This ol' boy is sure tired of all the cold and windy weather this winter. I would love to enjoy a few days in the 80's! We have managed a few days out on the water this week. The rest of the week has been blown out and cold. Mother Nature just doesn't want to let Spring arrive on the Treasure Coast. Fishing has been great in spite of all these conditions.
Dennis McNeer and son, Garth, were out with me on a very windy day. The guys caught loads of sheephead and jacks from under the docks. It was just too windy to try anywhere else that day. Paul Hannum and 7 year old son, Jack, were out with me on one of the few beautiful days lately. Jack enjoyed his birthday present and caught more fish than he could keep count of. After lots of jacks and sheephead, we headed up on the flats to look for a few redfish. We were rewarded with a school of about 25 - 30 redfish. Jacks first cast ended up with his very first redfish....a fat 28" beauty. He caught three more in short order while dad caught one as well. It was a great week of fishing!
Trout are still hitting DOA CAL jerk baits and shad tails. You can also get them to his slow sinking hard baits. Redfish are a little nervous in the shallows, but if you keep a stealthy mode and keep your distance you can find some great action in a couple feet of water. DOA shrimp and CAL grub tails work great this time of year. Live shrimp around the docks can keep the jacks and sheephead hitting for hours. The river is still loaded with them right now.
Bridges have been steady with sheephead and a few black drum. The bluefish are all over the river, especially in the inlet areas. Shiny lures can get them hungry. Tackle shops are selling out of silver spoons this time of year. Mackerel are around the jetties and along the beach. Pompano are scattered in the river and along the surf. It a fantastic time of year in the river as long as the winds allow you to get to some of the hot spots. Bear Point, Harbor Branch and Round Island have all been good along with the many docks around the river. We should have a nice weekend to get out fishing.
Tip of the Week:
Don't forget to use plenty of sunscreen this time of year. Not only can the sun give you a good burn, but the winds can add to the problem. It takes just a minute or two to protect yourself from the suns rays. Lots and lots of brands out there, but get one that is waterproof and a good SPF rating. A little TLC can save yourself from skin problems down the road. Keep safe out there!
Remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!
Key West - February 25th, 2010
supplied by: Sight Fish Charters RECORDED:60 °FISHING: Fair
The recent cold fronts have effected the fishing this Jan and Feb. Cold water temperatures force the tarpon, permit and bonefish off the flats into deeper water.. How ever it is warming up this week... Finally. Back in the mid to high 70"s..
It warmed up enough this weekend for the permit to start trickle on to the flats..
March is considered PRIME time for permit in the Florida Keys. The off shore guides report that some unusually large schools of permit are off shore.. the permit have disappeared from the gulf towers up north.. The popular word on the street is the cooler weather has forced them down here.. I certainly hope so.. Once the water temperatures rise, we should have some epic permit fishing!!!!
In March we can still get cold fronts.. but If the weather is good we will find big tarpon in some the lay up basins. We also find juvenile tarpon in some of those basins as well. If we get hit with a cold front, and water temps drop into the 60's we can always target redfish, snook, cudas and sharks...
Sarasota Bay - February 24th, 2010
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:65 °FISHING: Excellent
With sincere apologies to Paul Anka and Frank Sinatra, I’ve gotta admit I did a little singing for Ron DeLuca the other day while we were chasing juvenile tarpon around the Myakka River. It went something like this: “Egrets, we’ve caught a few—but then again, too few to mention…” Yep, you guessed it. Ron nailed one “on-the-wing” with his backcast and I’ve gotta tell you that bird certainly let out a SQUAWK. It took me a little bit to troll the boat over to the side, then pull my way back into the shrubbery. It also took me a little bit to decide precisely how I was going to keep from getting impaled by that very long, very sharp beak. Combat Pay wasn’t in the job-description when I got my Captain’s license lo these many years ago. Bad enough that I took a Clouser in the left eye when I had the mine-blasters from Wyoming for a couple of days. At least that time the lead “eyes” got me rather than the “business end” of the hook (thank God!). I wasn’t at all sure what mayhem was about to be performed on my body by this creature that Ron so blithely named—yes, NAMED!—Edgar. After taking a few minutes to reconnoiter the situation, I came up with a plan. “Get my tarpon gloves out of the tackle locker under the seat,” I told Ron. “And that towel. Then, keep reeling line until I tell you to stop. When I’ve got “Edgar’s” beak secured, set down the rod and pull the pin while I hold this grenade.” Guess what? It all worked out according to Hoyle. We went back to chasing tarpon and Edgar went back to his family. After he sulked a while on a branch, still squawking. “Okay,” I thought, fleetingly. BE like that. “Just remember, you COULD be on a rotisserie in a couple hours, bathed in olive oil and dusted with herbs!” Oh, yeah. The fish. Sure, we had shots early in the morning. Fewer as the sun rose high in the proverbial azure-blue sky. It actually was the hottest day we’ve had down here in more than two months. Temperature-wise, that is. We never did bring a tarpon to the