It’s no secret that Florida is a fishing mecca, and one of the state’s gems is Islamorada and the entire Florida Keys. Fishing opportunities abound for various species, and there is always a chance to catch something. It’s a popular tourist venue and fishing destination with plenty of excellent guides, including Captain Matt Foreman, a retired Navy SEAL who started Islamorada Coastal Adventures.
Wisconsin multi-species guide Jeff Evans has been going there every spring for years and turns into a client, fishing with Foreman in the mangroves and along the bridges for many species. Their targets include permit, grouper, trout, tarpon, snook, and more. They each shared their insight on targeting these situations with live bait and artificial lures.
Mangroves in Everglades National Park
The Everglades is home to the largest group of continuous mangrove forests in the Western Hemisphere, and these tropical trees are prime habitats for fishing. The vast amount of cover makes for great fishing, and Foreman, who grew up a freshwater bass angler, says there are many parallels.
“I spent most of my early years bass fishing, flipping baits to bushes and overhangs, and this is the same thing,” he said. “Instead, we are primarily targeting snook and juvenile tarpon, but they are very similar in that they are ambush predators and will smoke a bait if you can place it in the shade and if you have some current moving.”
Foreman typically opts for pilchards that he caught earlier in the day with a cast net, but will also use live shrimp. “We rig the pilchards on a 4/O circle hook and split shot and make it look as natural as possible coming through there,” he said. “We’ll fish the shrimp on a ¼-ounce jighead most of the time but will go heavier depending on what the current is doing. Most of my clients enjoy light tackle, so our gear is similar to what you’d use for bass fishing.”
His gear selection includes a medium to a medium-heavy spinning rod, and a 3000-sized reel spooled with a 15 lb Seaguar Smackdown braid in Flash Green with a leader of 30 lb Seaguar Blue Label fluorocarbon leader.
“Those big snook are going to do their best to try to drag you into the mangroves, so you need a rod with a little backbone, a tight drag, and the right line,” he said. “We also have a pretty bad shark problem, so getting them in as fast as possible is critical. Blue Label is great because… continue reading at Seaguar.com.
