Sarasota Tarpon Still A Good Option

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/18 through 7/30/2009


Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon, trout and snook recently. Tarpon are still fairly plentiful and are a good option; particularly fly fishing for them in shallow water. In addition, we also caught a few bluefish and Spanish mackerel while fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.

Justin and Melissa Jones, from TX, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday, July 19th. We fished deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released trout on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. My friend Capt. Bryon Chamberlin, from Land O’Lakes, FL, tarpon fished with me on Monday, July 20th. We fished shallow water near Siesta and Lido Keys and had excellent action. Tarpon were plentiful and we probably had more than 30 shots at fish, 6 bites, 4 jumped and one of them landed. A great day!

My friend, Steve Gibson from Sarasota, FL, tarpon fished with me the next day but the tarpon weren’t as aggressive. We had almost as many shots with a fly but no bites. Nick Coote and his son, George, both from near London, England fished with me on Tuesday. We spent half of our trip fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released trout to 22”, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies, DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs. Once we had good sunlight, we headed for the gulf to try our hand at tarpon. They had a couple of shots, but no takers.

The action continued on Thursday when my son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton joined me to tarpon fish. Andy put a fish in the air with a traditional style tarpon fly (chartreuse grizzly with an olive collar) and we had more than 20 shots. Alfredo Hernandez and his friend, Santiago, both from Miami, FL, tarpon fished with me on Friday. We snook fished around lighted docks on Siesta Key for an hour or so before dawn and they caught and released 4 or 5 snook before we headed for the gulf. Alfredo jumped a tarpon on a threadfin off Siesta Key, but that was the only action we had. Fly angler, Al Cuneo from Ellenton, FL, tarpon fished with me on Saturday. We had more than a dozen good shots but no bites. We had a hard follow but the fish ran out of water and spooked off the boat before he had a chance to eat.

The action continued into this week. I was off on Monday and planned to do some errands and office work but conditions were too good for me stay home. With an afternoon appointment to work around, I only had a couple of hours to spare but it was worth it. I had more than 20 shots at tarpon off Siesta, Lido and Longboat Keys and landed one on a black Deceiver. My friends Capt. Rick Depaiva and David McCleaf, both from Ft. Myers, joined me to fish on Tuesday. We had great conditions and more than 30 shots at tarpon with a fly in shallow water. David had the hot hand that day with 2 hook ups, one on a black Deceiver and the other on a black and red Tarpon Rat fly. One came unbuttoned right away, but the other fish gave us 5 jumps and a 10 minute battle before the leader somehow broke with the fish close to the boat.

I was the guest of friend and client Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, on Wednesday. The day started off great with good conditions and we had 6 or 8 good shots. Then the clouds rolled in and ruined our visibility. We stuck it out, even though the shots we were getting were not good ones. I got lucky when I jumped a fish that showed up right at our transom and flared off the boat. I made a cast to where the fish was headed with a black and red Tarpon Rat fly and hooked up. A knot came up and snagged a finger as I was clearing line and broke the fish off on a jump. Oh well!

Tarpon are starting to thin a little, but this action should continue for another week or two, possibly longer. After that, tarpon will move to inside waters where you may get a shot at them around bridges or on deep grass flats. Snook before dawn and reds, trout and more on shallow grass flats early in the day will also be good options.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com



Capt. Rick Grassett with a tarpon caught and released off Siesta Key on a black Deceiver fly. Capt. Bryon Chamberlin photo.



George Coote, from the UK, with a nice trout caught and released on a DOA Deadly Combo while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.



David McCleaf, from Ft. Myers, FL, jumps a nice tarpon on a black Deceiver fly off Siesta Key while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett. Capt. Rick DePaiva photo.

The Fish Know Summer Is Dinner Time

A Little Bit of Everything.

How’s this for variety? This month, so far, we’ve caught redfish, snook, trout, spanish mackerel, blacktip sharks, lemon sharks, bonita, ladyfish, tarpon, gag grouper, mangrove snapper, ladyfish and cobia. Summer time really is the time to see how many species of fish you can get in one day. The waters are alive with hatch-ling baits and the fish know it’s dinner time.



We get into some redfish, snook and trout at times but the real show is in open water where the speed demons of the bay like bonito, mackerel and sharks are crashing baits. Often times acres of whitewater can be seen in the distance as these fish are breaching the surface attacking the small baits in massive schools.



Getting on the water early is key right now. Not just for the fish but for the fishermen as well. It is rather warm out there by midday and afternoon storms are the norm here in teh Tampa Bay area of Florida. If you’re game for it, I’ll take you along with me to catch bait around sunrise and then we’re off to the fishing grounds.



The next couple of months are you best bet of the year for catching many types of fish. If you’re up for tarpon, they’re still around and active. You just need to pick days with good tides.



Tampa Bay Fishing
Captain Clay Eavenson
813-300-2147
http://www.captainclay.com/
gofishing@captainclay.com

First And Last Light Are Best

July 26, 2009

Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith

First light Sea trout on DOA artificial shrimp! Scott Gifford and his son
tied into trout on the Middle Ground grass-flats first thing in the morning.
Scott's fish was 22". The bay flats and bridges have been producing some
nice fish but you may need to cover some ground to find them. Spotted sea
trout, bluefish, Gray snapper, flounder and pompano are just some of the
fish coming in. Large schools of jacks, ladyfish, and bluefish may start
the water boiling at any time. The fish keep moving so you need to keep
moving. I find most of my fish along the edge of the deep grass and repeat
my drift until they move off. The 3" DOA shrimp are working best for me
while holding the pinfish at bay. Pinfish are good for the bay but not good
for your live bait.

During the summer, first and last light are best for fishing and night is
better than day. None of this is carved in stone and the fish could bite at
any time. I am just talking about the probability. I like to start just
before daybreak and quit by 10:30am. At night, I like to fish starting just
before dusk, an hour before, and an hour after the tide change. This all
looks good on paper, but the truth is that those of us who have been bitten
by the fishing bug will spend all our free time fishing regardless of what
the fish are doing.

Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com

Thank you!

Capt. Bob Smith
Phone: (941) 366-2159 Cell: (941) 350-8583.
Email: capt.bobsmith@verizon.net
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com

Plenty Of Fish To Be Caught

Summer Patterns Producing Results!!!

