Apalachicola Fishing Report 11- 2012

HANK HAYNES FROM JACKSONVILLE'S 44 INCH, 28 LB REDFISH CAUGHT 11/17/12 with Capt. Ken Finch

The past couple of weeks have been fantastic here on the coast. It's been cool & dry and with the exception of just a few days, very very fishable. Capt. Nathan Donahoe claims he's seeing more Reds than he has ever before seen in his life and if you ask Capt. Chris Robinson "How's the Fishing?" he gets that goofy grin on his face and says "we're wreckin em!" And that would be on light tackle & artificial lures or on fly rods.

Bay guides are coming in with tales of huge Bull Reds (see photo above) and losing count of the sheer numbers of fish they are catching in a day. I called Capt. Jr. Holland while he was still out on his 2nd trip today - so far he said they had 58 in the boat. (no- that's not 58 Redfish!) And Capt. Greg Fletcher was doing really well trout fishing out of Indian Pass.

If the weather holds, the next couple of weeks should be just as favorable for inshore fishing.

The 2013 fishing schedule is starting to come together - looks like Chris & Tommy may have some days open in the Keys in February if you're up for a real Spring Break. As always before we are honoring the right of first refusal for dates fished this year. You should be hearing from me soon for the inevitable deposit request.

Capt. Jr's houseboat is for sale by owner! It is currently being used as a vacation rental property with reservations into April. (and openings in December if you want to come stay!) Reply with your phone number if you are interested in more information and Jr. or Rhonda will call you back.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all! And don't waste time standing in line at big box stores for Black Friday... Come to Apalachicola where we Light up the Town the day after Thanksgiving. Santa arrives aboard a shrimp boat, there's entertainment around town, the shops will be open until 8PM and the restaurants will be offering some yummy specials in keeping with the holiday. Stop in & say hi!

Kathy Robinson
Robinson Brothers Guide Service
44 Avenue E
Apalachicola, FL 32320
850-653-8896
www.FloridaRedfish.com

Ft Lauderdale Sailfish Heating Up!

Fishing offshore of Fort Lauderdale has been excellent the last week. Anglers fishing with me aboard the Reel Work have been catching mostly sailfish and mahi-mahi. Our anglers have caught at least 1 sailfish every trip this week and on one outstanding trip or anglers hooked 4 sailfish and land 3 of them. Dolphin (mahi-mahi) fishing has also been excellent. Our anglers have landed at least several nice mahi over the last week with the largest being a 32 pounder caught last Sunday. To top things off we had a blue marlin on the line Friday which is very rare here. Blue marlin are one of the bigest fish in the ocean. Females can weigh more then 1,900 lbs and reach lengths of 14 feet. They prefer warm water, like you find in the Gulf Stream just offshore of Fort Lauderdale, but are usually found far out at sea.
Fishing is already excellent and should remain that way well into 2013. Our charters are filling up fast so book your trip now to make sure you don't miss out on the fun!

Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
9/8/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released redfish , trout, Spanish mackerel, and blue runners in Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf on flies on a couple of trips during the past week.

Gary Mintz, from CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We caught a few trout and ladyfish on Siesta Key lighted docks before dawn, but snook were finicky. We checked the coastal gulf and found lots of Spanish mackerel feeding on the surface off Siesta Key where he caught and released Spanish mackerel and blue runners on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Gary finished the morning strong with a nice red and numerous trout on a Clouser fly near Bishop Point. An instructional fly fishing trip later in the week was slow.

Catch and release snook before dawn and then moving to the flats for trout and reds in Sarasota Bay should be a good option next week. Snook are also moving onto shallow fats of Sarasota Bay. Juvenile tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor should be another good option. Check the coastal gulf for false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel and more when sea conditions are good.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Gary Mitz, from CO, caught and released this big red on a Clouser fly while fishing Saraosta Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Amelia Island Fishing Report 9-2012

Amelia Island Fishing Report
September 2012
by Cpt. Lawrence Piper
Get away from it all and ......let's go fishing!

Our Summer Guests have come and gone... but NOW is the best time to be fishing Amelia Island waters! Fall fishing means better weather, less crowds, and great fishing. Follow all the action at the Amelia Island Fishing Report. Get away from it all and...Let's Go Fishing on The Angler's Mark!

August Report/September Forecast:
August started off with a bang with one of my senior customers blowing out the Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament Redfish category. We were treated to a sighting of one of the biggest deer I've seen in the area but catching of some nice Redfish was our prime objective. Sometimes the weather got in the way but usually it didn't have an affect on the great fishing. At one point we were catching Flounder on every trip. September should bring even better fishing to the area. Last year we had a couple of mornings in the high 60's, warming to the mid 80's - great weather. Flood tides beginning Sunday the 16th and running to Friday the 21st should make for some awesome tailing red trips! So if you want to Get Away From it All, give me a shout and we'll go fishing!

Fish Bites.....
Fun Friday Fishing - start your weekend early!
I've had a number of sole anglers request a "spot" on the boat so I've picked Friday September 21, 7am at Atlantic Seafood and will take the first (3) anglers who contact me. We'll plan to fish a 1/2 day (4 hours), $115 each angler. I've gotta have (3) to make it worth launching the boat. As always, I provide the bait, tackle, rods, reels, and fishing license - all you need to do is bring a hat and sunglasses! There's a good tide on that date so it should be a great fishing day!

The First Coast Fly Fishers will meet Monday September 10th at 7pm at the Jacksonville Mariott located near the intersection of I-95 and J. Turner Butler Blvd. Come early and practice your casting on the pond!



Young angler makes BIG catch: This young angler is only 7 years old -watch how he plays this big Red perfectly. Read all about it on Amelia Island Fishing Reports.

The Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament had some movement this month with Paul Desire taking over 1st place in the Redfish category with a 30 1/2" fish. Paul picked up this fish with a top water Bite-a-Bait lure fished over some oyster beds. Mike Maron moved into second place in the Redfish category with a 28 3/4" fish. Ryan Leshinski moved into first place of the Flounder category with a 20" Flounder caught on a mud minnow and jig at a creek run out.

Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com   

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report 9-2012

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report


Hurricane Isaac swung well to the west of us but still brought plenty of rain and high winds to the area. The water levels in the Lagoons rose nearly one foot but have since receded and are holding about six inches higher than they were pre-storm.

The question on may people's minds is what effect, if any, it had on the algae bloom that has been plaguing our region. I travelled over 70 miles through both the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon this week and saw a wide range of conditions. Some areas are so cloudy you can barely see six inches while others have crystal clear water. The stained water still has fish in some areas but they are certainly harder to see unless they are tailing. The good news is that all the fish I found were happy to eat a variety of lures and flies even with a full moon overhead.

Trout fishing last month was especially productive. Large trout could be found both on the shallow flats and along sandbars. DOA 5.5" CAL tails with a Woodies Rattle landed the most fish.



Bill sight cast to this big trout with a DOA CAL

Average size trout could be hooked by the dozens using jigs and bucktails. Michael and his father enjoyed over an hour of non-stop catching using a 1/4 ounce jighead and a DOA curly tail. Barbless hooks made for quick catch and release action.



One of Michael's many seatrout

If the pinfish or puffers get too thick, switch to bucktails or a castmaster type spoon.

Unfortunately, the big tarpon that had been so prevalent before the storm seem to have moved on. Small tarpon can still be found in the creeks and canals and we have been catching quite a few on regular and tiny TerrorEyz.

The redfish bite this week was excellent. DOA shrimp, Baitbusters, Aqua Dreams pinfish spoon, bendback flies, and crab flies all caught fish. There is a huge variety of baitfish on the flats and the fish are feeding on anything they can get.



This big redfish ate a Baitbuster

During the next two months, the redfish will be very aggressive as they feast in anticipation of winter. This is one of the best times to catch them on topwater lures. Try to avoid using multiple treble hooks, especially on the trophy sized fish that must be released. These hooks can cause lots of damage to the fish. Use a DOA Baitbuster or refit your existing plugs with a single circle hook.

Schools of glass minnows can still be found by looking for diving terns. The ladyfish, jacks, trout, and sailcats can provide some great light tackle and fly fishing fun.


Upcoming Seminars

Saturday September 22, 2012 - 10:00 to Noon (Free Seminar) "Successful Saltwater Flats Angling Tactics" Instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn and Chris Myers. Located at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave. Apopka

Sarasota Fishing Report 9-1-2012

Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report
9/2/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett


Since we didn’t get much rain or wind from tropical storm Isaac, which passed by on Monday, conditions were good by the middle of last week. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, scored a slam-catching and releasing reds, snook and trout in Sarasota Bay and had a few shots at juvenile tarpon and jumped one in upper Charlotte Harbor.

I scouted upper Charlotte Harbor on Thursday and found good conditions. I located tarpon in a couple of areas and jumped one, on a rootbeer DOA TerrorEyz. These “river” tarpon, which average from 10 to 30-pounds, are a lot of fun on medium spinning tackle or an 8 or 9-weight fly rod! They are usually in deep water and although we sight cast to them rolling on the surface, we usually catch them lower in the water column, so getting your fly or lure down in the water column quickly is important. I do best with fast sinking plastic baits like the DOA Baitbuster and TerrorEyz. Depending on water depth, fly anglers should do best with fast sinking fly lines and flies that have a lot of action when stripped slowly, such as bunny flies.

Jay and Karen Campbell, from Tampa, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning and had good action fishing lighted docks on Siesta Key before dawn. Karen caught and released a slam-consisting of 3 reds, several snook and a trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly!

Catch and release snook before dawn and then moving to the flats for trout and reds in Sarasota Bay should be a good option next week. Tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor should also be a good option. Check the coastal gulf for false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel and more when sea conditions are good.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Karen Campbell, from Tampa, FL, caught and released a slam, including several reds, snook and a trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing Siesta Key docks at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Karen Campbell, from Tampa, FL, caught and released this snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing Siesta Key docks at night with Capt. Rick Grassett. Jay Campbell photo.

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report 9-1-12

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report
August 26, 2012
By Captain Tom Van Horn



Up Coming Event and Free Seminars
Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 6:30 to 8:30 pm (Free Seminar) "Fishing the Fall Mullet Run" Instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn and Chris Myers. Located at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave. Apopka, Florida http://www.mosquitocreek.com

Saturday September 22, 2012 - 10:00 to Noon (Free Seminar) "Successful Saltwater Flats Angling Tactics" Instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn and Chris Myers. Located at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave. Apopka, Florida http://www.mosquitocreek.com


This Week's Fishing Report
Well the east coast of Florida dodged a bullet this weekend as Tropical Storm Isaac swings further west into the Gulf of Mexico. As Isaac exits the Florida Keys, he is predicted to gain mussel and bring some well needed rainfall to the Mississippi watershed as a category 2 hurricane. As for us, squally weather will arrive this afternoon as Isaac's outer bands arrive and last through tomorrow.

As mention in my last report, my trusted Maverick skiff "Three Quarter Time" developed a fuel leak in the tank and is now located on dry dock receiving some much needed rest and recuperation. After 17 years of charters, Three Quarter Time will receive a new fuel tank and fuel system, new Minn Kota I-pilot and Talon, new Odyssey batteries and new bait pump system. In a few weeks when the makeover is complete, she will be back on the water as good as new.

Although I've been landlocked, I'm still getting some fishing in, and here what we found last week. In the Indian and Banana River Lagoons, the water is cleaning up some. The brown alga bloom seems to be letting up some, but sight fishing is still a challenge. Last week on a trip to the No-Motor Zone, we managed to catch 8 nice sea trout and a 26 inch redfish, blind casting 3 inch DOA Cal Paddle Tail Jigs.

Later in the week I made a near-shore run with my good friend Captain Chris Myers on a quest for tarpon ,and although the water condition were great, we covered 57 mile of beach and didn't have one descent shot at fish. The water temp along the beach was in the 78 to 80 degree range, so the cold water is still here. Maybe the rough water this weekend from Isaac will turn the bite around. Soon, the mullet will begin their fall migration and thing will fire up.

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


Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-416-1187 Cell

For all of your outdoor needs, visit Mosquito Creek Outdoors at www.mosquitocreek.com, it's where your adventure begins.

Sarasota Fishing Report 8-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
by Capt. Rick Grassett
8/25/2012


After being away for a couple of weeks on a family vacation and hosting a group of clients on my annual trip to Crane Meadow Lodge in Twin Bridges, Montana, it’s good to be back home in Sarasota. As beautiful as it is in many other places, returning to the paradise we live in makes the end of a fishing trip or vacation easier to accept. Late summer is typically a slower time of the year with great fishing!

Catch and release snook around lighted docks and bridges, trout and reds on the flats, false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf and late season tarpon are some of the options available now. This time of year I often fish for snook or tarpon around lighted docks and bridges before dawn and then move to shallow flats for reds and trout in the “witching hour”, the first hour of daylight. When heat starts to affect fishing, usually before noon, it’s time to head for home. False albacore will usually start to become plentiful along beaches or in the Tampa Bay ship channel as bait becomes thick. There may be a few tarpon left in the coastal gulf, although you’ll find more in upper Charlotte Harbor right now. Large fish may be feeding in baitfish or ladyfish schools in open water and you might find juvenile tarpon to about 40-pounds in creeks and canals. It’s not the clear water, sight fishing that we enjoy along our beaches, but they show up there to eat!

I scouted Sarasota Bay early on Friday and found good conditions. Except for some floating grass, the water was clear and not too warm (85 degrees) for that time of day. I also found good conditions in the coastal gulf and saw lots of bait schools in a tide line close to passes.

I caught and released a few trout on CAL jigs with jerk worms and located some reds along the west side of the bay. The key to finding reds is often finding mullet schools. Reds like to embed themselves in large schools of mullet to feed on baitfish and crustaceans being spooked by the mullet, although it may still require a lot of blind casting to catch them.

Tropical storm/Hurricane Isaac will more than likely affect our weather early next week. However, conditions should improve by the middle of the week and depending on how much rain we get, fishing should rebound quickly. Catch and release snook before dawn and then moving to the flats for trout and reds in Sarasota Bay should be a good option. Tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor may also be a good option and often an influx of water can make that even better.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Catch and release snook around lighted docks and bridges on flies or CAL jigs with shad tails or jerk worms should be a good option now. Dan Bolin, from TX, caught and released this one on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett in early August.

Kathy Jansen's Birthday Fish! Caught this morning with Capt. Jr.

I'm going to make this short & sweet. The weather is supposed to be great this weekend and the redfish bite is ON! Put those together and you get a successful fishing trip to brag about before any inclement weather hits us here. We can hook you up with an inshore or offshore trip and I can even find you a place to stay at the last minute. Check out our fishing reports on the website or go to the Robinson Brothers Facebook page to keep up with the action.

Planning a Fall Fishing trip? It's not too early to make your reservations, especially for larger groups. It's nearly time for me to get started on booking for 2013 as well so be sure to get your "wants" in! Tommy Robinson is in Key West and has the last couple of weekends in September open if business or pleasure takes you even farther south.

Ever had to eat your words? I swore up and down for years & years that I was never going to get into the vacation rental business. Heck, I can hardly stand to clean my own toilets, much less those in a rental house. Well, get out the salt shaker cause I've already got 5 places to manage here in Apalachicola. There's everything from Jr's Riverfront Houseboat to a stand alone Studio apartment with a few Upscale Condos thrown in for good measure and they are all within walking distance of Apalachicola's shops, restaurants & the riverfront. View the Vacation Rentals on the Robinson Real Estate website or email me for links to the VRBO listings.

Well, I've got to go take photos of a house for someone in Ohio - hope to hear from y'all soon!

Kathy Robinson
Robinson Brothers Guide Service
850-653-8896
http://www.FloridaRedfish.com

Ft Lauderdale Charter Fishing 8-2012

Fort Lauderdale deep sea fishing has been good for the first half of August. Anglers fishing with my crew aboard the Reel Work have kept buisy catching good numbers of speedy, fun to catch bonito. Kingmackerel, blackfin tuna, mahi-mahi, and an occasional wahoo have rounded out the catch while trolling. Baracuda and snapper have kept our anglers happy when we droped a line on local wrecks and reefs.

July 31st- Bonito are making up the majority of the fish anglers aboard the Reel Work are catching. Kingmackerel, tuna and a few wahoo rounded out todays catch.

Aug. 7th- There are plenty of bonitobiting. Our anglers also caught a few kingmackerel, blackfin tuna while trolling. Local wrecks and reefs are producing a few hard fighting baracuda and some nice snapper.

Aug. 15th- Bonito are still making up the majority of the fish we are catching. The kingmackerel, (kingfish), were biting better today. We also caught a few blackfin tuna, some mahi-mahi and a couple of wahoo. Overall the fishing remains good and I don't expect that to change over the next few months.

Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Fishing Fishing Report,
July 9, 2012
By Captain Tom Van Horn


Upcoming Seminars and Events, July 2012
Saturday July 21st , 10:00 to 12 Noon "Free Seminar" Class 6 of Fundamentals of Flats Fishing series, "Catching and Using Natural Baits on the Flats" instructed by Captain Chris Myers, located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.

Thursday July 26th - 6:30 P.m. to 8:30 p.m. "Free Seminars" "Summertime Inshore Tactics for Redfish and Sea Trout" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.


This Weeks Fishing Report
Fishing on the Indian River Lagoon Coast this past week has been hot, hot, and very hot. The summer heat is on, so an early start has been producing some excellent catches this week both inshore and offshore.

On the lagoon, the key has been an early start and finding clean water. The alga bloom has started, turning some areas of the Lagoon green, so keep looking until you find clean water and bait schools.



Kyle's Respectable IRL Redfish

Yesterday I had the privilege of fishing with John Lapotaire and his sons Kyle and Cory, a father and sons team in celebration and a belated Father's Day together. We started fishing at first light and quickly located a school of large tailing redfish. We also caught seven large sea trout on DOA Baitbusters.

Nearshore, the tarpon have arrived along the beach feeding on pogy schools just outside the surf line. Most of the fish were taken south of Patrick AFB, and some kingfish were caught on the buoy line.

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

Good luck and good fishing,

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

Visit www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com for your outdoor adventure needs, it's Where my adventures begins!

Sarasota Tarpon Fishing 7-9-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
7/8/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Conditions were good for tarpon fishing last week, although following a full moon on Tuesday they weren’t aggressive. Anglers fishing the coastal Gulf of Mexico off Sarasota with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, during the past week had numerous shots at tarpon with a fly and caught and released one early in the week. We are still seeing some large schools of tarpon, that may not have spawned yet, as well as singles, doubles and small schools traveling both north and south.

I saw something on Monday that I’ve never seen before in 22 years of guiding and more than 30 years on the water in Sarasota, an endangered smalltooth sawfish. The big fish, approximately 7’-8’ long was swimming in clear, shallow water with a small cobia following. I paralleled the prehistoric fish for several minutes and we got a good look at it as we cast to the cobia. In addition to its “saw”, the fish is distinguished by an extra fin between its dorsal and tail fins. We also had several shots at tarpon with a fly and a DOA shrimp on spinning tackle that day.

Randy Honaker, from OH, his son, Randy, Jr. from Tampa, FL, and son-in-law, Justin, tarpon fished with me on Tuesday. Tarpon were plentiful on the incoming tide. They had shots at numerous schools of tarpon, which were mostly moving north. Randy, Jr. jumped and landed a 65-pound tarpon on a bunny fly out of a small school of 8 or 10 fish. A great job with his first tarpon on a fly!

We had lots of shots at tarpon with a fly the rest of the week. Although we had a few leans and follows, we didn’t have any other bites. Large schools of tarpon look impressive, but sometimes pre spawn tarpon are so focused on migrating to spawn that eating becomes secondary to them. Late in the season, singles, doubles and smaller schools of tarpon are fish that may have already spawned and are usually more aggressive when it comes to eating.

Tarpon should be in a better mood next week as we approach the quarter phase of the moon on Tuesday. Fly anglers should do best with tarpon in shallow water when visibility is best. Trout, blues and redfish should also be good options in Sarasota Bay. Fish the bay early for the best action due to heat later in the day.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Capt. Rick Grassett leaders a tarpon caught on a fly by Randy Honaker, Jr., from Tampa, FL, while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota.



Capt. Rick Grassett prepares to release a tarpon caught in the coastal gulf off Sarasota by Randy Honaker, Jr, from Tampa, FL. It was Randy's first tarpon on a fly.

Amelia Island Fishing Report 7- 2012

June Report/July Forecast

With two tropical storms and a long-wet front in between, we've had tons of fresh water dropped in our marshes and creeks. But surprisingly, we can still find fish and have had some excellent trips mixed in between the storms. The Flounder seem exceptionally active and are taking mud minnows and live shrimp off the bottom. The same can be said for Seatrout where they are picking up the bait down near the bottom, too. It was fun to see one customer catch a nice Slot Redfish on an artificial jerk bait fished over some flooded oysters. Keep up with all the fishing action at the Amelia Island Fishing Report. July anglers should see a smorgasbord of Redfish, Seatrout and Flounder with the usual Bonnethead Sharks mixed in. Most of my trips last year in July saw great action. So if you want to Get Away From it All, give me a shout and we'll go fishing!

Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com   

Snapper & Scallop Seasons Extended!‏

Great News! This just in from the FWC!

The state and federal 2012 recreational red snapper season in Gulf of Mexico waters has been extended by 6 days. The season will close July 17, with the last day of harvest being July 16. To learn more, visit NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service website or the FWC red snapper page.

The FWC Commission approved the extension of bay scallop season and decided to continue the recreational closure for snook in Gulf of Mexico waters at the June Commission meeting in Palm Beach Gardens. The bay scallop season will be extended by two weeks, changing the season from July 1 through Sept. 10 to July 1 through Sept. 24. They also decided to continue the closure of snook through Aug. 31, 2013. This closure will offer additional protection to snook, which was detrimentally affected by the 2010 cold kill. To learn more, view our news release page.

Please note that we have Offshore trips open next week with Bruce, Grayson, Ken & John (and possibly Charlie if he calls to tell me he's open when he reads this) And don't forget we can hook you up for scalloping with Capt. Greg Fletcher.

