Captain Pete Rosco's Kandlefish Lure

About every other week I get a fishing report from Phil at Capt. Pete's Bait & Tackle in Naples. The other day he was telling me about how he had gone fishing with Capt. Pete a few days before and landed one of the biggest red groupers he had ever caught after he had tied on one of Capt. Pete's Kandlefish Lures. "Whats a Kandlefish Lure?", I asked. Phil began to tell me how Captain Pete Rosco is a biologist and has worked as a fishing guide in Alaska, the Pacific North West, the Great Lakes, and here in the Gulf of Mexico. He had wanted to develop a lure that was versatile enough to catch fish any where around the world in any kind of fishing environment. What he came up with was the Kandlefish. A full body "jigging spoon" that can be used in either fresh or saltwater and will imitate an injured bait fish whether it is cast, vertically jigged, or trolled. With sizes ranging from 1/6oz - 6oz, and 10 sizes in between, this lure can "Match the Hatch" and be fished any where from just below the surface to 300ft. The lure is so versatile, Capt. Pete has written the K-Fish Tech Guide. www.yellowbirdproducts.com/pages/kandlefishTech.html . This guide gives detailed instructions and tips on how to use the Kandlefish in any situation you could think of. It also gives some of the best general fishing advice I have ever seen online or in print in a short, easy to read and easy to understand format.

Now is the best time to fish in Florida!

The best fishing of the year is RIGHT NOW in Florida! Water temperatures have risen from the 50's to around 70 in most of the state and this is sending huge schools of bait fish migrating northward. Where there is bait, there are predators! On the Gulf Coast side of the state, Spanish Mackerel and King Mackerel have moved at least as far north as Homasassa. Grouper and Snapper are following the bait into shallower water. Cobia are starting to show in good numbers in the Panhandle and along the beaches and grass flats farther south. Trout, Redfish, and Snook are red hot on grass flats all along the Gulf Coast. On the Atlantic side, high winds have kept most boats at dock. When the winds lay down you can expect outstanding fishing all up and down the coast. Sailfish, Dolphin, and other Billfish will be hot from Palm Beach all of the way through the Keys. Wahoo, Dolphin,and King Mackerel are migrating north. Snook, Trout, and Redfish are biting very well up and down the coast and should only get better. Pompano, Whiting and Flounder fishing is good and only going to get better.

Dunedin Casuway, Trout Fishing is Hot!

I was just talking with Pat at the Dunedin Fishing Center in Dunedin. He tells me that the fishing is great on the Dunedin Causeway right now and he expects this weekend will be off the charts! There are tons of spanish mackerel around. Pats customers are catching them using Gator Spoons and Gotcha Plugs. Spanish mackerel will be most active where there is a good tidal flow and schools of bait fish. A fast moving lure will produce hard hitting strikes and short, reel screaming runs on medium to light tackle. Redfish can be caught from the causeway or around area oyster bars and mangrove lined spoil islands. These are the smaller rat red, as the bigger fish have moved on. Live shrimp are hard to come by, so cast net white bait or use Berkly Gulp . The pet beach on Honeymoon Island is producing pompano. Sand flees and pompano jigs are the best baits. Silver trout and speckled trout are on fire! Wade the north side of Dunedin Causeway starting at the first bridge. Berkley Gulp baits or jigs tipped with a small piece of frozen shrimp will produce lots of trout if you can not find live shrimp. For more information contact;
Dunedin Fishing Center
727-738-5628
243 Bayshore Blvd
Dunedin, FL 34698

Jacksonville Beach Pier

I spoke with Fay at Jacksonville Beach Pier a short time ago. She tells me that high winds are making the conditions rough, but for those willing to brave them the fishing is good. Large sinkers, 4-5 oz, are a must today. Fishing off of the south side of the pier Fays customers are catching some nice bluefish, silver trout, whiting, and quite a few pompano. Live shrimp and sand flees are the baits of choice, cut fish and squid will also work. For more information contact;
Jacksonville Beach Pier
904-241-1515
503 1st St N
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
www.jacksonvillebeachpier.com

St. George Island

I spoke with Survivors Island Bait & Tackle on St. George Island this afternoon. They tell me that the fishing is excellent! Redfish, flounder, and speckled trout can be found in good numbers on the back side of St. George Island and in Apalachicola Bay. Shrimp are the best live bait, Equalizer plugs are the best artificial. On the beach, pompano, whiting, and spanish mackerel are all biting very well. Sand flees and pompano jigs are the best bait for pompano and whiting. A Gotcha Plug is hard to beat for spanish mackerel. There was a report of a cobia being caught offshore yesterday. For more information contact;
Survivors Island Bait & Tackle
850-927-3113
28 W Pine Av
St. George Island, Fl 32328

Port Charlotte

I spoke with Robert at Fishn' Frank's Bait & Tackle in Port Charlotte this afternoon. He was telling me that fishing in Charlotte Harbor is good and only going to get better as water temperatures climb toward the 70 degree mark. The snook bite is slow during the day right now due to the poor daytime tides, but is real good at night. Look for snook around bridges. docks and other lighted structure at night in the upper harbor. Shrimp, white bait (if you can find them), and sugar trout are the best live baits for snook. Bomber lures are the old trusty standby, but are still the best artificial bait for snook. The redfish schools have broken up, but plenty of individual fish can be found closer to the Intercostal Waterway. Look for redfish around Bull Bay, Catfish Creek, and Burnt Storm Harbor in the lower portion of Charlot Harbor and around the sand holes of the grass flats of the upper harbor. Live shrimp, and cut ladyfish are the best natural baits. The Exude Shad in the Golden Brim and Red Mangrove colors are the best artificial bait for redfish. Speckled trout fishing has slowed with the warming waters but a few cobia are showing up and the spanish mackerel fishing is good in and out of the harbor. The largest concentrations of mackerel can be found outside of the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, but inside, Roberts customers are catching very large spanish mackerel, up to 27". Live shrimp, jigs, or anything flashy will catch mackerel. Only a few resident tarpon can be found in the creeks, canals, and in the Peace River right now. Robert expects the larger concentrations of tarpon to move into the area in about three weeks. For more information contact;
Fishn' Frank's Bait & Tackle
941-625-3888
4425 Tamiami Trail #D
Port Charlotte, FL 33980
www.fishnfranks.com

Bonita Springs has a Smorgasbord of Fish!

I spoke with Ken at Master Bait & Tackle in Bonita Springs this morning. He tells me that the fishing is great with a real smorgasbord of fish. In the gulf, spanish mackerel are every where and the king mackerel are under them. Kens customers are also catching cobia and snapper in the gulf and one of his customers hooked four tarpon over 100lb yesterday. In the Intercoastal Waterway, speckled trout fishing is picking up,snook are every where, and there are lots of very big redfish being caught. Large live shrimp and greenbacks are the best baits. For more Information contact;
Master Bait & Tackle
239-992-2553
4465 Bonita Beach Rd
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
www.masterbaitonline.com

Stuart, Windy But Great Fishing!

This morning I spoke with Henry at Snook-Nook Discount Bait & Tackie in Jensen Beach. He tells me that they have experienced strong east to south east winds all month creating rough seas with 3ft-7ft swells. Those anglers able to get out when the winds calm somewhat are being rewarded with lots of 20lb,30lb,or even 40lb dolphin. Lots of sailfish are also being taken on the edge, where the waves start to break near the beach. Live bait is hard to come by, so trolled rigged ballyhoo is the best bait. On the beach, bluefish are every where, a few pompano are being caught, whiting can be caught if you do not throw past the first wave. In the Indian river, speckled trout fishing is very good, large redfish are showing up and snook are out of control after dark! Fish out of the wind on the east side of the river for the best action. Large live shrimp and greenbacks are the best bait. Henry asked me to pass on this bit of advice to snook fishermen. Fish the bridges at night with a Red Tail Hawk jig. One out of every eight snook caught will be in the slot limit. The others will be over the slot! Big snook require big tackle, wimpy rods and reels will be broken or spooled. Please, use a basket to raise and lower your fish from the bridge so you do not harm it. And last of all hold your breath and bring a camera!!!! For more information contact;
Snook-Nook Discount Bait & Tackle
772-334-2145
3595 Indian River Drive
Jensen Beach, FL 34957
www.snooknook.net

Fishing Improving on Nassua Sound

I was just talking with Bill at Nassua Sound Bait & Tackle at the south end of Amelia Island. Bill tells me that the water temperatures are warming, and the fishing is picking up! Whiting turned on last week and Bills customers are catching bunches of them from the Nassua Sound Bridge and from the beach. While I was talking with Bill, a family from Cleavland stoped into his shop to tell him about the whiting and trout they had just caught on the beach. Limits of speckled trout and redfish are being caught by fishermen using mud minnows and throwing jigs inside of Nassua Sound. Big black drum are starting to show around the bridge. Clams are the best bait. For more information contact;
Nassua Sound Bait & Tackle
904-277-9772
7500 First Coast Hwy
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Pinellas County Fishing Piers

This afternoon I spoke with Big Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach and the North Skyway Fishing Pier in the mouth of Tampa Bay. Bob at Big Pier 60 tells me that his customers are catching speckled trout, silver trout, and sheepshead. Live shrimp is the best bait but frozen shrimp and squid also work well. The North Skyway Fishing Pier tells me that spanish mackerel were biting very well this morning and they had just started biting again when I called around 1:30 this afternoon. There is a high tide around 6pm, so the fishing should be good until then. I would look for the same pattern to hold true for the next few days, good fishing in the early morning and starting again about five hours before the high tide of the afternoon. For more information contact;
Big Pier 60
727-462-6466
Clearwater Beach, FL

North Skyway Fishing Pier
727-865-0668
10501 Sunshine Skyway Bridge
St. Petersburg, Fl 33711

Fishing Pier, Pensacola Beach

This morning I spoke with Jerry at the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier in Gulf Breeze. He tells me that yesterday, his customers caught a 42lb cobia and a 62lb cobia. Spanish mackerel fishing was good in the early morning and from about 5pm until dark. Today there was a 59lb cobia taken, spanish mackerel are off and on, and there are some jack crevalle being caught. For more information contact;
Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier
41 Fort Pickens Rd
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
www.fishpensacolabeachpier.com

Fishing Piers, Panama City

I spoke with Gary at the Panama City Municipal Pier in Panama City his morning. He tells me that there have been no cobia caught from the pier yet, but several have been caught just off of the beaches around them. His customers are catching spanish mackerel and pompano. For more information contact;
Panama City Municipal Pier
850-233-5080
City Fishing Pier
Panama City, FL 32407

Titusville

I spoke with Tom at Doc's Bait & Tackle in Titusville today. He was telling me that the fishing is good in spite of the strong winds that have plagued the area for the last ten days. Offshore fishing has been shut down due to the winds, but you can still find plenty of pompano on the beaches. In the Mosquito Lagoon, there are plenty of redfish available. The Berkley shrimp and large live shrimp are the best baits for reds. Black drum can be caught around bridges using whole live blue crabs, or cut pieces of blue crabs. Shrimping has really picked up over the last week. Use a dip net or box net from area bridges to catch shrimp. He also wanted me to mention that he FLW Redfish Series Tournament is in Titusville this weekend. For more information contact;
Doc's Bait & Tackle
321-264-0330
20 N Washington Av
Titusville, FL 32796

St. Petersburg

I was just talking with Larry at Mastry's Bait & Tackle in St. Petersburg. He tells me that the fishing is very good! The king mackerel have moved into the area and Larry has been catching them around artificial reefs and other structure that holds bait. Strong winds have made fishing in the gulf difficult, so most of the area captains have stayed within 10 miles of the beach. The few larger boats that have ventured farther out have found some nice grouper in 60' of water. Larry caught a couple of keeper grouper a few days ago while fishing a reef for kings in 42' of water. He says that this is due to the wind being out of the east. "An east wind is a good wind", he tells me. "It keeps the fish closer to the beach.". On his next fishing trip, Larry plans to start looking for fish closer to shore. Inshore, the fishing is also very good. Spanish mackerel are every where, and the sheepshead fishing is still very good. Speckled trout fishing is tapering off, but redfish and snook fishing is really picking up. For more information contact;
Mastry's Bait & Tackle
727-896-8889
1700 4th St South
St. Prtersburg, FL 33701

Homosassa

I just got off of the phone with Brad at Mac Rae's Bait House in Homosassa. He was telling me that the fishing is really good. His customers are catching "bunches" of spanish mackerel. There are big schools of mackerel around, so they are concentrating on them right now. There are plenty of other fish to be caught too. Sheepshead, speckled trout, and redfish are all biting very well. Brad has also seen two 30" snook taken in the last week. Offshore the grouper fishing is good with some 20lb fish being taken. Grouper can be found starting around 10 miles out, with the bigger fish coming from 20 - 25 miles offshore. For more information contact;
Mac Rae's Bait House
352-628-2602
5290 S Cherokee Way
Homosassa, FL 34448

Marathon

I spoke with Ray at Fish 'N Fun Waterfront Bait & Tackle in Marathon this morning. He was telling me that high winds are keeping most fishermen at the dock. The few that are getting out have caught quite a few spanish and cero mackerel. Fishing on the lee side of islands and bridges is also producing some large lane snapper, black tip, and bonnet head sharks. For more information contact;
Fish 'N Fun Waterfront Bait & Tackle
1-800-471-3440
7196 Overseas Hwy
at Coconut Cay Resort
Marathon, FL 33050
www.fishnfunrentals.com/

