thrown any fly, I think it would have been inhaled. The crab landed 5 inches from her head and was inhaled in one motion. That Permit took off like a scalded dog and swam right by the boat with a wake so large, I think the boat received some hull slap. She never stopped as she was headed for deep water all the while trying to spool us.We followed in chase and quickly gained back some line and started to get to the grind of a Permit fight that sets in after the first blistering run. Twenty more minutes and we landed a 30 lb beauty.
After taking photos, Matt from Atlanta joined me on my boat and we took off for the next flat. Within seconds we had a shot and I told Matt to cast the shrimp “ten o’clock, right off the platform”. Matt put it just behind the school but fate was on his side and they changed direction. Once that happened, they picked up the scent and I watched them searching for the shrimp until one tailed and bolted. For a 6 lb fish, it sure gave it a go and I poled in hot pursuit while this fish had 3 blistering runs. We took some photos and ran back up to the guys that had not moved from the flat were we caught the Permit. With wind conditions getting worse, we decided to catch some snapper and left for a snapper hole.
Later that day, we were running out of time but found a favorable tide. We decided to hit one last flat that was leeward the wind on our way in. I now had Steve on the boat and was working hard to put him on a fish. We had a few shots but no go. I did notice though that there was a school of bones approaching from behind Henry’s skiff as we were Nascar style once again and I called out a whisper if that is possible “turn around, they are coming’ up behind you about 90 feet”. Hank spun his skiff around on a dime and Matt tossed the shrimp directly in front of the school. We watched as time stopped until the alarm of the screaming drag woke us again. A few minutes later and a few pictures later and we were headed to the ramp.
All in all it was not a bad day for 20mph winds, thunder storms, and early non-favorable tides.