Miami Multi-species Madness

[bfishn]

Thanks for sharing guys. Too bad you can't live sell some of those for aquaria, that's a $750 Oscar.

[Ham]

Tuesday morning was a disappointment. I had looked at canals heading east out of Homestead, Fl that connected to the ocean. Research showed lots of species I was interested in catching. We sleep in just a touch 0700 grabbed a quick complimentary breakfast and then headed out. 
i stopped a little early. Clear water with massive grass beds, but not a lot of fish moving. Headed downstream and found chocolate milk with spinach. A work vessel was chopping up the grass beds to keep water flowing out at a good rate I guess. Some connecting canals looked better, but the only bites were mosquitos.

So trying to be cognizant that we had little time, on to the next spot, but mapping was being dopey and could not get us there. It kept trying to route us down muddy farm roads and private roads. So, I gave up. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have routed to Snake Creek Park or Falls Boat Ramp or back to the Zebra Tilapia hole BUT I was trying to be better at staying on task and not give in to just catching fish. We tried Dave’s Jags canal and we each caught a fish. His was wonderful. Mine was quite small. Technically, I caught the made fish of the trip so I have that going for me.

Fantastic trip! I missed (more than) a few of the fish I really wanted, but found some that I didn’t know were out there. It was a little Bad Luck with that hard cold snap that killed thousands of fish a few weeks before we arrived. 
I appreciate Dave’s willingness to humor my whimsical pursuits. We fish well together and helped each with fish locations or fish landing multiple times. 
I told Dave we would get him his target species and exceed his goal of 100 species Lifetime on Fly. As it turns out, I was right.

Thanks Dave! I hope we can do another crazy trip together!

[Ham]

So, a few lessons learned from the MMM trip.

1) You can be over prepared and have stuff be in the way. I had too much I wanted to try to do and too much gear as a result. I will do better next time. I think I had the right number or rods/reels, but one should have been a dedicated back up left if it’s case in suitcase.

2) Tamiami trail is amazing and has so many possibilities, but even great spots aren’t great every day. We spent too long in spots trying to make something happen when somewhere just down the road it is happening. Every spot should get 15 minutes to work/ be looked at. If you aren’t feeling it after 15 minutes leave. We got better at this after a day or so. The corollary rule is that no spot should get over an hour unless it is a really big spot and you are moving along. If you’re catching Spotted Sunfish, Coppernose, Warmouth, and Mayans at will, but after an hour it’s still just those fish MOVE. 
3) Florida Gar are weird. We presented to a lot of them and in the day time they were picky and not eating or good, but at dusk they would choke on it. If you want a Florida Gar on fly, fish for tarpon at dusk and you’ll get one. 
4) maybe 5 days of fishing and a travel day would have been better. The 18 hour days with heat/humidity were wearing me down. I got overheated multiple days. I only had one night where my legs got cramps though. #stayhydrated

5) African Jewelfish are every bit as annoying as tiny Longears, Mosquitofish, and mummichogs. They will not let you get a bait down to other micros that are slower to eat. 
6) 50 years of bass fishing does not prepare you for tarpon fishing. The violence of those fish in confined spaces is overwhelming and my ingrained desire to turn that fish NOW was not helpful. I went 0-5 and that really hurts my feelings, but I really believe that equipment failure cost me the last one. I would have dearly loved to have that bigger than I dreamed of tarpon in the water at my feet, but it’ll have to wait. I truly believer I could have handled the 12-24 inch tarpon without too much difficulty, but I shopped at the wrong store for those. 
muy was an awesome trip with so many memorable moments both fishing and non fishing. Lots of laughs. Thanks Again @FishnDave 

[FishnDave]

It really was an epic trip.  @Ham put us in spots to catch species I've wanted to catch for quite some time.  Probably would never have managed all these on my own!  I'm super-happy with what I was able to catch, and NO REGRETS on stuff I didn't catch.

On Tarpon, I went 0 for 0, as far as I know.   I think I had one snook roll on my fly, and on the last day saw a HUGE snook swim by at our last spot.  Other than that, they were extremely absent in places they should have been in good numbers.  

Fun times and good laughs for sure!

 

[bfishn]

Now that the dust has settled, I have a story to tell. Last evening I was reading this thread and enjoying the great pictures while "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" played in the background on the TV. It was bedtime, so I closed the laptop and assumed my snooze position. I dreamed Ham & Dave were the main characters in the movie, first flying to Florida upside down in a ragged biplane, followed by several stops and incidents (involving pretty-colored fish) along the way. They finally reached their goal, only in the dream Ham landed a 5ft tarpon.

[Ham]

1 hour ago, bfishn said:

Now that the dust has settled, I have a story to tell. Last evening I was reading this thread and enjoying the great pictures while "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" played in the background on the TV. It was bedtime, so I closed the laptop and assumed my snooze position. I dreamed Ham & Dave were the main characters in the movie, first flying to Florida upside down in a ragged biplane, followed by several stops and incidents (involving pretty-colored fish) along the way. They finally reached their goal, only in the dream Ham landed a 5ft tarpon.

I ❤️ your dream. 

[Gavin]

Epic trip! I have not been to S Florida in a few years. But it looks like you caught most everthing in the invasive trash can slam other than a python and an iguana. Glad you had fun and I enjoyed your reports.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Just thinking out loud here.....   

 

OAF FLORIDA-Fest 2024? 

[Ham]

6 minutes ago, Daryk Campbell Sr said:

Just thinking out loud here.....   

 

OAF FLORIDA-Fest 2024? 

If I lived < 10 hrs away, I’d do a trip down there every year. As it is, I hope I make it down there before I get too old to fish Hard.

[Quillback]

11 hours ago, Daryk Campbell Sr said:

Just thinking out loud here.....   

 

OAF FLORIDA-Fest 2024? 

Might have to do one someday.  I'm thinking Gulf, redfish, seatrout, drum, that sort of stuff.