boat, so Ron wants to go back out in a couple of weeks. Irving Van Nuss is going with us. He’s retired military, so perhaps I’ll have him pack ordnance in case Gary The Gator (see accompanying photo) decides he likes us even less than Edgar The Egret did. After all, the set of choppers in HIS mouth are awesome. So was the bulge in his belly as he laid in the mud on the edge of the reeds, soaking up that sunshine and belching rather rudely now and then! Here’s what else has been going on around here: TAMPA BAY/BRADENTONJim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton, reports an excellent sheepshead bite around bridge pilings, seawalls, and docks on shrimp. Trout are over the deeper grass flats of lower Tampa Bay and Terra Ceia Bay, and amberjack are on structure in about 80 feet of water.Larry and Annie Mahoney, of Framingham, MA, caught redfish to 32 inches on a Mister Twister RT Slug in Space Guppy color, and a 22-inch trout on a DOA Deadly Combo, in Terra Ceia. Look for flounder in the cuts and passes in the lower bay. Ladyfish and bluefish also have been taking CAL ¼-ounce jigs with shad tails in the same area. Water temps above 60 degrees have been most productive on the lee sides of mangrove islands. SARASOTA BAYJack Thornton, son Dan, and grandson Ryan, of Albany, NY, caught sheepshead to 4 pounds, flounder and trout to 16 inches, and some whiting on live shrimp with ¼-ounce jig heads around Siesta Key and Bird Key channels and docks. Peter Connolly and Robert Romeiko got a lesson from grandsons Dillon and Alex along the deeper channels of Old Spanish Bay. The boys each caught more than 20 fish, while the old-timers managed just 6. Brian Tooney, of Bradenton, and Steve Levin, of North Port, also caught ladyfish, trout, and jack crevalle on DOA CAL 3/8-ounce jigs. Tim and Chad Brown, of Brookline, NH, caught redfish to 6 pounds, ladyfish, and trout on live shrimp and chartreuse-and-white Clousers. NOKOMIS/VENICEKeith McClintock, of Lake Forest, IL, and John Freeman, of Venice, caught trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails on deeper grass flats near Spanish Point, while David Dewind, of Fairport, NY, caught numerous ladyfish, and trout to 18 inches, on live shrimp. George Zinn, of Redmont, WA, caught flounder and trout in Phillipi Creek. Ed Irons of the North Jetty Fish Camp says that continued dredging at the Venice Inlet has kept the water off-color, but anglers are catching sheepshead to 6 pounds. Bait pods also are starting to move in with the warmer water temps. LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUNDMichael Vaughn, of Boca Grande, caught redfish to 28 inches and trout to 18 inches on Seaducers in Gasparilla Sound. Tailing redfish to 28 inches are eating at the beginning of the incoming tide in Lemon Bay. CHARLOTTE HARBOR/PINE ISLAND SOUNDAl Westmoreland, and grandson Doug, caught trout and ladyfish on live shrimp in Bull Bay and Whidden’s Creek, while Terry Holgrefe and Jake Gibson, of Fort Myers, and Phil Hartz, of Minneapolis, caught 29 redfish, trout, and sheepshead in Matlacha in potholes on the lee side of mangrove islands. Dave Westra, of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers, reports redfish, ladyfish, sheepshead, and small snook are eating shrimp in the creeks around Pine Island and Cape Coral. Try the downtown Edison Bridges for spotted sea trout and silver trout on 1/8-ounce and ¼-ounce shad tail jigs. Tight Loops,Capt. Tony
Venice - Snook Alley - February 8th, 2010
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:62 °FISHING: Excellent
Erratic weather patterns are still a “hot” topic nationwide. Since New Year’s Day, nearly every area of the United States has been effected by colder-than-normal temperatures. Florida certainly is no exception. The good news is that those super-cooled arctic blows that caused oranges, tomatoes and fish to die throughout the state last month appear to have diminished. Mostly.Unfortunately, the Weather-Guessers do continue to forecast relatively cool day and night temps for the Tampa-to-Naples coastline for the next several days.So, anglers desperately in need of a strong “tug” should be on the water during the afternoon’s warmest part of the day.That’s what we did last week when Ron Eastman, Terry Cook, and Bill Obermire spent a couple of days with me.They had come East from Gillette, WY, for a conference in Orlando on how to rig explosive charges that take the tops off of mountains to be mined for coal. “Figured it’d do us good to spend some time fishing, too,” Ron said in his initial email to me. The weather looked pretty dicey, but we managed to catch a bunch of nice trout and ladyfish in Blackburn Bay, then got into a couple of baby tarpon the next day in the Myakka River.We had planned on doing some night snook fishing, but because of continued marginal water temperature, I decided to avoid stressing them just a little while longer in order to preserve the population.Remember that last month’s Executive Order by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission bans possession of snook until September 1, although it is legal to fish for them..Redfish and spotted sea trout were barely damaged by last month’s severe drop in water temps, and continue to provide excellent sport for anglers throughout the area. Same for the baby poons!Here’s what else has been happening around the area: TAMPA BAY/BRADENTONJim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton, says the trout bite has been good in Terra Ceia Bay, and at the mouth of the Manatee River, on DOA and CAL jigs with shad tails.As usual, look for sheepshead around docks and bridge pilings. Use small hooks and bits of either live or frozen shrimp.Jerry Poslusny, of Rochester, NY, caught