Central Florida Fishing Report

Indian River

captmikebadarack — Tue, 29 May 2012 08:47:11 -0400

Tarpon have been very good on fly and live bait in the morning hours and evening hours, most fish have been between 20lbs-40lbs. Also on the calm days ocean tarpon have been around bait schools, most fish are 60lbs-120lbs.

Also plenty of sharks have been out on the bait schools as well, most fish are 3ft-6ft and are actively eating live baits. A few big snook have been around as well, Joey McKinney of Kentucky, caught a 20 plus lber this week on a live bait.

Trout have been very active on grass flats this week too, most fish are 22inch-30inch and are being caught on lures or live bait in 1ft-2ft of water.

Marco Island Florida

Madsnookin — Tue, 29 May 2012 08:45:43 -0400

With May coming to a close and June quickly approaching the juvenile Tarpon bit is in full swing in Marco Island and Naples. By the end of June I will be fishing large Tarpon on the nearshore wrecks of the Everglades but for now I am stalking my favorite fish. The juvenile tarpon can be found aywhere in the 10,000 Islands bt I like to catch them in the creeks and river mouths that line the back country. They jump like crazy and fight hard. I can't think of a more worthy advesary on light tackle. Come and join for a light tackle adventure not soon forgotten!

Tight Lines and light winds
- Capt. Jesse Karen
http://www.madsnookin.com

Fort Lauderdale Fishing Headquarters

fishing headquarters — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:50:21 -0400

The cobia bite is going off on the Ft Lauderdale drift fishing boats. A friend of mine in Jacksonville, Florida called me last week and said get ready for some great cobia fishing… they’re headed down the coast. We’re catching them almost every trip these days, nice ones between 20-40 pounders and some even bigger. Drift fishing is a great way to catch cobia. If a school is swimming down the reef and comes within scent of your drift, you have enough baits set out there to catch every fish in the school. Cobia love to travel following just behind sea turtles, manta rays, sting rays, whale sharks, whales, or any slow moving marine creature. In fact, any time I ever spot any of these creatures swimming out there, I always try to get a few baits just behind them in case any cobias are following. Cobia will eat just about any bait you throw at them… a live pilchard, blue runner or goggle eye, a dead squid, ballyhoo or sardine, and they will even eat cast baits and artificial lures. Finding them is much harder than getting them to eat. And above all else, remember that cobias rarely travel alone. Where there is one, there are almost always others… be ready!

Nice catch of cobias, AJs, and sailfish on a Ft Lauderdale sport fishing charter
The sport fishing boats are also catching some cobias, either by kite fishing or deep dropping around the wrecks. The deep wrecks are also a great place to catch cobia. When you hook into a cobia on a wreck, they almost always swim right up to the surface to see what’s happening. If the fish you hook on a wreck shoots right up to the top, it’s probably a cobia. Around the wrecks this month, the groupers are also biting very good. Black groupers on the 100-200 ft wrecks and snowy groupers and warsaws on the 300-400ft wrecks. Groupers are finally in-season again here in Florida, and we can catch them at will. Sailfish are spotty, but they are still around. A few sailfish, blackfin tuna and wahoo are being caught this week on the sport fishing charter boats, and some smoker kingfish and snappers biting on the drift boats. There is some good Ft Lauderdale fishing going on out there. Good luck fishing this week everyone, I’ll sea ya on the water.

Come out fishing with us!
Capt. Andy Roydhouse/Fishing Headquarters
www.fishheadquarters.com
(754)214-7863

Kissimmee Chain

capt Pete — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:17:35 -0400

05/14/2012

With water levels low fish are biting on the outside edges of the weed beds in 5-6 feet of water. Caught at least one fish over 8 lbs. the last time out but most fish are 2-4 lbs. Top waters in the early morning and soft plastic worms fished slower later on in the day. Fish are biting live wild shiners on fished on corks. Both on the Butler Chain and Kissimmee Chain the fish are doing well and you will catch 15-20 fish in a ½ day. Artificial bite is a little slower for bigger fish but you can catch some smaller fish up to 5lbs. on watermelon red flukes and chrome blue rattle traps when you see them schooling on the surface.

Great Fishing!
Capt. Pete Matson
A#1 Bass Guide Service
800-707-5463

Crystal River And Homosassa Fishing Report

Capt Kyle Messier — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:17:21 -0400

Tarpon fever has officially hit the Nature Coast and Florida Fishing Adventures is feeling the effects of this horrible sickness. Sleep deprivation, Hallucinations, and Exhaustion, are just a few of the terrible symptoms, but after staring at acres and acres of rolling, tailing and feeding Tarpon over the last few weeks this long awaited infection is a welcomed sign!!! Stay tuned to FLORIDAFISHINGADVENTURES.COM as well as our FaceBook page for all the up to date fishing photos and videos from this upcoming Tarpon season.

When Florida Fishing Adventures is not chasing the Silver Kings we are doing our best to work on some of the best inshore species along the West Coast of Florida. Redfish, Speckled Trout and Sharks are our top targets at the moment (other than Tarpon) and opportunities to catch all three within a day of fishing are occurring on a regular basis. With beautiful weather, crystal clear waters and great tides making up the bulk of May fishing now is a great time to experience some of the best fishing the Nature Coast has to offer.

With shallow water sight fishing being the preferred method of choice during the month of May and Redfish and Sharks all preferring the sheltered and shallow waters of the local flats stretching from Homosassa to Crystal River now is a great time to hit the skinny water for some Awesome drag screaming action. When hitting the skinny water remember to stalk up on a variety of baits. I for one love Gulps! and Live Shrimp but as the water continues to warm Pinfish become a more prevalent species on the flats and can make quick work of a shrimp in a matter of seconds. That being said now is a great time to consider catching a few Ladyfish, Lizardfish, or Mullet before your outing. Cutbait is great bait for both Redfish and Sharks and considering that most cut bait species are very prevalent this time of year it never hurts to put a bend in the rod before you hit the serious fishing.

Considering school is almost out what better way to enjoy the day than taking a kid fishing. Whether you take a kid out to catch a little extra bait for the day or you bring them along for the added bonus of a great Speckled Trout fishing bite, exposing a child to the wonderful world of the Nature Coast could bring lasting memories for all. Speaking of Speckled Trout, with water temperatures continuing to climb most Speckled Trout are making a mad dash to exit the shallow waters of the flats in search of deeper more consistent water and temperatures. During these massive pushes many of the outer/deeper grass flats that we normally fish for Spanish Mackerel in the spring and fall can load up with these tasty, toothy fish. I for one love to throw Live Shrimp on a Cajun Thunder on the outer most edges of these grassy areas (depending on the tide). Normally you will know right away if you have hit the right grassy spot on an area. It doesn’t take long for a Trophy Trout to find a wounded shrimp and more often than not where there is one Speckled Trout there are more fish along the same piece of real estate.

May is a magical time of year for fishing. Some of my fondest fishing memories have occurred during this month and I hope that I can create a few memories for my customers as well. So if you are interested in long drag screaming runs and unforgettable fishing experiences contact Florida Fishing Adventures today. We are in the fishing Memories Business.

Capt. Kyle Messier
(352) 634-4002
kylemessier@yahoo.com
WWW.FLORIDAFISHINGADVENTURES.COM
WWW.CRYSTALRIVER-FLYFISHING.COM

South Indian River Fishing Forecast - May

fishtales — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:45:10 -0400

May Fishing Forecast for the Treasure Coast

Inshore:

Finally, the windy months of March and April are almost behind us and we can look forward to the great fishing weather that May has to offer us on the Treasure Coast. Other than the usual windy days, it has been a pretty mild winter and spring has arrived. Look for warmer temperatures and little less blustery days. As the water temperatures climb, the fishing will steadily improve on the river. It will provide fantastic mornings for top water and lazy afternoons to drift the flats. May is one of my favorite months on the water!

Redfish will be our main target throughout the month of May. The past several years have bought us schools of slot sized redfish along the Indian River. Most of the fish we have caught have been in the 18 to 30 inch range. They have been sunning on the flats and May gets their blood pumping and turns on the feeding. I always have three lures ready during May…DOA shrimp, CAL jerk baits and top water lures. Gold spoons will also be a great addition to the arsenal when fishing for redfish. As the fish school up, look for them around the edges of the flats. Most of the river here on the Treasure Coast has been holding redfish and you should be able to find some on your favorite flats. I tend to enjoy the east side of the river, but we have found many on the west side as well.

Snook fishing in the early mornings will bring some rod bending action as they head up on the flats for an early morning or late evening meal. Top water lures, Baitbusters and DOA shrimp are all great lures to tempt a snook into biting. Docks will also hold snook lurking around for an easy meal. Live shrimp is hard to beat around the docks. In the inlet areas, try around the seawalls and bridges with live bait, Terror Eyz, feather jigs or deep diving plugs. I love early morning for great snook fishing opportunities!

Trout will continue to feed on top water at first light and live shrimp on popping corks during the day. As the sun rises, they will head off the shallows to deeper water in the two to four foot range. We have had some nice gator trout of late and should see some still in the river in the early parts of May. I have had great success with CAL jerk baits and Deadly Combos this year in place of live shrimp. Both sides of the river have been productive in early mornings. Winter fishing for trout has been good this year and spring should continue to give you some great action.

Bridges will hold the usual Sheephead catch, while snapper will be moving into the river along with flounder. Jacks will be patrolling the areas and creating havoc all over the river. Beaches will produce whiting with still a few catches of Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Tarpon will begin their trek into the river and you can start looking for them in the St Lucie River, Big and Little Mud areas and into the channels of the river. May is a great month to fish the Treasure Coast….plan on a trip out on the river soon!

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner

http://www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

West Lake Toho

CaptainBobbyHensel — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:44:58 -0400

The bass in West Lake Toho have begun their summer pattern and you can find lots of fish in open water. Look for them to school right after daylight. and throughout the day if conditions are right. The ones we ran into were a little on the small side but what they lack in size they make up in numbers and enthusiasm. Any bait that mimicks a small bait fish will get you hookups and for some fun try going with ultra light tackle. For some bigger fish we used live wild shiners fished over scattered submerged hydrilla in 4 - 6 feet of water. Try trolling them around until you hit some fish.

Helpful hint : Try braid line in different weights for special purposes. Most folks know to use heavy braid (50 pound plus ) for Toad-Frog fishing in heavy cover and for flipping and pitching and we use it for shiner fishing. Have you tried downsizing braid for topwaters and for casting small plastics ? Braid has some great properties, it floats, it has no stretch, and it's very small in diameter. (15 pound the same as 4 pound mono ) It also does not have memory like mono or break down in the sun. With a medium action rod you can cast small braid a long way and still set the hook with no problem. In dark water the fish cannot see it but in clear water you need to add a piece of florocarbon leader. Experiment and see if you can add this to your fishing equipment !

Keep a tight line,

Captain Bobby Hensel

Trinity Guide Service

407-709-5439

www.fl-fish-guides.com

New Smyrna/MosquitoLagoon/DaytonaBeach

Capt Michael Savedow — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:44:49 -0400

May 2012 brings the beginning of summer fishing patterns to Mosquito Lagoon Florida. I had a great April with loads of fun charter trips, many Redfish were caught sight fishing on the grass flats, some great Seatrout also as these are the main 2 target species here on the Lagoon. With low water levels during this our dry season, much of my flats fishing has focused on the edges where the flats drop off to deeper water, Mullet bait schools along with the game fish stay near these edges where the flats are very shallow during low water periods. Some of the Reds we caught sight casting were tailing, which can be the most exciting behavior you can see while flats fishing. We sneak the boat up on these fish which are rooting in the grass for food, if the angler on the bow makes an accurate cast right into the fish’s zone, the fight is on. Here is a photo of Jeremy with the over slot Redfish he caught and released with me a couple mornings ago which was tailing as beautiful as you could want. Also more pictures of April clients catches of Redfish, Seatrout, and more.

http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab117/CaptMichaelSavedow/May12012JeremyRed.jpg

As spring transitions into summer, the calm morning weather patterns become more prevalent making for many fun flats fishing trips to come throughout the summer months here on Mosquito Lagoon. We will be prowling the flats hunting Redfish and fishing deeper drop offs and holes for Seatrout. Flats fishing is a more challenging type of fishing, good for experienced anglers as well as all fishermen and fisherwomen wanting to experience this great fun type of shallow water fishing.

http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab117/CaptMichaelSavedow/May12012MikeLTrout.jpg

Summer is also a great time for my Edgewater Backcountry mixed bag fishing trips on a little deeper channels and drop offs. On most every trip we catch Seatrout, Jack Crevalle, and Ladyfish in this fun easy type of fishing. On most trips we catch a few other species also which can include Flounder, Black Drum, Whiting, Redfish, Mangrove Snapper, or Sheepshead, to name a few, with about 10 species of saltwater fish caught on most trips, perfect for family trips and fishermen looking for a sure thing fishing trip with bigger quantities of fun fish caught. This is light spinning tackle fishing with live shrimp baits. Young Austin here from Australia with his dad released this great 33 spot Redfish back into the water in the backcountry while on one of my mixed fishing trips.

http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab117/CaptMichaelSavedow/May1201233SpotRed.jpg

CALM WATER INSHORE SALTWATER FISHING – NO SEA SICKNESS

http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab117/CaptMichaelSavedow/May12012RobertTrout.jpg

As we are out catching fun saltwater fish and enjoying the great outdoors here on beautiful Mosquito Lagoon we will be seeing lots of wildlife up close and personal near the boat with Dolphins and many different bird species on every trip. On many trips we see Manatees which have come back with a great population rise thanks to boaters awareness to be careful of these impresive slow moving marine mammals.

http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab117/CaptMichaelSavedow/May12012Ladyfish.jpg

MY BOAT COMFORTABLY ACCOMMODATES 1 TO 4 ANGLERS
Located close to DAYTONA BEACH, NEW SMYRNA BEACH, ORLANDO, KISSIMMEE, DISNEY WORLD, COCOA BEACH, EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA. Saltwater Inshore Fishing. Feel free to contact me at any time with questions you may have about my fishing charters. Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Guide. Flats Sight Fishing, Also Eco-Tours, Sightseeing, Bird Watching, Photography Trips.

http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab117/CaptMichaelSavedow/May12012ChildTrout.jpg

CALL ME ANYTIME AT 386-689-3781
CHILDREN ALWAYS WELCOME – FAIR PRICES

http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab117/CaptMichaelSavedow/May12012Red2.jpg

Capt. Michael Savedow
Edgewater River Guide, Inc.
386-689-3781
email> EdgewaterRiverGuide@cfl.rr.com
Website> http://EdgewaterRiverGuide.com

Tampa Bay To Sarasota

anna maria island fishing — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:44:07 -0400

Tampa Bay May Fishing Report

Hi all, everything is going great down here on Anna Maria Island. Fishing has been good and the weather has been great as well, except for the little blow we had this past weekend. It looks like the 10 day forecast is right back up to 85 degree highs.

The fishing on the flats has been incredible. We have been just smashing the Redfish. I have had many days with 30 plus fish in the 22 to 35 inch class. Some days nearly half of them are over 30 inches with plenty of smaller keeper size slot fish.

The Snook fishing has still been strong as well. I have been starting the days off with Redfish and then finishing them off with some fun Snook action. Most of the Snook are in the 20 to 25 inch class, but I have been getting a few 30 inchers.

Trout are also still biting well. I have not been getting a lot of large ones, but plenty of keepers 16 to 17 inch fish with a few larger, along with a few Spanish Mackerel mixed in.

