New Year is on Fire!

The New Year has been very interesting especially down at Flamingo in Everglades National Park. The numbers of fish have just been incredible small Redfish and Snook are just everywhere in huge schools. I have had days of 20 to 100 Redfish and then tow in 30 or so Snook and its fun, lots of rod bending. The downside is they are between 10 and 20 inches but in shallow water they fight really good. Don't get me wrong we are catching a few good ones also.

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I fished Flamingo with Walt his son Austin and friend Kevin The weather was cold and there was a giant rain front sitting on south Fl, luckily it didn't rain on us all day.The day started out slow with a couple Snook and Trout. We moved a bit and found a bunch of Reds in a little deeper water, after 30 or so we moved on. We got into an rea that had been pretty good for a couple weeks and it was again today. There were both Snook and Reds and close to 75 fish caught. Walt did catch a 32 in Snook there. Next stop 2 more nice Snook one by Kevin and Austin had a nice 28" incher. On the last stop of the day there were Tarpon feeding on small minnows, I had Kevin throwing a Gulp swimming mullet!  Kevin hooked up with a nice Tarpon which jumped off, a few cast later he was hooked up again. This time we landed the 15 lb. Tarpon. Water temps were 68 degrees and the Tarpon were feeding, that's a little bit of luck. Great days with lots of fish!

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I am with Bob and Charlie long time clients and friends at Flamingo. I stuck with same patter today a bunch of Redfish early on along with some Big Trout and decent Black Drum. Today was almost the same as above report just loads of fish with tired anglers. On our last stop on the way in I looked for the Tarpon again, no luck today. There was a couple big Snook and a Redfish there to end the day. 

To our surprise there was a giant crowd at the marina as we approached there was a 40 ft. Whale lying on the boat ramp. It was a rare species called a Brytus Whale which had been floating around for a few days and was towed in for the scientist to loo at.

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I am with Bob and Debbie from N.Y. at Flamingo, again today not changing where I started. There were a handful of Redfish in there and just down the shore line a bit some real nice Black Drum and Snook. We caught fish and waited for them to bite it wasn't constant but consistent.

The weather was great and I asked if they were interested in catching Tripletail, Bob said he always heard about it but never did it. We took a ride out into the Gulf of Mexico and ran the traps. We ran a few miles before finding them but once we did there were a bunch. Bob was a natural catching 3of 6, the other got around the traps and came off.

I stopped one more time and hit the mother load. Bob and Debbie caught a Redfish on every cast for 40 minutes, I was also casting and handing off to Debbie. She was constantly fighting a Redfish, we rain out of Shrimp and caught some more on jigs. There were tired it was time to go, great day great people!

We were curious about the whale that had been sitting at the ramp in the morning, the show was over. The whale had been put on a flat bed truck and taken away. 

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I am fishing Government Cut with my son James and buddy Paul. We caught a bunch of Mutton Snappers, Yellowtails, Mangroves, Bar Jacks and Big Sharks in a couple hours of fishing. 

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I am with fishing around Miami Beach with long time client Sam, he has guest Sara and Serge. Sara never fished before and had the hot hand on Yellow tail catching one after another. Sam and Serge were catching Muttons Snappers, Jacks Blue Runners and Cuda's. 

After a few hours of this we called it a morning.

Fishing is really looking up as I write this, Miami Beach as well as Flamingo. The cold fronts have stopped for know and weather is trying to remain stable. This produces fish so I'm ready. If you would like to get out and give it a try give me a call at 305 333 8149. Caught Lookin Charters is family and kid friendly so don't hesitate to bring them

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.

Incredible Snook-Redfish action!

This past 10 days have been action packed down in Everglades National Park, days of 30 Redfish and 40 Snook have been common. Timing the tide which has been extremely high and low around the full moon was important. On the high tides they were way back in the sticks and on the lows, well right out in the open. Live shrimp worked good but Gulp products worked really well on Redfish and Snook. The Rapala "Twitch n  Raps" produced allot of Snook, this is my go to lure! It was no one secret spot, the bite was good out front on Snake bite in the run offs Palm and Frank Keys. These places have no grass but the fish are still hanging out there. Of course east Cape canal has plenty of fish all you need is Shrimp on the bottom. 

12-22-18

I fished with regular client Sam and his son Mike in Government Cut and South Biscayne Bay. They had Snook, Mutton Snappers, Mangrove Snappers, Cuda's, Jacks, Mackerels, Blue Runners and Yellowtail.

12-23-18

I am at Flamingo with Jorge, his son Gus and grandson Aden. Aden is 8 and all he dreams about is fishing while at home in Virginia. today is the first time he has ever got to go and I was gonna make it a special day for him. On our first stop he caught his first Snook, Trout, Ladyfish and a Mangrove Snapper. We moved around and hits allot of spots because the water was dirty from the recent west winds. Eventually I found some clean water and the fish were there. We caught 25 or so redfish and then a bunch of Snook. The out going tide cleaned up the water enough that we found the mother load of Trout, Jacks and Ladyfish on the way in. Aden was really happy and fell a sleep on the ride in.

12-24-18

I am fishing Government Cut today with Brian and April. On the way out we found some Pilchards and that did the trick. The first fish was a nice Barracuda so was the second then is was a Mutton, a Dog Snapper, a Schoolmaster Snapper and something that pulled allot of drag. It was like this all day until what I think were Goliath Groupers showed up. We had fish get eaten and then the bigger fish just hug the bottom. this happened 7 times and Brian and April would get them half way up and then they would go back down and not budge. It was a blast and Brian is a good angler did his best but no luck at all. We did manage more fish in between the ones that were eaten. Big Mackerels, decent Jacks, Yellowtails, more Muttons and a big Mangrove Snapper. It was allot of fun but it wore them out calling it a day @1230.

12-26-18 

Today is my annual Christmas trip gift for my nephews Mark and Andrew. They wanted to fly fish and of course it was blowing 30 mph. We caught some fish but made our way north and found the mother load! 

We were throwing Rapala "Twitch n Raps" and like every year Andrew hooks a big Snook, he does this every year. He is a very good angler and caught a 36 inch Snook. The little guys were mixed in and before long we had over a hundred Snook. We moved on and found more Snook along with some Redfish under the Mangroves. The next spot had Taron a couple weeks ago but today it was the tiniest Snook I've ever seen. There were hundreds of them so they broke out the fly rod. Andrew caught a bunch and the Mark caught a few then I said lets go. Tried some new stuff I had never fished and found a load of Redfish, every cast produced a fish and they were 3 at a time. It was a fun day considering a 30 mph cold wind and no sun at all. We caught over 200 Snook and 50 Redfish and 20 Trout not all giants but it was a great day of getting bites. I'll always ask if the anglers was to stay or leave most people will not leave a red hot bite to look for some thing else. Kids are smart that way!

12- 28-18

I am with Brian his sons Braden and Braxton and friend Brooks. We started out catching Trout, Jacks and a Redfish so I decided to try the pattern from a couple days earlier. I ran to where the Snook were but they weren't as thick, today it was Redfish. These 4 anglers hooked and caught over 100 Redfish on a couple spots today with about 30 Snook. The rest of the day was easy a few mid slot Snook, big Trout and of course lots of Redfish. 

12-29-18

I am fishing Flamingo with Tony Delamanza and his 2 nephews Marco and Julian. We started out with Trout and then kicked it into high gear. We caught a bunch of Redfish and small Snook. We were fishing trees in shallow water which were holding big Trout. Marco made a cast up around a big tree that was laying sideways and got rewarded with a really nice Snook.

12-30-18
 I am fishing Flamingo with Eric Shields his son Kol and his mom Oss We worked the whole back country catching Trout, Jacks, Ladyfish and a Cubera Snapper. We bounced around until getting to a spot that's been really good for me. We cast live shrimp and Gulp on jigs and it was just silly, every cast was a Snook, Redfish or Trout. This lasted for about and hour and then it got really shallow and I had to move. The next spot only produced a big Snook for Kol but we worked the shore line down and away from it and it was fantastic! There were Redfish in the mullet schools and Eric started to catch one on every cast. Kol and mom joined in and for about 2 hours it was a Snook and Redfish party. They really enjoyed it!

It has been a blast for the last 10 days and I really I hope it last for a while.The other thing is our Tarpon are in as well as along as it don't get cold they will be active. This is a great time for kids if they if they like to or want to learn to fish. I am a kid and family friendly charters service so give me a call at 305 333 8149 if you would like to have a great fishing experience

Happy New Year,

Capt.Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Go fishing for Christmas!

This past week we had a cold front pass thru it didn’t change much down at Flamingo, although it did school up the small Snook/Redfish. Had a couple days with big numbers of small Snook and Reds, it is fun unless you are in a tournament., which we were. There were some decent size Snook as well!

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I fished with Bill and Candace from Gainesville today down at Flamingo. The day started out slow with high water but when the tide got low enough it turned on. They had a nice day of Redfish after Redfish and Snook after Snook at the end of the day.

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I am with Pablo, Jesse and their kids, 8 yr old’s Carlos and Alex who was the birthday boy!

We started out with a bunch of small Snook and they were loving it. The fish cooperated and they caught Snook, Jacks, Trout, Ladyfish and Snappers.

When you have young anglers its not always about quality, quantity keeps them from getting bored! They were very happy and probably fell asleep on the ride home!

The fishing around Miami Beach wasn't so bad but we did have to fight the strong winds. We fished Biscayne Bay and Government Cut which produced Jacks, Cuda’s and we jumped a Tarpon.

The fish are biting in South Florida and I cover allot of it. If you have a bucket list fish or just want to take you family fishing give me a call at 305 333 8149. Caught Lookin Charters is a kid friendly charter so don't hesitate to book a trip with them.

I’m offering gift certificates for Christmas, 1/2 or full day. Take me up on this and get a discounted price.

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.CaughtLookinCharters.com

Flamingo or South Biscayne Bay, You Choose!

South Biscayne has been full of fun fish lately, all it takes is a live well full of Pilchards. I took my son last week because its been a while since we fished together. We got out early netted some bait and hit a few spots, all produced an assortment of species. Muttons, Yellow Jacks, Spinner Sharks, Jack Crevalles, Mangrove Snapper, Cuda’s, giant Houndfish, and finished it off with a Snook. We were home by 1230, this is a fun fishery give it a try!

Nice Mutton Snapper!

This African Pompano was pleasant surprise in the bay!

I am with the Rosen Family today at Flamingo, Jeff who is an avid angler brought his wife and kids to experience the Park. It started out slow but we kept at it and started putting some fish in the boat. The caught a bunch of Trout, then Snappers and couple Goliath Groupers. We kept moving around and then it happened, Jeff’s son Scott hooked a big Snook the was running and jumping wild. It took a few minutes but we caught the 10 lb. Snook in and took a few pictures.

It was 2 minutes later and Jeff was hooked up only this fish was staying down. This was a longer battle in an area littered with trees on the bottom. Jeff get up the pressure and a 25 lb. Black Drum came to the surface. We took more pictures and released the monster. There were loads of Ladyfish, Jacks and Trout caught today. We ended the day with a couple more Snook caught by his wife Cara. It was getting late so we called it a day!

I am with Sean O'Neil and his son Ethan and Marvin Gardner at Flamingo. We Started out in Coot bay with a Few Snook, Trout and Ladyfish. We were trying to get the falling tide out in the Gulf of Mexico but had to make a few stops in Whitewater Bay first. The stop really worked out good they caught a bunch of Snook, Trout, Ladyfish and Snappers. Now its time to run out to the Gulf.

The tide was extremely low, it was lower than I had ever seen on a couple areas. We worked the shallow shorelines hooking several Snook, Redfish, Trout and tons of Ladyfish. Marvin also had a Tarpon on for a second. Ethan had a good day catching his fair share of Snook. All 3 anglers got Snook, Redfish and Trout to complete a Slam! On the way in I stopped at one last spot and after 10 or so Trout and a small Snook we called it a day.

Fishing is allot of fun right now its cool in the morning but gets really nice in the afternoon. The fish Seem to like it because they have been biting all day long. December is booking up pretty quick if you would like to have a fun day of catching lots of fish give me a call at 305 333 8149

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Go fishing on the Holidays!

The fun fishing days are here whether in Biscayne Bay or down at Flamingo. The Mutton Snappers in and around the channels of Stiltsville and south have been steady. The numbers out weigh the size but the average size is between 15-19 inches and they really fight in1-3 feet of water. There are Grouper, giant Yellow Jacks, Cuda,s and of course Sharks. The Spinner Sharks are probably the most fun Shark because of the jumping and spinning acrobatics.

Flamingo is always a steady bight bite, when I get people who don't care what they catch but want to stay busy I have my best days. This generally happens hen we have kids on the boat.

I fished Flamingo with William Daniell his son Chris and his girlfriend Melindy. Melindy had never fished before so William just wanted here to catch a few fish. The day started off quickly with William landing 3 Tarpon. On our second stop Melindy caught her first fish, a nice Trout. Every one got in on the action catching more Trout, and a Snook. Chris and Melindy were competitive and she was winning early on.

Melindy fighting a 200lb. plus Lemon Shark

We were fishing catching everything out there out in the Gulf of Mexico. The list of species is Snook, Trout, Redfish, 20 or so Jacks, 30 Ladyfish, a Goliath Grouper, 2 Lemon Sharks a 30 lb. small one and one that was easily over 200 pounds. Melindy caught on very quick she was casting like she had done this her whole life and beat the giant Shark in about 40 minutes. William coached her to wind down and lift up and eventually the biggest Lemon Shark I have ever had caught was boat side. This was impressive by a novice angler.

We were fishing live Ladyfish in the Gulf of Mexico and had a few big Tarpon bites, although we didn't catch any. These guys were whipped and we headed in with a happy crew!

Fished down at Flamingo with my buddy Paul and his son P.J. It was just a fun fishing day which I use to find new or hot areas. Pau is one of my tournament partners, it helps out because they both can fish and P.J. usually catches the big fish. Today was no different on our first stop he was on instantly. we found some small Snook. He had 3 or 4 before anyone else made a cast. We caught about 20 or so and a couple of really gold Trout. We moved around and every spot seemed to have some small Snook, which is so positive for the next few years.

We weren't done we ran back to some of our favorite areas which I haven't been to in more than a year. We hit one of my good spots and it was loaded with Snook we caught another 20 or so and moved on. It was funny because the spots that had fish were loaded and everything else was not. Paul ended up with a good hit which was our biggest of the day @ 32 inches.

We found some little Tarpon in 1 foot of water and caught 2 and jumped a few more, this spot was loaded with Snook. We also had 4 Redfish that were small but again great for the future. We agreed on leaving it was 1:30 but we made one last stop. It was crazy the Snook were sitting on the edge of a channel and in 15 minutes we caught at least 30, these were some of the smallest Snook ever. They were between 6” and 15 inches but lots of fun. It was time to go now!

The holidays are coming and the kids are off, take them fishing! I am a kid and family friendly charter give me a call at 305 333 8149.

Thanks,

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookicharters.com

Season starting to Change!

This past week I have fished from South Biscayne Bay, Flamingo and Ft Lauderdale area. I have had success in most of the spots but on Saturday fished Ft Lauderdale under heavy winds and cold front conditions. Flamingo as usual was the hot spot!

