Entries by Capt. Billy Nobles

As our Boca Grande season winds to an end with tropical weather, and small craft advisories it’s safe to assume that The Reel Animals Fishing Team has not been on the water this week. The weather has been anything but normal this year. I mean when have you heard of cold fronts in May and June, in Southwest Florida of all places. At the first of May we had morning winds out of the Northeast and our afternoon “sea breeze” was out of the Northwest, weird huh? They’re still wacking the tarpon here in Tampa Bay, my good friend, Captain Glenn Taylor, when not making lobster rolls at his restuant Boardwalk Grille at John’s Pass, is killin’ them in the afternoons with double digit hookups and landing a good portion of them. When I say good portion anything above a thirty percent land ratio on tarpon I and most tarpon captains consider good. The reason for this is these fish are huge, explosive, and they jump, a lot. Some of the times when the fish jumps, clients, me included don’t bow and the silver king has a knack for plucking the hook, and breaking lines.

This week here in Tampa, Captain Stephen Marchovich, reports that the inshore bite is on with great redfishing on oversized fish on cut bait, trout and snook on live bait. He told me to look for the snook and trout around the passes on an outgoing tide, fishing the ledges. It will be interesting to see how this weekend’s weather will effect the inshore action. Offshore the red snapper bite is on, there’s a shocker, with mango, and yellowtails in the mix. Remember in just a couple of weeks Gag Grouper opens and we will be able to keep gags, and red snapper for a short period before snapper shuts down, so be sure to take advantage of this to make the most of you dollars. Cause you and I both know it ain’t cheap to make the long runs with marine fuel around five bucks a gallon.

Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday. Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am. Also visit our website @ www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’."

A couple of weeks ago Mike and I ran a group trip for the Tampa Bay Lighting and all of our hockey dudes had a great time. Well this week I had the pleasure of fishing Bubba Kennedy and his son Quinn, and Clay Roffer, both equipment managers for the Lightning, one day and then the next Lightning right wing Adam Hall and his father in-law Albert from South Africa. Clay’s last name may seem familiar to some of you off shore fishermen; his dad is founder/creator of the Roffer’s Report, which is sea temp and current info in real time to locate exactly where the big boys are.

On first trip with Bubba, Quinn, and Clay we ran out about 20 miles or so and were catching Greater Amberjack and Bonita, when all of a sudden my mate Stephen Doughty, shouted COBIA. Yours truly flipped a crab over and game on. There was another cobia with that one only slightly smaller, but he was more interested in what had his buddy by the snout than the other crab we were offering up. Bubba quickly brought the fish to the boat; Stephen gaffed it, and bam in the box. Just after that bam the permit showed up. My pal Captain Glenn Taylor was there on a charter with us, we both pulled anchor and started to drift fish and it was “Katie Bar The Door”, it was permit galore. The next day, we met Adam Hall and father in-law Albert and ran 55 miles for some mangrove snapper, it was pretty sloppy with a confused sea with waves 2-3 coming from the west and south in no particular pattern, fun, but the new 29’Yellowfin made short work of it. I had called Glenn and arranged to meet him there to team up on the snapper, but he had company, uninvited follow him the 55 miles, and well the snapper thing it weren’t happenin’. We ran a farther and game on. Large Mango’s, Greater Amberjack, Lesser Amberjack, Bonita, Huge Gag Grouper (not in season because there aren’t any), Scamp Grouper, and Black Fin Tuna. Just a great couple of days with some of the areas greatest guys, not to mention world class athletes and community icons…so thanks fella’s it was wonderful.

Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday. Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am. Also visit our website at www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’."

After the cold front earlier this the water temps cooled down a good ten to fifteen degrees, depending on where you were.  Later in the week the water warmed back up and the fish started to feed.  The trout bite turned back on but the redfish are still a little slow to take the bait.  If the future forecast holds true they should turn on any day now, as there are plenty of reds in the area.  Also the black drum are back all over the bay, the key for me to catch these fish is to use a jig and position the boat off to the side, ahead of the school.  Too many times fishermen will chase a school, from the rear, and this simply doesn’t work for two reasons.  First they feel the pressure of something large chasing them, and two and probably the most important, they don’t eat out of that end.  So take your turn they will swim by.
 
Offshore the grouper bite remains better than we have ever seen, but you can’t keep them unless you are a commercial fisherman with the proper permits and licenses.  The state elected to go concurrent with the Federal law so our grouper will not open in April as has been the norm but rather August.  But don’t fret there are plenty of other fish to bring home.  The blackfin tuna have shown up, Captain Larry McQuire reports in 120’ and are being taken on butterfly jigs.  There are also great catches of snapper, yellowtail, hog, and mangrove, amberjack, and one that is over look but one of my favorites, grunts.  Fried up there is nothing better.  I have also received reports that the permit have shown up south of the bay area so they should be here right on time.
 
Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday.  Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am.  Also visit our website @ www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’."

In the mist of cold fronts, thank God there’s only been a couple.There lies some prime opportunity to catch some great fish. Prior to writing this article I was on the phone with Captain Terry Russo.Terry was telling me that on these winter super low tides, he has been wading with his clients on the outer bars of Tampa Bay and getting triple, that right, triple digit catches. The list includes, reds, trout and sheep head, all you want.

Offshore is still on fire. Captain Larry McQuire reports run deep. He hasn’t been stopping in anything less than 100 feet of water. The red grouper, scamp, and other snapper bites along with the reef donkeys (Amberjacks) are on fire. The trick is to pick your day. Right behind one of the fronts the quicker you can get out the better. Kinda like the early bird gets the worm. Start out using dead bait, sardines and squid. This puts some scent in the water and gets ‘em going.Once the bite is going then drops down a frisky pinfish and hold on. Also bear in mind that American Red Snapper and Gag Grouper are out of season even though there are plenty to be caught, try not to target these fish as in the deeper water it’s harder for the fish to acclimate them selves to such a great pressure change in such a quick accent from bottom of the gulf to the surface.

Be sure to properly vent these fish as well with you venting tool that is required by law. Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday. Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am. Also visit our website @ www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’!

With 2011 drawing to a close, what a year. Changes in fisheries, rebounds of fisheries just what an interesting year. The seatrout are doing exceptionally well with large catches coming in daily. Live baits are working great but the real deal is artificials. Whether it’s the Mirro Lure Mirro dine, little john, or my favorite Mirro Lure, The Paul Brown Original, or DOA’s CAL, or world renown shrimp. There are several other baits, The Berkley Gulp, Love Lures, you just have to find your personal favorite and run with it. One thing I am really glad to see is there are steady catches of Pompano around the mouth of the bay. Talk about good eats, man they are hard to beat.

Offshore the grouper bite remains on fire both red and gag. Gags are closed for some reason. It’s the same reason that our red fisheries opened and we receive a four fish limit, bad science, but I digress. The kings are still around with surface water temps in the low 70’s high 60’s. The amberjack and snapper bites remain on fire around several of the nearshore and off shore wrecks; there is no finer light tackle action on the planet.

Remember those time on the water that made 2011 a remembered year for you and yours and keep those memories close, maybe call your friend and relive that special day, and let’s all work to make 2012 better!!

Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday. Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am. Also visit our website @ www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’.