Offshore the King fishing remains strong and should stay that way after this little cold front we had. One thing I have notice this year is the Kingfish action has been very consistent and they have averaged larger in size than the past few years. 15 or 20 pound has been very average size fish and we are at the very least hooking up multiple 25 to 30 pounders every day.

Tampa charter fishing report at www.captainmatt.com

Gag Grouper are still hitting good and although they are out of season they make for a nice fight on Kingfish gear.

A little further out there is plenty of Red Grouper to catch and we have been getting a few nice keepers. Mangrove Snapper have also been biting well. Mixed in with the King fish are plenty of Spanish Mackerel as well, some close to 30 inches which makes for a nice added bonus.

Yes, Tarpon season is right around the corner, in a few more days it will make up the bulk of May fishing for the next 3 months. I have been out there a few days testing the waters on some early season Tarpon fishing. One day this past week we landed 3, an 80 pounder, 130 pounder and a 160ish pound fish. We also hooked a few others and caught some nice Cobia while fishing for them.

May fishing is here and the Tarpon extravaganza is about to begin. I can’t wait; it’s my favorite time of year.

I hope you have enjoyed my report. I have a few Tarpon dates available, if anyone is interested in doing battle with my favorite sport fish let me know.

Capt. Matt
941-447-9888
Tampa fishing guide report at www.captainmatt.com

East Lake Toho

CaptainBobbyHensel — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:43:29 -0400

The fishing on East Lake Toho remains steady with schooling bass busting bait in the morning and evening, It has been some great topwater action and when they quit hitting on the top we were able to continue catching them on plastic worms near and in the reeds. They seemed to prefer Redbug or Red shad colors.

Monday I noticed we had a mayfly hatch going on. This is the time of the year to break out your flyrod for some fantastic topwater popper action. It should be easy to catch a mess of good sized bluegill and shellcrackers. Stay with something in a yellow color. Downsize the rod to a 4 or 5 weight and those little guys pull pretty hard for their size. Lots of fun !

Good fishing,

Captain Bobby Hensel

Trinity Guide Service

407-709-5439

www.fl-fish-guides.com

Tampa Bay

anna maria island fishing — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:43:19 -0400

It Tampa Charter Fishing Report at www.captainmatt.com
is finally here, my favorite time of year, Tarpon season. The first few days of the month we had to work at hooking the Tarpon a little harder, although we still made it happen. We had large numbers of fish schooling in the area by the 1st of May, although they seem to be a little tight lipped because the water was a little cooled down by the cold front the week before. That changed quickly though. The Tarpon are running full blast now; it only took a few hot days and the bite was on. Today we landed four, the largest a 150 pounder, and hooked over ten and left them biting. Yesterday we hooked fifteen Tarpon, including a quadruple hookup, and landed five. We left them biting. There is just nothing quite like sight fishing for Tarpon. It’s the best fishing in the world, and it doesn’t get any better than Anna Maria Island in May for sight fishing giant Tarpon. This will be my 18th year as a fulltime charter captain fishing for Tarpon, and every year is just as exciting as the year before. I love it; I eat, drink, dream and live this stuff every day until about the 3rd week of July. I just can’t wait for the first approaching school of the morning and then the first hookup of the day that might even be better.
Tampa Bay Charter Fishing Report at www.captainmatt.com
So that’s what I have to report about, the tarpon are biting. I’m not going to run down a big list of fish that I have not been targeting this month, although I am sure the Redfish, Snook and Trout are on the bite as well. I did catch a 45 pound Cobia on the beach while Tarpon fishing this week, which was a nice little bonus, but that is pretty much it. I am fishing for Tarpon, and I am catching them.
Let me know if you want to get out and do battle, until next time I hope you enjoyed my report and as always good luck fishing. Capt Matt
Tampa Fishing Report at www.captainmatt.com
941 447 9888

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

fishing headquarters — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:43:06 -0400

There is a great tuna bite going on in Fort Lauderdale this week. This morning's Catch My Drift fishing trip landed 2 really nice tunas, some kingfish and a couple bonitos. The blackfin tuna are averaging 25-35 pounds, biting good in 100-150ft of water, just outside the reef. They are travelling in small pods of 3-4 fish. All week, we've been picking at the tunas on our sportfishing charters. This week, the tuna are biting drifting baits better, even better than the butterfly jigs and pilchard jigs, which normally work awesome for tunas. They're eating dead sardines and ballyhoo the best it seems. Cobia are also biting on the reef and edge of the gulfstream. We are catching them either by kite fishing or bottom dropping around the wrecks, wreck fishing working a little bit better for them. Yesterday's drift fishing trip caught a 40 pound cobia, caught on a 12 pound spinning reel outfit. Kingfish too, are biting good out there finally. After 3 slow months of kingfishing, they are finally starting to bite for us again. Most kingfish these days average 8-12 pound, but a couple 40 pound smokers are also hitting the docks here and there. I fully expect an awesome summer of king fishing in Fort Lauderdale in the months to come. Good luck to everyone fishing this week, the bite is on!

