August 2014

8/12/14 August Backcounty Tarpon Fishing in Islamorada

Well more fishing off the beaches of cape sable today.  We caught mullet early in the morning, last of the incoming tide in my usual spot they were there.  Ran out off of east cape.  Saw one fish bust and we ran to set up nearby.  Unfortunately a rain storm was close and we got a little wet but nothing too crazy.  We did not have a tarpon bite just a few small sharks so after a little bit we moved further down just where I had caught fish yesterday.  Saw a few bust inshore of us but hung out.  After a bit we finally had a nice tarpon on, caught a 45 lber.  Another 20 minutes later we caught another about 30 lbs.  Very acrobatic summer time fish, one almost jumped in the boat!  We also caught some small sharks again.  Then we fished some structure and caught a small goliath and hooked into a monster blacktip shark!  I saw him jump 100 yards out and it looked like a monster bull shark but they don’t jump like that.  Unfortunately never got a good look at him up close as he took off when we got near him and then we had too much pressure and broke the line.  But all in all a successful morning each angler got a tarpon, then we caught a few nice snappers for dinner!  August florida keys tarpon fishing marches on!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

8/11/14 Mid August Tarpon Fishing East Cape Sable

Got a 3/4 day in today we left early at 6 for our florida keys tarpon fishing in august.  I had mullet from yesterday so we tried to catch some pilchards as we originally had a full day planned.  Bait was not cooperative though only pinfish and snappers came up.  So we ran and tarpon fished off the beaches of east cape sable.  A boat was fishing where I had been sitting lately so I fished another area nearby, we did not have any luck early though I spotted a free jumping fish off in the distance a couple hundred yards.  We had good falling tide though with the super moon.  About 10 minutes later I saw another bust so we reeled our lines up and trolled over there.  We set up and within 15 minutes we had a nice 65 lb tarpon on!  He swam back at the boat with bait in his mouth and jumped off the bow, very exciting he did not know he was hooked.  We chased and caught him and set back up.  Hooked a double header though one spit the bait and we caught the other one, a 30 lb fish.  Then we had about a 40 lber that went crazy jumping and we landed him quickly.  It was about slack tide and little blacktip sharks went crazy.  We tried to fish some muds for trout and not much action, and I talked the guys into calling it a shorter day since we did not have other bait and it was flat calm and very hot, not looking like conditions for a productive afternoon.  When you catch 3 tarpon in the morning this time of year, sometimes it makes sense to just be happy with that and call it a day!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

8/10/14 Cape Sable Tarpon Fishing in August

Today we were fishing off east cape sable out west of flamingo in everglades national park.  Caught the mullet this morning and set up.  Couple hours of falling tide left.  Not red hot action but we got a couple goliath groupers and then hooked into a nice 50 lb tarpon that we landed after 20 minutes.  After that we bent the light rods and got some dinner, and had action with other sharks and a cobia to finish the day.  August tarpon fishing in islamorada is still possible, getting out early is always helpful!  My departures are typically 6 AM in the summer time.

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

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