7/27/2009

Here we go! More 90 degree days with a few storms mixed in. We always say things like, 'I don't ever remember it being this hot!' or 'I've never seen this much rain!' even though it is the same every year. One thing I know is we make the same type of adjustments this time each year. Beach fishing when the backwaters are in the 90's. We are still getting fish in the backcountry on higher tides which stay a little cooler, but most of my focus is around the points and beaches in search of those striped predators, Snook! So, here is my report on every thing going on including the Snook fishing...

My pursuit of Redfish is based mainly on tides. The high tides always allow the Reds to get into the bushes where there is shade and protection from the Bull sharks and Dolphin that forage on the flats. They also have an opportunity to ambush small baits while in the roots of the mangroves. Those of you that have fished with me know I like to use a cut bait method with a split shot to attract the Reds out of the deep root systems to the edge for an easy meal. It works great when the Reds are around the tree line I am focusing on. Chumming helps to draw them to the area as well. Docks have also had the same effect as the mangroves. Even fish need a little shade in the summer.

The 4 - 8 foot grass flats around any moving water are holding hundreds of Trout. In most cases we can pull up, throw a handful of chum and watch them blow up baits on the surface. Most of them are in the 12 - 16 inch range, but the action is awesome. A few larger Trout are there, we just need to sort through a few small ones to get them There are usually Spanish Mackerel and Ladyfish as well as the occasional Shark looking for food. I like to use freelined sardines to get the bite.



Now, Snook! I have been running the troughs along the beach with my trolling motor until I run into groups of 10 - 50 Snook at a time. These fish are cooperative when the conditions aren't too clear and calm. Lately, the water has been so clear that they tend to move a long way from the boat, once I set up on them. We will get a bite or two from them before I need to ease down the shoreline to get in range again. When these fish are too finicky, I will head for the rock jetties or the deeper cuts around the points and passes. Grunts are getting hit hard by the bigger fish and the smaller male Snook still like to attack a healthy sardine. I've had plenty of clients catch their first of many Snook this year. If you haven't caught yours yet, you need to book a trip soon!

Tarpon are still around although the numbers are dwindling. I ran a few trips in South Tampa Bay around the Skyway Bridge and a couple around Honeymoon Island the past few weeks. We saw only a few and jumped just one. The best action I've heard seems to be over the sand bars working a fly rod on the incoming and outgoing tides. I spotted a few training out of Hurricane Pass this past week, but wasn't set up to catch them. The next strong moon phase should be one of the last big pushes for the Tarpon around here.

My new Dorado 23 allows me to scoot offshore to hit some of the rockpiles and artificial reefs from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs. Mangrove Snapper and Grouper are the target. Most Grouper that are in within 4 miles are short but the Snapper fishing is great. Cobia have been a nice surprise out there too!

See, there are plenty of fish to be caught! Rain, shine, or in the heat. Get out here before the summer slips away from you. Families are always welcome. There is no better way to bond with your children than going on a fishing trip. Call now 727-365-7560. See ya soon...

Capt. Brian

Capt. Brian Caudill
727-365-7560
braincandle2@yahoo.com
http://www.captbrian.com/

Monster Snook "Thrill Of A Lifetime"

Boy oh Boy, what a beautiful Snook. This was a very exciting fishing trip for Harold Fox his wife Marcy and their son Jeramie. This family has never caught Snook or Tarpon before. They fished
with me last year and we caught a lot of Redfish, Trout and a big Shark. Well, they can't say that anymore. They actually jumped 9 Tarpon and landing 1 nice Tarpon. We also landed 2 Snook out of 6 (one nice size Snook and one 43" Monster Snook). Caught a Goliath Grouper and Jacks.







We went out to the flats to check on the trout, but the water was still murky. When we got back to the dock, Harold said that this fishing trip was a "thrill of a lifetime" He was still shaking from being so excited with catching that Monster Snook. We also saw manatees, dolphins, spoonbills, and lots of wading birds. Fishing in the Everglades National Park is one true experience of a lifetime
Posted by Captain Becky Campbell at 2:47 PM

Captain Becky Campbell 239-695-2029

Captain Becky Campbell
239-695-2029
www.evergladesfishingcharters.com/
CaptainBecky709@aol.com

Central Florida Barramundi

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report,
July 23, 2009
By Captain Tom Van Horn

Events and Seminar Schedule:
July 25, 2009 "Free Fishing Classes" Introduction to Saltwater Flats Fishing Series, Class 4 of 8, "Hard Bait Applications" 10 am-12 noon at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S Washington Avenue in Apopka. Instructors are Captains Chris Myers and Tom Van Horn. For more details or directions, contact Mosquito Creek Outdoors at (407) 464-2000 or visit their website www.mosquitocreek.com

August 8, 2009 Hook Kid on Fishing event at Kelly Park in Merritt Island off of Banana River Drive. The event runs from 9 am - 11 am. For more details call 321-777-2773.

August 11, 2009 "Free Fishing Classes" Introduction to Saltwater Flats Fishing Series, Class 5 of 8, "Natural Baits" 7 pm-9 pm at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S Washington Avenue in Apopka. Instructors are Captains Chris Myers and Tom Van Horn. For more details or directions, contact Mosquito Creek Outdoors at (407) 464-2000 or visit their website www.mosquitocreek.com

August 15, 2009 Crab Pot Clean-up. The event starts at 8 am at the Haulover Canal ramp in Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Please join us in the removal of derelict crap traps. Call me for more details on how you can help at 407-416-1187.

First and foremost, I would like to start this report with a very important announcement. As you know August marks the one year anniversary of my purchase of the Coastal Angler Magazine franchise in Orlando. The added responsibility of publishing a fishing magazine has been challenging on my time, but the rewards have been enormous. We now have our own free local fishing publication here in Central Florida loaded with local information about our fishery. Although the publication is available in over 200 locations throughout the Greater Orlando area, finding one has been a chore for some. Well starting this month, CAM Orlando is available in it's entirety on line at www.coastalanglermagazine.com. So visit our website and read all of the 14 Florida franchises, and enjoy reading Coastal Angler Magazine in the comfort of your own home or check the latest fishing forecast on your personal communication devices.



