Fish Logs

Well folks this week it would be easier for me to tell ya what ain't biting rather than what is.

This past Saturday Captain Mike and myself ran a 4 hr trip with both boats landing over one hundred fish each. I love fall. Our catches included Spanish mackerel, snook, snapper, speckled trout, cobia, tarpon, bluefish, and jack cevalle. Later in the week we had the same scenario but added redfish to the list.

I think the key to being successful this time of year is to be ready for anything. It even starts when you're catching bait. I always try to have too much bait and if I can get different types even better. I mean week before last we fished to several large cobia throwing everything at them but pinfish, why I didn't have any.

This week same thing but we had the magic cobia bait. We tried everything with no takers. Then we put on the pinner and the race was on. So we continue to go snook fishing after the cobia, on our way birds are going nuts on the water, we stop throw jigs and whitebait and the Spanish and bluefish action was world class with macs up to six pounds. By this time the tide had come in and off to the snook and redfish. Let me tell ya the big girls are home and open for business it seems they know winter is just around the corner and they are trying to bulk up.

On one trip with Dave Roy, we had four fish in the twenty pound range that really put up a fight so much so that it made short work of the 15 pound line we were using but what a rush. There are schools of redfish all the way from the gulf all the way up.

Once you find them just take you time they will eat. So when your heading out this time of year be ready for anything and everything because they are all there and ready to eat.

Earlier this week we fished Big John and Judy Gresham who wanted to catch big snook. We were there the big snook were there but only wanted to eat the chummies we offered. Still we caught a hand full of just under slot fish and one really nice flounder.

None the less we had a great time they learned all of my "A" Spots on Tampa Bay as we really wanted Mrs. Judy to catch her trophy snook.

Later we had long time client and friend Miss Chrystal Legg of Full Throttle Products and some of her clients from the northeast. When they arrived at the marina we asked, "OK what do you want to try and catch?" The answer was SHARKS! Those of you that know me know I am not the avid shark charter captain but I do want my clients to be happy so shark fishing it is. We went to a spot that is notorious this time of year to hold large numbers of shark after stopping to throw the bait net for a well full of livies. It took me a couple of times to get the 30 Dorado anchored just the way I wanted it then we deployed a bag of Pro-Chum.

We got down the rods and I threw a hand full of chummers in the water and as Capt. Tommy LaOrange would say "Oh Mylanta" it was on. For three hours non-stop we were boating black tip sharks, Spanish mackerel to six pounds, and speckled trout up to 26". Then Chrystal as about cobia and we were off again we found several cobia large cobia but no takers on the white bait, where's a pinfish when you need one?

So we quickly changed gears and went you guessed it "BIG SNOOK" fishin'. These fish had embarrassed me earlier in the week with a no show on the line. We hit these fish for just a few minutes hooking one that hit, shook her head and took off into the mangroves. A few minutes later one of the gentlemen threw his line over a tree, bait dangling in the water and bam, this fish was a P.I.G. hog, and the line broke. I hated that we lost them but it made me feel better that I wasn't loosing it.

So I guess the point of all this is to be ready for anything not just fishing but just life in general.

We have just rolled back into town from a month of fishing out of Big Pine Key and let me tell you it official I am now spoiled rotten. The dolphin and wahoo bite was off the chain not to mention the sailfish. Most of our fish came out of the five to six hundred foot range but the bigger fish were in shallower water from two to three hundred feet. The Islander Lures were the ticket using mainly the smaller baits and the Sea Star Heads in yellow and green, and pink and white being the hot colors. The hoos seems to prefer purple and black on the center rigger.

Here at home snook season started this week there seems to be plenty of fish around but with the hot water temps the bite can be a little slow to say the least. We have had reports of large schools of redfish moving in around the mouth of the bay.

On Wednesday we shot a show with Capt. Jason Lineberger, of Tampa out of The Resort and Club at Little Harbor in Ruskin. Bait was not a problem it seems that it's everywhere. We started out snookin' with Mike and myself just getting schooled by the man and finally landed a fish just under the slot. Then we went to catch some mackerel and sharks and let me tell ya on the way to Jason's spot we encountered several huge school of mackerel in the middle of the bay catching them on gulp, live bait and spoon's I mean they were everywhere. After a few of these Jason asked if we wanted some snapper, sure why not. We went to his snapper hole, using a 3/8 oz jig head and a live greenie vertical jigging the bottom it was one after another with a few fish that we just could not turn, when all of a sudden Mikes line starts screaming and he lands a decent cobia but on ten pound test line. All in all it was a great day, we caught just about everything, and it's good to be home.