trout to 17 inches on Clouser flies in Terra Ceia. SARASOTA BAYJim Mitchell, of Longboat Key, caught trout to 16 inches at the Bird Key flats on live shrimp, and ladyfish in front of the Field Club on gold Cotee jigs. Cindy and Robert Whalen, of Ogdensburg, NY, caught ladyfish, and trout to 4 pounds on olive Cotee grubs and free-lined live shrimp.Harry Beaty and Paul Rotz, of Canada, caught nearly two dozen trout on CAL jigs with shad tails in relatively shallow water from Stephens Point to Long Bar.Meanwhile, Jim Cox and sons Mike and Jason, of IL, caught trout to 19 inches and one large redfish near dock pilings in Little Sarasota Bay. NOKOMIS/VENICERon Cordes, of ID, and Dusty Sprague, of North Port, caught trout and ladyfish near Blackburn Point on Clouser flies and intermediate-sink lines. LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUND John Donohue, out of Economy Tackle, reports trout to 22 inches on a variety of jigs in the potholes throughout Lemon Bay. While inconsistent, some redfish to 28 inches have been hooked on the flats.Doug and Mike Smith, of OH, caught redfish to 32 inches and trout to 23 inches on live shrimp near Whidden’s Creek. ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE Ghost and Heart have been having a ball because of the cooler weather. Mostly, because I’ve been taking them to Dream Lakes of Florida a bit northeast of Sarasota so they can wrap their noses around quail. The “Little Guy”—who incredibly enough will be three years old in June—has been doing a fabulous job finding, pointing and retrieving birds. Heart’s field manners are excellent, and he’s just such a good natured fellow with a big grin on his face that he nearly always makes me smile, too. Ghost, who will be 13 in May, has lost some vision (that blackberry thorn in her left eye never did heal properly, even after lazer surgery). Plus, she’s either getting hard of hearing, OR selectively hard of HEEDING. Nothing wrong with her ability to sniff birds, though! I guided Bill Delaney and Frank Dunn at The Dream last week and they both got their fill of birds. Heart did most of the work—since he’s the one who needs the practice—and was hot, tired, and happy when we finally got home! IN MEMORIUMCapt. Mel Berman, renowned in southwest Florida’s angling community, died last week from complications of heart surgery. He was 81. Capt. Mel hosted a radio program out of Tampa for more than 20 years and was both a jokester and gentleman. No man could leave a better epitaph.
Lemon Bay - January 29th, 2010
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:72 °FISHING: Great
Anglers throughout southwest Florida, from Fort Myers to Sarasota, are nearly unanimous in their approval of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) executive order that extends season closures for snook through August 31, and tarpon and bonefish through March 31 “unless the fishery is opened sooner or the closure is extended by subsequent order.” The order was implemented more than a week ago because of the cold weather earlier in January that resulted in thousands of dead fish throughout the state. It adds the months of March and April to the already-closed months of December through February, and May through August, when possession of snook is illegal. Mark Westra, of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in Fort Myers, says “ninety-nine percent of our customers are in favor of extending the closed season. In fact, some think the season should be completely closed (to possession) for two or three years. And that feeling ranges across the board from guides to recreational anglers. “Any real fan of sport fishing understands how badly the snook got hit down here in Charlotte Harbor during the cold snap,” Westra continued. “Sure, there were a few meat-eaters who complained, but let’s be honest. A lot of those guys will catch and kill a snook whenever they want no matter what the season is.” Eric Cook, of Cook’s Sportland in Venice,” echoed Westra’s comments. “People know that the snook population is distressed right now,” he said. “I haven’t heard anybody complain, though. The thing to remember is that the snook will rebound. I’ve been here a long time and seen it before. “As long as we have redfish and trout for people to catch, they’ll wait for the snook to come back.” Similar comments came from Hart’s Landing in Sarasota to Fisherman’s Edge in Englewood. “It’s warranted” is the nearly unanimous refrain. In fact, Dennis Hart strongly advocates a two-year ban on killing snook. “We have to give them a chance to recover,” Hart says, “just like we did with redfish several years ago.” “There haven’t been very many negative opinions from my customers about extending the closure,” according to Jim Mackey, at Fisherman’s Edge. “They understand that the population needs help.” The good news is that there still are a lot of snook under the lights around the Albee Road Bridge, and at other dock lights through “Snook Alley” in Nokomis and Venice. One aspect of the executive order that has some people confused involves an unprecedented move that “temporarily suspends certain saltwater fishing regulations to allow people to collect and dispose of dead fish killed by the cold weather.” A saltwater fishing license is not required, but that part of the order only remains in effect until February 1. The executive order stipulates that “these fish must have been killed as a result of prolonged exposure to cold weather,” and further that “all people taking dead saltwater fish under the provisions of this order may not sell, trade or consume such fish, and the dead fish must immediately be disposed of in compliance with local safety, health and sanitation requirements for such disposal.” In plain language, it means that you can collect dead or rotten fish from your shoreline or water by hand, cast net, dip net or seine until February 1, provided you throw them into a dumpster and don’t eat them. While possession of snook, tarpon, and bonefish is illegal under the order, it still allows anglers to fish for those species on a catch-and-release basis. Ron DeLuca, who’s spending his first winter down here after a lifetime in Connecticut, spent Tuesday afternoon with me in Lemon Bay and did pretty darn well on trout and ladyfish to 3 pounds once we found water temps of 66 degrees! My Glass Minnow pattern with white hackle tails and pearl estaz body was just the ticket! Go to the Photo Gallery and New Patterns dropdowns for a looksee. ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE Bill Delaney and Frank Dunn hunted quail at Dream Lakes of Florida with us on Wednesday, and Heart did an absolutely marvelous job. The Little Guy (who will be THREE YEARS OLD in June) has really turned the corner. I gave him most of the work. Ghost, bless her heart, still runs as hard as ever and she’ll be THIRTEEN YEARS OLD in May!!!!! She doesn’t hear as well as she used to, and vision in that left eye still isn’t very good. But she CERTAINLY still covers ground and sniffs out birds! Here’s what else has been happening around southwest Florida during the past week: BRADENTON/TAMPA BAY Butch McIntyre caught more than a dozen trout in Terra Ceia Bay on a Rapala Skitterwalk, while other anglers boated redfish between 15 inches and 30 inches in the upper Manatee River, according to Jim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton. SARASOTA BAYTen-year-old Nicholas Andrews, of Orlando, boated a 28-inch redfish, and black drum to 20 inches near New Pass while fishing with his father, Paul Galen Miller, of IA, caught sheepshead, trout, flounder, and black drum on shrimp near the Ringling Bridge. Tom Wilhelm, of MI, son Zack and nephew Leo (both five years old) caught ladyfish, and trout to 17 inches, on olive jigs and freelined shrimp in Little Sarasota Bay. Dave Buckley, father Bob, and cousin Jerry, also caught trout, ladyfish, and some bluefish near Spanish Point on Cotee jigs and small silver Johnson Sprite spoons, and Dave Wahl, of IL, caught nearly a dozen trout to 3 pounds near Long Bar on Clousers. NOKOMIS/VENICEEd Irons of the North Jetty Fish Camp reports redfish and black drum are eating live shrimp, sand fleas, and white jigs around the rocks. Trout are plentiful on the grass flats in the Intracoastal Waterway. Be aware of the dredging near Snake Island at the approaches to the Inlet, and watch for the marker buoys. OFFSHOREBill Terry, of Canada, and Don Luetkeman, of IA, and Doug Austin and Ron Jenkins, of SD, caught red grouper to 11 pounds, gag grouper to 13 pounds, and mangrove snapper to 4 pounds using cut sardines in 103 feet of water. LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUNDJohn Donohue, of Venice, caught trout to 25 inches and small redfish to 20 inches near the Manasota Bridge on the edges of deep grass flats using Gulp! Newpenny Shrimp. Paul Gilbert, of CO, and Fred Schrader, of Boca Grande, caught redfish to 30 inches and trout to 24 inches on live shrimp in Gasparilla Sound, according to Jim Mackey of Fisherman’s Edge in Englewood. PINE ISLAND SOUND/CHARLOTTE HARBORTom Lamb, of Switzerland, and John Freeman, Jr., of Sarasota, caught a dozen trout to 17 inches and redfish to 28 inches on CAL jigs with shad tails in Charlotte Harbor. Dave Westra, of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers, says trout and redfish are in lower Matlacha Pass, along with sheepshead along oyster bars. A few tarpon also have been jumped in the mouth of the Orange River outflow on DOA Baitbusters. Be extra-careful when fishing around such power plant outflows (including the one at Apollo Beach on the east side of Tampa Bay) during cold snaps because of concentrations of manatees.
Sight fishing has been awesome lately. Changing weather conditions and cold fronts have been making the fish very predictable. Snook are staging up in their winter lies and the redfish have been tailing aggressively. December brings some of the lowest tides of the year and the redfish are tailing most every day on the right grass flats. We have also been sight fishing them on the sand and catching them very consistently. We have had very little boat traffic and the fish seem to be very happy swimming in super shallow water and striking flies aggressively. I fished two days with a gentleman and the first day it was slick calm, overcast and hotter than blazes. The tides were great and we cast at fish in a muddy bottom creek and every redfish we threw the fly in front of smashed it. We lost what little light we had so I took him to find the tailing fish. After casting to 30 tailing redfish with a variety of crab, shrimp and baitfish patterns we could not get them to bite anything. The next day we went out after a nice cold front came through and the water temperatures dropped ten degrees and all the tailers we through at ate the fly or chased it. We boated a 33 inch redfish and two 28 inch redfish and missed and lost several others. I feel like when the water temp drops the food availability to fish diminishes making them much more susceptible to fly presentations. In other words cold fronts are good for fishing and it is nothing but a myth that fish don't bite when it is cold.
I fished with another gentleman on a half day right after a cold front and we caught 25 snook, a Small 8lb Tarpon and and an 8lb redfish yielding him a grand slam in just a morning half day. My afternoon clients managed to nail 2 big tailing redfish in the after noon making that day a great fishing day.
Yesterday, I fished with Sam who loves to catch big Snook. We went out and the conditions were mint. Calm winds and glarey skies made visibility tough but the fish were ther in big numbers and we cast to two snook gliding down the shorelines in a foot of water. We cast to the lead fish, a 35-40 inch snook and he refused the fly and the two fish swam into a shady corner. We waited for them to come out of the shade and when they did they swam around a log and Sam fired a fly right past the first on and left it for the second snook, he stripped and the fish automatically popped the fly right on the surface and the battle commenced. We landed this 30 inch Snook and proceeded to catch another 27 incher and then we landed a 37 inch Snook all within the hour. We managed to catch 3 redfish and lose 3 more nice snook that day. I have posted the video of our adventure on this blog.
Overall, I think Boca Grande fly fishing is as good as it gets right now and should continue to stay good through the month. The tides are low and there are lots of fish to cast at. You just have to feed them.
Hillsboro Inlet, Boca Raton to Ft. Lauderdale - November 26th, 2009
supplied by: Fanntastic Fishing RECORDED:71 °FISHING: Great
Thanksgiving morning we had cool northwest winds and almost smooth sea conditions.
The sailfish are showing up in good numbers and feeding on a variety of baits. The most common offering is the live goggle eye, which can be purchased on the way out to fishing grounds. Other baits work very well also, including live mullet, blue runners, live bonito and live ballyhoo, which can usually be caught quickly on the way out.
This weekend the fish were widely scattered, from the edge of the reef at 9’ to as deep as 600’. I had reports of groups of sailfish coming into the spread with multiple hookups.
Besides sailfish, we had catches of blackfin tuna, wahoo, kingfish and some mahi mahi.
Although sailfish is considered a big game fish, they are a great sport for the kids. We here at the FANNTASTIC have introduced many children to their first sailfish experience. We have had children as young as 6 years old land these amazing creatures! The thrill of the catch for those kids is truly phenomenal.
Sailfishing will steadily improve into January through February – so watch for those cold fronts for some hot sailfish action. Don’t worry about rough weather, the FANNTASTIC is a 50’ Hatteras, the largest boat for charter in Ft. Lauderdale.
Charlotte Harbor Area - May 10th, 2009
supplied by: Tight Loops Flyfishing RECORDED:90 °FISHING: Excellent
MAY 10, 2009 It’s Tarpon Time in Southwest Florida! Yes, the big silver beasts are back for their annual spawning migration, and seem to have begun littering the nearshore beaches off Casey Key, Manasota Key, and Venice. Because tarpon actually are nocturnal feeders, it stands to reason that late night and very early morning hours would be the best time to present a fly that would be enticing enough to trigger a “Let’s Eat This” reaction. However, most folks watched too many re-runs of “Jaws,” and are mortally afraid of being in the dark where there could be sharks. So, the majority of our tarpon angling happens from just before dawn (yes, Virginia, there ARE sharks out here but they really WON’T bite the boat in half) and continues through the early morning. Which is why I drove 1,500 miles to take Kate, Ghost and Heart back to Michigan two weeks ago. English setters simply do not understand why Dad has to get out of bed at 3:30 in the morning and disturb their peaceful snoring. Nor do they comprehend climbing into all of our respective crates when it’s still daylight at 7pm. Double Ditto for Kate. Which is why the three of them are freezing up on the 45th parallel while I’m roasting in blazing sunshine with temps that hit 93 yesterday. But what about the *&%# FISH!!!!!! you ask. Ah, well. Yes. Bob Darnold of Sutton’s Bay, Michigan, and his nephew-by-marriage, Kurt Liederman spent three days with me last week chasing tarpon and assorted other finny creatures. We rocked & rolled outside Stump Pass on Wednesday and never saw a live fin. Bazillions of tarpon were running silent and deep below us in the nearshore Gulf (according to my Garmin 172C), but wouldn’t come up top. Finally, when Bob nearly pitched off the deck of my Hewes Redfisher, we headed back inside Lemon Bay. Spanish mackerel and a variety of other finned animals came to the proffered flies and jigs—particularly a couple of cobia! I had glanced behind the boat and saw two large brown shapes floating at the surface. “Cobia,” I yelled, and Kurt made an absolutely perfect cast. The smaller of the two—a mere 30-pounder!—immediately ate the glass minnow imitation and for the next hour Kurt deftly played that fish on an ultra-light rod rigged with 10-pound line and a 20-pound bite tippet. Meanwhile, the other cobia—which must have weighed in at more than 60 pounds—kept nudging the hooked fish, and generally was curiously wondering what was up with his buddy. We got that cobia to the boat dozens of times, but always JUST out of netting reach. I did touch the leader at one point, so it counts as a legal catch, but after just over an hour the line SNAPPPPED and everybody groaned. Kurt was impressed with that fish, but tarpon was the name of the game and Bob was concerned about his “sea legs in the rolling water of the Gulf.” So, we went to Plan B. Which was the Myakka River, where scores of juvenile poons in the 10 to 50-pound class abound. With some 80-pounders thrown into the mix to keep everybody’s adrenaline rush at peak levels. I guess Kurt described the situation quite aptly when he said, “if tarpon were torpedoes this boat would have been sunk a hundred times.” Simply put, they were EVERYWHERE. Tarpon to the left of us. Tarpon to the right of us. Tarpon exploding out from underneath the boat in a muddy swirl. And yes indeed, Kurt jumped two on Thursday—both in the 60-pound class. Alas, he did not heed the guide’s warning that “setting the hook on a tarpon is like driving it into the side of this boat.” We got the jump, but both fish threw the hook. Friday was MOS. Only without the jumps. We had big guys constantly around us the entire time we were in the main river, and had several different pods of 10-to-20-pounders frolicking back and forth in one of the residential canals. They absolutely would NOT, however, eat an artificial offering. Capt. Gospo had the same frustrating experience with his clients that day. “Fish all OVER the place,” he lamented, “but maybe this damned full moon got them all screwed up.” Who knows? They’re fish. I HATE fish! Or, as my old Chilean friend Oscar Feliu once muttered, “Damned fish are just like women. One night YES, next night NO!” Well, I guess Gary Sibbald will find out this week when he comes back down from Ontario. He’s got a raging case of Tarpon Fever, and I’ve got the cure! ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE Kate says the Little Guy—who turns two years old next month—has a raging case of Bird Fever. “He runs from window to window looking at the mourning doves and whining pitifully. It’s still only 45 degrees up here, so it feels like bird season. “Looks like it, too,” she said. “The trees are all pretty bare, but at least the daffodils are starting to bloom, so there’s SOME color out there.” Ghost, who will be 12 years old on Friday, is acting like a dog half that age, according to Kate. “Except she’s been digging big holes in the dog pen and got her nose absolutely impacted with sand and dirt. Poor thing could hardly breathe, and kept sneezing constantly.” Sigh. Two months before I’m roaming the woods and waters of northern Michigan with all of them. At least I’ve got several hundred thousand tarpon to keep me company down here! Tight Loops,Capt. Tony
Venice - April 26th, 2007
supplied by: Tail Chaser Fish Gear and Charter Service RECORDED:85 °FISHING: Excellentmaps VeniceFlorida Fishing ReportThe Tail Chaser Fleet has had a great month fishing inshore and offshore charters. Our Inshore team led by Capt. Chris O’Neill has caught plenty of oversized Redfish, along with giant Snook that have began their spring migration out of the rivers. Redfish have been plentiful along the West Wall of the Myakka River, as well as the Cattle Dock area of the river. The bar outside of Cape Haze has held multiple species all month. The Snook bite has been insane, with most of Capt. Chris’ guides using Tarpon gear to pull the monsters out of the structure. The bait of choice has been pilchards and threadfins. Artificial will produce, but live bait is the guarantee to giant fish. Tarpon, Tarpon, Tarpon! The Tail Chaser Fleet boated over 40 Silver King Tarpon in the month of April. The bite will only get better for the next two months, and be steady through the summer. Tarpon are hungry to eat your larger threadfins. Large schools have been running the bar along the east side of Charlotte Harbor. The Offshore captains have been finding major bites along the beaches and out to 150 feet. The Kings have been running within 1-15 miles of our beaches, along with plenty of Spanish Mackerel. Grouper are found along the wrecks, and have been smacking pinfish and threadfins fished on the bottom. Trolling will also work well, over the wrecks. Chum heavy for the best results. If you would like to experience some of this unbelievable action, give us a call. We are excited about the new line-up of guides we have now, and look forward to continued success. For the best fishing in the Venice Florida or Charlotte Harbor area, spend a day with one our team of world-class guides. Visit our new website www.tailchasercharters.com, or call Capt. Chris @ (941) 270-7867.
Islamorada - January 18th, 2007
supplied by: No Bones About It FISHING: Good
I hope all of my anglers have been enjoying the Holidays, and what a warm start to the Winter Fishing. I mean warm, we have had a few cool days, but it has been a warm winter, with some great fishing. It can only get better and better, and if old man winter has been this predictable, I can only wonder what the rest of the month will be like.
There has been quite a few windy days, but the wind has laid off nice this past week, and have had some great reports fishing offshore, and flats and backcountry fishing.
The bonefishing has been good both oceanside and especially in the Florida Bay. Some big fish being caught and released on fly and light tackle.
Bonefish ranging from 9lbs and up, you cannot ask for a great day on the water with them being in the Fall Pattern still.
Redfishing has been quite consisitent over in Flamingo and in the channels, and area lake and rivers.
Trout fishing has been super with some big trout being caught and released because of the limit in size, but have been quite a few going to the restaurants for lunch too.
Backcountry fishing has also produced some spanish makerals, and pompano have been on the hooks of many anglers, snook have been quite abundant, and trout, ladyfish, and jack crevelle, along with mangrove snapper, sharks, and I have even heard, tarpon are still in the back getting caught on some light tackle and fly!
This has been some great fishing.
I hope all my Readers and Anglers have had a Great Time Fishing and Had Some Tight lines.
As I said, the fishing has been good, with the bite for the bonefish has been good, and has been good in the early mornings, and of course, just before sunset.
But, I want to let everyone know we all had a good time and enjoyed having each and everyone of you all aboard our skiffs, and hope to see you all come back fishing.
The tarpon bite has shown up again, and some fish are still around the area bridges and channels, and they are finding some still in the Park.
Using crabs, and dead bait is the best early in the morning hours, and pilchards are being used for some evening trips.
