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Venice - September 22nd, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Great
September can offer up some great fishing as long as weather conditions allow. With the long hot days and warm nights the water of the Gulf of Mexico will reach its peak summer temperature. Because of this, the short bottom (inside of 50’ deep) will not produce as many big grouper as in the cooler months. But don’t worry because there’s plenty of other species swimming around to bend a rod on.
Spanish mackerel, little tunny, and big jack crevelle have been plentiful on the gulf all summer long. The M-Reefs have been holding bait which in turn has been attracting these gamefish. Trolling spoons and fishing live pilchards have both proven to be very productive fishing techniques.
Shark fishing should peak in September. Chumming the water with fish oil and cut baits should draw them to your anchored boat. Both live and cut baits will provoke hits so be sure to use both.
Snapper fishing for mangroves, lanes, yellow tails, and an occasional mutton snapper will be good this month. Best fishing holes will be over hard bottom, ledges, springs, and wrecks. Snapper can be somewhat finicky at times so it can be wise to use as light as gear as possible. For leaders consider using fluorocarbon as it is less visible to the fish. Night fishing over wrecks in the periods around the full moon when conditions are right can be very productive. I prefer natural baits such as crabs, shrimp, live shiners, and squid.
Red Grouper fishing and summertime fishing on the gulf are synonymous. These fat bottom dwellers can be the best way to put meat on the table at this time of year. Look for the larger reds out past 80’ deep. Depending on conditions, you can drift fish or anchor over them, it’s your choice. Just about any natural bait will work.
Gag grouper will be more difficult to locate this time of year, especially the keepers. More than likely you’ll need to run deeper to find the big ones. Gags tend to hang closer to structure such as wrecks, and ledges. Live baits will often entice gags to turn on especially in the heat of the day. Good stiff stand up tackle will help you to pull them clear of the structure.
Mahi (dolphin fish) fishing peaks in September on this coast. Best bet will to start looking for them no closer than 20 miles offshore. Be on the lookout for large masses of floating grass or any other flotsam. One way to fish for dolphin is to pull up along side the grass and sight cast to fish as they swim just below the surface. Live baits will often excite mahi into hitting.
As you see there is a lot of variety at this time of the year. Once you locate a good bite of fish please remember to handle those to be released carefully.
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Venice - August 1st, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Great
Providing that wind and sea conditions cooperate, the month of August should offer up some great offshore fishing opportunities. During this time of the year the gulf’s water temperature really heats up. As it does, certain species of fish are more likely targets for the savvy anglers that know which fish to go after.
Following is a gulf fishing forecast for the west coast of Florida in the areas south of Tampa Bay. Anglers fishing out on the Gulf of Mexico during the summer months should constantly be aware and stay abreast of rapidly changing weather conditions.
- Spanish Mackerels have been plentiful from just off the beaches up to 10 miles offshore. An excellent bait for mackerels is live pilchards, which can be cast netted. Anchoring the boat and free-lining these live baits at the surface works best. If action is slow or non-existent try chumming with some of the live pilchards. This can often coax lazy or wary fish into feeding.
- Little Tunnies generally make a good showing in the hot summer months testing angler’s stamina, as well as their fishing gear. Once you get a few miles offshore of the coastline, these junior members of the tuna family are apt to show up just about anywhere. Although little tunny’s meat is of poor eating quality, you will appreciate their strength and speed once you get one on the end of your line.
- Dolphin (mahi mahi) usually move up the Florida west coast within 20 to 30 miles of the coastline during late summer. Be on the lookout for large bunches of sargassum grass or any other type of flotsam, which often may hold schoolie dolphins. One way to fish for dolphin is to pull up close to the sargassum grass and sight cast to fish that are spotted below the surface. Using a free-lined bait works great for this. Trolling along the edge of a well-defined weed line can often produce some larger dolphin.
- Trigger Fish are one species of fish that will please most any palette. Usually the best locations to find them are hanging around rock piles, ledges, and the county artificial reefs. Because they have small mouths be sure to rig down on your terminal l tackle accordingly. Best baits are shrimp, shiners, cut sardines and squid.
- Snappers such as mangrove, lane, yellow tail, mutton, and vermilions are all commonly caught in local offshore waters. As with most bottom species the best fishing holes will be hard bottom, ledges, springs, and wrecks. Snapper can be somewhat finicky at times so it can be wise to use as light as gear as possible. For leaders consider using fluorocarbon monofilament as it is less visible to the fish. Best baits should be small crabs, shrimp, live shiners, cut sardines and squid.
- Red grouper fishing action usually peaks in the summer months, and our local waters offer some of the best red grouper fishing in the state. These hefty bottom dwellers can be the best way to put some fish on the dinner table. Look for the larger reds out past 70’ deep. Try drift fishing over hard bottom. When you locate a bite of red grouper, throw your marker jug. Now, you can re-drift the same area, or anchor down. Reds are known to be voracious feeders, eating just about any sort of bait. A good method I’ve found to use when drift fishing is to tip a 4oz jig with squid and bounce it along the bottom with the drift.
- Cobia are always a welcome sight. They will often just pop up under the boat when you’re fishing for grouper or some other species. Casting a live bait in their direction is usually the quickest way to get one on the hook.
- Sailfish and other bluewater species such as wahoo are often caught in the warm summer months. Usually the farther out you go, the better your chances of crossing paths with these species. As when fishing for mahi mahi, watch for weed lines and surface activity to help locate them.
As you see there is a lot of variety during this time of the year. Remember, if you’re not out fishing, you’re wishing you were. Get out and go fishin, cuz it’s good fer ya!
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Venice - June 26th, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Great
The month of July offers gulf anglers fishing out of Venice, Florida a wide variety of fishing opportunities. Moving into the summer season, anglers can look foreword to some hot fishing action to go with the warm weather.
Spanish mackerel are plentiful this time of year just offshore of area beaches. Mackerels generally hang over hard bottom or close to tiderips that often will hold the baitfish they eat. Watch for birds such as terns feeding at the surface of the water. This is a dead-giveaway to baitfish and feeding mackerels. Trolling or casting small silver spoons in these areas is a quick way to provoke some action.
Little tunnys will offer anglers some great tackle testing action, and summer is the time to get them. As with the mackerels, they can often be seen feeding at the surface.
Triggerfish offer excellent table fare, and will be found on bottom structures such as ledges and the artificial reefs. Because they have relatively small mouths, make sure to rig down and go lighter on your terminal tackle. Small hooks and light lines can be a key factor to putting some triggerfish in the boat. Best baits should be shrimp, shiners, and squid.
Snapper fishing for species such as mangroves, lanes, yellow tails, and muttons is loads of fun and is sure to put some good dinner on the table. Best fishing holes will be hard rocky type bottom, ledges, springs, wrecks, and the county reefs. Snapper can be somewhat finicky at times so it often pays off to use as light as gear as possible. For leaders consider using clear fluorocarbon as it is less visible to the fish. I prefer using natural baits such as crabs, shrimp, live shiners, squid, and cut sardines.
Grouper fishing has been very good so far this summer. Red and gag groupers are the two species most common to this area. Gag groupers will tend to hang closer to structure such as wrecks, and ledges, whereas red groupers are often easier to locate as they will often hang on just about any type of bottom. When fishing for gags try to anchor just up current or directly over the ledge or wreck where you think the fish are. Good stiff stand up tackle works best for this type of fishing as a hooked gag grouper will make a hard run for the bottom structure. Red grouper on the other hand are often caught while drift fishing over an area of hard bottom. A good method to use when drift fishing is to tip a 4oz or 6 oz jig with squid or a strip of fish and just bounce it along the bottom as you drift.
Permit is a great summer game fish. Permit love to hang over bottom structure such as local shipwrecks, and the county artificial reefs. The best permit bait is live crabs.
Shark fishing peaks in the summer months. Be sure to bring some wire leader material so when the sharks do show up you are ready for them.