Now that we have that out of the way, I would like to apologize for this late report. My angling adventures over the past few weeks have taken me away from my normal fishing activities. As a fishing guide and publisher, my attention was diverted to the ICAST convention in Orlando. This is the premiere event for the fishing tackle industry worldwide. ICAST is the event where all of the fishing tackle manufactures introduce their new products for the up coming year, and it is a virtual who's who of every fishing publication, TV and radio host in existence. Great fun, but a lot of work as well.



Mac's Barramundi

Although ICAST was a lot of work, we still managed to sneak away and fish outback. Not out back behind the Orlando Convention Center, but the Osceola Outback for barramundi. Yes, I said barramundi in Central Florida. During the show, Coastal Angler teamed up with the Osceola Outback Adventures and the Fish on Fire Restaurant, and together we transported three bus loads of convention guest out to the Outback for some serious catching. On three different occasions we fished the ponds and scored many catches of a lifetime. If you live in or plan a visit to Orlando, I highly recommend a charter to the Osceola Outback Adventures, (www.osceolaoutback.com).



Yesterday, I finally made it back to the Lagoon, and found some fast and furious action on the shallow flats in 2 to 3 feet of water. Currently there are tons of glass minnows schooled up through out the lagoon, and in the shallow water both ladyfish and bluefish are thick. These fish will eat anything from DOA CALs to topwater Skitter Walks, but one word of caution, bluefish have very sharp teeth, so step up your leader size and work your baits fast to avoid cut offs. We also found several large schools of over slot redfish and scored some nice reds on cut ladyfish.

As always, if you have any questions or need more information, please contact me.

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-366-8085 landline
407-416-1187 on the water

Book a charter, and let's go fishing.
If you would like to be added to my mailing list, reply to captain@irl-fishing.com.
Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!

Jensen Beach Fishing Report 7-23-09

FISHING 7/19/09


Love that west wind, the bait on the surf edge, Sails in 40', Cobia and all the river targets love it also, glad I am not looking for a Dolphin. A little bit of east wind moved some in then that west was back and the Dolphin moved out with the breeze. Dolphin have been a scattered catch even for the anglers fishing deep and the fish that I have heard about have been small. Sails from 140' to 40', pesky Sails eating every thing that seems to swim past them, Cobia from 20' on live baits and Bonita fest 09# is in full swing. Plenty of King fish not all big but excellent for the grill also start in that 20' range. Captain Joe from Out Law charters was catching Muttons in the inlet and that was just a start. Bottom fishing anglers found plenty of Mutton and Mangrove snappers form the Loran Tower to the Black Condo, if there was any sort of ledge they were there in good numbers, favored bait Sardines. Did I tell you how much the Bonita love sardines? Now if we can get this wind to change, and all we need is a gentle breeze from the east maybe the Dolphin will move in.
The west wind keeps the surf quiet, and the bait fish love it. There is so much bait you can use sabiki rigs to catch them, with that much bait why would the fish not be there. Start early, plenty of big Snook (season is closed), big Jacks (these fish will test your ability) and Tarpon a long with plenty of whiting, Croaker and Spanish Mac's on the glass minnows. The surf has been the place for constant action big, small, live bait, artificial and plenty more. Fish up close, most fish are in the trough, and it seams they are there all day. I say early because it is easier on the angler or late but the fish are there all day. If the middle of the day works for you do not start without the sun screen and glasses, it is that Florida sun that I love.
River anglers you need to be fishing before sun up because your time is limited, mid morning the fish turn off and find a shaded spot to finish their day. Big Trout in the flats with a mix of Reds and some slot Snook using top water, jerk baits and live baits of witch there is plenty. Tarpon in the North Fork, Hells Gate, Cross Roads, on north to the Power Plant, lots of fish and their menu changes from location to location. Look around what is there plenty of in that area and match the profile, but all this happens early, be there for sun up. Bridges, Sand Perch and Snappers a mixed bag on shrimp and plenty of both, looking to take home some fish, stop at the bridges and fish the shaded water, do not forget the ice.
Shore line anglers licenses are now available, please don't wait till the last minute....Henry

Snook Nook Bait & Tackle
3595 NE Indian River Drive
Jensen Beach, FL
(Just South of the Jensen Causeway)
(772)-334-2145
(Since 1949)
E-Mail: henry@snooknook.net
www.snooknook.net

Fly Fishing Lido Key For Tarpon

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/6 through 7/17/2009


Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, continue to have good action fly fishing for tarpon. A couple of trips last weekend had more than 20 shots per day and a total of 5 fish jumped and 2 landed in 2 days of fishing. We fished shallow water off Lido and Longboat Keys with a variety of flies on intermediate sink tip fly lines. I fished with my friend, Rusty Chinnis from Longboat Key, FL, on Saturday. He hooked up a couple of times on a brown Toad and I landed a tarpon on a black Deceiver. My son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton, jumped one on a chartreuse Toad and landed one on a traditional style Purple Death tarpon fly while fishing with me on Sunday.

The action continued into this week. We fished shallow water off Lido and Longboat Keys and action was slower at the beginning of the week. However, it picked up later in the week. My friend, Steve Gibson from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Tuesday. The wind was up out of the west again and we only had a few shots. Richard Taylor, from Mobile, AL, fished with me on Wednesday and with the wind back out of the east he had more than a dozen shots. Tarpon were back in an eating mood on Thursday when Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Orvis store manager, Paul Range from Atlanta, GA, fished with me. They had more than 20 shots at tarpon, 1 hookup and another bite, both on a tan Toad. After our trip they snook fished in the surf (from the beach) on their own off Siesta Key and landed several snook on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly.

This is my favorite time of the year to fly fish for tarpon. With most fish already spawned out, their focus changes from spawning to eating. Large schools give way to singles, doubles and small schools that are prowling shallow water looking for something to eat. We use intermediate sink tip fly lines on12-weight rods with a variety of crab and baitfish fly patterns. I look for this action to continue for the rest of the month and possibly into early August, although fish will start to thin out at some point. After that, snook before dawn around lighted docks and bridges and tarpon of all sizes in some of the same areas will be good options. Fishing deep grass flats for trout, bluefish and pompano should also be good and reds will begin schooling at any time.



Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com



Capt. Rick Grassett battles a tarpon caught and released on a black Deceiver off Lido Key. Rusty Chinnis photo.



Capt. Andy Cotton caught and released this tarpon on a Purple Death tarpon fly while fishing with his father-in-law, Capt. Rick Grassett off Lido Key.

July Anything But Typical

Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters

Capt. Chris Myers

Fishing Report and Newsletter July 17, 2009

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report
This July has been anything but typical for the first two weeks of the month. The water level is higher than usual and the normally slick calm mornings have been few and far between. Places that have held lots of tailing redfish during recent summers have not been very productive and the big tarpon have yet to arrive in our inshore waters. The big redfish have been around but seeing and keeping on them with the clouds and wind has been challenging.

During trips early in the month, my clients caught plenty of trout and had shots at plenty of redfish. With the southern end of Mosquito Lagoon closed for over a week due to several failed attempts to launch the space shuttle, I decided to spend a day last week looking for snook and tarpon. While I only saw one tarpon, I did find some snook to thirty inches that were willing to eat a four inch DOA CAL in silver mullet. Trout were plentiful and a 31 inch redfish was happy to eat a black rabbit fur fly I cast to him.

This Monday, my clients unexpectedly arrived with three anglers. We all piled on board and headed out to look for some snook. After missing several strikes at our first stop, we made a short move. On the next four casts, they hooked and lost a nice snook and landed a smaller one. We spent some time catching trout along the edge of a flat waiting for the clouds to blow over. When the sun came out, I poled up onto the flat and we immediately began seeing redfish. Sight fishing with three anglers did not work out well so we spent the remainder of the day catching trout.

Wednesday, I fished with Sam and his friend Kevin, the guitar player for the rock band The Offspring. Kevin started the day by landing a jack and then a snook on a four inch CAL. Sam had several strikes but no hookups. Next we tried fishing a school of large redfish that turned out to be very uncooperative. After landing a handful of trout, we encountered a few redfish and plenty of black drum.





They caught a few more trout before Kevin, who had played a concert in another state the previous night, finally ran out of energy. An excellent time was had by all.

Friday, I had the pleasure of fishing with Konrad Krauland, the inventor and former owner of Power Pro fishing line along with his friend Maurice. The fishing was fun but the catching was below average. We encountered lots of cloudy water, floating grass and lats of other boats. We saw a few redfish and black drum but only the trout were willing to cooperate. Other anglers we spoke to found the fishing tough as well.

Hopefully, the coming weeks will bring more normal weather and the tarpon will begin showing up. Baitfish of all kinds can be found everywhere you go. Trout, ladyfish and jacks are usually willing to bend a rod if you find the redfish difficult to fool. A three inch CAL on a 1/4 ounce jig will catch a variety of fish.


The BFL 5.5 is here!
Many anglers have been awaiting the arrival of the much anticipated DOA BFL in the 5.5 inch version. A smaller copy of the original BFL, the 5.5 is available in six colors. I recently used this lure when I fished the CCA Inter Chapter Challenge tournament. A catch, photo and release event, I took second place in the trout division with a fish that was 29 1/4 inches long. The Orlando chapter took home the grand champion trophy. I have succesfully used the BFL 5.5 to catch numerous large trout as well as tarpon and snook. It comes with two interchangeable lips if you prefer to use it as a swim bait. My favorite technique is to remove the lip and work the lure on the surface in an erratic action. The lures are available now at doalures.com



BFL 5.5


Mosquito Creek Angler Improvement Class
The next class will be July 25 at 10am. Capt. Tom Van Horn will be discussing Hard Bait Applications for flats fishing.

Capt. Chris Myers
Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/
321-229-2848

Panhandle Fishing Report 7-17-09

Report for 07/17/2009

Salt Water


MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
The weather was sketchy this week however, the snapper bite continued to be good on near and offshore structure, weather and seas permitting. No Mahi or Wahoo reports this week but King mackerel, again weather permitting was excellent, on and around local structures. The big news was a rather large Warsaw grouper landed near the Apalachicola bridge rubble site SE of St George Island. The fish was not weighed, but based on the fish’s length and girth; it may have had world record potential. The estimated weight was about 446 lbs. Kudos to Clint Haley, and Shawn Daniels.



Picture of young angler “Tennessee Chuck received fishing lessons from youngster, Speckled trout 5.1 pounds, 27 inches”

ST JOSEPH BAY
Redfish and trout catches remain very good this week. Fishing early is a good idea because of the masses of people harvesting scallops in St Joe bay. As usual, the hot spots are around Black’s island and in the channel by Pigs Bayou. This week, reports had more catches with DOA popping corks rigged with an artificial shrimp imitation. Of course, live LYs accounted for the vast majority of trout hook ups.

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
A few Sailfish have been caught free-lining live baits out the buoy line and Cobia are popping up on the wrecks. The Red Snapper bite is still real good over the wrecks and hard bottom areas. Wahoo are being caught from 20-40 miles out. Hi speed trollers, like the Yo Zuri Bonita, are a sure bet. King mackerel are being caught in great numbers. They are being caught steadily around the Whistle and Weather buoys trolling and free-lining cigar minnows. The Grouper bite has slowed in shore, but good reports are coming from 30 miles out. Use large live baits to get past the Snapper! Lots of AJ’s are still being caught around the 100 foot mark over bridge spans and large wrecks.


ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Tarpon have shown up on the beaches for their annual migratory run. Be stealthy, throw live baits, and keep your fingers crossed for a hook up! Ladyfish, Bluefish, and Spanish mackerel are biting good at the jetties on spoons and Gotcha Plugs. Mangrove Snappers are still being caught off the rocks with live shrimp. Redfish have been found on the flats in East Bay; while Bull Reds are still being caught with top water plugs on the out-going tide around the jetties. Trout are being caught on the flats with topwater lures early and live shrimp under a cork later.


Fresh Water
The Shell cracker and Bluegill bite remains hot. Fishing in 3-4 ft. of water with a wiggler will fill your stringer. In the after noon, try the zoom brush hog in 6 to 8 foot of water for bass.

Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr
Panama City, FL 32408
www.halfhitch.com


Fishing Report prepared by Half Hitch Tackle Staff.

The Captains Corner Fishing Report is provided by local charter captains and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Half Hitch Tackle.

This report is dedicated to the memory of Al Hubbard.
Al Hubbard was a field editor for Florida Sportsman magazine, an outdoor writer for the News Herald and a board member of the Florida Outdoor Writer's Association.
Mr. Hubbard was also the owner of Al's Outdoors Outfitting Services.

Jensen Beach Fishing Report 7-16-09

FISHING JULY 12,09


Wind from the south and south east this week has changed a few things and with it came the Dolphin. Not big Dolphin but gaffers, 10 to 15lbs fish and the bite started in forty feet of water. The bite was scattered out to 300', not every one found these fish but of four boats, three did. Live baits and trolled both caught fish it was a excellent week end. Cobia thinned, Sails became pests and the Bonita ruled with a few Black Fin to keep anglers busy. Some cold water upwelling moved the bite if you were bottom fishing or looking for baits but it was in small pockets and that may be the reason the Cobia thinned. King Mac's put on some weight, good catches reported from 30' out on live baits and dead sardines. Do you know the limit on King fish?
That cold water may be the reason the Tarpon numbers turned down, they were still on the edge but a lot less, no the Snook were still thick. Snook continue to be excellent, they are right in the trough, ten feet from your feet. Early morning being the best bite on both live and artificial, cast north or south you want your bait up close not in the gulf stream. The season opens September first, so take the barbs off your hooks. Whiting, Croakers, few Pompano, Blues and Mac's, told you surf fishing was hot.
If you like to catch big Trout and you are not fishing early you have missed some quality fish. Fishing shallow water before sun up and using top water plugs, a few 9lbs, 8lbs, 7lbs, lots of 5lbs some quality fish. Not for the table but will put a new twist on Trout catching. After sun up it is all about slot fish, sure wish I knew where the big females went. Haven't heard much on Reds this week and part of that I believe are the Trout catches, they are mixed in the same areas but that is why it is called fishing and not catching. Plenty of small Snook, lots of Jacks, plenty of Lady fish even a few Pompano made the catch list, all from the Flats. Bridges saw plenty of Snappers. Sheephead, Sand Perch and the biggest Look Downs all eating shrimp. Triple Tails on the channel markers, Pompano from the bridge at the east end of the Jensen Causeway, catch the incoming tide, nice size to these Pomp's.
Till next week, the bigger fish are usually the females, that is breeders, get your picture and release her for the next time..............HENRY

Snook Nook Bait & Tackle
3595 NE Indian River Drive
Jensen Beach, FL
(Just South of the Jensen Causeway)
(772)-334-2145
(Since 1949)
E-Mail: henry@snooknook.net
www.snooknook.net

Dolphin Slow Around Full Moon

The dolphin bite has slowed down around the full moon. You see dolphin start feeling romantic around the full moon and it can be tough to find them-let alone gettin them to eat.

However, We did have some great catches on the dock for the first week of July with a full moon. Captain Chuck Schimmelman of the Dee Cee brought in a 54 pound dolphin.

Captain Steve Leopold filled the rack with some nice slammers!

Captain Larry Wren brought in 8 nice schoolies and lost his Iphone in the bottom of the bait box. (eeeek)

Captain Greg Pope opted for a family fun day of fishing and diving off the tuna tower rather than fight a tough bite.

Reef fishin is still providing an interesting and colorful catch.

The full moon is over July 6th, we should be gettin back to some nice dolphin directly. Stay tuned for more hot fishin' action.

Nikki Holiday Isle Offshore 800-327-7070 Etc 642

Holiday Isle Resort and Marina
84001 Overseas Highway
Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-2321 ext. 642
Direct: 305-433-9942
www.holidayisle.com
kharper@holidayisle.com

Good Start To July

July off to good start.
Well the last 10 days have been pretty good. We did have 2 really tough days were the fish did not want to eat very well. Other than that it has been very good. We are catching black drum and redfish and the reds range from 5 pounds up to 30 pounds. The black drum average about 5 pounds with a few that go 10 pounds. I have a few openings the last part of July but will be on the water the next 8 days. I am booking trips for August so call 407-405-0819 and let's go fishin!
Capt. Dave
Several new photos from the past few days, check it out!
11 Jul 2009 by Captain David Rogers

Captain David Rogers
AAA Hawgwild Saltwater Charters LLC
Host The 'Hawgwild Fishing Show'
WAMT 1190 Saturdays 8-10 am (407-273-1190) Live call-in
ESPN WHOO 1080 Sunday 7-9 am/ replay - www.hawgwildradio.com
407-405-0819 Book Charters
www.aaahawgwildcharters.com

WOW!! What A Week For Redfish

Fishing Report 07/14/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford



Jeff Krieger with a 28" snook caught on a thread fin minnow

WOW!!! What a week for redfish. Anglers aboard the Reelin & Chillin tore up the reds this week. Around mangroves, in holes, and around structure we found plenty of slot sized fish, and several over the 27" slot limit. Tight lines and great table fair - what a blast. Also in the live well were mangrove snapper, sheepshead, and pompano.


A Fish Tail aboard the Reelin & Chillin
I had one of the best redfish days ever with Roger Crask, and family. Paul & John his two sons, and grandson Lou caught 27 slot sized redfish in one spot along a mangrove shoreline. Things slowed down a little so we moved to some grass flats and picked up three trout around 18 inches. The winds kicked up the water a little so we moved to another mangrove shoreline hoping to get on more redfish action. Only one more red was landed by grandson Lou, however what a way to end the trip. Using only 10lb test line Lou fought and landed a 37" redfish weighing in at 15lbs. After a quick photo, the fish was safely released - great job Lou.


Tiny Shrimp - No White Bait - What to Do?
On the morning of Roger and his family's trip I arrived at the bait stand only to find pee-wee shrimp for bait. I had already searched for white bait in several locations finding none. Calling a couple other captains on the water I found that they to couldn't find bait. So off I went with six dozen pee-wee shrimp and four anglers hoping for the best. I did have a plan - I knew I could catch trout under a cork using #4 or #6 hooks, however reds - no way. I knew that we would be catching pinfish on the shrimp and that a hungry red couldn't resist a nice fresh chunk of Pin. Arriving at the mangroves where the reds were all four anglers cast a small shrimp at the mangroves - soon enough we had a pinfish in the boat. I chunked it up into one or two inch pieces and BAM the reds started feeding. Out of the twenty seven fish caught in this spot only one hit the small shrimp. Easy lesson learned. Don't give up if you can't buy or catch the bait you want, improvise - pinfish, grunts, and ladyfish are excellent baits for reds - just ask Roger and his crew.


Tight Lines & Good Times,

Capt. Terry Frankford
Reelin & Chillin Charters Inc.
941-228-7802
terry.frankford@verizon.net
www.charterfishingsarasota.com

Red Snapper Inundate Offshore Waters

July 11, 2009

Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith

The offshore waters have been inundated with red snapper for the past month!
Look for them around most of the deep artificial reefs and good bottom.
Light tackle with a small jig and tipped with shrimp has worked very well.
Keeper size red grouper are hitting good in a hundred feet of water or
better.  Live pinfish or grunts fished on the bottom will do the job.

Inshore fishing has been good with a mixed bag of fish coming in.  Large
spotted sea trout is the most abundant species on the grass-flats.  Along
with the trout we are catching pompano, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, snapper,
flounder and much more.  Around the docks and bridges it has been redfish,
snook, large jacks, snapper, sheepshead, and occasional tarpon.

Live bait will work but is very hard to keep on your hook with all the
pinfish and other small fish attacking it.  I do very well wit the DOA 3"
Near Clear Shrimp, #312.  This artificial works so well that my only problem
with it is that the fish like to swallow it.  Then it can be hard to get the
hook out of the fish.  The DOA is so easy to use that just drifting the
flats with my rods in the rod holders can produce fish.  Some times you need
that on a guide boat.:-)

Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com


Thank you!
Capt. Bob Smith
Phone: (941) 366-2159  Cell: (941) 350-8583.
Email: capt.bobsmith@verizon.net
My Website: http://www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com

Mosquito Lagoon Weather / Fishing Are Hot

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, June 21, 2009

By Captain Tom Van Horn

Events and Seminar Schedule:
July 25, 2009 "Free Fishing Classes" Introduction to Saltwater Flats Fishing Series, Class 4 of 8, "Hard Bait Applications" 10 am-12 noon at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S Washington Avenue in Apopka. Instructors are Captains Chris Myers and Tom Van Horn. For more details or directions, contact Mosquito Creek Outdoors at (407) 464-2000 or visit their website www.mosquitocreek.com.

Captains Chris Myers and Tom Van Horn
It's no secret; both the weather and the fishing have been hot. For those of you trying to fish through the afternoon hours you know what I mean. The heat and humidity have been oppressive in the afternoon. The hot temperatures (Lagoon water temps at 90 degrees in the afternoon) and full moon have created a less than optimal fishing scenario, and as a result the catching has only been fair this past week. To beat the heat, go early and late, very early mornings and late evenings have produced the best action for all species on the flats. Late morning and early evening efforts have produced some nice ladyfish, sea trout, sail catfish and jack action along the NASA Causeway and other open water areas. This doesn't mean they are not biting in the afternoon for those who can take the heat. Top-water plugs and jerk baits have produced the most strikes both early and late. Storm Chug Bug (Blue Chrome) has worked well during calm condition. Small to medium size snook are around the mangroves, docks and creek mouths during the day and are venturing out on the flats as the daylight fades. Additionally, some small tarpon are starting to show up in the lagoon around the docks and finding glass minnows has been the key. Also look for glass minnows in the open water for fast and furious action.

The summer heat is on and there is a ton of bait of all shapes and sizes in the lagoon. This can make for slow fishing at times. However, if you play it right some nice fish can be caught. Get out to your favorite flat before first light and start casting until the fun slows. Another good time is from 7:00 pm until dark, and, don't forget the night fishing after dark especially during a full moon. Are storms in the afternoon putting a damper on your fishing? Don't let them. One of the best times to fish is in the evening just after a storm has rolled through. Don't fish during the storm, but do be ready to get out on the water when the coast clears. The rain cools off the water fast making fish more active, and the winds usually subside to near nothing producing great conditions for sighting tailing redfish.

Also, fishing around dock lights at night is very productive for a mixed bag of sea trout, snook, ladyfish and jacks. Some of my favorite locations are the ICW in Edgewater, the docks south of JB's Fish Camp and those along the east shore near the Ponce de Leon Inlet. My best results come from casting a Nite Glow DOA Shrimp up current of the dock and letting the lure drift out of the darkness into the light.

Near-shore along the beaches, good reports of heavy baitfish (pogies) have been reported from Patrick AFB to New Smyrna Beach, with scattered reports of large jacks, kingfish and tarpon shadowing these bait pods. The key has been to keep looking until you see fish working the bait, and then slow troll live pogies on steel kingfish rigs within the mix. Remember the Space Shuttle is poised for lunch on Saturday afternoon, so all security zones are in effect.


As always, if you have any questions or need information, please contact me.

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
407-416-1187 on the water
407-366-8085 office
www.irl-fishing.com

Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, its Where the Adventure Begins!

Aplachicola Tarpon Are Biting

Taylor Davis, Age 11 holds a redfish caught with Capt. Tommy Holland

Yesterday was a rainy day in Apalachicola, as was the day before that, and maybe even the day before the day before that. Quite a few fishermen, women & children decided not to fish in the wet weather, especially if they felt was unsafe to fish. Yesterday morning Capt. Jr. Holland just suited up his people and said "Let's Go Fishing". Tommy Brown's group were glad he did as they managed to catch over 100 fish. Yes they got a little wet, but doesn't that just add to the whole mystique of the proverbial Fish Story?

Tarpon Update - YES they are biting, on flies, on plugs and probably on live bait except there don't seem to be many pogey minnows around right now. Could this be why they are going so well after the flies & the plugs? Inquiring minds want to know...and YES we do have Flats and Bay trips available for these lovely large jumping fish, and we will be fishing for them at least throughout the month of August.

Featured Captain for July - Capt. Kelly Butler



Capt. Kelly is locally grown and raised and has spent much of his life on local waters. He has a gentle manner that makes him great with kids, and he is able to take up to 5 people on a Bayfishing trip on his 23 foot Key West boat. His boat has not only a t-top for a bit of shade on hot days but he also has a "head" in his console. Ask me if you're not sure what that means. This is Capt. Kelly's boat tied up at the Battery Park Marina's dock in Apalachicola. Capt. Kelly does full or half day bayfishing trips and can also take you sight-seeing in comfort.