Every year, I keep saying time surely does fly by and can you believe it, Spring fishing is on us soon, and the Winter fishing, well maybe on its way out, if the weather stays as nice as it has been.
I am getting alot of calls and emails about the upcoming tarpon season for 2007, and you should definitely make sure to be making your reservations now, so that ensures you get the dates you want, and lock in the time frame, for those glorious evening trips that are available.
Don't forget to go to my website for those great fishing charter packages I offer, and give me a call at 305-664-5891, or drop me a line at captann@boneranger.com, and I will ensure your emails are answered promptly and correctly with any questions you may all have.
Remember we get full fast, and it is good to start planning now, and get a jump on the dates you have in mind, which is also good idea for our fly anglers too. Season usually starts late March, and April and runs through July.
If any anglers are interested in some of the tournaments that are around, we still have some going on, please go to my website for updated tournament information at www.boneranger.com.
Some of the Winter tournaments available, so if your interested in tournament information or just coming down and getting yourself a fix on fly or light tackle, the Winter and Spring fishing, it is aways a great time for saltwater gamefishing, and meeting new anglers and friends.
That is the time of year when the flyfisherman and live bait anglers are battling it out with the big fish.
It never stops to amaze me the enthusiasm my anglers show whether it is on fly or live bait or even light tackle for our elusive gamefish.
If your fishing in Everglades National Park, alot of anglers catching and releasing several big trout, jack crevelle, ladyfish, and redfish and snook in the park, they are using shrimp on Millie Bucktails is the best shot with either white hackle or brown bucktails tipped with a little shrimp. The redfish, and trout love that, and so do the ladyfish.
Overall, everyone had a great time and days some fun days filled with alot of fishing.
January reopened the trout season, but there have been some big trout in Everglades National Park.
Snook Season will reopen February 1st, and will be closed May, June, July, and August. So, lets get out there and get some of those strong snook on board and is fun on light tackle.
Patch fishing fishing should pick up immensely with snpper, grouper, porgies, sharks, and yellowtail being caught up on the patches of the reef with this cooler water coming in.
The water temperature still remains in the lower 70's, but the tides have been good in the early morning, and early evenings just before sunset.
Permit fishing has been fair, using small crab, and crab flies, jigs tipped with shrimp, and shrimp.
There are many anglers here from all over the world, challenging their skills from fly to light tackle, which is wonderful to see them enjoy and learn new skills.
Whether you challenge your skills on fly or live bait or light tackle, it is great fun to be out in the sun, and releasing some really big fish from all the different species.
You and your friends and family are not far from the Best Saltwater Action around!
Remember the snapper that you catch, has limits, so make sure you take just enough for a good lunch and dinner, and have fun with your rods bending on the rest.
Islamorada offers some of the Best Saltwater Gamefishing for anglers focused either for light tackle, live bait or artifical baits, or our avid fly anglers, now is the time to be doing your bookings and hopping on the band wagon for some a great time and action, for the morning bite and evening bites.
So, don't forget to get into some of that great Flats and Backcountry Fishing in Everglades State Park is a great way to spend the day fishing, lunching, and enjoying the beauty of the wildlife.
These fish always puts big smiles on the kids and even us grown ups faces when the rod bends on these great reef and patch fish, and what a way to spend an evening for a great meal.
Don't forget I still offer those incredibly great Value Fishing Packages where you can get the best of both Worlds for Flats and Backcountry charters.
So, take a look on the homepage at www.boneranger.com, and schroll to the Islamorada Fishing Charter Pakcages and click on the top icon for Some Great Savings!
Don't forget your extra supplies to bring on your trip, please Make Sure You Bring Extra Water and Gatorade or Powerade with you to keep your body rehydrated, and your Elecrolites going, with this intense heat, and the heat index, can dehydrate you quickly with the water acting as a mirror, and sun beating down on our anglers. So, please ensure you have Sunblock, Drinks, and Protective Clothing, to enjoy your morning Flats, Backcountry or Offhsore Fishing.
I am looking forward to a Great Winter and Spring Season for all anglers.
Don't Forget that the Day and Evening trips for Spring and Summer Action for the Tarpon Season where the days getting longer, you can still fish for tarpon, bonefish, and permit are fantastic too, and a great time to see a terrific sunset, and have a great time on fly or live bait. Great time of the year for those bites! Give me a call or just drop a line.
Come and challenge your skills from fly to light tackle, to live bait, and sightcasting. Rest assured, you too will be hooked.
Since the Holidays are gone, you still have some great ideal coming and giving one of those fishing packages I can make gift certificates for your husbands, wives, friends, family, co-workers, your college students. It makes a great stocking stuffer or gift. You all deserve a great Get-Away for you and your loved ones.
What better of a place than here in the Florida Keys, Islamorada is the Place for all kinds of Saltwater Gamefishing.
I can put together any great fishing package for you all, either flats fishing and backcountry, or Flats fishing and Offshore fishing. Just give me a call and I will put together a nice cover letter, and send a gift certificate to put in that special someones card. So, don't forget to call me at 305-664-5891, and I will be happy to work with you, and make sure you get it on time.
So, lets make sure that you get your plans in order!