 I fished with Paul on the flats of Biscayne Bay with live Pilchards for Mutton Snappers, big Yellow Jacks, Yellowtail Snapper, Black and Red Groupers, and Barracudas. 

I don't take much but these went home for dinner!

Flamingo with Eddie and Rod, we started out with an incredible bite of Snook, Trout and Tarpon. The morning bite was in a light rain and no wind, the rain passed thru and the wind pick up and the day changed for the worse. Eddie did manage to sight fish a big Redfish up in the roots of a shoreline and then a really big Trout. While casting at rolling Tarpon Rod got the hot hand catching Jack after Jack. We also had a Tarpon eat a bait but broke off instantly in the submerged trees. All Eddie wanted was a big Shark and they wouldn’t eat, it took hours to get one. This is when you know the fish aren't eating when Sharks don't play. 

Rods first Tarpon

I'm up In Ft. Lauderdale fishing with the Yamaha marine division sales team along with Capt. Alan Sherman. There is clearly a mullet run going on in he intercoastal and on the way out Harbor town marina the Snook were blowing up mullet schools. I stopped and pitched out a bait and watched as Snook ate it, there was a language barrier and the angler didn't understand what I was explaining. This happened a few time where he was anxious on the hook set but excited regardless. I had the V.P. of sales and his staff on board today. 

I am with another group from Yamaha sales today, the weather is an issue today. Ayuno, Issac and Jack fished hard with only a few bites. The highlight of the day was a big Snook blowing up on a mullet I had drifting behind the boat. The Snook put in llot of effort but did not eat the bait. 

The winds out of the N.W. at 20 and allot cooler today. The bait schools that were being blown up out of the water yesterday are gone. we worked very hard today for 3 Jacks.

The weather is changing and fish will be fattening up for he winter that's coming, We have a bit of a mullet run going thru Miami right now, if the winds slow down some it could get interesting. If you are interested in a fun day on the water alone, with a friend or  your family give me a call at 305 333 8149. Ill will show you a great day!

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Yamaha crew!

Fall is here, its nice out there!

This was a monster of a Tarpon, Rick Toste fought it for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Screen shot from video on computer made it grainy.

I am with Rick and Wayne today, we Had an awesome day with Rick landing a monster Tarpon. and a second not so big in the 40 lb. range. My goal today was to show Wayne a great day. we have been friends for a few years and he does allot for people so I wanted to do for him. Wayne runs the Gold Coast Junior Golf tournaments for kids. We have talked fishing for years and I finally got him out.

The last couple weeks I have covered allot of water on the west side of the state. I have fished Everglades City, Port of the Islands and Marco Island. The fishing for Snook, Redfish, Tarpon and others was very good. We really covered lots of water using live bait and Gulp Shrimp. I also fished the Hollywood firefighters tournament with my nephews. we caught tons of fish but getting them in the slot was tough. Either to big or to small either way we wore them out.

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Great half day with Allen and Frank, first spot produced 10 Snook and 2 Tarpon. We moved on and the second spot was loaded with Trout after 30 or so I said let go find something bigger. We made our way into the Gulf and frank had the hot hand. He was throwing a Twitch n Rap and caught Snook after Snook until he caught a 35 lb. Tarpon. Allen had live bait out the back of the boat hoping for a Snook of Tarpon but ended up with a giant Shark. We continued throwing the Twitch n Rap because it was getting crushed by Snook. Frank had a nice Tarpon eat it and actually crushed the tail of Balsa bait and bend the tail hook a bit. The baits were getting hammered along the shore line and the tide was getting ready to change. I thought man its gonna get good, right about then Allen got overheated and wasn't feeling to good so we called it day. His last fish of the day was a Snook so it ended well for him.

Its that time of year, mullet are late but should be pouring thru soon. The fish that follow them down the east coast put on a great show.

The west coast has the same mullet run which I have been fishing out of Flamingo for a couple months now. The Tarpon are around in good numbers as well as Snook and Redfish. If you are looking for a good day on the water bending your fishing rod give me a call at 305 333 8149.

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

It's Mullet run time!

I fished the Take stock in Children tournament out of Key Largo this weekend with Paul Abolofia and his son PJ It was Grueling, we fished a 15 hour day on Saturday and it paid off . PJ had the hot hand catching more than 30 Snook and 20 Redfish on Saturday. They weren't all giants but big enough to score points. Paul gave up the front of the boat to PJ but also caught his share of an incredible bite. Take stock is always fun and I enjoy being there. PJ won top Jr. angler with 74 inches and missed overall champion by 1 1/2 inches. Paul won 3rd place Redfish. Great awards made by David Wirth. Congrats to all the winners!

Mark with a nice Tarpon while pre fishing for this weeks tournament at Port of the Islands!

The fishing is about to get great, the “mullet run” is a few days away. This is where all the mullet push down the coast by the millions and Tarpon, Snook, Sharks Jacks and plenty more follow them. It is an awesome show plus some real quality fishing.

The action down at Flamingo was incredible this past weekend Flamingo. It should stay that way until the first hard cold front which is still months away. Its a great time to catch your dream fish. give me a call and I’ll

If interested give me a call I will keep my reports updated during this period, If interested give me a call at 305 333 8149.