More good news...Capt. Brett Martina is now a full time Flats Guide! This time of year he is all over Tarpon on a fly rod, but he is also an excellent Redfish guide (Spring & Fall) as well. Brett is a very intuitive and innovative fisherman who has in his own way revolutionized our local fishery. You'll just have to fish with him to find out what this means.

Kathy Robinson
Robinson Real Estate Company
44 Avenue E.
Apalachicola, FL 32320
850-653-8896
www.FloridaRedfish.com

Sarasota Bay Tarpon 7-4-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
6/30/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Conditions were poor in the coastal gulf for tarpon fishing every day last week. Water was very dirty as rough seas combined with 8”-10” of rain due to Tropical Storm Debby. Although the swell came down significantly toward the end of the week, water clarity in and around passes remained poor due to silt and still draining flood waters, making sight fishing impossible. My experience has been that a weather event such as TS Debby will often disrupt tarpon patterns until conditions return to normal.

However, Sarasota Bay is looking good and fishing well in areas away from passes, such as Stephens and Bishop Points. Several guide friends of mine fished Sarasota Bay recently and had steady action with trout and scattered blues, Spanish mackerel and several reds on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with glow shad tails. Best action should be early in the day on both shallow and deep grass flats. Schools of reds may push wakes in shallow water. Look for bait dimpling the surface or “breaking” jacks, blues or ladyfish on deep grass flats. Be ready for a variety of species, including tarpon, to show up and join the fray, particularly if the surface activity continues for a while.

Sea conditions in the coastal gulf are getting better every day and tarpon action should resume as visibility improves and we head towards a full moon next week. Drift live baits and be ready to cast a live bait or DOA Baitbuster to tarpon that may pop up fast in 10’-20’ of water early in the day. Fly anglers should do best with tarpon in shallow water later in the day when visibility is best.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Tarpon action in the coastal gulf should resume when conditions return to normal. Capt. Rick Grassett leaders a fish in the coastal gulf off Sarasota just before TS Debby.

FWC Extends Scalop Season

The FWC Commission approved the extension of bay scallop season by two weeks, changing the season from July 1 through Sept. 10 to July 1 through Sept. 24. The open region extends from the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County to the Pasco-Hernando county line.

The daily limit is two gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or one pint of bay scallop meat per person, with a vessel limit of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or one-half gallon of bay scallop meat. Harvesting can only be accomplished by hand or with the use of a landing or dip net.

During the season, scallop harvesters can assist FWC’s scallop researchers by completing an online survey at svy.mk/bayscallops.

Snook Season Remains Closed In Gulf

The FWC Commission has voted to keep snook season closed in Gulf of Mexico waters until at least September 1st 2013. They decided to continue the closure of snook through Aug. 31, 2013. This closure will offer additional protection to snook, which was detrimentally affected by the 2010 cold kill.

Ft Lauderdale Bull Dolphin

Big Bull Dolphin Caught 6/21/2012 Off Fort Lauderdale
Anglers fishing with me aboard the Reel Work out of Ft Lauderdade last Thursday were having a fun time catching kingfish, blackfin tuna and mahi-mahi when this big bull dolfin (mahi-mahi) hit. After a fierce battle this big mahi found it's way into the ice box. Good job guys!

Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Charter Fishing in Fort Lauderdale

Apalachicola Fishing Report June 2012

Capt. Ken Finch with about a 20 lb tripletail

I always like to go with the good news first, so here's a good fish caught on a pretty day! The bad news isn't all bad, we did need the rain! Tropical Storm Debby managed to knock out the power to St. George Island and drop limbs on power lines around town here in Apalach. Our power just got restored after 24 hours but the Honda Generator we bought after Hurricane Dennis from Wefings Marine (Thanks Marc!) has kept our freezer & refrigerator running and has enough power for a fan in the bedroom & the flat screen tv!

If you have a fishing trip booked with us this week, please check with your captain to be sure that it's fishable. And if you are planning to stay on St. George Island this week or
weekend, the island has been evacuated and they are not letting visitors to cross the bridge because of the following...

According to Progress Energy:
There are three damaged transmission structures down in St. George Sound. Because of this, there is no electric power to St. George Island. We have to wait until the weather subsides to assess the extent of the damage. At this point, we do not have an estimated time of restoration and will not have one until we are able to get onto the island. The Eastpoint to St. George Island Tap transmission project is scheduled to be completed July 9 -- with a switchover of power starting at midnight, and lasting approximately eight hours. We are accelerating the project and will complete the switch over to the new equipment as soon as possible. Because of the planned new work, we will not repair the damaged structures. Once we get onto the island, it will still take several days to conduct damage assessment and complete the switch over to the new equipment. Any customers that have not evacuated will need to be prepared for multiple days without electricity.
 Update from Tropical Storm Debby, June 28, 2012
Thank You Progress Energy! Ok everybody scheduled to come to St. George Island, Pack your Bags & come on down! Be sure to book your fishing trip & plan to spend Tuesday evening in town for the parade & fireworks!
Kathy Robinson.



If you are reading this and need a place to stay, one of the two 2 bedroom condos in downtown Apalachicola that I manage is available for rent (4:30 Monday afternoon) and Apalachicola has power. Check out the listing at www.vrbo.com/421524 From where I'm sitting, at my desk staying dry, The Seafood Grill Restaurant is open for business tonight. I'm pretty sure the Owl Cafe & the Tap Room are open as well. I would check with any waterfront restaurants before heading out just in case...



The Gang from Sunnyhill Plantation had a great time with Capt. Grayson!

Red Snapper Season is still open until July 10th at 11:59:59 so you have more than 2 weeks to get your Snapper trip in!

Come to Apalachicola for the Old Apalachicola Independence Day Celebration! For the first time in many, many years, the city of Apalachicola is having fireworks! Starting at 6pm with a parade, then an ice cream social at 7. Music from 7 to 11 and the Fireworks at 9:00pm. Thank you Historic Apalachicola Main Street. For more details go to www.historicapalachicola.com. Hope to see you there!

Two more things and then I'm going to hit send... First - let's make plans to fish this fall! Either here in Apalachicola for Reds, trout, etc. or in the Keys with Tommy. If we don't get to it now we might not get around to remembering to book it. Second - we have more affordable listings for sale but not much of anything for long term rental. Since we moved to 44 Avenue E, we get people calling & walking in nearly every day trying to find a home to rent. Got property to rent? Please Call us at Robinson Real Estate Company 850-653-1653 or click www.RobinsonRealEstateCompany.com.

Thanks!

Kathy Robinson
Robinson Brothers Guide Service
44 Avenue E
Apalachicola, FL 32320
850-653-8896
www.FloridaRedfish.com

Florida Bay Fishing Report 6-28-2012

Summer fishing is hitting its peak. The bite has been really good for those that have been able to compromise with getting up early to avoid some of the afternoon rain. Flamingo is seeing a great redfish bite on the flats. Snook fishing is good close to the mangrove shorelines. And snapper and trout is also another area that has been successful. Tarpon is coming in behind. We have actually hooked some really big fish while out fishing. And also caught some monster trout while redfishig. We have been using scent baits like those from Fishbites and Gulp. Bring sharp worm hooks to rig these weedless because there is a lot of grass. You can go from shrimp to jerkbait or shads and do really well with this simple method of casting. Use split shot or worm bullet weights to adjust level.

In Biscayne Bay I have been fishing the flats and finger channels near Stiltsville and to the south. There have been bonefish, sharks, and permit on the flats. The finger channels have some big barracuda on the edges where the current pushes the bait. On the bottom you can catch mutton, mangrove, and hogfish snappers. Stalking the flats requires the right tide and a lot of patience these days but the rewards are awesome. Don’t forget to flats close to the mainland. Sometimes they are vacant of fishermen and full of fish.

For late afternoon or evening fishing I would consider the cuts or bridges in the area. Make sure to bring live bait. And some strong line and poles. Give me a call and let’s get out on the water.

Captain Ariel Cabrera
305-431-6936
ariel@captainariel.com
http://www.captainariel.com/

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report 6-23-2012

Central Florida Sight Fishing
June 23, 2012
by Capt. Chris Myers

While the fishing has been quite good as we officially enter the beginning of summer, the weather has been anything but. Another subtropical system is currently engulfing the state bring more clouds and rain, the enemy of the sight fisherman. It seems like the past month has brought a higher than average amount of wind and clouds to central Florida. Hopefully, we will return to a more normal pattern soon.

When the weather has cooperated, the fishing has been quite good. The water level in the Lagoon system is nearly one foot higher than it usually is this time of year. This gives the fish more places to roam and you are likely to find them in some unusual and unexpected places. Fortunately, we have not experienced the heavy algae bloom that invaded our waters last year. Most of the flats are clear. When the sun is out, sight fishing is excellent.

On one of the nicer weather days, Jay and Marc joined me for an outstanding day on the flats. Numerous redfish and trout were landed on a variety of baits and flies including DOA Baitbusters and CALs and some of Jay's secret baitfish pattern flies.





Last week, I made my annual trip to the DOA Outdoor Writers Event in Stuart. On the first day, I fished with Homosassa Guide and writer Capt. William Toney. We used the Holographic 1/4 ounce shrimp to catch a variety of trout, flounder, snapper, lookdowns, jacks, and snook. The following day I fished with Cheryl and Polly. We stayed around the St. Lucie Inlet hoping for a giant snook. We found some huge fish hugging the bottom and tied on some 1/4 jigheads with a 3 inch holographic paddle tail CAL. Ceryl hooked up first but the huge fish cut through the 30lb leader. A few minutes later, Polly stuck a 37 inch snook and landed it using 10 pound braid. It was her largest snook to date.



Back in Mosquito Lagoon, I teamed up with Capt. Drew Cavanaugh for a day of scouting and fun fishing. We found some hungry redfish and had a blast watching them crush the Baitbuster on the surface. Check out my Youtube page for a short video of a topwater redfish bite. I also hooked several large fish using the BFL 5.5 lure.





On my charter the following day, the conditions were not quite as good and sight fishing was difficult. George managed to land several nice trout and a half dozen redfish casting a 5.5 inch CAL with a Woodies Rattle in areas where the fish were holding.



Despite a forecast of clouds and high winds, David elected to keep his charter date for Thursday. It turned out to be an excellent decision. The morning started out clear and calm. We started off looking for tarpon. There were none to be found. The redfish, however, were happy to play. David landed three reds over 34 inches on the Baitbuster before the clouds moved in and we lost our visibility.The rest of the morning was spent blind casting which produced several more redfish and a nice trout.





Yesterday's trip, along with next Monday's had to be rescheduled due to bad weather. When this current system passes through, look for the steady redfish and trout action to continue. With the high water, many of the flats are too deep to see tailing fish. The high water is allowing fish to get close to the shore and into the back bays and coves which are usually too shallow for both boats and fish during the summer. Finding the redfish can take some time and effort on some days. The easiest fishing can be had on the deeper edges of the flats around mullet schools. Topwater baits, as well as jigs with soft plastics can produce some fast action for trout and ladyfish. Pinching off the barbs will make it easier on the fish and the person doing the dehooking. Fly anglers can use weighted flies such as a clouser minnow pattern in the same areas.


Upcoming Seminars
July 2 - Fly Casting - This 4 hour class from 9-1 covers the basics needed to start fly casting. It is also helpful in tuning up and improving your existing cast. Pre-registration is required. Class is $75 and limited to 6 students. Call 321-229-2848. Held at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, Apopka


July 21 - Fishing with Live Baits - Capt. Tom Van Horn and I continue our flats fishing series with a free seminar on catching and fishing with live baits. Mosquito Creek outdoors, Apopka, 10am


Captain Chris Myers
321-229-2848
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/
cmyers@floridafishinglessons.com

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
6/23/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing the coastal Gulf of Mexico off Sarasota with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released a tarpon on a live crab early in the week. Conditions deteriorated later in the week as a tropical disturbance formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico and pumped clouds and moisture over us. Although the wind direction was from the east, a 4’ swell out of the S-SW made fishing in the gulf tough, especially in shallow water. A new moon on Monday and rough conditions in the coastal gulf may have pushed many tarpon offshore.

Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and his mom, Andrea Lutz from Atlanta, GA, tarpon fished with me on Tuesday and Thursday. We saw several schools of tarpon moving in both directions on Tuesday morning and Andrea hooked up on a live crab out of a happy school that popped up right next to the boat. She and Hal double teamed the fish and had it alongside the boat in about 30 minutes. The tarpon was DNA sampled, measured at a 34 ½” girth X 67” length and released. A perfect size tarpon! Hal also had a few shots at tarpon with a fly later in the morning. Conditions were poor for tarpon fishing on Thursday and Friday, a big swell, clouds and drizzling rain.

However, tarpon should become plentiful again as weather conditions improve and we head towards the quarter phase of the moon next week. Look for tarpon several hundred yards off our beaches and set up in their travel “lane” to intercept them. You may be able to see them below the surface later in the day when sunlight and visibility are best.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Hal Lutz, from Parish, FL, battles a tarpon caught and released in the coastal gulf off Sarasota while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, GA, with an estimated 110-pound tarpon that she hooked on a live crab and then double teamed with her son, Hal, while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota.

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, June 14, 2012
By Captain Tom Van Horn




Up Coming Events and Seminars

Saturday July 21st , 10:00 to 12 Noon "Free Seminar" Class 6 of Fundamentals of Flats Fishing series , "Catching and Using Natural Baits on the Flats" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.

Thursday July 26th - 6:30 P.m. to 8:30 p.m. "Free Seminars" "Summertime Inshore Tactics for Redfish and Sea Trout" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.



This Week's Fishing Report

My angling adventures this past week carried me away from the central lagoon coast to an exotic location where I was privileged to attend the D.O.A. Outdoor Writers Conference held at the River Palms Cottages in Jensen Beach Florida. Hosted by Captain Mark Nichols and his DOA family, the event also included two days of fishing with members of the D.O.A. Pro Staff. This invitation only event provides an opportunity to rub shoulders with an exceptional group of outdoor journalist and industry experts while learning about and fished with D.O.A.'s newest product innovations.

The setting for the three day event was the River Palms Cottages in Jensen Beach. Staying at River Palms is just like stepping into a tropical paradise. This low-key resort presents the feel of a far away tropical island were the exotic flora and the lagoon beach draws all of the life's tension from your bones as soon as you step foot on the premises. The resorts owners have planted hundreds of exotic tropical fruit trees and shrubs on the property giving you the feeling of a coastal jungle paradise. Located just minutes from the St. Lucie Inlet the resort features a large outdoor pavilion, deep water access dock, swimming pool and white sandy beach. For those of you reading this report, there is no need to travel thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars to escape to a tropical paradise, simply book a few days at the River Palms instead (http://www.riverpalmcottages.com).


River Palms Cottages


River Palms looking east

On my first day of fishing, I had the pleasure of spending the day with Captain John Irwin form Charleston South Carolina and Captain John Young as our guide. Our plan was to start out fishing for big trout just south of Fort Pierce on the IRL but only landed several smaller trout and mangrove snapper on a 3 inch DOA Golden Glow shrimp. Next we ventured back to the St Lucie River and I caught a nice 30 inch snook fishing the bridges on the old reliable brown dog (rootbeer Terror Eyz). Although the bite was slow and we didn't catch a lot, we had great fun and there were some larger snook caught by other boats.


Captain John Young with a St Lucie Inlet Sunrise



Captain John Young with a St Lucie Inlet Snook

On my second day I fished again with Captain John Young and we targeted the south jetty of the St Lucie Inlet, catching several smaller male snook before sunrise, again on the Golden Glow 3 inch DOA Shrimp. The remainder of the morning was the same old story you hear from snook fisherman, missed two big fish, one came unbutton at the boat and the other cut me off on a dock.

Although my escape was quite and enjoyable, strong easterly winds made fishing conditions tough, but with the support of the DOA Pro Staff Guides and some hardcore anglers, we still managed to catch quite a few snook over 30 pounds. The big females were holding up in the inlet near the "Hole in the Wall", as they fell victim to the big Terror Eyz in the rootbeer/gold glitter color bounced on the bottom during the falling tide. For me, I managed to catch four snook from 18 to 30 inched fishing docks, jetties and bridges.

In closing, I would like to also thank Hobie Kayaks, Minn-Kota, seagar fishing line and Eagle Claw, for co-sponsoring the event and my guide, Captains John Young() for putting me on fish despite the blustery conditions.

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

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-416-1187

For all of your outdoor needs, check out www.mosquitocreek.com, it's where your adventure begins!

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report
June 8, 2012
By Captain Tom Van Horn



Captain John's Respectable Sea Trout

This Week's Fishing Report
As many of you who live here in the sunshine state know, our sunshine this week has mostly been in the liquid form, with squally conditions dominating our forecast. Although it's been a little wet, the fishing has still been very good on the inshore flats and on the St Johns River for those willing to venture out into the rain, and God knows he's doing us a favor as we really need some relief from our extremely dry conditions.

My first adventure last week was a trip to the Banana River Lagoon No-Motor Zone with my good friend Captain John Kumiski. The winds were from the southwest at about 5 knots, so we selected to fish the area I refer to as the middle bar. John was throwing fly (popper bug) and I was fishing with a shallow running DOA Bait Buster, and we commenced to wear out the sea trout. Between us, we caught at least 30 trout with a good number surpassing the two foot mark. I know you have already heard me say this, but I'll say it again, this has been the best sea trout action I've experienced in years with not only good numbers coming to the boat, but also sizable fish as well. The trick is the same as always, find concentrated mullet schools and you'll find trout.

My next adventure was a trip on Sunday with Les and Denise who were one of the winners at the Orlando Predators/Fish on Fire giveaway, and we decided to fish in the North IRL near Titusville. We started early to beat the weekend crowed, but the bite was very flat because of the full moon. For some reason, flats fishing is always tough for me during the full moon. I think the fish are very active, feeding all night, and them they are fat and lazy during the day. Although the bite was tough in the morning, it turned on around 1 p.m., and we ended the day with some very respectable fish. Most of our fish were caught on top water Skitterwalks and Chug Bugs, and Denise also did well on 3 inch DOA CAL Paddle Tails.

My last adventure was on Wednesday, where I fished the First Annual Catfish Challenge on the St Johns River. The recent rain has the river water levels rising and the catfish moving. The challenge was between three boats to see who could catch the most largemouth bass and catfish, and I was teamed up with Mark Blyth, sports editor for the Orlando Sentinel. Well to make a long story short, we won the event catching 17 channel and blue catfish, with two over 10 pounds on fresh dead shrimp. I love catching the larger catfish on light tackle, and I look forward to the first significant rainfall of the year to get these fish moving.

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

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
(407) 416-1187
http://www.irl-fishing.com
mosquitocoast@cfl.rr.com

Amelia Island Fishing Report 6-10-2012

The Redfish were spread out in May but the ones we caught were in the Slot. We were also catching hungry Seatrout on artificial grubs with red head jigs and every once in a while there would be a keeper sized fish. Flounder were biting at the Fort Clinch finger jetties. Keep up with all the fishing action at the Amelia Island Fishing Report. In June expect to be fishing with the manatees! They ought to be showing up in herds. Almost everything will be biting -Redfish, Seatrout, Flounder and Blues, Ladyfish and Bonnethead's. We'll have a good shot at Slot Reds fishing with jigs and the Seatrout, Blues and Ladyfish will be nailing the shrimp under floats. So if you want to Get Away From it All, give me a shout and we'll go fishing!

Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com   

Tampa Bay Fishing – June 3rd, 2012




Although tarpon season is in full swing, many quality snook and reds are being caught. This 31″ fish was caught after we spent the first few hours’ tarpon fishing. This was Matt’s biggest snook to date.

With the weather warming up it is important to get an early start. Often we have a tarpon hooked up before 7am. That means pulling away from the dock between 5 and 5:30 am. In this case, the early bird gets the worm [tarpon]. Being courteous and working with other boats is important while tarpon fishing. I wish that I could say that I have been perfect in that, but I still make mistakes. Do not worry, if you make a mistake, the other boaters will help you out and set you back on the right track. Hopefully, they will be gracious as they do.



When we hooked up with this tarpon, I got excited and started my motor while the pod was underneath my boat. I should have let the fish string out and swim out of the pod before following it. Thankfully, the fish kept biting and another boat was able to hook up. We fought this tarpon for 30 minutes or so until our line broke.

Tarpon fishing definitely presents a unique set of challenges, but that is why we love it. The tarpon bite in Tampa Bay has been very good. It brings me a lot of joy to see clients catch a tarpon for the first time in their life. Most all of my tarpon bites this year have come on threadfins. Getting out and catching bait while it is still dark is key. The bait is everywhere this year. When I am catching threads I am also catching greenbacks. These are a welcome site because that means I will have good baits to snook and red fish with.

So after we fought that tarpon Matt and his wife wanted to fish the mangroves and while chumming in front of a creek mouth we caught this red:



If we had caught a keeper trout we would have had a grand slam–tarpon, snook, red fish and trout–all in the same trip. Tampa Bay fishing is really good right now. Fish are everywhere and biting real well.

Captain Rick Reddick
813-787-0249
Tampa Fishing Charters | Tampa Fishing Guides| Tampa Bay Fishing

Sarasota Bay Fishing Report 6-2-2012

Sarasota Fishing Report
6/2/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett


Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout and snook on CAL jigs with plastic tails and top water plugs during the past week. Although a persistent west wind all week long kept us from tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf, we found protection from the wind on the west side of Sarasota Bay and had some action.

A group of 8 anglers consisting of Keith McClintock and Barry Slee, from Lake Forest, IL, Paul Browring, from the UK, Dave Kinnamon, from Milwaukee, WI, Dan Kinnamon, from Miami, FL, Greg Short, from OH and Steven Liska and his friend, Matt, from NJ, fished all week long with Capt. Andy Cotton, Capt. Kelly Stilwell, Capt. Jack Hartman and me. The week started off with west wind from tropical storm Beryl and with an approaching front the wind continued out of the west all week long. Some of the group spent some time tarpon fishing in a couple of areas in Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay and had a few bites on live crabs and pinfish but no hook ups. Capt. Jack’s boat caught and released a 24” grouper in Tampa Bay one day. Capt. Kelly ventured out onto the beach the same day off Anna Maria with Barry while the rest of us fished the inside waters of Tampa Bay. Although conditions were tough, they doubled on tarpon with a threadfin and a crab and landed one of the fish. The group also caught and released snook, trout, bluefish, jacks and a red on jigs, flies and top water plugs during the week in Roberts Bay and near Bishop Point and Buttonwood Harbor.

