Catching Up

Well I have been busy with the holidays and family and all that stuff and havent really had a chance to fish since Dec 15th. Then the first chance I got I was heading to the boat ramp and some numbnut rear ended the Hotrod and destroyed my lower unit and put a nice gouge in the hull. There doesnt appear to be any transome damage other than a scratch but I will have it checked out to make sure. I called the dudes insurance company and filed a claim. Supposedly their adjustor is supposed to get back with me within two business days...I wont hold my breath... but you can be sure I will be contacting him if I dont hear from him.
I still need to take my first aid/cpr class so I can submit my package for my Capt's License... But Ive just been to darn busy.
Hopefully I will have time to catch up next week since I am boatless. Man that sucks. Oh well.
I did manage to get out with another friend of mine, Capt. Mike Davis who is a fishing guide, to do some scouting and to check out his boat which I am thinking of purchasing. We used all artificials and did okay. He got a nice snook on the flats,
We also caught several nice trout and ladyfish
As well as a nice bluefish.
Then we busted out the flyrods and got some nice big ladyfish.
All in all not a bad day on the water... But I want my Hotrod back...

You can fish with Capt Mike Davis too contact him at 941-729-7404 or visit his website at www.finsnscales.com

Late Fall Report

Well with the weather cooling off and the extreme low winter tides around the full and new moons, finding bait has become somewhat of a challenge. I can still get it but I have to pick my days it appears. While most live bait anglers have to run to the skyway I have been fortunate to discover a few bait spots a little closer to home. If I am lucky and they pan out for me as hoped I should be able to find bait all winter long on most days. The rest of the time I will fish artificials or target species that like shrimp like Sheepshead. I am also enjoying the opportunity to do more fly fishing, although my results are not quite what I have been hoping for with that.
I can get decent distance and present my fly well enough but after it gets in the water is where I need some help. I'm thinking about hiring a guide that specializes in fly fishing just so I can get some pointers. I would really like to catch some nice fish on fly this winter and of course I want to be able to target snook and reds on the flats next spring and summer as well and possibly tarpon too.

I had some problems with the motor on the Hotrod earlier this week. Apparently when I swamped the boat last week some water got into my portable gas tank and my motor, although it is very economical and fuel efficient, still wont run on a saltwater/gasoline/two stroke oil mix. I drained the gas tank and emptied the fuel filter on the motor and it ran fine for me today so I am back in action.

The Mullet Roe season is in full swing and the mullet fishermen are out in full force. Most of these guys don't pay any attention to any regulations regarding running their vessels in slow speed or idle zones and could care less about running over your fishing hole while your fishing. Great guys let me tell ya. This is a picture I took in a slow speed minimum wake zone while fishing last week.


As you can see the snapper bite is on fire...I have huge hands this is a really big fish.

Here are a couple pictures of a fishing trip I took with my friend TampaJim proprietor of Dudley Rods
We searched and searched for fish for almost 3 hours and then when we finally found them we flat out tore em up and boated 12 snook in about 30 minutes as well as a small redfish too. We lost a couple too including one snook that would have been very close to the top of the slot if not over. But that's fine with me as I would have let it go anyway.

Hopefully fishing will pick up a little in the coming few weeks. As the weather gets a little colder I'm looking forward to the annual sheepshead spawn at the end of this month till around march. They are pretty tricky to catch but when you do they put up a great fight and they aren't to shabby on a sandwich bun either.

Fickle Weather Woes

A few weeks ago we had a few cold fronts come through, the water temps cooled considerably and the fish were starting to move up into the rivers and other backwater areas. Just when the fishing started to get hot the temps moved back up into the mid 80's (how Florida for you...) and messed up the fishing.
Of course I missed the cold fronts because I was chained to a desk with work and Sea School, and then the Thanksgiving holiday week and sick kids kept me derailed for another week, but I did manage to get out the day after Thanksgiving with my brother and we caught a respectable number of fish. Not being allowed to fish on weekends, I eagerly looked forward to getting back into my regular fishing pattern the following week. On Monday I got out with a friend and we caught lots of snook and I figured I still had the fish pretty much dialed in. However the next 4 days really through me for a loop. Tuesday we caught only redfish in all my snook holes but still managed to find a couple while exploring. Wed, I took my test of course (and passed!) Thursday I took another friend out and we looked for almost 4 hours and only caught 1 snook hanging out under a mangrove bush in a little canal. That should have told me something since I tried every dock on the river. Sure enough in the next canal I checked an overhanging mangrove bush and we proceeded to catch a dozen snook in the next 30 minutes with multiple double hookups. Of course I lost the biggest fish of the bunch but that's a whole other story. Friday, I was invited to join Capt Todd Foucher of SlingN'Bait Charters on the Little Manatee river for a flotilla party targeting the large schools of big Jack Crevalle that hang out there all winter long, but the water had warmed up past their secret temperature threshold and they were nowhere to be found. But they did catch quite a few snook redfish and trout as well as some ladyfish too.
Now another cold front has supposedly moved in, the high today is supposed to be a brisk 65 degrees...but the temp is supposed to get warmer every day... I know its only November...and the Midwest is covered with ice and snow... but I sure wish the weather down here would make up its mind either warm up or get cold. PICK ONE DAMMIT! lol

Success!

I passed my OUPV test on the first try! I scored 97% on the Rules of the Road portion that requires a 90% to pass. I scored 86% on Deck General, 100% on Nav General both of which require only 70% to pass, and I aced plotting with a score of 100% also.
Plotting was the only portion of the test I was worried about. Only 10 questions, lots of math, drawing on charts etc... If your lines aren't perfect you will come up with a wrong answer. If your math isn't correct or you use the wrong formula you will come up with a wrong answer. You have to buy the charts if you want to practice. I didn't buy the charts. I was dreading plotting. It is the only part of the test I didn't study for, because I couldn't. I will be completely honest with you. I managed to figure out 9 out of the 10 answers and was pretty sure that they were correct, so I was confident that I passed before I took the score sheet up to the scorer. But that last question... it was a booger. Figure out the set and drift... First I plotted the wrong coordinates, then when I did the math I came up with an answer that wasn't even close to the choices. So I checked my plotting and realized I had used a coordinate from an earlier problem... duh... (make sure you erase your earlier stuff from the chart real good.) Then after correcting the coordinate I still came up with a weird answer so I cheated... not really cheating mind you, but I decided to figure out the speed since they wanted course and speed for the answer. I used the speed equation kind of. I divided the distance traveled by the time in minutes and then multiplied the result by 60 and came up with 10 knots. Since my engine was turning 9.2 knots, the speed of my drift was .8 knots with favorable seas...so I picked the answer that said .8 knots and it was correct.... I guess there is more than one way to skin a cat... but I probably would end up lost at sea if I had to rely on my plotting skills. lol That's why I have a handheld Garmin GPS and keep plenty of extra batteries on board.
Now I still have to finish up with my sea time documentation, get some character references (3 of them) and take a first aid/cpr class. Then I need to put all my paperwork together, have it looked at by Sea School to make sure it is all in order and then send it off to the Coast Guard and wait for about 6 months to receive my actual license... a sweet bureaucracy
I think I will celebrate by going fishing tomorrow!

Back In The Saddle

Well, I finally got past the classwork and was looking forward to fishing the week of the Thanksgiving holiday. Unfortunately between sick kids, visiting family members and honeydo's I only got to go out on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving with my youngest brother, J.R. and probably every boat owner in Tampa... I still managed to find some bait without having to run all the way to the skyway in the Hotrod Gheenoe although it took nearly an hour of steady chumming to fill the baitwell. I bought a couple dozen shrimp at one of the local baitshops before I launched though just to make sure I wouldn't be baitless...
We managed to catch 20 snook and a catfish between the two of us and we had a nice day of brotherly bonding.
I got to fish again this morning, Monday, Nov 27th with my buddy Mike (RedfishSlayer) Flaschenreim and we caught 15 snook and a redfish. Two were very close to slot but they got into the dock pilings broke themselves off. That's what I get for fishing docks with light tackle... Im think I'm starting to get bored with this area and am looking forward to the weather getting colder so I can play with some cobia at the power plant or some big sheepshead at a couple rockpiles that I haven't visited since last winter.

Help me out...

I want to write a piece on holiday gifts for anglers and would like people to send me me some suggestions for things they would like for gifts this holiday season. Not the obvious things like a 65ft Hatteras, or a Shimano Stella on a G.Loomis GLX... but things you would actually have the possibility of getting from someone who's last name wasn't Trump, Hilton, Gates or Rockefeller.
So just click on comments at the bottom of this and it will email me with your suggestions.Also feel free to comment on any of the other topics presented in the other posts. Your feedback is appreciated.

Whew...I'm Glad That Is Over.

Today I finally got a break. OUPV Class aka Captain's School pretty much sucked. I am so glad it is over. Unfortunately I don't feel as if I got everything that I could have out of the class. Some things are just memorization like the rules of the road, navigation general and deck general, but the plotting is going to be my undoing I fear, unless I can find a way to remember how to work the different problems.
Originally I planned to take the test the day before thanksgiving which would have given me two days to study before the test. Fortunately they are closed that day so I get an extra week. I just hope I can have enough self discipline to actually study. I get distracted so easily lol.
Even after passing the test there is still a shitload of paperwork to be completed before sending off my package to the USCG. I'm starting to wonder why I ever decided to undertake this adventure in the first place. I mean its not gonna make me a better fisherman, I make more money with my regular job than I ever would as a fishing guide. I don't particularly desire to drive a tourboat or diveboat or any other type boat that the license would qualify me for. I could say for the respect and admiration of my peers, but you know what, if you have never taken the class or the test, you have no idea how much of a pain in the rear it is.
Hopefully when I take the test, and "IF" I manage to pass the damn thing I will get a feeling of achievement that will provide the motivation required to finish putting the paperwork together and sending it off.
I could probably sit here and bitch about it for at least 10 more paragraphs but I think I better go study instead...
I really need to go fishing...

Sea School Update

Well, it is Saturday evening. I have received all the information that they are going to be giving and we spent the day taking practice exams. Literally for 8 hours we did nothing but 'Rules Of The Road' practice tests. They require a 90% to pass. Possibly the most difficult part of the OUPV test. The other difficult section is supposed to be plotting, however plotting and the other sections only require a passing score of 70% so I'm not too worried about them. I took 18 practice tests and in the first 14 of them only passed twice. I am proud to say though that I passed the last 3 that I took. Usually I would fail by one or two questions. Some of the guys in the class were excited when they only missed 7 questions even though on each test you are only allowed to miss 3.
So to answer the questions probably going through your mind:
Is it hard? It can be, if you don't or cannot study. I have always been good at reading something and retaining what I have read, and also at taking tests and even find it fun. Kind of a challenge, like a puzzle.
Should I take it? If you just want to take it for the sake of taking it, no. If you want to take it to make you a safer boater? No the CG Auxiliary and Boatsafe.com both offer safe boater courses that are a lot less expensive and don't take near as much time or effort to complete and pass. I would not take the class unless you want to be a fishing guide or want to run a boat commercially and I don't mean just as a fisherman, but as the captain of a vessel. Then I would recommend getting the master license so you would have more possibilities open to you. Even then it doesn't look like the possibilities are all that glamorous, unless you like the idea of being a sea going bus driver or truck driver. But I guess I would rather drive the boat than wash, paint, load and maintain it. I don't mean this as an insult to those involved in maritime professions, but it just doesn't seem like the job for me.
Tomorrow is the last day. So it will be practicing plotting on charts and working the various equations...the I will just have to study on my own and prepare for the test. I wanted to take it this Wednesday but was told the testing center will be closed for Thanksgiving. So I guess I have an extra week to study.

A Star Is Born...

Yesterday evening, Wednesday November 15, 2006 marked my television debut, as I was a guest on Capt. Todd Foucher's show SlingN'Bait TV. (I know I sound like I'm shilling for him but what would you do if you got to be on a television show?) Like I said yesterday, it can be seen on The Sportsman Channel, log on to their website and check the schedule or log on to Capt. Todd's website, its in the links section on the side of this blog..or you can click on Episode 5. <-----click there! Then come back and read some more.

It was a real blast making that show. Capt. Todd and Danny his cameraman, voice over, editor, anchor boy etc. works real hard to get good footage and then assemble it into the finished product. Granted its a little rough around the edges but it gets better every week. Considering they started with absolutely zero experience at all, I think they are doing a great job.

Anyway... Ill post more later, I have to go study my Rules of the Road for my Capt's School and start working on my acceptance speech in case I win any academy awards or something.

Check back soon.

What's Happenin In My Life

Well, I'm at the halfway point through the Sea School OUPV course, also known as Captains School. We have been covering International and Inland Rules of the Road for the last two days and we have another day left of that before we move on to the next subject. This is probably the most important part of the class too as it requires a score of 90% to pass this portion of the test. On the actual test there will be 30 questions so you are allowed to miss 3 answers, so I am studying my tail off.

I am really looking forward to finishing up the class so I can take my test. Then I need to schedule a First Aid and CPR class. The class is offered by several organizations including some fire departments and The American Red Cross. I think I am going to take mine at The American Red Cross, Tampa Bay Chapter. They offer several courses throughout the week. They are about 6 hours long and you have the option of taking a daytime class that goes from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm or an evening class that goes over two evenings from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm the first evening and from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm the second evening. You can get a class and schedule information by going to The American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter and clicking on the class schedule.

Once I have completed and passed the U.S. Coast Guard OUPV test and receive my First Aid and CPR cards, and the results of my Drug Test and Physical, then I will have to finish up my paperwork including the documentation of my "Sea Time" and Character References, I will have my paperwork checked over by Sea School and then submit the package to the U.S. Coast Guard. Then I will just have to sit and wait until they issue my OUPV License. I have been told that it can take several months now due to security concerns thanks to Osama bin Laden and Friends. Originally I had hoped to have my OUPV License in time for my birthday in March, but now it looks like I will be shooting for May... Of course I would be happy if I got it sooner but that just gives me more time to practice up on my guiding skills and plan my guiding business.

Also I have just heard that there is a new model of Gheenoe that is a little longer than The Classic, which is what I have now, and also 2 inches wider, runs about 5 mph faster with a 25hp engine, and is also a dryer ride, always important when comfort of passengers is considered, especially in less than perfect conditions. Of course I eventually plan on getting a regular Flat's or Bay type boat, but I am still quite interested in the possibilities of guiding from a Gheenoe.

I haven't had time to fish since last week and the weather has been turning a little cooler every day which means that the fish have been on the move and I haven't been keeping track of them. So I am eagerly looking forward to next week so I can get back after them. Of course next week is also Thanksgiving which means lots of people will be taking the week off as lots of businesses give Thanksgiving and the following day off, since it is Thursday and Friday. So I expect it to be a little more crowded on the water which will make fishing even more of a challenge. But I'm up for it since I took the week off too. Hopefully I will be able to get out on Monday and Tuesday at least.

On another interesting note. Tonite at 8:00 will be a very special episode on SlingN'Bait TV, Capt. Todd Foucher's fishing show on The Sportsman Channel. If you cant watch it on The Sportsman Channel, you can also watch it on the SlingN'Bait TV website after 8:00 pm tonite. It is episode #5. You can watch it by clicking here : SlingN'Bait TV Episodes and then clicking on Episode 5: Alafia Adventures. I will comment on it more in the near future after I watch it, but it should be a good one.

A Report From Sea School

Well, I just finished up my first 2 days of Sea School in my quest to become a U.S. Coast Guard licensed Captain so I can be a guide. The first two days we covered Aides to Navigation, Plotting and other Basic Navigation stuff.

These are things like using a compass and charts to plot a course, finding your position using known landmarks, and the different buoys and daymarks and their meanings. So far so good. I try to study what we went over whenever I get home from class and take the practice tests at the end of the chapters we covered the days before so I can ask questions on any of the answers I miss, if I cannot figure out why my answer is incorrect after seeing the correct answer. So far so good.

Some of the things that are confusing are the various nautical terms used by mariners. Port and Starboard...which are left and right respectively are pretty easy..but then they toss in terms like left to starboard and that makes for confusion...(I figured out that it means you are passing something that is on your starboard side...so It describes your position in relation to that object...left (you) to starboard (the object).

The plotting portion was fairly easy, the most difficult part being the "line work" meaning trying to keep your angles as you move your parallel rulers from your position to the compass rose on the chart or from the compass rose to some other location without messing up your angle. Then of course you try to draw a line without messing up your angle..which can be very easy as the point on your pencil wears down and gets thicker...or you dont hold your pencil at the right angle etc...

Then there is the math...not too terribly difficult... There are basically two formulas that will get you through most of the stuff you need. One is for plotting your course taking into account variables such as variation of the earths magnetic field and deviations in your compass. It sounds really complicated but it is fairly simple once you have it explained to you and you do it a few times. The second is the Speed, Time, Distance equation. Another that is pretty easy. Of course we havent learned how to take into account other variables like wind, and current yet. (Set and Drift) . Working the problems is actually kind of fun.

Most of the students in the class of 7 are there for the same reason as I am I believe, to eventually become guides or charter captains. The first day the instructor asked us if we had boats, of course we all said yes. Then he went through and asked everyone what kind of boat we had. I had the proud distinction of having he only 65' Hatteras in the class... Just kidding. I told everyone that I am the proud Captain of a 15'6 Gheenoe and got a lot of snickers... (not the candy bar). A couple of the students have offshore type boats and a few inshore guys have nice bay and flats boats, everyone is at least 6 feet longer than mine too...lol
No big deal its not the size of the dog in the fight..its the size of the fight in the dog... lol

For any of you thinking about taking the course I will tell you right now, it has absolutely nothing to do with fishing or being a guide, or even running a charter operation from a business perspective. So if you decide to take the class, forget about fishing and guiding while you are taking the course and concentrate on learning what they are teaching you. Without passing this course you will never be a guide. That is what keeps me motivated to not fall asleep and pay attention and also to have the discipline to study to ensure my success.

There is a younger guy in the class, probably right out of high school, who is also taking the class so he can become a guide and he just doesnt get it. He cant figure out how to do the plotting and says that it doesnt matter because he will never use it etc. I told him he is very wrong in his assumption as he will use it at least once... if he expects to pass the test. After that, use it or not, that my friends, is a good enough reason for me to learn it.

I'll keep you posted.

Is There A "New Fishng Stuff" Jinx, Or Is It Just Me?

Is it just me? It seems that almost every time I upgrade something on my boat or get a hot new fishing combo, or some great new sure-fire catch everything lure, that something always gets in the way of me getting to try it out for a couple days. And you can ask anyone who knows me well, patience is not my strong suit. Don't get me wrong, I can fish with a three year old and an 8 year old all day long and not lose my cool. I'm referring to a different type of patience, as in I get all excited about trying out something new and cant wait. Of course it's not just fishing, when I was a kid, I lived up in Michigan for a few years. It seemed every Christmas my coolest present was always something that I couldn't use till the snow melted in like march. For instance, I learned how to ride a skate board in the basement. My mothers washer and dryer were covered with dents from where the skateboard shot out from under my feet and rocketed into them with a loud house shaking Ka-Boom! Later in life, I think my wife got a sadistic pleasure out of buying me a new set of Callaway X16 Irons the before we left for a three day cruise, and of course I could not take them along, effectively making me wait 2 weeks before I could use them. This year, her company is having their annual Christmas party at Captiva Island, we are going to be there all weekend long. Guess who isn't going to be allowed to take a fishing rod...I bet she even buys me one right before we leave.
Anyway back to the matter at hand. I put a brand new depth finder on the Hotrod last Thursday. Fri I fished on someone Else's boat. Saturday and Sunday are non fishing days for me of course. Monday I fished on someone Else's boat. Today my son is home from school sick with a fever. His temperature is .4 degrees above the normal 98.6 so my loving caring wife let him stay home from school so I cant fish today either.
Oh well, it's election day so I guess Ill go vote. Maybe I can fish tomorrow. I'm supposed to get a new trolling motor soon, I wonder how long that will jinx me for?

Showing Off On The Hotrod Gheenoe

I had the distinct pleasure of hosting Capt. Todd Foucher, Local Tampa Fishing Guide and host of SlingN'Bait TV on the Hotrod Gheenoe. SlingN'Bait TV is a new fishing show on The Sportsman Channel that focuses on inshore and back country saltwater fishing in the Tampa Bay area. SlingN'Bait TV is unique among other fishing shows in that not only does SlingN'Bait TV entertain you while he and his guests catch fish, but SlingN'Bait TV also educates you on techniques and tactics for catching various species of fish including Snook, Redfish, Spotted Sea Trout, Spanish Mackerel, Mangrove Snapper and Grouper among others. SlingN'Bait TV also does the unheard of actually giving you specific locations where the fishing was done, including in some cases, GPS coordinates, tide and solunar information. No fishing show has ever done this and SlingN'Bait TV is causing a stir in the guiding industry. Prime fishing locations have long been closely guarded secrets by guides. After all, this is where guides earn their livings. Even recreational anglers keep the locations of their fishing holes close to their vests as they don't want to go fishing and find someone parked at their spot catching "their" fish. Capt Todd thinks these worries are unfounded though because fish migrate and just because they are somewhere today doesn't mean they will be in that exact location tomorrow. Capt Todd's hope is that through SlingN'Bait TV, anglers will be able to learn to find new areas to catch fish by looking at factors like tide, current, terrain features, and weather. It is definitely a new breed of fishing show.

I invited Capt Todd to fish with me on the Hotrod Gheenoe in the Alafia River in Hillsborough County Florida. Although he has fished for years in the South Shore area of Tampa Bay, he has never fished in the Alafia River. Some people would think I am crazy taking a guide out and showing him my hot spots because he will take his clients there and clean out my fish. But I am of the same mind as Capt Todd in that I know that the fish are here now but they wont be for long as they will move farther up the river or back into the various canals and creeks along the river as the weather cools. Then in the spring, when it warms up again they will pass this way again as they move back out to the flats and finally to their spawning areas on the beaches.
We started the day by catching bait, Scaled Sardines, which are plentiful in the river at the moment. Again when the weather cools the bait will all but disappear and I will have to change my fishing tactics to adapt, either using live shrimp or lures. Shrimp is expensive, and lots of non gamefish will eat it as well so I prefer to use lures.
After catching bait we moved into a small creek and began tossing our bait along the mangrove edges catching small snook. Then Capt Todd noticed a large swirl in the water and said he thought there might be a dolphin in the creek. Then there were lots of swirls and he said it looked like a school of big Jack Crevalle and Capt Todd tossed his bait over by the swirls. As soon as the bait hit the water the surface erupted and began to boil and his bait was instantly picked up by a huge Jack Crevalle. Not wanting to miss out I tossed my bait out as well and hooked up with a jack of my own. Unfortunately Capt Todd lost his Jack, breaking off in the roots of the mangroves lining the creek. My fish however was not as fortunate. It was a decent sized fish and towed the Hotrod up the creek and into the mangroves, then it swam out into the middle of the creek and pulled the Hotrod out of the mangroves. After a prolonged action packed battle I finally landed the fish.

After releasing the fish we moved to another location and started working the mouth of another creek. The water was high so we had to get our bait as close to the mangroves as possible to either draw the fish out or have the bait swim into the mangrove roots into the hungry mouth of the waiting fish. Suddenly, both our lines went tight and we had a double hookup. We ended up with two nice over slot redfish.
We fished this area a little longer and then moved to another creek mouth. The tide was now moving out so we fished the end of the creek and the outside edge on the down current side in the river. We caught several more snook including a
nice 30+ inch slot fish. We then started working the banks of the river paying special attention to docks and points and areas with submerged structure like old dock pilings, dead trees, rocks anything that might provide a hiding place for a big predator fish waiting to ambush an unsuspecting bait fish for an easy meal.
We actually found a couple new spots holding fish that I had not found before even though I had been fishing this area for the last two or three weeks. I told Capt Todd that I wanted to take him fishing here to show off what I had learned from him over the last year and a half since
I first fished with him. But I had an ulterior
motive as well. I wanted to take Capt Todd along so he could critique my skills and hopefully help me fine tune my fish finding skills and maybe even find a couple new spots on the river. Needless to say, an unsuspecting Capt Todd fell right into my evil trap... Actually Capt Todd is a great guy and is always willing to help out a fellow angler, whether it is another professional guide, an experienced recreational angler such as myself or even a total beginner such as myself when I first met him.
We finished the day at one of my best producing spots on the river. A dock I found fishing with my 3 year old daughter last week, that has produced dozens of snook over the last several days. Unfortunately due to the tide and the time of day it kind of let me down as it only produced one snook. But what a snook it was, another slot fish over 30 inches long. I guess if your only gonna get one fish if its a big one that makes it all worthwhile.
The trip kind of left me with mixed emotions though. We found and caught lots of fish, but I was just too lucky this time. I would have liked my guest to have caught the big ones. Well maybe not all of them because I would have been a little jealous. I think that I owe much of my success as an angler to Capt Todd and the priceless advice Capt Todd has given me since I first met him.
It was a great trip and an educational experience for both of us. I try to learn something new every time I go on the water. That is what keeps it interesting. Capt Todd hopes to teach his viewers something before they go on the water so they can have more success fishing and enjoy their fishing experience to the fullest.

Capt Todd Foucher can be reached through his website at http://www.slingnbait.com/ or by telephone at (863) 670-1643 and his television show SlingN'Bait TV can be seen Monday at 1130 am, Wednesday at 8 pm, Saturday at 6 pm and Sunday at 330 am on The Sportsman Channel. New episodes are aired on Wednesdays at 8pm.
If you dont have The Sportsman Channel you can also view SlingN'Bait episodes on his shows website, www.tv.slingbait.com. New episodes are available for viewing wednesdays at 8pm followed by a live chat with Capt Todd himself in his live chatroom.

A Great Big Redfish and a Great Big Smile

I took a friend fishing today. We hit some docks in a local river that empties into Tampa Bay. We were drifting by this one dock not intending to stop because I was heading to a different dock and my friend launched a cast as we drifted by. All of a sudden his line goes tight and his rod doubles over and he says "Redfish!". I'm thinking to myself, no big deal, when I see a huge swirl and he says "Big Redfish!". So Turn the boat with the trolling motor and try to slow our drift. I didn't want to drop the anchor as I didn't want this nice red to get tangled in the anchor rope. The current was ripping and the wind was blowing pretty good as well in the same direction as the current so I could barely hold the boat still with the trolling motor on high. It was more like a controlled slow drift. I ended up banging into a dock and the fish took off for the middle of the river, so I turned the boat to chase after it. I drifted next to a piling and reached out and grabbed it to stop the boat from drifting, ready to let go if the fish looked like it was going to try to wrap around it. So with one arm on the piling and the other with my boga grips I tried to help my buddy land his prize. I almost had the fish once but it took off when I touched the line with my free hand. My friend fought the fish to the boat again and once again tried to grab the line and again the fish took off. Finally the fish was wore out and I managed to get the gripper in its mouth. Its head was huge. Possibly the biggest I have seen, and the fish was very fat. I estimated it to be at least 33 inches but when I got it out of the water and measured it it was only 32 1/2 inches long. Needless to say my friend was ecstatic. I think I was just as excited about catching the fish as he was.The rest of the trip turned out pretty good as well. I caught 14 snook. 1 was a 28 1/2 inch keeper which I released for good mojo. I also caught a small redfish (compared to his anyway) and a catfish. My in addition to the redfish, my friend caught a nice 18 inch Spotted Seatrout, 2 catfish and 1 snook. He lost at least 5 snook. But I knew we would get him one. We also had a double hookup on some very large Jack Crevalle but we both got broken off at the boat on our light 20 lb leaders. Turns out that this was also his first inshore slam.
I think the look on his face says it all.
It's a great feeling putting someone on a nice fish like that, and very satisfying as well.

A Recent Discussion...

One of the fishing forums I frequent had a very heated discussion between two well established fishing guides with well over 40 years of guiding experience between the two of them, and two popular up and coming guides.
Apparently, the old timers took offense at the other guides sharing information on the forums with other fishermen about areas where they were catching keeper size grouper inshore. They younger guides said that they were looking to fill a niche by offering their clients the opportunity to not only catch the normal Spotted Seatrout, Redfish and Snook but also to catch grouper, usually only available by going many miles offshore. They are also trying to help out recreational anglers because they feel that that is what guides should do.
The old timers said that by sharing too much information with recreational anglers the young guides would ruin the fishery by causing too much pressure on the area. They also claimed that they have known about the area for decades and that the young guides had not discovered anything new.
Anyway, from there it turned into a free for all, not so much between the guides but from the illustrious members of the peanut gallery, choosing sides and bashing the guides that held a differing opinion from their own. Ultimately the thread was deleted and that was the end of that discussion.

Now for my take.

The old timers are concerned that the area will become a parking lot from all the recreational boaters fishing the area for grouper and eventually they will deplete the resource. They also take offense that the younger guides are, in their opinion, using their fishing reports as a vehicle for marketing their guide operations. And they are also concerned that by providing too much information to recreational anglers that they will possibly lose business due to the fact that if people can find out where to fish for free on the Internet, then they will not require a guide.

The young guides are trying to expand their services by offering a wider selection of fishing opportunities to their clientele. They are also trying to help out recreational anglers. They dont think that they are harming the resource or the business of the other guides, because even if the give out the locations that still doesnt mean that the other anglers will know the proper techniques or when to use them. I know for a fact there is more involved in catching fish than having a boat and a livewell full of bait and tend to agree with them. On multiple occasions I have went fishing with guides and went back to the same locations without catching fish on my own. I have taken other anglers fishing and they have told me that they tried to fish those same areas with no or limited success.

The guiding profession is very competitive, and I can see where both sides have valid points. As more and more people move to Florida, fishing pressure can only increase. I can see opportunities for guides to get more business but I can also see where the competition will increase as more anglers become guides. I think the successful guide will be the one who can stay on top of the fish as they move around due to seasonal changes, weather, and increased fishing pressure. The days of the secret honey hole are coming to an end, if they arent over already.

Fishing With My 3 Year Old

I took my 3 year old daughter fishing this morning. We launched around 9:00 am a little late by my standards, but it was about 50 degrees this morning so I wanted to wait for it to warm up a bit. When we got there, the tide was almost bottomed out so I missed the outgoing tide I was hoping to fish. I managed to find live bait near my usual bait stop but had to look in slightly deeper water do to the cool temps and lack of water.
I couldn't fish my regular spots because there wasn't enough water so I decided to do a little scouting and headed off in a new direction.
My daughter wanted to stop and play on a little island and I could see some mullet splashing around so I beached the Hotrod Gheenoe and we got out to "play" for a little while. I casted to the mullet a few times hoping to find a redfish or something mixed in with them but didn't have any luck. After about 30 minutes we decided to get back in the boat and ride around for some sight seeing. I checked out a couple residential canals and saw some big mullet. They must have been happy to see us to because one jumped right in the boat with us for a picture and a quick release.
There still wasn't much water, but I did see a school of mullet getting busted by some big fish, so I idled over and made a couple casts but didn't get any hits. Then I decided to head over to some docks where I saw some more mullet playing and ran over a small school of redfish. I made some casts but they left. I anchored up near one of the docks and tossed out a live bait and a couple chummers, hoping to find some redfish. Instead I caught a small snook. Perfect. I tossed out another and asked Emily if she wanted to catch a fish. She said yes so I handed her my rod. Sure enough almost instantly the line went tight and I told her to start reeling. She struggled with the reel a little bit so I held the rod for her as she reeled in the fish. A nice 20 inch snook was her reward. I asked her if she wanted to take a picture but she was afraid to touch the fish so I put it on a boga grip and let her hold it by the handle. We released the fish and I tossed out another bait and gave her the rod. She got another snook about a minute later. After she caught her third snook, she said she wanted to watch me catch fish and play with the chumbat...so I happily obliged and caught 4 more snook in a matter of minutes two of which were inside the slot at a little over 27 inches with the tail pinched. Both were released.
I looked at my watch and it was time to head in as I had to pick up my son from school so we left them biting.
I saw a couple guys fishing in a jonboat near the ramp and asked them if they would like some live bait. They were glad to have it as they said they had no luck looking for bait this morning. I even told them where to go catch some snook... I'm too darn nice for my own good sometime...

This was also my opportunity to try out my new IMX custom rod I got yesterday. Man that thing is light as a feather and so sensitive I could tell when I was gonna get a bite before the fish even made up its mind of it was gonna eat the bait or not. For being such a light feeling rod, it had plenty of muscle for pulling the snook out of the docks too. I know I am gonna catch a lot of fish on that thing.

I'm looking forward to taking my captains license class and test next month. I have some neat ideas for my business and think I will make a lot of anglers some great memories. But I cant let the cat out of the bag yet, so you will just have to keep checking in to see whats in store.

Gotta New Toy...

I normally do all my inshore/flats fishing with a 7 1/2 foot light to med action rod. They in my opinion are the best for the flats because you can get good long casts and the rods have great sensitivity for feeling when a fish bumps you lure or bait. However most of my fishing lately has been in narrow mangrove lined creeks and other tight areas where accuracy is more important than distance.
So I called an acquaintance of mine, Jim Gamble at Dudley Rods and told him I was looking for a 6 1/2 foot rod with plenty of sensitivity and a fast enough action to allow me to still reach out when I needed to, yet enough backbone to turn a large snook or redfish and keep them out of the mangrove roots.
He told me he could build me just the right rod to suit my needs. He used a 6 1/2 foot G. Loomis IMX blank with 7 Fuji SiC guides and a skeleton reel seat with a cork insert. The rod turned out beautiful.
I put on an extra reel I had sitting around and tied on a small jighead I had laying around and practiced casting it around in the front yard. The rod has a very nice action, I can cast it far enough to suit most of my fishing applications and it is very accurate. I can tell it is going to be one of my favorite rods for fishing in the mangroves. I will post a full report on the rod after I put it to use later this week..like hopefully tomorrow morning..if the wind lays down...
Jim can build you a custom rod to fit any application you desire at an affordable price to fit your budget. You can even pick out different colors for you wraps to show support for your favorite teams or whatever suits your individual tastes.
Jim can be reached at www.dudleyrods.com. Tell him you heard about him on The Hotrod Gheenoe Fishing Blog!

My First Fishing Rant...

Why is it that some people just cant go without stirring up controversy? It seems that when someone asks a question about fishing, or makes a fishing report on a fishing forum, instead of just answering a question or congratulating someone for a job well done there is always someone who has to make a negative comment. Then to make matters worse, another person has to come to the defense of the original poster or disagree with the negative commentor and the next thing you know, you have a full blown cat 5 shit storm.
It seems like when talking fishing there are a couple topics that just cannot be discussed on a fishing forum without evolving into big arguments. Bait vs. Lures and kayaks vs. motor craft are two such topics, much akin to religion and politics in their volatility. These are kind of understandable since they both involve different techniques used by different groups of anglers.

Bait vs. Artificial:
Now a wise angler would think that such discussions should be productive in teaching different approaches to the ultimate goal of catching fish. Sadly this just does not seem to be the case. Someone will always toss a proverbial turd in the punchbowl with some inflammatory remark about bait users not having enough skill to fool a fish with a hunk of steel and plastic. In many cases there could be some truth to this, but I would be willing to bet that the person making the comment started out fishing with bait until they were shown how to use lures. I think it all boils down to one of two things, either the person making the demeaning comments just wants to look like a big shot because they now can catch a fish using a lure, or they are jealous that they aren't catching as many fish as the angler using bait. Both cases most likely the result of an inflated ego.

Kayaks vs. Motor Craft:
This should be another subject full of opportunities to educate. The stealth and shallow water capabilities of a kayak are very powerful tools for fishing in the backwaters and shallow flats areas of Tampa Bay. It has become a very popular and economic way to fish. In addition to these capabilities, it also is very environment friendly as there are no propellers to tear up grass, and no oil or gas to leak out and pollute the environment.
Boating has been popular in Tampa Bay since the beginning. A multitude of boat designs have evolved over the years for specialized fishing from gheenoes, jon boats and small skiffs, to Bay boats and offshore boats for making long runs into the gulf to fish the deep water for grouper and migrating pelagics like kingfish and dolphin.
The argument here once again boils down to egos clashing.

In my opinion everyone seems to think that their particular way to fish is the best way. I tend to believe that an angler is going to try to fish using the most effective technique and equipment at their disposal to provide the most productive results possible. I have seen guys fishing in a cheap jon boat just tearing up the fish while anglers in expensive flats boats decked out with every gadget one could imagine did not catch near the numbers or quality of fish.

My opinion is that the best way to fish is whatever works. If the fish are eating live bait then I am going to use live bait, if they are hitting artificials I will use artificials. If they are hitting hot dogs or chicken liver, well, you get the point.

Unfortunately there is another type of discussion that turns ugly quick too. That is the one where some one has to come in and try to start an argument because they just feel like being an ass. They might bring up a tired old worn out subject and insert it into a pleasant discussion where it doesn't belong in the first place either because they are just an ass, or in an attempt to liven things up in a negative way. This is called being a troll. Trolls are on every Internet forum there is, covering any and every subject conceivable. Why? My money is on the ego thing again. Maybe they need more attention. Maybe they need to start a blog...

Fishing Forums on the Internet can be a good tool for gathering information about fishing a specific area or targetting specific fish. They are also a good place to share comraderie with other anglers and have fun talking about fishing and other things. The best way to keep them fun is to keep things light and your ego in check. As for dealing with trolls, that is tough, as a good troll is very skilled in getting everyone riled up, and that is their sole intention. Your best bet is to let them run their course without responding. It can be very difficult but eventually they will go away. As much as I hate to say it though, it can provide some very entertaining reading though as those with less resolve will try to argue with the troll, but then again, some people like soap operas.

Until next time. Go Fish

Another "Learning Experience"

I went out yesterday after having a really productive trip the day before. I was excited thinking that I knew where the fish were hanging and when they were supposed to be eating etc. In other words, I thought I had them dialed in.
I got out and caught some really nice bait and got to the first spot and we caught ladyfish galore and a couple redfish. I wrote it off as just being a little early. So I went to the next spot. We had better luck there, catching a mangrove snapper and then I kid you not, foul hooking a snook in the tail, get this, on a sardine that I had hooked through the tail. Sometimes you see the craziest stuff.

So I moved off to fish another area and had really slow action. Like it might has well been nothing. Couple redfish, some snook and a trout but nowhere near in the number I was expecting.
When I got back home I talked to some of my friends who were out fishing and they reported really slow trips as well. I got on a web forum and most everyone was reporting poor fishing.
I guess I need to take a couple days off and give the fish a chance to come back. I must have wiped em out. Just kidding. Actually the weather was much warmer yesterday than it has been in almost a week or more, there was barely any wind, and the sky was mostly clear. So that very well could have been the cause.
With everything cooling down to the mid to high 70's the fish are moving into their fall and wintertime hangouts, then all of a sudden the next day its 90 degrees by 9:00 am. I think they get confused and just dont know how to act sometime.
Oh well, we still caught fish and had a good time on the water. And that is all that really matters.

Learned A New Trick

I was contacted by a reader of this blog who asked me if I would take him fishing. I told him sure let me know when you can go and we worked out the details and went this morning.

I kind of took the approach that it would be kind of like a pretend charter, of course I didn't charge him anything because I am not a licensed captain and thus do not really charter, but it can be fun to make believe.

Anyway I met him at the ramp this morning and we launched the Hotrod Gheenoe and went to catch some bait. Then we headed to our first spot. I was kind of nervous that we would not have a good trip since I had not been having much luck the last couple days "scouting" the area, but as luck would have it, on his third cast he caught a nice slot redfish.

That was a nice surprise since I was targeting snook but knew that there were possibly redfish in the area as well. A few casts later I caught a redfish of my own.

We caught several ladyfish at that spot but no more of our targeted species so I decided to move a couple hundred yards and see if we could find more fish. I observed some baitfish getting busted on under a mangrove bush so I set up and we fished that spot for a few minutes. My "charter" caught another nice redfish, and then a smaller "rat" redfish.

We moved again and I caught a very small speckled trout and he caught a small snook, and we both were 1 fish away from an "Inshore Slam". An Inshore Slam is when an angler catches a Snook, a Redfish and a Speckled Trout on one fishing trip. I was pretty sure I would get one as I have been pretty good at getting snook lately and I knew the area we were going to next was loaded.

We both had several hits and misses but were having problems getting the fish to the boat, but at least we were getting some good action. Finally we started catching snook. We both got several to the boat and I completed my inshore slam. Then a few minutes later he landed a nice slot speckled trout.

We then headed back to the ramp but I made one last stop along the way to check out a spot that I have had limited success with and wanted to see how it would do with today's conditions. The water was already pretty high as the incoming tide was almost at its peak. I was having difficulties getting my bait under the mangroves since the water was touching the bottoms of the branches. Then he got a nice hit deep inside the mangroves, but the fish got off. I asked him how he got his bait inside there and he showed me. He was hooking the bait through the tail and casting it to the edge of the mangroves. Then gently tugging on the line, the fish would try to swim away and go right into the target zone. He was literally controlling the baitfish like a puppet.

Today's trip was very satisfying for me. I enjoyed the company and learned a new trick and most of all, I proved to myself that I can find some fish when I am under pressure.

It is totally different fishing with someone you have never met before than fishing with a regular fishing buddy. Of course there was no real pressure as I was not really doing it for compensation, only my reputation was on the line. I think it is good practice though. So if you read this and want to go fishing in the Hotrod Gheenoe, shoot me an email using the comments button and let's go fishing. I can use the practice.

I will be taking the captains license class next month in November and hopefully will have a captains license by February or March. Ill keep you updated on the progress. It might be interesting.

Anticipation....

After not fishing for 5 days, I knew I would be fishing the next morning. So I did my usual night before pre-fishing routine. Get on the computer and check the reports, check the tides and check the solunars for the next day. Go into the garage, check the battery, check the gas, check the tackle to make sure I have plenty of hooks, jigheads, plastics and any topwaters I might want to use. Decide which rods Im going to take. Check their leaders, make sure the have plenty of line, check the guides etc. Fill the tupperware with chum for bait. Check the filter on the baitwell, make sure everything is where it belongs in the boat so I can just hook it up and go.
Then get back on the computer and check the reports...tides...and solunars again just in case I missed something.
The off to bed to toss and turn for a couple hours while I think about what the game plan is for the next day... Where to launch, where to look for bait, where to go first, what if I dont catch catch anything there, next spot...maybe I should check out that other spot first...no...Ill check it out after I go to the first spot...Hmm, I havent been there in a few days, maybe I should check that other spot first...no. Last time the tides were like this I had pretty good luck on the other side over by that dead tree...maybe Ill go there first...I hooked that big snook over there that got off...No stick with the plan. Okay Ill go here first, then Ill work the mangroves to the other spot. Should I go up into that creek? Maybe, if Im not getting anything on the outside. Wait, what about the other side? Ill do that on the way back to the dock. But I want to check it before the wind picks up...okay then Ill start on that side...but then you will miss the start of the solunar at that other spot...ARGHHH!!!
And so it goes until I finally fall asleep...but wait...sleep offers no reprieve from the nightly anguish... The dreams begin... Hey look at that mangrove tunnel...the current is ripping pretty good through there, and it looks like it opens up about 25 yards up inside there. Ive never noticed that before, I think Ill go check it out...Crap! I just snapped off the tip of my $245 rod...I pick it up to look at it and it crumbles in my hands... damn...good thing I got a backup...damn its broke too. Look at all the snook just popping everywhere! and my rods are broken...Oh well. Wait I can still use this one...just the tip is broke... cast out... snag... or a slow motion 10 foot cast or some other crazy dream nonsense.
Man here comes an airboat...how did they get back in here...Oh well Ill go back and fish outside in the creek...and I go back through the tunnel and Im somewhere totally different...
And I wake up and its like 3:30 am and Im wide awake... I manage to get back to sleep to more chaotic fishing dreams and the alarm finally goes off and Im tired as hell...
But I go anyway... thinking I can go to bed early tonite... yeah right Im fishing tomorrow...

Special Report: Tampa Boat Show

(Normally I wont be posting on weekends but I had to because when the muse calls you just have to go with it.)

Well, couldn't go fishing because the schedule was too hectic, so I figured I could squeeze in an hour or so at the boat show downtown. I can do these things pretty quickly because I am usually looking for something in particular and don't even bother to waste time drooling over the high dollar crap I know I will never be able to afford unless I win the lotto...two or three times...

So being the inshore/flats guy that I am I was pretty much concentrating on the flats boats. I kinda want something that will allow me to go to the same areas as the Hotrod but allow me to take two or three anglers instead of just one and still fit in the garage.
Of course I expected the pickins to be a little slim since that is a fairly small niche in the fishing segment but I found a couple. Of course Family Boating was there with there Mavericks and Hewes lines. I liked the HPX but it wasn't the one I wanted to see. It was a 17' and I wanted to see the 15'. My favorite boat in that area was the Hewes 16' Redfisher. Looked like a decent deal too. Of course I would have had to add a few things and then it wouldn't have been much of a deal anymore...lol

I'll tell you though there was another boat that I had not seen before except for in pictures and the pictures don't do it any justice at all. It wont fit in my garage so I wont even consider it but the Maverick Master Angler 21' was a very nice looking boat.

Shearwater had 4 nice boats there. 2 flats boats that pretty much made me drool even though they were way to big for my garage...and a pair of bay boats that were super nice too. Price? If you have to ask, then you cant afford it.

I finally got to see all the ranger boats. They have 4 boats that meet all my criteria too. The Banshee, Ghost and Phantom. The Banshee they had on display at the show had some kind of midget half tower looking thing on it. I didn't really like the look of it but I'm no fool, I'll take functionality over looks any day, so I wont comment negatively on it until I try it. The Ghost and Phantom boats were very nice looking boats. Much more 'finished' than the Banshee which looked much more like a working boat. If I had one of them I would be way to anal retentive about keeping them nice and shiny to actually enjoy them I think. But that pretty much goes for any new boat that costs upwards of $25K. And believe me $25K is not even chump change when looking at the cost of new boats.

There were a few other boats that I saw that might have fit my parameters but they didn't do much for me either visually or from their reputations so although I did look, I didn't spend much time on them.
I did see one boat though that caught my fancy. It was a 16' boat it had almost a 7ft beam, it looked like it would run fairly skinny and my wife even liked it because it was yellow and had seat cushions...
It was the 1600 Fly Caster by Famous Craft. It was a nice looking little boat, with plenty of room for 3 people. I would definitely like to give it another look. Supposedly it drafts 7 - 9 inches and had a 90hp Yamaha with a manual jack plate. It was just begging me to take it home and with a show price of less than $16K I almost fell for it...Of course the trailer wasn't included and that would have been another $1800 and I could tell right off the bat that I would have to add some trim tabs, and a push pole to go with the poling platform. I am so glad I left my credit card at home...

Friday The 13th...

Friday the 13th is associated with bad luck. What does that have to do with fishing? Nothing unless your fishing. I didn't get to go fishing today so I guess it is bad luck...so bad in fact that I didn't get to fish since Tuesday...and probably wont get to fish all weekend either. So it is probably worse luck for me than it is for you, my readers. But just in case it is bad luck, I will make it good luck for you because I am going to talk about some fishing destinations.
Cockroach Bay. Located just south of Ruskin FL. Take I75 to college blvd Ruskin Exit go west. Turn south on US41 and a couple miles down the road you will see Cockroach Bay Rd across from a Circle K. Turn right on Cockroach Bay Rd and the ramp is at the end of the road. Good fishing there. There are lots of snook and redfish to be caught in the mangroves all along the channel that leads out to the bay as well is back in the little passes on your left hand side as your heading out into the bay.
If you choose to head back inside Cockroach Bay (CRB) by going left after launching instead of going out into the bay, there are lots of interesting little passes and coves that are worth exploring. The whole area is either slow speed minimum wake or idle no wake so please observe the signs. By ignoring them you are only hurting yourself and the other fishermen in the area because you are spooking fish. And believe me there are a lot of fish in there.
On a strong outgoing tide the current really rips hard out of the channel and the fishing is very good along the mangroves in the channel as well as just outside the mouth of the channel. During the summer months there is also lots of bait to be caught saving you a trip to the skyway or the markers to net bait.
If you head south the grass flats hold lots of trout, jacks, ladyfish and mackerel all the way down to the Port Manatee Spoil Island, which is designated as a Combustion Exclusion Zone and also holds lots of fish. Do not even think of running your motor inside the No Combustion Zone as the security at the port is very alert and will send a boat out to run you off or call the FWC or Sheriff's Office. Push poles or trolling motors only.
If you head north out of the CRB channel there are several passes along the shore line as well as the mouth of the Little Manatee River. These passes can be very productive as well with lots of snook and redfish and trout on the deeper flats. In the winter explore the backwaters inside these passes. This area is known as Little Cockroach Bay. Pay attention to the depth. On low tide there is not a whole lot of water in there and you could be stranded for hours waiting for the tide to bring the water back.
There are also fish inside the Little Manatee River all the way back to the US41 bridge and probably farther but I have never been past it.
I'm not gonna give up any specific honey hole spots but if you explore, you will find them. Look for areas where water is funnelled and the tide is moving well. Also look for points, bends, coves, oyster mounds, mangrove islands, any kind of distinguishing terrain feature is worth checking out. Of course that rule would go for any area being fished.
Good Luck I will get back to fishing again next week and hopefully I can put up some interesting action packed fishing reports to keep you coming back.

Lets Talk Diversity

I have only been fishing in Tampa Bay waters for a couple years but I have caught quite a mixed bag of fish. Not counting a few offshore excursions. Here is a list of the fish I have caught inside the bay, using the skyway bridge as a boundary using a hook and line.

Redfish
Snook
Speckled Trout
Silver Trout
Whiting
Flounder
Gafftop Sailcat
Hardhead Catfish
Jack Crevalle
Mangrove Snapper
Gag Grouper
Goliath Grouper
Pompano
Spanish Mackerel
Ladyfish
Bluefish
Sheepshead
Black Drum
Toadfish
Pinfish
Pufferfish
Cow Nosed Ray
Atlantic Stingray
Key West Grunt
Cobia
Tripletail

Not too shabby I would think. Of course there are still a few species left like Tarpon, Permit and various shark species, so I got something to shoot for in the upcoming days. One of the best things about the bay is the wide variety of fish you might catch on any given day.

My Fishing Addiction

I have an addictive personality. At least that is what I have surmised from multiple articles read on the subject of addictions. I can accept that, I mean at least I'm not an alcoholic, a drug addict, or a sex addict. Now that's a weird one if you ask me. I mean what man, given the opportunity wouldnt be a sex addict. But I digress.

I know I have an addictive personality because I have had many so called addictions throughout my life. When I was a kid I used to love to go fishing at every opportunity but I wouldn't have called it an addiction at the time. And I still wouldn't...(denial? lol) When I was in high school it was sports. I lived and breathed Football. After my senior years season was over I lived and breathed Track because I knew my football days were over. In the Marines it was Softball. I played two or three nights a week on base teams and teams out in town and played tournaments every weekend. When I got older I got into competitive NRA High Power Rifle shooting. I would go through complete 80 shot imaginary matches in my head, visualizing every step of the match from adjusting my sling to packing my gear and leaving the firing line. I coached the base shooting teams and practiced daily at the rifle range and shot matches 3 weekends a month. I would pay my own way and shoot individual matches if the base was not going to send the team to a match. I actually was a Ga. State Champion one year. When I wasn't shooting it was Golf. I played golf 3 or 4 times a week if I could figure out a way to get out of work. I never had the success in golf that I did in shooting but it wasn't for lack of trying. I did manage to qualify for the state finals in Long Drive competitions a couple years though. Then a buddy of mine took me fishing.... I haven't shot a rifle or swung a golf club at all since I started fishing. Well, I think I was cajoled into playing a round for a work function one day. I mean, go to work or play golf? No brainer.

So I started fishing. A lot. Every weekend like most anglers and occasionally during the week if I had some spare time to get away. Then I got my golden opportunity. I found a job where I could work evenings allowing me the opportunity to fish weekday mornings. Nirvana. Of course I had to give up weekends, but come on. Weekday fishing is so much better than weekend fishing. Granted it is harder to find people to go, but you pretty much have the whole bay to yourself. Not so much on Mondays and Fridays, but Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are practically void of other boats and fishermen, with the exception of a couple guides and crabbers.

Is my fishing addiction a problem? Not at the moment, I mean, I dont spend the rent money on Berkley Gulp. (Their is plenty of live bait around right now...but this winter...who knows?) I don't tell my wife Im going out with the boys and sneak off to go fishing. (Of course if I thought it would work...) I would be like that guy in that commercial where he smears lipstick on his collar and messes up his hair and he walks in the house and his wife jumps his shit and says "You've been driving again!" only mine would accuse me of fishing and she would be right.

Yeah I know...Hello I'm Lou and I'm a fishaholic.

Tides, Solunars and Other Nuances That Make or Break a Fishing Trip

It happens to all of us. You go fishing and have a great day, the fish are practically jumping into the boat. The next time you go, could even be the very next day, you do everything exactly the same and you cant catch a cold.

This is a good example of when a fishing log would come in handy. What was different from the last time when you had a successful trip and this time when you didnt do so well?

The first thing to look at is the tide. When you get to your lucky fishing hole take a good look at the surroundings. Is the tide moving? Fast or slow? Is it coming in or going out. Can you see baitfish swimming around, mullet jumping? Any snook hangin out under that mangrove branch? Make a note or at least a mental note that you can write down when you get home. Hopefully you checked the tides before you left this morning, or at least last night before you went to bed. If you have a handheld gps that has tide data, look at it. What is the tide doing today.

I went fishing one day and had the pleasure of seeing a school of redfish swim onto the flat I was fishing that day. I caught big overslot redfish nonstop for nearly 2 hours that day 15 to be exact, and then they were gone. I had the presence of mind to look at my gps and check the tide data for that day and saw that it was shortly after a tide change from incoming to outgoing. I went back to that exact spot several times over the next couple weeks and absolutely hammered the reds every time. You could almost set your watch by them. I would just pull right in to the spot and start catching fish. Why? Not because I have magical fishing powers but because I knew their pattern. They were keyed on the tide at this particular spot.

Did you check the solunar tables for today? What is a solunar period? A solunar table is the closest thing to magic when it comes to knowing when the fish are going to be feeding. All animals are affected by the sun and the moon and they influence their behavior. I dont have the time to go into the "science" behind all of this. If you want to learn more about it, google it and read till your eyes bleed, or you can take my word for it.

In a nutshell, there are certain times each day according to the solunar tables that wildlife, in this case fish, will be actively feeding. There are usually 4 periods a day, 2 in the am and 2 in the pm. Of these 2 will be called majors and 2 are minors. A major period usually lasts about 2 hours, a minor lasts about 1 hour. Some days may only have 2 or 3 periods, and some days may only have 2 minor periods or 2 major periods and the major periods are usually 12 hours apart, ie 1 am and 1 pm, and the minor periods are also 12 hours apart. A major period and a minor period might be separated by only few hours to several hours. I havent figured out a pattern for them yet, but then I dont have to. Someone else has already done that for me and it is published on the solunar tables. I can also access them on my handheld gps.

I have sat on a hole I knew had fish and not had a single bite. Then all of a sudden they would just seem to turn on. Used to be I had no idea why. Now I know. For example, today. I knew there was a solunar minor that was supposed to start at 9:50. So I messed around and caught ladyfish, who dont seem to follow any kind of schedule and just eat all the time, until it was almost time for the solunar to begin. Then I set up on the spot and waited about 30 minutes, since sometimes the fish start a little early, and sure enough at exactly 9:50 I got my first snook. Yesterday it was 8:23 and not a moment before. Coincidence? perhaps... but it happens all the time, so it is at least worthy of some consideration.

Okay so you checked the tides, and the solunars...what else? How about the weather? Yeah I know... Your going fishing, dont care about the tides and the solunars or the weather. You looked outside, theres not a cloud in the sky, and the wind is nice and calm, its a beautiful day and by golly you're goin fishing. So grab the rods and hop in the truck and lets go. Whoa! Just a minute! When I say check the weather I dont mean see if its nice outside. I mean check the weather. Is there a front moving in? Is the barometer rising or falling or steady? What's the temperature? Write it in your fishing log. Some people say that fish feed better right before a front or right after a front passes through. Some people also say that barometric pressure affects the bite as well. Those bright clear blue skies and windless days, although they make for a pleasant day of fishing, they dont always make for a great day of catching. Give me overcast days and a slight breeze anytime. That doesnt mean that you cant catch fish on nice days, but at least you can compare the current conditions with those in you fishing log and see how you did last time when conditions were similar.

When I was a kid fishing in the lakes and ponds of Illinois and Missouri I used to love fishing in the rain. It always seemed that as soon as it would start getting dark and cloudy the bluegill would just go nuts eating anything I would put on a hook. And when it would start to rain they would keep on eating. Now Im not talking about fishin in a torrential downpour with lightning and all that. That is plain stupid. But during a light rain with no fireworks I would fish until my grandma and grandpa took my pole away and made me go home.

What's the water like? Is it crystal clear, a little dirty, or does it look like hot chocolate? Does it matter? Well, it does but it is not the most important factor in the equation. In clear water the fish can obviously see your bait better, and you can see them better but they can see you better too and they can see your line, and your tackle too. So in clear water you might want to consider using a lighter test leader and a smaller hook and be a little stealthier in your tactics.

What is the wind doing? I have fished on days when it was flat calm and I have fished on days so windy that the seagulls were grounded. Wind can make for a miserable trip, but how does it affect the fishing? Well the main thing that I have noticed is the wind can exagerate or diminsh the tidal flow. A wind blowing from the land to the water...called an offshore wind can actually push the water out making water levels lower than they are supposed to be. In conjuntion with a wintertime negative low tide you might find yourself fishing on the sand a couple hundred feet from what used to be the shoreline. A wind blowing from the water towards the land, called an onshore wind can make the water levels higher than normal, so if your fishing an incoming tide with an onshore wind It might mean you should get to your spot a little earlier than you planned so you can still get bait under the mangroves before the water is too high. If your on a pass, a creek or a river the wind can actally make the current move faster. This can be a good thing if your fishing for fish like snook that key on the waterflow when they are feeding.

So these are just a few of the variables that can record in a fishing log that you can use to help plan your next fishing trip. Also just because you got crappy tides, no solunar tables, a rising barometer and nothing seems favorable doesnt mean you wont catch any fish, so go when you can, you never know what's gonna happen. You might still have a great day.

A Quick Fishing Report for Oct 9, 2006

I launched from Williams Park on the Alafia river at 7:00 am and caught bait along the edges of the mangroves in shallow water. The bait was plentiful and I only used about 2 handfuls of chum to get them balled up so I could fill my baitwell in 2 throws of my 7ft castnet.
From there I motored about 200 yards to my first stop and put a nice frisky scaled sardine on a #4 Owner Mutu Light Circle hook and tossed it out next to the mangroves. The bait swam around for a few minutes with nothing trying to eat it so I reeled it in a couple cranks and let it swim for a few more minutes and then I started to reel it in so I could toss it somewhere else. I was almost ready to lift it out of the water when I heard the familiar popping sound of a snook feeding on the surface. It had hit my bait within 5 feet of the boat and it was still on! I started reeling in the slack and the snook came to the surface and took off for the shore line. I got a good look at it and it was a nice upper slot snook. Immediatley I started thinking about my camera and getting a nice picture etc...and the snook spit the hook.
I switched rods to my other which had a bigger hook, a #2 mustad live bait hook, and baited up and tossed it out to the same area. Fish on immediately. Set the hook and reeling and fish off. Okay, that's how they wanted to play today. Fine. I got just the thing. I tied on a #1 Owner Mutu Light Circle and put on a nice big scaled sardine and tossed it out. Fish on again, but this time I got it to the boat. A nice lower slot snook. I didnt bother to take a picture as I wanted to get the fish back in the water and catch one a little more photo worthy. I ended up pulling 8 snook and a redfish to the boat from that spot in the next hour along with 3 or 4 spit hooks and a couple break offs. By then the tide had pretty much slowed and the bite with it. I tried a few more spots just to see if there was anybody home but only caught ladyfish. So I went back to the first spot and tossed a big bait out next the the channel dropoff and went about cleaning the boat and emptying the baitwell so I wouldnt have to mess with it back at the ramp. When I pulled my line in I had a nice slimy suprise waiting for me.



All's well that ends well...

Fall Fishing is Almost Here!

The last few weeks the fishing has been a little spotty. The redfish schools began showing up on the flats and in the mouths of the various passes along the South Shore area of Tampa Bay and the Snook were moving back from the spawning areas along the beaches.

Last week I had pretty decent success finding the snook in some of their cool weather haunts. Fall fishing is almost upon us. In my opinion fall and spring are without question the best time of the year for fishing on the area known as the South Shore. The South Shore runs from the Alafia River all the way down to the skyway and Miguel Bay just outside of the skyway. As the weather and water temps fall, the fish start moving in to the back waters and begin to establish their fall fishing patterns. Bait is still plentiful on the flats and is the weapon of choice when targeting fall snook, redfish and trout as well as big schools of jack crevalle, and ladyfish. Big schools of hungry spanish mackerel are also easy targets out in the bay proper with an occasional kingfish mixed in to keep it interesting.

If you are in the bay and see a flock of birds dive bombing the water, check it out and you might get on a school of hungry fish. Make sure you have either a light wire leader or even 50lb mono if your gonna mess with the macks because they will slice through 20 and 30lb leader like a hot knife through butter. My favorite mack rig is a couple feet of 50lb mono or flourocarbon leader with a 2x long shank 1/0 eagle claw j-hook with a live scaled sardine or threadfin herring. I get cut off occasionally, but I would rather lose a box of 50 j-hooks than a couple gotcha plugs.

For redfish, if the water is high fish the edges of mangroves near passes and up inside the backwaters. I like to troll and prospect with live baits tossed as close as I can get them to the mangroves or with jigs with rubber tails or even jerkbaits rigged weedless with a little weight to get them down to the bottom. You can use weighted flutterhooks, weighted keeper hooks, or a regular worm hook with a small splitshot pinched right above the eye of the hook. A company called DOA also makes a pinchable weight that attaches right to the hook.
If the water is low, look for dropoffs along the edges of channels etc, and also keep your eyes peeled for disturbances in the water. If you are really lucky you might even see a school of redfish tailing. I usually find tailing redfish in the morning when there is an incoming tide flooding a flat. They like to get on the flat and look for little shrimp, crabs and small baitfish and will root around in the sand and seagrass trying to flush out a meal. Sometimes when they are tailing they are so busy concentrating on feeding that you can sneak right up on them and present your lure or bait to the fish of your choice. When your on a school of tailing redfish stealth is paramount. When I see tailers I will cut off my trolling motor 50 - 60 yards away or more and hopefully drift closer to them or put my anchor down and slowly and quietly wade to within casting distance.

For Snook, look for moving water. Try to find areas where bait will be swept from a shallow area to a deeper area, or past a mangrove point or even a cut where the water flows by and swirls into the cut. Present your bait so it gets carried by the current into the areas where the snook are waiting for an easy meal. Another favorite type of area that I like to target are creeks with low overhanging mangrove branches. I like to toss my bait so it will get carried underneath the overhanging branches to the snook waiting in the shadows.

I have been having lots of success using these tactics on these type of areas and they will only get better in the comming days and weeks.