Guide gives up secrets

OFF THE FLORIDA KEYS — With 30 mph winds howling out of the east-southeast one week last month, many Florida Keys guides canceled their fishing charters. But not veteran captain Skip Nielsen of Islamorada.

Nielsen, 57, has been running fishing charters in the Keys, both inshore and offshore, for more than 30 years. And he has been keeping meticulous records the whole time — notes on where to find live bait; which tidal and moon phases and weather conditions have produced the biggest bites; particular lures or bait-rigging styles that have yielded the best catches.

So despite a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration-issued small craft advisory, Nielsen knew where to go to find both live bait and hungry fish while keeping his passengers relatively dry in an 18-foot Action Craft skiff.

PREPARATION TIME

Catching bait was the first order of the day. With near-tropical storm force winds, finding small pilchards in Yoo-Hoo-colored water could be a challenge, and Nielsen said if he didn't find them, he and his party might as well head back to the dock. But they set out from Bud 'n' Mary's Marina and headed toward a mangrove island in Florida Bay. The sun was low, creating a flat pall on the shallow water. No bait shined nor flipped around the island's perimeter. But Nielsen directed his customer Rick Peper to point the skiff toward the lee side of the key as he stood in the bow holding a cast net between his teeth.

Within a few minutes, the skipper spotted a cloud of the small silver razor bellies scooting out from the mangrove roots. Unfortunately, the desired baits were mixed in with larger pilchards and what locals call "Sandy Key" pilchards, otherwise known as red-ear sardines. Nielsen cast his net in a perfect circle heavy with bait. When he brought it in, he wasn't too happy with the sizes of the minnows.

But with three more throws, Nielsen had enough of the smaller pilchards to feel confident of making the 40-minute run to his intended fishing grounds — a secluded creek that flows into a wide lake.

The ride was bumpy, but far from dangerous. Inside the creek, conditions were calm and fishy with a brisk incoming tide enhanced by the strong east-southeast wind. Nielsen looped a line from his poling platform around a mangrove bough to hold the boat in position.

Nielsen threw out some freebie baits to get whatever was in the creek stirred up, then broke out light spinning outfits loaded with 15-pound braid. He attached a 30-pound monofilament leader tied to a 2/0 circle hook and stuck a plastic bobber on the leader. Just above the hook, he added two lead split shots.

For variety prospecting, Nielsen rigged another light spinner with a bobber-less freeline. Within five minutes of floating the two baits up the creek with the current, Peper and his companion hooked small snook. They reeled both fish up to the gunwales to be photographed and released.

Nielsen re-baited the lines, and his customers hooked another snook and a jack crevalle. In came the fish, out went two more baits, and it was repeat step two. The bite went on, literally, for hours with Nielsen occasionally pulling up stakes and moving deeper inside the creek. The high winds pushed the tide in all day.

PAYING OFF

During a stop at a sharp bend where dead mangrove roots extended out from the shoreline, one of Nielsen's customers hooked a tarpon estimated at 10 pounds. It jumped several times, narrowly missing the low treetops. Nielsen snapped photos of the short fight before the tarpon broke the line.

The remainder of the day was peppered with more snook — several in the 10-pound range — more jacks, a dozen gray snappers, and one more small tarpon.

Nielsen discouraged his customers from keeping snook; all were released alive. But Peper kept several of the tasty snapper for dinner.

By the time the party started back to Islamorada, they had tallied 30 snook and two tarpon releases, plus more jacks than they felt like counting.

And Peper had the sore arms to prove it.