Change of plans - Big Pine Fishing Lodge

I was looking forward to fishing out of the Old Wooden Bridge Fishing Camp, but the rental boat broke and the crew had to fish out of Big Pine Fishing Lodge.  On top of that the weather was so nice we had to go to the reef and beyond instead of exploring the sheltered back country.  Damn the bad luck!

Since the trip was a fishing 101, the catch wasn't all that impressive for the average serious angler but the scenery wasn't bad, especially for guys from Wisconsin who were ice fishing a few days ago.  The reef was pretty crowded thanks to calm conditions so I had to go a bit further than normal to find a semi-private yellowtail spot. The aquarium lit up quick, but 'tailing was a bit of a challenge thanks to filefish, needlefish, blue runners and others that were more aggressive than the 'tails.  We only spent two blocks on the 'tails and left them thinking about biting with maybe a half dozen in the box.

I had mentioned to the guys how lures like short lipped Rapala, bomber long a etc. were pretty effective.  So after doing some deeper dropping and getting a bit off course, we spotted a few fish busting in a current rip.  The crew dropped back what appeared to be a Rapala X-Rap and hooked into a nice Blackfin Tuna. Just about any kind of lure will catch fish down here, but I still get a kick out of dragging "bass" lures around every now and again.

Now I have to wait for more windy weather to show off the back country.  Such is life.  Hopefully, the crew took better pictures and will send a few to me to post.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas