| Captain Rich makes the cover of Outdoor Florida Magazine Aug 2007 View Cover Here Sport Fish Magazine does article with Captain Rich Read More Here Rich's guest appearance on the Addictive Fishin Television Show Watch Video Clip Here Guides take Children Cancer Patients Fishing Miami Herald Read More Here Costa Del Mar Sunglasses shoots video with top Florida guides Watch Video Clip Here Gaff Magazine Biscayne Bay Bonefish article Read More Here Rich appears in Bass Pro Shops Catalog View Pictures Here Tips on Booking a Charter Fishin Guide Read More Here |
| Flats Fishing Guide To Artificial Lures |
| (786) 299-4813 or Email Me |
| One way you can always tell how seasoned an angler has become is observing his choice of bait. Most of us all started with a Zebco push button or something equivalent using live shrimp and a bobber. Right? Well then later you began to learn to tie knots and you dropped the bobber routine and stepped up to a live pilchard or pinfish on a light spinning rod. This technique works very well but believe me its not the best solution to catching fish routinely. There are many situations that you actually can not present a live bait where the fish are lying or the grass and weeds become too much of a factor in hiding your line. This is why every angler must once again take the initiative to learn a new technique to polish his or her skills. And trust me when you learn it you will never go back to live bait ever again! |
| The first thing you need to think about when you pull up to your fishing spot when choosing a lure is how you would like to work the area. For example if you are sitting on a grass flat in the everglades and the water depth is less than 3 feet you want a lure that is going to stay on the surface or just underneath it. So right off the bat you have narrowed your search down to what we call "Surface Baits" and "Shallow Depth Lures" If its early morning I will routinely grab a Rapala Skitterwalk which you can "Walk the Dog" on the surface in hopes of waking a nice big Snook, Redfish, or Tarpon. The lure makes a lot of noise which is key for early morning top water action. Colors are not as important as is the action in this scenario. When working this lure one way to get the action right would be to say a neat little nursery rime that I learned from Captain Rick Murphy. "Click-idy Clack Down The Railroad Track, Click-idy Clack Down The Railroad Track." Over and over again! |
| Ok, now if you decide not to use the top water lure the next one you should think about is a soft plastic bait. There are thousands of colors and styles to choose from and each has their own advantage but I will try to simplify it as much as I can. When fishing in the backcountry of South Florida we have some pretty aggressive fish so we can use larger baits than most areas. Over the years I have used every bait company known to man and have now found one company "Bass Assassin" that makes everything that I ever need. Now back to choosing the right one. Well its really not rocket science if the water is dirty then I want to use a color that the fish is going to be able to see. And if the water is really clear than I will want to use a technique called "Matching the Hatch" Which is nothing more than trying to mimic the baits that may be present that they are use to seeing and eating. I will simply thread it "Weedless on a wide gap worm hook" to keep it high in the water column or put a small bullet weight before the hook to make it drop in the water column. When working the bait the main thing to remember is try to give it action and bounce it up and down in the water column much like a live shrimp pops his tail while moving in the grass. This is why I use the Bass Assassin "Eel Assassins". They have a flexible tail that is about as long as the body which makes for lots of pulsation through the water. Snook especially, will pick up on these vibrations through their "Black Lateral Line" even though they may not see it. I have observed a snook turn completely around to eat this bait many times before in the Everglades which proves they are keying in on vibrations probably more so than sight and smell. Ok lets talk now about a scenario where you believe there are Redfish, Black Drum, Snapper, and Sheepshead on the bottom of a moving channel or creek. The first thing you have to think about is Why are the fish there? Well to answer your question they are there most likely hiding under and structure or in a hole waiting for a bait to pass by so they can ambush them. Also one very important thing to remember is sitting fish will be facing into the current. Always! This is because of two reasons. One, the current can come in their mouth and out their gills with minimum effort and two, if a bait school is traveling, it will be headed down current so they are already positioned to strike. So what I like to do is take a jig head like the Bass Assassin Shaker Jighead and put a 3" or 4" grub on it and cast up current and work it down the current bouncing it on the bottom and reeling in the slack line waiting to set the hook. |
| eel Assassins |
| Now lets talk about a different type of scenario. Lets say you pull up to a deeper channel that is going to have fish closer to the bottom of the water column or on the edges under the mangroves. In this situation I may choose a lure that I can cover a lot of area in a relatively short period of time. The best lure for this is going to be the Rapala X-Rap. The lure should be tied on using a Rapala Knot and about 2-4 feet of Fluorocarbon leader. I generally use 30 or 40 pound for Snook and 40 and up for Tarpon. The action you should use with this lure is really personal preference. I have seen people straight reel it and others slightly jigging it to increase the action. Either way it isn't very often a fish is going to pass this lure by . |
| Glow/Chartreuse Tail Eel Assassins EA49250 Buy Here |
| Pumpkin Seed/Chartreuse Tail Eel Assassins EA49215 Buy Here |
| Silver Mullet Eel Assassins EA49387 Buy Here |
| Opening Night Eel Assassins EA49385 Buy Here |
| Space Guppy Eel Assassins EA49389 Buy Here |
| 4 Pack Shrimp Hook WSH58001 Buy Here |
| Still Looking for a Fly Fishing Charter? Try Miami Fly Fishing website and book your charter fishing experience. Give us a call to book a charter for Miami Fishing with captain rich smith. Or if you are interested in a Biscayne Bay Fly Fishing Guide why not try one of Captain Rich Smith other website for more info. Whether its a Key Largo Fishing Charter or an Islamorada Fishing Charter you have come to the right place. Experience a South Florida Fishing Charters with a seasoned expert today! Your one stop shop for Florida Fish Charters. Everglades National Park also offer some of the best fishing charters available in the entire world. You may also hear people refer to Flamingo which is also located inside the Everglades. Capt. Rich is a very experienced and knowledgeable charter fishing guide. While you stay in Islamorada don't forget to stop by Robbies and hand feed the Tarpon. Its the best way to understand how these fish eat before you get on the flats. Miami Fishing for Bonefish permit tarpon snook and Redfish in Biscayne bay flamingo and the Florida keys. Angling Adventures for all your South Florida Fishing Charters. Book Captain Rich Smith for all your Key Largo fishing charters. Or if you need an Islamorada fishing charter give us a call. Angling Adventures for all your South Florida Fishing Charters. Your best choice for a Saltwater Fly Fishing Guide is Captain Rich Smith. Islamorada fishing charter information can be found on this site. Or if you would like tips on booking a Saltwater Fly Fishing Guide check out Capt. Rich Smith tip section. Or if you would like to enquire about a Everglades Flyfishing Charter check out the locations section of this site. Capt. Rich also does Miami Florida Fishing Charters out of Homestead Bayfront Park located on Biscayne Bay. If you would like to book your Tarpon Fishing Charter for the months of March-July please call today. Trips are almost full for the 2008 Tarpon Season. Angling Adventures for all your Flats Fishing in the Miami area. Capt. Rich is also Key Largo Fishing guide as well as an Islamorada Fishing Flats Guide. Please book your Miami Fishing charter today with an expert Flats Fishing Guide in Biscayne Bay . Miami Fishing Charters flats fishing for Bonefish, Permit, tarpon, snook, and redfish. Rich fishes Miami Flats Fishing charters using Evinrude E-Tecs. |
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