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Sarasota Bay - January 6th, 2010 |
RECORDED: 
60 °
FISHING: Excellent
Despite the lower-than-normal air temps, bluefish, trout, flounder, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and our venerable "almost-tarpon"--ladyfish--continue to slurp down flies, artificial baits, and live shrimp.
This also is the perfect time to follow my two English setters--Ghost and Heart--around the quail fields east of Tampa. I have a 20 bore Beretta and a 28 bore Cittori if you don't want to bother bringing shotguns.
The full day of hunting for one or two gunners includes pointing dogs, shotguns, ammunition, a hot lunch with non-alcoholic beverages, license, and guaranteed shooting at a minimum of 20 bobwhite quail for $550.
Rates for a half-day or full day fishing on my Hewes Redfisher remain at $350 and $500, respectively, and includes rods, reels, flies/lures/baits, license and beverages for up to three anglers. Speaking of fishing, here’s the report I wrote for tomorrow’s Sarasota Herald-Tribune. In case you didn’t know, I’ve been the H-T Outdoors Editor since late September. The column appears every Thursday. Without a doubt, top honors must go to Everett Farrell, who recently boated a 2-pound bonefish—yes, the photos prove it!—near Snake Island just inside the Venice Jetty just before the cold front moved into the area.
Farrell, fishing with former Venice Mayor Dean Calamaras, was free-lining a live shrimp when the bonefish sucked it in and made a typically long run before coming to the net.
Because freezing night-time air temperatures have dropped water temps into the upper 50s, fish are lethargic. That means it’s essential to work flies, lures and baits “low and slow.”
Remember that fish have to eat sometime in order to survive, so the trick is casting to them when they’re in a feeding frame of mind. Right now, that probably will be during mid-day and early afternoon.
TAMPA BAY/BRADENTON Jim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton, says anglers have reported catching snook in the upper Myakka River on soft plastics, and in deeper canals on suspended hard baits.
Ed Polan caught snook to 25 inches, trout to 22 inches, and upper slot redfish on Golden Bream CAL jigs worked slowly around potholes in the Terra Ceia area while fishing with Jason Stock.
Look for flounder on the flats.
SARASOTA BAY John Brennan and Jeff Manby, of Brookfield, WI, caught bluefish, ladyfish, and Spanish mackerel to 4 pounds at the Middlegrounds on Cotee jigs and free-lined shrimp with Capt. Jim Klopfer of Adventure Charters out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters.
Steve Morton, of New Albany, IN, caught jack crevalle to 3 pounds and some small snook on Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows in Phillipi Creek near Proctor Rd.
Scott and Scottie Heidler, of Hudson, OH, caught Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout, pompano and ladyfish at the Middlegrounds on CAL jigs with shad tails with Capt. Rick Grassett of Snook Fin-Addict out of CB’s.
Pat McGuire and his family caught pompano, bluefish, and trout at the Middlegrounds on SillyWilly jigs tipped with shrimp while fishing with Capt. Gary Gilliland of Double G Charters.
Kim Hart, of Hart’s Landing, says the inshore bite of gag grouper (which will be closed to offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico from Feb. 1 through March 31) is the best in 25 years.
Look for flounder on sandy bottoms, and drift live shrimp under a popping float on grass flats for pompano and spotted sea trout.
NOKOMIS/VENICE Rob Schumm, of Evanston, IL, caught pompano to 18 inches, ladyfish to 3 pounds, and spotted sea trout on pink-and-white jigs in Blackburn Bay with Capt. Tony Petrella of Tight Loops Fly Fishing.
Dr. Steven Tucci and his family caught pompano, trout to 18 inches, and ladyfish on olive Cotee jigs near Spanish Point with Capt. Jim Klopfer of Adventure Charters.
LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUND John Donahue of Venice caught redfish to 10 pounds, trout, and flounder in deep potholes in Lemon Bay using a Newpenny Gulp! Shrimp on 1/8oz jig heads.
Jim Mackey, of Fisherman’s Edge in Englewood, says Doug Metcalf, of Akron, caught sheepshead, mangrove snapper, and trout near Whidden’s Creek using live shrimp while fishing with Capt. Roger Crafton.
Jack McCullough, of Englewood, and son Mike, from St. Louis, caught trout and bluefish near the spoil islands close to the Intracoastal Waterway on CAL jigs, plus redfish, trout, and a snook in Bull Bay and Turtle Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett of Snook Fin-Addict.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR/PINE ISLAND SOUND Dave Westra of Lehr’s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers, reports large trout from the middle to the north end of Pine Island. Punta Blanca Creek is producing sheepshead to 4 pounds, and mangrove snapper to 14 inches.
Brummy Miller and Brendon Watts , of the United Kingdom, caught ladyfish, flounder, small snook, and redfish to 11 pounds on pilchards and yellow bendback flies in various creeks near Matlacha with Capt. Dave Gibson of Fort Myers.
Look for tailing redfish on the early morning low tides in PIS. Work small crabs or shrimp slowly on the bottom. Also look for pompano in the passes and around the Sanibel Lighthouse bar. Try chartreuse jigs tipped with shrimp.
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Sarasota Bay - January 1st, 2010 |
RECORDED: 
61 °
FISHING: Excellent
Despite the pleas and incantations of anglers throughout the region, Mother Nature continues to play patty-pat with arctic cold fronts that winter-weary Snowbirds fervently hoped were far behind them. The recent drop in air and water temperatures, along with increased wave heights in the Gulf and on the bays, have caused anglers in the Sarasota County Area to look for hiding spots. Again. The good news is that the New Year forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says weather conditions will return to days of sunshine and mid-70s temperature. In other words, “normal.” Which also means fishing should continue to improve throughout southwest Florida from backwater sloughs to the Gulf of Mexico. Gordon Hamrich and his brothers, Scott and Tim, fished Lemon Bay with me on Monday and were rewarded with a couple of smallish snook and several healthy jack crevalle. “WOW!” they each said after boating their respective jacks. “I can’t believe a 3-pound fish fights that hard!” Welcome to the World of Saltwater Angling, my friends. Gordon, senior, and Gordon junior’s wife, Theresa, chased tarpon with us the next day, but the fish simply didn’t choose to participate in the fun. Certainly not like demolishing buildings in Metro Detroit—which is what the Hamrich Family does for a living! Oh, we saw a few poons in the 25-pound class, but they obviously were hugging the black-muck bottom on the low tide, trying to stay warm. I did manage to get Rob Schumm into a few very healthy pompano near Midnight Pass on Wednesday, along with several decent ladyfish and a couple of trout. Here’s what else has been going on lately: TAMPA BAY/BRADENTON Jim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton, reports gag grouper around structure and hard-bottom in Tampa Bay in as little as 15 feet of water. Snook in deeper canals were eating RattleTraps, and shad tail soft baits, around the I-75 Bridge on the Manatee River. SARASOTA BAY Ben Ocampo and Marty Martel, of Sarasota, caught pompano and cobia on SillyWilly jigs in Big Pass, and Marty’s pal Stuart Daneman caught gag grouper to 12 pounds on Yo-Zuri lures trolled in 30 feet of water off Lido Key. Gag grouper to 23 inches are holding near the Tony Saprito Pier, along with jack crevalle, some pompano, and whiting. Look for a few Spanish mackerel in Big Pass, and whiting off South Lido. Try 1/4oz gold Cotee Jigs for Pompano, Spanish, bluefish, and flounder, at Big Pass and the Radio Tower Flats on incoming tides. CAL Jigs with shad tails were the ticket for Eric and Julie Everett, of Virginia, and brother-in-law Antone, from Ireland, on the East Side of the bay for trout and bluefish. Rob Thompson and dad Jeff, from Baltimore, caught bluefish, trout, and Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies at the Middlegrounds. John and Susan Weiss, of GA, also scored blues and Spanish at the Middleground flats. Scott and Scottie Heidle, of Hudson, OH, caught trout to 18 inches and bluefish to 4 pounds near Stephens Point. John Shoup, of Detroit, caught trout, ladyfish, and one pompano, while Denis Clohisy and son Denis, from WI, caught bluefish, Spanish, and trout on CAL Jigs and Ultra Hair Clousers in the same area. NOKOMIS/VENICE Jim Wheaton, George Edmundson, and Clint Owen caught sheepshead, flounder, redfish, and black drum on live shrimp between the Albee Road Bridge and Venice Jetty. Brian Pond and sons Carson and Jordan caught pompano to 16 inches, gag grouper, flounder, and jack crevalle, on live shrimp near the Albee Bridge. Dan McCarthy, wife Carolyn, and daughter Kelly, of Chatham, NJ, caught trout and ladyfish on Cotee Jigs in both olive and rootbeer near Spanish Point. Christine Klopfer caught trout to 3 pounds, gag grouper to 18 inches, and ladyfish, on a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow trolled slowly along the edges of deep grass flats near Midnight Pass. Also look for sheepshead to 4 pounds in Little Sarasota Bay on live shrimp.LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA SOUND Cameron Schurlknight, of Venice, and John Donahue, of Hobie Kayaks Pro Staff, caught redfish to 25 inches and trout to 20 inches on Gulp! Shrimp, and Heddon Spook Juniors in Bone, and Chrome colors. Dan Arden and Wendy DiMeo caught 15 redfish on Chubby Grubs in Gasparilla Sound, according to Jim Mackey of Fisherman’s Edge in Englewood. CHARLOTTE HARBOR/PINE ISLAND SOUND Bob Underhill and son Sam, of Westchester County, NY, released 18 trout, 3 snook, and redfish to 34 inches in Charlotte Harbor on pinfish. Fish potholes and deeper shorelines in PIS and CH with pinfish and shrimp for trout, redfish, and possibly some flounder. Grouper are in the passes around the Sanibel Causeway. Swim pinfish along the bottom for best results. Mickey Callahan, of Sarasota, and grandson Max, both caught the “Flats Slam” of trout, redfish, and snook in Charlotte Harbor using Exudes and live shrimp.
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Sarasota Bay - December 14th, 2009 |
RECORDED: 
76 °
FISHING: Excellent
“Schizophrenic” is about the only way to describe the weather patterns in southwest Florida during the past week. One day hot and sunny. The next one cool and rainy. Just remember: weather forecasts are merely semi-educated guesses! So, fish whenever you can.
One thing we do know is that snook are moving into the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), creeks and canals looking for warmer water temperatures. We also know that super-low morning tides are going to show off a lot of tailing redfish during the next couple of weeks.
Trout opener isn’t far off now, and grouper, flounder and pompano are being caught by fly and spin anglers in exceptional numbers throughout the area.
I had a lot of fun a couple of days ago with Rex Anderson and his wife, Helen. Rex is 82 and always wanted to learn how to fly fish.
TA-DAH!!!! There we were in Lemon Bay. It took a bit of coaching, but Rex finally caught a couple of snook, some decent trout, and a variety of other species. All on Clouser-style flies!