Dolphin fish (mahi mahi) often make a decent showing in the hotter months of the year. When targeting dolphin, start your search at least 20 miles offshore and be on the lookout for large bunches of sargassum grass or any other type of surface flotsam. One way to fish for them is to pull up along side this floating grass and sight cast to fish as they swim just below the surface. Try live free-lined bait when fishing this way. Often the larger dolphin will be feeding down deeper below the smaller fish. You can also try trolling along the edges of the weed lines.
Summer months are also the best time to run across blue water fish such as sailfish, marlin, and wahoo. To locate them with any consistency you’ll need to start your search at least 40 miles out. As when fishing for dolphin, look for weed lines and feeding activity at the surface.
Remember, if you're too busy to go fishing, you’re just too busy. Get out and go fishin, cuz it's good fer ya!
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Venice - May 24th, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Good
The month of June offers plenty of action on the gulf
With the arrival of June, fishing action out on the Gulf of Mexico should bust wide open. This is the time of year when anything can and will happen on the gulf, so expect the unexpected. The point I am trying to make here is that just about any species of fish that swims in the gulf will be caught during the month of June.
So what can anglers fishing out on the Gulf expect to catch during the month of June? Following is sort of a fishing forecast starting from just off the beach up to 60 miles out on the gulf.
- Spanish mackerel should be plentiful just off the area beaches, and around the passes. Live bait enthusiasts should have no problem catching some of these toothy speedsters using live shiners as bait. Trolling or casting silver spoons through feeding or jumping fish will all but guarantee some quick hook ups.
- King mackerel will also be scattered out over hard bottom in 40’ to 100’ foot of water. Keeping live baits free-lined out on top while anchored down bottom fishing is a great way to liven up the action with a smoker kingfish.
- Tarpon fishing will about as good as it gets over the next few weeks. Sight fishing is one of the predominant methods used for targeting tarpon pods swimming up and down the coastline. Once a pod of tarpon is sighted, casting live baits such as crabs, pinfish, or grunts will often provoke one into hitting.
- Barracuda have once again returned to their summer haunts such as the artificial reefs and local shipwrecks. As the water temperatures continue to rise, these voracious feeders will hit just about anything and can actually become a nuisance for those anglers trying to target snappers or other small reef fish.
- Shark fishing can be additive, and the during the summer months is when it happens. Big hammerheads will be cruising up and down the coastline as they feed on tarpon. Smaller sharks such as blacktips and lemon sharks in the three to five foot range will be found over local reefs from one to twenty miles out on the gulf. During the daytime, these sharks feed best on small live fish.
- Permit fishing should peak in June. Once again, the wrecks and reefs are the best places to locate them. Line crabs, and jumbo shrimp both make excellent baits. These beautiful fish release well so handle them carefully after photographing.
- Grouper fishing has been very good all season. This time of year look for big red groupers out in at least 60' of water and deeper. Keeper gag groupers are apt to show up anywhere. Live and dead baits will both produce fish.
- Snapper fishing should payoff with some excellent table fare. There are many different species on the gulf such as mangrove, lane, yellow tail, mutton, and vermilion snappers. Cut bait and shrimp are hard to beat for good action.
- Blackfin tuna will still be around for a while. There smaller cousin the little tunny is usually plentiful on the gulf all summer long. Keeping live baits free lined out behind the boat while your busy bottom fishing is a good way to hook into a tuna.
- Sailfish, wahoo, and dolphin fishing should be turning on farther out on the Gulf. You may need to run for while so keep an eye out for weed lines once you hit bluewater.
If you're not out fishing you're wishing you were. Get out and go fishin cuz' it's good fer ya!
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Venice - April 26th, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Good
May Gulf of Mexico fishing forecast
Are you geared up and ready for some of the best fishing of the year? If you are not, I would strongly recommend you get ready. The reason I say this is that over the period of the next few weeks, I’m thinking that there is a good chance the fishing action out on the Gulf of Mexico is set to bust loose.
No, I’m not claiming to be prophetic, or to have visions of the future, or anything remotely related to this. I’m just speaking strictly from my own experiences with fishing on the gulf during the month of May.
The reasons for my upbeat outlook are straightforward enough. First off, in the course of the next few weeks it appears as if we are in for plenty of good old Florida sunshine. More sunny days equates to warm weather. Warmer air temperatures mean rising gulf water temperatures.
Consider this, as we look back at April 2004, we can see that the gulf’s surface water temperature rarely rose above 70 degrees. That seems cooler than normal to me, and possibly may have contributed to the sporadic or somewhat undependable kingfish run we’ve experienced so far this spring. At this point of the season, there still should be a good solid opportunity for some big kingfish days ahead.
Actually, just about any species that swims in the gulf is a good target during the month of May. Other encouraging factors for anglers would be that it’s not sweltering hot yet, and an added benefit is that you don’t have to worry about dodging the afternoon thunderstorms yet.
All this considered, the month of May is high on my “monthly get out and go fishing” must do list. Following is a list of target species to go after while you’re fishing out the gulf this month.
- Kingfish and Spanish mackerel should still make a decent showing in the next few weeks. Look for both species in the areas where you see white baits such as pilchards, Spanish sardines, and cigar minnows. Live baits will usually out fish artificial baits so make sure when you have the opportunity to load up the live well with them. Keeping your lines and wire leaders as light as possible will help to account for more hits. Single-strand piano wire for leader material is mandatory to prevent cutoffs from the big ones.
- Permit should make a showing on area wrecks and reefs later in the month. These beautiful fish game fish prefer crustaceans so bring some jumbo shrimp or crabs along. If you see permit finning at the surface, cast your bait out in front of them allowing it to fall naturally. You more than likely won’t need any lead weight on this rig.
- Grouper and snapper fishing is always a dependable standby on the gulf coast. When targeting these bottom species consider fishing around a wreck or some good broken hard bottom. There are plenty of 2-foot ledges scattered all over the gulf floor so keep your bottom machine running. When you notice a change on you bottom graph indicating a rock crevice below, toss a marker jug and try it. Normally if you hook into gag grouper or mangrove snapper then you’ve located good structure. When bottom fishing be sure to put out the extra effort and keep a couple of livies free-lined out on top. You never know when a school of kingfish, some mahi mahi, or blackfin tuna may swim through. As the water continues to warm up this month, red grouper should make a good showing. For the keepers concentrate your efforts 20 to 50 miles offshore. Bouncing baits along the bottom while drifting is a great way to locate these bottom feeders
- Black fin tuna should make a good showing this month in the 80 to 140-foot range. A good place to start looking would be in the area of an anchored shrimp boat. These commercial shrimpers normally pull their trawls during the night. Often, come first daylight the shrimpers will anchor down their boats and go to work picking through their catch, and then throw the by-catch overboard. This in turn can draw fish such as blackfin tuna.
-Tarpon should make a showing later in the month. Sight fishing for them just west of area beaches is one favorite way to fish for them. Once a pod of tarpon is located, try casting live or artificial baits at them. Some of their favorite natural foods are crabs, shrimp, threadfin sardines, and pinfish. Large numbers of tarpon should also begin showing up in Boca Grande Pass this month. On the falling tide the Tarpon will be feeding on the small crabs that are washed out of the bay. Bring along a long handle net and try scooping up your own crabs.
-Shark fishing for some anglers is about as good as it gets. For the rest of us, they can sure mess up a good grouper bite. Regardless of your personal feelings, this is the time of year to tag into a shark. Lately on just about every trip, whether we want to or not, we’ve been hooking into one or another species of shark. To target shark, bring along some chum and fish a couple of lines up off the bottom while anchored.
-Cobia is another fish to target in the month of May. Clearer gulf water will make them easy to see. Casting live baitfish in front of sighted cobia is about as exciting as it gets. Cobia tend to hang around any sort of structure, so when fishing around these areas keep looking into the water.
