Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2020 Just heard that all of the ramps in Dade and Broward are re-opening in Wednesday... Yippee! No info yet from Everglades National Park... Got my fingers crossed... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flat Rock native 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2020 Hopefully, your next topic will be: the future’s so bright ya gotta wear shades Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2020 Learned this morning that Palm Beach county is also opening on Wednesday... Yippee again.... Still nothing from the Park (ENP or "Flamingo"). I did hear that they plan to re-open when snook season closes (1 May).. If so, it wouldn't surprise me at all, but so far still not verified... I'll post up here when it happens. Yesterday myself and a friend fished and did a bit of exploring out of Chokoloskee, finding lots of snook and also lots of goliath grouper on lures. Our best weighed in at 8lbs before being carefully released. That species has made such a comeback that it ought no longer be protected, period. In many places they've actually displaced big snook and other species (they're pretty aggressive fish...). The last place we checked yesterday was a big snook spot - but four drops in a row found us hanging on for dear life as we just got our clocks cleaned (and our heaviest rods came back with no leaders or hooks... -they were set up with 30lb braid and 80lb leaders, not exactly fly fishing...). If I were to guess the fish were above the fifty pound size and just waiting for a chance to snatch a big bait - then never stop... We have caught a few on the fly but they were rarely above 13 to 15 lbs along very shallow mangrove shorelines a few years ago. Many an angler has sworn that they tangled with and lost a big snook - when the truth was probably a big goliath grouper with an attitude.... Just nothing like the 'glades our best snook - only 26", carefully released to fight another day 8lb goliath grouper - another careful release (after a quick photo) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2020 One other thing to pass along since not all boat ramps are controlled by the various counties... Here's the official site for public boat ramps, whether they're open or closed anywhere in Florida... so that anyone heading this way can do their own trip planning... https://atoll.floridamarine.org/dle_gis/javascript/boat_ramp_status/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swamp Fly 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2020 Thanks Capt. Swamp Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted May 1, 2020 Great News... just learned that the gate down to Flamingo re-opens on Monday, 4 May, and the ramps will be open as well.... Not everything down there will be open so check here for the full announcement.... https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/news/everglades-national-park-is-reopening-in-phases.htm YIPPEE.... and those giant tarpon that haven't seen a hook had better look out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swamp Fly 0 Report post Posted May 1, 2020 Good news indeed! Hopefully you can find some paying customers too! I'm actually thinking about venturing out in the next week or two provided the current trend continues. Let's hope so and not just because I'm itching to go fish. Swamp Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swamp Fly 0 Report post Posted May 1, 2020 2 hours ago, Capt Bob LeMay said: YIPPEE.... and those giant tarpon that haven't seen a hook Fly had better look out. Fixed that for you! 😁 Swamp Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites