Shallow Tails Guide Service, Inc. — Local services in Miami

Outstanding guide. I will fish with Shallow Tails again, no question.

Summary: I fly fished for tarpon with Capt. Raul over four days in April 2017 in Islamorada and Biscayne Bay. The weather conditions were tough for the week that I was there – stormy, cold water, windy, and lots of clouds that made for low visibility on the water.

The Shots and the Fish: I was in Florida for tarpon and, initially, did not have much interest in other species until there was no other option. After many hours over a few days of waiting for the tarpon to show themselves, I botched a presentation to a pod of about 20 fish. Had one good shot and missed it. They proved to be the only ones I had a shot at. As tarpon were basically off the menu, Raul put me onto sea trout and later onto barracuda. The ‘cuda were especially fun, and something I’ll target in the future. We saw a small school of permit as well, but didn’t get to cast to them.

Guide: Raul is knowledgeable in every aspect of saltwater fishing; both conventional tackle and fly fishing. He has excellent fish-spotting eyes. He anticipates the movement, patterns, and habits of all fish species very well. Being a native of the area, he knows where to go and he is innovative with different spots to try when the usual locations aren’t producing.

Gear: Capt. Raul takes incredibly good care of his equipment – his boat, rods, reels, and even his push poles and truck are in impeccable condition. He uses top-quality gear for everything. His flies are personally tied, and very well done. Raul ties excellent leaders and strong knots. I was endlessly impressed with the equipment.

Conclusion: Raul Montoro is a top-notch guide in every dimension of fishing. He gets my highest recommendation. I can’t wait to get back to Florida to fish with him - I am already planning a...

I had a great experience fishing with Capt. Raul! Our fishing trip fell a couple of days after severe cold fronts hit South Florida, making the water cold and dirty. Raul was honest that the fishing in the bay would be slow and that we should go elsewhere. However, due to time constraints on my end, we had no choice but to fish the bay.

We spent the first few hours looking for bonefish with few signs of life. Capt. Raul knew we needed to change it up, so we moved spots. Shortly after, I landed a bonefish in the 9-10LB range - the biggest I have ever caught. Not even 20 minutes later, I hooked and landed a 30-pound barracuda, which is also the biggest I have ever caught. We also caught numerous smaller snappers.

Overall, I highly recommend Capt. Raul and am looking forward to fishing together again in...

I live in the South Florida area, and grew up fishing my whole life. I started fishing fresh water, and got into salt over the years. I've caught everything except Permit and Bones. This past weekend I had the pleasure to fish with Captain Raul Montoro. Having lived down here for 25 years, it was the best experience fishing with a guide I have ever had. He was extremely professional and knowledgeable. Having never caught a Permit, he coached me the entire way through which ended in myself landing a true world class fish. I couldn't thank Capt. Raul enough for the amazing experience, and will definitely be in contact to set up another trip for more Permit and Bonefish. Whether you're from the South Florida area or anywhere in the world, experienced angler or new to the fishing world, Capt. Raul is the...