-Greater amberjack and giant jack crevelle will be hanging around the deeper wrecks and big ledges. Healthy live baits will often provoke fish into hitting that otherwise wouldn’t feed. Be sure to keep your rigs simple as clear water makes it harder to get them to hit.
May is one of the best months of the year for fishing on the gulf. Remember if you’re too busy to go fishing you’re just too busy! Get out and go fishin cuz’ it’s good fer ya!
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Venice - April 6th, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Good
April is a great time for fishing the Gulf of Mexcio
With the arrival of April, the final winds of March will soon exhaust themselves. As this annual calendar event takes place, it’s obvious a change of season is in the air. It’s now quite evident that spring is here, as with each passing day the water temperature of the Gulf of Mexico continues to inch its way warmer.
Anglers fishing out on the gulf over the next month should be well pleased with the amount of fish activity that this warming trend brings with it. Schools of baitfish such as Spanish sardines thread fin herring, and scaled sardines will be popping up all over the place. The appearance of all this baitfish sets the stage for the emergence of the larger predator fish that the Gulf’s annual spring run is known for.
Anglers looking to hook up with some fish should need only to locate a school of baitfish. It’s a simple fact, that where you find the schools of bait, you’ll generally find hungry fish feeding in the area. The exciting thing about fishing the gulf this time of year is the large variety of species to go after. Following is a list of some of the species of fish that anglers fishing the gulf in the month of April can expect to find.
- Kingfish and Spanish mackerel action will really heat up in the next few weeks. Provoking them into taking your hook can be a cinch by using simple proven techniques. Live baits will usually out fish artificial baits this time of the year, so it should be worth the effort to load up the bait well. Keeping your rigs as light as possible will help to account for more hits. You may consider using a light gauge single-strand piano wire for leader as many of these critters have a mouth full of teeth. These same areas where the bait is located will also be homing magnets for other large gamefish such as little tunny, barracuda, cobia, and sharks. Trolling with planning boards and spoons is a great way to cover a lot of ground and locate feeding fish.
- Grouper action in the short bottom has gotten tougher so anglers in search of these bottom denizens may consider heading out to deeper water for the keepers. If you plan on targeting gag grouper try fishing around a wreck or some good broken bottom. There are plenty of two foot ledges or breaks scattered all over the floor of the Gulf so keep your bottom machine running. When you notice a change on you bottom graph indicating a possible rock crevice below try tossing a marker jug and give the new spot a try. Normally if you hook into gags or fish like mangrove snapper then you’re in the right place. When bottom fishing be sure to put out the extra effort and keep a couple of livies free-lined out on top. You never know when a mid-water fish such as a kingfish or blackfin tuna may be in the area. As the water continues to warm up, red grouper should take the spotlight for those anglers looking to put some meat in the box. For the keepers concentrate your efforts out past the 20-mile mark. Red grouper have a reputation of sucking up just about anything they can get in their mouth. Drift fishing with large lead head jigs tipped with squid is a great way to locate these bottom feeders. Keep your marker jug handy and when you get one on your line throw the jug to mark the location. Now you can re-drift the same spot over again.
- Black fin tuna should make a good showing this month in the 80’ to 120’ deep water range. A good place to seek them out will be around the deeper wrecks and springs. Live baits such Spanish sardines and spot tailed grunts make excellent baits. Trolling and or live bait fishing around anchored shrimp boats is another great place to look for tuna. The shrimpers often will toss bycatch into the water, which often attracts the tuna to the area.
- Cobia fishing should also be good this month. These big brawlers are known to hang around bottom structure such as wrecks and the artificial reefs. When fishing these types of areas be sure to keep an eye out for them to swim up around the boat, as they are a curious fish. Closer to the coastline, another method used to fish for cobia is sight fishing for them. On a clear sunny day, cobia can be seen swimming at or near the surface. Casting a live bait out in front of them should provoke a hit. The key when sight fishing is not to spook the fish with the boat.
Like I said, there’ll be plenty of fishing opportunities in next month. Remember, if you’re too busy to go fishing you’re just too busy. Get out and go fishin cuz’ it’s good fer ya!