Sarasota

I spoke with Tom at Annie's Bait & Tackle in Cortez this afternoon. He tells me that the fishing is great! The white bait have moved into the area and this has turned on the fish. Redfish, sheepshead, and snook can be caught in Sarasota Bay. Sheepshead are every where and the snook can be found around structure in the early evening. Large shrimp are the best bait for the snook. On the beach, spanish mackerel are thick and Tom's customers are also catching some snapper from the beach. Grouper are biting offshore. Live pinfish work best for grouper. For more information contact;
Annie's Bait & Tackle
941-794-3580
4334 127th St W
Cortez, FL 34215

Sebastian Inlet

I was talking with Justin at Whitey's Bait & Tackle near Sebastian Inlet. He says that the fishing is pretty good, with some nice whiting and pompano being taken on the beach. Sand flees and small bucktail jigs are the best baits. Redfish are being taken around oyster bars and mangrove shorelines in the river. Live shrimp works well for bait. Snook are biting in the pass at night. Pinfish and bucktail jigs work on snook. For more information contact;
Whitey's Bait & Tackle
321-724-1440
9030 S Highway A1a
Melbourne Beach, FL 32951
www.whiteysonline.com

Naples

I spoke with Phil at Captain Pete's Bait & Tackle in Naples this morning. Phil was telling me that the fishing is really good right now. The pompano bite is very good with some large fish being caught. A 20" pompano was taken last week. Phil tells me that pompano have been consistent in the area for about a year now, so he expects the good fishing to continue. Sand flees and live shrimp are the best baits for pompano. King mackerel are still in the area. Several smaller fish were taken 3-4 miles out over the last few days. Just before grouper season opened up last week, Phil and Capt. Pete went fishing in the Gulf about 23 miles off of Marco Island. Fishing in about 53' of water, they caught many nice lane snapper, two good sized yellowtail snapper, and several keeper sized grouper. They used Capt. Pete's new Kandle Fish Lures in the 3/4 ounce and 1 ounce size, with no bait attached, to catch all of the fish. When Phil tied on the 1 1/2 ounce chrome Kandle Fish lure, trying to get the attention of some kingfish swimming by, he hooked into his largest red grouper ever. A 30" monster! For more information contact;
Capt. Pete's Bait & Tackle
239-643-4466
550 Port O Call Way
Naples, FL 34102

Jupiter Inlet

I spoke with Capt. Eric Peterson from Inlet Live Bait in Jupiter this morning. He tells me that the fishing is good and getting better with schools of bait fish, greenys and pilchard, starting to show in the area. In the Atlantic, spanish mackerel are starting to move out but king mackerel are starting to show up in good numbers. Dolphin fishing is good offshore and the sailfish are becoming scattered and are found mostly to the south. Cobia are moving up and down the beach and there are some sharks being caught. For more information contact.
Inlet Live Bait
561-722-6888
1095 N A1a
Jupiter, FL 33477

Fort Laudredale

I spoke with Tom at Kingsbury & Sons Tackle in Fort Lauderdale. He tells me that the wahoo fishing is excellent. His customers are reporting catching 7-10 fish a day in the 15lb-25lb range. Large kingfish around 60lb-70lbs were being taken last week from offshore of West Palm Beach. Tom tells me that this weekend the kings were not quite as big, but there are still plenty of large fish to be had. With the high winds this last weekend, few people went offshore. When the winds lay down however, expect great dolphin and billfish action. Tom was telling me that within the first few hours of the World Billfish SeriesTournament held in Miami March 3-4, over 150 fish were landed. For more information contact;
Kingsbury & Sons Tackle
954-467-3474
1801 S Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Gulf Breeze

I spoke with Greer at Gulf Breeze Bait & Tackle in Gulf Breeze today. He was telling me that the pompano fishing on the beach is good. Sand flees and pompano jigs produce the most fish. Sheapshead fishing is also good around bridge supports and dock pilings. Offshore, the cobia are starting to show. Greer has gotten reports of 6 or 7 being caught in the last week. He tells me that once the water warms another 5 degrees, large numbers of cobia will begin to show. Live eels are the best cobia bait but cobia jigs, pin fish, and small crabs also work well. For more information contact;
Gulf Breeze Bait & Tackle
850-932-6789
825 Gulf Breeze Pkwy
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
http://www.gbtackle.com/

Dunedin Causway

I spoke with Jimmy at the Dunedin Fishing Center in Dunedin this afternoon. He tells me that the fishing is great! Spanish mackerel are all over the causeway. The white bait has moved in, and the mackerel followed. Jimmy recommends that you use either a long shanked hook, or a few inches of nylon covered, thin wire leader to prevent cut offs. Jimmy is also getting reports of good speckled trout, snook and redfish action. Large live shrimp, the bigger the better, are the best bait. Dark plastic lures, "Gotcha Plugs", and "Gator Spoons" are also working well. There are a lot of sharks in the area. His customers are catching large blacktip, bull, and bonnet head sharks. Offshore, there are some schoolie king mackerel being caught, and the ship channel in the mouth of Tampa Bay is producing some nice grouper. One of Jimmy's customers reported that they had fished in 110' of water a few days ago and caught just about everything that swims in the gulf! They caught several different types of snapper, black, red, gag, and yellow mouth grouper, hogfish and several other species of fish. Grouper fishing is open in the gulf once again. I would start looking for them in about 60' of water and work my way out until you locate keeper fish. For more information contact;
Dunedin Fishing Center
727-738-5628
243 Bayshore Blvd
Dunedin, FL 34698

Grouper Season Open in Gulf

The one month closed season on grouper fishing in Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico is now over. Fishing for Red Snapper is still closed in the gulf through April 14.

Stuart

I spoke with Roger at Sailfish Bait & Tackle in Stuart this morning. He tells me the dolphin fishing is good but sailfish are hit or miss. Use a sabiki rig to catch live bait offshore or troll a rigged ballyhoo. Rain and high winds are expected for Friday and Saturday through out the state. Winds will decrease Saturday night and conditions should improve for Sunday. For more information contact;
Sailfish Bait & Tackle
772-221-9456
3565 SE saint Lucie Blvd
Stuart, FL 34997

St. Augustine

I spoke with Bob from Bob's Bait & Tackle in St. Augustine a short while ago. Bob tells me that the fishing is fine. His customers are catching a lot of large whiting on the beach. In the Intercoastal Waterway, his customers are catching a lot of black drum, big redfish, nice sized sheepshead, and a bunch of speckled trout. Live shrimp is the best bait. For more information, contact.
Bobs Bait & Tackle
904-794-7501
6810 US Highway 1 S
St. Augustine, FL 32086

Jacksonville

Today I spoke with David Workman at Strike-Zone Fishing in Jacksonville. He was telling me that his customers are catching whiting on the beach. In the Atlantic, the wahoo fishing is great off of St. Augustine and he had one report of a marlin being caught. This is a little early for marlin in there area, so hopefully it is a sign of good things to come. Island Lures or Boone Lures are the most productive baits. For more information contact;
Strike-Zone Fishing
904-641-2433
11702 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246
http://www.strike-zonefishing.com/

Nokomis

I spoke with Stacy from Big Bite Tackle Outfitters in Nakomis. She tells me that the big news there is mackerel! There are lots of spanish mackerel on the beaches and in the gulf. King mackerel are 8-10 miles out, and getting closer every day. For more information contact;
Big Bite Tackle Outfitters
941-486-1988
900 Tamiami Trl S
Nokomis, FL 34275

Key Largo

I was just talking with Rick at Yellow Bait House in Key Largo. His customers are telling him that the fishing is good. In the back country they are catching snook and speckled trout. In the bay, spanish mackerel are thick and they are catching a lot of mangrove snapper. Offshore, there are some dolphin being taken. Rick tells me that the large schools of dolphin will start showing up in about two weeks. Ron from the Yellow Bait House holds a fishing seminar there on Thursday nights at 7:00. This weeks topic is swordfish. For more information contact;
Yellow Bait House
305-451-0921
101741 Overseas Hwy
Key Largo, FL 33037

Panama City

I spoke with Half Hitch Tackle in Panama City this morning. They say that the fishing is good. Redfish and some large sheepshead are being taken inshore. Offshore, fishing is starting to pic up with large amberjack and scamp being taken in deeper water. Smaller amberjack, keeper grouper, and snapper are biting on the near shore wrecks. Cobia are also starting to show in the area. For more information contact;
Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr
Panama City, FL 32408
www.halfhitch.com

Daytona Beach

I spoke with the Bait Shack in Port Orange this morning. They were telling me that the fishing is picking up. Bluefih, pompano, and whiting are biting in the surf. Bulefish, flounder, sheepshead, speckled trout and bull redfish are hitting around the bridges and other structure in the intercoastal waterway. Offshore you can expect to find grouper, snapper, and cobia. For more information contact;
The Bait Shack
386-767-4270
79 Dunlawton Av
Port Orange, FL 32127

Pinellas Co. Piers

I called around to the many fishing piers in Pinellas Co. today. At the N. Skyway Fishing Pier, in the mouth of Tampa Bay, spanish mackerel are biting at sun up. I was told that every thing else is slow. The Gulf Pier at Fort Desoto Park also has plenty of spanish mackerel at sun up and early in the day. Sheepshead are biting during the day. At the Redington Long Pier, speckled trout and whiting fishing is fair. Big Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach tells me that the only a few fish are being caught. For more information contact;
N Skyway Fishing Pier
727-865-0668
10501 Sunshine Skyway Bridge
St. Petersburg, FL 33711
www.skywaypiers.com

Gulf Pier Fort De Soto Park
727-864-9937
3500 Pinellas Bayway S
Tierra Verde, FL 33715

Redington Long Pier
727-391-9398
17490 Gulf Blvd.
Redington Shores, FL 33708

Big Pier 60
727-462-6466
Clearwater Beach, FL

New Baits From Iland Lures

With Sailfish and other Billfish action heating up in the Atlantic off of South East Florida and the Florida Keys, I thought now would be a good time to see what is new in big game fishing lure design for 2007. ILAND LURES is a division of L&S Bait Co., who also makes Mirolure, and is a popular and well respected name in big game fishing. I checked with them to see what new products they have available this year. One new lure is the ILAND MISTRESS. Four ventilation holes funnel air through the lures head disbursing smoke around the nylon skirt and minimizing natural bait washout. The FLASHER SERIES makes up the other new offerings for 2007. Each lure features ILAND LURES lustrous nylon fiber skirts along with a prism mylar outer shell for increased visibility and realism. This series comes in six models, and eight color patterns.
ILANDER FLASHER: One of Iland Lures most popular and tournament proven lures, now with the Flasher advantage.
JR ILANDER FLASHER: Has the same characteristics as the ILANDER lure in a smaller size. It is ideal for calm seas, or whenever a smaller presentation is needed.
ILAND CRUISER FLASHER: Has a red concave mouth that resembles the gills of a Bonita or Mackerel. It pops and smokes when trolled to attract fish. The weighted head swims true, even in rough seas, and can be fished with or without a natural bait.
ILAND SEA STAR FLASHER: Has a revolutionary star shaped head design that channels air around the skirt providing outstanding stability and action.
ILAND TRACKER FLASHER: Its bullet nose eliminates spinning. Use it along with natural baits. ILAND SAILURE FLASHER: The light weight conical nose is designed especially for Sailfish. Slow troll this lure with natural or artificial Ballyhoo, or a strip bait.
Another new offering from ILAND LURES for 2007 is ILAND SILK. This is a scent free conditioner designed to keep ILAND LURES nylon skirts untangled and nearly new.
Check out these and the other great products from ILAND LURES at;
www. ilandlures.com

St. Petersburg

I spoke with Larry at Mastery's Bait & Tackle in St. Petersburg this afternoon. He tells me his customers are catching a good mix of fish. Sheepshead fishing is hot right now! Fish rock piles and pylons for sheepshead using fiddler crabs. Larry tells me that most people prefer live fiddler crabs, but the frozen work just as well. He crays both live and frozen fiddlers. There has been a big improvement in speckled trout fishing over the last week. The biggest concentration of fish are around the south end of St. Pete in the Pinellas Point area. Snook are biting just about every where. Larry's customers are taking snook from the canals, the flats, area passes and the beach. There is a big influx of spanish mackerel around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and grouper are being taken in the shipping channel. Troll plastic lures on a #3 plainer along the chanels edge to catch grouper. Grouper caught within 9 miles of shore are not affected by the Recreational Grouper Fishing Closed Season in the gulf. For more information contact;
Mastery's Bait & Tackle
727-896-8889
1700 4th St. South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Sebastian Inlet

I spoke with Inlet Bait & Tackle near Sebastian Inlet this morning. They tell me that the fishing is good with a nice mix of fish being caught. Bluefish and spanish mackerel are the most productive species from the jetty. Pompano are on the beach. Snook, flounder redfish and sheepshead can all be taken in the pass and from inside the pass. For more information contact;
Inlet Bait & Tackle
321-768-6621
9722 S. Highway A1a
Melbourn Beach, FL 32951

Sarasota

I was just speaking with Sut at New Pass Grill & Bait Shop in Sarasota. He says to "Tell everyone the fishing is great!". Inshore, his customers are catching redfish, snook, spanish mackerel, and some decent speckled trout. He says that there are not a lot of trout being caught, but those that are being taken are good sized. He also says that there are a lot more trout being caught this year then this time last year. Offshore, his customers are catching king mackerel, spanish mackerel, snapper, and permit. Sut tells me that the only real problem that they are having is a lack of bait. He is having a hard time getting shrimp, and there is not a lot of bait fish in the area right now. He recommends that you use frozen shrimp or cut bait. For more information contact;
New Pass Grill & Bait Shop
941-388-3050
1505 Ken Thompson Pkwy
Sarasota, FL 34236