By 10:30 in the morning it’s roasting. The good news is, so are the fish.

At the beginning of the week, I took longtime friend Doug Butler of Riverview out for a couple of hours. Here I am the pro fishing guide, and Doug sells tomatoes, and he kicks my head in.

We pull to the first spot - as it turns out the only spot - catching several mangrove snapper. Then I hear the drag scream, hear the launch and automatically my brain says, “Doug’s got a tarpon.”

The tarpon I have been getting on this spot are the little 10- to 15-pounders. Doug’s is 50 pounds if it’s an ounce, and to boot on 10-pound-test line.

Then there are a few more snapper, a couple of snook and goliath grouper. Then I hear that sound again, Doug’s got another, thank goodness this one’s only 30 pounds. Then there are a few more snapper and my line sings - I think it’s about time. You guessed it, mine’s a whopping 6 pounds. Not bad for a couple of hours - thanks for the schooling.

Look for mangroves on any rock pile in the bay. They are literally everywhere, and bait is not a problem as there are tons of the little 1- to 2-inch baits all over the place. Just look for the birds for an indicator of where the bait is.

Spanish mackerel continue to be thick along the ship channel in deeper water around the range markers. Be ready with a larger rod, as there are plenty of sharks to be had as well. Wayne Edmonds of Apollo Beach told me that live ladyfish is the ticket for the larger sharks. He said they had a couple they just couldn’t turn on a 4/0 reel.

It seems that with the heat and water temperatures approaching 90 degrees, the best bite is early in the morning.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the Mangrove Snapper bite that was going on and had one of our readers call and book a trip. I told Steve that we could run offshore or stay inshore but the fish would not be as large. He told me inshore was what he wanted as he was bringing three kids. Well they took their trip this Wednesday.

 I picked up Steve and his three sons, Cameron, Steve, and John at 7:00 am in Apollo Beach. On our way out we stopped for three cast of the net for bait and we were off. Folks let me tell ya these kids were a blast they made short work of catching a limit of snapper, and few jacks. Big Steve even caught a small grouper and John a Goliath Grouper. Watching this father, no dad with his boys could not help but to make me think of my dad when I was a kid taking the time with me just to go fishing.

Steve is in real estate and all of us know what the economy is like, but he told me sometimes you have to say the heck with it I'm taking my boys fishing. I just wanted to say thank you for a great day and a memorable experience for me.

The snapper bite is in full swing on and offshore. The tarpon are still here in good numbers. A friend of mine William Woodruff took his wife, Liz, out for a few hours jumping five and landing 4 and I understand Liz landed three of the four. There are also plenty of juveniles in the 10-20 pound range to be had as well. Spanish mackerel and sharks are abundant all along the ship channel just look for the big schools of bait.

Since you were a kid you have always heard the new moon in June. As far as that goes the full moon in June and July can only mean one thing in west central Florida, Snapper. Traditionally I wait until July and August to mess with these fish but when we got the call from our Boca Grande Crab Connection, Jimmy Porter it was game on. Jimmy was going out to one of his favorite snapper spots and killing it. Don't tell anyone but I'll tell ya how to do it.

First you need to get a chum bag. I prefer the Pro Fish Chum, it's effective and not messy one bit. Then you need a 48 quart cooler full of what I call net wrecker baits. You know the ones that gill up in a ¼" bait net, they need not be alive. Then you need the 30 pound spinning gear and hang on. The idea is to chum the fish to the surface, so you anchor up current, deploy the chum block, then start throwing hand fulls of net wreckers and see what happens. Right before this last moon on the tide change from high tide and the first bit of the out going it was STUPID. No kiddin' on one side of the boat there were about 300 Mangrove Snapper and another 300 on the other. Using 6" mutton minnows for bait it is quite fun.

Get the fish chummed up to the surface, pitch back the larger live bait if you see a smaller fish go for it simply take it away and wait for the big guy to inhale it, you'll see the whole thing happen right by the boat and it doesn't get any better than that. You gotta try it. It's fun, it's fast, and it's simple, what more could you ask for.

It's also that time of year for the bay to be covered in large Spanish Mackerel and there are still plenty of tarpon to be played with. The mackerel bite is great for kids. When fishing for the Macs cut one in half put it on a big rod and send her down for some cool shark action as there is no shortage of sharks in Tampa Bay.