The owners of The Residences at High Cotton Marketplace in downtown Apalachicola have offered Robinson Brothers Fishing Clients a 10% discount if you stay with them for 2 nights. The 2nd floor, 2 bedroom\, fully furnished units are just across the street from our office on Commerce Street and can be accessed via private elevators. Offstreet parking is conveniently located at each door. Click this link to view the 3 Vacation Rental properties named The Ibis, The Magnolia and The Swan - which faces Water Street & the Apalachicola River. http://www.apalachicolarealtyinc.com/Apalachicola_Vacation_Rentals.aspx

Oh, I almost forgot to ask - if you happen to see our commercial in your viewing area, please give us a call or send an email. Thanks!

Have a Happy Weekend!

Kathy Robinson
Robinson Brothers Guide Service
118 Commerce St.
Apalachicola, Florida
www.FloridaRedfish.com
877-6-REDFISH
850-653-8896

Summer Fishing At Its Finest

June 28, 2009 – Summertime Fishing at its Finest

One of the great things about the summer inshore fishing along the Space Coast is the wide variety of species roaming in our shallow-water lagoon system. So much variety, in fact, sometimes it is hard to narrow down our targets during the half-day and full day charters. We had a number of trips this past week where we set out to target one species and wound up catching several others instead. Our first report reflects such an experience.

Fishing with very old and dear friends from Sarasota, Levoie and Melva Hipps, I had some memory-making fishing along with my memory-recalling past. As part of pre-fishing for an upcoming IFA Redfish Tour event in Punta Gorda, I was mostly interested in finding redfish and the Hipps came along hoping to bring a few fillets home for dinner. The excitement of our adventure was an extremely rare 30 minute battle with a 50 lb. cobia hooked on a shallow grass flat outside Bull Bay in Charlotte Harbor and a monster 20 lb. snook boated in the backwaters of Stump Pass in Englewood. I doubt we’ll ever forget either fish. Pictured below are the Hipps with Melva’s trophy snook.




Dave Bailey from Palm Bay, along with sons James and Kyle and father-in-law Buck from New Jersey, spent a great Saturday morning in the Grant area of the Indian River, just north of Sebastian Inlet with Capt. Roland . The morning started with stalking the giant snook which had been frequenting the spoil islands. Instead of snook, the Baileys came home with six fat trout from the islands in the 20 - 27 inch range and several bluefish to boot. After warming up on the sea trout, the Baileys spent the rest of the half-day charter searching for the suddenly elusive line-siders. Pictured below are the results of their search: a 20 lb monster on 10 lb. mono line and a 30 incher which did a great aerial tarpon imitation with four spectacular jumps. "Wait till I show this one off back in Jersey," Buck commented.










Another recent charter with Capt. Roland was Bob Jones and his son-in-law Jeff Loveday of Palm Bay. Taking advantage of the calm waters outside of the inlet, the trio spent the morning looking for tarpon along the beaches. They did manage to jump several, along with big spinner sharks, but lost them all. Bonita harassing the bait pods provided top-water plugging entertainment before a four ft. spinner shark crashed the party. Pictured below is Capt. Roland holding Bob’s shark. (Bob had heard too many bad shark stories and did not want to get any closer to the beast than necessary).




Last Saturday, Capt. Peter guided a family reunion party in the Melbourne Beach stretch of the Indian River. The family, driving down from Daytona beach, was treated to an unbelievable adventure. Chuck Ashley, a great son and brother, is the one who organized the trip to go offshore in the Atlantic. The offshore wind forced the crew into the calmer inshore waters. The day started out targeting tarpon and resulted in two outstanding catches: a 60 inch and 48 inch fish. The rest of the day was equally as exciting as redfish, snook, and trout were caught on the clear-water flats. What a great way to spent part of a family reunion!








The next report involves a familiar faces to Native Sons Fishing Charters: the father and son duo of Chuck and Mason from Orlando. This trip targeted “big fish” only in the Indian River near Melbourne and guide Capt. Peter Deeks hit the bulls-eye with huge snook and tarpon.








It was my pleasure to guide Dave and Maritza from Pennsylvania for a fishing charter in the Grant area recently. This great couple caught an inshore grand slam of redfish, snook, trout, and jack Cravelles. The half-day trip ended perfectly by enjoying a delicious seafood lunch at Captain Hiram’s in Sebastian. The pictures below were taken by Maritza.








Our final report for this week returns to the specie that started this thread: cobia. Capt. Peter, along with good friends Jason and Kenny of Orlando, went offshore to do some scouting when they stumbled across a pod of cobia. Along with catching the cobia, the trio had a blast bow-fishing a couple of kingfish. What a bunch of kooks!
http://www.nativesonsfishing.com/photos/pics/983_1246193153.jpg?1246213164" alt="" width="500" />







Posted by Rocky Van Hoose on June 28, 2009 at 02:21:18 PM

Native Sons Fishing Guides
Captain Rocky Van Hoose
321-986-9588
rvanhoose@cfl.rr.com
Captain Brad Jones
321-626-5072
jonesmelb7@bellsouth.net

Tampa Focus On Snook And Reds

Tampa fishing efforts over the last month were primarily focused on snook and redfish, however on weaker tide days, several trips were run to near shore reefs and rock piles. The excitement of these trips is that you never know what's going to show up. Large Spanish mackerel and mangrove snapper were dependable targets earlier in the last month, but bonita, kingfish, cobia and barracuda would all make occasional appearances. The key to maximizing your Tampa fishing trips to these areas is to arrive with plenty of whitebait and be prepared to distribute it liberally. This will bring any predator in the neighborhood to the back of your boat in pretty short order. Steel leaders are a must when targeting anything other than snapper and grouper as most of the other residents have a good set of teeth. Tampa fishing on near shore reefs tends to slow down as summer progresses but still may represent a good alternative on "weak tide" days.

