|
AuSable River - July 12th, 2010 |
RECORDED: 
80 °
FISHING: Excellent
The tarpon spawn is over for this season. Singles and small groups of fish will be cruising the barrier islands off Venice for the next few weeks, as well as in the backcountry mangroves in Charlotte Harbor. Ten months from now we get to do it all over again! Capt. John and I had a very good time with tarpon. That means our clients caught a respectable number of fish, lost a bunch more, and had shots at hundreds! John and I took the day off Memorial Monday and I stuck an 80-pounder and another pig that we estimated at 160! He was one large freighter.I’m also extremely grateful to report that the BigPutrid oil spill had absolutely no impact on our corner of the world. Naturally, scientists and environmentalists will be studying Life After Deepwater Horizon for a long, long time. Fortunately, containment appears imminent. In fact, today the Feds re-opened the Texas coast to shrimp trawlers. And Thursday I re-open dry fly fishing on the Manistee River! Yep. I got home last Thursday and spent a couple of days getting reacquainted with Kate, Ghost, Heart and my classic Au Sable Longboat. The gear’s been re-checked, and I’m all set to take Dave White, from Cincinnati, on a wade trip in Deward Thursday evening. He’s staying at Treetops Resort in Gaylord for some sort of conference, and believes that an evening on the water would sooth his soul. I believe he’s absolutely right.The reason I believe that is because fishing has been outstanding on both the Manistee River and the Au Sable River, according to everyone I’ve talked with. With luck, we’ll hit a spinner fall of Blue Wing Olive mayflies (Baetis) in the evening hours just before dark. It’s a good thing I visited with my ophthalmologist, Dr. Mark Johnson, before I left Venice. My new prescription will come in damn handy for tying on those size 18 and 20 olives. Of course, the REAL challenge will be tying on the tiny Tricos that Tom Spence sent me from Minneapolis. Talk about dust motes! I guess I’d better get busy and tie some before I use and abuse Tom’s samples.The good news for those among us with less-than-perfect vision is that the hoppers are flitting about all over the place. That means mid-afternoon fishing for big browns. YES! My favorite trout fishing time of the year is here. Some Isonychia are in the air, and size 16 Cahills have been spotted on the Au Sable South Branch. I’m hearing of sporadic Hex popping up here and there, so if you plan to swim deerhair mice or toss streamers after dark, stick a few of them in your vest. You could be in for a real surprise! Don’t forget that it’s only about a month until the White Flies (E. lukon) begin to swarm over the Big Water below Mio. If you’ve never hit that hatch, let me tell you it’s one that you NEED to experience. How do YOU say “A bazillion bugs!” Those big brown trout set their fins like an anchor and simply inhale hundreds of bugs without even twitching a dorsal.Then it’ll be time for Chinook! But lemme let you in on a little secret. If you sneak over to the Little Manistee real quiet early one morning, you just might find some king salmon swimming around over there right now!Another little-known late-summer Michigan phenomenon involves gigantic stoneflies. Now I ain’t sayin’ they are Pteronarcys californica and I ain’t sayin’ they ain’t. But “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…” All I DO know is that a wise man would be in Michigan come mid-August with a whole bunch of big stonefly nymphs and dries in pale yellow, olive, and gray.WOW! That just carried us right into ants (make SURE to have flying ant patterns in black and cinnamon!), beetles, crickets, and smallish muddler minnows in September. Which then carries us right into TA DAH!!! Grouse Opener on September 15.My, my. This certainly is the finest time of year to be in Michigan!ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE Ghost wakes up every morning asking if it’s time to go shoot some grouse and woodcock. She doesn’t care if it’s 42 degrees or 82 degrees. All she knows is that Life As She Knows It involves two things. Birds and Dad.And I thank God for it every day. Heart, who turned three in June, also has really dialed into the program. He’s punched out darn near all of the screens on my 36-foot-long porch trying to get at the mourning doves that eat the sunflower seeds that grosbeaks and jays scatter out of Kate’s feeders. I swear, he’s as excited as a 16-year-old boy on his first night at The Mustang Ranch. Between them, this should be a very interesting bird season!MONTANA Capt. John has been catching rainbows to 20 inches on the Madison with big stone nymphs, size 14 pheasant tail nymphs, and size 16 caddis (pick a color!). Salmonflies have been on the river from Eight-Mile Ford all the way up to Windy Point. Fish Pale Morning Duns in late morning and caddis in the evening. Look for brown drakes emerging on Henry’s Fork in the evening, and spinner falls in the morning. Tight Loops,Capt. Tony
photos
|
|
Venice - Snook Alley - June 14th, 2010 |
RECORDED: 
90 °
FISHING: Excellent
He had to roll out of bed at 4am three different days, but Bob Cole FINALLY was rewarded with hooking his first tarpon ever. And what a monster it was! Bob originally contacted me last season, but his schedule and mine simply didn’t mesh so I gave him the name of another guide in the Venice area. Bob never really said how they did that day, but when he called a month ago to set up a trip he told me “we want to fish with you.”That’s what I like to hear! I scheduled the trip for him and his neighbors at Pelican Pointe, Dan Griffith and Warren Rothmann, for June 4. Unfortunately, after getting up in the middle of the night we all decided that the thunder and lightning just wasn’t giving us that “warm, fuzzy feeling.” More like hair standing up on the backs of our necks. So, we rescheduled for June 10. The weather was wonderful, but the tarpon fishing wasn’t. Everybody decided that another crack at these big pelagics was in order and we went after them this morning with a vengeance. The weather was absolutely spectacular. We were using my new Rhodan GPS+ trolling motor to hold us at anchor at a particular spot off Casey Key that is a magnet for tarpon, and visibility was more than a half-mile.We had a lot of fish swim by well within shooting range. A LOT of fish! Dan was tossing a fly line, while Warren and Bob were drowning crabs.A big pod of tarpon, that we’d been watching for ten minutes, finally got within 20 feet of the boat and everybody had a line in the water. Within seconds, I heard the music.“GOT HIM,” Bob yelped in the clipped British accent he hasn’t lost in 30 years of living as a Yank.I told Dan and Warren to get their lines back in the boat as quickly as possible, then we settled in for the fun.Before I bore you with the details, let me cut to the chase. This fish never jumped. It finally broached the water like a submarine, though, and it’s back looked wide enough to launch a flight of F-14 Tomcats. It was, in my best estimation, pushing 200 pounds.Right. That’s no typographical error. I said 200 pounds!Bob used the rod and I used the throttle of my Hewes Redfisher to chase, herd, and generally harass that big fish for one hour and forty minutes. We had to ask four other boats to “please give us some room because we’ve got a real pig towing us around.” And, they were gracious enough to do just that.That tarpon took us more than three miles! Finally, it looked like it was time for the coup de gras so I told Bob to pump the rod and reel up the slack as quickly as possible. We had this guy. I was sure of it.Then I heard the sound of a .22 pistol being fired. In other words, 25-pound-test line giving way. When Bob was reeling after pumping the rod, line overlapped on the spool and snarled. The fish made one last desperate lunge for freedom and won.I said something that can’t be repeated here. Everyone else just groaned.Of course, we spent a long time in the most-mortem discussing every aspect of the hookup, chase, fight and heartbreaking loss.Bob was quite naturally disappointed. So was I. This has been a season of big fish—I THINK because the oil spill way up north is keeping those monster tarpon down here in the Venice area (WE DO NOT HAVE OIL HERE!!!)—but this was the biggest of the big.I hooked an 80 and a 160 Memorial Day Monday fishing with Capt. John, and this tarpon today was way beyond them in weight and strength. But, that’s why we keep chasing these magnificent animals. If you’re an angler, you really haven’t lived until a fish like this slaps you across the face and challenges you to give it your best shot! MICHIGAN Kate tells me the temperature has dropped again, shutting down the hatches. Who knows? Maybe I WILL get a chance to chase Hexes when I get back. Paul Mesak, our vet in Grayling, and Bruce Patrick, a retired Michigan fish-cop, are coming down for tarpon over the Fourth.That’s my last scheduled Florida trip at this point (although I will stay longer if the fish and clients insist). If so, and if the weather Up North stays this erratic, I might be on the Manistee at midnight in my Au Sable Longboat looking for The Big Bugs. ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE Ghost continues to act like a puppy, even though she turned 13 last month. Heart ALSO continues to act like a puppy, although he turned 3 yesterday! How on EARTH can either one of them be that age?Heart’s still decimating my front porch screens in his thwarted attempts to reach the mourning doves feeding under Kate’s hanging feeders. “He’s an absolute madman.” Kate says, every time I ask. “There’s no question he knows his destiny in life—birds, birds, birds.”Which will be a very good thing come Grouse Opener September 15! MONTANA Capt. John’s running his McKenzie boat down the Madison and Missouri. If you’re planning a trip west this summer, get with him soon because he books up pretty fast. Runoff’s about done, and fishing is very good. Tight Loops,Capt. Tony
photos
|
|
Venice - Snook Alley - June 1st, 2010 |
RECORDED:
88 °
FISHING: Excellent
YOW! The tarpon fishing is red hot. That BP oil spill is nowhere around us down here in southwest Florida. We give thanks for that, but offer our prayers to fellow guides, commercial fishermen, sport anglers, citizens, and wildlife being effected by this horrendous catastrophe. God willing, somebody’s going to come up with a workable solution to the problem pretty damned fast. In the meantime, I must say we’re seeing larger tarpon cruising the barrier islands off Longboat, Lido, Siesta, Casey, and Manasota Keys than ever before. And, they’re eating! Capt. John and I went out Monday because our schedules have been so conflicting that we haven’t even seen each other since he drove in from West Yellowstone. We were in the backcountry and I was dangling a gray rabbit-strip fly on a Royal Wulff Ghost Tip line when I felt a tuuug and set the hook. Then I set it again. Then I set it a third time and a very nice tarpon of about 80 pounds went airborne. Gosh he was a pretty sight to see. He thrashed. He jumped. He did all of the magnificent things we expect from tarpon. Finally, Gospo sidled up to me and whispered, “how ‘bout letting Joe feel that fish?” Joe Carney had driven over from West Palm Beach, and was staying with John for a few days. I handed Joe the TFO Teeny Series 12-weight and he promptly busted his knuckles on the Terry Hayden reel’s handle when the fish bolted. Joe clamped down on the flying spool and it was “Sayonara Baby!” We played around in the deep hole a bit longer, then John inched us up onto “The Flats,” which are just a couple feet deep yet hold a surprising number of equally surprisingly large tarpon. Sunning themselves, I suppose. Anyway, my second cast had barely settled on the water when I made a short, slow strip and felt a jolt. Then there was a magnificent boiling of water. “Mamma Mia,” I thought. “Thatsa spicy meataball!” When the tarpon broke, he climbed about four feet out of the water. His second jump was about three feet. Then he took off, pushing water like a Coast Guard cruiser. The fly line had vanished. Backing was peeling off at an alarming rate. “Get on your horse, Gospo!” I yelled, “because there’s no way I can stop this pig. Not right now, anyway.” Alas, before John could fire up the motor the line went slack. When I finally got everything back to the boat, I found out the FIFTY pound butt section had broken. Naturally, we spent a lot of time talking about that fish. After considerable debate and comparisons to other tarpon we’d been responsible for hooking, the popular consensus was that this one was between 150 and 160 pounds. “He acted more like a marlin than a tarpon,” Gospo repeated, several times. “That was the highlight of my tarpon season. It was great!” Yes, indeed. This morning I THOUGHT I was going to meet Ron Povinelli and a buddy of his for a tarpon tangle. Somehow, the wires got crossed and he said he was on for tomorrow and Thursday. OK. He’s a longtime client, so changing a day was no big deal. Since I already had the boat in the water, I figured what the hell and took off for a spot I like off Casey Key. It was late. Already after 6am. So, I wasn’t really surprised to see, as I used my superslick new Rhodan GPS+ trolling motor to inch into position, that tarpon already were rolling in the calm, clear water. I only had spinning gear aboard, so I pinned a crab onto a 7/0 hook and tossed it to some likely prospects. They obviously were on A Mission, however, and I never hooked up during the 90 minutes I stood there listening to my empty tummy grumble. Time for bacon ‘n eggs. Team Povinelli the next two days, then Rob Cole and friends Friday. Dick Ritter and John Bachey (he’s either the best or the luckiest angler I’ve ever guided) are going out with me twice next week, then Mo Brennan, her husband and who-knows-who else are with me Friday. The forecast is for blue sky, calm seas and lots of tarpon. If you’re not doing anything else particularly interesting during the next six weeks, give me a call or shoot off an e-mail. You just might encounter the thrill of your angling life! MICHIGAN Reports I’ve been getting all indicate bugs are hatching furiously. That includes blackflies, no-see-ums, and deer flies. The woods are very dry, and there already have been a couple of fires that destroyed more than 10,000 acres. Perhaps that means the Hopper Hatch will be back to normal in late July and August, and we’ll be able to hook some 20-inch browns during the hottest part of the day! Let me know if you can break loose for that. Heart has kicked into SuperIntense Bird Mode. The mourning doves, which ground-feed under Kate’s feeders out front, have him going absolutely insane. He’s punched out several of my three-foot-by-six-foot porch screens in manic attempts to get at ‘em. If the grouse and woodcock hatch is as good as the “experts” predict because of the dry nesting season, he ought to have a ball this fall. Ghost, too, of course! Her hearing and eyesight have diminished, but there’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with her heart and legs! She’s Ready! MONTANA It’s snowed in West nearly every day since Capt. John got here. Which doesn’t make Lanie very happy! But, the runoff should be over pretty soon after he gets home next week. Contact www.jacklinsflyshop.com to book a summer float on the Madison or Missouri. Tight Loops,Capt. Tony
photos
|
|
Venice - Snook Alley - May 21st, 2010 |
RECORDED:
81 °
FISHING: Excellent
To paraphrase Samuel Clemens’ famous quip from more than a hundred years ago—“reports of the Gulf of Mexico’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.” At least, so far as my little corner of the world is concerned.
Yes, the Deepwater Horizon situation is horrible. Yes, there have been bans and restrictions on fishing in various areas and a lot of fear is warranted.
HOWEVER!
The Venice/Sarasota/Charlotte Harbor area has not been effected one bit. And, I am relieved to say, we are hooking and landing a lot of tarpon from 30 to 140 pounds on fly and light tackle.
Take Tuesday, for instance. Andy Polaszek gave his brother, Chris, a trip with me as his 40th birthday present. Andy’s a FWC game warden, and his brother does some lawyering in Tampa. They grew up in New Jersey and have lived down here a long time.
But neither one had ever caught a tarpon. Until Tuesday. Chris finally won the bragging rights, landing a 30-pounder with the fly rod. Andy, I regret to say, did NOT listen to the guide’s advice and never set the hook when a very large tarpon attacked the live crab he had pitched out.
“Attacked?” More like mugged! The tarpon was on that crab like a wino on a bottle of fifty-cent muscatel. Ali on Frazier. Tiger on—well, let’s not go THERE.
“He’s chewing up that crab,” I yelled. “Hit him.” I yelled.
“I don’t feel anything,” Andy said, somewhat puzzled.
“Hit him, for the love of #@*%*,” I yelled again.
“I don’t feel anything,” Andy repeated.
“Just HIT HIM,” I implored.
Well, I finally and quietly asked Andy to reel in his line. Of course there was nothing but a barenaked hook where a perfectly feisty crab in fine fighting fettle had moments before been thumbing his pinchers at Mr. Poon.
“Let him have it,” Chris whooped. “Give it to him good!”
Well. “No,” I said with a wee bit of a sigh. This is the ‘kinder, gentler Capt. Tony.’ I don’t SAY things like that anymore.”
Andy was quiet for a heartbeat. “Ah, what would the OLD Capt. Tony have said. C’mon. Tell us.”
I paused. I considered. I gave in. “I guess I’d have said something like “YOU SURE AS *#@& BLEW THAT MAGNIFICENT OPPORTUNITY, YOU *#@&^%$ CHUMP!”
Or something like that. But, as I said, this is the Kinder Gentler Capt. Tony, who would NEVER utter such a thing now that I’m far enough along in years to know that my dear departed mother was right about not uttering such, uh, stuff.
Anyway, Chris botched a couple more chances and Andy sorta gloated. BUT, he couldn’t really say very much other than “Happy Birthday, Brother,” since Chris WAS the one who landed his tarpon.
Rene Goodnight and her daughter, Chelsea, were almost as kind the next day when husband/father Mark reeled in nothing but the upper carapace of the crab a tarpon had sucked in like a Hoover with a lint-ball.
“Way to go, Dad,” Chelsea said, eyeing Mark’s decimated half-crab.
“Yeah, honey,” Rene added. That was impressive.” And so, the tarpon score remains (for the moment) Rene 2, Mark zero.
He’s hitting the beach with me tomorrow morning, along with Jim DePaepe and maybe HIS wife Denise. So, we’ll see what we’ll see!
Capt. John’s been spending a lot of time around Captiva and Johnson’s Shoal with good results. Snook FINALLY have started cruising the beach, and redfish are congregating around the oyster bars and mangrove islands.
MICHIGAN
Believe it or not, there are Hendricksons popping on the Manistee River below M72. The recent cold snap put everything on hold—hatchwise, that is.
The blueberry crop looks like it could be spectacular if we don’t get a late freeze, and the mourning doves are driving Heart CRAZY as they eat sunflower seed gleanings from Kate’s bird feeders in front of the screened porch. He’ll be three next month (“going on one” I tell everyone) and he’s looking awfully good!
Ghost turned 13 on the 15th and still runs furiously, agitates Heart into play-mode, and generally clamors for all of the snacks and good things to eat that she figures she’s entitled to get. A bit hard of hearing, and doesn’t see as well these days, but still rarin’ to hit the grouse woods.
Well, I’m up at 4:30am to greet The Tarpon Dawn—so I’d better hit the sack!
