March 2009 Like most Februaries in Bradenton, we had our fair share of cold come through. This year and last year were really no different, so when the weather allowed we got out and fished. For many of us who love the outdoors, temperature has little impact on our decision to get out and enjoy the time on the water or the time in the woods. Getting fish to bite, especially redfish has been a test for me and one that has required some gear modifications. When the water temperatures dip, I will lighten up my braided line to 10 pound test and also use fluorocarbon leader which is 15 pounds or less. Hook sizes are no larger than 1 or 1/0 and split shots are either just small enough to get a good cast or we don’t use any at all. The reason for lightening the gear is simple, the fish move more slowly, causing a weaker strike which can be felt by the angler and the second part of it is the fish feel less resistance on their end as well. We caught quite a few redfish this past month using the aforementioned method, with warmer afternoons and darker bottoms adjacent to deeper water being key. Dock pilings have held sheepshead and yielded table fare with the same setup, with one of the downsides being we lost a few more to the barnacle covered pilings, because of the scaling down of the lines. But hey, that’s fishing, and we always have fun when those fish give us a few moments of “I GOT ONE”, to be followed sometimes with some word of discouragement. Trout season has kicked off with a few good catches but do to the colder days and wind in February, we did not get out as much as we would have liked. In March we will continue to work the live shrimp under a popping cork and drift the grass flats as well as using the artificial rigs to entice the trout. It should be a good trout season because we are seeing signs of increase over the past few years after the 2005 and 2006 Red Tide brought the populations down. The month of March is usually the first month of spring transitioning, and perhaps the colder weather is behind us. As outside temperature begin to rise and the days become longer, the signals will start to bring the bait back to the Skyway and the flats. Our best bets this month will be trout, followed by redfish and sheepshead, along with the mangrove snapper along many a rock pile edge. Before too long the snook should begin to pick up as the water temperatures climb and stay consistently in the lower 70 degree mark.

February 2009 - February – How many times have you been fishing or hunting in 2009? Some of you that read my column regularly may recall my motto for the New Year is “introduce someone to fishing or hunting”. In fact, I got an invitation from Wade Osborne a fellow featured writer in Woods and Water to come out and try some Squirrel, Hog or Turkey hunting this year in North Florida. In exchange, I have invited Wade to come Whitetail Hunting in Kansas next year. An even trade, I think, but maybe I can get Wade to throw in a few numbers or areas for Trout fishing in St. Joseph sound. Not my regular stomping grounds, so it’s worth a try. That’s how it all starts, making friends and sharing information. The best time I ever had Permit fishing was with a recreational angler and a person I hardly knew and struck up conversation with at a sports show. I credit this person with showing and sharing with me some of their tactics and tips for catching Permit for my success. Now by no means am I an expert, but I sort of know what I am doing which is where it all begins.  January came in with continued mild temperatures and went out with cooler ones in the Bradenton area. Water temperatures were warm but got cold late in the month. I don’t know what February will bring but when I review my previous years’ reports, I can see that it is a month of transition. For those of us in Bradenton, we have continued to catch grouper and lots of snapper. We even had large numbers’, I mean hundreds of black tip and bonnet head sharks that were cruising the flats in search of an easy meal. This made for many exciting trips and some drag screaming thrills for the clients especially those that were down from the Midwest, who only get to see sharks on the discovery channel. Usually the response is the same, “that is cool”, and “their skin is so rough, I had no idea”! By the way, there teeth are sharp too I’ll always throw in, so be careful when handling these predators. Trout season opened up on schedule and we have been catching quite a few nice fish on artificial lures which mimic, shrimp or small 2 inch pilchards or white bait. Slow retrieves have usually produced the best, or when using live shrimp, a popping cork can yield success. Remember to throw the bait with the current or tide, and pop and or retrieve slowly. When using artificial the light colors have worked best when the water is a little murky and the darker root beer or brown colors worked well when the water has been clear. I’ve had great success with glittery or foil filled baits, which have some reflective action so give them a try as well.  