Scallop Season Opens July 1st

Bay scallop season opens July 1

June 24, 2009
Contact: Carli Segelson, 727-896-8626

The recreational harvest season for bay scallops begins July 1 and continues through Sept. 10. Open scalloping areas on Florida's Gulf coast extend from the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County to the Pasco-Hernando county line near Aripeka.

You can take bay scallops only within the allowable harvest areas. It is illegal to possess bay scallops while you're in or on state waters outside the open harvest areas, or to land bay scallops outside the open areas.

There is a daily limit of 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or 1 pint of bay scallop meat per person during the open season. In addition, no more than 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or one-half gallon of bay scallop meat may be possessed aboard any vessel at any time.

You are allowed to harvest bay scallops only by hand or with a landing or dip net, and bay scallops may not be harvested for commercial purposes.

Unless otherwise exempt, you will need a regular Florida saltwater fishing license when using a boat to harvest scallops. If wading from shore, starting Aug. 1, you will need a regular Florida saltwater fishing license or the new shore-based license.

Divers and snorkelers are required to display a "divers-down" flag (red with a white diagonal stripe) while in the water. Boaters must stay at least 100 feet away from a divers-down flag in a river, inlet or channel. In open waters, boaters must stay 300 feet away from a divers-down flag. For more information on divers-down flag requirements, visit MyFWC.com/RULESANDREGS/Rules_Boat.htm#flag.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission encourages you to adhere to scallop fishing regulations and collect only the amount of bay scallops you are willing to clean.

More information on bay scallops is available online at MyFWC.com/RULESANDREGS/Saltwater_Regulations_bayscallops.htm and http://research.myfwc.com/features/category_sub.asp?id=2598.

Shoreline Saltwater License

Shoreline anglers need to buy license by Aug. 1

June 8, 2009
Contact: Henry Cabbage, 850-488-4676

Florida's resident saltwater anglers who fish from shore or a structure affixed to shore will need to buy a $7.50 (plus administrative and handling fees) shoreline fishing license by Aug. 1, unless they have a regular resident saltwater fishing license.

The new license applies only to Florida resident saltwater anglers who fish from shore. Resident anglers may prefer to purchase the regular recreational saltwater license that covers them, no matter where they fish for saltwater species in Florida.

Florida has always required nonresidents to have a license when fishing from shore, and they will still need to purchase a regular nonresident saltwater fishing license.

The new shoreline saltwater fishing license for residents goes on sale July 15. It provides all of the same exemptions as a regular license, including senior citizens, children, disabled people who meet certain qualifications, active-duty military personnel while home on leave, and anglers who fish from a licensed pier.

In addition, the shoreline license requirement includes two new exemptions:

* anglers drawing food stamps, temporary cash assistance or Medicaid; and
* anglers fishing in their home counties who use cane poles or other gear that does not depend on mechanical retrieval.

At the request of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Florida Legislature passed the new license requirement to head off a federal license requirement that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2010, and will have a $15-$25 fee beginning in 2011. Florida's new shoreline license exempts this state's anglers from the federal license requirement.

Several hunting, fishing and conservation organizations requested other permit fee changes, which do not take effect until July 2010. They include increases in:

* the state waterfowl stamp, from the current $3 to $5;
* in the resident turkey permit, from $5 to $10;
* the nonresident turkey permit, from $100 to $125;
* the wildlife management area permit for hunting, fishing and other recreational uses, from $25 to $30;
* the limited-entry or special-opportunity hunt fee, from $100 per day to $150 per day and $250 per week to $300 per week, as determined by FWC Commissioners;
* the snook permit, from $2 to $10; and
* the lobster permit, from $2 to $5.

Also, new laws create a $5 annual deer permit (in addition to the current hunting license requirement for deer hunters) and allow the agency to charge up to $5 per day for non-hunting and non-fishing recreation on certain wildlife management areas.

The FWC will evaluate areas where it is the lead manager to determine where to charge the fees and how much to charge. In addition, the state will use up to 10 percent of the hunting and sport-fishing fees to promote those sports, with emphasis on youth participation.

For more information about outdoor recreation and FWC programs, go to MyFWC.com.

Boca Tarpon Still Going Great

THIS MONTHS FISHING REPORT
6/25/09

Tarpon are stilling going great with many still on the beach and in the backcountry .
Skip's Skin roll seems to be the Fly D'jour. Last week clients jumped tarpon ranging from
50 to 90 lbs. The prospect looks good for late June and into July as fishing pressure subsides .
The fish are more settled and easier to approach.

Little Tunny have made their appearance within a half mile offshore . Clients have caught them
on fly to 16lbs. They make long burning runs which is a lot of fun on 8wts.
Snook are still on the beach and walking the beach will produce well. Start around 9am
with the sun at your back and stay out of the water for best results.
If you haven't fished for Tarpon there is still plenty of time left this season.

Tight Lines.

Capt. Al White

Boca On The Fly
Captain Al White
(941) 697-0320 Cell (941) 830-1375
e-mail: BocaOnTheFly@yahoo.com

Offshore Bite On Fire!

Fishing out of Port Hudson Marina last Saturday we took out a great group of guys and had a spectacular time. We fished in about 125ft of water and caught nice red snapper, red grouper, gag grouper, Amber Jack and a variety of other species.
These guys had not fished off shore before and told us they would always remember this trip.

B & G Fishing Charters Inc.
PO Box 1181
Land O Lakes FL, 34639
Ph# 813 996 1814/813 943 2531
bilga57@verizon.net
http://bgfishingcharters.wordpress.com/

Best Fishing, Early Mornings/ Evenings

Capt. Grayson Shepard with a tarpon caught baitfishing

They say that spring comes in like a lion or a lamb, but what do you call the first day of summer with a heat index of 115 degrees? For fishing, if you can withstand the heat, it can be a good thing, especially for tarpon anglers. Whether you are sight casting for tarpon with a fly rod or you prefer bait casting for tarpon and sharks, they do like it hot! And according to reports from all the guides, it doesn't get any better. Be sure to ask us about our Tarpon/Shark trips!



Spec caught on Capt. Dave Armentrout's boat

If you like fishing for inshore species like redfish, speckled trout and so on, plan on getting up very early in the morning and getting your fishing in before the heat really takes hold, or possibly waiting until late afternoon or early evening & fishing until dark. Capt. Tommy Holland's crew had 25 trout and 3 redfish caught by 8:00 am this morning! Early mornings and afternoons/evenings are best for sight seeing trips as well and yes we are offering these trips.



