Fishing Report

3/5/08

Inshore

Fat trout on the flats  >)))*>
Big Trout and Redfish and some nice Snook have been making for some nice days.

The last couple of weeks the water has warmed and bait (scaled sardines and greenbacks) is all over the the flats.
We have had some nice catchs if big gater Trout up to 6 pounds  most coming on  live sardines free lined.  But most if our trout
have been 3 to 4 pounds  and landing 10 to 40 trout a day. The Redfish have been  up on the oyster bars and rock piles feeding on crabs and
 shrimp. But we have been using live sardines and cuting the tail off the sardine.  This will let the redfish find and catch our bait.
We have had some big redfish around  8 pounds and 5 to 10 a day. 
A week ago the water temp hit 72 and the Snook bite got turned on good and a cold front came throw and slowed the bite down
But we landing some nice snook

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1/8/08

Inshore

Inshore

GAG ON THIS 

"YES" Gag Grouper in 8 feet of water, have been offering plenty of action for anglers. In small flats boats or smaller bay boats.  Grouper move in to the shallow water rock piles in the fall and spring time.  The action can be fast, catching Grouper with almost every cast.  We have been trying to stay away from the rock piles and casting to the edge.  Using larger pinfish, squirrel fish, and grunts.  To fish the shallow rock piles we use heavier spinning reels and rods, with 40 LB test line.  These Gag Grouper in the shallow water fight alot different.  They fight all the way to the boat, you will need to keep them out of the rocks, sponges,crevices, and sea weeds till you get them boat side.  We have also had them break 40 LB test line at boat side fighting so hard.  There are plenty of large Gag Grouper in these shallow water rocks this time of year.  You can also use lures to troll if the sea grass and weeds are not floating out there to thick.  I like to use the Long A Bommer lure, the mossy green back with white belly or the white with the red head. The broken back lures the best. The broken back lures seem to give more action to the lure, but we catch plenty on the one piece lures also. Here is Steve on a recent trip with a 14 LB Gag and Greg with a 10 LB Gag Grouper. 

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10/31/07

Inshore

Snook on the chew

 Lots of Snook on the keeper slot size to be caught. The Snook are running along the mangro lines heading back into the estruaries along the Gulf Coast. Been free lining the larger white baits 4 to 6 inches, using a 1.0 circle hook and 30 lb. leader is a must as the waters have been crystal clear.

Redfish have been plentiful as you can tell by everyones reports. We have been catching our share of Redfish in the slot limits and a few in the over size ranking. It is not uncommon to catch 20 to 30 redfish on a days trip. Been fishing them with live shrimp and live smaller white baits(sardines) live pinfish and also cut bait (pinfish). Sometimes using a small split shot to help hold the bait to the bottom more and also to help get better casting distance from the boat. The redfish are in the shallows so it is very important to stay as quiet as possible not to knock things around in the boat and to keep a low profile so not to let them see you. The redfish are very spooky this time of year and if they get spooked it will end a great day of fishing. Here are some happy costomers with a few of the nice fish they caught that day.

 WATER TEMPATURE ON THE "FALL"

With the water tempature dropping drimaticly we've been catching quit a few nice size redfish.  we been catching them upon the rocks and the oyster bars, on a incoming tide. The main areas are in the creek and river mouths on the back sides of the rock piles and oyster bars. They are feeding on white bait and shrimp floating under a cork, rootbeer jigs and gold spoons are working as well.

Large trout have moved in to the shallow waters on the flats.  We've been catching some nice fat healthy fish in the 18 to 22 inch range. Using live sardines floated under a cork. Top water lures are working good in the morning, also jerkbaits with green backs and white bellys are working great to immitate a sardine.

Snook have been biting the best on the last of the incoming tide and the beginning of the out going tide. Using the larger of the white baits to hook up these linesiders. The larger keepers have been slow to bite on any artificial baits. But as soon as the water cools off a little more the artificials will be better for catching snook.

Here are some pictures of some of our happy customers below.

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06/17/07 

Inshore

RIGHT BAIT MATTERS

Snook fishing has been great, they are in the summer time spawning pattern. On the full and new moon phases the Snook are hitting the larger white baits, with a small split shot to help get them to the bottom. Large pinfish and grunts are working as well, you will not need the split shot on these baits, cause they tend to swim to the bottom. They are holding up on the beaches and in the passes. that have good water flow that brings dinner to them. These females are on the large size so we have been trying to get them to the boat as quickly as possible so not to stress them out! Trying to release them with care so to fight another day.

Redfish there are plenty of juvenial Redfish in the 18 to 20 inch range, and there are also afew of the Big Bull Redfish still lurking about in the 25 to 30 inch range, on the rock piles, oyster bars, and docks on the out going tides has been working the best. Of course they been eating whitebait, smaller pinfish, and gold spoons.

Trout are still being caught in the 2 to 4 lb. range. In all the potholes and turtle grass bottoms. Using whitebait, shrimp, foating under a cork near the bottom, and jerk baits in the green and white patterns. Water has been extra clear so having to use Momoi"s Hi-Catch fluoro carbon leader.

Cobia they are still running on the flats, cannel markers and bouys.  Try to keep a rod handy and baited so if you sight one to through at then you better hand on. Last week we went just Cobia fishing and hooken 8 and boated 5, largest one being 30 lbs. and lost one that would of gone 50 plus lbs.