Capt. Andy Roydhouse

www.fishheadquarters.com

(754)214-7863

Mosquito Lagoon, New Smyrna Bch, And Edgewater May 2012

patrick rood — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:42:55 -0400

It's hard to believe that it is already the month of May but with May brings change to the Lagoon system. The fish are starting to get into their
summer time patterns with the warm temps and higher water. Look for the schools of Red Fish to start splitting up into smaller pods or singles. They will be holding on the shallow grass early
then moving to deeper water as the day go's on. The Trout bite has been excellent for the last couple of weeks and I expect this to carry through mid summer .
Look for the Trout to be holding in a foot to three foot of water mixed in with the large bait pods these fish along with the Red fish can be caught on several
different baits from soft plastics to live finger mullet the best bite will be early before the water temperature gets to hot. Now the magic question have the Tarpon moved in yet
and the answer is yes but not in full force we should start seeing more pods as the weeks go on. There has been some nice numbers of Jacks and Flounder being caught toward the north near Edgewater and New Smyrna Bch
for the Jacks a top water plug or a Auqa Dream Spoon works well and a soft plastic on a jig head for the Flounder good luck and be safe.

Capt Patrick Rood
www.spotntailcharters.com
386 566 1394

Hernando Beach

Captain Keith Tomlinson — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:42:44 -0400

The fishing out of this area of the Nature Coast ha been fantastic. There are a variety of species to target right now in the flats off Hernando Beach. The tarpon have arrived and the other species like cobia, shark, pompano, mackerel, red fish and trout are being caught throughout the entire region in good numbers.
The best red fish bite seems to be in the morning on a good moving tide. We have had the best success using a live pin fish free lined over rocky structure near a mangrove shoreline. I like to cut off the tail of the pin fish and hook it just above the cut off tail. This make the bait swim distressed in the water and it cast much further.
If your in the mood to battle sharks then now is the time. Drop a chum bag in 6 - 10 ft of water and float some cut bait 4 ft under a cork in the chum slick. I use a 6/0 circle hook and a 10 in" section of steel leader on a heavy spinning rod with 40 - 50 Lb. braid.
Tarpon have officially arrived to our area and can be found in 3 - 6 ft of water from Aripeka to Homosassa. Anglers come to our region to catch a trophy "silver king" on a fly rod, but these bruisers can also be sight casted to and caught on heavy spinning tackle. Hunting tarpon requires stealth, patience, and the proper presentation of your fly or lure. Remember to be polite on the water when you see other anglers searching for tarpon. Shut your motor down at least 300 yards from other fishermen and quietly approach the area. If you are running your vessel be sure to navigate far around poling boats.

Good luck out there and tight lines!

Capt. Keith Tomlinson
Bulldog Fishin Charters
www.bulldogfishin.com
(352)238-3581

Mosquito Lagoon

Joe Porcelli — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:42:33 -0400

Redfish and Trout Galore

Yesterday we had the slowest day of the month with 8 fish. Wow, the trout have been big and fat. Paul got some nice Trout that he caught on Berkley Jerk bait/Finger mullet. Bounce it off the bottom for best results and choose a jig head with a 5/0 size or bigger for good hook up ratios. It’s like using a 7” bait. It keeps the smaller ones from messing with you and gives the bigger fish a chance. If you spend your time catching 14” trout and un hooking them, getting another bait, bla bla bla, you will spend less time in front of the fish you want to catch. Another thing I have watched for years is people fishing and catching these smaller trout. They are not handling them properly. The problem I am having is watching them grab a small trout with a DRY rag then tossing them back in the water. This wipes all the protective slime off the trout making them more susceptible to parasites and disease. So Dude, you sitting on that plush seat perched on your bow, is it you don’t have a hook remover or pliers or were they all the way in the back of the boat. If you don’t want to get your hands slimy (eww) use a hook remover, Please. Sometimes I feel I have touched base on this issue many times but I have to remember that there are new anglers on the water all the time and constant education seems to be a must.

Paul also took some nice redfish on his annual fishing trip with his dad Henry Schmidlin, they caught so many fish I would have to do a whole chapter on their Stay. Here is the short version in their four days of fishing. Day 1: 35 trout and 10 redfish. Day 2: 49 trout and 8 redfish. Day 3: 25 trout and 5 black drum. Day 4: 25 trout, 1 flounder and 5 redfish. Many ladyfish were/are in the mix along with some jacks. All of the fish were caught on Berkley Gulp and PowerBaits, except for the black drum.
Remember, Think like a fish to catch fish or just call me at 386 314 5656
www.captainjoeporcelli.com

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

fishing headquarters — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:42:21 -0400

The sailfish bite is going off this week in Fort Lauderdale. 200-300ft of water, wherever the blue-green water color change is that day, is the hot area for the bite. A lot of these sailfish are mutliple hookups too, pods of 3-4 fish. May is usually one of the best spring fishing months to catch sailfish. Some will get caught in the summer months of June-September, but this next couple weeks will be the best sailfish bite we'll have again until next October. The strong east wind is a big factor for the good sailfishing this week too. For kite fishing, the best technique to catch sailfish, we need some wind, which also means some choppy seas. The choppiest days are usually the best days for sailfish. Kite fishing in 200-300ft of water is also very good fishing for blackfin tuna and cobia. A few of these fish are also patrolling the color change in search of food, always keep a pitch bait ready for something unexpected.

