This is the month that all of us start going all out for Tarpon here in Marathon and the rest of South Florida. Huge schools are Tarpon have been staging in the backcountry waters of the Everglades and as the month progresses they will start making their way south into the Florida Keys. Typically, the beginging of April has a few funky weather patterns that can be a bit of a pain to deal with. Veteran guides will pick up on these details and know what to do to find the fish. I myself try to spend most of my time during up in the Everglades area of Flamingo while trying to target Tarpon.
Fishing in the Everglades during April is probably your best bet. This is because of the very large playground of fishing that is available for you to play in. Snook, Redfish, Tarpon, Trout, Sharks, Grouper, Jacks, Ladyfish, and Snapper are readily available all month and can be caught by beginners and even veteran fly fisherman. Most of my clients will lodge in the Homestead and Florida City area if you just need a basic room to stay so we can launch from the Flamingo ramp inside the Everglades. Others may choose to stay down in the Florida Keys areas of Key Largo, Islamorada, and even Marathon. However, the Keys anglers will not be able to know exactly where they will be launching until a day or two before their trip. This is because weather is always changing and fish are always moving so I will base where we launch to keep us the most comfortable while getting to the schools of Tarpon. Don’t worry though any of the boat ramps I choose will be just a short drive from where you are staying.
As April progresses and the Tarpon start moving south I myself will often start thinking about fishing more ocean side flats. So often times with Fly Fisherman I may even fish Biscayne Bay just outside Elliot Key. Typically, we see schools of 2-40 Tarpon all in the range of 60-200 lbs traveling South to the Florida Keys. These fish during this time can be a whole lot of fun because they haven’t been pestered too much so getting them to eat can be a little easier than expected.