bonefishing | Bonefish on the Brain

All the other stuff — 2 Comments
27
Feb 15

Nicklaus loves the bones

“I think that bonefishing combines hunting, it combines calculation of where the fish could be, what the tides are, what the moon is, time of day,” Nicklaus said. “It forces you to figure out what’s going on.”

Turns out, Jack Nicklaus loves bonefish too… and for many of the same reasons I do.

I’m not a golfer… in fact, I tend to think along these lines:

“I am not against golf, since I cannot suspect it keeps armies of the unworthy from discovering trout.” – Paul O’Neil

Maybe I’m just a hater, but it really isn’t my thing… and then there’s the runoff and the way people have of taking some bit of natural beauty and thinking they can improve upon it by putting in 18 holes and a clubhouse.

Maybe you fear what you don’t know and I don’t know golf, but I do know fishing and have fallen in love with bonefish over these last few years… OK, and tarpon a bit too.

Jack seems like a good guy… like for this –

Earlier this month, the foundation pledged $60 million to support the growth of the Miami Children’s Health System. In recognition of the grand gesture, Miami Children’s Hospital will now be known as the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.

Good on ya Jack… go get some bones.

Tactics — 7 Comments
01
Jul 14

The going away shot

The line is flying.

Let me paint the picture for you.

You are on the flat. The fishing has been maybe a bit slow. The shots are few and far between and the fish are not happy fish.

You see a fish, it is coming closer… maybe you get a shot in, not dice, the fish turns, slowly, not spooked, but now headed away. Maybe it is turned 45 degrees away. Swimming slowly.

In this situation… do you make the cast?

Points to consider.

1. Bonefish really hate it when flies move toward them. Prey does not sacrifice itself to the predator and a shrimp does not swim into the mouth of a bonefish. A bonefish that gets an uncomfortable feeling is a bonefish that swims away very, very fast. Sometimes, bonefish turns again and comes back if he isn’t freaked out. So, best to not fire off the Hail Mary and wait and see if it comes back around.

2. Things happen. A bonefish might, just might turn and pounce on the fly and gobble it up. You can’t catch the fish if you fly isn’t in the water and if the fish was moving away, it probably was going to be a shot you weren’t going to have again anyway.

Where do you come down on this?

All the other stuff — No Comments
20
Feb 14

Trips

Trips seem to come at inflection points. They mark the passage of time.

The trip to Andros marked the end of my first marriage.

My second Hawaii trip was freedom.

The Cuba trip coincided with the start of the relationship with my current wife.

My second Belize trip was my honeymoon.

My last Bahamas trip was maybe the last trip we will likely have had with my mom with us and it was when we first found out we were pregnant with our son.

This upcoming Bahamas trip takes place with her home, fighting cancer.

Trips… I look forward to each and every one and as I look back, I plot the arc of my life by the coming and going of those experiences.

I’m eager to get out there on the flats… I’m already packing.

Three rods in there already, one to add.

Locations — 2 Comments
10
Dec 13

Where you are thinking about going

I thought I’d share a little bit about what is getting the search traffic here at BOTB and what that reveals about you, the angling public. Below are the 10 top locations searched for on Bonefish on the Brain.

10. Kauai – I’ve been there. I’ve seen fish. I’ve cast at them. Sadly, I haven’t caught them there and I doubt I’ll be back. Kauai is part of my past. Beautiful place though.

This thing was cool.

9. Costa Rica – An odd one, since there are very few bones there, so far as I know. I guess people are searching for bones there and so they find this blog in the search.

8. Water Cay Lodge – A very specific search. I’ve been there and certainly have written a bit about it. Grand Bahama is a very, very fishy place.

I’ll be walking onto this dock in February.

7. Andamans – I had to look this up. I have written a post about the Andamans (Indian Ocean), but it certainly isn’t top of mind.

6. St. Thomas – Another disappointing search for people, I’d think. What I’ve written about St. Thomas (mostly an interview) said there were bones there, but they were few and far between, the structure wasn’t ideal and there were many more tarpon there than bones.

5. St. Brandon’s – Not a surprise. I’ve written a lot about St. Brandon’s and I think about that place often… very often… like now.

4. Christmas Island – Another place that is top of mind for me as well. If you are a Pacific Coast angler, this is likely where you will look to get your Geet.

3. Andros – The search term was actually “flies for Andros,” but I’ll count it as Andros. I’ve actually fished Andros and think about that experience often.

Nice bone, tagged and ready to go. Photo by Cameron Miller.

2. Culebra – A bit of a surprise. Culebra is not a big place, but it sounds very, very lovely. This Puerto Rican island is fairly undeveloped at this point, although I wouldn’t expect that to stay true for long.

My top location search… drum roll please…

1. Grand Bahama – This is the place I’ve fished the most for bones. It is easy to get to, has a wide range of lodging and angling options and is the place I caught my first bonefish. Awesome place.

Bone.

Fish Tails / Locations — 4 Comments
02
Sep 13

From the Archives – First Day of Bonefishing for Mrs. BOTB

(Originally posted September 20, 2012)

She’s a sport. This was our honeymoon, after all. It was also her second day of fly fishing ever. That’s jumping into the deep end, pretty much. Still, I figured if it was going to happen, it stood a good chance of happening here, out of El Pescador in Belize.

I would routinely say that what I wanted, out of the day on the water, was to share with her what it was that I loved, out there on the flats. It is an obscure concept if you’ve never been out there and maybe the selling of it is a bit challenging. “Hey, let’s stand on a boat for a few hours, looking for fish that are really hard to see, in the sun without shade. Oh, and you can’t have a beer until you land a fish (OK, that’s really more my rule).”

She was kitted out for success. She came walking up for breakfast like she belonged.

Ready for action

We got out on the water and headed up to the park. It is a nice ride up there and the day wasn’t too hot while we were running. Soon after we paid our fee at the park we went in search for baby tarpon. This wasn’t maybe the best first stop. First, it wasn’t going to be something that would put her up on the deck and secondly, back in the mangroves it was stiflingly hot.

I was also having a case of the sucks. I couldn’t seal the deal on the baby poons. I swept the rod on the first fish. I cast on the head of the second. I cast behind the third. The fourth wasn’t interested. All the time it was really, really hot. She suffered through it all though without a complaint, which just goes to show what a trooper she is.

We went out into a slightly bigger lagoon, a place with a bit of a breeze, and I managed to blow one last fish. On this fish I made a good cast, got the take, set the beejeezus out of things and managed to just break the fish off. That was surprising because this same set-up had landed my 85 pounder in Cuba. Same knots, same spools of material. Go figure.

Me, casting.

We then left to find some bones and the Mrs. got up on deck. Cesar, our guide set about helping out with her cast. This was her second day fishing, period. It is a tough place to start. Cesar got her up and running and put in into position to catch fish. There is a lot to remember though, and it was tough for her to carry it all in her mind. There is so much we carry in muscle memory and when you have to pick it all up and have to keep it in the front of your mind, well, things are going to get dropped, and plenty of things got dropped. She was unfazed though, mostly because of her awesomeness.

Mrs. BOTB actually hooked two bonefish, which I thought was simply wonderful. She got to feel the fish a bit, but put too much slack into things and both bones managed to get off. She did, however, manage to get a little snapper, so was not blanked on the day and got to enjoy a Belikin.

Earning the beer.

The day ended with Cesar and I out on foot chasing down several schools of bones. That was a fun time.

Another one in the books.

She got to see what I love out there and she understands me a bit better because of it. That was the goal, so, mission accomplished. She may need a few more days of trout fishing before we head back to the flats, which I’m happy to provide for her.

She’s game, which is just simply wonderful.

Fish Tails — 5 Comments
01
Sep 13

From the Archives – My -2″ Cuban Grand Slam

(originally published May 9, 2012)

The tarpon was first and that was clearly the pig of the trip. After we finally released that fish we went looking for some bonefish.

We found them.

Really, I think the guides could likely produce bones pretty much all day, but they like chasing the tarpon when they are in, since they don’t stick around all year and the window is about three months long.

The bones weren’t big, maybe 3 pounds, but they fought well and we even had one little cluster Fuque where I got a knot in my running line that went through the guides. Jim worked on getting the knot undone and I hand lined the fish, which meant it had PLENTY of slack. The thing turned around and started swimming leisurely back toward us. The thing came so close to the boat that I just figured I’d wait and pull it’s head out of the water. That’s exactly what happened and we managed to land the bonefish pretty much without the rod.

The next flat we went to was ocean-side and as I got up on deck Jim asked the guide “you ever see any permit here?”

“Sometimes” was the reply, although it should have been “Sure, in about a minute.”

There was Mr. Permit cruising right toward us. No time to switch rods, the bonefish fly would have to do (a Peterson’s Spawning Shrimp). The fish lit up on the fly, started chasing it down doing a little erratic dance behind it. I SWEAR it ate, as did Jim, but I was tight to the fly and there was never any sort of resistance on the line. Just like that it bugged off and I was left, about 2″ from a Cuban Grand Slam.

Kind of cool to come so close. I know it is mostly luck and “right time/right place” that gets you those Grand Slams and I was pretty damn close to getting it right.

That’s why we keep fishing.

Photo by Jim Klug, Tarpon by Cuba

Really… I can’t complain at all.

Fish Tails — 5 Comments
31
Aug 13

From the Archives – FIBFest Day 1, the rest of the story

(Originally posted in 2011)

I said more details would come out about Day 1 from FIBFest, but I never really put them out there… the Outdooress beat me to it, putting up her version of that first day of fishing… you can read it through the link below, and I’ll give my own account below that.

One single cast, a few panicked strips of my line, one marginal strip set and BAM….I caught a bonefish on my first try. As my line peeled away I distinctly remember Bjorn behind me saying, “clear your line!” followed quickly with, “beginners luck!”

via And Sometimes, A Fly Fisher Must Self Time Out..while Bonefishing | The Outdooress.

On day 1 of FIBFest I was paired with Rebecca (aka the Outdooress). Rebecca had never been saltwater fly fishing before. It is safe to say that she had some anxiety about the whole business. I tried (for a solid 20 seconds or so) to give her the deck first, but she insisted she needed a little time to calm her nerves.

Her nerves were not promptly calmed when we stopped the boat only to see a 5 foot lemon shark (she’s not totally on board with the whole “sharks are cool” thing). I got up on deck, took line off and stood in the place I most enjoy in the world… the bow of a flats boat. Ahhhhhhh…

My favorite place

Soon, our guide, Ellie, had spotted the first fish. I got a follow and an eat and missed the fish. I missed the second fish. I missed the third fish. I was apologizing to Ellie a lot at this point. Number 4 and I missed it. I think I hooked a couple of these fish, briefly. My strip set had about 20% tout set in it and it was just enough to botch the job.

Number FIVE stayed on. I was on the board, the boat had the skunk off it and we were in business.

Staying on… first fish in of the trip.

It was Rebecca’s turn. She got up and started getting some line out and doing a little practice casting. It was not going well… I couldn’t tell what exactly wasn’t going well, but it, in general, wasn’t going well. I could see Rebecca getting really frustrated. After a few minutes she realized that the help she had received the night before from someone around the Slack Tide Bar in setting up her rig had backfired. In a Kalik haze, someone had missed one of the guides. Rebecca was going to have to re-rig. I was up again.

It didn’t take me that long on the second fish, as I recall, but soon, Rebecca was up on deck again. I told her that I was sure she was going to stick the very first fish she cast to. That’s the way these things work. Beginners Luck is real and I was sure she was going to be dipped in that magical pixie dust to get her first bonefish.

Oddly, I was pretty much spot on. The first fish she had to cast to she stuck. That was a very nice thing.

CONGRATS!

I was back up and whacked #3 and it was Rebecca’s turn again. This is where things started to kind of come unraveled a bit for the Outdooress. There was some wind and when it came time to make that 40′ cast into the wind the Outdooress hit a wall of frustration and I could see the downward spiral that would take her off the casting deck and install me back up there. Now, it should be noted that I tried to have her keep the deck, to get through it and stick with it, but it was clear to both of us she really needed a little breather to get her head right.

I’m a pretty good cheerleader and reminded her this was her first day in the salt, that casting like this is not a skill set that most trout anglers can really claim and that it takes time and that she needed to be more gentle with herself. Bits and pieces of this made it through, but she was having a tough time.

Confidence is a tricky thing. We build our confidence as anglers by putting in the time and and seeing results. Most of us do that on rivers and lakes before we try to take it to the salt and when we get there, we often find our skills are related, but not totally what is called for. We have defined ourselves as anglers and here is something we can’t do. It is a real “wtf” moment.

The day progressed… Rebecca started cutting herself a little slack and spent more time up on the deck. She landed three bonefish on her first day fishing in the salt. I’d call that a good day.

I managed to get some good follows from some lemon sharks on a gurgler, but no eats. The fish would accelerate on the fly, raise their nose right to it and by that time they would be about 15 feet from the boat and they’d peel off.