February is a month that is filled with fishing or sports shows, marking the beginning of spring. In Tampa, the Tribune Outdoor Show is the last weekend of the month. In Orlando and Fort Myers on the west coast, Bass Pro Shops begins their Spring Fishing classic. I always go to the shows, either as an attendee, exhibiter, speaker, or product representative and many of you know I like to visit and chit chat. These shows are a great way to find all sorts of special sale items or learn from some of the top pros in your area or nationally. Any and all of these shows are another way to introduce a friend to fishing or hunting. After you have got your new gear, your best bets this month will continue to be the trout and deeper water fish. Warmer weather will start to get the fish feeding and begin to get them out of their winter hibernation homes. Snook and Redfish may be stronger, but it just depends on how soon the water begins reaching the 70’s. Fishing creeks, canals and rivers as well as the grass flats should produce a bite. Bait is still available at the skyway bridge on the ends which is deeper water, 18-24 feet. Catching bait at this depth requires patients, chum, and a BIG net. If your young and strong, throw your 12 footer, but if you’re like me, a 10 foot net is heavy and big enough to get the bait off the bottom. Slack tide will usually help as well. If you are thinking about spring, this is also the time of year to prepare your trailers bearings and maybe tune up your motor or replace your water pump. The boat yards are probably slower in February than they will be in April. When your day off work comes, you will be ready to introduce a friend to fishing! Hope to see you out there on the water, till then, tight lines and keep your rod tip up…..(941) 238-7597 Captain Jim Savaglio www.inshoreslam.com

January 2009- What’s in store for us in the next few weeks?  Well that answer obviously depends on the weather, which looks good this week, but the waters usually take about a week or so to settle down and get the fish back into a normal fall pattern. You can be sure that the big reds that were here early in September will re-emerge and be around through October and well into November. One positive note is the storms pickup a lot of moisture from the Gulf, and dropped the water temperature significantly, as much as 10 degrees in our area. When you add in the decreased hours of daylight, “let the feeding begin”. I predict a better than average month of fishing in October and offer this sound advice. When the tides are low, get out of the boat and try wade fishing the potholes with some big shrimp or trust cut baits on the bottom if the water is murky, most likely a sure way to pickup some nice reds. When the water is moving, consider going after the snook and chum whitebait like crazy to get them feeding as they should intensify their eating habits in anticipation of fall. I would also look for the snapper fishing to continue to be a good along the deep drop offs or the structured bottoms. The snapper were really active before the storms and many have been hanging in with the bait pods when chumming and catching whitebait. It is also a great time of year to get out there and start marking those rock piles on your GPS. Knowing were the piles are now, can make anchoring in November and December easier when the winds start to pick up. Planning is always a key to success so plan for those grouper days now, cause fall is approaching.           

SEPTEMBER-2008   It has been a busy month on and off the water, but it has also been a fun month since my last report. To begin with, Itraveled to Las Vegas for the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, or better known as the “ICAST” show. For me it was an opportunity to see, and spend time with sponsors, as well as look at the latest and greatest products the industry has to offer. There are many new products on the way from the folks at Sea striker (www.seastriker.com) and STAR fishing rods. I was real impressed with the guys from Animal Custom Dye Jerseys (www.animalcustoms.com), which have been the rage the last few years. Team Inshore Slam Jerseys may very well be in our future. The invisible sinker caught my eye, (www.invisiblesinker.com) which is a local company making Lead Glass sinkers, as well as the finish on the fillet knives and tools on the market made by Old Harbor Outfitters (www.oldharboroutfitters.com). We will of course be testing these products and letting you know our opinion, after putting them through their paces and hard use.  Changing gears a little, I would like to take the opportunity to remind everyone going out on the water to file a Float Plan! If you are not familiar with a float plan, the definition would be to let someone know, preferably your wife, family member, friends or even marina staff the location of your departure. If you are going offshore or staying inshore, let someone know the general area you intend to fish. Most importantly, let someone know the time you intend on returning to port or your launch point. Those that have the information should also have a description of the vessel, registration numbers and the license plates of your trailer and tow vehicle. I bring this up because one of my friends recently had a situation were he and a fishing partner were rescued by the Coast Guard and towed back to safety by Sea Tow. The ordeal began as any normal day, with a few hiccups thrown in. I happened to get involved when I received a call at 11pm by the individuals family and spouse, asking for advice on who to call and where to start after expecting him home around 6 or 8 PM. With the help of the Florida Wildlife and Conservation Office in Tampa, the United States Coast Guard, Pinellas County Sheriffs’ office, Clearwater Police and had they not been found, we were getting ready to call and involve the Pasco County Sheriffs’ office. Luck was on their side and they returned home around 5 AM the following day. Their vessel, a single engine 23 foot boat, developed engine problems 30 miles off shore. First the pair tried their VHF Radio, however they got no response. Next, since it was nightfall, they shot off their emergency flairs, without any response. Putting their heads together they decided to fashion a sail from a bimini top since the wind was out of the west. Next the pair used the trolling motor and set a heading east, in hopes to get them closer to land and possibly radio range. As luck would have it, after trolling back to within about 25 miles of the coastline, a US Coast Guard Vessel in the area heard their Pan Pan Pan distress signal and answered their call. Arriving at their coordinates sometime later and waiting with them until a Sea Tow vessel arrived to tow them back to safety.  I called to see if he could go fishing this past week, but he indicated he had some things around the house to tend to, more than likely an excuse, but then, I just could not resist an opportunity to get one more dig in? Remember, Safety First, and always let someone know were you are going. My wife and I have a system and if for any reason I change ramps or plans I leave a message indicating a change to a float plan.  Onto the fishing, much of the smaller bait is grown and can be caught in a ¼ inch mesh net. Pinfish are available on the flats if you chum a little bit and the shrimp are getting bigger in the last few weeks and more plentiful. Bait has been less of an issue in mid August and I look for the situation to continue to improve as we move into September. Rains have sidelines a few charters and reverse patterns had me delay a few out of town clients who wanted to get out and fish on their vacations. Often times if the rains set in, we have had no choice but to cancel a few days. It’s not funny, but we have cancelled almost as many charters this period due to rain than we have ran.  September on the other hand is a dynamite time to fish, especially due to the return of the Bull Redfish in mid to late September. The weather is cooling and football, tailgating and hunting season is just around the corner. Grouper and snapper in the bay are likely to continue into the cooler months ahead. Snook season reopens on the west coast September 1^st, 2008, be the first to get a nice snook for the table or a keepsake photo for the album or the wall. How about fixing jambalaya at a tailgate party with fresh caught Tampa Bay flounder? Man I must be hungry sitting here writing this report.  This past week, I had the opportunity to represent a few hunting product lines in Orlando, at the Bass Pro Shops, “Fall Classic”, which kicks off the beginning of hunting season. I like everyone else, am no different, I begin thinking about bird hunting and deer hunting and maybe this will be the year that I bag that bigger Buck, if only I had a bigger trophy room. Look for the outside air temps to cool and more breezes on the water. Fishing will begin to transition in the next 60 days or so and we should absolutely have some great days ahead. My goal is to get a big Bull Red or maybe a pair of them on the cover of Woods and Water Magazine. Wish me luck or give me a call to go fishing. I can be reached at (941) 238-7597, till then, tight lines and keep your rod tip up…..

August 2008 - I think summer is the best time of year for fishing on the West Coast of Florida. Summer is also the hottest time of year as well as the time of year where weather can change quickly and produce some really strong and dangerous thunder storms. Beyond the heat and weather, selecting a tide and an inshore species to target is all that is left. Last month or July has been no different, the heat and the thunderstorms are an almost daily occurrence. Sometimes our best laid plans get interrupted, but getting out there to fish is what it is all about. I probably sound like a broken record, but if you are a regular reader of my column, every day is different and just to be able to get out there and fish for a living is a great office to go to everyday. I remember not too long ago when I had an 8-5 job and continued to hit the snooze, but that does not happen for me any longer. So if it rains throughout the day, I look for a place to be safe but enjoy the company that I am with. This past month, a good friend of mine summed it up during a terrific storm that had us discontinue fishing to take cover. In a voice mail on his way back to the Tampa airport to catch a plane back to Indiana. Dolph Smith said, “I just really enjoyed spending time with you and my son”. To know Dolph or any of the Smith family for that matter is a real pleasure, but I just love when someone appreciates the outdoors as much as I do. On one of the three days that we fished, we had the snook chummed up and boiling and popping on baits and he turned to me after catching yet another 20 inch snook and said with a big smile, “I just love this”. You could hear the enthusiasm in his voice. What else can one say?I also had the opportunity to fish the grandsons’ of Ron and Mike Lott, who had a ball catching 18 to 25 inch snook as well as jacks and even reeling in the catfish. Fishing is fun and all too often people loose their enthusiasm for being with family or best friends. It really makes me happy to fish with kids who don’t care that every third fish is a catfish and that playing in the live well to picking out the next bait is the most important decision for the day. Some of my very own enthusiasm has been missing since it has been so difficult to catch pilchards in the last few weeks. You know its’ hard when you’re anchored at the skyway and positioned 10 feet from the piling, and another boat idles by at conversational distances to see what’s in your net. Then there have been some real adventuresome people that come in under power to the opposite side of the piling with a buddy standing on the bow and throw their net on top of yours. I can’t remember a year that I worked so hard for good quality bait. Some morning I have spent three hours chumming and throwing, moving, chumming and throwing, and moving again with still not having enough bait for 4 people to make it through the day. I have to admit, that enough bait to me, translates to having four times the bait needed so that we can chum with the extras. It is puzzling to me just and a question mark, small bait is available if you throw a ¼ inch net, but go up to a 3/8 inch and you will have a net full of gilled bait. I am throwing ½ inch mesh and getting some bait, but all of us are spending more time. I felt a little awkward one morning when it was almost 10 o’clock until I looked down to the end of the bridge and noticed a few other guide boats in the same situation. By the way, I would like to thank Eric and Hank at Lee Fisher Nets for taking care of me this month. I happened to destroy two nets this past month, throwing one at piling 159 at the south Skyway fishing pier and another picking up a stainless bow railing that had been down on the bottom for a while. I like seeing Eric at Lee Fisher and love their nets, but I don’t want to replace anymore nets this year.  That structure at piling 159 that is holding bait is probably an anchor or other debris holding the bait, beware! A really great tool this time of year is a small investment in XM or Sirius weather satellite to complement your GPS-Sonar unit. I am running the XM fisherman’s package which costs about 25 dollars a month, but knowing throughout the day, the direction and the development of storms is crucial in planning and safety. The user has the option of zooming in or out, or moving the curser to the leading edge of the storm to see the distance away in miles. After knowing the distance, follow-up with a view of buoy data and you can figure out just how much time you have to fish or head for cover. I spoke with another prominent captain in the area, Wade Osborne, of Afishionado guide service who indicated that he was using similar weather technology through his cellular telephone service provider. Lets’ face it; the weather often dictates the bite and these tools are necessary for angler success and safety. I find it an invaluable tool and know that anyone going out to fish for the day will want to keep up with the patterns. For me the Tarpon have slowed only due to the lack of anglers interested in targeting them, although they are still around, I have fished less for them this past month. The backwaters have been productive, with nice redfish being caught and the outgoing tides have continued to produce snook. I spent a little time this past month on a school of mackerel that I happened onto, but also because I was seeing a few sharks along with them. While we had some fun catching some of the macs with a spoons and wire leader, the 4 foot blacktips’ could not pass up a pinfish that had been butterflied and tossed in front of them. Some real drag screaming fun on 15 pound braided line. Snapper are invading the bay and the shipping channel and some of the less frequented channels are bringing in the action. I look for this to continue into August. The shrimp are small, hardly worth buying this time of year, but a good treat for the snapper as well as using the small pilchards. I will be loosing a week of fishing this month because I will be traveling to Las Vegas for the annual ICAST show. ICAST is the retailers’ trade show for the fishing industry. I am looking forward to the trip, and checking out the latest fishing gear and visiting with industry experts. I have to admit, I am also looking forward to the casinos and the craps table as well. I will surely follow up with information about what I see at the show in next months’ article. Look for the water temps to continue to rise and take advantage of the summer to take a friend, son or daughter fishing. As always if you want to get out there and fish, give us a call,  I can be reached at (941) 238-7597, till then, tight lines and keep your rod tip up…..

JULY-2008 - Fishing this past month has really been fantastic. And I am not saying that because it’s a line that all guides like to give, but it really was a good month. The winds we saw in May have died down and it has actually started to feel like summer. This past month we only had one or two days that the heat was really sweltering, but then again I love summertime and the heat and humid salt air, or I would find a job that had air conditioning. This coming month the temperatures will continue to climb and as some people think about staying inside, I consider getting in the water and “wade” fishing to try to beat the heat.  All inshore species that we are normally fishing this time of year are in the bay if you choose to go look for them. First the bait has been available at the bridge and on the flats’, although the recent hatch makes my chum slick look like it’s an aquarium full of guppies. Once you have loaded up with the bait, you can head to the flats and drift the grass patches in the mornings to find the trout. If you’re lucky enough to have a high tide sometime throughout the day, the mangroves have started to hold the redfish, which have been somewhat elusive compared to previous years. If you like to fish with shrimp, and don’t throw a cast net, the selects have been the ticket for bigger fish. Smaller shrimp will work as well, but the pinfish will usually get them before the redfish do, and you can’t cast them as far. Of course always casting as close as possible to the mangroves and having the tide or wind pushing the baits further in, are a few of the keys to success when fishing the bushes.  Cut whitebaits have been working as well, but are harder to cast nearer to the tree line which often is the difference between catching the fish and not. We have had some nice snook caught this past month and most of them have been on the strongest of incoming tides and strongest of outgoing tides. Whitebait is key and having plenty of extra to chum with makes the fishing fun, especially when they get to feeding. Some advice I can add, is always pay attention to the boils that take place within close proximity to your cork when bobber fishing. I see it all the time, an angler can often miss a fish who is feeding on a pilchard, because the bobber does not move. Just ask Taylor Whitcomb, who landed a nice 35” fish after cranking on his reel when he saw a snook boil within 6 feet of his bait. And I can’t advocate more the use of circle hooks. Four years ago, I hated them, plain and simple, and thought what a gimmick, but once you convert and learn the secret to success in fishing a circle hook, you will never go back. By the way, I will give the secret to anyone who charters with me, so if you want know, I have a few days open in July. Tarpon is often the big buzz this time of year and this year is no different. We have had quite a few catches this past month and will continue to fish for them in July. Fishing at the bridge is great and Egmont Key is not far behind. Although this year I have seen more fish at the bridge so far, but expect July will be a better month to fish for tarpon on the beach and in the pass. More migrating fish will be available and the ones that are local will head out to spawn and continue their migration.  If you haven’t had the chance to check out the new Gander Mountain in Ocala last month, make sure to get in and check out the fishing department. Ask for Marty or anyone of his staff to give you a hand in selecting a new fishing rod, reel or accessories. The store is full of fishing supplies, both fresh and saltwater and will surely empty your pockets quicker than a gas pump these days.

June - 2008  - What a great time of year to get out there and fish. The winds should be dying down and the water temperatures heating up. We ended last month with some windy conditions, making the bay a giant wave pool and sometimes feeling more like a water ride at Busch Gardens, but the fishing has been great.  Wind directions often dictate the areas we fish. In the wind, I look to find shelter when possible. My plan often includes staying out of the bay when 4-6 foot waves are present like we had this past month. A positive aspect of the waters that border Manatee and Sarasota Counties is the fact that regardless of the wind direction, one can always find a ramp and areas that are out of the wind. Incoming fronts often influence changes in the wind direction and speeds can often vary throughout the day. There are some days the wind will circle the compass in the time it takes to catch bait, run my charter and load and cleanup the boat. Morning winds often make catching bait a little more difficult at the skyway, proving that anchoring is tantamount to catching a live well full. One day this past month, I spoke to a young man from Lakeland at the Kingfish Ramp on Anna Maria, who commented on how hard it was to catch bait on the Key Royale flat. I assured him, that it was not just him having trouble, but even those of us who are out on the water everyday encounter the same problems. In fact we had a stretch of three days where the wind blew so hard that the chum would not bring the bait to the surface. On those days, I drifted and blindly cast my 10 foot 3/8 net when seeing a flash and came up with enough bait to fish, but little extra to throw as chum. Sometimes that’s just the way fishing is, I like to call it the Inshore Slam Reality Series. Difficult conditions make us all better fisherman, insuring that the lesson learned is one that may help you in similar conditions.  The big news this month is the Tarpon are here. The arrival has been quick and by the time you read this article, we will have been catching many fish from the bridge spans that cross the bay. Wind again was a factor, making the ride out fun, but the results are well worth it. Quite a few fish have been caught at the bridge and the fish will be lurking on the beaches and around Egmont pass area in June. In fact we have been seeing a few in the passes in the last few weeks. Fishing for them is not the hard part, but hooking and landing them is a whole different story. Pull up, reel down, pull up, reel down, and bow to the fish when they take air. Heavy spinning gear is best suited for use in all of the areas of our fishery, but bait casting and bottom rods will also work if you are able to use the wind and currents in your favor. Spinning gear tends to be the most versatile in all of the areas and gives the angler the greatest casting distance which is often the key to landing one of the silver kings. I also like the ability to set the drags on the spinning gear, to match the size of the fish being caught. Many of the fish at the bridge are in the 75 pound class with the pass and beach fish almost double in size up to 150 pounds. The fishery is here throughout the early summer months when the fish continue to migrate and spawn offshore and return later in the year. If you have ever wanted to get in on some of this action, call today to book your Tarpon Adventure, if we can’t catch' em, they can’t be caught!, so says my mate and friend Captain Randy Mosely. The remainder of the inshore species including the Snook have been cooperative and been caught on a variety of baits. Incoming and outgoing water has been best with most of the bigger fish being caught at night. I had a few requests this past month to fish late and the outgoing tide really produced some great catches. I don’t like getting home at 3 in the morning, which is normally the time I get up for daytime charter, but it was well worth it and the nights have been cool and without many insects except for around dusk.  It is truly peaceful on the water at night and everyone should change things up a bit and get out there when the sun goes down. Just be sure to take extra time to navigate the waterways and watch for obstructions along the way.  Redfish have been a little slower than usual this time of year according to my log book and personal experience. We have had to work extra hard to catch these fish, and have been successful, although the numbers of fish we have been boating is down a little. When I say down a little, I mean in comparison to the numbers caught for the same time period in previous years. This week we boated some nice ones and had keepers on many charters. Trout is a whole different story than that of previous years. I can’t remember when we have caught and released as many fish over the 20 inch slot size. It is great to see this fishery rebound, which was in a bad way after the influences of red tide in years past. This last month the CCA put on a great banquet in Tampa and if you attended the event, then you know the prizes, auctions and food were fantastic. The officers of the Tampa Chapter do a fine job of putting on a great event and making everyone feel welcome. I would like to personally thank Steve Furman for his efforts and hospitality as well as one of the original members of the group, Captain Richard Seward. The organization is doing great things for all of us to insure that we have the ability to pass on the fun sport of fishing to generations to come.This month a new Gander Mountain store will open in Ocala, Florida and I will be there representing a few product lines and yapping about fishing. But don’t wait to see me at the store, come on out and go fishing before the weather gets too hot for some of you.