Helen, meanwhile, used a spinning rod and Gulp! Shrimp to bring a couple of handsome ladyfish to the net.
Will Bouck, who caught his first-ever tarpon with me last season, and Phil Hammond are going to chase snook under the lights with me Wednesday night. Water temps have been pushing them into the creeks and canals, so tomorrow I’ll be at the tying vise to make sure we have plenty of bullets.
Here’s what else is happening around southwest Florida:
BRADENTON/TAMPA BAY
Rattlesnake Key and Emerson Point near Bradenton have been especially generous with spotted sea trout. Grouper, black sea bass, and flounder have been eating well in lower Tampa Bay. Fly anglers should use chartreuse-over-white Clousers over hard-bottom areas in Tampa Bay for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and ladyfish.
Redfish and some snook have been eating 17MR18 MirrOlure MirrOdines in Joe Bay and Bishop’s Harbor if you’re into pitching hardware.
Look for spotted sea trout on Terra Ceia’s deeper grass flats. Use large or XL lead eyes, or sink-tip lines for Spanish mackerel at the Rod ‘n Reel Pier, and Anna Maria City Pier.
SARASOTA BAY Grouper, grouper, grouper inside the Bay, off the Tony Saprito Pier, and outside New Pass and Big Pass.
Silver trout are showing up near Point Of Rocks near the juncture of Siesta and Casey keys, and some Kingfish and Spanish mackerel are holding just offshore of the barrier islands.
Mike Sprague and Kep Phillips, of NJ, caught pompano, bluefish, trout and a redfish near Long Bar, and Walt Poxon, of MN, and Bill and Sue Poxon, of Sarasota, caught blues to 4 pounds, Spanish mackerel, and trout from Stephen’s Point to Long Bar.
NOKOMIS/VENICE Large jack crevalle from the Albee Rd. Bridge south to Circus Bridge are eating pearl estaz glass minnow patterns. Use tan hardback shrimp patterns, or estaz shrimp on size 6 hooks, on the grass flats around Nokomis for trout.
Look for redfish in Roberts Bay in the ICW. Toss gold Commissioner Johnson flies on size 4 2XL shank hooks. Same for pompano around Casperson Beach. Pink-over-white Clousers also have been working well.
Ed Irons of the North Jetty Fish Camp says sheepshead to 18 inches are taking sand fleas, small crabs, and shrimp if you’re interested in giving the kids a thrill.
There also are snapper and some Spanish mackerel inside the rocks, along with black drum to 8 pounds eating live shrimp (available at the Jetty bait shop). Bonito are still popping up outside the jetty. Use olive-over-white Clousers or fiber-body flies. LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA
Bob Cooper, of Orland, PA, overcame 20mph wind to catch snook and trout, while Scott Thompson caught redfish to 25 inches, and trout to 20 inches, near Whidden’s Creek in Gasparilla.
Joe Snyder boated slot-size reds, snook, and ladyfish, on chartreuse jigs.
PINE ISLAND SOUND/CHARLOTTE HARBOR
Quentin Quiesser, of Fort Myers, and grandson Aden, caught ladyfish, Spanish mackerel, redfish, and flounder near Sanibel.
Work potholes in PIS for trout, redfish, snook, and flounder with shrimp patterns. Same for pompano around the passes and edges of grass flats.
ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE Ghost and Heart had a fine time at Dream Lakes of Florida last Friday. So did my friends Victor Edwards and Barry O’Sullivan (can you GET any more Irish than THAT!?!). Me, too, of course!
Barry’s Springer, Yankee, bounded all over the place flushing birds for about 20 minutes before her tongue hung out and Barry decided it was time to try and rein her in.
Ghost was on the ground next, and typically ran very hard. She found her share of birds and simply didn’t want to quit. Fortunately, the weather was in the low 50s and overcast.
Heart had a BLAST! And, fortunately, all of the work Kate put into him (with a little bit of help from me) is paying off. He worked beautifully, came when called, and found plenty of birds.
That was a good thing, because as I was driving back to Venice I called Stephen Ross for a report on his dad, Heart’s “Uncle Magoo,” who was in the process of triple-bypass surgery at Beaumont Hospital in Detroit while we were chasing quail.
I told him about Heart’s wonderful day, and he passed on that joyous news to Magoo once he was coherent enough to understand.
Bill’s fine, but looking at a few weeks of slow rehab.
One of our other hunting and fishing pals, Jim Powers, is on his way down from the banks of the Manistee River to spend the winter down here.
He, too, has a few issues to deal with. Such as keeping a close watch on his coumadin (sp?) levels because of some blood clots that need to be monitored. He’s in Alabama right now, but should be down here fishing with me by the weekend.
Hope to see y’all down here soon.
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
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Lemon Bay - December 3rd, 2009 |
RECORDED:
70 °
FISHING: Excellent
OVERVIEW Spanish mackerel and little tunny continue to ravage schools of baitfish on the inshore barrier islands of Siesta Key, Casey Key, Venice Beach and Manasota Key.
Flounder also are prevalent throughout the passes, and on hard sand areas around mangrove islands.
Falling water temperatures are moving snook into the warmer creeks and canals, which means night fishing under the dock lights will be excellent on fast-moving tides.
Michael Roy, one of my regular clients, fished with me a couple of times last week and had some pretty good “catching.” His brother-in-law, Bob Glenn, and Josh Martinez had a great time catching snook, ladyfish, trout, and a 17-inch pompano in Lemon Bay.
