September 2018

Got out with Eric and Justine today for a full day tarpon trip.  Eric really wanted a big tarpon and had caught some small ones before.  I told him we found some larger size ones yesterday though it wasn’t the time of year for the big migrating fish though could possibly get lucky.  Bait was a little tougher than yesterday but we managed to get what we needed plus some leftovers from yesterday.  We checked the area where we fished yesterday but did not see much in the AM there.  A couple fish after a long pass through, we did get one bite out of them we missed and then some big sharks.  But definitely not what was there yesterday.  We continued on and found some fish in the other area I’d been going too lately.  Not showing much but my tarpon senses led to believe they were there.  Sure enough we started getting bit up.  We were having trouble keeping them on but ended up landing 5 fish – 3 to the hand, 1 to the main leader, and 1 to the wind-on leader.  The rest kept flopping off every which way!  They bit right through the slack tide which was nice.  Also a few big sharks out there, a couple lemon sharks and blacktips.  Later on we decided to check that other area for the bigger fish again on the way home.  They were there now, we saw one jump and got set up and Justine jumped off a nice 60 lb fish!  After that we moved in further and saw some more, but no more response out of them.  Some more big black tips and did get a nice 11 lb tripletail to finish the day.  The banner fishing continues this September has been one for the ages!  Don’t sleep on this time of year, it’s a great time to come with very little fishing pressure and barring a hurricane, good calm conditions.  5 for 18

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Got out with Brandi and her parents Sidney and Carol.  Brandi was down from NY and her parents live in South Carolina, taking a break due to the recent hurricane up there.  They had wanted to fish a few days ago but I was booked, but were able to make it work out today.  Sidney wanted to catch a tarpon and I told them I was their guy!  We headed out early and went after some bait.  I went yesterday just to try and stock up on some bait as I’m booked all this week now, but it was tough we didn’t get much and by the time I found good bait, it was too late and they weren’t very catchable.  But we went to the right spot early today and we got them fairly good which is nice so I have a bit of bait for the next few days too if they are hard again.  We found some tarpon in closer then where I had been going, thanks to a good report from a fellow captain.  They were flopping and jumping around pretty good and some larger fish too, 30 to 60 lbers, not like the 20-30 lbs I’d been getting lately.  We hooked a double header to start and landed both fish, but the bigger one took a while as he was foul hooked so we didn’t get a picture with both as I didn’t want to take a chance of the smaller one dying while we fought the bigger one.  After that we got another nice one for Brandi about a 60 lber!  After that we moved around a bit, I could see tarpon jumping about as far as I could see so a lot of fish spread out but wow what a school.  The next move we started to miss a few fish, we jumped off two big ones right in a row and had a third one grab a bait and make a huge boil and drop it, and then Carol got to land hers about a 50 lber.  We called it a morning after that.  Just great fishing and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.  It was a full moon which I sometimes don’t like but that did not bother the fish at all.  Back at it tomorrow as I said I think we will have another week of epic September tarpon fishing.  4 for 7.

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Got out with Jara and Michael today down from Stuart.  We fished a 3/4 day and got a good early start.  Bait was not as easy as yesterday, but we worked at it and got what we needed.  The tide was bottomed out first thing yesterday whereas today we had to wait an hour for that and by then the sun was up, but we were able to pick at them until that point anyhow.  We found tarpon where we left them yesterday.  Didn’t see as active today as we didn’t see them jumping around, flopping, splashing, as much.  But they were there.  We had to move around a little too.  But Michael got a couple nice ones early one.  Jara had one to the leader that popped off, then later after a move got another one to the hand that didn’t cooperate for a picture, then finally got one that we were careful with that she was able to hold for a picture!  We also got some sharks including a couple big lemons and several blacktips.  Great day of fishing for sure!  I have the next couple of days open, and Wednesday as well.  If anyone wants to go give me a shout I think it’ll stay good!  5 for 10

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing