03-18-2005, 02:24 AM
I have a brief break in my schedule just long enough to get caught up with the fishing reports, so lets get right to it.
Saturday (3/12) evening, it was tarpon fishing with first time tarpon angler Andrew Weisbrot. It turned out to be one of those dream nights. The shrimp ran on an incoming tide and the tarpon were having a feeding frenzy. Everywhere that we looked we saw explosions on the surface as the tarpon were feeding all around us. Andrew would hardly catch his breath from catching one tarpon when another would hook up. Then as quickly as it started, the shrimp were gone and the tarpon with them. Final tally for the evening was 6 for 9 with the fish in the 25 - 90 pound range.
Sunday (3/13) evening was almost a carbon copy of the evening before. As soon as the tide turned around and started coming in, the shrimp ran once again and the frenzy started. This evening it was Jeremy Johnson's turn to catch tarpon. The hot action ended with Jeremy going 5 for 8 and he was looking forward to our sailfish trip the next morning.
Monday (3/14) I fished in the daytime for the first time in over a week. The bait was very cooperative at both Government Cut and the range marker and Jeremy Johnson and I filled the livewell with herring of various sizes. Ten minutes after putting out the bait outside of the Cuban Hole, Jeremy caught and released his first sailfish in 116 feet of water. Our next three strikes resulted in baits chopped in half. The bottom rod hooked up and the hook pulled half way up, so that was a mystery fish. The next strike was another sailfish in 146 feet. This fish was the largest of the day and measured 92 1/2 inches. Later in the afternoon, Jeremy had the thrill of hooking up a double header of sails. We caught and released one of the two fish. The hook pulled on the second fish after it had dumped about 90% of the line on the reel. We got no other strikes the remained of the trip and we finished the day going 3 for 4 on sailfish.
Monday (3/14) evening Micael Haskins and his son Robert spent some quality time together out on the water. The goal was the quality time and catching a tarpon would be a bonus. During the sundown bite period, the tarpon ate, the rod bent over severely, the drag screamed, and Micael had his hands full with a very feisty 60# tarpon. It was a see saw battle, however, in the end the angler prevailed. The fish posed for some boat side pictures and was released. A few drifts later, it was Robert's turn. As his Dad put it, "he had to out do me". Robert's fish turned out to be a very
100# tarpon that tested all his angling skills. He too prevailed and released his fish after some pictures. Up at the Inlet, the shrimp ran again and we found a school of large jack crevalle. We caught and released two of them. Between the jacks, we got another tarpon strike with the hook pulling after a good long run by the fish. Some where along the evening, we also caught a bluefish and a lowly bottom (lizardfish) critter. The shrimp run wasn't quite as strong this evening.
Tuesday (3/15) evening Pete & Sandy Churchwell along with their son-in-law and daughter John & Arlie Kirk wanted to experience the thrill of catching a tarpon. They had visited Robby's in the Keys and Pete fell in love with the tarpon and wanted to catch one. The wind died this evening and the drift was very slow and so was the action to begin with. We worked the entire Haulover tarpon hole area with no results until the wind picked up just enough to add .1 of a mph to our drift speed. Pete had been religiously putting out and manning a rod. He decided to take a break and sat up front with his wife. As fate would have it, a 100# tarpon hit the rod he had been watching and John was holding on to the rod attached to this very tarpon. Everyone was excited and lots of action shots were taken with the camera. John fought the monster like a pro. The tarpon thrilled everyone when it made a huge jump 10 feet behind the boat. The fish was released and we had enough time for one more drift. I moved up to the Inlet and this time it was Arlie's turn. She hooked a 35# fish and with an incoming tide, it took us through the bridge at Haulover. Once again lots of pictures were taken before releasing the fish. The slow start to the evening ended with a 2 for 2 evening.
Wednesday (3/16) evening the wind was howling from the south @ 11 - 20 knots. The sea conditions were quite comfortable and we fished all evening long without having to use a sea anchor. We caught 1 tarpon and 1 bluefish with the outgoing tide. After it turned around, we added 3 more fish in a 55 minute time frame from 9 pm - 9:55 pm. The fish were in the 60 - 110 pound class and the evening ended going 4 for 4 on tarpon.
As you can see, the tarpon action at Haulover continues to be outstanding. The season is moving right along, so don't let it slip away from you and miss out on some great action. Give me a call (305 620-5896) or email nkostyo@bellsouth.net to schedule your trip.