What made it especially nice is that the snook and hefty ladyfish that Josh boated came on his first-ever fishing trip!
Michael and Irving Van Huss went out into the nearshore water off Siesta Key on Sunday and we were TOTALLY surrounded by Spanish and tunny.
The guys boated some fish, but were pretty intimidated by the sheer number of fish that were destroying the bait pods!
Here’s what else is happening in the area:
TAMPA/BRADENTON Lee and Mitch Brown, Of Roanoke, VA, caught trout, bluefish, flounder, pompano and Spanish mackerel in Terra Ceia Bay and lower Tampa Bay on DOA Shrimp and CAL Jigs with shad tails.
Jim Eliason, of Discount Tackle in Bradenton, says flounder have been eating small shiners, shrimp, and white jigs on the sandy patches near structure in the bays and outside passes.
Redfish are taking suspended baits such as MirrOlure MirrOdines and Rapala X-raps in lower Tampa Bay and Terra Ceia.
SARASOTA BAY
There are good catches of pompano on Cotee Jigs and live shrimp around Marina Jack flats, Big Pass, and the Radio Tower grass flats.
Phillip and Sasha Curtis caught pompano and bluefish to 4 pounds.
Economy Tackle reports some tailing redfish near Buttonwood Harbor, and pompano on Long Bar. Trout also are taking topwater lures, and Spanish mackerel are at the Middlegrounds.
Ron Bizzick and son Hayden landed 2 keeper snook on pilchards, while Larry Weigand and sons Matt and Rob, and nephew Tanner, caught trout to 24 inches, flounder, and ladyfish.
George Alberici, of Sarasota, and Sal DeVita, of Valrico, caught trout to 23 inches, a 4-pound bluefish, and a 3-pound pompano on CAL Jigs with shad tails from Stephens Point to Long Bar.
Blaine Leipold, of Pittsford, NY, and son Riley caught trout, pompano, jack crevalle, black sea bass, ladyfish, and gag grouper on Gulp! Shrimp near Marker 5 just outside New Pass.
Paul Stephan and sons Andrew and Jack caught ladyfish around Midnight Pass using live shrimp on their first fishing trip ever!
NOKOMIS/VENICE Snook are still milling around off the beaches near Nokomis and Venice. Spanish mackerel are on the rocks inside the Venice Jetty, as well as just outside in about 17 feet of water.
Look for snook around the Albee Rd. Bridge, and trout on the deeper grass flats north to Blackburn Bay.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR/PINE ISLAND SOUND John Donahue reports tailing redfish to 25 inches near Pine Island. Try Berkley’s Gulp! Ghost Shrimp. Snook and large trout are eating Heddon’s One Knocker. OFFSHORE Jim Mackey of Fisherman’s Edge in Englewood says Derek Dodge, Rich Lillio, Kevin Meyer, and Gordon Beckert caught limits of red and gag grouper, along with snapper, pogies, and grunts 26 miles off Stump Pass.
Look for amberjack to 40 pounds, gag grouper to 20 inches, mackerel, and jack crevalle in 80 feet of water off Sarasota.
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Sarasota Bay - November 22nd, 2009 |
RECORDED:
78 °
FISHING: Excellent
OVERVIEW The lingering effects of Hurricane Ida, coupled with the normal seasonal transition from summer to fall, has made fishing southwest Florida a bit challenging recently.
Snook continue to move up into the creeks and canals, but Spanish mackerel, little tunny and flounder, flounder, flounder are everywhere.
Weather conditions are beginning to stabilize, which means even better fishing inside, and smoother seas for offshore anglers who love the deeper water.
MANATEE
Michelle Redmond, of Palmetto, landed a 28-inch redfish weighing nearly 10 pounds in Terra Ceia Bay on a CAL Shad. Michelle and friend Chris also caught snook to 27 inches, Spanish mackerel to 20 inches, bluefish to 3 pounds, and trout, flounder, black bass, and grouper.
Speaking of flounder, Jim Eliason of Discount Tackle in Bradenton reports a lot of flounder scattered throughout Miguel Bay and Terra Ceia in lower Tampa Bay, and around Cortez in northern Sarasota Bay.
Redfish and sea trout were hitting Topwater MirrOlures in 3-5 feet of water. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are under the large schools of baitfish.
SARASOTA BAY
Dave Buckley and his 10-year-old son, Brady, from Gettysburg, PA, caught Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle, trout, and ladyfish on Gulp! Shrimp and Cotee jigs near City Island.
Look for snapper to 12 inches, as well as red and gag grouper, around the docks near Otter Key.
Try Stephens Point for Spanish mackerel, trout, ladyfish, and jacks on free-lined pilchards and pinfish drifted behind the boat.
Dr. Phil Jorgensen caught the “Flats Slam” of snook, trout, and a 26-inch redfish on pilchards. His fishing partner, Dr. Ron Johnson, also brought several of the 8 snook (to 27 inches) and trout (to 21 inches) to the boat.
Richard Phillipson caught little tunny to 6 pounds, along with Spanish mackerel and jack crevalle on DT Special flies on the inshore Gulf.
Flounder inside the Bay are incredible both in size and numbers, according to Kim Hart of Hart’s Landing. Catch-and-release trout fishing remains excellent, and there still are some mangrove snapper and a few redfish.
Dick Meeker, of Aspen, CO, with his son-in-law Jeff, caught trout to 22 inches on CAL jigs with Shad tails, and jerk worms from Stephens Point to Long Bar.
Norm and Francie Boardman, of Sarasota, caught more than a dozen trout to 22 inches, and a 4-pound pompano on CAL jigs and Clouser flies.