Capt. Greg Fletcher holds a BIG RED caught on the Wahoo 6/20/09

Recent Offshore charters have been VERY successful -- the red snapper are very big and very plentiful. Just be mindful of the Florida limits and don't get so caught up in the action that you forget to reapply the sunscreen and be sure to drink plenty of water!

Nikki & I are trying to learn how to set up a Facebook Group for Robinson Brothers, so if you are an FB-er, here's the link - wish us luck!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=88991148121

Happy Independence Day from the Robinson's!

Kathy Robinson
Robinson Brothers Guide Service
118 Commerce St., Apalachicola, FL 32320
Toll Free 877-6-REDFISH
850-653-8896
www.FloridaRedfish.com

Little Tunny Arrive With Summer

Thursday, June 4, 2009
Summer Arrives



Well, summer pattern is now in effect. Weather has taken on the normal summer feel with warm and humid mornings, hot middays and afternoon thunderstorms. It's been taking its time but the water is warming up and bait is increasing in numbers. Instead of seas rocking and rolling at 4 to 5 feet, they are calming to 1 to 2. And with all of these changes the available fish to catch are increasing....especially if your looking for fun. Dan and his first Little Tunny The False Albacore (aka Little Tunny or Bonito) are formitable fighters and a challenge on spinning tackle and the flyrod. They are looking for food and eat just about anything from Greenies to Glass Minnows. To get them to take a fly it's best to chum to attract them to the boat and then offer the fly. They can be found at most any depth but there's more action in the top 15 feet of the water column. When they're feeding on Glass Minnows and making a ruckus on the surface, it's easy to get them to take small plastic baits if you can get in on the feeding frenzy. This process lasts all summer long so the window of opportunity is wide open. And if you're out in deeper water there's always a chance that a Sailfish or Dolphin (Mahi) will pick up your bait before the Tunny can get there. It's fishing, so action is not guaranteed, but it's a good bet throughout the summer.

Capt. Duber Winters

Green Water Charters

772-631-1023

http://www.greenwatercharters.com/

duber@wintersnet.com

Getting Kids Hooked On Fishing

When the Kids Grow Up the Fish Will Too

Try your best when fishing with kids to have them catch something. In my book puffers and catfish count too! As long as the fish are biting and the kids are catching, they remain interested. Plan your trip in short time frames to begin with to find out how much your kids will tolerate without getting burned out. If the bite is slow take a break on a nearby island or shoreline area and let them explore a little. You want to make every trip a fun trip if at all possible.

I know, in the real world the fish don’t bite every time, but if you bring along some shrimp you are likely to catch something. I think that is the key to getting the kids hooked on fishing. It doesn’t take anymore than a nice little pinfish to make a kid happy.



Keep it simple. Live shrimp or cut bait presented under a bobber is a great way to introduce kids to fishing. There is no doubt about when the fish bites, and there is a certain thrill to seeing that bobber go down. I always use circle hooks and instruct the angler to just start reeling when they see the bobber go under. This also makes release easier as the fish is likely to be hooked in the corner of the mouth.



Talk to the kids about conservation and catch and release fishing. They normally think they want to take everything they catch home with them so take time to explain why you might put some of the fish back to grow up and fight again. There’s nothing wrong with taking some fish for dinner, but it doesn’t have to be everything. Even the flounder pictured below was willingly released by the happy angler. He realized the real fun was in the catching



There’s no way of knowing what you might catch next, so the key is keeping the kids interested and sooner or later they will catch some quality fish. The point is, it doesn’t have to be on every trip. Just take them with the idea of having fun and the catching will take care of itself. As the kids grow up the fish will 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

Early Morning Mosquito Lagoon Reds

Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters Capt. Chris Myers June 23, 2009 Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report

Fishing in Mosquito Lagoon has been very good the past couple weeks with plenty of large redfish along with trout, big ladyfish, voracious bluefish, and tarpon.

Sunday the 14th, New Jersey anglers Eric and Tom had shots at full grown redfish before the sun even broke the horizon. Before long, the fish took off for deeper water and we moved up shallow to look for tailing reds. Throughout the first few hours of the day, we consistently encountered singles and small pods of reds cruising the flat. It was their first time fishing for spooky Florida redfish and their casts never quite hit the mark. I decided to move out to the edges of the flats for some jigging and top water action. Trout, ladyfish, sail catfish, and bluefish were willing to eat and provided plenty of entertainment.

Tuesday, I fished with John, a fly angler from Britain. One of the best fly casters I have fished with, John was connected to his first Mosquito Lagoon redfish as soon as we could see the tails.

http://floridafishinglessons.com/sitebuilder/images/june1609red1-531x353.jpg" alt="" width="500" />

After releasing the first fish, we tried several schools of 20-30 pound redfish. Despite some excellent casts, the fish were spooking before the fly line hit the water. We gave up on the big reds and moved up shallow. Unfortunately, the same thing happened throughout the morning. John had a few follows and bites but most fish spooked before seeing the fly. John threw a popper in deeper water and had several fish attack his fly landing one ladyfish.

Friday, I was joined by Carmello, his son Giancarlo, and his son's friend Brian. Withing thirty minutes, both boys has landed their largest redfish which weighed in at 18 and 26 pounds.





We tried two more schools of large redfish and Giancarlo hooked into a 27 pound fish which turned out to be the largest of the day.



The rest of the morning was spent enjoying some great topwater action on the outer edges of the flats which resulted in trout, bluefish, ladyfish, jack crevalle, and sail catfish.

Sunday, the objective was to catch large seatrout. I had my client Jerry start off throwing a DOA CAL/Chughead combo around some shallow mullet schools. He landed a few smaller trout and had a few more bites. At our second stop, we spotted some of the target species in the sand holes but caught only redfish. As the day wore on, the weather deteriorated and we encountered a stiff north wind and clouds. With sight fishing nearly impossible, we Jerry was forced to blind cast the rest of the day. While we saw some large trout as they saw away from us, the big one never made it to the boat.

Great fishing will continue throughout the summer. With the variety of fish available, you can always find something to bend a rod.

Mosquito Creek Angler Improvement Class

Thanks to all who attended our last class on soft plastic baits. It was the best attendance so far. The July class will be presented by Capt. Tom Van Horn and will cover hard baits such as topwater plugs, diving plugs, and spoons. The class will begin at 10am on July 25 at Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka.
Modified Topwater Plug
While I prefer to use a DOA Chug Head for my shallow water topwater offering to trout and redfish, the soft plastic does not hold up well to bluefish, large ladyfish, and sailfin catfish. Topwater plugs are more durable but the standard treble hooks constantly catch floating grass and are difficult to remove from the fish. Recently, I have been removing the treble hooks and replacing them with a single circle hook at the rear of the plug. Using a 6/0 circle hook has eliminate the grass issue and keeps toothy fish away from the leader. many of the fish strike so hard they set the hook themselves. While you may miss a few fish by not using trebles, the repeated strikes provide great entertainment and the fish you do hook stay connected.

