U.S. 41, AKA the Tamiami Trail, as well as South Florida at large, offer excellent opportunities to target several different species on both fly and spin. I recently returned from a trip down south where we fished in both some off-the-grid spots as well as a few urban centers. Both were full of fish, you just had to know where to look.
About U.S. 41
I’ve written about the trail before, so I won’t go into too much detail here. However, if you are looking for the full story, click here. The crux of it is this: U.S. 41 runs parallel to Alligator Alley, cuts through the Everglades, and stretches across Florida from the Naples/Golden Gate area to Miami.
This entire area is filled with water in one form or another, i.e., canals and ponds, which are filled with everything from peacock bass to tarpon. It’s a fun and easy adventure because you can essentially drive and stop to fish anywhere you want along the roadside.
A Weekend Excursion
We started by searching for neon green trophies—peacock bass. Peacock bass are one of my absolute favorite fish. They look incredibly cool, fight hard, and readily eat, and there are many different ways to target them.
Once we crossed over Alligator Alley and checked into our hotel, we got right to bed as we knew the next day would be filled with chasing fish.
Chartreuse and orange flies were the ticket for these guys, however, a nice largemouth also joined the party and tried my baby peacock fly on for size.
There’s usually always a nice peacock or two that gets caught on these trips. This occasion was no exception.
More U.S. 41 Fishing Fun!
We continued on the trail, leaving the major South Florida population centers and journeying into the Everglades. Despite an exceptionally dry year, we were able to find some fishy water – this Everglades exploration was well worth it.
Start Your Adventure
This is easier to do than you think. Google Maps helps immensely in terms of finding spots. Anywhere along the trail that you can cast from will hold fish, and pretty much any puddle from Naples to Palm Beach and on down to Homestead will have peacocks.
Do some research, prep your flies or lures (or find a way to keep live bait), and you’re in business. Get out there and catch some fish.
Until next time, tight lines.