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
photos
|
|
Venice - Snook Alley - April 11th, 2010 |
RECORDED:
80 °
FISHING: Excellent
I suppose I should begin with an apology. It has been FOREVER since I’ve updated the site’s Fishing Report. But, an awfully lot of things have been going on around here. FIRST: Kate spent the winter going through a second bout with breast cancer. Left side this time, and a different strain of that ghastly “virus.” Lumpectomy, followed by radiation every weekday ending April 6. She’s starting to recover from the “fatigue factor,” but it was hard for her to juggle a full work load around her treatments and my guiding schedule. Which brings us to… SECOND: After an abysmally cold winter that was the worst on record for south Florida, my guiding kicked off big-time in March. Ron DeLuca, from Hartford, CT, went out with me several times and had a lot of fun catching trout and ladyfish, chasing juvenile tarpon, and doing a catch-and-release on a three-pound Egret. Yep. Hooked it on his backcast while hoping for a 20-pound poon. I heard “thunk” then “squaaaaakk!” Sure enough, the bird—which Ron courteously named “Edgar” was indignantly flapping around in the canalside shrubbery. Pondering its long, sharp beak, I asked Ron to fetch my tarpon-landing gloves and a towel. I finally got the Hewes into position and managed to get hold of the bird without doing damage to either of us. Ron plucked the fly from the middle of Edgar’s back, and the Universe was right with itself once again. Oh, sure. Jim Rohrbacher caught a nice four-pound snook (his first ever) during the day. Dick Rizzo caught some nice fish, and so did Dan Lyczinsky, from Chicago. Steve Sherman made his annual pilgrimage to the sun from dreary old Syracuse, and Bob Gaviglio came all the way from Oregon to catch snook under the lights. Actually, Bob’s situation was sorta funny. When I called to finalize details for our fishing, he wailed “What happened to Naples? I might as well be in downtown LA!” “It got rich,” I replied. “Hell, it’s awful. And when we decided to go look at the sunset on Marco Island it was even WORSE. They won’t let you step onto the beach. Everything’s private.” I got on the horn to A Beach Retreat in Nokomis, and they fixed up Bob and his wife Button with an efficiency apartment on the Gulf of Mexico for a fraction of what they had been charged for a room at the Courtyard Marriott. “This is more like it!” Bob exclaimed. “We even had a cookout on our patio while we watched the sun set on the Gulf. And drank a toast to you for getting this place for us.” And then there was Nora Tebben, who’s about 90 years old. My Manistee River pal, Reid Ashton, called to set up the trip. He’d known Nora and her son, Jim, who’ve owned The Huntsman gun club north of Detroit for 50 years, for a long time. Nora wanted to catch something “salty” on her vacation, and she did. Mostly trout and ladyfish, with a flounder thrown into the mix just for fun. I asked Reid, who formerly owned the famed Golden Mushroom Restaurant in suburban Detroit, if he was going to keep the flounder and cook up something exotic. He declined. Perhaps it was because his old world-class chef, Jimmy Schmidt, wasn’t around to “sling the hash.” The Spanish mackerel have invaded our barrier islands big-time. My Florida vet, Dean Ebert, caught a bunch of them when he brought his brother and father out with me. They also boated one king mackerel which was “just” at the lower end of the legal limit. The next day, Ron Cordes, who used to be the Main Man for the Federation of Fly Fishers, caught some Spanish, and had a king mackerel bite through 17-pound braided wire tippet like it was a piece of bread! Unfortunately, the little tunny—also known as false albacore—haven’t moved in yet. Now THOSE are a real HOOT to catch. A 9-pounder will peel off a 105-foot fly line and 20 yards of backing in about 15 seconds. Then it’ll STILL take you nearly a half-hour to land it! They’re second on my All-Time Favorite list to tarpon. Since the Gulf water is over the 70-degree mark, it shouldn’t take long for the tunny to arrive—following the hordes of baitfish, naturally. Speaking of tarpon, the Advance Scouts usually get here around the 26th of April, signaling the arrival of the spawning migration. They mill around off the barrier islands, then run out into the Gulf’s deep water on the full moons of May and June to do the “Horizontal Mambo.” Then, after about two weeks, the newly hatched fry (which have grown from just over the size of a dime to an eel-like five inches) head back here to live in the backwaters, creeks, canals, and muddy ditches for up to seven years before becoming sexually mature (and you thought your teenager was precocious!). I’m taking Kate, Ghost, and Heart back to Deward on May 3, and will probably get back her on the 14th—just in time for the big push of tarpon. Last season was the best I’ve had during 15 years of chasing them. Let’s hope this season’s at least as good! ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE Ghost will be 13 years old on May 15! Between previcox for pain control and ZOOM for joint relief, she’s running around as spry as a dog half her age. Unfortunately, her hearing and vision are diminished somewhat. I have no doubt that she’ll still have a lot of fun chasing grouse and woodcock this fall. “Indominatable” is Miss Manistee River Ghost’s prefix! Heart turns three in June, (who acts more like a one-year-old sometimes), and has finally turned the corner as a bird dog. He’s a big, happy, good-natured boy but he is an absolutely INCORRIGIBLE food thief. He even swiped a big link of raw Italian sausage off the chopping block one evening. No apparent damage done. “What a malandrine,” my grandma Lucy would have said. Which, in Italian, means “miscevous.” But loveable! He did a terrific job hunting quail down here during the winter, making up for all of the times he ran cross-country last fall in Michigan. Really impressed one of my clients, Gary Ashcroft, who’s also from Michigan and probably will be following Heart’s white flag around the grouse woods in October. Well, I need to run out and get a clevis for my new(est) anchor. So… Tight Loops,Capt. Tony
photos
|
|
Sarasota Bay - February 24th, 2010 |
RECORDED:
65 °
FISHING: Excellent
