7/6/16 July Backcountry Fishing Report

We are getting into July here and fishing in the backcountry has been pretty good overall.  The calm summer time weather usually leads to very pretty water, which means happy fish most of the time.  At the start of the month we still had some flat clam days with some unbeleivable backcountry fishing for snook.  It was red hot almost anywhere you went around the mainland areas, plus plenty of juvenile tarpon in the mix as well.  Capt. Jim Willcox, Capt. Jeff Beeler, Capt. Bill Bassett, and others had been enjoying that fishery back there.  I had the Thompson crew out several days ago and we had plenty of action catching lots of snook, a couple reds, a few small tarpon, and baby goliath grouper.  The last few days the fishing got quite a bit tougher as the southerly winds kicked up.  This unfortunately muds up much of the shorelines we like to fish on the flamingo side of the mainland which many of those fish don't really like.  The snook were still around though you had to work a lot harder for them, though today further back the water was a little prettier as the wind affects it differently and fishing was still decent back there.  Capt. Willcox and Capt. Gunner Guthrie had good fishing back there as well today.  Capt. John Johansen has had tarpon action most days as well fishing the channels and beaches along with sharks.  Capt. Jeff Beeler and Capt. Mike Venezia had good action fishing for trout, snappers, and such on half days today, we also caught some trout and snappers while catching our snook bait.  Capt. Vinnie Biondoletti had a nice tarpon and a permit on his evening tarpon trip last night.  Evening tarpon trips are still available if you are looking to go.  Fishing should get better and better back in the everglades as the winds subside again, though it was still decen the last few days.

Capt. Rick Stanczyk