archiv01

January	February	March	April	May	June
July	August	September	October	November	December

The numerous cold fronts moving through the area have knocked the fishing down but not out. We have found plenty of sea trout and ladyfish on the grass-flats to keep the rods bending all day. A few permit, pompano and bluefish have been caught in the passes but the action has been limited. Working the docks has produced some redfish, flounder and sheepshead.

The "I" reefs along the coast are loaded with pinfish and other small fish making it hard to catch something nice. You may find some small schools of bluefish or mackerel around the 30' depth.

The last few weeks have been very good for trolling spoons deep with #3 planers or deep diving lures like Mann's Stretch. The kings, Spanish Mackerel and blues have been eating them up. Most of the fish have been found around the artificial reefs in thirty to sixty feet of water.

Taking some of the easily caught pinfish offshore to the fifty to sixty foot depths around the Cuda Hole have produced some nice gags but it is spotty. Using live shrimp or pilchards have produced some gray snapper in the same area.

As soon as the water began to clear last week, the Spanish Mackerel were back on the bite. Thursday morning we found the water flat as we came out of New Pass and into the Gulf. The birds were sitting on the water and waiting for the action to start. We sat with them for while and drifted some live shrimp but nothing broke the surface. I decided to move over to one of the (I) reefs in 24' of water in hopes of finding a cobia or mackerel and immediately found a small school of mackerel. We brought a couple to the boat but it was slow. More boats started to move in around us and they also started to hookup but it was still slow. Still hoping for some cobia action, I decided to move up the beach to a pile of rocks in 18' of water. The action was about the same for mackerel. One boat was anchored and was pulling in some sheepshead off the bottom. A report came in via the VHF that the Spanish mackerel were stacked up on the artificial reef M-3. It was a good day to run offshore so we decided to go for it.

The artificial reef M-1 was a little closer and is about the same depth as M-3, so I decided to stop at M-1 first. My motto is "Never run over fish to find fish". I put the boat directly over the structure and turned the engine off. It was non-stop action with Spanish up to about 5lbs. After about an hour of fast action, I felt I should move the boat back over the structure to enhance some barracuda action but when looking at my GPS I found that the boat had not moved. We did not have the first cuda follow or take a mackerel that day. The action continued until about 12:00 noon. By then my two anglers had used up the ten to twelve dozen live shrimp we had and the action was slowing.

Further offshore we heard that the gray snapper action was good around M-7 in 60' of water, but also the jewfish. It was hard to get the snapper up with them around. We decided to head back and do a little trout fishing on the grass flats. We picked up some more live shrimp and had some fun with the trout just above Country Club Shores along the sand bar.

King mackerel and Spanish mackerel still hitting hard along the beaches! Cobia are also doing well on most of the rock piles! Sharks and large barracuda are feeding on the mackerel. Little tunny are also mixing in.

For about a month, the action has been hot from the beach out to about 30 feet of water. Free-lining live bait, shrimp or sardines and fishing any of the artificial reefs or rock piles along the coast has been very productive. You can also fish the many schools of baitfish or look for the schools of mackerel jumping out of the water.

We have been fishing with 12# test line, 40# mono leader and 6" of steel with a 3/0 to 5/0 hook, but I take off the steel when targeting cobia.

If looking for cobia, you may want to anchor on one of the reefs or rock piles closer to the beach (around the 20-foot depth) and mix-up your rigging. Cobia may be feeding on the bottom or the top or anywhere in-between. I like to use one rig with a small splitshot, one on a float and still work a free-line until something works. Always look for follow-ups when fishing for cobia.

When it has been too rough to fish offshore, we have been finding plenty of trout on the bay grass-flats but remember, it is catch and release for trout now. Pompano have been on and off in Big pass but well worth looking for. Redfish and snook are possible but have just gone through a lot of pressure for a big redfish tournament

It is a great time to go fishing! King mackerel, Spanish mackerel, Little Tunny, Sharks and some keeper size Mangrove Snapper are just off the beach in 20' to 30' of water. You can also add an occasional Cobia and Gag to the list. On the bay, it has been Redfish, Sharks, Jacks and some Sea trout.

Live bait works best but most artificial lures have been doing just fine. We have plenty of baitfish schools on the Bay or in the Gulf to easily fill your bait well. The live shrimp are also a good size and the bait shops have plenty. The kings have been taking large live shrimp on the drift.

Drift and free-lining your bait out will catch most of the fish mentioned but you need to fish the bottom for snapper and gags.

I see no need to say much more about the fishing, they are close and they are hungry!

The Kings are still running along the beaches. That does not mean that they are not running offshore as well. Why run over fish to catch fish? The action seems to drop off about 9:00 AM but you can still pick a fish here and there throughout the day. The kings have been running from 10 to 20+ pounds. We have also been finding Spanish mackerel, little tunny and barracudas in with the kings. Chasing the schools of LTs has been fruitless at this time. The schools scattered when we got close or just wouldn't chew when they came to us.

Our best tactic has been to look for the large schools of baitfish just outside of the pass and drift them with live shrimp on 12 pound test line and a 6" of steel leader. The live herring also works and you can catch all you want. Some boats are trolling until the action slows down and then turning to live bait.

As we moved further offshore to the (M) reefs, we found it hard to get a whole fish to the boat. Just teeth and eyeballs were left at the end of the line. This is due to the large number of resident barracuda on these reefs.

Cobia has been around but not full blast yet. November should bring some new fish on to the (I) reefs and into the bay.

Things have been very hot along the beaches and the best area has been about two to three miles offshore. Kingfish, Spanish mackerel, Little Tunny, Barracuda, Cobia and sharks of all kinds were jumping on every thing from shrimp to kings. Just drifting and free-lining out some live bait worked very well. We also would run to the large schools of baitfish when they were being attacked. Once it turned out to be a large school of AJs with as many sharks doing the damage to a school of greenbacks. AJs are not common this close in.

Two large kings inhaled the live shrimp being free-lined by two anglers and started to scream line off the reels. Half a spool down and at about the same time, both anglers were able to stop their fish. Both fish were straight off the stern of the boat. Slowly, the anglers were able to move the fish. The fish were about halfway back at a place where kings normally make a second run, when we started to see large boils in the area of the fish. Immediately my anglers were helpless and could only watch as fins, backs and tails of numerous size sharks swirled and rolled over their fish while sending red tented spray high in the air. Soon it was over and the anglers brought the empty lines in. They were not disappointed because this was a first for both of them and will be long remembered.

You can catch all the live bait you want in the same area with Goldhook rigs or buy live shrimp at the bait shops. Trolling will work but I prefer light tackle fishing.

I hope this will last. Also, we need to get the wind back out of the East for the smaller boats and more comfortable fishing.

It has been a few weeks between reports but a rubber stamp would have done it for me. The trout fishing is picking op on most of the grass flats. Along with the trout, we found some cobia, bluefish, mackerel and pompano. We lost half of a large trout to a shark on the flats near Stephens Point. Large live shrimp seems to be the top bait.

Working the backwater, docks and bridges is producing some nice redfish and snook. You may need to spend some time at this and work the tides. Live white-bait is hot for this type of fishing. Large live shrimp works but limits your chumming. I prefer not to chum fish up but this method works big time!

Offshore, the action has picked up around the midrange (M) reefs. When you can get offshore, King mackerel, barracuda, Spanish mackerel and gray snapper are just some of the fish being caught. Long runs offshore of about 30 to 50 miles have been producing some of the best fishing. Due to the sea conditions lately, this has been a bit out of reach for most small boat anglers.

Snook, redfish, pompano, sea trout, bluefish, mackerel, snapper and gags are all being caught on the bay and just offshore. This sounds great if I would just leave it there but most of the trout, snapper and gags have been short. The mackerel, pompano and bluefish have been in small, fast moving schools. Snook and redfish have been inconsistent, so yesterday's hot spot could be today's wasteland.

Nevertheless, the bay and coastal waters look very good this year! With the large schools of baitfish packing in, we should have a good Fall run and a large variety of fish. That is, if the Redtide will behave itself. It has taken some time to build up the stocks from the last one. It seemed that the only fish that survived were the triggerfish. I don't know why they put them on the regulations list. I have never heard of a shortage of gray triggerfish nor any one who cared if they didn't see one while fishing.

The snook have been taking large pilchard or greenbacks. They have been caught on both sides of the bay, Hudson Bayou and Buttonwood Harbor to name a couple of spots.

Anything can happen in the month of September. It is a month of change and when fish start to migrate.

During the summer, you can find plenty of keeper size snapper on the bay and larger snapper as you move offshore. Inshore snapper fishing usually peeks in September. You can find them around most structures and along the beach. A couple of hot spots in the past have been the Twin Bridges just west of Bird Key and the south side of Big Pass. You will need to fish the tides and catch the current before it gets too strong.

Light tackle, live bait or small jigs are a must if you want good numbers of gray snapper. Eight to twelve pound test line is a good match. A small lead or jig of a quarter ounce is best but no more than a half ounce when the current is strong. You must have patience for the slow descent of your bait. I like to use light leader material, twenty to thirty pound test mono with a small hook size 2, 1, 1/0 with a small lead attached just above the eye of the hook. Slowly bounce this on the bottom as you would a jig. Some areas in Florida, like my home town of Hollywood, have much larger Mangrove (gray) snapper along the beach in September, so you would need to beef up your tackle.

With a little bit more skill, using small jigs can be deadly and more economical. You can tip them with pieces of shrimp or small, fresh, dead pilchards or glass minnows. Again, bounce the jig on the bottom. If fishing in heavy structure, you must lock your drag. Letting the fish run is not an option. The exception to this is when fishing with cut bait along the beach or any sandy bottom with little or no structure. Snapper like to drag and drop the cut bait once before taking it. You should let him take line the first time and set the hook when he picks it up the second time.

Of course, snapper may not always be on a particular reef or in that depth of water or maybe they are just not on the bite at that time. Before I move off of a structure, I fish both sides of the structure by adjusting my anchor line. Also, the catching of other fish like grunts may stimulate or draw the snapper in.

I am always glad to see Key West grunts on the structure! Finding Key West grunts on the bite tells me that the structure has potential for snapper or grouper fishing. If I find an abundance of Tomtate grunts, I move out of the area all together. If there is an abundance of triggerfish, I know I will never get a bait down to the fish I want. If I find only sand perch, I know I missed the structure all together and need to remark it.

I need to add that Key West grunts are just as good if not better to eat as gray snapper and that triggerfish and sand perch are also good. It is just a matter of size. On the other hand, Tomtate grunts are just bad news to me.

If you need to go to cut bait, catch your own by using a Gold Hook Bait rig. You can often find schools of cigar minnows, Spanish sardines and other baitfish offshore. Fresh Bait Rules.

Of course if you find larger fish like keeper size grouper on the structure, you will need to beef up your rigging.

Live shrimp is best for snapper but economically speaking, sometimes you would be better off to have eaten the shrimp than what you had caught. Chumming for snapper works very well in some areas but here I find that it may attract too many of the wrong species, triggerfish and/or pinfish etc. Having large clouds of triggerfish under your boat makes it very hard to get a bait to the snapper.

For now, sea trout, redfish, bluefish, snook and snapper have the front row on the Bay and along the beaches. Trout are the most plentiful on numerous grass-flats and feeding well on live shrimp, pilchards and small pigfish. Slowly working artificial lures is also a killer if you develop the feel for it. Along with the trout, you may find some bluefish, permit and snapper.

Some nice snapper are being caught around the bay on most of the structures, bridges, docks, rock piles, etc. Fishing the change of tide with a small split-shot and live bait on the bottom should get you some keeper size snapper.

Snook and redfish are mostly in and around the harbors, docks and bridges around the bay. You will find the snook more nocturnal than the redfish. At night, always fish the dark areas around the light for snook or tarpon. Make sure you are fishing for snook or tarpon an hour before and after the change of tide.

Here we are in the middle of summertime fishing and the rule of First Light, Last Light fishing is a major key to success. Both are usually followed by about four hours of feeding activity inland and along the coast. A magic time for me in fast moving tidal water is when I can find a change of tide at or close to first or last light.

July ended on a good note for both offshore and inshore anglers. My daughter, Cherie and I spent Tuesday jumping barracuda on the artificial reef M-7. On Reef M-3, using 12 pound test line and live Threadfin herring that we caught with Gold Hooks, it was one fish after another. I rigged with 6" of #3 solid wire and a 4/0 hook. Free-lining the bait or a slow pull worked well. Little tunny and Spanish mackerel can also be caught this way. The Cuda Hole is producing some nice mangrove snapper on the bottom. The further you go offshore, the better the fishing has been. Dolphin is only one of the benefits for longer trips this time of year.

We spent Monday on the Bay using the ultra-lights for trout and permit. We found plenty of trout on all of the grass flats although most were undersize, but close. The permit and redfish are closer to the docks. Snook have been very good on last light in New Pass and you need to work the tides.

We also found some Spanish mackerel and little tunny on the (I) reefs first thing in the morning.

Things have started to look better on the Bay. The last couple of days we spent most of our time fishing the harbor entrances and basins on the west side of the Bay. Using the small live shrimp that are now the only size offered at the bait shops, we were able to hookup with a nice variety of fish like Pompano size permit, redfish, trout and plenty of jacks and ladyfish.

Shrimp are necessary for the permit. We free-lined the shrimp on light line using a #1 size hook. We also used the shrimp for tipping jigs. Live pilchards (white-bait) or small pinfish worked very well on the redfish but excluded the permit. The activity seemed to be best from first light to about 10:00 AM. This area is loaded with baitfish, mullet and some very nice snook.

The immediate offshore fishing has been limited but the boats that can have been running from 30 to more than 50 miles offshore to find some good action. The (I) reefs in 40-50 feet of water have plenty of barracuda, Goliath grouper (jewfish), occasional permit and an assortment of small reef fish. Spanish mackerel and little tunny are still in and out. Baitfish are plentiful around the reefs.

Sweet and Sour is the best way I can express our fishing conditions at this time. I was restricted to the bay for the few days I was able to get out fishing. Although there has been plenty of Spanish mackerel and little tunny action around the (M) reef, the weather has been unstable. Dodging the storms and with uncomfortable sea conditions at best, it is the price we need to pay for the much needed rain.

We could find fish most of the time on the bay, but very few keeper size trout. The live shrimp are very small now and only good for tipping your jigs. Fishing the grass flats with jigs and sinking plugs as slow as possible without getting hung-up on the bottom too much has worked for us. Almost as slow as working a plastic worm for freshwater bass.

You can still hook-up with the occasional tarpon, snook or redfish but don't plan on it. We need the weather to stabilize and our fishing will improve as we get into our summer pattern. If you get offshore to the artificial reefs, be sure to take some small crabs along for permit. You can sight-fish for the permit or just free-line the bait out. Don't go too light on your tackle, I like 12lb test line. Permit like to circle your boat and any debris in the water may cut lighter line.

King mackerel are still on the bite! Large kings are very active around the (M) reefs in forty to fifty feet of water. Live sardines caught via gold hook rigs and free-lined out to the kings has been the best method. The hard part is getting a whole fish back to the boat because the barracuda are also very active. Little tunny (LT's) are also hot and fast becoming a popular food fish for those who like quick cooked tuna style fish. Marinating in Teriyaki sauce and fresh garlic seems to do it for some.

You can find snapper on the bottom in this area but may have a hard time keeping it away from the Goliath grouper (Jewfish).

The (I) reefs are loaded with grunts and triggerfish along with a few snapper and black seabass but bring a ruler and lots of bait.

Tarpon are still on the move along the beaches, but can be picky about when they chew. Live crabs, herring, pinfish and grunts are all good baits.

On the bay, we are having good days and bad days. This is probably due to the barometer and moon phases. We still have plenty of seatrout, snook, some bluefish, mackerel and redfish on the bay. Most of the fish and especially the mackerel are feeding on the large schools of very small baitfish, about a ½ inch long. The method some fish use to feed on these very small fish can make it hard to get their attention with normal baits. They sweep through the bait, side by side with mouth wide open like a scoop. They like to repeat what works for them.

Tarpon are still moving along the beaches and in the passes. It has been a better year than last year but no free lunch. The average seems to be two per day but sometimes it takes a very long day to accomplish that. With tarpon fishing, it is the hunt as well as the jump that makes the day.

Snook have been building up in the passes and adjacent docks as they do each year and can give you some fun. It is catch and release time for snook so bring a camera along.

Seatrout are back on the bay and all of the grass flats are thick with trout. Most of the trout have been just under the 15" limit, but we have been able to find enough keepers to make a good catch. Some of the trout have been well over four pounds. A live shrimp on a popping float has worked very well. If you can find live pigfish or finger mullet to use as bait, you have a good chance of hooking a trout over six pounds. I have had a few big trout grab a small trout on the way in. Personally, I have been using a 52M Red & White Mirrolure and retrieving it as slow as possible, just touching the top of the grass. This is nothing new but a very old standard that works all the time by perfecting your retrieve.

In with the trout, we have found bluefish and Spanish mackerel, some pompano and even small cobia.

The Offshore boats running about thirty miles out and fishing hard bottom areas with live bait (Threadfin herring) have been doing very well for all kinds of fish. Snapper, grouper, sailfish, blackfin tuna, king and dolphin just to name a few of the fish caught this past week. You will find plenty of live bait on the way out, just remember to take some gold hook bait rigs along.

M-7 has plenty of snapper and some gag, but it is very hard to get them past the Goliath grouper "Jewfish". You need a 4/0 reel with at least fifty pound test line to get the Goliath grouper to the surface. A 6/0 with eighty pound line would do better. Goliath groupers are still protected and can't be taken, but they are starting to get a little pesky in some areas.

Tarpon are being caught along the beaches with some days being much better than others. Tarpon fishermen have caught a few large kingfish while floating live bait (Pinfish and Threadfin) for tarpon. We also had some very good days for Spanish mackerel along the beaches and out to the (M) reefs, but not every day.

Bottom fishing close in has not been good. This is mostly due to the large number of small fish destroying your bait before it hits bottom. Even the live pinfish don't last long. Bay fishing on Thursday was not good for us! Every place we went and everything we did turned into catfish and more catfish.

Unless you are planning to make a 40 mile run offshore, barracuda has been the best action around the artificial reefs. (M-7) has been the hottest spot and live Threadfin herring the best bait. Bottom fishing from the (I) reefs out to the (M) reefs has produced mostly small fish with just a few keeper snapper and black seabass.

Some large tarpon and the occasional cobia have been caught along the beaches but some days draw a blank. The bite has been a bit better in the afternoon. The north side of Big Pass along Lido beach has been active.

Big seatrout are plentiful along the north side of Longbar but the key is to use live pigfish on a popping float for bait. Small pigfish can be caught on the bay using chum and a castnet. You can use other baits for the big trout, but the ratio is about 10 to 1 in favor of the pigfish.

Pompano and bluefish are showing up around the bay. Large ten pound jacks are also on the bay and concentrated around the bridge pylons. The big jacks will give you a good pull and are a lot of fun. You can also find them along the surf and some of the sandbars.

Although tarpon fishing had been fairly good, the wind direction and weather conditions since Friday has made it difficult at best. The wind direction is expected to swing back to the NE on Monday and that should get us back on track.

Permits are starting to show up offshore on the (M) reefs. You will need to take some small crabs or large live shrimp along if you want to fish for them. Gray snapper are also being caught bottom fishing in the 40' to 60' depths. Snapper will eat most any thing, but they prefer live shrimp or pilchards (whitebait) and also small tipped jigs bounced on the bottom. Remember to fish as light as you can for snapper. This is the key for more and larger snapper.

Seatrout have been plentiful but mostly small on the grass flats (Stevens Point). Larger trout are being caught in better numbers both North and South of the bay. Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jacks and ladyfish are filling in the action on most of the bay. Redfish and snook are being caught around the docks but are spotty and mostly singles.

The Tarpon have arrived on schedule and are moving along the beaches in ten to twenty feet of water. Of course it is good day, bad day when it comes to the bite. Easterly wind or calm, clear water is very desirable for finding the tarpon. Free-lined live bait such as Threadfin herring, grunts, pinfish and live crabs, etc. are all good baits. I recommend no less then 20 to 30 pound test line for a good live release. Too long of a fight is bad for the tarpon and all you are doing is following him around. I use about 6' to 8' of 80Lb test mono leader and a very sharp and extra strong 5/0 hook.

When you see the tarpon, position your boat and let them come to you. When they come within casting distance, cast in front of them and let your bait sink or run in free spool until you have a pickup.

The (M) reefs still have plenty of Spanish mackerel but just a few kings. The Kings may pick up again before it is over. You never know with all this early warm weather. Barracuda action should improve and it is time to keep a lookout for permit. You will need small live crabs or shrimp for them.

On the bay, redfish and snook are being caught in the backwater around the docks and channels. Seatrout are worth fishing for and are on the grass flats, but are still slow when you are looking for keeper size trout.

The Kingfish are still very hot on the artificial (M) reefs and are also moving closer to the beach. Schools of kingfish are being found in 20 to 35 feet of water but they will come and go. The kings are also getting larger as we get further into the run. Trolling artificial baits or free-line live bait is working. We are finding plenty of bait from the bay out to the reefs. The smaller baits are working better for now, but the big baits like bluerunners and Threadfin are starting to find some bigger fish. Drifting live shrimp is also working.

I have not started to rig with steel leaders, just 40Lb mono and a 3/0 hook is giving me faster action. If you are not cast netting your bait on the bay or the beach, remember to take a Gold hook bait rig along.

As expected, sharks are also moving in with the kings. Little tunny, barracuda and some big jacks are also being caught. You just never know this time of year what you might hook up with.

On the bay, we still are finding some big cobia around the New Pass bridge. Redfish and snook are being caught on the back canals but you need to be committed to catch a few. The top of the incoming tide has been best. The seatrout are slowly improving but it is mostly ladyfish with a few bluefish and pompano on the flats.

For the most part, last week was a good week for offshore fishing. The Ice Box area was very hot with kings and some cobia. Even a few sailfish made an appearance and could be seen working the schools of baitfish. The artificial reefs, (M-1) and (M-6) also had plenty of kings and Spanish on and off throughout the week. Towards end of the week, large kings started to show up at the Ice Box area and kings to 30+ pounds were caught on live bluerunners.

On the bay, you could see snook gorging them selves on glass minnows during the incoming tide in some of the channels close to Buttonwood Harbor. Cobias have seemed to have taken up residence around the fenders of the New Pass bridge. Drifting the bottom with live shrimp has been very productive for keeper size cobia and some black drum. Ladyfish and jacks were plentiful with a few pompano, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and keeper size trout also being caught.

On Friday, this was all knocked down with high winds and high pressure as a front came through the area. I did not fish this weekend, but I hope things will be back to normal by Monday.

March 30, 2002

For most of the week, the fishing was hot offshore. The beaches had plenty of cobia to 40 pounds and Spanish mackerel to 5 pounds. The (I) reefs and other structures held plenty of fish. Live shrimp and pilchards free-lined worked well for us. Jigs and plugs also worked.

The (M1) reef was very hot on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, we had a school of Spanish sardines balled up under my boat for two hours as we drifted. The school was so tight to the boat, that I was able to fill my bait well by scooping the bait up with my small bait well net. As soon as we flipped one out about ten feet, we had a fish on.

Wednesday we found mostly kingfish on (M1). They held close to the structure all day. They were mostly small kings, 6-10 pounds but the action was fast and fun on our light tackle. Most of the live bait worked, shrimp included. The exception was the large Threadfin herring. Taking off the steel leader would really step up the action.

It all came to a halt on Thursday. The weather was still good, the bait was plentiful but very little was caught from the beaches to out past the Cuda Hole area. Friday, I was off the water but the mid morning reports I got did not sound much better. Let's hope it picks up today.

On the bay, the ladyfish and jacks are tearing it up. You can find plenty of action at the Twin Bridges or Big Pass. Trout, pompano, snook and redfish have been possible but sparse.

The Kings have started to run! The Cuda Hole area began to percolate on Thursday with hot-spots appearing here and there. Live bait and Gold Bombers fished on the surface seemed to work best.

Spanish mackerel have been thick all week along the beaches out to a 20 foot depth. Everyone we could hear via VHF was catching mackerel with spoons, jigs, white-bait (Pilchards) and live shrimp. Small and large Spanish to over 6 pounds were caught.

Cobias were also in the surf and structures out to the 30 foot depth. The cobia are moving fast and harder to see without a tower, but a lot more are being caught this year in the 30 to 40 pound size. Live shrimp, pinfish and white bait will all work for cobia. Large plugs, jigs and flies also work very well. You just need to see the fish first.

Grouper should follow the kings but so far the snapper and grouper fishing has been thin.

Not much was showing on the bay this past week except for lots of ladyfish in the passes, sheepshead on the structures and an occasional pompano. The bay fishing should improve shortly.

This has definitely been a different March from years past. The cobia, Spanish mackerel and bluefish had been thick along Casey Key, 10 miles south of Sarasota. Drifting the grass with live shrimp and pinfish and keeping an eye out for pods of cobia produced good catches of fish. In this area, sight fishing and long casting with large top-water plugs work best. I like to use a large 5", brightly colored Chug style plug. I take all but the last set of hooks off. This makes it easier and safer to use. I also use this method to draw the cobia closer to the boat so others can cast a shrimp to them. This area also has some very good bottom starting in 23 feet of water with mounds coming up as much as 7 to 8 feet. Snapper, sheepshead and grouper are some of the fish holding in this area now. I must also add that fishing had slowed down by this last Saturday and we only saw one pod of cobia.

On the other hand, our inshore reefs have gone blank as far as catching good fish is concerned but they are overrun with small triggerfish and pinfish. The long offshore boats are needing to run 25 to 35 miles offshore to get some good fishing, mostly large amberjacks. The good news is that you can find plenty of bait on the way out.

On the bay, we have had good runs of pompano in the passes although they are not consistent. You can find some redfish, black drum and snook around the docks, but you will need to work at it. The sheepshead are very plentiful on Harts reef but you can find them all over the bay.

The big question is, what happened to the seatrout on Sarasota bay? All I can think of, is that the Red Tide must have really hurt them this summer.

Pompano and bluefish action is starting to improve in the passes! It looks like a good run may be starting in Big Pass and New Pass. Round quarter ounce pompano jigs in chartreuse and tipped with a small peace of shrimp or a live sand-flea are producing the best catches of pompano. Small to medium live shrimp with a large split shot attached just above the hook eye has also worked.

Drifting the passes and hopping the jig along the bottom so that it kicks up puffs of sand is what I call the pompano snap. For those who are not familiar with this style of fishing, it is a very important step to master for catching pompano. This is different from the normal cast and retrieve jigging you may be familiar with. Use short snaps letting the jig free-fall to the bottom and watch other fishermen who are productive to improve your cadence.

The bluefish are not so hard and good for beginners. They also give a good fight. For bait, you only need something with a hook in it and not bigger than the bluefish.:)

Offshore in the forty foot depths, Spanish mackerel and large schools of bait-fish are being found. Bottom fishing here has been active but mostly shorts. The larger Amberjacks have moved closer in to about eighty feet of water while the smaller AJs have moved to deep water. Go figure!

On the bay, we have plenty of sheepshead and drum, mostly black but also red. Snook are hot south of Sarasota bay.

Although Pompano were not on a run, we have been getting some nice three pound pompano scattered around on the grass flats and passes. Pompano jigs tipped with a bit of shrimp or sand fleas have worked well. Black drum have been feeding well and have been hot around Selby Gardens. Small snook are also adding to the fun.