This technique works well for all kinds of topwater plugs. Give it a try and I think you'll agree.

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

Fly Fishing Tarpon In Shalow Water

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/7 through 6/21/2009


Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon from Siesta Key to Anna Maria Island on both fly and spinning tackle during the past couple of weeks. The best action was towards the end of this week as we approached a new moon on June 22nd.

George and Laura Kommick, from Palmetto, FL, fished off Siesta Key with me on Monday, June 8th. We dodged a few thunderstorms that morning, but it was worth it. Although tarpon weren’t showing very well on the surface that day, they were plentiful. They jumped 4 tarpon and got two of them to the boat on live pinfish drifted under a float.

A fly trip on Longboat Key on Wednesday had 3 hookups and one fish to the boat. The fish that was landed was only 75-pounds but was ornery. It ate a black and red Toad while the other two fish ate chartreuse and yellow Toads. Fly angler, Hal Lutz from Parish, FL, fished a couple of days with me at the end of that week and had plenty of shots at fish from Longboat Key to Anna Maria Island. Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, FL, joined Hal on Friday. Jon was up first and jumped a tarpon on a black and purple Toad at first light. Although tarpon were plentiful that day, they got smart after that. Jon also had another eat on Candy Corn Toad (yellow and orange) in shallow water.

A couple of fly trips earlier this week had lots of shots but no bites. That changed on Wednesday when Aledia Tush, owner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, and her son, Mason Tush, fished Longboat Key with me. The fish were plentiful but challenging that day. We worked several beautiful schools of tarpon with live crabs, pinfish and DOA 4” shrimp and Baitbusters for hours with no bites. Finally we gave them up to search for some new fish. With only 15 minutes of time left and Mason with a flight to catch, we returned to one of the original schools and Mason immediately hooked up on a live crab. Go figure. He landed the fish, a 75 or 80-pounder, in 10 or 15 minutes and made his flight on time!

Fly angler, Dennis Desmond from New Jersey, fished the same area with me on Thursday and Friday. We plenty of shots at fish on Thursday, but no takers. Dennis persisted and hooked up early on Friday morning on an Enrico Puglisi Black Mullet fly (black and purple). He fought the fish close to the boat for almost an hour and a half before the fish wore through his 80-pound bite tippet with the sink tip in his tip top rod guide. Close enough!

Hal Lutz was back on the boat on Saturday morning with a little luck from his sister, Lyndi Lutz, from Dallas, Texas. They also fished Longboat Key with me and had lots of shots. Hal jumped and landed a 90-pound tarpon (31” girth X 69” length) on an Enrico Puglisi Black Mullet fly. It was a single, swimming down the edge of a bar and Hal’s fast, accurate cast resulted in an eat and an aerial display right next to the boat. He kicked the fish’s butt in less than 15 minutes as a crowd cheered him on from the beach! Lyndi wasn’t about to be left out of the action, getting 3 bites or hookups including one jumped tarpon on a pinfish under a float.

When fly fishing for tarpon, it must be the right presentation to the right fish. The beauty about fly fishing for tarpon in shallow water is that you can see the body language of the fish as it reacts to your fly. Most times you’ll get a little wiggle right before the bite. Although many people think tarpon fishing will be winding down soon, we are in the best part of the season. July is a great month! With many tarpon finished spawning, schools will be smaller but hungrier providing great shallow water action with a fly.

I look for tarpon action to continue as long as the weather cooperates, i.e. predominantly east wind and good sunlight. West winds make it rough and difficult to fish the coastal gulf waters. Also, fish don’t show well on the surface in those conditions.


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.flyfishing florida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com


*Higher resolution versions of images avaialble.



Mason Tush, from Sarasota, FL, puts the "heat" on a tarpon off Longboat Key while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Capt. Rick Grassett handles a tarpon caught and released on an Enrico Puglisi Black mullet fly by Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL.

Summer Doldrums = Great Fishing!

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.



The doldrums have settled into Central Florida right in time for the first day of summer with average high temperatures reaching the 95 degree mark. Hot is the key word here, because hot is the term best describing our catching this past week. The summer doldrums are a short period of time when the sea breezes control our weather, just before the influence of our tropics take effect and the cold water upwelling arrive. The doldrums result in a slick calm Atlantic "Lake Atlantic", with seas of less than two feet. It also results are clear blue ocean water all the way to the beach and very hot conditions.



This past week, I made serval trips out of Port Canaveral all resulting in quality catches of large jack crevalle, bonito, kingfish and tarpon. My first adventure was with my good friend Steve Chapman, as we ran south, we ended up finding a huge school of bonito, jacks and tarpon off of Melbourne Beach in about 30 feet of water. The school was pushing hard on the surface and every cast resulted in an instant hook-up. Steve was first to score throwing a Top Dog, but the bonito he caught inhaled the plug and the removal resulted in a dead fish. Gang hooks can be dangerous for both the angler and the fish, especially with big fish, so we switched to DOA Bait Busters and Storm Wild Eye Shad, and commenced to catch one big fish after another. Of course, each fish resulted in a 20 to 30 minute battle due to a size range of 15 to 30 pounds. There were also plenty of tarpon around, but you couldn't get the bait past the jacks and bonito. We also found some nice tripletail, for which Steve took several home for supper.



My next adventure was with my good friend Larry Carter resulted in similar situations, with the addition of some smoker kingfish and a huge silver king, (tarpon). The kingfish have moved in close along the beach to spawn on the new moon, and they have been feeding in the range of 30-feet of water. For tarpon, simply look for bait pods along the beach with rolling tarpon, and free line live pogies or finger mullet back into the frenzy and hang on. My best tarpon this week was in the 120 pound range, but she broke off late in the battle (20 minutes) as I failed to bow to her as she jumped close to the boat.

This is my favorite time of year to fish near-shore, but conditions can become dangerous due to the concentration of anglers trolling in close proximity to each other and loading and launching at the ramp, especially on the weekends, so please be courteous and patient while on the water.

I also received similar reports of near-shore fish coming from Ponce inlet and Sebastian, so don't hesitate and miss all of the fun. 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
www.irl-fishing.com
mosquitocoast@cfl.rr.com
407-366-8085 Land line 407-416-1187 On the water

Visit www.mosquitocreek.com for your outdoor adventure needs, Its Where the Adventure Begins!

Middle Keys Mahi

The Dolphin (Mahi) bite is on at Holiday Isle!! (6-1-09)
By: Holiday Isle Resort and Marina


We're kicking off June, prime time dolphin fishing month in the Florida Keys, with exciting Dolphin catches from the Holiday Isle offshore fishing fleet!!

Summertime is the time to fish for Dolphin (also known as Mahi and Dorado) in the Florida Keys. Islamorada is known far and wide as the sportfishing capital of the world, and the offshore fishing fleet at Holiday Isle marina is simply the best.

The Dolphin bite is really heating up now! An excited group of anglers from Wauchula Florida hit it big yesterday aboard the Gotcha, led by Capt. Mel Walker a 20 year veteran Captain at Holiday Isle marina. These Florida anglers caught 22 Dolphins, including a 25 pound bull!! You can bet Ronnie Durranze, Wayne Warren, Randy Gough, Robert Hill and Arturo Landaverde won't soon forget their exciting Florida Keys fishing trek!!

We also hosted a satisfied group of anglers from Charlotte, North Carolina aboard the Capt. J. R. vessel with experienced Capt. JR Rudzin at the helm. Capt. Rudzin, a 12 year veteran at Holiday Isle, led his merry group of anglers to a catch of 18 dolphins, plus a couple of cero's and skipjacks to boot!!

North Carolina anglers Al Daniels, Michael Daniels, Steve Green, and Dan Dunhan had a blast with Capt. J. R. Rudzin. So hurry down to Holiday Isle Resort in beautiful Islamorada FL, so you too can get started on your own exciting Florida Keys fishing adventure!!

Contact Ernie Velazco at (305) 664-2321 x642 to book an exciting Fl Keys fishing charter today!


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

Boca Tarpon, Clearwater Snook

Heat of the Summer is Here! 6/18/2009



Hello everyone. It's been a while. I have been staying very busy fishing from Clearwater for inshore and near shore species, to Boca Grande for the Tarpon. It's very warm here, and just like always our tactics have changed to keep the fishing interesting. Also, my Dorado 23 boat has been a great change for me and by the next report I promise to have pictures of it on my website. I have had some awesome trips the past few weeks. Big tarpon in the Boca area and some big Snook around Clearwater. The Snook featured as my report 'pic of the month' was caught just recently while reef fishing. It measured out at 47 inches!!! We'll get to the details later. I also participated in the Old Salt's Ladies Tournament where we took 1st and 2nd in Spanish Mackerel! I hope you all have had a good summer so far. Here is what is going on out there..
First we'll start with the Tarpon. I have been taking the majority of my trips to Boca Grande. The Tarpon concentrate in that area better than anywhere in the world. I have been jig fishing in the pass in morning and then changing focus to the beach or east towards the shallow part of the harbor called 'The Hill'. We throw threadfin herring or crabs at the fish once they get out of the deep cuts of the pass. The sizes have all ranged from 60 - 180 lbs! You just never know what size fish is going to eat your bait! It can be frustrating too. Somedays, the Tarpon will eat everything you throw at them, then somedays not touch a thing. That's just fishing. There are reports of great Tarpon fishing around the Skyway Bridge in South Tampa Bay, as well as The Clearwater Pass bridge in Clearwater. There are also fish moving up the beaches from Indian shores towards Honeymoon. After the last big moon, the numbers dwindled a bit but they are starting to show again pretty well. There is still a few weeks of good Tarpon fishing to be had.
Snook are really doing well. They were a little late getting to the beaches this year but it seems like everything was a little later due to our strange spring, full of cold fronts. I have been using sardines as well as threadfins to target these fish. The usual hangouts, troughs and cuts, within feet of the shore line is my favorite place to look. We have had winds out of the west for weeks now, making it a little more difficult to sight the fish on the west side of the barrier islands such as Honeymoon and Caladesi. But, with years of experience, I can usually get in the zone for some action. I often hear of divers spotting large schools of huge Snook at our offshore reefs. Well this past week, my client and friend Rick Fisher hooked a strong fish while dropping cut sardines to the bottom for some Mangrove Snapper. We had caught some nice Mangroves and a few small Grouper when this fish hit hard!! I suspected it was larger Grouper or Cobia but we had no idea what was at the end of the line. To my surprise, it was the largest Snook I have ever seen. We got her in took a couple pics (on my cell phone camera) and released this giant back to the reef in 30 feet of water, alive and healthy. The next fish was a 33' Cobia. Those were great fish!!! Wish my digital camera wasn't broken!
Trout are plentiful on the flats near the passes with good tidal flow. 3 - 6 feet of water on the edge of the grass has been the best. Sardines and a little split shot as the sun gets higher in the middle of the day can produce several fish. They are mostly between 13 - 17 inches with a couple approaching 20 inches.
Redfishing has slowed with the high heat of the season. The docks and deeper mangrove edges on high tides are the place to focus when the sun is high. The shade attracts Reds, Snook and bait and can be the best way to hook a few keeper Reds. Cut sardines with a split shot to the hook is my favorite tactic here. We will also catch a few Reds and Trout on the beaches while Snook fishing in the troughs.
I have the freedom to run out to some near shore reefs with my new boat. The action is good with the Mangrove Snapper and smaller Grouper or anything else hanging around down there. It can save the day when inshore fishing is slow.
Don't wait all summer to get out here and have some fun. Families are welcome and I have had lots of them lately. I can take four people on this boat. Hope to hear from you soon and get you out there for great day. Capt. Brian.

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

Treasure Coast Snook And Slams

June 14, 2009 - Snook, Slams in the Summertime Snook and Slams – It Must Be Summertime

Spring slammed into summer this week along the Space and Treasure Coasts of east central Florida, and the fishing action has continued at a frenzied pace. We have had grand slams and giant snook coming out of the Indian River Lagoon this past week from Melbourne Beach to Vero Beach and Ft. Pierce. The action has been simply amazing.

We start our individual charter reports with young Wesley Miller of Satellite Beach. Wes and Marcel Pope fished the Grant area yesterday with me as part of the FLFA Junior Angler Inshore Tournament. Wes walked away with the trophy for largest snook, largest fish, and largest smile. His 25 lb snook, measuring 39 ½ inches, will long be remembered by all involved. He also caught a mess of trout measuring up to 25 ¾ inches and a pair of big jack crevalle to complete a remarkable slam. It was an amazing day for Wesley, Marcel, and me.








Also participating in the Junior Angler Tournament was Jack Baney, his friend, and his dad. Fishing with Capt. Roland in the same areas as Team Wesley, young Jack nailed a pair of fine snookeroos measuring 25 and 28 inches. His comment, "Yeah, another fish for the wall of fame at the Baneys’ house" says it all. What a way to spend a morning!!!!!!




On Friday it was a pair of my old friend from Orlando, Florida: Scott Bell and Jesse. The last time we fished the Titusville area and had a grand time with the redfish. This year we traveled south to Grant and tangled with trout, jacks, and snook. The trophy trout that was caught measured nearly 28 inches and was taken in around a spoil island in the Grant/Sebastian area.


On Thursday both Capt. Rocky and Capt. Roland had charters. Roland fished the Melbourne Beach area of the IRL with Doug Herrell, son Mac, brother-in-law Schuyler, and his sons Schuyler and Case. The crew of Melbourne residents targeted snook with great results and also had some trout that crashed the party. Case and Mac had the hot rods of the morning landing snook, trout, jacks, and one small grouper - another early June inshore grand slam.








Capt. Rocky had the pleasure of the company of Todd Mahaffey Sr. from Atlanta and the two knuckleheads, Todd Jr. and his cousin A.J. from Chimney Rocky, NC. (This was the second trip of the week for the trio after getting caught in a rare summer doldrums-type day on Tuesday.) We ventured into the pristine reaches of the Indian River between Vero Beach and Ft. Pierce. The slam for the day consisted of monster trout, bluefish, and ladyfish. Besides the fish, other highlights included “wade-fishing” the islands, racing the boat, eating ice cold watermelons on a pirate island, and an ultra-fun tire swing found hanging over the river. The day ended by enjoying the fresh trout fillets perfectly prepared by the chefs of Grills Restaurant in Port Canaveral. What a fun and full day! By the way, the Mahaffey's had a great stay at the Resort on Cocoa Beach while vacationing in central Florida (http://www.theresortoncocoabeach.com/)






On Monday, Dave Reinbold and his good friend Marlita from Pennsylvania were my guests for a half-day charter. Blue summer skies and calm water greeted us early turning to a gentle east breeze by late morning. Dave and Marlite had their inshore slam within the first hour by catching a redfish, snook, and trout. The trout was the biggest of the three weighing nearly 12 lbs, large jack crevalle up to 17 pounds, and several more trout completed another fantastic day of fishing.


Last Friday found Steve Young and his two sons Austin and Chase aboard the Flat Broke with Capt. Rocky for a half-day charter. Our purpose for the charter was to nail big snook for the boys. Pictured below are Austin with a 20 lb snook and Chase with a 15 pounder. We also caught redfish, trout, and jack crevalle to complete another early summer grand slam. All fish were released alive.








Our final two reports came from the logs of Capt. Roland from last week. Kevin from Satellite Beach, a good friend of Native Sons, fished with Roland in the Grant area and caught two monster snook including the one pictured below. The next day Jessica Jones, Roland’s daughter, fishing in the FLFA Taylor Creek Tournament, caught all kinds of fish including a personal record 24 pounder.






In conclusion, this has been an unbelievable start to summer for us. The fishing over the past six weeks has been as good as any I can recall in over forty years. If you have not had a chance to get out and enjoy this run, you are missing something very special.

Posted by Rocky Van Hoose on June 14, 2009 at 04:46:49 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

Skyway Tarpon

Silver Blessings

This story is too long and awesome to be able to even begin to tell it all, but I’ll do my best to give you as many details as possible.

25 years ago the Hill family and my family became fast friends. I grew up spending my summers with Josh, Travis, Mandy and Lindsy Hill (the Hill children). 13 years ago the New York Yankees drafted me and I moved to Tampa to play baseball. Tampa Bay just so happened to be the Hill family’s favorite place to vacation. When baseball didn’t work out, I chased after my second passion, fishing, and became a full time fishing guide. The Hill’s, who love the outdoors and camping, found out I was guiding and have chartered me every year from day one of my fishing career. Over the years we’ve caught redfish, snook, trout, snapper…. and this year we planned on fishing for the same fish. But then yesterday, I had a good day tarpon fishing but a slow day fishing for snook, redfish and trout. So I called the Hills last night and asked them if they would like to chase after BIG fish.

They said they were game. So… the full moon this week is producing a “hill tide” in the afternoons. A hill tide is when we have only one leaving tide in a day and it is a big one. I told them that there was no reason to go fishing until after 2pm because the tide wouldn’t start moving real well until late afternoon. The game plan was set.

I picked up Bobby (Lindsey’s husband), Travis (the youngest Hill son), Jeff (the dad) and a new guy named Landis (Mandy’s fiance… not sure of how to spell his name) a little after 2pm and stopped at a small bridge to pick up some threadfin herring to use as bait until the crabs would start showing up (due to the huge tide later in the afternoon). Once we had a 5 dozen (or so) threadfins, we headed off to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in search of tarpon.

We fished for an hour with nothing really going on and I kept telling them to be patient because when we start seeing the crabs floating by, the bite would turn on. A buddy of mine came by in his boat and he gave us some crabs he had caught the day before and we tied a few on. The first drift, with our precious gifts on the line, produced the first heart racing scream of the drag on Landis’s reel. Fish on! Landis didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he signed up for this trip and as the 115lb+ fish jumped and made long runs he was grinning from ear to ear. At least for a little while. He didn’t know the fight was going to last 30 minutes. 10 minutes into th e fight he realized that this was going to take some work on his part to land the fish. Finally and about of gallon of sweat and a lot of muscle fatigue we had the first fish boatside for pics (coming soon from the Hill’s camera).

As we idled back to the bridge, we started seeing the crabs passing by. So we grabbed the net and scooped up 8 or so and threw them in the well. On the very next drift through the bridge, I hear Jeff say, “Uh oh!” When I turn around I see his rod bowed over and I hear the drag screaming. The fish began jumping and making it’s way through and around a few pilings. Jeff fought the fish as it jumped around pilings and made a few long runs but he soon wore out due to recovering from sergery a few months earlier. So, he handed the rod off to his son travis who whipped the fish in about 20 minutes. Pics coming soon.

We hooked thre more fish over the next couple of hours and each time the rod was handed off to Bobby because he had yet to feel the power of a tarpon pulling on the line. Each time he took the rod the fish jumped and spit the hook. Eevrybody began ragging on his that he doing something wrong or that it just wasn’t meant to be for him to get one.

Bobby made up for it at the end of the day. Travis hooked a fish and handed it off to Bobby and this fish took him for a ride. 1 hour, 3 bridge pilings, 2 cargo ships and 2 miles later, bobby boated the biggest fish of the day. A solid 125lb+ silver king. We took a couple of pics, revived the fish and headed for the dock.