Although a normal weather pattern this time of year is an east wind in the morning switching to an afternoon sea breeze, occasionally the wind will shift to a westerly flow. Usually this is the result of a tropical disturbance or a late season cold front. However, when conditions aren’t good in the coastal gulf to tarpon fish, we can usually find some protected waters to fish for other species in Sarasota Bay.

When conditions allow us to get back into the gulf to tarpon fish, they should be hungry. Look for schools of tarpon at first light in the morning in deeper areas along beaches. Spin anglers may hook up with live crabs, pinfish, DOA 4” shrimp, Baitbusters and Swimming Mullet. Fly anglers should do best in shallower water with baitfish fly patterns such as Lefty’s Deceiver and EP flies in dark colors fished on intermediate sink tip fly lines.


Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Amelia Island Fishing Report 5- 2012

Amelia Island April Report/ May Forecast
by Cpt. Lawrence Piper 

Spring temperatures fluctuated up and down and kept the fishing kinda of weird! The month started out with some nice keeper sized Trout being caught, then we had our first Bonnethead Shark of the year and saw dozens of big Rays leaping out of the water. It wasn't until later in the month when we started getting big Redfish in the backwaters again, but when we caught one it was usually in the Slot or too big!. The Flounder are getting bigger, also. The month of May will be Redfish, Trout, Ladyfish and Shark month, which should usher in a new summer of a variety of fish catch'n. Keep up with all the fishing action at the Amelia Island Fishing Report or Get Away From it All, give me a shout and we'll go fishing! Check out this great early-morning Redfish action:


Early Morning Redfish Fight

Fish Bites........
Tailing Red Tides will be during the afternoons of May 29, 30 and 31st. I'm open if you're up for stalking some Reds in the marsh grass. Contact me.

Manatee should start showing up in numbers the latter part of May and the first of June. Boat tours are a great way to spend time with the family. Contact me to set up your trip today!

Special Rate for Memorial Day is Monday, May 28th! Don't forget The Anglers Mark special rate for active duty military -$50 off the standard rate of any trip. I'll extend that rate to veterans who want to book a trip that day. I've only got two slots open for the day so please book it now!


How to Clean Fish - Crappie Fillets

Clean fish quick and easy! Here's a video put together by my friend,Tim Parker, who uses an electric fillet knife to clean some Crappie caught in his home waters of Lake Lanier, Georgia.

The Anglers Mark Bragging Rights Tournament is heating up! Brad Anderson has gone out of the Slot to take over first place in the Redfish category with a 27 1/2" fish! Young angler J.J. Dennis jumped in the lead of the Flounder category with a 19" flattie. Andy Hall's 22" Seatrout is still holding but I expect a bigger fish any day!

Product Showcase: The Anglers Mark Jig Rig: This is light tackle stuff, folks! I advise my guests to toss out their jig to the base of the oyster beds, give it a second or two to fall to the bottom, then throw the bail. Begin bouncing it back, slow enough to feel the bottom. When a fish hits, you'll know it! Lift that rod tip firmly and keep the pressure on!

Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com   

Sarasota Bay Fishing Report 4-30-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
4/27/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, tripletail and snook on flies, CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos and had numerous shots at tarpon with a fly during the past week.

Don Tase, from NH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. He also had Monday booked with me, but due to 20-25 mph winds we canceled. It was still breezy on Tuesday, but much better conditions. Don brought his 6-year old grandson, Ryan, along for the first ½ of the trip and sent his son and daughter out for the 2nd ½ of the trip. They caught and released a few trout to 16” and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at the Marina Jack flat and near Stephens Point.

Sarasota winter residents, Burt Farbman and Phil Rever, snook fished with me on Wednesday evening. They caught and released 4 or 5 snook to 23” and 6 trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly in the ICW near Venice.

My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, fished with me on Friday. We ran the coastal gulf along the beach out to about 30’ of water south to Grassy Point looking for false albacore (little tunny) but didn’t find anything. However, we found a pair of tripletail on the way back and caught both of them on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. We spent several hours tarpon fishing, saw more than 50 fish and had a dozen or more shots. A couple of fish charged the fly but didn’t eat!

Tarpon are becoming more plentiful in the coastal gulf and are a good option now when conditions are good. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW and cobia, tripletail or false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf may also be good options. Look for reds and trout in shallow water in Sarasota Bay.

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


Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, caught and released his first tripletail on a Grassett Flats Minnow fly while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with his brother, Capt. Rick Grassett.

Sarasota Bay Fishing Report 4-22-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
4/22/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett


Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, snook and reds on flies, plugs, CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos during the past week. An angler fishing with me caught and released one of the largest trout ever caught on my boat!

Mark Eddy and Carey Ryerson, from CO, fished with me on Monday. We checked the coastal gulf and found it unfishable due to a 4’-5’ swell, so we fished Sarasota Bay. They caught and released trout to 18” on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on various deep grass flats near Long Bar and Buttonwood Harbor.

The action was hot on Tuesday when Aledia Tush, owner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, and Doug Forde, manager at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, fished Sarasota Bay with me. We stayed in shallow water doing some practice fishing for Saturday’s Sarasota CCA Photo All Release Challenge. Anglers fish for reds, snook and trout with identical boxes of lures or flies in the popular tournament which raises money for conservation. With light winds, clear water and a rising tide, we found big trout, reds and snook mixed with mullet schools near Long Bar. They caught and released 4 snook to 26”, a pair of reds and several big trout on Sebile Stick Shad plugs. Aledia caught and released one of the biggest trout ever caught on my boat, a 29” fish estimated to weigh more than 9-pounds. This is an awesome trout for the west coast of Florida! The only other trout of that size that I’ve seen before was one I caught and released at a DOA Lures/Outdoor Writers event in the Indian River near Ft. Pierce several year ago. In addition to snook, Doug also caught and released 27” and 29” reds. What a difference a day can make!

We found the action slow in shallow water on a couple of other trips later in the week, but Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton. FL, and Jim Denoi, from Sarasota, caught and released a red and a snook on surface walking plugs near Long Bar with me on Friday. They also caught and released trout on deep grass flats near Bayshore Gardens and Bishop Point on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms and DOA Deadly Combos.

Bob Parker, from Sarasota and I fished the Sarasota CCA Photo All Release Challenge with my son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton, on Saturday. With winds gusting more than 25 mph out of the south and an extreme high tide, conditions were tough for everyone. We caught and released a few small trout and a snook on flies wading shallow water near Long Bar. Andy caught and released a couple of slot sized fish, including a 26” red, which was good enough to win the Grand Champion award of the Fly Division!

Fishing may be tough early next week due to the strong front passing through this weekend. Reds and trout may be found along shallow edges of flats and bars or in potholes when the tide is low or along mangrove shorelines when the tide is high. Catch and release night snook fishing at night in the ICW and cobia, tripletail or false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf should also be good options. Tarpon are becoming more plentiful in the coastal gulf and are also a good option now.

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



Saltwater Outfitters manager, Doug Forde, caught and released this 29" red on a Sebile Stick Shad while fishing skinny water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.