One unlucky bonefish became a snack for some of the lemons post release. Poor bastard. We were shadowed by lemons with three sharks visible at one time on occasion.

I had one fly we named the 50/50. I’d cast to one little pod of fish and they’d follow and then bolt. Ellie would say “Maybe we should change that fly… wait… bonefish, 11:00, 40′!” I’d cast and this other group of fish would crush the fly. The fish either loved it or hated it in equal measure. Go figure.

The 50/50, retired.

So… that’s the tale of the first day of FIBFest.

All the other stuff / Locations — 5 Comments
01
Mar 13

Interview with Capt. John O’Hearn

John O’Hearn is a Key West Guide. That wild, beautiful little island has a reputation, some earned, some more folklore than fact, but it is an interesting place, for sure. I went there as a kid and remember fondly the Mel Fisher museum and my dad eating conch salad (and me thinking he was crazy). I loved it there, and I haven’t been back since. Reading John’s interview, I want to make it back there and I likely will.

John with a Redfish

Key West has a reputation for being a really colorful place. How deserved is the reputation?

Key west reputation as a colorful place is well deserved. It all stems from the undercurrent of the island’s (and the whole lower keys really) attitude. down here no one cares what you do with your life. So long as personal decisions don’t greatly impact the lives of others, you are good to go.

This manifests itself in a variety of ways. It might be the 60 year dude who jogs ever morning wearing only shoes tiny bright red shorts and a woman’s red sun hat. Or it might mean that bartenders end up becoming close friends. Or it might mean the city holds a week long party where all forms of debauchery are encouraged (Fantasy Fest). Or might mean you wake up at ludicrously early hours, get in a tiny boat, run for an hour in the dark and try to catch prehistoric fish with a hook in a shrimp costume.

I was in Key West when I was about 10. I wanted to be Mel Fisher and find sunken treasure. How do you think Key West is or has changed?

This same “I don’t give a shit what you do with your life” attitude is attractive to the larger world. Many people just come here to have a week of it, before they return to their “reality”. Sadly, this same attitude opened the door for some to “commoditize” this attitude and sell the place out. Essentially, trying to make the place into some sort of Debauched Disney World.

Take for example a recent debate over the widening/dredging of the harbor in key west so that mega cruise ships can fit into port. Despite the fact that the harbor is part of a marine sanctuary that prohibits dredging. Despite the fact that the majority of lower keys residents are against the idea. Despite the fact that dredging would displace or destroy endangered species of coral. There is a very real chance it might get pushed thru. It is the same old political story, that those in power stand to profit from it, so they are trying to make it happen.

In Oct. of this year, there will be a referendum held to decide if the first steps (a feasibility study) should be taken in the dredging process. This referendum only includes key west voters, despite the obvious effects it will have on all residents in the lower keys. This feasibility study, of approved would be paid for by the cruise ship industry. And this feasibility study will be done by the army corp of engineers, the masterminds behind the destruction of the Everglades and the Mississippi River gulf outlet (MRGO) that led directly to the flooding of New Orleans in hurricane Katrina. Troubling thoughts all.

I guess that is a long way of saying key west is perilously close to selling it soul.

Google Image Search says this is John with a Cuda.

When you are on the water a lot, you see interesting things. What’s something really odd you’ve seen out there on the water?

Weirdest thing on the water: adults dressed in oddly colored shirts swinging expensive sticks, with line and costumed hook attached, at prehistoric fish and accompanied by micro managing masked fascist on elevated platforms holding bigger and even more expensive sticks.

(Well played on that answer, by the way)

Also weird is that Google Image Search says THIS is John O’Hearn, but I’m thinking maybe not.

You have a favorite bar in Key West?

My favorite bar in key west would have to the the Conch Republic Seafood Factory. It is on the water and had all the looks of a tourist trap, which it us if you eat there. But slide up to the bar for happy hour, make friends with the bar tender and enjoy the 2 for 1 drinks. Regulars get a lot of comps. My favorite bar in the keys is Coconuts on Big Pine. It is definitely not a tourist trap. Mounted fish on the walls, drunk fishing guides, and pool tables.

There is a lot of history out there when it comes to saltwater fly fishing. How does that history influence you as a guide?