Mosquito Lagoon

I just got off of the phone with Tom at Doc's Bait & Tackle in Titusville. He was telling me that they are just getting into there peak fishing season and the fishing is great! The redfish schools have broken up, so now is the time to sight cast to individual fish. Gulp Shrimp and live shrimp work best for this. There are a lot of speckled trout around. A live mullet works best for the trout, but the Gulp Shrimp also works well. On the beach, pompano fishing is picking up. Live clams and sand flees are the bait of choice. Tom's customers are also catching there limit of whiting, with a lot of good sized fish being reported. He tells me that the whiting fishing is even better a little farther south. Off of Canaveral, the cobia fishing is good and the snapper fishing is still decent. For more information contact;
Doc's Bait & Tackle
321-264-0330
20 N. Washington Av
Titusville, FL 32796

Bonita Springs

I spoke with Ken at Master Bait & Tackle in Bonita Springs this morning. He tells me that they are, "KILLING, KILLING, KILLING!" the sheephead! Ken caught a 23" sheepshead last Saturday. Pompano fishing is excellent, and redfish and snook are starting to come back with the water warming to 74 degrees. Also, cobia are offshore, and big tarpon are starting to show. For more information contact;
Master Bait & Tackle
239-992-2553
4465 Bonita Beach Rd
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
www.masterbaitonline.com

North East Florida Fishing Piers

I spoke with several different fishing piers along Florida's North East coast today. At Jacksonville Beach Pier, things are a little slow, but you can catch bluefish and whiting by fishing fresh dead shrimp on the bottom. At St. Johns Co. Ocean Pier, one of there patrons just caught a very large black drum. Things have been slow but the water is gorgeous and there is plenty of bait around, so the fishing should pick up on the out going tide this afternoon. Fishing the trough on the west side of the white building, should produce good results. I also spoke with Chuck at Flagler Beach Ocean Pier Bait & Tackle. Chuck tells me that the fishing is good at the pier with pompano and whiting producing the most action. Sand flees are the best bait but dead shrimp and the packaged "fish bait" they sell are also producing fish. A few bluefish are also being taken on mullet, and there are some weakfish being caught, but most are under sized. In the inlet, there are a lot of speckled trout being taken on live select shrimp. For more information contact;
Jacksonville Beach Pier
904-241-1515
503 1st St N
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
www.jacksonvillebeachpier.com

St. Johns Co. Ocean Pier
904-461-0119
350 A1a Beach Blvd
St. Augustine, FL 32080

Flagler Beach Ocean Pier Bait & Tackle
386-439-2200
105 N 2nd St
Flagler Beach, FL 32136

Fort Myers

This morning I spoke with Brian at Shack Bites in Fort Myers. Brian tells me that the fishing is good around Fort Myers. Fishing around bridges, mangroves, and other structure will produce a variety of fish. Right now, huge sheepshead can be caught on sand flees and live shrimp. The redfish are biting well, speckled trout fishing is fair, and the snook are small. Shrimp works well for the reds, trout, and snook. Offshore, Brian is getting reports of lots of grouper and king mackerel. Grouper season is still closed in federal waters of the Gulf through March 15th. For more information contact;
Shack Bites
239-489-0999
17501 Harbour Point Dr
Fort Myers, FL 33908

Ft. Lauderdale

I just got off of the phone with John at Kingsbury & Sons Tackle in Ft. Ladurdale. John tells me that the fishing is very good! This is sailfish season in South Florida and there are plenty to be had. Johns customers are reporting 3-4 fish per trip. Kite fishing is the preferred way to catch sailfish. A rigged ballyhoo is the best bait to skip across the water under a kite. When trolled, a rigged ballyhoo will also produce a good number of dolphin, and an occasional wahoo. For more information contact;
Kingsbury & Sons Tackle
954-467-3474
1801 S. Federal Hwy
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316

Marathon

I spoke with Ray at Fish N' Fun Waterfront Bait & Tackle in Marathon this morning. He tells me that the fishing is fabulous. His customers are catching coolers full of speckled trout on the bay side of the keys. They are reporting good catches of mangrove and lane snapper, to the north, on the bay side. Also, spanish and cero mackerel are migrating through there area and are thick on the bay side. Live shrimp is the preferred bait. On the Atlantic side, sailfish and dolphin are giving anglers the most action. For more information contact;
Fish N' Fun Waterfront Bait & Tackle
1-800-471-3440
7196 Overseas Hwy
at Coconut Cay Resort
Marathon, FL 33050
http://www.fishnfunrentals.com/

New products from Berkley.