Thanks Capt. Jim Hobales

End of Summer Fun!

Scott was happy with his first Tarpon!

Tom and Scott had one heck of a Tarpon morning jumping at least 15 and catching 5. Throw in some Snook, a Redfish and a bunch of Trout for a Grand Slam and back at the dock by 1 pm. 

Pete's Tarpon on a Twitch n Rap! 

Pete Post and his buddy had a nice day of Tarpon and Snook. The fingers in the way of Pete's best Tarpon picture but caught the big Snook jumping.

Paul and P.J. caught Snook, Trout, Redfish and Sharks

Thompson family had a nice day of Tarpon, Snook, Trout Jacks and Sharks . Little Colt caught that big Snook all by himself.

Double Rainbow!

Fishing has been fun for the last couple weeks with happy Tarpon and plenty of Snook. This past weekend 9-6 thru 9-9 we got some N.W. to S.W. winds and it affected the fish. We caught fish every day but worked for every one. Its that time of year where storms are somewhere off of Florida's coast line and sometimes it helps and sometimes it don't. The next 2 months can be incredible the Tarpon are thick and should stay around until first cold front. Snook are here in good numbers and I'm catching some Redfish. The positive is there's been plenty of bait around and the quality fish aren't far behind. Its a good time to get the kids and family out, the temps aren't up in the 90's all day. If you are interested in a fun day of fishing give me a call at 305 333 8149.

Its almost time for the "Mullet Run" to start there is no more fun than watching them get blown out of the water. Stayed tuned for info on that.

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

We are "Slammin em"

Nice Tarpon on a DOA Terrorize

The fishing has been consistent and really good for the last couple months down in Everglades National Park for Tarpon, Snook, Trout and I have been finding some nice Redfish. The mornings start out throwing lures and put a live bait. I fish with adults and their kids and it works out because we cover allot of water. 

Bruce and his son combined for a boat "Grand Slam".

The finger mullet are thick and I have been finding some pilchards. These 2 baits can really produce some great numbers. We are hooking plenty of Sharks and Tarpon on the bigger Mullet. 

The Sharks are everywhere and every once in a while we loose a great fish to and aggressive Bull Shark, its all part of the game!

Ross and Mindy with a good Snook day

Mindy usually catches the bigger fish, not today!

Its good but really hot and its not bothering the fish at all. The key is to know where to be when the water is moving whether its coming in our going out. Of course some spots are good early before but catching bait evens it out. 

This is how not to take a picture of your buddies Tarpon, fingers over lens!

 Jumping Snook!

The Tarpon will be around for the next few months in good numbers these aren't the monsters but fish from 10 to 100 lbs. are common. The Snook bite has been incredible. Fish from 1 lb. to really big fish have eaten lures and bait all summer long and its been fun. The Grand Slam is the ultimate back country day and we have been doing it on most trips if you would like to give it a try call me at 305 333 8149

Capt.Jim Hobales

Www.caughtlookincharters.com

Incredible action in the Swamp!

It seemed like the last month was a father/son month, and it worked out with some great fishing days.The last few weeks have produced some of the best Snook fishing I have seen this year. The average fish size has been around 30 inches which is pretty decent for Flamingo. We have had a bunch of Snook up to 38 inches. It just been so consistent!

The Tarpon have been cooperating for the most part although some times the don't play fair. The smaller Tarpon have shown up and they are allot of fun on light tackle. These fish can go from 1 lb. to 20lbs.. It is just a blast to hook 30 or so to get your day started.  

I can go on about how much fun e have been having but just picture your self holding one of these great fish pictured here. I am a family and kid friendly charter service so don't hesitate to bring the family and let them experience the Everglades saltwater side. It is incredible! Give me a call at 305 333 8149.

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Take your Kids Fishing!

This picture was taken by 8 yr old Jack!

The past couple weeks have been produced some fun fishing days along with some interesting weather. We have had massive amounts of rain which kind of gets our Snook going in the back country of Everglades National Park. There have Snook along the coast as well as the Whitewater Bay. Tarpon are still around although not I the numbers they were last month. Redfish were missing for a year or so but the last couple months I have been catching some small to slot size fish. Trout fishing has remained strong with fish up to 20 inches in good supply.  SHARKS are abundant if you have kids they love them, they are big and nasty and put on a show.

 Government Cut still has some Tarpon around as well as assorted other fish. Jacks, Snappers, Barracudas, Yellowtails, and Snook can be caught during the summer months. The Snook spawn will take place the next few months so its a good time to get a big one!

I fishing Flamingo with John Oriodan his son Jack and friends Rich and Conner Birch. We had a great day in the back country Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, Trout, Sharks. Conner had never caught a saltwater fish before his first fish was a 30 inch Snook caught on a Gulp Shrimp. His dad Rich caught his first Taron later in the day. John had a great Tarpon which his 8 year old son Jack caught on film grey hounding out of the water. Boat Grand Slam today to much more to write about!

I'm fishing Flamingo today with Halladale P.D. finest Matt, Casey and Leon. They Started the day off by catching a handful of small Tarpon.They caught Snook, Redfish, Trout, Sharks and a giant Sawfish. These guys were worn out and hungry. Great day another boat Grand Slam! 

