Fishing Report 08/23/2007
Capt. Terry Frankford Among the species anglers caught aboard Reelin & Chillin Charters this week was the Ladyfish. This fish is often looked down on by locals as a nuisance fish that waists your bait and has no food value - I know because for years thats exactly the way I looked at these slimy bait thieves. The only time I really would target them is when I needed bait for Big snook, Bull Redfish, or Sharks. However, after becoming a guide I have found these fish to be a great source of catch and release action for young and experienced anglers alike. Many folks come from far away and have never seen a Ladyfish and really aren't looking for dinner, this makes the Ladyfish a prime target species. If you downsize your tackle, loosen your drag, and forget about dinner for a minute you just may find yourself having a ball. Your drag will scream, they will put on a show of acrobatics like the nick-name "Poor Mans Tarpon" implies, and there is a good chance you will find yourself running around your boat trying to keep them from breaking off on your outboard prop or trim tabs. So next time you are out maybe throw an old rod in the boat with four or six pound test on the reel. When you see the terns hitting bait motor on over and flip just about anything to the feeding Ladies and have a ball for a few minutes. It's also a great way to provide action and sharpen the skills of that young angler aboard your boat. Here are a few fish stories to enjoy from anglers aboard the Reelin & Chillin this week.Kristi Polston, husband Don and children Hayden and Heather had a fun day on the bay with Ladyfish showing up for some of that great action mentioned above. Several other species were also caught including Mangrove Snapper and a really nice twenty-one inch trout that Hayden caught using only eight pound test line.Valerie Smith and son Cody had a great day starting with Trout and Ladyfish for fun. Then Cody picked up a nice Bluefish that really gave him a run for his money, but he finally did get it to the boat. Then is was off to the the docks in Sarasota Bay to target Reds - and that's where Cody came up to the plate. He landed three altogether with a twenty-four incher being the prize for the day.Gary Miller with son Trent and Grandson Chris enjoyed some good Redfish action along with a few Mangrove Snapper. Things were a little slow, however Trent hooked a nice Red. As Trent he was fighting it I asked Chris to reel in to keep his line clear of Trent's. That's when I realized that Chris also had a nice Red on. To cool, two slot sized Red's at the same time, way to go guys. Bait? In Sarasota at this time the shiners have been running to small to use for bait. It's not that the fish won't eat them it's first when you put a small bait on a hook it will quickly kill the fish, and second, you can't cast it far enough from the boat to keep from spooking the fish. I have found a way that you can use these small baits including peewee shrimp and still beat the issues above. To keep from killing the bait downsize the hook. I use a #6 Owner MUTU circle hook. Take a look at this hook and you will know what I'm talking about, not only is it small, it's made of thiner wire that will not weight down the bait keeping it active longer. Also, downsize the leader to twenty or maybe seventeen pound test. This will help the bait to be more active longer. For the casting distance use a cork, adjust your leader according to the depth your looking for. Be sure to consider drift and or current conditions when judging the length of the leader. A small split shot about twelve inches up from the hook will also help to keep the bait in the target zone. Tight Lines & Good Times,
Capt. Terry Frankford
Reelin & Chillin Charters Inc.
941-228-7802
http://www.charterfishingsarasota.com/
http://www.blogger.com/
Capt. Terry Frankford Among the species anglers caught aboard Reelin & Chillin Charters this week was the Ladyfish. This fish is often looked down on by locals as a nuisance fish that waists your bait and has no food value - I know because for years thats exactly the way I looked at these slimy bait thieves. The only time I really would target them is when I needed bait for Big snook, Bull Redfish, or Sharks. However, after becoming a guide I have found these fish to be a great source of catch and release action for young and experienced anglers alike. Many folks come from far away and have never seen a Ladyfish and really aren't looking for dinner, this makes the Ladyfish a prime target species. If you downsize your tackle, loosen your drag, and forget about dinner for a minute you just may find yourself having a ball. Your drag will scream, they will put on a show of acrobatics like the nick-name "Poor Mans Tarpon" implies, and there is a good chance you will find yourself running around your boat trying to keep them from breaking off on your outboard prop or trim tabs. So next time you are out maybe throw an old rod in the boat with four or six pound test on the reel. When you see the terns hitting bait motor on over and flip just about anything to the feeding Ladies and have a ball for a few minutes. It's also a great way to provide action and sharpen the skills of that young angler aboard your boat. Here are a few fish stories to enjoy from anglers aboard the Reelin & Chillin this week.Kristi Polston, husband Don and children Hayden and Heather had a fun day on the bay with Ladyfish showing up for some of that great action mentioned above. Several other species were also caught including Mangrove Snapper and a really nice twenty-one inch trout that Hayden caught using only eight pound test line.Valerie Smith and son Cody had a great day starting with Trout and Ladyfish for fun. Then Cody picked up a nice Bluefish that really gave him a run for his money, but he finally did get it to the boat. Then is was off to the the docks in Sarasota Bay to target Reds - and that's where Cody came up to the plate. He landed three altogether with a twenty-four incher being the prize for the day.Gary Miller with son Trent and Grandson Chris enjoyed some good Redfish action along with a few Mangrove Snapper. Things were a little slow, however Trent hooked a nice Red. As Trent he was fighting it I asked Chris to reel in to keep his line clear of Trent's. That's when I realized that Chris also had a nice Red on. To cool, two slot sized Red's at the same time, way to go guys. Bait? In Sarasota at this time the shiners have been running to small to use for bait. It's not that the fish won't eat them it's first when you put a small bait on a hook it will quickly kill the fish, and second, you can't cast it far enough from the boat to keep from spooking the fish. I have found a way that you can use these small baits including peewee shrimp and still beat the issues above. To keep from killing the bait downsize the hook. I use a #6 Owner MUTU circle hook. Take a look at this hook and you will know what I'm talking about, not only is it small, it's made of thiner wire that will not weight down the bait keeping it active longer. Also, downsize the leader to twenty or maybe seventeen pound test. This will help the bait to be more active longer. For the casting distance use a cork, adjust your leader according to the depth your looking for. Be sure to consider drift and or current conditions when judging the length of the leader. A small split shot about twelve inches up from the hook will also help to keep the bait in the target zone. Tight Lines & Good Times,
Capt. Terry Frankford
Reelin & Chillin Charters Inc.
941-228-7802
http://www.charterfishingsarasota.com/
http://www.blogger.com/