I’ve known Jeff and his family since I was 8 years old. Each and every time I take them fishing I urge them to not pay me but they always insist. The money is always appreciated and it truly is a blessing to me and my family but it isn’t worth anything compared to the words he shared with me at the end of the day as we idled the boat back up to the dock. He said, “Clay, I think this just might be the most exciting and fun day of my entire life. I’ll remember this day as long as I live.”

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

How To Fish Sarasota In Summer

Fishing Report 06/16/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford


Summer time fishing is here with trout being the most active species aboard the Reelin & Chillin. Redfish, gray snapper, and believe it or not a few sheepshead have been found in the Sarasota area also. One client picked up a red weighing in at 16lbs, measured at 36 inches, great catch on only 10lb test line. The largest trout measured in at 26 inches, a tie breaker aboard the Reelin & Chillin.



How's It Done
Just before picking up the client's I head out to the beaches North Lido, or South Longboat Key to catch bait. Netting close the the beach I try to pick up a few hundred green backs. Then I head to Hart's Landing and buy a few dozen hand-picked shrimp - these are for the redfish. I have several grassy areas I like to fish for trout in - all ranging from three feet to seven feet deep. Drift fishing is great, if you only have a couple angler's. However, I normally have around four angler's so I use the PowerPole to keep lines from getting tangled. I fish a spot for a few minutes, or until the fish stop biting - then lift the PowerPole - drift about as far as you can cast, and stick it again. This method is great for finding where the fish are. It's surprising how just a couple hundred feet on the same flat can all of a sudden produce fish. Just something a little different like depth, or where the grass meets the sand can make all the difference in the catch of the day.

Terminal Tackle
Light tackle, with small hooks works best for me. I put 10lb test on the reel, a twenty pound test shock leader maybe three feet long (line to line knot - no swivel). And the most important - a #4 MUTU-Owner Circle hook. This set-up gives your green back or live shrimp plenty of action, and life to attract fish.

I hope this information helps you catch more fish - have a great day on the bay.


Tight Lines & Good Times,

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

Helping More Important Then Fishing

Mosquito Creek Outdoors Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, June 14, 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.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com.

If you spend enough time on the water you will eventually run into trouble. It may be something as simple as a hook in your hand or a life threatening situation like a severe storm or capsized boat. You never know what situation Mr. Murphy will deal you, so it's extremely important to pay attention to detail while you're on the water, and to assist others when they are faced with perilous situations. Will Mr. Murphy was defiantly on the water this past week, and thank God he was riding in someone else's boat in most cases as I faced three different boat related incidents, and oh yes a hook in the hand.



My week started last Saturday on the North Indian River Lagoon. I knew it was going to be a challenging day when my clients insisted on meeting me at 8 am instead of the 530 am as I suggested. Although it was only a half day charter, storms were predicted to develop by mid day. So I met my clients at the Parish Park ramp at 8 am and we were fishing within 20 minutes, and that's when I learned my clients casting and angling skills were limited. Although we were on fish right away, connecting the top-water strikes they were receiving was a challenge for them, plus the fish were just popping at the plugs instead of eating them.

After spending some time fishing top-water plugs with plenty of missed fish and a few small trout it was off to the flats for and attempted to sight fish. Once in passion I soon realized sight fishing was fruitless due to a crew of three anglers and their limited ability to cast, so we struck out at location number two and it was off to location number 3 for another shot at top-water plug fishing. As we reached my third chose of locations, we received some success and actual caught several respectable sea trout in the 3 to 4 pound range and things were looking better. Soon the wind began to pick up, so I made the decision to head back in the direction of the ramp in case the weather turned for the worst.

While in transit to our forth location we spotted something red floating off in the distance so I veered to the port side to investigate, and as we approached we soon learned the red object was a floating fuel tank attached to capsized skiff. The skiff was drifting bottom up in the ICW about two miles north of the railroad bridge near Titusville with a fuel and debris slick stretching to the east towards Haulover Cannel. After notifying the Coast Guard we began searching for victims in the water to no avail, and we were advised by the Coast Guard to stay with the vessel until relieved. Many boaters fail to realize that as Captains and boaters we are legally and morally obligated to render assistance, and helping others is way more important than catching fish. So, for the next hour and a half we stayed with the capsized vessel relaying information to various emergency responders before being relieved by the Brevard County Sheriff's Department. Fortunately in this case, we learned the boater swam ashore at Jones Landing and was safe.

Once released we were off to our fourth spot where we attempted to soak some bait with only catfish to show for our efforts, and that's when the sky began growing dark and ominous and we quickly pulled anchor and headed to the ramp for safe harbor. As we approached the ramp, I hurriedly realized it was Saturday and about 20 other boaters were fleeing the storm and attempting to load their boats with only one dock and one ramp in service. As the storm grew closer the winds picked up from the west blowing straight into the ramp and lightning started popping in the area. The best I could do was squeeze into one of the condemned docks and unload my clients, sending them to the safety of their vehicle and then turn back into the storm to ride it out. As the winds increased to about 40 knots, the swells grew and began pounded all of the boats piled into the ramp, swamping two more vessels. With the ramp blocked and congested, I chose to retreat to the leeward side of the Max Brewer Causeway by passing under the bridge and staking out my skiff on the beach.

The storm quickly passed, and I walked across the causeway to learn that my clients had left without paying, and I spent the next two hours assisting other boaters in retrieving their swamped boats. Understandably, once contacted my clients were not happy with their charter, stating that their intentions were to fish and not play hero, so I suggested that they keep their money, because helping others is way more important than disagreeing about pay. Out of all of my days on the water, this was the most challenging and disappointing, because I sure could have used the money.

While my week started out badly, it soon improved as I spent the next two day fishing with wonderful anglers and clients. On Tuesday and Wednesday I had the pleasure of fishing with Betty and Tony Desoto (Captain Crunch) from Tallahassee with a goal of catching a few over size redfish and sea trout. Although we did not land any large redfish, we did have three come unbuttoned right at the boat after extended fights, and we were successful in catching a bunch of large ladyfish, sea trout and gaff top catfish.



Left to Right, Rosa and Rae Lynn proudly display Rosa's Redfish

On Friday I returned to the north IRL to fish with my daughter Chelle, granddaughter Rae Lynn and her friend Rosa. I has been a while since we have fished together, so I was looking forward to spending a day on the water together. It was the first time Rosa had ever fished, and she ended up catching a 40 inch redfish in the same location I fished with Tony and Betty earlier in the week.