Bottom fishing on the shipwrecks also deserves an honorable mention. Groupers, which have been off-limits to us since January 1, just opened up on the first of this month. They are on all the wrecks, you just have to drop a bait right on their heads. Black groupers, gag groupers, warsaw grouper and the deepwater snowy groupers are out there and ready to be caught. On these wrecks there are also amberjacks up the wazzoo, and a few cobia schools moving through. Make sure to catch your fish quickly though, sharks are also in season and ready to pounce on any struggling fish you hook into. We've been known to loose more than a few fish this time of year to big bull sharks around the wrecks. Great fishing this week in Fort Lauderdale. May is my favorite month to fish in South Florida, because of the great variety of gamefish in the area, and the sheer bio-mass of fish in our waters. It's great to see so many fish biting.

Ft Lauderdale Fishing Forecast

Drift Fishing trips in the morning are going to have good kingfishing, snappers biting better in the afternoon. A few cobia and blackfin tunas will be mixed in. Watch out for a few smoker kingfish to get caught over the next few weeks.

Night Snapper fishing will also get really good this month. The muttons are biting good around the wrecks and on the reef if you chum for a long time. Yellowtails too are biting, with some mangrove snappers on the bottom. The full moon in June is the mutton spawn here in Fort Lauderdale. Try fishing on the June full moon to catch get in on some awesome mutton snapper fishing.

Sportfishing- Wrecks are hot action and as guaranteed a catch as you can get in Ft Lauderdale. Big amberjacks, groupers, cobias are stacked up. You shouldn't have to wait long for a bite. Kite fishing in 200-300 ft of water means you can catch anything and everything that bites on top. Some of the biggest gamefish of the year will get caught over the next few weeks. Dolphin fishing is good too, but you need a full day of fishing to get out there, they are mostly 10-15 miles offshore these days.

Mosquito Lagoon

Joe Porcelli — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 08:49:58 -0400

Gators in the Grass

Big trout is what we caught yesterday and the day before and the day before that. Along with some nice over slot redfish. The trout have been plentiful on the shallow flats in the Mosquito Lagoon. Yesterday Steve tossed Gulp Sinking minnows and minnow worms at big trout sitting, waiting to ambush bait. He ended up catching eight trout from 1.5 to 4 plus pounds. He and his son also caught ten reds between them to 33’’. You will see the reds on the same flats with the trout because the food is there. If you don’t see fish, move. If you see mullet, stay. If they jump a lot, cast. And you will catch fish.

I have been seeing these trout more this year than I have in previous years on the flat in the spring. The trout never bunched up as much this past winter because of the mild temperatures we had but now they are real happy since the finger mullet are running. I have also seen and caught many trout following stingrays and redfish waiting for something to dart out. If you want to catch numbers, say thirty to eighty in a day; bounce your Gulp shrimp off the bottom in three to five feet of water. Work the many edges of the flats and move if you don’t catch a fish in ten minutes. You will catch some big fish this way as well, but you will catch ten smaller fish before you catch a good one. The jacks and ladyfish will chew you up while you are bouncing your jigs so you may want to go to a Berkley PowerBait.
Remember, Think like a fish to catch fish or just call me 386 314 5656
www.captainjoeporcelli.com

New Smyna,Edgewater And Mosquito Lagoon

patrick rood — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:41:42 -0400

Feb 2012

Believe it or not it is already Feb but the weird thung is that our average tempature has been 70 degrees here in Central FL. We did have a couple of cold fronts earlier this winter which did throw our fish into there winter patterns but it did not last all that long. With the constant change in wind directions and weather the water in the lagoon has been abnormally higher then usual this past week. You can still find schools of redfish through out the lagoon sytem one key is focus on the water level and bait supply. If you find fish holding in a certain area on low water conditions they most likely will not be there when the water comes up look at the flats or shelfs adjacent to the area that was out of water. These fish are going to move due to fishing pressure and new food souces. The trout bite has been good with most of your trout holding in the deeper water under schools of bait basically like the summer time pattern. I think that the fish in a whole are just a little confused due to the unseasonal weather so until we get a steady winter weather system this is what we have to work with. On a brighter note the bite has been good on both red fish and trout with large numbers being caaught on several differnt baits. from live finger mullet , cut bait , shrimp and also pin fish for artifical I have great success on Aqua Dream spoons and small soft plastics. Good luck and be safe out there.

Capt Patrick Rood
www.spotntailcharters.com

Crystal River And Homosassa, Florida

Capt Kyle Messier — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:41:36 -0400

Black Drum and Sheepshead Action!!

Well it’s hard to believe that we are almost to the mid point of February and the major story still remains to be the Unbelievable Beautiful weather that has persisted here in Florida. Over the last month my clients and I have been in awe over the mild 70 degree temperatures we have been spoiled with since the New Year. Never in my life have I seen such a consistent weather pattern during the early part of a New Year as to what we are witnessing at the current moment. That being said our unseasonably warm weather pattern has been that basis for an unseasonable warm water temperature. It’s the arrival of upper 60 degree water temperatures that has been the platform by which most native and migratory fish species have seemed to thrive in.

Normally, this time of year myself and every other local from the area is anticipating the arrival of Spring weather. Well now that we have seemed to have entered Spring in early January most of us are wondering if this is to good to be true.

TO GOOD TO BE TRUE IS AS FOLLOWS:

- Pelagic species such as Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish and Bonita have already found the warm waters of the Nature Coast. This is 2 months early.
- Grouper have inundated our shallow rocks, wrecks, and reefs. This is 2 month early.
- Speckled Trout have hit our massive system of Grass Flats. This is 1 month early.
- Sheepshead have already spawned and are feeding like crazy. This is 1 month early.
- Huge Schools of Black Drum are lined up on the local flats. This is 1 month early.