CB's Saltwater Outfitters manager, Doug Forde, caught and released this 26" snook on a Sebile Stick Shad while fishing skinny water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Aledia Tush, owner of CB's Saltwater Outfitters, caught and released this huge, 29" trout, estimated at more than 9-pounds on a Sebile Stick Shad while fishing skinny water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Indian River Sight Fishing 4-19-2012

Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
April 19, 2012
by Capt. Chris Myers

There has been one word to describe the fishing that last couple months - Outstanding. The flats fishing for redfish and trout could not get much better here in Mosquito Lagoon. Many of the redfish are still in schools and it is not unusual to have well over 1,000 fish per day pass by the boat. Even on the "slower" days there have been hundreds of fish for anglers to cast at. Both the redfish and trout have been feeding aggressively.

For topwater action, the DOA shallow running Baitbuster lure reeled along the surface has produced some spectacular action. Both species will readily attack this lure. With lots of loose grass floating on the surface now, standard plugs with treble hooks can be difficult to use. In addition to the Baitbuster, the DOA CAL in the 3, 4, and 5.5 inch model have also been catching both redfish and trout every day. Add a Woodies Rattle to the bait if you are blind casting for more bites.

For fly fishing, use a soft landing bendback style fly when the winds are calm and the water is shallow. Later in the day, switch to lead eye crab or shrimp patterns to get down quickly. Lots of baitfish are on the flats so pinfish and mullet style flies will also work well. All must have a weedguard. Some days there are tailing fish in every direction and the next there are just as many fish but not one tail breaks the surface. Having sun is the most important factor when fly fishing.

Unlike the past couple years, this has been an excellent spring for seatrout. The younger and smaller fish have been plentiful in 2-4 feet of water and can be caught by the dozens. Ultralight spinning tackle provides added entertainment. The 1-2 foot depths with a mix of grass and sand have been holding the larger female trout. Unfortunately, some anglers have been putting these trophy breeding fish in the coolers. The bite is the best it has been, however, since the devastating freeze of 2010. On clear days, you can sight fish them in the white sand holes. An easier method is to blind cast likely spots using a 5.5 inch DOA CAL and long casts. Trout are much more delicate than redfish and must be handled with care if they are to survive release. I would encourage all anglers to release the big females to help ensure a healthy population for years to come. With an increased commercial trout limit and longer season this year, the big fish in our Lagoon have even less of a chance to survive.

Phil had shots at lots of redfish and trout on his first adventure to Mosquito Lagoon. He especially enjoyed battling this big black drum.




The following day my clients had shots as hundreds of redfish throughout the morning but only one cast came close enough to the fish to get a bite. Later, they had a chance at a school of 20-30 pound redfish and ended the day catching numerous seatrout.

Dave started out the day landing a redfish on the Baitbuster and continued catching them on the three inch paddle tail as well.




After dropping him off, I went out to check some other spots. It was a successful afternoon with 4 reds on the DOA shrimp and 4 more on a rootbeer colored redfish worm fly.




Some high winds moved in for the next several days changing the water level slightly and moving the fish around. Things settled down after a couple days and the fishing was hot. Trevor had never fished the flats but had a great morning catching redfish on Baitbusters and CALs.




Seven year old Chase wanted to catch a redfish for his birthday. He could handle a spinning rod as good as many adults and slayed the trout on the DOA Deadly Combo as well as a 1/4 ounce jig. The redfish were not as plentiful in the morning as I had hoped. We finally found them just when the wind started to pick up but Chase got his wish.







Big schools of fish were roaming the flats this week. Anglers had varying levels of success catching them. The catching ratio had nothing to do with the fish not eating as every time a lure or fly landed properly, it got a bite. Mike and Matt had the most success and started off with this double header of redfish.


The fishing this weekend will be tough with wind, clouds, and rain in the forecast. After the front passes through, look for the excellent action to continue. Lots of lures, baits, and flies will work but they will only get bites if they are in the right spot. The number one thing you can do to catch more fish is practice your casting.

Captain Chris Myers
321-229-2848
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/
cmyers@floridafishinglessons.com    

Indian River Fishing Report 2-14 2012

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report
April 14, 2012
By Captain Tom Van Horn

Upcoming Seminars and Events
Saturday April 21st , 10:00 to 12 Noon "Free Seminar", Fundamentals of Flats Fishing Seminar 3 "Lines, Leaders and Practical Knots" instructed by Captains Tom Van Horn, Chris Myers, located in the Outback at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 South Washington Ave., Apopka Florida, www.mosquitocreek.com.

Saturday April 28th- 9:39 a.m. Rod Crafters Meeting at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S. Washington Ave., Apopka, Florida For more details on this event visit www.mosquitocreek.com.

Saturday April 28th - 4th Annual Kayak Swap Saturday at Wekiva Island, 1014 Miami Springs Drive  Longwood, FL 32779 This all day Orlando Kayak Fishing Club event starts at 9am and allows both members and guest to try out club members kayaks. For more details, visit http://www.orlandokayakfishingclub.com.

Saturday May 5th - 12 Noon - 4 p.m., Chevy Florida Insider Fishing Report Tour and Hook Kids on Fishing event. Held at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, 170 S. Washington Ave. Apopka, Florida. For more details on this event visit www.mosquitocreek.com.

Saturday May 5th - Hook Kids on Fishing Program held in conjunction with the Chevy Insider Fishing Report Tour at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka, www.mosquitocreek.com  Please call 407-464-2000 to register.


This Week's Fishing Report
Fishing on Florida's East Central Coast these past few weeks has been good in many respects and poor in others. In the early mornings, the sea trout bite has been as good as it gets with our best fish coming on top-water plugs at first light. This year, most of the trout coming to the boat are averaging 20 inches and we have been catching then in 12 inches of water or less. We have also been doing well blind casting 3-inch DOA CAL Paddle Tails on a ¼ ounce DOA Jig Hook in those same areas.

Redfish on the other hand have been a bit more challenging with only a few slot fish being caught on a typical charter.


Ernie's Top-water Sea Trout


Steve's early morning sea trout caught on a Hall-Um-In Lure

On the freshwater side, the bass fishing has been off the hook on the St Johns River. For the most part, bass are finished spawning and they are feeding up on menhaden schools. Look for bait schools being pressured in the early morning and late evening and fish with small fin fish imitation lures. Yesterday I bass fished with my good friend Steve Chapman, and between the two of us, we boated over 40 bass in three hours.



Captain Tom's St Johns River Bass


Steve Chapman, host of Florida Fishing Radio Show with a hefty largemouth.

Lastly, I've been hearing good reports of pogies (American menhaden) schools concentrated between the Cocoa Beach Pier and Sebastian Inlet, with some large tarpon mixed in. I know the weather (wind) has been challenging this weekend, but once it settles down, look for a green Maverick Master Angler pulling on tarpon along the beach.

We also have two different Hook Kids on Fishing Programs scheduled in the next few weeks, so if you are interested to helping introduce kids to fishing, please give me a call. The first is at the Conrad Academy on Thursday 8 am morning, and the second is at the Chevy Insider Fishing Report Road show at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka on May 5th. Our plan on May 5th is to conduct two different clinics with 100 kids in each, so if you know anyone who would like to assist or kids would like to attend; either contact me of Mosquito Creek 407.886.1716directly to register.

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

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
(407) 416-1187
http://www.irl-fishing.com
mosquitocoast@cfl.rr.com

Let you adventure begin at Mosquito Creek Outdoors, www.mosquitocreek.com