Currently, there are some very large schools of ladyfish, jacks, sea trout, gaff top catfish working schools of glass minnows and mullet in 4 to 5 feet of water in both the Mosquito and Indian River Lagoons. The bite has been best from around noon to 5pm during the heat of the day, so just ride around and look for the birds working the bait schools and try throwing Chug Bugs, Skitterwalks and DOA Baitbusters. Also, I did have to use the hook extraction technique to remove a Chug bug from my left palm while fishing with the girls.

In closing, remember the heat is on, so be sure to take necessary measures to hydrate and protect yourself from the afternoon sun, and by all means, be safe on the water.

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

Good luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
www.irl-fishing.com
407-416-1187 0n the water
407-366-8085 Landline
www.irl-fishing.com

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

Sarasota Tarpon Running The Beach

June 14, 2009

Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith

The weather had been what I call, a little squirrelly but now has smoothed
out. A light east wind in the morning will make it a lot easier to spot the
tarpon schools running the beaches.

This has been an excellent year on the bay for gray snapper. The average
size is about 14" and a few have been up to 16 and 18 inches. They like to
hang out around docks, rocks and bridge fenders. I have found the New Pass
Bridge very productive for the larger snappers. They move around in schools
close to the bottom and love live shrimp drifted past them. If you hook
one, you should get more in the same spot however, they will move around. I
like to let my bait drift past the spot with only a quarter ounce split shot
attached just above the hook. I fish my line loose so that it will drop.
Then I watch the line closely for any subtle pickup. You could get a snag
but my motto is, "Treat all snags like fish and you lose nothing. Treat a
fish like snag and you could loose a good fish."

We are also getting Spanish mackerel, large jacks and occasional tarpon
around the bridge. Snook and redfish can be found around some of the docks
this time of year. Snook are also being caught in the surf and are best at
first and last light.

Most of the grass-flats around the bay are producing some nice seatrout and
it is not hard to get a mixed bag of fish. We have also caught pompano,
flounder, mackerel, bluefish and many more different kinds of fish on the
grass-flats. I like to use the 3" DOA shrimp with a popping float or on a
free line. Work this lure slow if at all. Sometime just a few pops of the
line is all it takes. The fish actually eat this lure, so give them time.
They very seldom drop it and run away, maybe when a bigger fish is looking
at them.

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

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

Jensen Beach Fishing Report 6-12-09

FISHING JUNE 7.09


Well it is summer, beautiful mornings and afternoon showers, we sure needed the rain just not as much.

Off shore , where is the bait is all I heard all week and it was a tough find with the cooler water, then came Sunday and the bait was every where. To many anglers had looked all week to go past them in the inlet so you know what the inlet looked like Sunday morning, it was quite a scene. No bait usually means cooler water, in that case let temp's be you guide, run till you get to the warmer water and then put the bally hoo to work. Now if the bait is in the inlet the options are yours from shallow to deep. Starting the week the fish were in two hundreds plus and by the week end the fish had moved in. The action zone way the hundred foot mark and in, good bite of Kings and Cobia in that forty foot zone, plenty of Snapper for the bottom angler, Sails and Dolphin were at the hundred foot zone. Just to make sure you are awake the Bonita have been every where from shallow to deep, Bonita fest has started. So no matter the bait have some extra, they have a great appetite. Yes, there are some Black Fin Tuna running with the Bonita, slow down and let your baits sink, get below the school, that is where the Black Fins like to be.



Surfs edge Whiting and more Whiting so do not forget to bring a bucket of ice to keep your catch a fresh as possible. These fish are up close so it is a pitch not a cast to get your bait in the zone. Snook, Permit and Tarpon were on the catch list this week, excellent Tarpon on the north side of the jetty, Permit at Walton Rocks on crabs and the Snook are every where eating their full of Whiting. If you have not fished the surf it is time, seven foot rod, fifty series reel with plenty of fifteen pound test and forty pound leader, you are ready come on down. Leave your shoes in the car, get your toes wet and make a few casts, fishing the surf you never know what will be on the other end.

The river has been like glass, top water early, one that works slow and has a bit of a rattle to it. Big Trout early in the shallowest water, as the sun rises just back out to deeper water using a soft rubber bait on the smallest jig head, you want your bait to sink slowly. Slot size Red Fish on the west bank from mid way road to the Jensen causeway, bite time is short from dark to sun up, gold spoons are the bait. The spill ways are running sending lots of fresh water to the Roosevelt Bridge, Tarpon and Snook are there eating the small crabs but the Drum and Sand Perch have moved out, they prefer the water with a little more salt. First week I have not heard Pompano and bridge used in the same sentence, sure heard a lot big Spanish Mac's at the flood of the high tide. So if you are fishing the river fish early across the flats as that sun gets up go to the deeper water of the shaded water, there is plenty of fish.

Where is the sun block and did I mention the rain gear?????????...have a great week...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

North East Florida Fishing Report 6-09

Ahoy there anglers,

At last ! Now all the other saltwater anglers will be putting a little back into the resources after all these years of taking from it and not contributing. What I am talking about is a saltwater fishing license being required of shore, dock and bridge anglers. Yes, come August 1st, 2009 they will also be required to have a license. The only thing that kinda gets me is that their license will only be $9.00 where a 'boat-fishing license' is still $17.00 but, at least it's a start.

If the Governor approves this new law then all of the saltwater anglers of the State of Florida will not be required to pay for the new National Federal Saltwater Registry starting January 1, 2010 where all saltwater anglers in the U.S. will have to "register" just to fish in saltwater. That's supposed to cost between $15 & $25 each year. Some people are against a new shore bound license because they say it's just a new tax.

I've always had the opinion that if you enjoy the sport of fishing, a license that only costs $17 for an entire year is well worth it. After all, when you break it down, that's only $1.42 per month and I know people can take home more than that worth of fish not even counting the enjoyment they get while fishing.

Now, I might upset some anglers with my opinion but look at it this way, with more license fees the State of Florida can hire more FWC Officers and with more Officers they can keep a better eye on what's happening with the poaching. The less poaching going on the better the fisheries are going to be for all of us. People who take small illegal fish, (undersized) take oversized fish and take over their bag limit of fish are poachers. Plain and simple. That is the FWC's definition of poaching. All responsible anglers who abide by the laws are affected by the poachers. Smaller fish don't get large enough to even start their breeding and when people take more than their fair share, (over the bag limit) of fish they are taking some of YOUR fish, part of your share. So, let's look at the bright side of this. Our fishery should be better because of this new requirement.
Some exceptions have been made for the new license. If an angler is on food stamps, temporary cash assistance or medicare they will be exempt. Also seniors over 65 and children under 16 do not have to buy a license. Finally, individuals fishing with a simple pole with no line retrieving device, (reel) attached will also be exempt.