When I talk to the bait shop owners, fishing guides, and local fishermen and women who know how to fish Florida's waters best, one of my standard questions is always, " What is your favorite artificial bait? ". The one bait that is mentioned more then any other is the Berkley Gulp. So I went to the Berkley web site to see what new products they have for 2007. I concentrate on saltwater fishing in this blog so I focused on the new Gulp Saltwater and Saltwater Power Bait products. What I found is what looked to me like the same old lures that Berkley all ready has. Under the Gulp Saltwater series, there was the Continuous Cut Bait, Jerk Shad, Sand Eel, and Squid. Under Saltwater Power Bait there is the Saltwater Shrimp. After searching a little farther I found that besides adding or getting rid of some color patterns, what is new about these products is the sizes they come in. The new Saltwater Shrimp is now 5.5", the Squid comes in three new sizes, 3", 8", and 10", and the new Jerk Shad is 7". What was just the Eel is now the Sand Eel and comes in 4", and 5" lengths, and the Continuous Cut Bait is an 11" strip of the old Cut Bait series that you can cut yourself to meet your fishing needs. Fish are picky when it comes to bait size. They are often spooked by a bait that is considerably larger or smaller then the other baits in the area. With the addition of these new sizes, fishermen can now "Match the hatch!" for the size of bait they use as well as the type of bait. To find out more about Berkley's new baits along with there other great products, go to there web site at www.berkley-fishing.com.

Hobe Sound

I called Hobe Sound Bait & Tackle near Stuart this morning. They tell me that the fishing is excellent! The front affecting the northern half of the state is not expected to reach there until Monday, so the fishing should be good through the weekend. Just about everything is biting. Bluefish, redfish, and snook fishing is very good. Whiting are all over the beach and pompano are every where. Bluefish and spanish mackerel are near shore, and they are catching good numbers of permit offshore. For more information contact;
Hobe Sound Bait & Tackle
772-546-1760
9014 Se Bridge Rd.
Hobe Sound, FL 33455

St. Augustine

I spoke with Tina at Oldest City Bait & Tackle in St. Augustine. She tells me that the weather is erratic, with good weather one day and strong winds and rain the next. This is making the fishing there is kind of slow. On the good days her customers are catching a lot of small bluefish on the beach and in the inter coastal waterway. There are also a lot of whiting on the beach and the redfish are in the creeks. Live shrimp and mullet are your best baits. Offshore, the grouper and snapper fishing is good. For more information contact;
Oldest City Bait & Tackle
904-461-0244
1915 State Rd. 312
St. Augustine, FL 32080

Speckled Trout Season Open in N.E. & N.W.

Speckled trout season is now open in all of Florida's waters. Grouper fishing is still closed in the Gulf of Mexico through March 15th, and red snapper fishing is still closed in the Gulf of Mexico through April 14th.

Panama City

I spoke with Tom at Half Hitch Tackle in Panama City this morning. He tells me that the water is still a little to cool, so the fishing is slow. Trout season opens today, in the N.W. and N.E. sections of the state, and it happens that speckled trout are the only fish that is biting very well in there area. Fish the creeks and bayous for trout. Redfish are biting fairly well in the same areas. Pompano fishing was good last week but has slowed recently. The best baits are live shrimp, DOA shrimp, and the Berkley Gulp. Offshore, grouper fishing is still closed in the gulf, but Tom is getting reports of good catches of some nice sized snapper. Use cut bait, squirlfish, or whatever bait fish can be caught at the reef or wreck you are fishing. Remember, red snapper fishing is closed in the Gulf of Mexico through April 14th.For more information contact;
Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr.
Panama City, FL 32408
http://www.halfhitch.com/

Dunedin Causway

I stoped by the Dunedin Fishing Center in Dunedin yesterday and spoke with Donnie. He tells me that the fishing is excellent! His customers fish mostly from, and around, the Dunedin Causeway going to Honeymoon Island. They are catching lots of redfish on "Anything plastic!". Most of the reds are over the slot limit of 18"-27". On the north side of the causeway, speckled trout are every where. Donnie tells me that if you wade the north side of the causeway, between the two bridges, you are almost guaranteed to catch your limit of trout. One of which will be over 20". Whiting are thick at the pet beach on Honeymoon Island. Fish the out going tide for the whiting. Donnie was also telling me that the fishing is not as good on the south side of the causeway but you never know what you will catch there. Last Saturday he caught an 18" sheepshead on the south side. The best live bait is shrimp. The best artificials are the Blood Hound lures and the Exude grub tail jigs in the Clear Gold Flake color. These are working better then the scented lures right now because of the large number of pinfish in the area. For more information contact;
Dunedin Fishing Center
727-738-5628
2436 Bayshore Blvd.
Dunedin, FL 34698