Captain Dave Kostyo
Knot Nancy Fishing Charters
305 620-5896 Charter
305 965-9454 Cell
www.knotnancy.com
nkostyo@bellsouth.net
[signature]
Saturday (3/12) evening, it was tarpon fishing with first time tarpon angler Andrew Weisbrot. It turned out to be one of those dream nights. The shrimp ran on an incoming tide and the tarpon were having a feeding frenzy. Everywhere that we looked we saw explosions on the surface as the tarpon were feeding all around us. Andrew would hardly catch his breath from catching one tarpon when another would hook up. Then as quickly as it started, the shrimp were gone and the tarpon with them. Final tally for the evening was 6 for 9 with the fish in the 25 - 90 pound range.
Sunday (3/13) evening was almost a carbon copy of the evening before. As soon as the tide turned around and started coming in, the shrimp ran once again and the frenzy started. This evening it was Jeremy Johnson's turn to catch tarpon. The hot action ended with Jeremy going 5 for 8 and he was looking forward to our sailfish trip the next morning.
Monday (3/14) I fished in the daytime for the first time in over a week. The bait was very cooperative at both Government Cut and the range marker and Jeremy Johnson and I filled the livewell with herring of various sizes. Ten minutes after putting out the bait outside of the Cuban Hole, Jeremy caught and released his first sailfish in 116 feet of water. Our next three strikes resulted in baits chopped in half. The bottom rod hooked up and the hook pulled half way up, so that was a mystery fish. The next strike was another sailfish in 146 feet. This fish was the largest of the day and measured 92 1/2 inches. Later in the afternoon, Jeremy had the thrill of hooking up a double header of sails. We caught and released one of the two fish. The hook pulled on the second fish after it had dumped about 90% of the line on the reel. We got no other strikes the remained of the trip and we finished the day going 3 for 4 on sailfish.
Monday (3/14) evening Micael Haskins and his son Robert spent some quality time together out on the water. The goal was the quality time and catching a tarpon would be a bonus. During the sundown bite period, the tarpon ate, the rod bent over severely, the drag screamed, and Micael had his hands full with a very feisty 60# tarpon. It was a see saw battle, however, in the end the angler prevailed. The fish posed for some boat side pictures and was released. A few drifts later, it was Robert's turn. As his Dad put it, "he had to out do me". Robert's fish turned out to be a very
100# tarpon that tested all his angling skills. He too prevailed and released his fish after some pictures. Up at the Inlet, the shrimp ran again and we found a school of large jack crevalle. We caught and released two of them. Between the jacks, we got another tarpon strike with the hook pulling after a good long run by the fish. Some where along the evening, we also caught a bluefish and a lowly bottom (lizardfish) critter. The shrimp run wasn't quite as strong this evening.Tuesday (3/15) evening Pete & Sandy Churchwell along with their son-in-law and daughter John & Arlie Kirk wanted to experience the thrill of catching a tarpon. They had visited Robby's in the Keys and Pete fell in love with the tarpon and wanted to catch one. The wind died this evening and the drift was very slow and so was the action to begin with. We worked the entire Haulover tarpon hole area with no results until the wind picked up just enough to add .1 of a mph to our drift speed. Pete had been religiously putting out and manning a rod. He decided to take a break and sat up front with his wife. As fate would have it, a 100# tarpon hit the rod he had been watching and John was holding on to the rod attached to this very
tarpon. Everyone was excited and lots of action shots were taken with the camera. John fought the monster like a pro. The tarpon thrilled everyone when it made a huge jump 10 feet behind the boat. The fish was released and we had enough time for one more drift. I moved up to the Inlet and this time it was Arlie's turn. She hooked a 35# fish and with an incoming tide, it took us through the bridge at Haulover. Once again lots of pictures were taken before releasing the fish. The slow start to the evening ended with a 2 for 2 evening.Wednesday (3/16) evening the wind was howling from the south @ 11 - 20 knots. The sea conditions were quite comfortable and we fished all evening long without having to use a sea anchor. We caught 1 tarpon and 1 bluefish with the outgoing tide. After it turned around, we added 3 more fish in a 55 minute time frame from 9 pm - 9:55 pm. The fish were in the 60 - 110 pound class and the evening ended going 4 for 4 on tarpon.
As you can see, the tarpon action at Haulover continues to be outstanding. The season is moving right along, so don't let it slip away from you and miss out on some great action. Give me a call (305 620-5896) or email nkostyo@bellsouth.net to schedule your trip.
Captain Dave Kostyo
Knot Nancy Fishing Charters
305 620-5896 Charter
305 965-9454 Cell
www.knotnancy.com
nkostyo@bellsouth.net
[signature]