Captain

Alex Zapata

Miami, United States

8 reviews

I guide fishermen on the beautiful flats of Biscayne Bay, the Everglades, and the Florida Keys. I have been fishing the waters of South Florida and the Keys for over 20 years. My goal is to show you a great time on the water. I'm a laid back and patient guide who will work very hard to make your day on the water a great experience. I'm always willing to work hard for your success, whether you are a serious hardcore flyfisherman, tournament angler or a beginner just looking to bend a rod. Smiles is what I fish for!

Charter

Silverking Charters

Miami

Trips from

US $700

Rating

5.0

8 reviews

5.0

Boat & Equipment

5.0

Captain & Crew

5.0

Fishing Experience

Anglers' gallery (6)

All reviews (8)

Showing 1 – 5 of 8 reviews

David Insoft
New York, US
Member since 2019
5.0
Verified
Full Day with Captain Alex Zapata
Full Day Trip on August 28, 2019 • 2 adults
My friend and I went fishing in the Everglades with Captain Alex Zapata for a full day on August 28, 2019. We had a great time. Captain Alex knows these waters like the back of his hand. During the day, he presented us with a multitude of opportunities to catch tarpon, snook, ladyfish, sea trout, etc. We caught many species of fish and jumped several large tarpon along the way. Captain Alex is a true professional, keenly focused on customer satisfaction. I wouldn't hesitate to engage Alex again on another fishing adventure.
Evan Hill
Repeat angler
Florida, US
Member since 2020
4 trips
5.0
Verified
Half day fly and spin rod sight fishing
Half Day Trip on January 16, 2021 • 1 adult
Awesome trip, would definitely go again with Alex and learned a lot about the salt water fly technique
Mark Azoulay
Québec, Canada
Member since 2018
5.0
Verified
Full day with capt Alex
Full Day Trip on December 8, 2018 • 3 adults
This was a day I promised my 11 year old and it really delivered,capt Alex is not only very knowledgeable but also a great guy to spend a day with.I strongly recommend him to all anglers
Reported catch:
+2
Denisse Veater
Repeat angler
Florida, US
Member since 2017
2 trips
5.0
Verified
Flamingo fishing with Captain Alex
3/4 Day Trip on March 10, 2017 • 2 adults
Dad and 14 yr old son had an awesome, perfect day of fishing with Captain Alex - caught tarpon, snook, sea trout, jack, ladyfish and hooked a redfish. Saw crocodile, porpoise, and birds. Captain Alex was professional, knowledgeable and patient. He knows lots of good spots! Great guide! Thanks fishingbooker.com!
Reported catch:
Response from Captain
March 11, 2017
Had a great time with Arthur and Colin. It was great to watch Arthur catch all his firsts!! He sure has a great passion for fishing! Thank you so much Denisse. Hope to see you guys again soon.
Ron Miller
Wyoming, US
Member since 2018
5.0
Verified
September fishing trip
3/4 Day Trip on September 28, 2018 • 2 adults
Everything is what it should have been except the fish did not cooperate.
Reported catch:

Real catches shared by our community

Silverking ChartersMiami, FL
Redfish
Evan H.6 years ago
Awesome trip, would definitely go again with Alex and learned a lot about the salt water fly technique
Silverking ChartersMiami, FL
+1
Redfish
7 years ago October / November Everglades fishing report Capt. Alex Zapata November 27, 2019 Flamingo - Saltwater Fishing Report Greetings to all, it's been a while since my last report and is time to catch up with all you guys. I'm happy to say that I can't remember the last time I had a slow day fishing in the park (even during not so ideal weather) which speaks volumes about the great improvement in fishing and water quality around flamingo this year. My time is mostly spent on the flats between islamorada, key largo and flamingo, pushing my boat around in the shallows, sightfishing for redfish, snook, trout, sharks and tripletail among others. The redfishing has been as good as it has been in years. Days hooking 20 to 30 reds have been the norm. These fish have been in about a foot of water or less, tailing or cruising. Some big snook have been around as well. Although, the redfish appear to be taking over some of the areas that were once dominated by the snook, so catching quality linesiders has definitely taken additional planning and strategy, targeting different areas, under special conditions and techniques. With the arrival of the first cold fronts, the fish are adjusting and moving to their winter time places and patterns. Cold fronts usually come along with strong winds and some rain (pre-frontal condition). This makes the fishing tough in some areas but also makes the fishing easier at others. Once the cold front comes through, the wind usually shifts from West to East and it gets sunny and warmer (post frontal conditions) which makes the fish more active again. Great days can be had in winter time using the right approach at the right places. Most guides and anglers migrate to the traditional and effective jig and shrimp combination this time of the year. However, if you're not a fan of live bait and prefer sightfishing with lures and flies, great trips can be had in the backwaters of the glades. weather conditions such as wind direction, water temperature and cloud cover will dictate where to go and what our chances will be.....Your choice and preference as client is my choice. Give me a call and I will work my tail off to show you a great time on the water. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are arriving in Miami and wish to fish in the Everglades, you need to be ready to travel and have transportation. Whether your captain chooses to access the everglades from the keys, flamingo marina or everglades city, all these locations are about 1 hour and 45 minutes from the usual tourist spots that most people stay at when visiting Miami (like south beach, key Biscayne and Miami Beach). Be ready to travel in order to meet your guide at the chosen location. Renting a car is the best way to go and way cheaper than using Uber, Lyft or taxi service. Car rental service in the USA is very convenient and cheap, specially when booked ahead of time. If you are coming ONLY to fish, you might want to ask your guide about the best location to look for lodging, according to the chosen area for your fishing trip. Capt Alex Zapata
Silverking ChartersMiami, FL
7 years agoThe fishing in Biscayne bay was excellent in August to say the least. The highlight of the month was definitely the strong bonefishing we've been having. There have been some giant bonefish around, actively cruising, mudding and tailing in very shallow water. Some of these fish have been in the 10lb range and bigger....the type of fish that have made Biscayne bay and the keys world famous. These fish have been showing in nice groups of 10-30 fish. Some days, I've found them tailing right in the middle of the day, a somewhat unusual pattern in the hot summer months, as the fish tend to tail more in the early morning or late afternoon hours. The tricky part of bonefishing in the summer in the bay is fishing around stormy weather. A slick calm day with beautiful clear skies can turn into an ugly one in a matters of minutes. Lightning is nothing to play with and you need to look for shelter immediately after thunder starts developing . Also, make sure your skiff is 100% sea worthy in case you need to race a storm or to face heavy winds and waves, if getting caught in the middle of one. This is the time of the year when your bilge pumps, electronics and engine need to be running flawlessly. Be safe out there!. Now, the positive side of these storms..... after the storm is gone, the wind usually lays down to nothing, the water temperature cools down and.... those bonefish, permit and tarpon start tailing, finning and rolling like there is no tomorrow!!. If you know how to take advantage of these windows of opportunity, you can have the most amazing times of your life on the flats, in just a couple of hours. Permit fishing has been great as well. We've been finding them in the deeper edges, channels and shorelines. The tarpon have been patrolling the island moats and shorelines along with some snook. I've always said it.... the summer time months offer the best and most consistent fishing of the year for flats fishing in Biscayne bay, the keys and the Everglades. As we get into September we are gonna start seeing bigger tides, which can make tarpon, permit and specially bonefish difficult. The fish still have to eat and you can still find them and catch them if you follow the tides and understand how they work. The bait migration is right around the corner. Soon, we will start seeing schools of mullet and pilchards working their way south. This event will fire up the fishing for tarpon, snook, jacks, barracuda, sharks and my favorite, the mutton snapper and groupers. These fish also hit flies and lures with reckless abandon when chummed up with live pilchards. Needless to say, I'm ready and excited to get the dust off my cast net!. That's all for now, give me a call and let's go catch some! Capt Alex Zapata
