October 2015

10/27/15 Deep Everglades Tarpon Fishing in October

Well had a tarpon request the other day.  I had heard it was starting to get pretty good deep in the everglades for the last ‘fall mullet run.’  We ran back there and there was TONS of bait getting popped by tarpon on the last of the falling tide.  Unfortunately they were not biting really good but when the tide started to go in the bait left.  We continued making drifts with our live mullet and eventually had a ‘cheap shot’ where a tarpon busted our bait but did not eat it.  Then next drift we hooked and caught a 100 lb fish.  Unfortunately he got us in the tree limbs and broke us off though we did get him up next to the boat briefly and leader in the rod tip for a technical release.  I am going out of town now and this is likely the last ‘tarpon trip’ I will fish this year as we are now getting into the winter time mode here in the Florida Keys.  Tarpon fishing is just not very good though the winter, though if we get a warm weather streak where it is 80 degrees for several days and the water temperatures get up in the high 70s it can be possible.  Though I am focusing more on things like redfish, drum, and snook in the everglades, mackerel in the gulf, and patch reef fishing for porgy, hogfish, snapper, and grouper.  1 for 1

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

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10/14/15 Everglades tarpon fishing report late october

Well we gave the tarpon a try today in the afternoon.  Mullet were thick this morning around the islands where we’d been catching a lot of pilchards lately.  The pilchards were not to be seen however.  Anyways we caught little bait elsewhere and caught some snook and a nice redfish in the morning plus plenty of snappers.  I was running out towards the gulf looking for tarpon and we spotted a free jumper.  Set up near him and we saw fish starting to roll all around.  I was anticipating quick action however it never came.  We had one fish pick up a bait and I think spit it soon after.  He jumped but did not ever pull drag.  After that we had caught a few sharks, we waited through the tide change and moved around a couple times.  Saw fish everywhere but they were just not active or happy.  Anyways there are still tarpon around and the weather is warm.  I talked to my buddy a few days ago he had a similar report they spent all day trying to get a tarpon for his angler, watching them roll all over but they just did not want to respond.  But tomorrow they may go crazy who knows.  Anyways catching tarpon is still possible until it starts getting cold, but I just wouldn’t bet the farm on it.  It’s worth trying for part of the day and best to focus on other things.  0 for 1

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

10/7/15 October Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Got out for a full day today.  Not great conditions a little southwest breeze in the morning that faded to nothing later.  However it had been blowing hard west the last few days and the backcountry water was all kinda of mixed up.  We were hoping to do some snook and redfish fishing however back at cape sable the water was super dirty and with the crazy tides the water was already fairly high when we got there and bait was all spread out and tough to catch.  We tried fishing shrimp a little but no luck and the bugs swarmed us so we switched gears.  We did some jigging and caught some ladyfish which we saved for bait.  We ended up finding some tarpon in one of the flamingo channels and we got a couple bites.  Jumped a nice 30 lb fish off and then landed this nice 40-50 lber.  We also got a few shark bites and landed a nice blacktip.  Great way to end the day with plan B.  I’ve got a little stretch of a week of fishing days book here mid october which is nice.  I’ve been enjoying some time off.  But fishing should be getting good hopefully a little more north easterly wind will clean the water up and start the bait run up again.  1 for 2

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

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