Catch A Little Of Everything In Everglades

January 2008

FISHING REPORT BY

CAPT. BECKY CAMPBELL

239-695-2029

Everglades City, Florida

I want to wish everyone Happy New Years and hope the Holidays were great.The weather has been good and so has the fishing, but no doubt about it, summer is over and winter is in full swing. The cold fronts have started moving down so the fish have started their move to there winter homes. With the temperatures in the mid 80�s and the sun shinning what more could you ask for. Okay good fishing, right? Well, the fishing has been good also. The water temperatures are in the low to mid 70�s which means that the fish are on the deeper edges of the flats, in the river mouths and in the backcountry. This is the time of year for what we call a mix bag. We catch a little of everything. It is not uncommon to catch 6-10 different kinds of fish this time of year. Anything from small panfish (snapper and whiting) to 50 lbs black drums and maybe even achance to jump a huge tarpon.Just to give you an example of the fishing this time of year. Sat. I fished Bill Spade and Dave from Virginia. They really didn�t care what they caught, they just wanted to catch fish. We caught trout, bluefish, sheepshead, snook, redfish, ladyfish, jacks, mackerel and lost a big pompano, and lost a cobia also. Right now the pompano are running and these great tasting fish are big ones. They are weighing around 3 to 4 lbs. We brought back to the dock 3 redfish all around 23 to 24 inches. We cleaned them on the half shell for them to cook on the grill. What a good tasting fish also. They were disappointed that trout were out of season. (Trout is in season as of the 1st of Jan) They wanted to take some of them home also.Brian and his daughter Red fished with me and had a great day also. Brian informed me that when he took his daughter to Alaska in June she beat him up pretty bad out-fishing him. Well, she did a good job on him again. You would think with a nickname like Red, that she would have red hair. Wrong, she is 11 years old and has brown hair, the nickname Red are her initials. Let me tell you, this gal knows how to fish. They fished with me on a half day trip and she never put the pole down to rest. When it was getting close to quitting time, she said her hand hurt from catching so many fish and was ready to quit. You go girl�.Just a reminder that Trout season just opened as of Jan. 1 and this is going to be a good season. We are seeing a lot of big trout, with some up to 25 inches.So what are you waiting for? Come on down and lets go fishing.

Rather Be Fishing Guide Services

Ph# 239-695-2029

Cell# 727-709-1375

http://www.evergladesfishingcharters.com/index.html

Extreme Low Tides Create 'Fishbowls'

Tampa Fishing Report for Tampa Bay
January 9, 2008
The first few days of January fishing in Tampa were some of the coldest days in recent history and what made the situation even more ironic, water temperatures at the end of December were still hovering around 70 degrees, far above seasonal norms. Snook were still occasionally being caught off of residential docks. With much colder water temperatures, the game has now changed and we should finally be into our winter Tampa fishing pattern. This means that the snook bite should pretty much close down in the inter-coastal waterway, with fish biting only on warmer days back in canals, bayous, creeks and rivers. Slowly fished artificials and large, live shrimp would be the baits of choice to entice these somewhat lethargic, winter snook. Plan on working hard to catch them. Areas where these fish will congregate are typically well protected, receive sun for a good portion of the day and have dark bottoms to hold the heat.
The extreme low tides in Tampa Bay this time of year can create some excellent fishing opportunities for redfish that have remained inshore. To find the best locations, be prepared to be in your boat the next time that the water is completely “gone” from our coast. This may mean getting your boat to a marina where there is good, deep water as many shallow ramps will be useless on these days. Travel to any flat that you know that redfish frequent and take notes…even draw a map, of where water remains. Many flats will look like large mud fields with some small ponds. These ponds may well be “fishbowls” full of redfish. Not only will these holes hold redfish on extreme low tides, but also on higher tides when you can’t see these holes from a distance, so make careful notes of where these spots are. Once target areas have been identified, approach them with some stealth, position yourself just close enough to reach these areas with a long cast and drop your baits in. Shrimp, pinfish and cutbait all represent good options for this type of fishing.
Seatrout, usually here in abundance by now, started showing up in Tampa in December then stopped when the weather warmed. However, courtesy of our early January artic blast, there numbers should increase significantly. “Salt and pepper” grass flats, spoil islands and deep holes should now be populated with our large “yellowmouth” trout. Pinfish and shrimp should be all you need to get these fish biting. If fish are scattered, work a swim tail jig like Bass Assasin’s swim shad through likely areas until fish are located. Be prepared to drop anchor quickly when you get a hit as the bigger trout tend to hang out in groups. You’ll occasionally see a “trailer” fish behind the first fish you hook wanting to take away the hooked fish’s dinner.
Regarding the weather, wait a day or two after a strong front comes through to let the fish adjust to the new temperature range and then they should be ready to bite. As important as anything, make it a point to be courteous this time of year. The season just opened in our region (South if Fred Howard Park) on January 1st so they’ll be a lot of people out there for the next month or two. Once large schools of trout are located, they will draw a crowd. Make sure that you understand which way the wind and tide are moving so that you don’t accidentally park right where a fellow angler is fishing.
As of late December, the smaller winter silver trout were thick off of the beaches and in some deeper cuts in the inter-coastal waterway. These fish are extremely abundant, easy to catch and have no limit so if you want to pull on fish all day and bring home some trout fillets, these fish will get the job done. You might clean ten fish to fill half of a gallon zip lock with fillets, but it’s still a trout dinner. A few kingfish were still being caught off of the beach in late December but this should now be over. With cold weather here. It may be time to look for Cobia around our local power plants. Have a healthy, happy, fish filled, new year!
Good luck.

Captain Stewart Ames
US Coast Guard Licensed Captain
Member Florida Guides Association
www.tampa-fishing-charter.com
sames001@tampabay.rr.com

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

Rapid Warm Up Starts Fish Chewing

By Captain Jazz
01/06/08
Winter seems to come and go. After a front, it's cold for a few days then we get a rapid warm up and the fish start chewing again. Redfish and Seatrout are not that cold sensitive like Snook being a sub-tropical fish. With plenty of bait still around so are the Blues and Spanish Mackerel. On the cooler days the fish really don't want to chase a bait like a sardine, so a live shrimp or plastic tail on a jig head has worked great. Working a DOA shrimp slowly has brought fish to the boat. Sheepheads have made a strong showing near docks and rocky areas. Water Temp is 58 and going back up.
Snook : Night dock Snookin has been good with white flies, artificial and live baits. Daytime fish points or near mangroves with deep water nearby or around bridges. Fishing at night with a strong outgoing tide has been best.
Redfish : Have been found in small schools where you catch one you'll catch more. On incoming tides, the fish move up the grass flat to the mangroves and oyster bars. Sand potholes hold fish on the lower tides. Look for schools of Mullet for places to start. Don't over look docks as they will hold fish too.
Seatrout : Are really making a strong showing now that the water is cooler. Drift the grass flats in 1-4 feet of water throwing D.O.A. shrimp, plugs and jigs/jerk baits, topwaters have caught some of my largest Seatrout in the morning, that's a fun way to catch any fish in my book.
Others: Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish are tearing it up on the beaches and in the bay. Look for schools of bait being slammed by them. Some Mango snapper on rock piles and near bridges and docks.
If you have any questions about my charters, fishin reports, send me an email.

Tight Lines,
Captain Jazz
727-409-6733
http://www.fishintampabay.com/
info@fishintampabay.com

Fishing Recovers After Cold Front

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 12/26/07 through 1/7/08

Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action during the week from Christmas to New Years Day. Fly anglers caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies in Sarasota Bay. Anglers using conventional tackle caught and released trout, reds, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish in Charlotte Harbor and Sarasota Bay. A strong cold front moved through on New Year’s Day forcing the cancellation of the next couple of days of fishing and slowing the action dramatically.
Michelle Ford, from Nokomis, FL, and her dad, Ray Ford, from Brogue, PA, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Dec. 26th. They caught and released numerous trout to more than 20” and a pair of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails. Brian and Joanne Shenstone, from Gross Pointe Woods, MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me the next day. They had fast action with bluefish, Spanish mackerel, trout and large ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on intermediate and sink tip fly lines. The best action was in Big Pass and on the west side of Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor.
Keith McClintock, From Lake Forest, IL, and his son Steve McClintock, from Pittsburgh, PA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had great action with trout, bluefish and 4 reds to 30” on CAL jigs with shad tails. We caught reds along sand bars on both sides of the bay. The best action with reds and trout was on the west side of the bay near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly anglers Nick Reding and Bob Harness, both from St. Louis, MO, fished some of the same areas with me on Saturday. Our main goal was to catch a redfish on a fly, but we had to settle for a few trout. My son, Bryan Gibson from Sarasota, FL, joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay on New Year’s Eve day. We had fast action with bluefish, Spanish mackerel, trout and large ladyfish on diamond jigs and MirrOlure Top Dog, Jrs. in Big Pass and near Buttonwood Harbor.
A strong front pushed through Sarasota on New Year’s Day plummeting air temperatures into the 30’s and 40’s and dropping water temperatures as low as 49 degrees. I cancelled the next 2 days of fishing before testing the waters again on Friday. Fly angler Damon Dunn, from the Chicago area, fished with me and we almost didn’t launch the boat. Even though the forecast was better, the wind was 15 to 20-mph and the air temperature was in the mid 50’s at the dock that morning. Water temperatures ranged from 49 degrees to the mid 50’s and we found several stunned and dead fish (jacks, juvenile barracuda, snook, catfish and an estimated 60 or 70-pound goliath grouper). We spent some time trying to revive the Goliath grouper, but I don’t know if we were successful. We persevered and caught a snook and a small gag grouper on a chartreuse/olive Ultra Hair Clouser fly at the Grouper Hole on the west side of Gasparilla Sound. Conditions were a little better on Saturday when Nick Reding joined me for another trip in Sarasota Bay. We started at 10:30 AM and the water temperature was in the mid 50’s. We saw quite a few reds in north Sarasota Bay and caught one red and a trout.
The water temperature warmed back up to the low 60’s by Sunday afternoon. With several warm days in the forecast, fishing should return to normal within a few days. Although our inshore water cools quickly due to its shallow depth, it also warms just as fast. This week’s tides are favorable for tailing reds in Gasparilla Sound or reds in potholes in Sarasota Bay. Trout and bluefish should also be good options on deep grass flats.

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


Michelle Ford, from Nokomis, FL, with a nice trout caught in a Charlotte Harbor pot hole on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.


Brian and Joanne Shenstone, from Gross Pointe Woods, MI, with a nice Spanish mackerel caught on a fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.


Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and his son, Steve McClintock from Pittsburgh, PA, with a 30" red that Steve caught and released in Sarasota Bay on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Mosquito Lagoon Conditions Improving

Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, January 5, 2008

Compliments of Mosquito Creek Outdoors, Apopka Florida

With the holiday season behind us, it is time to greet the New Year with some serious fishing. We are fortunate to live in the sunshine state where angling is a year round sport, and although we received some of the coldest weather experienced in years this past week, conditions are all ready showing improvement.

Even though angling conditions over the holidays were excellent, the catching for the most part was slow under the full moon and continued to improve as the moon waned. During the first part of the week water levels on the Mosquito Lagoon increased to a point where the redfish dispersed and then regrouped into small nervous schools spread out across the flats. At one point we counted 8 different schools of redfish, and our best success came when we change our tactics from chasing the schools to wait for them to come to us. But, as I check the most recent water levels are falling again, so look for the schools to bunch up in the deeper troughs of the flats.

My first three trips last week on the Mosquito Lagoon involving more chasing then catching. As the moon waned, the bite slowly improved to the point where the fish were more receptive and we even managed to catch a few nice redfish.



On Saturday the 29th, I exchanged the kicker for a paddle venturing up into the Banana River No-Motor Zone with my good friends Larry Carter and JT Thompson, and we ended up locating and catching some bigger redfish. The weather was as good as it gets, and the flat calm and sunny conditions providing excellent sight fishing. As we work our way up the flat, we soon located a sizable school of large redfish tailing in three feet of water. JT was the first to score catching a handsome redfish in the 20-pound range on half a blue crab. After landing, photographing, and releasing his fish, the tails soon popped up again and both JT and I were hooked up with a double, and my fish exceeded the 30-pound mark. After landing the last two redfish the school spooked out into deeper water, and we elected to move on in search of some black drum which never materialized in good numbers.


On the 1st, I elected to ring in the New Year fishing with my good friend Mike Murray, and we opted to check the St. Johns River for American shad. We launched at the east State Road 46 ramp, and we covered the river from Lake Harney to Puzzle Lake. Our plan was for a quick reconnaissance mission and then to be home for football, and although we did not catch any shad, we did see shad caught by other anglers. Combined we caught 7 speckled perch, and Mike managed to catch a hefty 7-pound large mouth bass on chartreuse ¼ ounce Road Runner. The speck bite was on and the shad are here, so hopefully this cold weather will kick the run into full swing.

In closing, I think I will distribute this message and then go fishing.



Seminar and Event Schedule:

January 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th, Central Florida Boat Show Orlando Convention Center.

January 22nd, Orlando Kayak Club Meeting, Gander Mountain in Lake Mary 7 PM, Rigging Soft Plastic Baits for Redfish and Sea Trout.

March 1st, 2nd, and 8th Bass Pro Shop Spring Fling, Orlando Florida

April 18th, 19th, 20th, Coastal Angler Magazine Boating and Fishing Expo, Melbourne, Florida.

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

Good luck, good fishing, and Happy New Year,

Captain Tom Van Horn
Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters
http://www.irl-fishing.com/
407-366-8085 landline
407-416-1187 on the water
866-790-8081 toll free

Book a charter, and let's go fishing.

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