Silverking ChartersMiami, FL
Redfish
8 years ago Mild weather conditions for the past few weeks have kept the fishing in the park very good to say the least. I've been primarily poling my skiff in very skinny water, sight fishing with clients after snook, redfish and trout. The redfish have been tailing and throwing wakes during slick calm conditions along with laid up snook and trout on potholes. Also, spent some time fishing the creeks out west with a lot of success. We caught tons of mackerel, small to medium size snook and redfish. Got on some big tarpon as well but the fish were all spread out in a big area and not very interested in our offerings. The fishing for big tarpon in the back will be on any time now when the weather gets right. Needless to say, as always, I am eager and ready to put my fly and spinning anglers on some solid backcountry tarpon fishing this winter time season. Winter time is best for the angler that comes with an open mind, ready to adjust to whatever Mother Nature brings for the day of his/her charter. Northerly cold fronts affect fishing opportunities in some areas but also active it at others. Cold weather? Expect great creek fishing for snook, redfish, blackdrum, Jacks, Ladyfish, snapper and sheepshead. Mild weather? Fish come back to the shallows ready to chew. Tarpon, snook, redfish become available for the fly and sightfishing aficionado. Give me a call and let's go fishing Capt Alex Zapata Flats fishing guide IFFF certified fly casting instructor Miami, Everglades and the keys
Silverking ChartersMiami, FL
+3
Mangrove Snapper
8 years ago Biscayne Bay has been providing good catches for anglers looking for steady rod bending action. The best fishing has been and still is snapper fishing along with barracuda, yellow jacks and grouper. The abundance of bait has made my snapper trips a lot easier by being able to load up on bait in no time before heading out to my favorite spots. The colder weather brings more and bigger snappers to the patches, canals and shallow wrecks as winter time goes on. Spanish, cero mackerel, big barracudas and the occasional cobia also come in close in big supplies with the colder weather so except great fishing for these species as well. Bonefishing and permit have been in the slow side with only a few fish around. Bonefishing can be good during mild weather with big schools working the ocean side shorelines but they go out deep as soon as the cold weather settles down. Permit fishing on the flats is not a good option in the winter time. However, a few show up here and there during hot weather days. That's all for now, give me a call, I'd love to show you a great time out on the water!! Capt Alex Zapata Silverkingcharters
Silverking ChartersMiami, FL
+2
Great Barracuda
8 years ago Capt. Alex Zapata October 25, 2018 Biscayne Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report I am a flats/fly fishing guide. There is nothing I love more than hunting fish from the back of a skiff with a push pole, sightfishing and casting a fly or lure to a permit, bonefish, tarpon, snook or redfish. In the meantime, the type of fishing I specialized on, is considered one of the most technical and difficult styles of angling in the world of fishing. Sightfishing for permit, tarpon, bonefish, redfish and snook can be quite challenging. Add Flyfishing in the equation and things get way more technical. Try to do this type fishing with an angler that doesn't have at least minimum skills (or that has no interest for it) and the situation can get chaotic. While sight-fishing is still my first love, that doesn't mean that sometimes I don't get saturated of it, or simply, as much as I want to do it, I have to turn it down to match my client's profile. As a fishing guide, I've always found the need to have a repertoire designed to satisfy clients of all levels and interests. Like I said before, our shallow water fishery in the keys is considered to be one of the most challenging in the world, when compared to other places such as Mexico, Bahamas, Cuba, Belize, where the fishing pressure is less and the fish are less educated(and more abundant in some cases). Therefore, less demanding on the angler side when it comes to casting technique, accuracy and approach. In other words, much more forgiving. To be honest, a high percentage of the "average" client or tourist, not very familiar with flats fishing (or sometimes no fishing skills at all) that calls for a fishing trip, has little or no skills to face technical shallow water fishing, which can be very frustrating for both, guide and client. Under these circumstances, is not worth it to have a miserable time out there trying to make the client perform and do something he's not prepared