With sincere apologies to Paul Anka and Frank Sinatra, I’ve gotta admit I did a little singing for Ron DeLuca the other day while we were chasing juvenile tarpon around the Myakka River. It went something like this: “Egrets, we’ve caught a few—but then again, too few to mention…” Yep, you guessed it. Ron nailed one “on-the-wing” with his backcast and I’ve gotta tell you that bird certainly let out a SQUAWK. It took me a little bit to troll the boat over to the side, then pull my way back into the shrubbery. It also took me a little bit to decide precisely how I was going to keep from getting impaled by that very long, very sharp beak. Combat Pay wasn’t in the job-description when I got my Captain’s license lo these many years ago. Bad enough that I took a Clouser in the left eye when I had the mine-blasters from Wyoming for a couple of days. At least that time the lead “eyes” got me rather than the “business end” of the hook (thank God!). I wasn’t at all sure what mayhem was about to be performed on my body by this creature that Ron so blithely named—yes, NAMED!—Edgar. After taking a few minutes to reconnoiter the situation, I came up with a plan. “Get my tarpon gloves out of the tackle locker under the seat,” I told Ron. “And that towel. Then, keep reeling line until I tell you to stop. When I’ve got “Edgar’s” beak secured, set down the rod and pull the pin while I hold this grenade.” Guess what? It all worked out according to Hoyle. We went back to chasing tarpon and Edgar went back to his family. After he sulked a while on a branch, still squawking. “Okay,” I thought, fleetingly. BE like that. “Just remember, you COULD be on a rotisserie in a couple hours, bathed in olive oil and dusted with herbs!” Oh, yeah. The fish. Sure, we had shots early in the morning. Fewer as the sun rose high in the proverbial azure-blue sky. It actually was the hottest day we’ve had down here in more than two months. Temperature-wise, that is. We never did bring a tarpon to the boat, so Ron wants to go back out in a couple of weeks. Irving Van Nuss is going with us. He’s retired military, so perhaps I’ll have him pack ordnance in case Gary The Gator (see accompanying photo) decides he likes us even less than Edgar The Egret did. After all, the set of choppers in HIS mouth are awesome. So was the bulge in his belly as he laid in the mud on the edge of the reeds, soaking up that sunshine and belching rather rudely now and then! Here’s what else has been going on around here: TAMPA BAY/BRADENTONJim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton, reports an excellent sheepshead bite around bridge pilings, seawalls, and docks on shrimp. Trout are over the deeper grass flats of lower Tampa Bay and Terra Ceia Bay, and amberjack are on structure in about 80 feet of water.Larry and Annie Mahoney, of Framingham, MA, caught redfish to 32 inches on a Mister Twister RT Slug in Space Guppy color, and a 22-inch trout on a DOA Deadly Combo, in Terra Ceia. Look for flounder in the cuts and passes in the lower bay. Ladyfish and bluefish also have been taking CAL ¼-ounce jigs with shad tails in the same area. Water temps above 60 degrees have been most productive on the lee sides of mangrove islands. SARASOTA BAYJack Thornton, son Dan, and grandson Ryan, of Albany, NY, caught sheepshead to 4 pounds, flounder and trout to 16 inches, and some whiting on live shrimp with ¼-ounce jig heads around Siesta Key and Bird Key channels and docks. Peter Connolly and Robert Romeiko got a lesson from grandsons Dillon and Alex along the deeper channels of Old Spanish Bay. The boys each caught more than 20 fish, while the old-timers managed just 6. Brian Tooney, of Bradenton, and Steve Levin, of North Port, also caught ladyfish, trout, and jack crevalle on DOA CAL 3/8-ounce jigs. Tim and Chad Brown, of Brookline, NH, caught redfish to 6 pounds, ladyfish, and trout on live shrimp and chartreuse-and-white Clousers. NOKOMIS/VENICEKeith McClintock, of Lake Forest, IL, and John Freeman, of Venice, caught trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails on deeper grass flats near Spanish Point, while David Dewind, of Fairport, NY, caught numerous ladyfish, and trout to 18 inches, on live shrimp. George Zinn, of Redmont, WA, caught flounder and trout in Phillipi Creek. Ed Irons of the North Jetty Fish Camp says that continued dredging at the Venice Inlet has kept the water off-color, but anglers are catching sheepshead to 6 pounds. Bait pods also are starting to move in with the warmer water temps. LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUNDMichael Vaughn, of Boca Grande, caught redfish to 28 inches and trout to 18 inches on Seaducers in Gasparilla Sound. Tailing redfish to 28 inches are eating at the beginning of the incoming tide in Lemon Bay. CHARLOTTE HARBOR/PINE ISLAND SOUNDAl Westmoreland, and grandson Doug, caught trout and ladyfish on live shrimp in Bull Bay and Whidden’s Creek, while Terry Holgrefe and Jake Gibson, of Fort Myers, and Phil Hartz, of Minneapolis, caught 29 redfish, trout, and sheepshead in Matlacha in potholes on the lee side of mangrove islands. Dave Westra, of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers, reports redfish, ladyfish, sheepshead, and small snook are eating shrimp in the creeks around Pine Island and Cape Coral. Try the downtown Edison Bridges for spotted sea trout and silver trout on 1/8-ounce and ¼-ounce shad tail jigs. Tight Loops,Capt. Tony
photos
|
|
Venice - Snook Alley - February 8th, 2010 |
RECORDED:
62 °
FISHING: Excellent
Erratic weather patterns are still a “hot” topic nationwide. Since New Year’s Day, nearly every area of the United States has been effected by colder-than-normal temperatures. Florida certainly is no exception. The good news is that those super-cooled arctic blows that caused oranges, tomatoes and fish to die throughout the state last month appear to have diminished. Mostly.Unfortunately, the Weather-Guessers do continue to forecast relatively cool day and night temps for the Tampa-to-Naples coastline for the next several days.So, anglers desperately in need of a strong “tug” should be on the water during the afternoon’s warmest part of the day.That’s what we did last week when Ron Eastman, Terry Cook, and Bill Obermire spent a couple of days with me.They had come East from Gillette, WY, for a conference in Orlando on how to rig explosive charges that take the tops off of mountains to be mined for coal. “Figured it’d do us good to spend some time fishing, too,” Ron said in his initial email to me. The weather looked pretty dicey, but we managed to catch a bunch of nice trout and ladyfish in Blackburn Bay, then got into a couple of baby tarpon the next day in the Myakka River.We had planned on doing some night snook fishing, but because of continued marginal water temperature, I decided to avoid stressing them just a little while longer in order to preserve the population.Remember that last month’s Executive Order by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission bans possession of snook until September 1, although it is legal to fish for them..Redfish and spotted sea trout were barely damaged by last month’s severe drop in water temps, and continue to provide excellent sport for anglers throughout the area. Same for the baby poons!Here’s what else has been happening around the area: TAMPA BAY/BRADENTONJim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton, says the trout bite has been good in Terra Ceia Bay, and at the mouth of the Manatee River, on DOA and CAL jigs with shad tails.As usual, look for sheepshead around docks and bridge pilings. Use small hooks and bits of either live or frozen shrimp.Jerry Poslusny, of Rochester, NY, caught trout to 17 inches on Clouser flies in Terra Ceia. SARASOTA BAYJim Mitchell, of Longboat Key, caught trout to 16 inches at the Bird Key flats on live shrimp, and ladyfish in front of the Field Club on gold Cotee jigs. Cindy and Robert Whalen, of Ogdensburg, NY, caught ladyfish, and trout to 4 pounds on olive Cotee grubs and free-lined live shrimp.Harry Beaty and Paul Rotz, of Canada, caught nearly two dozen trout on CAL jigs with shad tails in relatively shallow water from Stephens Point to Long Bar.Meanwhile, Jim Cox and sons Mike and Jason, of IL, caught trout to 19 inches and one large redfish near dock pilings in Little Sarasota Bay. NOKOMIS/VENICERon Cordes, of ID, and Dusty Sprague, of North Port, caught trout and ladyfish near Blackburn Point on Clouser flies and intermediate-sink lines. LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUND John Donohue, out of Economy Tackle, reports trout to 22 inches on a variety of jigs in the potholes throughout Lemon Bay. While inconsistent, some redfish to 28 inches have been hooked on the flats.Doug and Mike Smith, of OH, caught redfish to 32 inches and trout to 23 inches on live shrimp near Whidden’s Creek. ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE Ghost and Heart have been having a ball because of the cooler weather. Mostly, because I’ve been taking them to Dream Lakes of Florida a bit northeast of Sarasota so they can wrap their noses around quail. The “Little Guy”—who incredibly enough will be three years old in June—has been doing a fabulous job finding, pointing and retrieving birds. Heart’s field manners are excellent, and he’s just such a good natured fellow with a big grin on his face that he nearly always makes me smile, too. Ghost, who will be 13 in May, has lost some vision (that blackberry thorn in her left eye never did heal properly, even after lazer surgery). Plus, she’s either getting hard of hearing, OR selectively hard of HEEDING. Nothing wrong with her ability to sniff birds, though! I guided Bill Delaney and Frank Dunn at The Dream last week and they both got their fill of birds. Heart did most of the work—since he’s the one who needs the practice—and was hot, tired, and happy when we finally got home! IN MEMORIUMCapt. Mel Berman, renowned in southwest Florida’s angling community, died last week from complications of heart surgery. He was 81. Capt. Mel hosted a radio program out of Tampa for more than 20 years and was both a jokester and gentleman. No man could leave a better epitaph.
photos
|
|
Lemon Bay - January 29th, 2010 |
RECORDED:
72 °
FISHING: Great
Anglers throughout southwest Florida, from Fort Myers to Sarasota, are nearly unanimous in their approval of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) executive order that extends season closures for snook through August 31, and tarpon and bonefish through March 31 “unless the fishery is opened sooner or the closure is extended by subsequent order.” The order was implemented more than a week ago because of the cold weather earlier in January that resulted in thousands of dead fish throughout the state. It adds the months of March and April to the already-closed months of December through February, and May through August, when possession of snook is illegal. Mark Westra, of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in Fort Myers, says “ninety-nine percent of our customers are in favor of extending the closed season. In fact, some think the season should be completely closed (to possession) for two or three years. And that feeling ranges across the board from guides to recreational anglers. “Any real fan of sport fishing understands how badly the snook got hit down here in Charlotte Harbor during the cold snap,” Westra continued. “Sure, there were a few meat-eaters who complained, but let’s be honest. A lot of those guys will catch and kill a snook whenever they want no matter what the season is.” Eric Cook, of Cook’s Sportland in Venice,” echoed Westra’s comments. “People know that the snook population is distressed right now,” he said. “I haven’t heard anybody complain, though. The thing to remember is that the snook will rebound. I’ve been here a long time and seen it before. “As long as we have redfish and trout for people to catch, they’ll wait for the snook to come back.” Similar comments came from Hart’s Landing in Sarasota to Fisherman’s Edge in Englewood. “It’s warranted” is the nearly unanimous refrain. In fact, Dennis Hart strongly advocates a two-year ban on killing snook. “We have to give them a chance to recover,” Hart says, “just like we did with redfish several years ago.” “There haven’t been very many negative opinions from my customers about extending the closure,” according to Jim Mackey, at Fisherman’s Edge. “They understand that the population needs help.” The good news is that there still are a lot of snook under the lights around the Albee Road Bridge, and at other dock lights through “Snook Alley” in Nokomis and Venice. One aspect of the executive order that has some people confused involves an unprecedented move that “temporarily suspends certain saltwater fishing regulations to allow people to collect and dispose of dead fish killed by the cold weather.” A saltwater fishing license is not required, but that part of the order only remains in effect until February 1. The executive order stipulates that “these fish must have been killed as a result of prolonged exposure to cold weather,” and further that “all people taking dead saltwater fish under the provisions of this order may not sell, trade or consume such fish, and the dead fish must immediately be disposed of in compliance with local safety, health and sanitation requirements for such disposal.” In plain language, it means that you can collect dead or rotten fish from your shoreline or water by hand, cast net, dip net or seine until February 1, provided you throw them into a dumpster and don’t eat them. While possession of snook, tarpon, and bonefish is illegal under the order, it still allows anglers to fish for those species on a catch-and-release basis. Ron DeLuca, who’s spending his first winter down here after a lifetime in Connecticut, spent Tuesday afternoon with me in Lemon Bay and did pretty darn well on trout and ladyfish to 3 pounds once we found water temps of 66 degrees! My Glass Minnow pattern with white hackle tails and pearl estaz body was just the ticket! Go to the Photo Gallery and New Patterns dropdowns for a looksee. ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE Bill Delaney and Frank Dunn hunted quail at Dream Lakes of Florida with us on Wednesday, and Heart did an absolutely marvelous job. The Little Guy (who will be THREE YEARS OLD in June) has really turned the corner. I gave him most of the work. Ghost, bless her heart, still runs as hard as ever and she’ll be THIRTEEN YEARS OLD in May!!!!! She doesn’t hear as well as she used to, and vision in that left eye still isn’t very good. But she CERTAINLY still covers ground and sniffs out birds! Here’s what else has been happening around southwest Florida during the past week: BRADENTON/TAMPA BAY Butch McIntyre caught more than a dozen trout in Terra Ceia Bay on a Rapala Skitterwalk, while other anglers boated redfish between 15 inches and 30 inches in the upper Manatee River, according to Jim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton. SARASOTA BAYTen-year-old Nicholas Andrews, of Orlando, boated a 28-inch redfish, and black drum to 20 inches near New Pass while fishing with his father, Paul Galen Miller, of IA, caught sheepshead, trout, flounder, and black drum on shrimp near the Ringling Bridge. Tom Wilhelm, of MI, son Zack and nephew Leo (both five years old) caught ladyfish, and trout to 17 inches, on olive jigs and freelined shrimp in Little Sarasota Bay. Dave Buckley, father Bob, and cousin Jerry, also caught trout, ladyfish, and some bluefish near Spanish Point on Cotee jigs and small silver Johnson Sprite spoons, and Dave Wahl, of IL, caught nearly a dozen trout to 3 pounds near Long Bar on Clousers. NOKOMIS/VENICEEd Irons of the North Jetty Fish Camp reports redfish and black drum are eating live shrimp, sand fleas, and white jigs around the rocks. Trout are plentiful on the grass flats in the Intracoastal Waterway. Be aware of the dredging near Snake Island at the approaches to the Inlet, and watch for the marker buoys. OFFSHOREBill Terry, of Canada, and Don Luetkeman, of IA, and Doug Austin and Ron Jenkins, of SD, caught red grouper to 11 pounds, gag grouper to 13 pounds, and mangrove snapper to 4 pounds using cut sardines in 103 feet of water. LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUNDJohn Donohue, of Venice, caught trout to 25 inches and small redfish to 20 inches near the Manasota Bridge on the edges of deep grass flats using Gulp! Newpenny Shrimp. Paul Gilbert, of CO, and Fred Schrader, of Boca Grande, caught redfish to 30 inches and trout to 24 inches on live shrimp in Gasparilla Sound, according to Jim Mackey of Fisherman’s Edge in Englewood. PINE ISLAND SOUND/CHARLOTTE HARBORTom Lamb, of Switzerland, and John Freeman, Jr., of Sarasota, caught a dozen trout to 17 inches and redfish to 28 inches on CAL jigs with shad tails in Charlotte Harbor. Dave Westra, of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers, says trout and redfish are in lower Matlacha Pass, along with sheepshead along oyster bars. A few tarpon also have been jumped in the mouth of the Orange River outflow on DOA Baitbusters. Be extra-careful when fishing around such power plant outflows (including the one at Apollo Beach on the east side of Tampa Bay) during cold snaps because of concentrations of manatees.
photos
|
|
Lemon Bay - January 20th, 2010 |
RECORDED:
70 °
FISHING: Fair
The unprecedented cold snap that hit Florida—along with the rest of the nation—during the first two weeks of January brought immediate action to help preserve and replenish stocks of fish that suffered from abnormally low water temperatures. Anglers throughout southwest Florida, from Fort Myers to Sarasota, are nearly unanimous in their approval of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) executive orders that extends season closures for snook through August 31, and tarpon and bonefish through March 31 “unless the fishery is opened sooner or the closure is extended by subsequent order.” This order adds the months of March and April to the already-closed months of December through February and May through August when possession of snook is illegal. Mark Westra, of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in Fort Myers, says “ninety-nine percent of our customers are in favor of extending the closed season. In fact, some think the season should be completely closed (to possession) for two or three years. And that feeling ranges across the board from guides to recreational anglers. “Any real fan of sport fishing understands how badly the snook got hit down here in Charlotte Harbor during the cold snap,” Westra continued. “Sure, there were a few meat-eaters who complained, but let’s be honest. A lot of those knuckle-draggers will catch and kill a snook whenever they want no matter what the season is.” Eric Cook, of Cook’s Sportland in Venice,” echoed Westra’s comments. “People know that the snook population is distressed right now,” he said. “I haven’t heard anybody complain, though. The thing to remember is that the snook will rebound. I’ve been here a long time and seen it before. “As long as we have redfish and trout for people to catch, they’ll wait for the snook to come back. We still have plenty of fish around here.” Similar comments came from Hart’s Landing in Sarasota to Fisherman’s Edge in Englewood. “It’s warranted” is the nearly unanimous refrain. “There haven’t been very many negative opinions about extending the closure,” according to Jim Mackey, at Fisherman’s Edge. “They understand that the population needs help.” Shane Smetak, of Casey Key Anglers & Tackle in Nokomis says “there were a lot of snook under the lights at the Albee Road Bridge Tuesday night. “Yeah, some of the meat fishermen are against the closure, but not even too many of them.” One aspect of the executive order that has some people confused involves an unprecedented move that “temporarily suspends certain saltwater fishing regulations to allow people to collect and dispose of dead fish killed by the cold weather.” A saltwater fishing license is not required, but that part of the order only remains in effect until February 1. The executive order stipulates that “these fish must have been killed as a result of prolonged exposure to cold weather,” and further that “all people taking dead saltwater fish under the provisions of this order may not sell, trade or consume such fish, and the dead fish must immediately be disposed of in compliance with local safety, health and sanitation requirements for such disposal.” In plain language, it means that you can collect dead or rotten fish from your shoreline or water by hand, cast net, dip net or seine until February 1, provided you throw them into a dumpster and don’t eat them. While possession of snook, tarpon, and bonefish is illegal under the order, it still allows anglers to fish for those species on a catch-and-release basis. Fishing pressure has