Stalking these Gray Ghosts, or Poling for those Powerful Permit, or Preying on those Giant Silver Kings, you have to use a bit of muscle, but the hand and eye coordination on fly is a fantastic challenge for any kind of angler. Or just exciting on Live Bait for the same species on 6lb or 8lb test, what an adrenaline rush.
Even if your a novice or intermediate flycaster, I do offer fly instruction, I know it can be a bit trying on the nerves, but once you learn the technique, and you hook up the adrenaline takes over, and your knees start shaking, and the thrill of the line zipping out in less than a minute. It is a true rush. I cannot describe the feeling, until you actually hook up. But, let me tell you, that it is one of the most fasinating, and intriging experiences you could ever have, whether on fly or light tackle, it will have your heart racing, and have a lump in your throat, and a smile on your face, when you hook up! There is no screaming, just your elated face and excitement watching you have the hook up of your life.
Winter and Spring Tournament Fishing will be getting active, with some Big Fish that will be Caught, and Released. If any of you anglers are interested in Some Great Comraderie, and Action, and would like to Enter Some Of Islamorada's Great Tournaments, please call me at 305-664-5891, or you can email me at CaptAnn@boneranger.com, and I will get all the information needed for such events.
Great way to benefit some great causes, and give a little back to some of the less fortunate, and a Great Way to have Fun, and make new Friends.
Don't forget you Flyfishing Enthusiasts, this is the greatest time of the year to come and challenge all our gamefish on fly, the challenge can be quite rewarding, and a great way to get ready for your Spring fishing. Gives you all great hand and eye coordination, so those who you think are bad, don't think it your eyes that are going, its time to get some lessons. I do offer No-Pressure fly instruction, and love to teach you new techniques to build your skills for the Lake and Stream fishing your doing.
I hate to keep reiterating on the Upcoming Spring and Summer Fishing, but plan in advance for those Fishing Dates for 2007. You can book now, for it is the time, I don' mean to be repetitive, but I want you all to get the dates you want in advance for those Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit and Backcountry Fishing Trips.
Remember, it starts late March if the weather gets really warm and runs from April through July!
I also do Group Bookings, with the fishing packages with hotel accomodations, don't forget that with those evening trips for the rocket blasting tarpon.
So don't delay to grab your dates and put together a trip and we will let you feel the thrill of hooking up the species of choice, whether its bonefish, tarpon, or permit, you may be lucky enough to land a Grand Slam!
Whichever you decide to experience, it all has been an exciting and great way to spend a day with the family or with your friends, wife, or girlfriend. All I can say is the fishing has been at its best, and challenging anglers to all aspects of fishing.
So your fishing is not limited to anyone species. With all year round fishing, you just cannot miss, especially the Fall and Winter fishing coming back up, you can challenge a number of species.
Whether your flyfishing for bonefish, permit, redfish, or light tackle fishing for the same species, the effect will have you hooked for years to come, and where else but, Paradise, can we achieve such tremendous catches and releases.
What a great way to enjoy the beauty of the island chains here in the Fabulous Florida Keys! You definitely will enjoy the experience and challenge of the Sportfishing Capital of the World.
If you decide to book a backcountry trip, don't forget before heading out into the backcountry in Everglades National Park, don't forget your cameras to take some grand pictures of some of the most intriguing birds, and of course the fish of the day you caught.
So drop me a line, or call up and make sure you get the bookings that you are looking for, and don't forget an Evening trip is Great too, and what a good way to see our Fabulous Sunsets. Bookings can get full, and limited, so make sure you call in advance, so you too can experience the wonderful challenge of all species we have to offer.
I am offering to Anglers for this upcoming Winter and Spring Fishing Packages to all of those who want to get away from the kids, or bring the kids on breaks, or to just get out of the office, or just to experience some of the off season. Anglers can get a great deal and want to do some great fishing in the off season, great on your pocketbook, it is a great value, check it out on my Rates and Package Page!
The Flyfishing and Light Tackle Fishing Packages that are on the site give everyone the best of both worlds, to come down and challenge their skills for Bonefish, Tarpon, Permit, Redfish and Snook, and for those Great Offshore Species!
I hate to keep reiterating, but I do offer No Pressure tactics, and offer Fly Instruction, and what an experience for either the beginner fisherman, novice fisherman, or advanced fisherman, to benefit a day on the water. It is the growing trend, to stalk these gamefish on fly and what a wonderful sport it is, and a great way for some great hand and eye coordination for you to learn how to cast to these beautiful fish! What memories you and your fishing companion to experience together, or you can make it a family event, and ladies don't forget, we too make it as a great pasttime for ourselves to pick up the fly, and surprise yourself how enjoyable and challenging it really is.
Isn't that what it is all about, the grandure and power of all of these great saltwater gamefish, whether you choose bonefish, tarpon, or permit, the memories are there forever!
Ladies, don't forget, you too can enjoy the splendors of fishing on light tackle or fly, and it's a great way to spend the day getting to know the waters and the beauty that happens here in the Keys!
Well, until my next report, tight lines, and Hope To See You on the Flats, and Remember Catch and Release for the Future!
Tight lines, and Keep Reeling, and Hope to See Yah on the Flats,
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