I am looking for Tarpon tonight with Dan his son's Blake and Hunter.  We were out catching mullet when it started to rain, for the next 2 hours we hid under a bridge. We finally made it to government Cut and got our baits out. It didn't take long and they were rolling behind us. First bite was a Shark which cut us off. The second bite was a possible Tarpon which came off. Hunter was jigging a Gulp Shrimp and getting hits on every drop. He landed Dog Snapper Mangrove Snapper Yellowtail and Jacks. 

I am fishing Flamingo with Ross and Mindy today. They are 2 of my favorite customers and enjoy every bit of Everglades National Park. It don't matter what it is as long as it pulls but he would prefer Tarpon. The bait schools along the beaches held plenty of fish today. They caught allot of fish today but looking for Tarpon I went against what had been working all week, getting tides backwards. We started out on big Tarpon first thing but it was sloppy and I had a couple guys motor around me so I just left. I ran around and today the lure that worked was an X -Rap. Ross thru this all day and caught Redfish and big Trout on it. Late in the day the Tarpon ate our Mullet but refused to get hooked. The Sharks on the other hand had no problem getting hooked up. 

Its hot and it rains some but the fishing is good. Its summer time so if you need to take your kids fishing give me a call at 305 333 8149. Ill keep them busy catching fish! Check out the Addictive Fishing show where I took Blair Wiggins Tarpon Fishing!

Thanks,

Capt Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Lots of fun Fishing!

We had 20 of these small Redfish, great to see a comeback!

Tarpon at one of the spillways at Flamingo!

Another small Redfish, lots of them this week!

This is an 8 foot Sawfish and those are his teeth!

This past week the rain was gone and the fish wanted to eat! I have been fishing the Back country and Gulf of Mexico for  the last few months. I launched on the Fla. Bay side a couple times this week and found fish. 

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I at Flamingo with good friend and accountant Fred we found some Tarpon out front in dirty water and couldn't get them to eat our lures and after an hour we moved on to catch the falling tide. It paid off with a constant bite of keeper Trout and juvenile Redfish. It was a double up on every cast and after 20 Reds and 30 Trout we left them biting. We bounced around looking for Tarpon and Snook along the coast. We had shots at Tarpon but no takers but did manage a 26 inch Redfish and some big Trout. We continued north and found more Snook, Fred had a couple up to 8 lbs. We did have a few eat our baits but got us into the trees. We put allot of fish in the boat and it was time for a cold beer so we headed home!

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 I am with Matt, Leon and John down at Flamingo, we launched on the  Fl. Bay side. I tried the same pattern as a couple days ago but was to early and tide was wrong. we made our way out to East Cape and I saw a few Tarpon rolling at the dam. We got up there and immediately had 3 hook ups. by the time we left we had 3 caught and 7 or 8 hooked and jumped. I netted some mullet and put them to work while I had them throwing Gulps. John caught a small Redfish a while the others caught Jacks, Ladyfish and Trout. We got on a few Tarpon but we couldn't get through the Ladyfish. We ended the day with a pretty good Snook bite on live Mullet. John got the first one and then Matt caught one and then it was back and forth for a while. Leon was just relaxing when the big rod in the back was doubled over. Leon picked it up and fought the fish for 20 minutes, he asked what is it. I explained it was an 8 foot Sawfish they are really cool and pre historic! It was a great day and it was time to go these guys were excited about their catches!

Fishing is good and will be getting better in the next couple weeks. Caught Lookin Charters is kid and family friendly charter company. If you are interested in a fun filled fish catching day give me a call at 305 333 8149.

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Fishing has been allot of fun!

It's the last week of May and fishing is still really good along Miami Beach and at Flamingo in Everglades National Park. The fish are eating mullet in and around Government Cut and down at Flamingo they have been eating assorted lures and mullet.  I have been loading up the live wells with mullet and size hasn't matters, they are eating them! This  pattern should be sticking around another few weeks on Miami Beaches and all summer at Flamingo.

The past 2 weeks have seen allot of rain but this is a good thing especially at Flamingo this should push fish out of back country and onto the beaches, cant wait.

If you are interested in catching some quality fish and have a fun day on the water give me a call at 305 333 8149. Remember Caught Lookin Charters is family and kid friendly charter company. 

"Slammin em" in May!

The past 2 weeks have had some really good fishing, the Snook, Trout, Tarpon and Redfish have all been active players. The bait has showed up in the Gulf of Mexico which has made it much easier to get big numbers. The Trout and Tarpon have been eating lures like Gulp Shrimp and assorted hard plugs. The surprise is that there have been some Redfish around, they have been tough to find for a while. Tarpon are still pretty thick and we have been getting big numbers of Snook! It has been windy most of the last few weeks but when it backs off it gets interesting.

I'm going to keep report short in words and post pictures from last 2 weeks.

Team CCA stocking tagged Redfish in Broward County!

I think I have covered all the fish we have been catching. The only thing I can't show is the numbers of fish and the wear and tear on my customers, I know they all sleep good that night!

If you would like to have a fun day and catch allot of fish give me  call at 305 333 8149. I am a family and kid friendly charter company as well as a great buddy's trip. 

Captain Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Rod bending at it's best!