Two of the major current fishing focuses that are occurring along the Nature Coast as we speak are the Awesome Sheepshead fishing that is scattered along many of our local structures and targeting Huge Black Drum in shallow clear water.

The Sheepshead bite normally kicks off during this time of year but the fact that these fish have already spawned and are hungry for anything that swims, crawls, or fleas is a major highlight for Nature Coast Fishermen/women. These tasty crustacean eaters are by far one of the tastiest fish that swims and can be targeted a variety of ways including chumming, sight fishing, or blind casting. The trick when fishing for these Sheepies is to be prepared for a long drawn out nibble fest. A Sheepheads bite can feel like a small baitfish pecking away at your bait before deciding to chow down. Most anglers are surprised at how soft a Sheepheads bite can be before reeling in a 5lbs fish.

As great as the Sheepshead fishing has been the major headline for Nature Coast fishing off of Crystal River and Homosassa has to be the arrival of Huge Schools of Black Drum. Imagine this: 3 ft of Crystal Clear water, a small wake approaching, followed by a deep base sounding noise, a tail flips out of the water in the distance. As exciting as this already sounds it only gets better. As you get within range of the tailing small wake, the deep base sound becomes more prevalent. By the time you are in casting range you now realize that the deep base noise was not from one fish, but from a school of over 500 fish ranging from 20-60lbs, that have now just surrounded our boat.

As gnarly as this scenario sounds, this is what’s going down on our local flats here along the Crystal River and Homosassa area. Sure the Redfish and Speckled Trout will get plenty of publicity over the next few weeks, but it’s the exotic species like the Sheepshead, Spanish Mackerel, and Huge Black Drum that will be the species that will create the long lasting memories.

Capt. Kyle Messier
(352) 634-4002
kylemessier@yahoo.com
WWW.FLORIDAFISHINGADVENTURES.COM
WWW.CRYSTALRIVER-FLYFISHING.COM

Mosquito Lagoon

Joe Porcelli — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:41:26 -0400

Redfish Everywhere

Fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon lately has been awesome, trout, redfish, black drum and a flounder here and there. Trout season opened January 1st, and we have been catching our share since. All my other charters I had last week caught many fish, fifteen reds was the slowest day 48 reds was the best. We are catching the numbers in the deeper holes where the water is a little warmer. But the bigger fish are coming out of the large schools. We have been bouncing Gulp shrimp rigged on 1/4-oz jigs. New Penny and Natural seem to be the color of choice. The key is to work your Gulp bait slow on the bottom. If you work it to fast you will not get the bites you should. Every day or so we are catching a flounder or two in this deeper water (three to six feet) as well.

If you are looking for the bigger trout and reds fish a little shallower come mid morning. The water will warm up and the fish will turn on. Gulp has come out with some new Gulp shapes. One of my favorite shapes is the Jerk shad. Natural, camo and new penny are the colors I would choose for the lagoon. I rig the jerk shads with a single #2 hook 1/4 inch from the head. This allows the bait to suspend in the water and look natural. It also lets the Gulp jerk shad dart back and forth imitating a wounded baitfish. The fish can’t stand it, they will strike even if they are not hungry. This is what you call a reaction strike. Nature has programmed these fish to weed out the sick and injured and they do just that. Grab your sun block and chap stick head to Florida and give me a call so I can put you on fish guaranteed. 386-314-5656

Sebastian Inlet And Offshore

capteo — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:41:21 -0400

last couple of days cobia are showing up mostly north of inlet 40-60ft.at the pines or look for rays and schools of bait,cobia jigs or live bait what ever you have on board,good luck.offshore,dolphin are starting to show up,look for clean water from 90 +ft.also some kingfish and small blackfin tuna will be around,live bait and ballyhoo works,I myself use small lures with 60# mono leaders and troll about 7 knts to cover some ground also use teasers.around the inlet blues,jacks,and spanish macks are along the beach from 10-20ft.of water,pomps will be in the deeper water along the shore in reach of surf fishermen.Inside inlet jacks and pomps all over inlet area,snook have been taken at nite along with redfish on live bait drifting.nite time shrimping will start to get good,out going tide with S,SW,W,NW winds,the worst weather can be the best time.The river is a little hard to fish with lack of grass beds,alot of grass bed are now large sand bars,hopefully warm weather will bring then back.For more info please call capt.eric skipperfishing.com 772 473 4525.

thanks eric

South Indian River Fishing Report 2/19

fishtales — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:40:57 -0400

February 19, 2012

Inshore:

The mild days continue along the Treasure Coast this week. Winds have picked up now, but most days allow you to get out in the river. The ocean has been another story with one or two days a week that anglers can venture out. The water temperatures are still mild around the area and that means the fish are on the flats and feeding. We had some good days this week.

Bob and Chris were back out on a windy day, but managed trout, sheephead and the usual jacks and ladyfish to have a fun day out on the river. Kibby had the best day of the week. She landed two of three redfish that were all slot fish and a good number of nice size trout. Bill, Will and Blake found trout, jacks, ladyfish and a few snook. Blake had a nice redfish almost to the boat before it spit the hook on him. We had a lot of fun out on the river this past week!