NOKOMIS/VENICE Donnie, Tracey, and Kelsi Pedigo, of Osprey, landed a 26-inch redfish around the Albee Bridge on shrimp, according to Robin Roarke of the Dockside Store.
Ed Irons at The North Jetty Fish Camp says despite the dirty water some snook are following the schools of greenbacks inside the Jetty, which also prompted a feeding frenzy by jack crevalle.
Capt. Shane Smetak, of Casey Key Tackle, reports big jack crevalle from Circus Bridge to Alligator Creek. Try live shrimp, or pearl estaz shrimp flies on size 42XL shank hooks. He says Capt. Reid Petit landed a 130-pound tarpon a quarter-mile off the Pier while trolling for Kingfish.
LEMON BAY/GASPARILLA
Mark Nelson and his daughter, Samantha, caught 8 redfish to 33 inches, and trout to 22 inches on live shrimp in Gasparilla.
Ron Walker and Bob Melvin caught redfish to 26 inches and numerous snook near Whidden’s Creek.
John Donohue says redfish are in full fall swing in Lemon Bay. Topwater plugs and Heddon’s One Knocker Spook have raised reds to 30 inches, and trout to 24 inches.
Look for redfish and trout on the flat on the northeast side of the Tom Adams Bridge.
OFFSHORE
Strong winds have kept most offshore Captains beached because of Hurricane Ida, but Bull Bosse found a “hole” in the wind and caught scores of red grouper to 16 pounds, along with gags and mangrove snapper on pinfish and cut sardines, in 108 feet of water.
Kingfish and Amberjack in 50 feet of water on trolled Tuna Sticks and Tuna Alleys, and cobia, Kingfish and mackerel off the M Reefs. There also have been good catches of red and gag grouper, mangrove snapper, porgies, and grunts from Point of Rocks out five miles.
Schools of little tunny are hitting 1/4oz Cotee jigs in just about any color. Cast right into the frenzy of feeding fish.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR/PINE ISLAND SOUND Capt. Dave Gibson of Fort Myers, said his 7-year-old son, Jake, caught large ladyfish and Spanish mackerel to 4 pounds near the Sanibel Lighthouse on 1/2oz brown jigs with a bit of Krystal Flash that he had tied himself.
Look for pompano and trout around the Sanibel Causeway, and slowly work the edges of potholes. Try chartreuse jigs tipped with live or Gulp! shrimp. Move from hole to hole with the flood tides, and off the flats as the tide falls.
Grouper fishing continues to improve around the passes, as well as the deeper cuts in Charlotte Harbor and The Sound.
Sheepshead are starting to school up around the docks and bridges. Sand fleas and pieces of shrimp on size 6 or 8 hooks, fished right next to the structure, are most productive.
As always, Clouser patterns in chartreuse-over-white, pink-over-white, and olive-over-white are extremely effective for fly anglers.
Lefty’s Deceiver is always a winner. The greenback minnows are pretty thick right now, so use three-inch-long flies with white bellies, some “flash” material in the middle, and two olive hackle tied onto the hook shank about midway toward the eye of the hook. Use mylar tubing or pearl estaz for the body.
ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE
Ghost had another terrific season—even at the age of 12 ½ years! Her nose and drive is incredible—especially considering that her sight and hearing has diminished quite a bit.
Heart, who turned two in June, came into his own at the end of the season. His points are a thing of beauty—tail pointing to twelve-‘o-clock—and his “manners” are impeccable.
I’m planning on getting them onto some quail at Dream Lakes of Florida pretty quickly.
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
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Manistee River - October 6th, 2009 |
RECORDED: 
48 °
FISHING: Excellent
OCTOBER 6, 2009
WOW! What a rollercoaster we’ve been on this past month! Between trout fishing, salmon fishing and upland bird hunting it’s been an absolute whirlwind.
So, lessee. Start with trout. Both the Au Sable River and upper Manistee River have been producing good rises of brown trout and brookies. Size 14 mahoganies seem to be the best, followed by size 18 olive and tan elk-hair caddis.
I’d have to say the most disappointing aspect to this summer was the absence of grasshoppers. August was cool and damp. I guess it simply shut them off, and that’s a shame because the Hopper Hatch is my favorite of the year.
Dennis Pace, who owns the advertising agency in Lansing for which Kate freelances, brought John Willy of Ferris University north a couple of weeks ago and we floated the Manistee.
There weren’t a lot of fish rising, but the guys “pounded-em-up” and caught a couple of very nice brookies and some respectable browns.
Last week, the Association of Great Lakes Outdoors Writers (AGLOW) held it’s annual meeting at Treetops Resort in Gaylord. I volunteered to take some of the fellows fishing and hunting, and Paul Beachnau, Executive Director of the Gaylord Convention and Tourism Burea readily accepted.
So, P.J. Perea, managing editor of the National Wild Turkey Federation magazine and Paul Smith, outdoors editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, went to the Boyne River in search of Chinook salmon.
Guess what? We found them! The run is still very fresh—which is understandable since the Boyne is only seven or eight miles long!—and both of them hooked up several times.
Since the Boyne is so small (Kate wades it in hip boots during the summer) actually landing these 15-to-30-pound salmon is a challenge. But the guys had a great time tangling with them in such a beautiful environment.
I was back on the Boyne last Friday with Dan Laczynski and his old high school pal Stan Matoska. Dan’s fished with before in Florida, and decided that both of them needed to get out of Chicago for a couple of days.
