First I apologize because I have not posted in way too long.

          Venice to Boca Grande fishing is awesome and business has been great and I am tired when I get home. I do have some opening coming up soon and we are enjoying prime time tarpon action. We have big, to very big silver kings and usually encounter hundreds of fish per day. Several usually bite if we put our baits in front of em. If you want tarpon come on down now!

          We are not the only folks to know Boca Grande is full of fish so we do want to start out very early and get underway by 6AM. It is early but we can find happy fish before other stir em up. We usually hook up by 6:30 or 7 AM. It’s fun to tackle big fish before the sun gets high and warms us up. The Dorado does have a nice shady T Top to protect us from the bright Summer sun. the Evinrude E-Tec is quiet and powerful, she gets us too and from fishing grounds efficiently.

          We fished the Boca Grande Lady’s Day Tarpon event last Saturday and my quiet Evinrude helped us take second place with forty two boats participating. We caught a big tarpon and released it for Kathy and it was her first. She was ecstatic. The awards banquet was fun and our Chamber did a great job. My crew was the best! Photos are on my facebook page Captain-Van Hubbard, please check em out.

          Snook and trout have been biting well and we have caught a few nice redfish too. Minnows have been work to catch because of the floating algae but it is great bait. Since tarpon is in full swing the boats are not bad usually in the Back Country of Charlotte Harbor. Weekends can get crowded but we are still catching quality fish. If you want big trophy snook it is good and stays hot for the next few months.  Fish for dinner is fine too.

          Sharks are abundant if you like toothy critters! We have all kinds of opportunities if you want variety just ask and we can probably do it. Permit are on the near shore reefs and barracuda abundant now too.

          Please let me know if I can help, just check out the web pages and I’m doing a weekly report in the WaterLine also, a Sun family newspaper serving Southwest Florida coasts. I want to update more current info on the web site and need new photos of my Evinrude but it’s hard to get good shots from on board. Maybe the Boca Beacon will let me use the awesome shot they posted. I’ll ask ASAP! Thank you all for your support and I am so happy to be able to enjoy great fishing and your company too. Captain Van Hubbard <www.captvan.com>

 We are enjoying great, fun fishing around Boca Grande to Venice.

          The Gulf has been rocking and rolling much more than usual recently; I do hope it settles soon so we can play more outside. I’m ready for king mackerel, sharks, and tarpon. Meanwhile we are catching fish inside the protected waters of Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay. Snook, trout, redfish and jacks are bending rods and keeping customers smiling!

          Redfish are even showing up and adding some color to many recent trips. I wish they were more predictable but it’s still nice when they show up. It should get even better on this moon.

          Trout are red hot and plenty of big ones. Most fish are slot and many too big. We released several fish over twenty-five inches last week. It’s fine to keep a mess of fresh fish to eat; just release most of the big ones as they are full of roe.

          We had some awesome jacks that really tested our metal and gear. Some jacks are almost twenty pounds; very strong fish. The new Cabo 40s and Cortland Master Braid lines are helping subdue the big ones. We even have had to pull anchor and follow several big fish in the last two weeks. It has been windy but still productive.

          Baitfish are not easy and can be challenging especially on the windy days. We have minnows around it’s just this crazy weather keeps everything jumping around and we have not consistency. Every day is a new experience and adventure, but that’s part of the beauty of fishing it changes daily.

          Tarpon and snook are down around Boca Grande and south. The Gulf is active just too rough much of the time. It seems that as soon as it settles and clears another front stirs it back up! We already enjoy great fishing but it will actually improve as winds allow us outside more to get at the other fish. Venice Beach is due to light up with mackerel and kings whenever it calms down.    

          I’m sorry I don’t have more time to play here but the fish are biting, my Evinrude/Dorado is waiting and I’ve got to get ready. Thank you for you support.  Save the Tarpon is working; follow both of us on our Facebook pages. We have more protection for tarpon to be formalized in June, plus complete catch and release for bonefish. Most important, the June meeting of Florida Fish and Wildlife is going to be the big one about that weighted snatch hook. From the questions and statements by commissioners last Wednesday it looks like they finally understand the Boca Grande tarpon issue is about an unethical snag hook not live bait vs artificials! I went and spoke with several prominent members of our community; it was great to be a part of such and important event! Please visit our Facebook pages. Randy Wayne White, let if fly in Tampa Tribune article on 4-14, “Fishing’s dirty little secret”. The world knows the truth about this mess; it will help reestablish and rebuild Boca Grande’s world famous tarpon fishery! Gone fishin’, Captain Van Hubbard. <www.captvan.com>

          Last week our Boca Grande snook fishing finally turned on big time. Englewood trout and redfish are biting too. We found hungry fish all over Charlotte Harbor and Gasparilla Sound. Our waters have warmed up and the fish are hungry. Minnows can be a challenge but they should get easier. We do have minnows around it’s just the trash algaes are adding extra weight to our nets.

          I am enjoying my expanded range thanks to my Evinrude E-Tec’s efficiency to re-discover many of my old stomping grounds around Charlotte Harbor. My new Quantum reels and Cortland braided lines have been shipped; I’m looking forward to spooling em up and kicking it up a few notches! The new improvements in both should give us even longer casts and more control of big fish!

          Fish have been holding in the usual Spring habitats; deeper edges and structures. Long fluorocarbon leaders help in our clear waters! Be patient and use fresh baits. Ease in and out of areas for best results; many of us are fishing the same spots! Area waters are warming up fast!

          I’m hearing about some pompano but we didn’t get to try any recently; everything else is too good to leave. Spanish and kings are due around Venice but they are already some around Boca Grande. Some must have gone by in recent windy times? I heard they caught a few sailfish off of St Pete last week also, so we’ll be ready when we go today.

          Tarpon are in range if you’re ready for the ride! Expect to work for them but the first ones get the best catching! Boca Grande does have some tarpon in the Pass. After all, fishing is a gamble and we have to take chances to get the shots at good fishing! Sharks are already showing up. Permit are due. Barracuda are sunning on the reefs. It’s time to enjoy the hot action before the crowds descend and make it harder. I do have several openings in the next few weeks so don’t miss out; get a reservation now this is as good as it gets. We enjoyed every cast bites on trips several times recently!

          Thank you for your support. Let’s go fishin’ soon. Captain Van Hubbard. www.captvan.com also check out Captain Van Hubbard on Facebook!

 Our weather finally came back to warm southerly breezes and fish started to show up on Friday and Saturday. We are finding lots of Spanish mackerel and some pompano around the near shore and Gulf Passes. A few snook and bigger trout are blessing our catches. Sheepshead are abundant if you can hook them; Friday’s group caught a mess and Saturday we had to settle for pompano and trout. Of course we were glad to settle!

As weather warms up the Gulf waters everything will show up. Baitfish migrations are due and hungry schools of fish with them. I am booked up this week but open several days a week after. May and June have several holes so don’t miss out like about twenty folks did in the last two weeks.  Business is picking up with the improved fishing and weather. If you want to take advantage of the awesome spring Boca Grande and Venice fishing please lock in your reservation soon!

I’m sorry this is brief but I am fishing every day and tired. I hope your Easter was blessed and look forward to fishing with you soon. Captain Van Hubbard.

PS tarpon and snook fishing is close!    <www.captvan.com>

         It was chilly this past week and it slowed our catching down. Our coming week we anticipate warming temperatures and better fishing. Our fishing depends upon the weather conditions; we will adjust our times, even dates if we can, to ensure your best probabilities. The beauty of inside fishing is we can usually find a productive, protected area to hide and catch a mess of fish. Warmer helps and it looks like the cold and red tide are gone.

          We did enjoy a good redfish bite when we got lucky and had the right tides along with south breezes to turn on the bite. Snook were cold last week but I do expect them to get hungry when waters warm up into the seventies any time. Trout are around and we just could not cruise around last week because it was too cold and windy. We did manage some more pompano but you will need to invest some time and efforts to enjoy this gourmet dinner. They are some around but they keep it challenging. More pompano and the mackerel migration should drop into our Boca Grande area any day.

          Tarpon are not in range for a month or so would be my best guess; but Mother Nature can push fish north faster or hold them south. I’m optimistic that we will see more manners around the Boca Grande Pass this year; yes I’m crazy but I believe many will see we all benefit from “happy tarpon”! It seems to me most of us should be able to comprehend that scared fish are not good for fishing or businesses. Please follow “Save the Tarpon” on facebook or the web site to stay up on happenings. Public awareness should maintain the push to regain respect for our silver kings!

          With Easter early this year if you haven’t made your fishing reservations for the week before or after I’ll try to help but those weeks are reserved as of now. I do have March 20^th and 22^nd open plus some dates after April the 11^th! Other guide friends have a few holes but everyone wants to go at the same time with the holiday. May and June have good week days still open but business has picked up so don’t wait too long to lock in your reservations, please.