for. Weather can also be a factor. Try to sightfish with clouds, rain, high winds, high water and it’ll be like hitting your head against the wall. Bait fishing becomes a great alternative under any of those conditions. After all, isn't fishing supposed to be fun? So then, what other choices would I have for that client or when would be a good time for that client to come and fish? Fall time is the answer!! As the fall's bait run continues to move south, the fishing couldn't get easier and friendlier: castnet a bunch of white bait or mullet and you can almost guarantee that something will bite the end of your line!. Fall is my favorite time of the year for laid back fishing in Miami catching tasty mangrove snappers, groupers, muttons, powerful Jacks and greyhounding barracuda and houndfish. Fishing with your kids? This kind of fishing is the perfect fit. I've been having lots of fun putting clients on some nice catches and also going out myself and catching dinner. Whether you are a technical/hardcore flats fisherman that enjoys doing something different every now and then, or just a person with very little to no fishing experience, Fall fishing is hard to beat if you only have one goal in mind: to have a laid back time out on the water. Hope my reports are of help for you. Thanks for following and let's go have fun! Capt Alex Zapata Flats fishing guide IFFF certified fly casting instructor
Silverking ChartersHomestead, FL
Ron M.8 years ago
Everything is what it should have been except the fish did not cooperate.
Silverking ChartersMiami, FL
9 years agoIt's been a great couple of weeks fishing out of flamingo in the everglades national park. The highlight has definitely been the amount of Tarpon we have been on and also a good snook bite along the west coast. The tarpon have been everywhere and very hungry to say the least. We have been hooking as many as 15 fish and landing a few as it is usual with these acrobatic gamesters. They have been ranging from 5 to 30lbs with some bigger fish along the coast and the river mouths, feeding on the schools of mullet. Winter time is coming and as I am writing this report, we are going through the first cold front of the season. With the arrival of cooler air and water temperatures, some great fishing opportunities start to show up as well. As the water starts to get colder, the fishing in the park gets hotter! The snook, redfish, blackdrum and seatrout will start to congregate in their usual winter time whereabouts. They all concentrate at certain spots when the water gets cold. Find one and you usually find a bunch. The snook and redfish will be cruising in protected bays and backwaters during those windy/cold days. The water gets pretty clear and shallow in all these places, which makes it ideal for sightfishing and flyfishing. Spanish mackerel and cobia will soon start to show up in the gulf and the tarpon fishing will be good during decent weather conditions. I'm really looking forward to winter time in the park! got openings for the upcoming months, Give me a call and let's go catch some fish. Capt Alex Zapata Flats fishing guide IFFF certified fly casting instructor Miami, Everglades and the keys **hidden content** **hidden content** **hidden content**
Silverking ChartersMiami, FL
9 years agoThe entire estate of Florida just went through one of the worst natural disasters to date in recent history: the Hurricane Irma. After causing havoc and total destruction in the Caribbean, The Giant storm entered the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane, then went over the whole state as a category 3 hurricane and left as a still powerful tropical storm, bringing Florida plus for 4 more other states to their knees. Flooding, lost of power, property damages, fallen trees among other issues were the aftermath of Irma's path. The Florida Keys, most specially the lower keys suffered substantial damage and destruction and were the most affected area in the state of Florida. I'm blessed and happy to say that nothing happened to my property and fishing vessels. It took me at least 10 days after the hurricane before I was able to get back on the water to assess all the changes that the storm made to the fishery. As far as Biscayne bay, the most visible changes happened in the ocean side shorelines, where the storm surge almost "moved the shoreline in", destroying some of the vegetation and dumping more sand, sediment and debris into the shores. As result, most ocean side shorelines now have bigger and wider sandbars. It will take some time before this new shoreline and bottom configurations begin to hold crustaceans, sea worms bait fish and such, whom will start to bring the permit, bonefish and tarpon back to their feeding grounds. As far as the inside and bayside flats, no major changes were noted. As per the fishing, the fall bait migration is in full force and with the bait, the tarpon and snook have been actively feeding along the shorelines and bays. We have had some very good days catching good numbers of baby to mid size tarpon and some snook in Biscayne Bay. Find the bait and the predators won't be too far behind. Fall Time comes with the biggest tides of the year. Like I have said before, Big tides can be negative or very positive for fishing, as long as you know how to utilize them in your favor. Permit love big tides and strong current. with the right weather conditions and visibility, the