Fish Logs

The first of the week started out with promises of a good week.  Highs in the low 80’s upper 70’s you know the way life is supposed to be here in Florida.  I had some people scheduled for a trip on Monday but thunderstorms were in the forecast so we moved our trip to Tuesday.  The plan was to meet at 7am grab some bait and head out offshore.  The bait was a little tough to say the least but we finally got enough and headed out offshore around 10am.  The winds were supposed to be out of the east coming NW by late afternoon.  Don’t you know it as soon as we rounded the lighthouse, NW winds. 

I remember back a long time ago an old commercial fisherman told me, “Son when ever you are in the gulf in winter and the wind switches NW, head home it’s gonna get bad.”  We’ll we ran out a little anyway and it did get a little snotty to say the least.  We hooked a few big fish and were unable to turn them.  With conditions worsening we changed gears headed in our destination was O’Niell’s Marina to grab some shrimp.  After gearing up for some light inshore action we looked for the large schools of drum that invaded the bay about 2 months ago but couldn’t find them, next let’s hit some trout.  I had purchased 8 dozen shrimp and had two anglers using the Berkley Gulp Shrimp and two using live shrimp.  In about an hour and a half we burnt through all our bait and had a limit of trout, speckled that is.  The trout I had been catching were small on Tuesday we caught two small ones around 10-12 inches the rest were anywhere between 16 and 22 inches, and the action was non stop. 

Talking with other Captains, the off shore is on fire when you can get there.  The trout, black drum, and redfish are in the bay in abundance, just as we have another week of cold scheduled.  The key is to pick your day.  When conditions are right, the bite has never been stronger.
Be sure to catch us on TV Saturday mornings for The Reel Animals Fishing Show @ 6:30am on Channel 8 and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM from 6-9am on Reel Animals Saturday’s with Captain Mike and Sunday’s 620 AM from 7-9AM for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and call in and give us your reports to win some cool fish gear.  To book your trip visit www.reelanimalsfishingshow.com and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’.”

You are not going to believe it. The fishing this week has been absolutely on fire, record setting, world class, catchin’.  I have never landed so many walleye and salmon in Tampa Bay its unreal. 

Had ya going didn’t I?  To be honest I haven’t been on the water all week.  We were supposed to run but with the fronts, wind and rain we cancelled.  It’s better to live to fight another day.  Mike and I did make it to south Florida and went to the Miami International Boat Show to see some old friends and meet some new ones.  Any one who has never made the trek to that show, if you love boating, fishing, or just the water lifestyle you gotta go.
 
As I stated earlier I haven’t been on the water so let’s talk about what’s on the horizon for us.  Spring, what a wonderful time and word, is just around the corner.  As the water temps will rise look for snook to come out from the deep holes and springs in our river systems to their regular haunts.  Schools of redfish are already moving in but take your time.  It seems that once the reds are here it takes them a few weeks to settle down if you will and get comfortable with their new home. 
 
Tarpon, Tarpon, Tarpon, my favorite time of year.  Look for schools of Silver Kings to start migrating to their traditional breeding grounds and just before the tarpon get here.  PERMIT, did I mention we love permit.  A lot of people don’t realize how many permit we have and what a great game fish they are.  Capable of making screaming runs to 300 yards on light tackle.  All I can say is WOW!  I you like what I have described just hang in there.  It’s right around the corner, it won’t be long, I promise.
 
On a different note, Dennis O’Hern, is leading the charge for our rights to fish.  They are heading to Washington, D.C. to fight the grouper and snapper closures.  Please go to their site all you have to do is go to www.reelanimalsfishingshow.com and on the right hand side of the page you will see a tab (Join FRA) Click on that and check it out for yourself.  Folks this is the pit-bull in your fight for your right to fish and for your kids to fish.  Please support them as we do.
 
Check us out on Saturday mornings @ 6:30 on WFLA News Channel 8 and call in Sunday’s from 7-9 to WDAE 620 for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and your chance to win some cool stuff.  Call us at 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’.”