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Venice - March 2nd, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Good
Amongst southwest coast Florida anglers, the month of March always seems to usher in with it an abundance of high expectations. For those of us that have experienced first hand how exciting fishing out on the Gulf of Mexico during a bountiful spring king mackerel run can be, I think the best way to describe it would have to be “world-class fishing”.
As the gulf’s water temperatures continue to climb, pounding the bottom for grouper and snapper may temporally take a back seat to surface and mid-water fishing. If the weatherman stays on our side, and this quick warming trend continues, then all heck could break loose sometime during the next month. What this means is some of the fastest non-stop fishing action of the year.
Each year at about this time, large schools of baitfish usually start showing up offshore of the coastline. With an ample food supply readily available, many different species of larger gamefish will begin to make their appearance on the spring stage.
Following is a March fishing forecast of the different species of fish anglers along Florida’s southwest coastline can expect to encounter during the next month.
Kingfish (king mackerel) should start their spring run moving north up Florida’s west coast over the next few weeks. As this annual migration unfolds, some of the most exciting fishing opportunities of the year will open up with plenty of fishing action for all. Look for concentrations of schoolie kings feeding in areas where bait is located.
Spanish mackerel the smaller cousin of the big kings should also be making a good showing now that spring is at our doorstep. These silver speedsters will hit most any bait when actively feeding. Trolling small silver spoons is a proven technique for producing mackerels.
Little tunny often show up just ahead of the mackerels as they arrive chasing the migrating schools of bait fish. Locally called bonito, these small tuna offer excellent sport for the light tackle angler.
Grouper fishing should bust wide open over the next few weeks as the gag groupers continue to show up on area ledges and wrecks. Natural baits fished at or near the bottom is a sure-fire method to catch them. Another great way to hook into big gags is trolling large lipped lures such as Mann’s stretch-30.
Snapper fishing, especially for mangrove snapper will be very good in March as well. Mangrove snapper tend to hang on the same sort of bottom that attracts the gag groupers. Once again fishing with natural baits at or near the bottom will produce mangroves. Gearing down to lighter tackle can often mean the difference between catching these wary fish or not.
Cobia fishing should start happening as schools of these migratory fish move up the coastline. Often seen swimming at or near the surface, cobia will normally rush a fresh live baitfish such as a pinfish or threadfin sardine.
Blackfin tuna usually make a good showing about the same time as the mackerels do. These fish usually average 20 to 25 pounds, and can make for one heck of an exciting cap to a good day of fishing. When targeting blackfin consider starting your quest at least 20 miles out on the Gulf. Live bait fish drifted over significant structure such as a shipwreck or spring will often produce blackfin tuna.
Greater Amberjack will also be caught while fishing around the deeper wrecks and springs during the month of March.
Obviously, the month of March is a great time for fishing out on the Gulf of Mexico. If you’re too busy to go fishing, you’re just too busy! Get out and go fishin cuz’ it’s good fer ya!
Capt. Dave Pinkham docks his deep-sea charterboat Legacy at the Crow's Nest Marina in Venice. For Gulf of Mexico charter info call (941) 473-4603, or visit Capt Pinkham's web page at, www.charter-boatfishing.com
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Venice - February 28th, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Good
Amongst southwest coast Florida anglers, the month of March always seems to usher in with it an abundance of high expectations. For those of us that have experienced first hand how exciting fishing out on the Gulf of Mexico during a bountiful spring king mackerel run can be, I think the best way to describe it would have to be “world-class fishing”.
As the gulf’s water temperatures continue to climb, pounding the bottom for grouper and snapper may temporally take a back seat to surface and mid-water fishing. If the weatherman stays on our side, and this quick warming trend continues, then all heck could break loose sometime during the next month. What this means is some of the fastest non-stop fishing action of the year.
Each year at about this time, large schools of baitfish usually start showing up offshore of the coastline. With an ample food supply readily available, many different species of larger gamefish will begin to make their appearance on the spring stage.