This past week was full of fish, Tarpon, Redfish, Snook, Trout, Sharks, Snappers, Pompano and Bluefish. The funny thing is most were caught everyday. The Tarpon have been really thick again and that's always where I want to be. Tarpon are work some times, they don't eat when you are there and that's when the other species come into play. This week we landed hundreds of Trout, a bunch of Snook on the Smaller side and even Redfish which have been scarce lately. 

We had plenty of Tarpon hook ups but no caught fish the last few days. They were hooked on several different lures and some assorted live baits. We have had a few big fish that either startled my anglers or in one case pull the rod out of his hands. It was a giant too! The Tarpon made 2 jumps throwing the hook and the cork came backup. We motored over grabbed the cork and pulled in the line still attached to the rod. I am always glad when its not my tackle that goes overboard. We had Slams every day the Tarpon did not allow us a Grand Slam! 

This past week has been buddies week, I had 4 good groups of friends and even a bachelor party on board. Great week, lots of drag screaming, a bunch of fish jumping in the air and of course the happy customers.  

BThis business is tough on tackle, boats and equipment. There are a couple companies out there that really take care of the customer base. One is Power Pole the shallow water anchoring system.Tthanks to Nate who got me back up in one day, second is Inshore Marine Specialist, thanks Booby for getting the trolling motor fixed. These 2 things are vital running a bay boat, and you become dependent on them. 

The fishing has been very productive and seems like it will remain steady thru this up coming full moon. It's just been allot of fun chasing Tarpon showing my customers the fun side of fishing Everglades National Park. There are fish in several other areas as well Miami Beach is loaded with big Tarpon chasing Mullet, there are Tarpon along the Biscayne Bay Flats and a few other spots as well. If you are interested in bending a fishing rod and having a good time give me a call at 305 333 8149.

Capt. Jim Hobales

www.caughlookincharters.com

Tarpon are Back!

Sebastian with his giant Tarpon.

The Tarpon made a good showing in the last 10 days out in the Gulf of Mexico  but not all of them get their picture taken. After a fantastic Tarpon bite in February it slowed in March due to cool water Temps but now we are back on track. Lots of Jumped fish and a couple really special caught fish.

Day 1

The Snook bite took a back seat this past week because the Tarpon ,Sharks and Trout bite was incredible. I had Mike Trippe his son Louie and his friends Danny, Ryan and Theresa part of a 2 boat charter. Mike loves Sharks and that's what we did the first day giant Lemons, Bulls, Black tips  and Spinners. Now throw in about a hundred Trout, Jacks, Ladyfish and a 150 Tarpon that Mike had on. Impressive day today and they were worn out!

Day 2

I have Mike, Louie and Ryan again today. The weather changed and it was nasty today but we managed a bunch of fish mostly because we found pilchards. We Caught a hand full of Snook, loads of Trout, a Shark or 2 but a slower day today. 

Day 3 

I have Ryan, Danny and Theresa today, we started out with Theresa hooking a giant Tarpon which she was not ready for. The fish ate her bait and was in the air and all I heard was her scream. The fish thru the bait but it was awesome. I rigged another bait for her while Ryan and Danny were catching some big Trout . I put her bait out and explained to her how let the rod holder do all the work setting the circle hook. It didn't take long and she was hooked up again. The rod holder did it's job and she had a nice 60 pounder hooked and pulling line. She muscled this fish for 20 minutes and eventually I was able to grab it. They took plenty of video but no stills. 

We moved on looking for Tarpon but did a bunch of other stuff, they just wanted constant rod bending. I went looking for the pilchards they were gone but we did find a crazy Trout bite. They caught Trout 3 at a time for 2 hours. I had baits out for Tarpon but they kept getting eaten by Sharks. They didn't care as long as rod was bent. I said lets go try something else all we need is for Theresa to get a Snook for a Slam, they were in. It didn't take long, the first bait we cast got hit by a 31 inch Snook. Theresa just completed her Slam but we weren't finished. Danny got hooked up as well but he had a Redfish which gave us a Boat Grand Slam. We had several other bites which came off, it was late so I said its time to head in. Awesome Day!

I am at Flamingo with Bob and Charlie today ,we have been fishing together for a long time. They have caught allot of fish but Charlie's never got a Tarpon with me. The first spot had some big Tarpon rolling around but the Catfish were eating everything we threw. We mad a move and found the mother load but they weren't eating yet. The Mackerels, Trout and Ladyfish were eating, then as the tide started moving we are hooked up. Bob had a nice 50 pound Tarpon jumping behind the boat. He did a good job and got it up next to boat quickly and we had an easy release. 

We kept at it and now it was Charlie's turn, he had a fish that was putting on an air show. This 40 pound fish fought hard but Charlie finally got it next to boat and got a picture he has wanted for a long time. I went back and looked for the pilchards after that fish they were there but on top of the stumps where you cant throw a net. Bob and Charlie made some cast and fount the trout again after 30 or so I said let s go find something else. They agreed and we moved on. We found some more Tarpon. Charlie jumped 1 and there were some more big Trout. We finally called it a day, a great day with 2 great friends!