I am fascinated by the history of this place, but your average keys guide/fisherman is pretty tight lipped. I love the code names for places; the eccentrics, the snack bar, the monkey box, the animal farm, the bongos, the list goes on. As a tip of my hat to those who laid the foundations of this sport, I am religious about fishing igfa legal ( more a concern with poon leaders than anything else). I licked into an old wood tarpon stretcher box owned by billy pate, that is a prized possession, and used daily.

In a place where the fish see a lot of flies, do you think the Gotcha still works or do you start to need to start throwing other patterns?

For everything but the largest of the downtown Islamorada, most any pattern will work, provided it is weighted correctly for the water being fished and it is drab-ish in color. I have caught many bonefish on Gotchas. The only drawback, it is too hard to tie. Lead eyes, a tan ring and a colored head is all you need. Strip them right and most flies work great.

What’s your go-to rod/reel for bonefishing?

My all time favorite setup is a 4px G Loomis cross-current glx 8wt, a Loop speed runner and a Sharkskin line. Cherry!

What are your concerns when you look at the KW fishery from a conservation standpoint?

My biggest concern is for the future of the fishery. Literately I am concerned that we are running out of bonefish to catch. We had an historically cold winter in 2010, and our fishing has not been the same since. Bonefish are managed well (catch and release only) but I fear habitat loss and water quality issues might prove to be insurmountable obstacles. I hope I am wrong.

Thanks for your time John and I hope the Keys remains a magical place for years and years to come.

All the other stuff — 1 Comment
25
Feb 13

Smooth as Keith Stone

I thought we’d start off the week with a cool little story from Scott Heywood over on the Fly Paper blog.

A day like this is a rare gift. These islands own a hot sun, making wind a constant companion for the bonefisherman. Learn to live with it or quit… it’s your choice. But this morning had dawned calm and it was still dead calm. There was not the slightest exhalation coming off the big island of Andros. These are the kind of days you dream about… a few wispy clouds, a few small thunderheads way off on the horizon and a sea as slick and quiet as a marble slab in a morgue.

Glassy days. I haven’t seen many of those, but I did have one in Belize for my honeymoon. I know the conditions he’s talking about, even if he actually had good fishing that day and I got skunked. Still, calm days can be really tough. The fish see you from a mile away and the lack of wind, that same wind we curse when it blows in our faces, makes the air bake, and you with it.

Stillness

Scott’s story is from Andros, which, among all the islands in the Caribbean, is special for the miles and miles of mangroves which serve as a nursery for all manner of species.

Love this place.

All the other stuff / Fish Tails / Gear / Locations — 1 Comment
21
Feb 13

Interview with Capt. Joel Dickey

Another interview from readers suggestions. This time it is Capt. Joel Dickey, another Keys guide. Joel has been out with the Gink & Gasoline guys and knows one or two dozen good thing to know about fishing in the Keys.

How much of an off-season do you get down there in Florida and what do you do when
you aren’t guiding?

Well in my honest opinion there are great opportunities for fishing year round in the Keys. I would put it in that there is a “softer” season as opposed to an off season. The Keys is famous for tarpon season which runs from March until mid July. However some of the best opportunities for the “grand slam” is from late June till September. From September to mid November is spectacular bone fishing and permit fishing.. And yes there are still some tarpon around then too. as for the ” soft season ” I would say mid-November to the end of January. Don’t get me wrong though the big three can still be caught during these months the weather just has to be right. As far as what I do in the off season? Fish of course! What else is a guide to do? I also tie flies, come up with new patterns for the upcoming season. I also like to take photos during my trips and this is a time I can really edit photos. However this year I plan on hosting some trips to the Bahamas and other places for my clients. In the Keys you have shots at all of the Big 3.

Where do bonefish rank there for you and what do you like about them?

I don’t think I can really answer that one because there are aspects about all three that Ilove. That wouldn’t be very fair to the fish now would it lol. The sheer power of atarpon, the unbelievable speed of the bonefish and the stubbornness and craftiness ofthe permit are things that I highly respect of each and these traits give each auniqueness that everyone should experience. As far as bones though speed says it all.Pound for pound I don’t think there is a more explosive fish swimming. Just look at theway they are built.. The engineering from the Big Guy above is nothing less thanperfect. I also like their eagerness to eat a properly placed and fished fly. If your adecent angler the refusals are cut to a minimum. Lets not forget a lot of this happens inless than 10 in. of water so you can wade for these fish very easily which is a treat initself. But let’s be honest tarpon is what brought me down here as is with most everyone else!

Photo by Joel Dickey, and a nice photo it is.