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 Tarpon  Report

 THE TIME IS NOW TO TANGLE WITH THE BIG TARPON

Last week, one day, we hooked up on 25 Tarpon and boated 7, all which were 150 to 200 lbs. range. But mind you this is not a normal day. A normal day is hooking up 7 to 12 and maybe boating 1/2 of them. Alot of the wild jumping giants throw the hook or if they stay on there is also the chance of a giant Hammerhead or a large Bull Shark eating them, These two giants roam the Boca Grande Pass and range in size the Hammerheads are 10 to 12 foot and the Bull Sharks are 8 to 9 foot in lenth. They are a site to see in the pass. Been using jigs and crabs in the pass, with the hill tide. We did farely well, the Tarpon were on the smaller side, but we have been jumping plenty of Tarpon. So if you would like to catch a fish of a life time contact me (Capt. Tom) and so we can set up your fishing adventure

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05/21/07

Inshore

The Silver King's are here!! The Tarpon have been hitting on crabs and threadfin herrings on the beaches and in the passes.   Capt. Tom is having a discount for a full day Tarpon trip, $100.00 off the trips good untill July 31,2007.  With a copy of this fishing report.  Here are some of the tarpon we been catching, averaging 100 to 180 pounds.

Snook have been hitting white bait, pinfish, and grunts. they been moving out to the beaches and passes for the spawn, good water movement is the key to catching this sideliner.  The photo below is Toby a very happy customer With a nice 33-3/4 inch snook. Which was caught on a big white bait.

The Bull Red's have been numerous and heavy fighters. Been catching them on live white bait, small crabs, shrimp, gold spoons, and jigs. the pictures below are of Tom, Lance and his 5 yr old son Chase. and Chase ended up catching 5 to 6 of these heavy fighters, and 8 to 9 good size trout (2 which were 4 plus pounds). Redfish have been averaging 7 to 10 pounds.  Lance called us back and stated that Chase was wore out finally and said thanks. lol

The Cobia have been running the grass flats on the stingrays backs.  They are plentyfull averaging 15 to 30 pounds. Just idle the flats and have a white bait and or crab ready to toss at the Cobia and then hang on for a very nice little battle. The photo below is of an man and wife (Ross and Karen) this was a great fight, of about 20 minutes, to get this 30 pound fish in the boat. Karen had not caught a fish in her life and she stated that she caught 13 Large Seatrout and Redfish.  She had a great day.

Chase               Tobey

Lance&Chase               Tom

    Ross&Karen

TARPON LIKE THIS ARE FEEDING GOOD ON CRABS

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01/22/07

Inshore

12/23/06 

Inshore

WOW!! What a change with these unseasonablly warm tempatures. The water tempatures are hovering up around 66 - 69 degrees. The Big Gator Trout have moved in for the winter in good numbers and are running from 17 - 24 inches. They are around the inshore rock piles,and on all the flats, also on the spoil islands to the South, off Tarpon Springs. They have been feeding on a variety of baits, we've been fishing with select shrimp, free lining them on bobbers, and sometimes with out. We've also been catching them with a jerk bait, using a 3/0 or 4/0 warm hook. Fishing this bait with a steady slow snap of the wrist jerking motion,(making the bait dart back and forth) this motion makes it look like a wounded bait. But as the water tempature drops more, you will need to slow the retrieve even more, but still trying to keep the bait jerking motion going steady.  With the water cooling you also might need to add a split shot to the line to help keep the select shrimp on the bottom, or try using a 1/4 to 3/8 oz jig head to your line to hold the select shrimp down. Redfish and Sheephead are all in the same areas as the trout using the same technique. The lasy Sheephead are picking the shrimp off the bottom. Alot of the redfish are Rat Reds, with an occasional Redfish up around 22-25 inches.  Nice Redfish Justin & Mike!! Here's Frank Amato with a Gator Sea Trout

Offshore

There has been plenty of fish in the 30 - 32 foot of water. Fishing the Grouper with a frozen sardines to get the bite going, then you can switch to live pin fish to get the big Grouper turned on. You can also troll with a Mann's deep diving plug. This works if you do not have any Grouper numbers in the area. Using this technique, when you do hit on a Grouper, you will need to troll back across this area in a large figure 8 pattern. We've been fishing North West of Hudson, Because the red tide never got that far North a couple of summers ago to do the kill like it did down South. When fishing for Grouper we have been catching Black Sea Bass,and Key West Grunts (AKA) Grey Snapper LOL, in an aboundant amounts.

Ross Porter nice Grouper

WE ARE TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR THE 2007 TARPON FISHING SEASON (reserve the dates early to get the best availablity)

"Gift Certificates Available"

SO STOP WISHING AND LET'S GO FISHING

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR   

 11/23/06

Fishing Report

Inshore fishing last week with the winds blowing 20 to 25 knots made fishing difficult. But,there are some nice winter Trout moving in to the residental canals and the Cotee and Anclote rivers.  We have been picking up some nice Redfish and Trout on select shrimp and artifical baits.

The Power Plant has been holding some nice Cobia,big Jacks and a few Pompano. There are also some nice Redfish and Trout being caught around there too.

Running Offshore has been rough with the winds. But, there has been a few good days were you can get out.  There are a good number of Grouper being caught anywhere between 20 to 60 feet of water. With the water being stirred up and the water tempature dropping we are having to run west and south to find clear water. Where we are catching Kingfish and Mackeral on the artifical reefs.

10/24/06      

Fishing Report

Inshore fishing this week has been good with the resent dropping of the water tempature. The inshore fishing has picked up drematicly.  All species Trout, Reds and Snook are feeding well to get fattened up for the winter months.

On recent trips we have been catching nice size Trout and Reds have been up to 33 inchs and there have been numerous Snook. 

The Big Brown Bommers(better known as Cobia) have been cruising the flats and on shallw water rock piles and around wrecks.

So the time is right to go fishing and getting your inshore slam. 

Offshore but, still near shore there are big schools of Spanish Mackeral,Kingfish and some Grouper have moved in an are hungry. They can be taken by slow trolling and or anchoring up on rocks and chumming up the waters. Using hook an line with pinfish or greenbacks work great