11/3/16 November Backcountry Fishing in Islamorada

November is here and it is definitely feeling like Fall.  We had a mild front about a week ago and things have warmed up a little since, but it hasn't been hot since it's been blowing pretty hard for several weeks now.  Most mornings we've had a 15-20 mph northeast breeze, and by the time we've been coming home it's been a solid 25 out of the east.  Today the wind finally let up a little and was only 10-15, and it looks to stay nicer through the weekend at least.  But November can be a breezy month as we change season and things cool off, but you can definitely still get out there and catch some fish.  I myself have been targetting snook mostly as of late.  There has been plenty of pilchards around locally and some mixed bait still in the backcountry including various sized mullets.  The snook fishing hasn't been super red hot every day, but if you put the time in and work areas you can put together a nice catch.  The fishing was fairly similar through the rest of the week, though some days we'd been getting into the double digits on snook numbers, other days only catching a handful and having to catch one and move, catch one and move.  I had Jon Patten earlier this week for a couple days and we landed quite a few snook each day with a few reds mixed in.  Also had shots at tarpon both days but couldn't get them to stay on the hooks.   Shark fishing was good also we caught some big black tips and lemons.  Today we got a couple tarpon as well as some snook and redfish for a couple of backcountry slams.  A nice 50 lb tarpon and a smaller juvenile.  Capt. Mike Bassett reported some nice mangrove snappers in the gulf.  Capt. Jim Willcox and Capt. Bill Bassett have reported some good redfish action deep in the everglades.  Capt. John Johansen reported some nice mangrove snappers a few days ago and a couple little tarpon as well to go with it.  Capt. Chris Daly had a young angler the other day with a mixed bag of jacks, snappers, ladyfish, trout, etc... and some nice blacktip sharks.  Soon we should be catching spanish mackerel regularly it hasn't really gotten consistent yet but as it cools off they will be.  The patch reefs should start to be an every day thing as well and that is great for table fare and anglers of all experience levels!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk