An update for the last 18 months.

Well, I guess I kind of lost interest in fishing for awhile, but don't leave yet. I am back at it, just slowly gaining momentum is all. When you fish every day you tend to get pretty good at it. When you only get out once or twice a month like most anglers, you tend to get a little rusty. But I am getting back into things, a little slowly but Im getting there.

Last May, (the beginning of Tarpon season...) I had my ACL replaced from an old football injury I suffered about 18 years ago. I hyperextended my left leg when I got hit from behind going up for a wounded duck pass. (Which I caught by the way.) Back then I had arthroscopic surgery and they said it was still 25% so they didn't repair it. 16 years later I was playing soccer with my kids at a cubscout campout and I whiffed... and the rest of my acl tore. I walked and fished on it for about a year and a half until I finally decided I wanted it fixed so I got it replaced. Dr. Eddie Echols at Florida Orthopaedic Institute is the man! I ended up getting my acl replaced along with microfracture surgery because the cartilage in my knee was messed up pretty bad and I was starting to get some symptoms of arthitis. The physical therapy part of my rehab required 3 visits a week for 3 months, and light duty for several weeks after that. My knee is just now feeling close to 100%. Anyway on to the fishing related stuff.

My first fishing trip after the surgery was in July of last year. One of my charter captain friends took me out Tarpon fishing. Of course as luck would have it I hooked a 90 pounder that really gave the newly reconstructed knee a good workout. Since jumping around on the gunnels to follow the fish around was out of the question. I ended up sitting on the bow of the boat using a newly developed fighting technique I like to call "Sit and Spin" I would stick the rod tip in the water when the fish would swim under the boat and turn to the other side to fight it some more when it was clear.












Finally we landed the fish for a quick photo and released it to grow some more for next tarpon season.














That believe it or not was about all the fishing I did in 2008 after my surgery. I did start fishing again on my own in 2009. I havent had quite the success on a daily basis as I was having before my surgery. I think alot of that has to do with the high fuel prices being prohibitive to daily fishing trips, as well as just being to lazy to go by myself. I enjoy fishing much more when I have someone along to share the excitement.

This spring the redfish bite was hot. I got on a couple of schools and they kept me occupied and provided a couple good meals for friends and family as well. But the highlight of the year so far was my birthday. My lovely wife got me a charter with Capt Joe Gonzalez down in Biscayne Bay for Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon. I hooked several bonefish but unfortunately got broke off every time because they were over fan coral and new what they were doing while alas I did not.

We saw several tarpon but they were not in the mood to eat. The highlight of the day was when we pulled up on a sand bar and saw dozens of huge sickles mulling around on the flat. Permit everywhere. Unfortunately they were not in the mood either, but after about 300 casts with nice tasty crabs, I finally got one to eat. This fish was easily 25 lbs. and pulled like a freight train.






This photo was taken by my good friend and fishing buddy ApolloBeachSam of SaltyShores.com. This photo is also in the July 2009 issue of Saltwater Angler magazine. So I guess I finally get my 15 minutes of fame.










And here I am with my big ol Permit. Quite the birthday present eh? I know I was pumped.
Joe Gonzalez is one of the best guides in Biscayne Bay and I would recommend him to anyone looking for an experience of a lifetime.


























Thats the update for now. I will definitely make an effort to keep on posting reports.

If any of my readers are interested in fishing the Tampa Bay area with a professional guide dont hesitate to contact me and I will do my best to find a guide that will customize a trip that will provide you with some awesome fishing and some great memories to take back home and share with all your friends and family.

6 Months Later....

After selling the Hotrod Gheenoe I pretty much intended to not post to my blog anymore but I see that it still averages a thousand hits a month so I guess people are still reading it. I guess I will fill you in on what has happened since then.

After selling the Hotrod Gheenoe, the boat I wanted to buy (1988 Silver King Signature) got sold out from under me the day before I was going to buy it. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I found another boat that actually worked out better for me. I ended up getting a 1996 Silver King Silver Flash. It is 16'3 with nearly an 8' beam. It is almost identical to the Signature except it has two 25 gallon livewells. (And you know I love my live bait...) The Silver Flash was not in as good condition as the Signature but that's fine with me as I like to do a lot of my own work so I can learn about stuff.

The boat was in near perfect working order but since I have had it I have done quite a bit. I replaced both livewell pumps, rewired the trolling motor, replaced the battery, changed the impeller/water pump, replaced the lower unit (I backed into a submerged rock... luckily I found a used lower unit as a rebuild was going to cost me $1600.) and had the trailer shortened so the boat would fit in my garage.

The Silver King has a 75hp mercury. It tops out about the same as the Hotrod Gheenoe did at about 32 mph but handles chop much better and is a lot drier and has a ton more room for two people to fish. It does not draft as shallow as the Hotrod Gheenoe did and I have had to abandon some of my old fishing spots on the lower tides, but I have added a few new ones since then that I could not access before on anything but the calmest of days. So that is pretty much a fair trade off. As far as negatives: It takes more time to prepare, cleanup and maintain the Silver King and it costs a lot more to run it. I could fish every day for a week on a 6 gallon tank of gas and a couple ounces of oil with the Hotrod Gheenoe. I usually end up stopping at the gas station about every two or three trips for 12 to 15 gallons of gas and a quart of 2 stroke oil. I have a 25 gallon tank but I like to keep it at least half full so it isn't as painful to fill it up.

I also find that I don't fish quite as often and I don't like to fish by myself as much. The fishing hasn't really been all that spectacular this summer either. I still catch fish nearly every time I go out. I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I have been skunked in the last year and a half. I just don't get the numbers I was getting last summer. I'm looking forward to fall though as I think the fishing will improve.

I have been doing a little more fly fishing too. My baby tarpon hole has been holding tarpon all summer and I have caught a few. I have yet to hook up with one on my flyrod yet though, but I will keep trying. I'm still waiting to find the schools of redfish that I found last fall as well. This year I am going to attempt to fish them with a flyrod.

Anyway. That's the update. I will try to keep updating this even though I don't have a Hotrod Gheenoe anymore. If I could I would have a Hotrod Gheenoe and my Silver King but I don't think my wife would go for that...

Waiting for Insurance Companies and Wade Fishing.

Well, I have not been fishing since the accident on Dec 26th because I wanted to stay home in case the insurance company needed to contact me and I didnt want to miss a call to cause even 1 minute of delay of getting the Hotrod back in action.

Finally I was about to give in to my impulses and scheduled a fishing trip for today with one of my fishing buddies, Capt Greg... (Man, I sure got a bunch of buddies that are captains huh?) ...when I finally got the call I have been waiting for. The appraiser wanted to come check out the Hotrod Gheenoe...the next morning... between 10 am and Noon.

So I had to cancel my trip with Capt Greg (darnit) but I called another buddy of mine (who is not a captain...) and asked if he wanted to go wade fishing around Simmons Park. He said sure so we met at 7 am and launched our boatless selves and had a great time catching nice slot trout and small ladyfish on artificials for about an hour until he hooked himself in the thumb on one of the treble hooks in his lure. Unfortunately, his crimped down barb wasnt as crimped down as he thought it was though. He was stuck pretty good. He couldnt decide on whether he should yank it out or push it through and cut it out. It went right into the very center of the pad of his thumb too. So I volunteered to help him remove the hook. I grabbed it gently with a pair of pliers and said "On a count of three... One... Two..." YANK! "Three" He said he never even felt it. That pretty much ended the fishing for the day though. He said that the fish probably felt sorry for him and didnt want him to hook himself again.

So I made it home about 5 minutes after 10 and was worried that the insurance guy had come and left already.... but as I expected, He showed up promptly at 11:30. (I could have fished for another whole hour and a half... grrr.)

He took a couple pictures of the motor, a couple pictures of the Hotrod Gheenoe, took some notes, asked a few questions and said "Thanks. I'll file this report tomorrow and you should hear something soon." I said, "Wait a minute, I have a couple questions for you." "What do you think? and what is gonna happen?"
Basically he said that he would file the report. He thinks that the motor is totalled and he needs to get an estimate on the glass repair work on the Hotrod, if it is too much he would probably total it too. (It's barely scratched for crying out loud....) He said I would most likely get a check for the market value of my motor and the same for the hull if it is totalled. And they would come and get them... No F'in Way are they gonna take my Hotrod! The can have the motor but the hotrod stays. It can be fixed. The other thing is, I said how do they determine fair market value? He said that they have books and charts etc that list those things. I said what if fair market value isnt enough to replace my engine? I told him first of all it is very difficult to find a used 25hp Yamaha 2 stroke for sale and a short shaft like the one on the hotrod is even more difficult to find. (and more expensive too...) He said "Them's the breaks..."

Oh Hell No, I dont think so... In fact I think Im getting a stiff neck... and my spleen hurts...

Stay tuned...

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.

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.

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...