Redfishing was excellent during the last strong tide phase in June. When targeting this species at this time of year, remember that they will seek shelter from summer's heat in the shade of docks and mangroves. This being the case, a highly effective approach is to throw cut baits to the mangrove edges and under docks. Leave a bait just a few feet from the shade and you may catch no fish. Yet, make a precision cast into a shaded, recessed area along a mangrove shoreline and hang on...a jarring redfish strike is likely to follow. Redfish are fairly "social" fish, so if you find one in an area, prospect the immediate area thoroughly as the one fish is likely to have company. If a typically productive area does not yield fish within fifteen to twenty minutes, just move on as redfish will usually eat fairly quickly when you find them. July should offer excellent Tampa fishing for redfish on any day with strong tidal movement.

June means snook fishing action and this year was no different. Deep cuts along any major pass have been and will continue to hold snook. Outside beach swash channels adjacent to these passes will as well. Locating these fish is really the easy part as snook will show up in the same predictable locations every year and are often very easy to see. It's more a matter of figuring out when they want to eat. Fish snook holding areas on different phases of the tide until you figure this out. Low light periods early and late in the day will be productive as will times of heavier tidal movement. With the summer spawn still in process, these fish are hungry and will, at times, aggressively pursue a wide range of live baits. Fish these un-weighted unless tidal movement is strong. In this case, a small split shot may increase your hookups. Although a little more difficult to catch than the redfish, the initial runs and jumps of a snook will keep you coming back for more. Tampa snook fishing will become a little more difficult as summer's heat settles in but large fish will still be available in July.

Another opportunity that presents itself through the summer, depending on our wind direction, is beach tarpon. These fish are still here but strong onshore winds can move these fish off our beaches. The best bet is to plan a trip for redfish and snook and then, if calm near shore waters prevail when your fishing day arrives, take an early shot at tarpon.

Good luck and good fishing.

Captain Stewart Ames
US Coast Guard Licensed Captain
Member Florida Guides Association

© 2007 Captain Stewart Ames, Gone Fishing Charters, Tampa, FL
727-421-5291

D.O.A. Lures Sweep CCA Tourney

D.O.A. Lures Sweep CCA Tourney

The River Palms Cottages in Jensen Beach was the site of the 2009 CCA Inter-Chapter Challenge. A record ninety-one anglers gathered for the catch and release tournament on June 26 and 27. The tournament is a team event where local chapters compete against other chapters from around the state.

The event is an all-artificial lure tournament with Spin, Cast and Fly casting allowed. Rules require the anglers to place their catch on a measuring stick along with a numbered token assigned to each angler. A digital picture is then taken to turn in to the committee at the end of the tourney. In this catch-photo-release event all fish must be released.

The team winner is determined by the CCA chapter that catches the most inches of three fish. The categories consist of an East Coast Slam of Snook, Redfish and Trout. Each species has a minimum length for entry into the contest. Snook must be at least 22 inches, trout at least 15 inches and redfish at least 18. There are also winners in the Team Snook, Team Redfish and Team Trout divisions based on the total inches of three fish in each category. In addition to the team event there are individual awards for the largest fish in each category.

When fishing the Jensen Beach area the redfish is always going to be the toughest to find and catch. This year was no exception. Nevertheless, Capt. Chris Myers tempted the oversize red shown below with a D.O.A. C.A.L. series jerk bait in silver mullet color. It was rigged as a weedless worm to catch the red that won the honor of largest redfish. He also finished his personal slam by catching a snook on the same C.A.L.




This beautiful 28 1/2 inch specimen of a red was good enough to give Capt. Chris the individual championship in the redfish division. Capt. Chris also caught a huge gator trout on a 5.5 inch D.O.A Big Fish Lure. Measuring in at 28 1/4 inches, the fish was runner up in the largest trout division.




Jerry McBride, associate editor of Shallow Water Angler Magazine won the individual trout division with a 30 inch gator caught on a D.O.A. shrimp. Jerry has a passion for fishing from a kayak and that is exactly what he was doing when he caught the winning trout. According to Mark Nichols, owner of D.O.A. lures, “Jerry is a master when it comes to using the D.O.A. shrimp.”

The individual snook award went to an angler from Martin County, the host chapter. Fishing his home waters Jay Honan caught a 33 inch snook on a D.O.A. C.A.L. Series Paddle Tail lure. The snook pictured below is not the winning snook but gives you the idea of how the measuring stick, numbered token and digital camera are used in the catch-photo-release event.



The “home” team from Martin County, last years winners, only managed runner up this year for Grand Champion, but won the Team Snook and Team Trout divisions. Orlando won the Team Redfish division.

In the Grand Champion competition the Orlando Chapter, led by Capt. Myers’ big red and gator trout, took home the hardware and earned the bragging rights as the best chapter in the state - but it only lasts until next year where they will have to prove themselves again.




Every person that travels to the tournament and fishes is considered a team member for his local chapter. There is no limit to the number of people that can come and represent a chapter, but everyone that fishes must be a CCA Florida member. So, if you are a member start planning for next year and if you’re not a member sign up so you can take part in this fun filled tournament. Oh, did I mention the food and fellowship is always great too!

That’s what it’s all about. Good fishin’.

Announcement: I want to take this opportunity to announce my upcoming book entitled Secrets From Florida’s Master Anglers. It is a book intended to provide many tips and pro secrets to fishing success. It is based on interviews with 20 of Florida’s top guides on various fishing topics. The book is being published by University Press of Florida. It will be available in bookstore across the state, on Amazon.com or from the publisher directly, sometime this fall. Regardless of your level of fishing skill this book will have something for you.

Here is what some early readers of the book say:

"Ron's highly privileged interviews with many of Florida's top guides expose lots of secrets that are sure to improve fishing success."--Phil Chapman

"A great peek into twenty of the finest fishing minds of Florida! No matter your current skill level, this book will improve your confidence on the water."--Brett Fitzgerald

"Unique in that it includes a variety of approaches to inshore saltwater fishing, provided by a broad selection of some of Florida's finest fishing guides. There is something for almost everyone who fishes the Florida coast."--Richard A. Davidson

If you are interested in the book send me your name and mailing address and I will send you a pre-publication order form that is good until October and you get a 20% discount. Send to Capt. Ron, 516 S. Plumosa St., #19 Merritt Island, FL 32952.



Captain Ron Presley
www.inshorefishingadventures.com
presleyr@bellsouth.net