Following is a March fishing forecast of the different species of fish anglers along Florida’s southwest coastline can expect to encounter during the next month.
Kingfish (king mackerel) should start their spring run moving north up Florida’s west coast over the next few weeks. As this annual migration unfolds, some of the most exciting fishing opportunities of the year will open up with plenty of fishing action for all. Look for concentrations of schoolie kings feeding in areas where bait is located.
Spanish mackerel the smaller cousin of the big kings should also be making a good showing now that spring is at our doorstep. These silver speedsters will hit most any bait when actively feeding. Trolling small silver spoons is a proven technique for producing mackerels.
Little tunny often show up just ahead of the mackerels as they arrive chasing the migrating schools of bait fish. Locally called bonito, these small tuna offer excellent sport for the light tackle angler.
Grouper fishing should bust wide open over the next few weeks as the gag groupers continue to show up on area ledges and wrecks. Natural baits fished at or near the bottom is a sure-fire method to catch them. Another great way to hook into big gags is trolling large lipped lures such as Mann’s stretch-30.
Snapper fishing, especially for mangrove snapper will be very good in March as well. Mangrove snapper tend to hang on the same sort of bottom that attracts the gag groupers. Once again fishing with natural baits at or near the bottom will produce mangroves. Gearing down to lighter tackle can often mean the difference between catching these wary fish or not.
Cobia fishing should start happening as schools of these migratory fish move up the coastline. Often seen swimming at or near the surface, cobia will normally rush a fresh live baitfish such as a pinfish or threadfin sardine.
Blackfin tuna usually make a good showing about the same time as the mackerels do. These fish usually average 20 to 25 pounds, and can make for one heck of an exciting cap to a good day of fishing. When targeting blackfin consider starting your quest at least 20 miles out on the Gulf. Live bait fish drifted over significant structure such as a shipwreck or spring will often produce blackfin tuna.
Greater Amberjack will also be caught while fishing around the deeper wrecks and springs during the month of March. Obviously, the month of March is a great time for fishing out on the Gulf of Mexico. If you’re too busy to go fishing, you’re just too busy! Get out and go fishin cuz’ it’s good fer ya!
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Venice - February 22nd, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Great
March
Amongst southwest coast Florida anglers, the month of March always seems to usher in with it an abundance of high expectations. For those of us that have experienced first hand how exciting fishing out on the Gulf of Mexico during a bountiful spring king mackerel run can be, I think the best way to describe it would have to be “world-class fishing”.
As the gulf’s water temperatures continue to climb, pounding the bottom for grouper and snapper may temporally take a back seat to surface and mid-water fishing. If the weatherman stays on our side, and this quick warming trend continues, then all heck could break loose sometime during the next month. What this means is some of the fastest non-stop fishing action of the year.
Each year at about this time, large schools of baitfish usually start showing up offshore of the coastline. With an ample food supply readily available, many different species of larger gamefish will begin to make their appearance on the spring stage.
Following is a March fishing forecast of the different species of fish anglers along Florida’s southwest coastline can expect to encounter during the next month.
Kingfish (king mackerel) should start their spring run moving north up Florida’s west coast over the next few weeks. As this annual migration unfolds, some of the most exciting fishing opportunities of the year will open up with plenty of fishing action for all. Look for concentrations of schoolie kings feeding in areas where bait is located.
Spanish mackerel the smaller cousin of the big kings should also be making a good showing now that spring is at our doorstep. These silver speedsters will hit most any bait when actively feeding. Trolling small silver spoons is a proven technique for producing mackerels.
Little tunny often show up just ahead of the mackerels as they arrive chasing the migrating schools of bait fish. Locally called bonito, these small tuna offer excellent sport for the light tackle angler.
Grouper fishing should bust wide open over the next few weeks as the gag groupers continue to show up on area ledges and wrecks. Natural baits fished at or near the bottom is a sure-fire method to catch them. Another great way to hook into big gags is trolling large lipped lures such as Mann’s stretch-30.