You can find plenty of sheepshead on most of the structures around the bay and offshore. These fish feed only on crustaceans, shrimp, crabs and clams etc. They are territorial and I have caught them on Rattle Trap lures.

Sea trout are holding up in small schools in the more protected waters around the bay. Inside of Sands Point and Buttonwood Harbor are a couple of spots to look. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are in and out and can show up any place at any time. Cobia are starting to show but you could spend the day and not see one. Most of the cobia hooked so far have been small.

Offshore, the gray snapper have been on the bite at M-7 and M-8. Some of the snapper are 3 to 4 pounds. Along with gray snapper, we caught some school master, lane snapper and some legal size scamp (over 16"). This area is holding some nice gag grouper but you will do better in deeper water around the Swiss Cheese area and deeper hard bottom.

Coastal fishing is picking up! We found large schools of Spanish mackerel and bluefish along the beach and in the passes Friday. The fish were on the small side but plentiful. Trolling weighted small spoons along the bottom worked best. If casting, use small heavy jigs, like Diamond jigs that will run deep. We also caught some bluefish and cobia on live shrimp. We had less than an hour to fish this area on Friday, but it looks promising for the weekend.

Snapper action had slowed down Friday at the Cuda Hole area, but the sheepshead were picking up. I did get good reports from boats fishing in the 50 to 70 foot depths for snapper and grouper. Further offshore, the "D" reefs have been holding plenty of nice size Amberjacks. If you are planing to fish these deep water reefs, take a chum block along and you may be able to coax a blackfin or two up to the boat.

On the Bay, things are also picking up. Buttonwood Harbor has been producing plenty of nice size trout and some redfish. Areas south of Little Sarasota Bay have also been good. Things are looking good for the whole bay to turn on this weekend.

Large schools of baitfish are also showing up from the beach out to M8. Make sure you have some fresh Gold hook bait rigs on board.

Lately, my fishing has been concentrated around the Cuda Hole in fifty to sixty feet of water. Mangrove (Gray) snapper have been moving in for the past few weeks and are getting up to four pounds. You won't find them on the bite all the time and you may need to move around but limits are being made. The most productive method has been to anchor over the structure and fish straight down, keeping your bait just a few inches above the bottom. It is best to use light tackle, ten to fifteen pound test line. I use forty pound mono leader, a 3/0 hook and between a quarter and a half ounce of split-shot about six inches above the hook. Large live shrimp is the best bait by far but cut bait will work.

Along with the snapper, you will find some keeper size grouper, scamp, porgy, sheepshead and plenty of grunts and triggerfish. Taking some heavier tackle along and fishing the bottom with live fish like pinfish or grunts is a good idea in this area. Large grouper, jewfish (Goliath grouper) and sharks are often found here.

The Cuda Hole starts just about nine miles offshore and is in Federal waters. It is a grand place with plenty of breaks and small ledges plus a couple of artificial reefs. A good bottom recorder and a compass is all you need to find the Cuda Hole. Running a compass course of 240° to 245° out of New Pass will get you there. Use the zoom on your recorder and throw out a marker when you see something. Go back and check your marker. If it still looks good, anchor back to it.

The fishing is still good fifteen miles offshore but few of us can get out there to fish. There have been plenty of snapper and a few grouper on the bottom. Kingfish and little tunny are being caught on the troll. With all the cold fronts with high winds and rain, it has been hard to go for it.

Sarasota bay itself has not been good, but if you head south along the Inter Coastal Waterway to the mouth of Phillippi Creek and the Midnight Pass area, you should find plenty of fish this time of year. Large trout, sheepshead, drum, redfish and snook were some of the fish being caught this past week. Of course, live shrimp is the best bait but jigs and spoons work well in this area.

At this time of year, it is good to be prepared to use artificial baits. Due of the fronts, sometimes the shrimp boats can't get out to catch live shrimp.

One good place to fish is to anchor the boat on the east side of the ICW just south of Phillippi Creek. If you can, work the tides one hour before and after the change. Fish the edge of the channel with a small split shot if you are using live or cut bait. This area also offers some protection from the wind and waves.