          Lots of tiny glass minnows are showing up inside so I expect to see some whitebait any day with the warming trends. We have had it off and on all year so they should be close by? We are having a fun Mack Attack event at Whidden’s Marina on Boca Grande the 7^th of April. This is a family event and prizes will be awarded by raffle so everyone that brings in fish will have the same chance of winning. This is a family friendly event, not a competition, and we’ll cook the fish and enjoy sharing stories after fishing. There should be plenty of mackerel action to keep everyone smiling, so don’t miss out; only fifteen boats to make sure we have fun.

          Like Captain Wilson Hubbard used to say, “If your too busy to go fishin’ your just too busy” don’t miss spring fishing action! Put mackerel back on your menu and enjoy our piece of paradise. Get your boats and gear ready spring is here. Captain Van Hubbard. <www.captvan.com>

 Short and sweet this week Venice fishing is great! It’s been a very busy week with fish biting and our Save the Tarpon Shindig last Sunday. The best news is we have NO SIGNS OF RED TIDE NOW! I don’t have time to go into details but I am happy to note that we caught catfish for the first time in months and saw mullet again. These are the most sensitive to the plague.

          Our Save the Tarpon Shindig and fundraiser was awesome we raised more than $25,000! Captain Tom and Jenifer McLaughlin lead the charge and now e have to funds to stand up for our Boca Grande tarpon fishery. Our motto is simple, “respect the fish and respect Boca Grande Pass”! much more when I have the time.

          Fishing from Boca Grande to Venice has been good. Some days are great and a few we have had to look around more than I like but the improved fuel mileage from my new Evinrude sure helps. Sheepshead were hot and should still be around if it calms down in the Gulf. Trout are around and should improve dramatically as waters return to normal. Reds are here but the tournaments start soon and they are chased a lot. Snook look great but it is catch and release.

          Pompano have blessed us and saved many trips recently. We even managed a few yesterday in that wind. It was the only day our special guest thirteen year old Connor could go. He had fun and they are from Canada so it was warm to them.

          The mackerel should be here soon and we have a Boca grande Mack Attack coming up the 7^th of April for a few boats. This is a fun event  not a competitive competition! It is limited to 15 boats and is a family event. We’ll have a cook out with our fresh mackerel afterwards.

          Sorry to be so short this week but thankfully fishing is busy so don’t procrastinate get your reservation soon or risk missing out!

Captain Van Hubbard <www.captvan.com>

             Wonderful weather and great fishing from Venice to Boca Grande this past week.This is still the most unique and challenging fishing I’ve encountered in the forty years I’ve lived guiding our local waters! As we travel from Stump Pass Marina through Lemon Bay down to Charlotte Harbor I see large areas with no fish at all. I have not seen a mullet jump in a week, that’s scary! The good news is when we find fish they are concentrated. It takes more boat riding but we usually discover fish. We have not seen any dead fish recently but we have seen some slightly discolored water on the 18th. The best news is that red tide seems to have dissipated and I don’t have a clue as to why; I’m just thankful it’s gone.

          The sheepshead have been thick on all near shore artificial reefs recently. We are passing the Full Moon when I expect many to spawn. Some will remain near the reefs and many will return inshore to feed and fatten back up. This fishery should remain strong for another month. It’s been a red hot bite when winds allow us outside. We save the bigger ones and they eat like grouper.

          Pompano have blessed us regularly recently. With this fish nothing is guaranteed except that they don’t sit still and while a favorite they are challenging. Doc’s Goofy jigs with my custom pompano flies have been best but we are catching several on the rattle corks with shrimp. Fish are sometimes in normal places and more often recently; where we find them. Share info with friends because these fish are not going to be here tomorrow! Be prepared to move a lot and burn some fuel to score consistently. My new, efficient Evinrude E-Tec 200 is saving my bacon here! Several times we found pompano looking for trout. My friend Captain Matt Coleman made our day last week by sharing a hot spot he stumbled into pompano while trout fishing; it was hot two days and dead the third? That’s why we call it fishing and these tasty devils are the craziest.  

          Snook were biting well but it got cooler they slowed so we’ve concentrated on eating fish since that bite has been hot. When our waters warm back up we’ll get after the snook again. Some have been minnows around  if you want to invest the time to chase them. Remember the risk if you run into bad water! We have done well on shrimp when we find hungry snook so far.

          Trout seem to be hiding and will show up anytime in numbers. I believe this because; we had plenty of specks and I’ve not seen many dead ones. It’s time for them to start spawning and that means they bunch up! So get ready for hot trout action when this occurs.

          Redfish are here and can be caught if you don’t mind putting in the effort. Reds are targeted by lots of anglers and the tournaments so they get chased constantly. The more any fish gets chased the harder they run and spookier they get! We have reds just expect to work for them or get lucky.

          Spanish Mackerel are scattered but we are catching a few. They are skinny which shows minnows are not easy to find. This will improve soon. Also we are hosting a small, fifteen boat Mack Attack, fun event from Whidden’s Marina on April the 7^th. This is a family event and no money prizes we are raising funs for the Bit of Hope Ranch and Boca Grande Historical Museum. We are going to have raffle prizes and a fish fry after to meet and share our experiences.  We want to revive our exciting mackerel fishery and promote family fun fishing this is not a competitive event! Please let me know if you’re interested?

          One more tip to remember. Observe the water color and tint carefully because fishing will dramatically change if tainted waters flow into your spot! We are catching fish so fast sometimes that I don’t notice the gradual shift from green to a yellowish tint; then it is redder and the fish shut down!  It’s time to move and the brighter the sun the faster it seams to bloom. Several times last week we went for red hot to red tide in ten minutes but caught fish there again the next day. Go figure I’m just sharing what is happening? Thank you for your support. Let’s go fishin’ soon. Captain Van Hubbard www.captvan.com

PS book Boca Grande snook and tarpon trips now!

         Our weather is lows almost sixty with highs near eighty and over; we could not ask for more. Red tide is on vacation right now; and no dead fish this past week! I only got out twice last week. Once off shore with Captain Tom McLaughlin and we caught a mess of fish for dinner plus I got a huge 55 pound cobia on a snapper rig with Cotee Jig. Please forgive my lack of computer skills but photos are on Facebook at Captain Van Hubbard, page linked to my website.

          Beth Bergan and her friends from Manasota Key went back bay fishing on Friday and we had a ball. We started out with fourteen snook up to twenty-eight inches. They fought hard with this warm water. I saw some sheepshead but all we caught there was small ones so we moved on. After a ride up into Charlotte Harbor we found trout, mackerel, and several pompano for dinner plus ladyfish, jacks, and shark to add excitement.

          Live shrimp and rattle corks are the best bets now! We did get pompano and ladyfish on Doc’s Goofy Jigs. The mackerel will eat spoons if you locate a bunch. Be ready for anything cobia and sharks are already in the harbor.

          I am still challenged every time I go out. Fish are all over the place and not in the same place twice! Waters are looking good most places. We usually need to ride around more than I like but it is producing good results and a beautiful boat ride. We see lots of dolphin, eagles, osprey, white and brown pelicans, etc… every where.  Lemon Bay looks good but we have had a hard time finding hungry fish recently. Charlotte Harbor is great but a ride. The gulf has been different every day so not dependable.

          Spring is just around the corner if my plants are accurate! They have buds and new growth everywhere. It’s of course impossible to predict the future but spring and summer fish looks like it will be great. Lots of fish and while the plague did pester us fish stocks appear fine except for maybe mullet. Time will tell!

          It is time to get your snook, tarpon, and mackerel trips locked up before you miss out. Mackerel and pompano have been around Boca Grande so far this year and snook have cooperated better than I’ve ever seen because of the moderate weather. Things could break and go crazy any time the way it’s been?

          Let’s go fishin’ soon. Captain Van Hubbard <www.captvan.com>

         Let’s see if I can get my Venice to Boca Grande reports back to weekly. When fishing is any thing near normal I can maintain a schedule but this mess has frustrated me to no end! We had a nice trip on Monday I’m just glad I have the Evinrude 200 E-Tec for power because fishing now requires a boat ride. The economy and speed are life savers. Rides are not a bad thing; our Charlotte Harbor area is beautiful now. The winter birds are abundant with hundreds of huge white pelicans, all kinds of wading birds and too many ospreys to count. It’s just gas costs are hard on my budget so I’d much rather catch fish in Lemon Bay and spend more time fishing. Actually I must admit like many of my friends that fish with me, I do prefer catching. Right now catching requires that we cruise around to find happy fish more than usual.

           Normally I can put together a game plan and rarely need to alter it. Some stops are hot others are not. My good friend Scotty calls it a mail route and that works for me. These days fishing spots as messed up as our mail system; isn’t e-mail great.  Every day is totally new. At first this bugged me but now I realize that us old salts don’t take new paths unless we are forced to. So I figure this is what it takes to get me out of the old rut and discover; actually rediscover Charlotte Harbor and beyond! Shucks, I just might learn something.

          Alright I’ll get to the fishy part. I am finding some quality fish I just never know where to start. After four decades of fishing I have an understanding of what our fish want to do. But between the other folks sharing the fishery and now this red tide mess I am back to the basics. Ride hard until I see mullet and wading birds. They tell me the area is alive; simple but very important right now. Then carefully dial in some desirable fish for my folks to catch. We may start out with anything to bend our rods. Ladyfish are fun and much better than nothing. Trout are abundant but many are small; great for future fishing but not dinner to night. Redfish are looking very good if you have the patience to locate and then stalk these shy flats trophies. Snook have been abundant and biting but catch and release only. I am very optimistic about this springs fishing because I’m seeing a lot of big fish. In side is fine we just need to invest time riding and looking; then make the most of our opportunities!

          Near shore has bright spots but is not dependable this time of year; but awesome so far! We have the warmest winter waters I have ever seen now. Mid seventies most days, yes those red tide blooms are totally unpredictable. So while I am not pushing our near shore fishing now we have excellent odds if you are a gambler; nothing ventured, nothing is gained! Spanish and king mackerel are around. Baitfish are frequently available, in quantity too! Cobia are on the wrecks but it’s a ride we only do in fair weather. If we have a trip set up for outside and it’s windy, we do have a backup plan to fish inside protected waters.

          I to wish I had a crystal ball to predict this red tide mess, and our weather while I’m at it; yea the Super Bowl too; but that’s not the way it is!

Let’s go fishin’ soon, if you’re up for it? Please get your spring and summer dates locked in soon others are not procrastinating! Thank you for your support.

Captain Van Hubbard <www.captvan.com>

          I’ve supported myself fishing since my honorable discharge from the Navy back in 1970 so I do have some experience to draw from when I tell you this is a weird year! We can start out from home port of Stump Pass Marina and see healthy snook at the dock. We proceed into Lemon Bay and every day is different; some beautiful others not pretty. I can usually make an educated guess as to what we can expect but; this year, expect surprises. One day is great and the next can be the opposite. Go figure? I am just glad that so far while we have lost some fish the red tide effects have been more of a challenge than a devastating problem. So far we have not lost significant numbers of targeted fish; it’s mostly mullet and catfish.

          While I hate red tide; we can learn from it. Two separate large tarpon were reported last week one over a hundred pounds was up in Lemon Bay. It’s always interesting to see what fish pop up and where. We can learn more of what fish are where, and when, for future fishing. Water temps were seventy-five degrees at Stump Pass on Monday. We found minnows and caught a thirty-one inch snook on shrimp. We saw Spanish mackerel in the near shore Gulf also offshore boats are catching kings as far north as St. Pete. If we didn’t have this red tide it would be the best fishing ever around here because of the mild water temps. So yes, red tide is a problem but so far with one exception we have found good fish catching and beautiful water. It just requires more riding and fortunately I have the new Evinrude E-Tec to allow us to range farther and faster with better fuel consumption. Life has challenges but we have opportunities to overcome most and this is what helps us grow and learn.

          We found lots of ladyfish and smaller trout in Bull Bay Monday. We saw several nice snook and no dead fish inside. We did have to ride past some dead fish in Gasparilla Sound and some ugly water but we cruised at thirty and it was brief.  As we passed Devilfish Key we encountered a huge group of dolphin feeding on trout. We observed them eating and playing with nice two pound specks. They broke off and surfed with us as we rode by and that was exciting for Steve and Jack Ryan, father Tony and Grandpa John Freeman. While we had to invest time traveling it was a nice ride and educational fun for all of us.  We saw hundreds of the big white pelicans. It’s nice to have the speed to fish Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande more.  Venice had problems last week but again it changes daily.

          It’s an eye opening education for me to see how patchy this out break has been so far. Fair weather seems to enhance blooms and rough, windy, cold conditions disperse concentrations.  You can have dead zones for miles and then abundant fish schooled up a few hundred yards apart as we found Monday by Stump Pass. No life between the passes and abundant fish around the inlets? Like I said this is a learning experience for me and while I’ll be glad when it’s gone we are still enjoying some quality fishing around this mess.

          It’s time to get your reservations for Spring and Summer fishing trips locked up while there are openings. We do have very optimistic outlook for great fishing after the colder Winter chills kill this mess. So, Let’s go fishin’ soon. Captain Van Hubbard www.captvan.com.