Re: Ethanol Waiver
The U.S. boating industry needs your help in PREVENTING THE EPA FROM ALLOWING AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF ETHANOL in gasoline.


Act Now
On March 6, 2009, a new pro-ethanol lobbying organization called Growth Energy aligned with 54 ethanol manufacturers and formally requested that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allow an increase of ethanol blend levels in gasoline to 15 percent (E15). As is required by law, the EPA on April 21 published a Notice for Comment in the Federal Register, beginning a 30-day public comment period that will close May 21, 2009. (This date has been extended to July 20, 2009,)

Failure to stop momentum at this stage will almost certainly cause all engine companies and their suppliers to redesign and re-engineer product lineups at a time when all of us can least afford it.

IMPORTANT FACTS:
Marine engines have not been tested with ethanol blends above E10.
Some marine engines have experienced issues using E10, and additional problems would certainly be anticipated with higher levels of ethanol blends.
Let the data tell the story! Tell the EPA to deny the E15 waiver until adequate testing has been conducted.

TO SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO THE EPA, URGING THEM TO DENY THE E15 WAIVER GO TO THE FORM AT:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=09000064809a3684

YOU CAN IGNORE THE BLOCKS RELATED TO "GOVERNMENT AGENCY" WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE FORM.

Beat them at their own game. Ethanol Advocates are mobilizing forces to submit 20,000 favorable comments to the EPA, requesting that the agency grant a waiver for E15.
There are 18 million boats currently in operation in the U.S., and none of them has been designed, certified, or warranted to run on anything above E10, the current maximum legal blend level. Boaters know that increased ethanol blends will cause performance problems with their boats and engines, increase maintenance costs, potentially pose safety risks and increase air pollution.

And yet, neither the EPA nor any other federal agency has performed a single test regarding the impacts of E15 on marine engines, fuel systems or components. Marine engines and fuel systems are not designed, calibrated or certified to run on anything above 10 percent ethanol. We ask you to support a science-first approach and urge the EPA to deny the ethanol industry's E15 waiver request until independent and comprehensive scientific testing is completed on a full range of marine engines and other products.

Visit the link above to submit your comments to the EPA and to tell them about the negative impact this will have on your boat engine.

I also want to take a moment to thank all of the kind people who donated books for my Hooked On Reading Program for Dinsmore Elementary School. I appreciate you all being concerned enough to help our kids, our future, become better readers and more educated. Here are a couple of photos of the book sale held at the school last month. THANK YOU ALL !!!



CREEKS:
The redfish have been chewing better and better here lately. We've even been catching some nice oversized reds in the creeks up to 32' so far. Please be careful with these fish and revive them as long as it takes for them to survive. There are some nice 15" to 18" black drum here and there in the creeks and they seem to bite better after the tide has been coming in about two hours.
More and more flounder have been showing up but most of them are still on the small size. A few around the 16' to 19" are there. You just have to hunt for them. We've actually been catching the flounder better on live mud minnows so far.
Spotted trout are all over but so many small ones get to your bait first. I like casting hard lures for the larger ones as it seems the larger ones like the lures better than actual bait. My favorite top waters are the Super Spook Jr's in the Redfish color, the Skitterwalk in the Redfish color and MirrOlure's Top Pup in the mullet color. Of course I really like the Bomber Long A's but they aren't top water lures.



JETTIES:
Black drum and a very few sheepshead are being caught out at the rocks. The black drum are still around 20" to 28" and man, do they fight. That's why I call them "jetty grouper". bull redfish are showing back up from offshore with a vengeance. When you get into them they seem to not wait to take a bait. They're on it like they're ready to rumble.
I've seen a few cobia at the tip of the South Jetty on the incoming tides but I personally haven't had one take a bait from me yet. I just haven't had any live pogies or Gulp! Ell Baits when I see them. I'll have to keep some on board when I can get back out there.
I also saw my first tarpon of the season just inside the South jetty about a week ago. It's getting time. They should gather more and more at the rocks and then drift into the creeks in another few weeks.
A few sharks have been bending rods and now, at this time of the year, I'll be looking for some real bent rods with the bull sharks that should be here any day now. You talk about a fight ! I always wonder who's going to tire out first when one of my customers tie into one of these bruisers.
Whiting are showing up good now outside of the rocks in the sand.





RIVER:
Black drum are still around in the river and when you find them you'll also find whiting and sea bass. Some of the sea bass here lately have been up to 14" in the river and that's a strong size. Of course there are loads of undersized ones around too.
Oversized redfish are also in the river ready to give you a run for your money. Please revive these big fish so they can give another angler a fun fight.
Some real nice whiting and yellow mouth trout in the sandier areas of the river. When I mention 'sandier areas', I'm not talking about rock bottoms or mud bottoms. Some of the whiting I've seen here lately are a couple of pounds. Whiting and black drum are being caught from the bridge in Nassau Sound too.

MILL COVE:
Spotted trout are showing up better in the Cove here lately and there has been some real nice ones caught on hard lures. Of course there are still a lot of small ones around but there are more and more larger ones showing up now since we've had a lot of rain South of Jacksonville in the river system. It's flushed a lot of trout from South of downtown back to where we usually catch them. Small schools of jacks have been tearing up the surface of the water and target your redfish either at the grass edges with a Cajun Thunder and a live shrimp at high tides or along the shallows with mud minnows on the lower tides.



SURF:
Whiting and black drum are the main species being caught in the surf now with an occasional pompano being a bonus. There has been 4 kingfish caught on the Jacksonville Beach Pier so far this year so things are looking up for that area of the Beach.

OFFSHORE:
Kingfish, cobia and amberjack are being targeted now closer in and further out you can target dolphin and wahoo. Bottom fishing is doing good for red snapper and beeliners with a few spadefish and some nice sea bass here and there.

You can say what you want about the South but,
you never hear of anyone retiring and moving up North,,,

Captain Vic Tison
Co-Host of WOKV's 'Just Fishing' Radio Show, Saturdays 6:00am to 8:00am
United States Coast Guard Licensed Captain
International Game Fish Assoc. Certified Captain
Regional Director for the Florida Guides Assoc.
Member of the National Assoc. of Charterboat Operators
Member of the American Professional Captain's Association
Sponsor of The Inshore Saltwater Anglers Club

Vic2Fish & Adventures, Inc.
P O Box 28208
Jax., Fl. 32226
904-699-2285
Web Site http://vic2fish.com


Neither Captain Vic nor Vic2Fish & Adventures, Inc. claims any responsibility for any injury or loss of property arising out of any party using these Fishing Reports.