Snapper fishing, especially for mangrove snapper will be very good in March as well. Mangrove snapper tend to hang on the same sort of bottom that attracts the gag groupers. Once again fishing with natural baits at or near the bottom will produce mangroves. Gearing down to lighter tackle can often mean the difference between catching these wary fish or not.
Cobia fishing should start happening as schools of these migratory fish move up the coastline. Often seen swimming at or near the surface, cobia will normally rush a fresh live baitfish such as a pinfish or threadfin sardine.
Blackfin tuna usually make a good showing about the same time as the mackerels do. These fish usually average 20 to 25 pounds, and can make for one heck of an exciting cap to a good day of fishing. When targeting blackfin consider starting your quest at least 20 miles out on the Gulf. Live bait fish drifted over significant structure such as a shipwreck or spring will often produce blackfin tuna.
Greater Amberjack will also be caught while fishing around the deeper wrecks and springs during the month of March.
Obviously, the month of March is a great time for fishing out on the Gulf of Mexico. If you’re too busy to go fishing, you’re just too busy! Get out and go fishin cuz’ it’s good fer ya!
Capt. Dave Pinkham docks his deep-sea charterboat Legacy at the Crow's Nest Marina in Venice. For Gulf of Mexico charter info call (941) 473-4603, or visit Capt Pinkham's web page at, www.charter-boatfishing.com
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Weather and Lunar Phases
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Venice - January 25th, 2004
supplied by: Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters
FISHING: Great
Look for great gulf fishing action in February!
The warm weather all of us experienced here along the Southwest coast of Florida this past January was definitely one of the mildest I can remember. Other than a couple of weak cold fronts that passed through, the rest of the month brought with it warmer than normal temperatures.
All this adds up to plenty of opportunities for fishing out on the Gulf of Mexico. So far this winter season, the action has been as good as I can remember it being for a long time. Of course, the key to catching fish is knowing what species to go after, and how to target them. This holds true in any fishery regardless of where you are. With that said, following is a gulf fishing forecast for the month of February.
- Gag Grouper should continue to be one of the main fish to target in the next month. In fact, February is one of the best months of the year for catching gags. Look to find them holding on just about any decent bottom structure. Depending on the day and the conditions, the gags should fall for both live and cut baits. As the water temperature continues to warm up toward the end of the month, trolling deep diving lures as well as large planning boards with big spoons will also produce some hefty gag groupers. Often the key to finding a good school of gag groupers will be by moving from one fishing hole to another. Passing cold fronts tend to push the gags around, so fishing after the front may pay off big time.
- Red grouper fishing out on the Gulf is dependable most of the year. Generally to catch a 20" minimum keeper generally requires fishing out in water depths of at least 60' or deeper. If you're looking for the big ones in the 10 to 20 pound class then plan on fishing out in deeper waters. The most important key to catching red grouper is to make sure your bait gets down to the bottom where the fish live. Remember, groupers are bottom fish, so make sure you put enough weight on to get your bait down quickly. The more bottom time your bait has, the better your chances of catching fish.
- Mangrove snappers, yellow tail snappers, lane snappers, trigger fish, and other reef species such as porgies and white grunts will be hanging around just about any type of hard bottom such as the artificial reefs, natural ledges, or any other structure you can locate. Lighter tackle baited up with shrimp or cut bait will often get these fish turned on. Once again, be sure your bait is fished near or on the bottom.
- Greater Amberjack fishing has been excellent all winter, and should continue to be good into the spring. These big brawlers like to hang out around the deeper shipwrecks, spring holes, and big ledges out past 90' of water. A good lively bait is hard to beat. These same areas that hold the AJ's will also attract other species such as blackfin tuna, shark, Goliath groupers, and cobia.
- King and Spanish mackerel may make a showing toward the end of the month. This really depends on if the weather and the waters temperatures continue warming up. We'll be sure to let you know when we start catching mackerels again.
Remember, if you're too busy to go fishing you're just too busy! Get out and go fishin cuz' it's good fer ya!
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Weather and Lunar Phases
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