been light because of the cold air and water temperatures, but some anglers ventured out with mixed success. BRADENTON/TAMPA BAY Capt. Ray Markham of Flat Back II caught trout to 19 inches on deep grass flats near Rattlesnake Key on DOA shrimp, and several flounder to 18 inches of CAL jigs with shad tails in Terra Ceia Bay. Also look for redfish around Bird Island. Try an Eppinger Spoon in gold, or Exude RT Slugs.SARASOTA BAY Mike Heiderscheid and his family, of Minneapolis, braved 45-degree water temperatures to catch sheepshead to 4 pounds on live shrimp in Phillipi Creek and around Bird Key. Keith Williams, of the UK, caught spotted sea trout and ladyfish on olive Cotee jigs tipped with shrimp near Turtle Bay. NOKOMIS/VENICE Roiled water has limited fishing success around the Venice Jetty, but Robin Roarke of Dockside Store reports redfish, sheepshead, and flounder are still abundant in the Intracoastal Waterway from the Albee Road Bridge north to Spanish Point. Successful anglers are working warmer water in deep holes. LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUND John Donahue, of Venice, caught trout to 22 inches, some small redfish, and flounder on Gulp! Shrimp on the edges of dropoffs in Lemon Bay. The best news is that there were only a few dead snook and jack crevalle. Dennis Stehlik, of IL, and Ron Mosetich, of RI, caught trout to 14 inches in CAL jigs with shad tails in Gasparilla Sound. Bluefish, pompano, and trout should start getting active on deeper grass flats when the afternoon sun warms the water temperature. PINE ISLAND SOUND/CHARLOTTE HARBOR Redfish have been feeding on DOA lures in Pine Island Sound, according to Dave Westra, of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers. Snook have found refuge in the warm water outflow of the Orange River power plant. Be extra-careful around such power plant outflows (including the one at Apollo Beach on the east side of Tampa Bay) during cold snaps because of concentrations of manatees. A lot of live snook are mixed in with the dead fish around PIS. Best bet right now down there is to look for sheepshead around docks, using small hooks and bits of shrimp.
photos
|
|
Lemon Bay - January 19th, 2010 |
RECORDED:
67 °
FISHING: Fair
Acting quickly in the aftermath of a statewide cold snap that killed thousands of fish, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has issued executive orders that are intended to protect snook, tarpon, and bonefish.
Effective January 16, 2010, the order extends closed possession seasons for snook through August 31, and tarpon and bonefish through March 31 “unless the fishery is opened sooner or the closure is extended by subsequent order.”
In an unprecedented move, however, the order “temporarily suspends certain saltwater fishing regulations to allow people to collect and dispose of dead fish killed by the cold weather.” A saltwater fishing license is not required.
The executive order stipulates that “these fish must have been killed as a result of prolonged exposure to cold weather,” and further that “all people taking dead saltwater fish under the provisions of this order may not sell, trade or consume such fish, and the dead fish must immediately be disposed of in compliance with local safety, health and sanitation requirements for such disposal.”
In plain language, it means that you can collect dead or rotten fish from your shoreline or water by hand, cast net, dip net or seine, provided you throw them into a dumpster and don’t eat them.
The point of this executive order is to protect snook during the spring spawning season in order to help replenish stocks that were hard-hit by abnormally cold weather the first two weeks of January.
Anglers who posted comments on web sites such as Florida Sportsman and Fly Fisherman generally feel the FWC action is warranted. Jim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton, agrees.
“It’s logical that we close snook fishing so the remaining population isn’t pressured during their rebound,” Eliason says. “I often tell the story of the long closure of redfish and how that helped a pressured species.”
Jim Mackey, of Fisherman’s Edge in Englewood, says “If that’s what they (biologists) think will help, then do it. I’ve heard that some people are against it (the extended closure) but if it’ll protect the fish for the future then I’m all for it.
While possession of snook, tarpon, and bonefish is illegal under the order, it still allows anglers to fish for those species on a catch-and-release basis.
Fishing pressure has been light because of the cold air and water temperatures, but the few anglers who ventured out upon the water had mixed success.
BRADENTON/TAMPA BAY
Capt. Ray Markham of Flat Back II caught trout to 19 inches on deep grass flats near Rattlesnake Key on DOA shrimp, and several flounder to 18 inches of CAL jigs with shad tails in Terra Ceia Bay.
Also look for redfish around Bird Island. Try an Eppinger Spoon in gold, or Exude RT Slugs.
SARASOTA BAY
Mike Heiderscheid and his family, of Minneapolis, braved 45-degree water temperatures to catch sheepshead to 4 pounds on live shrimp in Phillipi Creek and around Bird Key.
Keith Williams, of the UK, caught spotted sea trout and ladyfish on olive Cotee jigs tipped with shrimp near Turtle Bay.
NOKOMIS/VENICE
Roiled water has limited fishing success around the Venice Jetty, but redfish, sheepshead, and flounder are still abundant in the Intracoastal Waterway from the Albee Road Bridge north to Spanish Point.
Successful anglers are working warmer water in deep holes.
LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUND
John Donahue, of Venice, caught trout to 22 inches, some small redfish, and flounder on Gulp! Shrimp on the edges of dropoffs in Lemon Bay.
Dennis Stehlik, of IL, and Ron Mosetich, of RI, caught trout to 14 inches in CAL jigs with shad tails in Gasparilla Sound.
Bluefish, pompano, and trout should start getting active on deeper grass flats when the afternoon sun warms the water temperature.
PINE ISLAND SOUND/CHARLOTTE HARBOR
Redfish have been feeding on DOA lures in Pine Island Sound, according to Dave Westra, of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers.
Snook have found refuge in the warm water outflow of the Orange River power plant. Be extra-careful around such power plant outflows (including the one at Apollo Beach on the east side of Tampa Bay) during cold snaps because of concentrations of manatees. Best bet right now is to look for sheepshead around docks, using small hooks and bits of shrimp.
Fly anglers need to throw lead-eye minnow imitations with medium and heavy eyes to get deep. Retrieve the flies slowly. Gobi and Blenny imitations (brownish backs and mottled hackles on the sides over white bellies) should produce well as the cold-to-warm transition continues.
photos
|
|
 |