Dan’s a muckety-muck with Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, and Stan’s a SWAT Team cop. Talk about PRESSURE!
We had floated the Au Sable from Thendara to Wakely the previous day—absolutely gorgeous with blue sky, sunshine, and fall colors on most of the trees. The fish even co-operated. Sort of. They raised a respectable number, if not spectacular.
But they certainly got all they wanted on the Boyne. The grin on Stan’s face in the Featured Photo tells you all you need to know! Now they just have to work out the logistics for a trip to Florida. Winter Getaway? Summer tarpon migration?
Ah, so much to do, so many fish to catch, and such little “free time.” But, as I’ve mentioned before, Sparse Gray Hackle once wrote “The trout do not rise in Greenlawn Cemetery.”
The lower Manistee below Tippy Dam and the Pere Marquette River near Baldwin also are loaded with Chinook, and steelhead. It’s a great time to be fishing and hunting in Michigan.
Speaking of hunting…
ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE
I took Phil Larson, of Boone, Iowa, and Brian Smith upland gunning during the AGLOW week and Ghost and Heart showed off pretty well. They put up seven grouse and eight woodcock. All of them are still flying!
John Hamilton, Peter Burchfield, and Mark Bolish—all from Ligonier, PA-- fared even better last week. Sort of. Ghost and Heart “flew” 18 grouse and 9 woodcock during the day we spent together at several of my favorite coverts.
Alas, the only bird that fell was a woodcock by Peter.
Heart, who’s two years old, still needs some “training wheels,” so Bill Ross and I put him on the ground yesterday after Ghost had a bump on her leg looked at by Grayling vet Paul Mesak.
Little Guy was doing great. Then a grouse must have flushed out ahead of him. FOUR AND A HALF HOURS later, as we were finally leaving the cover after leaving my hunting coat on the ground, Ross stopped his Jeep and walked back to me cradling a very wet boy in his arms!
After we got home I took Ghost out front and she nailed four woodcock. Unfortunately, I performed miserably on the two at which I had shots.
So, with heavy rain in today’s forecast I took Heart out front. He worked very hard, stayed with me, and had one point on a grouse that got skittish and flew out of the alders before I could get into position.
We had one other woodcock go up—right in front of the house—but neither Heart nor I had anything to do with that. I think he’s just a wily bird who’s heard the beeper collar before!
We’ll see. I’ve got a lot of trips booked during the next two weeks. Let’s hope the weather—and Heart—co-operate!
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
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Manistee River - September 9th, 2009 |
RECORDED:
77 °
FISHING: Excellent
SEPTEMBER 9, 2009
Kate and I FINALLY made the time to go fishing yesterday. Seems like between us we’ve had relatively minor health issues for several weeks. First, I had a sugar/glucose imbalance (caused by sheer stupidity on my part), then she had an impacted wisdom tooth (plus the adjacent molar) removed.
YUCK! Who want to hear about THAT stuff?
The good news is that it finally stopped raining and the air temps are up into the mid-70s and the sun’s shining and flying ants are popping up out of the sand and life is good!
So, last evening Kate and I went downriver a little bit to a place we call “Norway” because of the pine trees, and started pitching size 14 mahoganies. I waded upstream into a recently excavated sediment trap (and darn near went swimming), while Kate waded down through a nice chute of fast water bordered by some deep holes.
Guess what? The brookies were absolutely enthralled with the flies I had just tied for our excursion. Rise after rise after rise.
Oh, we didn’t catch anything very big. But they sure were beautifully colored in their fall “plumage.” We’re gonna hit ‘em again tonight, too. And tomorrow evening and…well, you get the idea!
The Manistee River is absolutely at its peak right now. Both way up here in the Headwaters, and down below Tippy Dam where the salmon are congregating.
As I said, the Isonychia are happening up here—along with ants, beetles, crickets and Baetis (blue wing olives). Unfortunately, the Hopper Hatch just hasn’t been “on” the way it should be. But, it’s been a very strange year all the way around.
In fact, the National Weather Service reported that August was five degrees colder than normal, and that this entire summer was tied for the sixth coldest in 113 years of meteorological reporting in Michigan.
Conversely, that means the Chinook—soon to be followed by chrome-bright steelhead—will fill up the lower Manistee and the Pere Marquette.
I haven’t been over to the Boyne River—about 30 minutes from our house in Deward—but I imagine it’ll start getting loaded with salmon within no time at all. Maybe it’s time to take a drive (after loading up the 9-weight and some big streamers) to take a first-hand look!
Get with me soon for an end-of-season trout trip, or for Chinook (maybe even a “Cast & Blast”).
ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE
Heart has totally destroyed two of the screens on the front porch! They’re directly in line with a couple of Kate’s bird feeders, and the Mourning Doves hang out there. Which sends Heart into a frenzy!
Sigh.
Ah, well. What’s ANOTHER re-screening project? If it’s not the red squirrels (20 have “gone away” in the past two months), it’s Heart’s enthusiasm.
Thank goodness FOR that birdiness, though. It’s just six days until grouse season opens and he’s going to carry the load while I’m guiding clients who don’t bring their own dogs.
Ghost is still pretty frisky, but she’s twelve years old and I don’t know if I want to keep her on the ground for more than thirty or forty minutes at a time. That put the onus on The Puppy!
Fortunately, it looks like he’s going to be one of the really good ones. Maybe even Great! He sure has The Want-To!
Most of the ferns are brown, and the next hard rain will knock them down. Looks like it’s going to be an “early” bird season. I still have a few prime days open in October, so check your schedule and let’s have some fun!