Fishing has been very good, it is a good time to teach your kids because the fish are active. The end of April/May will bring the Tarpon out in big numbers. If things stay the same there will be some big Trout around also. May begins the a beach run for Snook so if you have any of these on your bucket list give me a call at305 333 8149. 

Captain Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Spring is here, hold on!

We went from a few weeks of high 80 temps in February and then winter set showed up in March. The last few weeks have been cold by Miami standards but that don't mean the fish haven't been biting. The best part of having a bit of winter is its keeping the fish from making early migrations! The cooler temps will put them in the right places for the next few months. The Tarpon are in good numbers on Miami Beach right now and still eating decent size live Shrimp, they are also on the bridges in Biscayne Bay. The Tarpon on the beaches and inlets will star to eat live crabs right around the beginning of April and that's where we are at right now. This past week We caught them at first light on shrimp and lures so it pays to be first out there. 

Flamingo has been making me work and run around but i have been finding fish. The Florida Bay side is really a mess and has not cleared up since Hurricane Irma. Luckily the Whitewater Bay side in my opinion benefited from all the fresh water run off in the back country. The Snook bite is very consistent with loads of small Snook and lots of nice Trout. February had the most incredible Tarpon bite, and actual amount of fish back there like we haven't seen in a long time. The water temps back there are starting to get back into mid 70s but I'm not sure if those Tarpon will make it back in, most probably find them on the coast. You can only hope they show up because it one of the best show you will ever see. 

The best eating fish out of the park is the Triple Tail which we catch several different ways but the fun way is on the crap pots. The days I have ran the traps have been really good either for lots of fish or big fish. There have been a couple small Cobias on the traps this year. This is some fine eating. 

I cater to families with kids and try to pass on some tips as well as proper casting techniques, if they can cast very good in the morning they will by the afternoon. Remember dads the kids just need to bend rods they don't need trophies, the more they catch the easier your day!

I've been all over the place lately and there are fish everywhere so give me a call at 305 333 8149 and tell me what you dream fish is and we can go give it a shot. 

Captain, Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Instagram @ caught lookin charters

It was fun while it lasted!

This is Bob, that's the look of a guy who just jumped a 150 lb. Tarpon!

Its been a very busy last few weeks, again! I am not a really fast at typing so the reports don't get written until I get days off so here we go. 

The last month warmed up and the Tarpon fishing down at Flamingo (Whitewater Bay) was incredible, fish were in places they hadn't been seen in in years. It was easy to find them because the would leap out of the water about 6 feet and show you were to go. It was fun enjoyable to watch and then when you finally hook up it s the hardest hit ever. There weren't that many days when the fish were there and we didn't hook up until the full moon and a pretty strong cold front came thru last week. The water temps were 82 on Friday afternoon and steadily dropped thru Sunday morning down to 71 degrees, this is bad for us looking for them. The fish disappeared and places that were stacked with hundreds and maybe thousands were empty. This came at a really bad time because I had a film crew of Obsession of Carter Andrews on the boat for a couple days. I don't know how many we saw if any on Sunday but Monday we got on them but couldn't get them  to react. We used  Lures, live bait and still no takers for the longest 2 days on boat ever.

I had my great customer Ross the next day and he was here because of the hype, I told him I should of canceled the trip! Ross always want a big Tarpon, we got lucky and had a 2 Tarpon bites, a handful of Snook, Trout, Jacks and they made it back for there 4 o'clock t-time

I haven't spent much time fishing Miami in the last month but I did one night trip last week and Managed to hook 3 big Tarpon on a night that was really nasty. This is the time of year the Tarpon turn on in Government Cut and along the beaches of Miami. 

We had another cold front as of this writing so Tarpon fishing in the back country will be slow for a few weeks but hopefully we will get them out on the coast in a few weeks. This brings the Miami Beaches alive so  I have the best of both worlds. 

Spring break is here and if your interested in fishing or teaching your kids about fishing give me a call at 305 333 8149. 

Thanks,

Captain Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

Tarpon -Tarpon - Tarpon, its on!

Keith caught this Snook while Tarpon fishing, not to bad!

Its been a busy month one day in day in Biscayne Bay and then a day at Flamingo, the fishing is really starting to turn on too! One of the issues we face is water quality no matter where we fish, the areas are getting smaller and smaller, that being said I  have been putting clients on all kinds of fish. There's been some days where Tarpon have been everywhere but they just wouldn't eat. That has changed in the last week and we hooked some monsters as well as medium size fish.

Snook and Trout have been dependable and Tripletail have been plentiful with as many as we want.

If you are thinking about fishing give me a call its on fire I am in Tarpon mode right now because they are in places where they haven't been in a long time and in big numbers. Don't have time to go thru reports on a daily basis but ill show in picture. 

I also had the privilege of filming with Addictive Fishing host Blair Wiggins and don't want to give away the show, but stay tuned in the near future. 

Its boat show week and I worked it a few days man I'm glad I'm done. Every year I along with a few other Yamaha pro staff guys get a chance to meet some of the engineers and take them fishing. We did that Sunday of boat show and put smiles on there faces and pains in their backs.

If you want to fish during the spring break call early 305 333 8149 and make plans as its already getting busy.

Capt Jim Hobales

www.caughtlookincharters.com

follow on Instagram @ caught lookin charters