Trout continue to feed in three to five feet of water. Most grass flats have been productive both north and south of Fort Pierce. DOA CAL jerk baits and shrimp along with live bait have all worked for us lately. We have found most of our redfish along the mangroves. CAL grub tails and live bait have worked well for us. Most of the snook fishing has been at night around the jetties and docks of the inlet.

Bluefish are scattered around the river and at the jetties. There are plenty of jacks and ladyfish to keep the young anglers busy. The surf has yielded whiting and pompano lately. Winter is just about over and we will soon transition into spring. Expect more windy days ahead, but mild temperatures should continue for us. Get out fishing soon!

As always, remember, fishing is not just another hobby....it's an ADVENTURE!!

Good Fishing and Be Safe,
Captain Charlie Conner

http://www.fishtalescharter.com
email: captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852

Kibby with one of her redfish for the day....

Bay Pines , Fl

captaintednesti — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:40:40 -0400

The day started out cool, overcast and breezy, and the goal was fish for dinner. Erratic weather this time of year makes tides and timing most important to success on the water. Recent rollercoaster temperatures have been a real fishing challenge, but regular clients the Moliter family, Richard, Penny and son Rich, know that in these conditions persistence always pays off.

We started out targeting trout on the grass flats near John's Pass using fresh shrimp on a 1/8th oz. jig head. The trick is to reel in as slow as you can while keeping the lure from catching in the grass. Using this technique everyone on the charter was able to catch several small sea trout, sea bass and flounder. No keepers, but a promising start. After about 30 minutes the action on the flats died down and we still hadn't landed dinner, so we moved on to more promising waters in the bayous north of Bay Pines on the hunt for sheepshead.

While heading to our next spot, the dolphins started riding in the boat's wake. We always see the dolphins on our charters, but they don't always decide to ride along, so this was a real treat. These magnificent animals are simply awesome to watch as they effortlessly swim in and out of the boat's wake, sometimes jumping completely out of the water within just a few feet the moving boat. The Moliters were really delighted with this little fishing charter extra and got some really great photos.

Still looking for some good eats, our first stop was the skinny waters just south of the Pinellas Trail overpass. This is the time of year for tasty sheepshead, so using the same jig and pieces of shrimp rig, we casted toward the overpass supports, this time without reeling, letting the lure sink to the bottom. For the first few casts all anyone caught was small non-keepers like butterfish and pinfish. Then the sheepshead showed up, small ones at the start but then everyone was hooking a keeper or two.

As the tide shifted, we moved further north into the bayou where I positioned the boat so we could fish with the current. Brother did we find fish! Everyone was hooking up lots of nice-sized sheepshead and a few small-sized redfish, but as is often the case, it was the lady who landed the largest. Penny, thinking she had hooked up a rock or barnacle bunch, started reeling and pulling hard hoping to at least recover her lure. For her efforts she was rewarded with the largest fish of the day, a beautiful sheepshead weighing over 7 pounds! We had dinner and then some!

After about an hour the action on that spot died off, so I took us further back into the bayou where we fished the edges of the oysters bars. The conditions were perfect and the fish were plentiful. Almost immediately everyone was catching good-sized sheepshead with a few redfish in the mix.

This time of year you can't beat the backwaters for the best fishing experience. Just remember, the trick is tide and timing. Happy Fishing!

Captain Ted Nesti

727-393-6129

Floridanativefishingcharters.com

Cape Canaveral 20 Mile Bouy

gcookila — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:39:19 -0400

Boy it has been a month and a half since the water laid down this nice. There was a definate temperature break at 100 feet of water. It went from 68 degrees up to 71. Then when we hit the 20 mile bouy it was up to 74 degrees and that is when the dolphin bite got hot.

With every pass by the bouy we had a strike. We had a new comer to Mahi fishing on the boat, Melissa and she did a great job landing 3 of the 7 mahi! Her boy friend Brannon caught 3, as well. Throw in a double on and I actually got to catch a dolphin too!

The day ended with a triple header with a few sharks that were by the bouy gobbling up the the pieces of ballyhoo that were left behind.

Even though there wasn't much size to our dolphin outting they made great table fair and the aerial assult they displayed was awesome. There are so many things that make dolphin fishing special. The schooling below the boat when you bring them up...the changing of their color...high jumping action...and much more!

Lake Rousseau/Withlacoochee River

Boe Jacquard — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:39:08 -0400

Man the big-uns are biting, where do I begin? Well I have been scouting staging areas and have had several big bass catching experiences. We have been throwing big baits and the results have mostly been very big fish. I have been on four trips out of the past five days and have boated ten fish over six pounds with three weighing over ten pounds an loosing two others (over 10) that I had up to the boat. One of the three over ten pounds was 13 pounds and fifteen ounces. Not to mention the other 125 or so smaller fish that never made the photo shoot. We are catching pre spawn Bass that are staging on wood and channel edges. I was fishing with my friend and camera man Greg Cobb. We are throwing big (16") soft plastic baits, 8" swim baits and using my own special Boe Bass Fish Formula that I use religiously to get the big-uns that some folks in other parts of the country only dream of catching. The fronts have slowed down the spawn and the fish are pulling on and off the channel edges trying to get to their spawning flats but need the proper temperature to do so. This mixed up weather has been to my advantage keeping the fish in the staging areas longer and more susceptible to my lures. I am keeping this report brief cause I am going back early in the morning for more action. Boe Bass