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
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Manistee River - September 3rd, 2009 |
RECORDED:
74 °
FISHING: Excellent
SEPTEMBER 3, 2009
MICHIGAN
This is perhaps one of the most wonderful times of the year to be fishing in Michigan.
I talked with Bob Linseman, who owns the Au Sable Angler Fly Shop in Mio, a few minutes ago, and he told me that the E. lukon and E. alban hatches are absolutely superb right now.
These are locally known as the White Flies. The only difference is that alban are size 16 while lukon are 12s and 14s.
“We should see good evening hatches for another 10 days,” Bob said. “Fishing has been good on this stretch of the Au Sable. Our biggest fish of the year according to my log was a 27 ¾-inch female on May 6. Jeff Minnis caught it. And 45 minutes later they caught a 24-incher.”
Bob said that 18-inch and 20-inch browns rose to size 20 blue wing olives as recently as August 31.
Salmon are starting to move into the lower Manistee River below Wellston, according to Ray Schmidt at Schmidt Outfitters.
“No steelhead yet,” he said today, “but the salmon are starting to pool up. Looks like it’ll be another typically good season.”
Which means if you’re a salmon angler it’s time to check your schedule and make reservations.
We get a good run of Chinook in the Boyne River, just north of Deward, and it’s a pleasant place to fish. Kate wades it in hip boots, and we nearly always hook up. One client tugged at eight of them last year but never brought one to the beach.
Oh, well. It is what it is.
We’ll still have some very nice fishing for brown trout and brookies on the Manistee and Au Sable rivers during the next couple of months, too.
Daytime hatches of caddis, mahoganies (Isonychia), ants (especially flying ants!), crickets, beetles, and hoppers will (should) produce well during the next few weeks. This is a glorious time to be on the water in Michigan.
We had streams of small black flying ants (size 20) flying up out of the ground right here at the house yesterday. That’s the good news.
The BAD news is that Kate had just had two teeth extracted earlier in the day and neither one of us could manage to get out onto the water. Even though the Manistee River is just 400 feet from our door!
Sigh! Oh, well. She was immobile and I played “nurse.” Remember: “It is what it is!”
Anyway, the weather’s supposed to be sunny and 70s for the next week, so we’ll see what happens. After that, if it rains, the lower river will fill up with more salmon and some steelhead. And the dogs will get even “birdier” than they are now. If that’s possible.
Speaking of which…
ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE
Ghost and Heart are filled up with bird scent. Mourning doves are clustered at Kate’s sunflower feeders outside the front porch and Heart—the two-year-old---is berserk.
Ghost—who’s twelve--of course, understands that they’re off-limits in Michigan so she couldn’t care less when they’re on the ground. Heart, on the other hand, only sees and smells birdsbirdsbirdsdaddaddad!!
Sigh.
Two more weeks, my little man! at least he acquitted himself “Manfully” when we were at Wild Wings Game Farm near Elmira last week (www.freep.com and then go to the outdoors column by Eric Sharp).
WOW!!!!!! We just had a verrrry scary thing. Ghost came to the top of the loft steps, then turned and half-tumbled and half-ran down twelve steps. My heart stopped. Kate jumped up from editing copy on the porch.
Much to our EVERLASTING relief, Ghost sorta shook it off and went to the food pantry for a biscuit. WHEW!
Talk about your heart stopping! But, she’s down there playing around and doesn’t seem anywhere the worse for what took some minutes—if not hours—off of MY heart. And I don’t mean Heart.
Dangit, these dogs can just plum wear you OUT!
FLORIDA
I’m now going to be doing the weekly Fishing Report column for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, effective with the September 10 edition. It will obviously involve the who/what/where/with what, along with “Tip Of The Week” and “Cooking Your Catch.”
So please feel free to e-me at tightloops@peoplepc.com with all of the above.
The report, along with a calendar of events and all of the other info, will run every Thursday in the H-T. I’ll welcome your help, and will need your info by Monday afternoon each week.
I look forward to helping all of you enjoy your days on the water in southwest Florida. Please give me all of the help that you can without revealing any secret spots!
Tight Loops,
Capt Tony
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Manistee River - August 29th, 2009 |
RECORDED: 
59 °
FISHING: Excellent
AUGUST 29, 2009
It’s been dark, damp and dismal in northern Michigan the past several days.
That’s the bad news.
The GOOD news is that conditions are absolutely perfect for banging the streambanks and stripping streamers for big, hungry brown trout. But, if that’s not your “thing,” then wait until next week when the sun’s coming out and air temps are “supposed” to get back into the mid-70s.
That should once again bring out the early morning Tricos, along with Baetis (blue wing olives) and Isonychia (mahoganies) later in the day.
If it does dry out, that also will bring out a plethora (gee, I like that word) of hoppers in various sizes and colors. We’ve been awaiting the Hopper Hatch for a few weeks now, and every time it’s about to happen—BOOM! More rain and cooler temps.
Speaking of “cool,” there’s a rumor going around that we might even have a freeze tomorrow night! How screwy is THAT?
One thing’s for sure, that will get the Chinook salmon moving up into the lower Manistee River and Pere Marquette River even faster. They’ve been trickling in (no reports of steelhead following them yet), but cooler water will really get the Kings moving!
Big streamers are the best bet. Trout fishing in those western rivers has been best on caddis. Of course, caddis ALWAYS are a must-have on the upper Manistee and Au Sable rivers. Tan, olive, and gray in sizes 16 and 18 are flitting around when it’s not too cold.