fall can be a great time to encounter big numbers of big permit feeding on the flats. The permit fishing has been great when the right tide conditions have lined up with clear skies and moderately light winds. Bonefishing can be a bit tough in the fall due to big tides but those big tides send them to areas that they don't normally access due to lack of water and food. Do your homework finding those places and you'll find bones. You'll also see fish actively mudding during the lowest stages of the tides. This is also a great time to fish for big mangrove snapper, big mutton snapper and barracuda. A live well full of pilchards or finger mullet always gets the job done. As we get into November, we will soon be making the transition into winter time. The first cold fronts will start to move in and with that, some other great fishing opportunities and scenarios will open up. That's it for now. Go fishing and take the kids with you!
Silverking ChartersMiami, FL
+1
Blacktip Shark
9 years agoShark fishing is one of the coolest and most exciting things to do while visiting Miami and the Florida keys. Sharks get constant attention in TV channels such as Discovery and National Geographic and without a doubt, are the most popular and widely known fish that live in the ocean. While some of these documentaries show some cool interesting stuff, many times they also create some misconceptions about sharks behavior, habits, whereabouts and customs. When it comes to fishing, People have the wrong idea about sharks, often being labeled as man eating monster and dangerous offshore-deep water targets. Sharks are wonderful creatures, almost always accesible and willing to show you and your family a good time on the water. Luckily, Miami and The Florida keys including the Everglades, rate among some of the best places in the world for shark fishing. I often get trip inquires and questions like: I have always wanted to watch or catch a shark, Do we have to go far out? Is the water too deep? What about big waves? I tend to get sea sick, could we stay near shore in shallow water? Can we target big sharks? Is it safe? Do we have to go far to catch a real big one? I’d like to catch small sharks for my kids, can we do that? All these are usual questions that come mostly from people with little to no fishing experience. They can be tourists, visitors, outdoor lovers or fishing aficionados wishing to experience and learn something different. If you fall into any of those groups, shark fishing is for you. While you can certainly book a big yacht or boat to take you shark fishing in deep offshore waters, you don’t need to go that far to catch sharks while visiting south Florida and the keys. We can find different species of sharks almost all over the coastal areas of south Florida, in water as shallow as one foot to several thousand feet offshore. As inshore fishing guide, I focus on sharks species that inhabit the shallow areas of Biscayne bay, The Everglades and the Florida keys. Sharks can be targeted all year long, except when the weather gets too cold during the winter months, and they leave for deeper water. During any given day of the year with decent weather, we can can catch sharks species such as bonetheads, blacktips, lemons, nurses, tigers, hammerheads and bulls. When I say “shallow areas” that means that we can catch any of these species from 1 to 20 feet of water. Calm water, no big waves, no sea sickness and no long boat rides. As far as size, we can catch sharks ranging from 3lb to **hidden content**lb So don’t think that because we stay in shallow water we can’t hook into big animals. We can catch a wide variety of sharks in shallow-clam water, all within sight of the coast line, sometimes right next to it. Sharks can provide lots of enjoyment for fishing enthusiasts, whether they have experience or not. They are powerful adversaries that make long and powerful-sustained runs and espectacular jumps when hooked. Spin tackle, conventional or flyfishing? Your call. Sharks provide valuable learning opportunities to get you started in the fishing game. If you’re a seasoned fisherman, sharks are a great target when the weather or fishing conditions are not ideal for other “more glamorous” species. Also, if you have an interest in learning how to fight big fish on light tackle or even fly tackle, sharks are the perfect practice target. If you want to show your kids a good time on the water, shark fishing is a great idea. I still haven’t met a kid that doesn’t love catching a mean looking toothy critter! Be ready for a tug of war when you hook into one of these animals. Whether they weight 3 or 200lb they are a great contender at the end of a fishing line. Once you bring one to the boat, your guide will carefully manipulate the shark and will invite you to capture that memory forever on film. After caught and photographed, Every shark is carefully released to ensure their survival and future of our fishery. Give shark fishing a try, you’ll be glad you did. Call me up and I’ll be more than happy to set up your trip. Capt Alex Zapata Flats fishing guide IFFF certified fly casting instructor Miami, Everglades and the keys

What's biting with Silverking Charters in Miami

Fishing continues to be very good, with the Sailfish bite picking up in earnest near shore. Blackfin Tuna and Wahoo can also be caught over the reefs, while inshore action remains as good as ever.