Often times there are people who play a big part in our evolution as anglers. Is there someone that helped you become the angler or guide you are now?

To be fair, as you know “it takes a village” and I have been very fortunate to know some really respected guides and anglers in the industry. The people who have inspired me the most would first and foremost be my late brother Brett and my late grandfather who introduced Brett and I to fly fishing. Some of my favorite memories are when Brett would come home for college every weekend and as soon as he got home we would hit the river no matter the conditions. Even in the dead of winter in of which back then we didn’t have waders and wet waded a lot of times in 30-40 deg. temps. The fishing was so good on the Toccoa back then we hardly noticed the cold. It was his dream to become a guide and back then in North Georgia that was just unheard of especially a fly fishing guide. Of course I can’t forget to mention Lee Howard who gave me my first guide gig for a legit fly shop and who taught me a lot about all aspects of fishing. Last but not least Capt. Bruce Chard for pushing me daily to be the best guide I can be and helped get me established here in the Keys and in the fly fishing industry itself.

Guiding is not fishing. What do you think it takes to be a good guide that is different from
being a good angler?

First and foremost to be a good guide I feel as though one needs to be a superior angler and I do mean far superior than most. I think you need to have an understanding that is almost like ESP of what the fish are doing. Not only that you have to be able to teach this to your client. Now that sounds easy but really it’s not. You have to be able to convey the information not only as so your client can understand it but be able to perform what you explained when asked. A lot of guides can regurgitate information to clients but you also need the understanding of why you make a cast this way or fish a fly that way and teach the client why also. I cannot tell you how many times a client has thanked me for explaining why a particular flat is productive instead of just going to a flat and saying ok there are fish here. Why are the fish here? Where and what direction are they coming from? Why? These are simple questions a guide should explain. A lot don’t. To do this properly you need to read people and focus on the aspects of fly fishing they are good at and set up your fishing to enhance what they are good at and while doing that teach and work on the aspects they are lacking in. Let’s not forget to do all this in a way so they will enjoy it!( that was a mouthful). I also think that the better guides in the industry are the ones who can evolve to changes. Evolve in the changes of the fishery, flies, and techniques.

Photo by Joel Dickey.

What is your go-to rod/reel for bonefishing? For tarpon?

Well my favorite bone fish set up is the Thomas and Thomas TNT 7wt with a Hatch 7+ reel.
My fav tarpon set up is Thomas and Thomas TNT 11wt with a Hatch 11+ reel.

Everyone tells me there will come a time when I embrace permit. That hasn’t happened yet. The pace just is too slow for me. What’s your take on permit?

Well permit for sure is a different animal and not for the faint of heart. I like most have a love hate relationship with permit. Love seeing them, love hooking and landing them but absolutely hate getting denied time after time by them. However, I personally think that most people fish for the wrong fish.. To elaborate more on what I mean I think there are a few types of permit that come onto the flats and which type a guide targets has a determining factor to how successful the angler is. There are tons of flats that you can take a client where there are plenty of permit “cruising” but not really eating. The chances of hooking these fish are extremely low no matter how good the cast is. Then there are flats where fish are actually there to eat. They move slowly and methodically looking for the opportunity to pounce. I think the shallower the flat the more likely to hook one. Then there are tailing and mudding fish who are in the process of eating in of which your chances go way up with a properly placed cast. The point of this is the permit most anglers see are the “cruising” type and they get frustrated when they don’t eat. Thing is they might not have eating on their mind when they are in the “cruising” state of mind so we tend to be too hard on ourselves. What you have to do is find the last two types with of course the tailing and mudding being the best shot at getting one to take a fly.

Permit and photo by Joel Dickey.

I’ve heard stories about incredible fishing that can take place after a hurricane. Have you had any post-hurricane fishing experiences and if so, how did they compare?

I have and yes it can be off the chart.. The reason being is when a hurricane comes through an area it is obviously the strongest system in the region and acts like a vacuum cleaner and sucks every other cloud and pollution in the air up and takes it along with it in which ever direction it goes. So that means the next few days are the absolute most clear and beautiful days for visibility you will ever have and in sight fishing when you can see it further away the better the chances are to catch it. Not only that, but think about being hunkered down in a channel for a few days with nothing to eat. You would be hungry too! So now you have the best of both worlds it’s as if the planets align, you have great visibility, weather and really hungry fish.

Bonefish on the Brain Bonefish and all that relates (maybe a bit about tarpon too).

Archives