Speaking of flitting around in the cold…
ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE
I ran Ghost and Heart on chukkars at Jim Avery’s Wild Wings Game Farm near Elmira twice last week and the dogs are lookin’ awfully good! Eric Sharp, outdoors editor for the Detroit Free Press went with us one day and did a couple of articles (www.freep.com). Check ‘em out!
I mostly wanted to find out how the puppy was going to do.
Well, I found out. In spades.
He was SUPERB! Found his birds, made the retrieves, and came “right here” right now when I whistled. What more could you possibly want?
Yep. He shows promise of being a great one. Of course, he’s got awfully big paw prints to fill. Ghost is still incomparable even at age 12. She still romps like a puppy, and her nose isn’t gonna let anything slip past her!
Two weeks now till grouse opener! I’m booking prime dates every day, so don’t delay. Check your schedule and get with me. It looks like this will be a banner year!
Trout fishing will still be excellent on the fly-only water of the upper Manistee and Au Sable throughout September and October, which means you also have the option of a “Cast & Blast” combo of birds and trout. Or, even Chinook on the Boyne River about 30 miles from here.
Don’t ever forget the immortal words of Sparse Gray Hackle: “The trout do no rise in Greenlawn Cemetery.” Nor do the grouse and woodcock fly there!
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
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Manistee River - August 19th, 2009 |
RECORDED:
78 °
FISHING: Excellent
AUGUST 19, 2009
It’s another absolutely beautiful morning in northern Michigan, and I’m going to float my veterinarian, Paul Mesak, down the Manistee River later today.
The last couple of trips down the Manistee have been spectacular. We raised 106 fish by actual count (boating exactly 20) one day, and then had about the same number of rises (with more in the boat) the next.
Hoppers are out in force now that the air temps are in the high-70s to mid-80s. Cream-colored, brownish, tannish, olive in a range of sizes from 10 to 6. Don’t leave home without them if you’re Going My Way.
However, yesterday I took Rick Axt and Rick Dooley down the Au Sable River and Baetis (blue wing olive) and Isonychia (Mahoganies) rang the bell loudest.
The day essentially was a group float for about 40 of the folks who had come to Michigan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Trout Unlimited right here in Grayling.
Surprisingly enough, the event actually is being held at the Grand Traverse Resort near Traverse City, about 40 miles east of Grayling.
Even more surprisingly, only one other boat floated the Au Sable to the Barbless Hook—which was TU founder George Griffith’s riverfront retreat, and where the organization came into existence.
My Two Ricks got photographs of “The Rock” which is dockside at the river and commemorates the founding, along with a whole bunch of river scenery.
Oh, yeah. They even raised about 25 fish and boated a half-dozen. Rick Dooley missed the best fish of the day, however—a 15-incher just below Black Bend.
Being typical traveling fly anglers (both are from New Jersey), they naturally wanted to try stuff that “works real good back home.” You know—stuff like Chernobyl Ants and other such exotic things. So, being ever-acquiescent, I simply said “sure, give it a try.”
After an extended period of fruitless casting with the “back home” patterns, I mentioned that “the only ones that have produced fish are the Baetis and Isonychia.
So, they switched back and, of course, immediately picked a fish here and a fish there until we finally pulled up at the Wakeley Bridge Landing.
“This river is really something unique,” they echoed. “It has a special character that’s unlike anyplace else I’ve ever fished,” Rick Dooley said. Rick Axt, who was casting from the bow at the time, swiveled the seat around and nodded agreement.
Once all the gear—and the boat—was “buttoned up,” I performed my after-fish ritual of giving each of them “a genuine petrified shark’s tooth that’s between two million and sixty million years old.” Kate and I get them during our Sunday morning walks on Manasota Key down in Florida.
Then came Part Two of The Ritual—playing Amazing Grace performed by the massed bagpipes of the Black Watch and the Argyll & Southerland Highlanders.
Everybody gets a kick out of that when I tell them I play Amazing Grace after every trip—“good, bad, or ugly.”
That got started about 15 years ago when one of my clients pushed in the tape (I just happened to be listening to it) “to see what kind of music Tony listens to.”
When it was finished, he paused before saying ”how appropriate after a beautiful day on a beautiful river.” And thatfast it became A Tradition.
“The Tradition” was particularly poignant one day a few years ago when I had Richard (70-something) and Rick (thirty-something) MacNally for a float.
When the tape stopped, senior MacNally said, “Ah, it brrrings a tear to my eye.”
I thought he was joking until I glanced over at the passenger’s seat and indeed say tears flowing down his cheeks.
“Think of it, me boy,” he said. “being piped off the rrrrrriver.”
ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE
Heart and Ghost are out in the 800-square-foot pen and The Little Boy is kicking up quite a fuss. Probably trying to get Her Majesty—Ghost—to play with him.
They’ve been a handful on this crisp morning. Especially when I let Ghost out and she almost immediately put up a grouse.
“Where’s the %#@* gun when we NEED it?” she asked me, accusingly.
“We can’t DO that yet,” I replied. “You KNOW the season doesn’t open for nearly a month.” But, if the weather stays coolish in the early morning I think a trip to the game preserve eight miles north might be in order. Just to remind the puppy of his manners.
Well, I guess I’d better go stifle his whiny barking before he scares away all of our “house grouse” and resident woodcock.
But don’t forget that it IS less than a month before grouse opener. And I’ve been booking quite a few trips. So, if you’re interested in some wonderful opportunities (we averaged 6.5 points per hour each of the past two years), get in touch with me soon!
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
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