Fishing report
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
Anglers were catching lots of bass on the main lake and in the dynamite holes using shaky head jigs, topwater lures and swimbaits.
EVERGLADES/FRESHWATER
Bass were biting 16-inch plastic snakes, frogs and ribbontail worms in the L67-A Canal and the canals along Alligator Alley.
SOUTH FLORIDA INSHORE
Capt. Brian Sanders said redfish, snook and tripletails were biting live finger mullet around the outside islands south of Chokoloskee Island.
SOUTH FLORIDA OFFSHORE
Capt. Stan Hunt of Hillsboro Inlet Marina charter boat Rebound said bonitos were abundant and kingfish 10-15 pounds were in 100-120 feet on high tides and 180-200 feet on low tides, along with some wahoos and small blackfin tunas. Fishing farther offshore has been hit or miss, with some anglers coming across schools of dolphin and tunas around weeds, debris or diving birds. Capt. Bouncer Smith of Bouncer’s Dusky 33 said some big skipjack tunas were biting 17 miles off Miami Thursday and bonitos were plentiful on the reefs. A few wahoos and dolphin also were caught.
PIERS
Dania Beach had some mutton snappers 6-8 pounds, lots of snook and blue runners. Anglin’s had mangrove snappers in the mornings and limits of permit. Pompano had pompanos, snook and snappers. Deerfield had Spanish mackerel, blue runners and some snappers this week. Lake Worth had some barracudas, blue runners and lots of snook. Juno had blue runners and snook.
THE KEYS
Capt. Jim Sharpe of Summerland Key said water temperatures of 87 degrees in the mornings have slowed the dolphin bite, but a few weed patches have held some big dolphin. The key is to fish with large live baits that are too big for the small schoolies to eat, which brings the bigger fish to the surface. Blackfin and skipjack tunas were plentiful in 700 feet, but they’ve been feeding on tiny jacks, so trolling 4-inch lures way behind the boat has been the best bet.