May 2008 -Fishing this past month has been excellent on most days, and the water temperatures have finally returned to the seventies and the bait has reemerged on the flats as well. In the next month, the winds should begin to die down making May one of the best months to get out and fish. We have caught quite a few nice snook but not many keepers. The season closes at the end of the month and we will be giving it our all till the end of the April. The trout have been cooperating with us and many of the fish we have been catching have been above the 20” limit making it hard to find four keepers per person on the boat. Nothing to complain about since I would say that this is the best trout fishing we have seen in quite a few years after the populations were hurt due to the red tides. Redfish have been lurking from the bulkhead in Manatee County to Apollo beach. Many of the fish are skittish since we had a few tournaments and a lot of pressure placed on these fish during the weeks leading up to the events and after the events. Cut baits have been working well for the fish that are hanging around these areas and a stealthy approach is the key. Tarpon have returned to the Skyway Bridge and many of the migrating fish will begin to show up late in the month. Once the winds die down these fish will be  In Manatee County, many of us gathered at a retirement party for Deputy Larry Bahnsen, of the Manatee County Sheriffs Office. All those in attendance thanked Larry for his 25 years of service to the agency, with his last 6 years of service spent with the Marine Patrol Unit. Larry was out there on the water almost daily, patrolling, observing, working the areas, and at the same time collecting numbers, (GPS coordinates). It would not surprise me to see him fishing a lot more in his retirement. Best of luck to you in your retirement…………May is usually the time that the winds die down and the fishing heats up. May is one of my favorite months of the year. In the early part, the Tampa Chapter of the CCA will be having their annual banquet, if you’re planning to go; I will see you there if your thinking about it now is the time to buy your tickets.  The event is Thursday, May 1, 2008 from 6:00p-10:00p at the Tampa Banquet center. For more information contact Dan Askin at 321-663-2588.

March 2008-  It is the middle of March and instead of fighting fish, I have been fighting the flu for the past 6 days. Oddly enough, early in the week, I was able to fish a couple of days before the symptoms came on in full force. I was hopeful that it would pass quick and fast but seems to be unpredictable like the weather we are seeing. This past month, there have been a plethora of fishing shows, including those in Tampa, Orlando, Ocala and Sarasota. Fishing shows mark the beginning of the season for some and mark the time of year when fishing gear comes out of storage. I always spend time at the shows', usually working a sponsor booth or walking up and down the isles like everyone else looking for the new products or visiting with friends. I can say that most of the shows that I attended where indeed busy and people were asking many a product questions, especially at the MotorGuide™ booth at the Tampa show. We also hold the annual meeting of the Florida Guides Association on Sunday morning of the Tampa show and discuss the years many matters of focus. For those of you that don’t know the FGA, the membership is comprised mainly of licensed USCG Captains, however the organization is open to non USCG licensed anglers and corporations. The Florida Guides Association is not-for-profit organization, whose focus is to "Better Fishing through Conservation". Anyone interested in learning more can look them up at www.florida-guides.com or contact me. Changing my thoughts back to the water and the fishing, I would say that the last few weeks, I am seeing a glimmer of life back on the flats. On a calm day, one can see bait pods have moved back in to areas like Terra Ceia and the Key Royale flat. Chumming for them has been inconsistent and regularity is probably still a few weeks off.  But with the reemergence of bait on the flats, close to follow is the snook attack. While the water temperatures are still hovering around the upper 60’s in the south part of the bay and Sarasota, the stable daytime highs and longer daylight hours will bring about the changes quickly. Just this past week, the snook were beginning to respond to warmer weather and have started taking baits. We are still catching Redfish and Trout with regularity, with the trout on an upturn this week as the water clarity improved. I expect that the snook bite will only get better in the next few weeks and give us a good month to harvest a few before the season closes in May. There a quite a few good outgoing tides occurring in the afternoon and early evening this month and I will likely take advantage of them to hook up a few big ones. When fishing for the bigger fish I like to use pinfish, with a fluorocarbon leader and some braided line or large whitebait floated under a bobber. Look for the deeper edges of grass flats, sloughs, depressions and runoffs that will hold fish waiting in ambush. The rivers, bridge pilings and lights are also places not to overlook. Get a game plan and get out and try to put that plan into action.  This past month I attended the Manatee Fishing Club meeting and was a guest speaker along with several other notable area guides. Some of the anglers that attend are more seasoned than me, and some just want to know where to go to catch fish. What surprises me the most is that many of these anglers are knowledgeable and can catch fish, what is a common denominator of the questions is that many anglers don’t realize that their failures to find fish one day will likely turn into their successes of tomorrow.  I say this because it is important to get out there and fish and be acceptant of the good and the less than good. With that I will leave you with “take a kid or a friend fishing” and pass on the pleasures of the outdoors.

 February 2008-- It is the time of year when we get cold front after cold front and this past month has been no exception. The last front that pushed through the west coast area, made fishing and catching bait seem like a northern winter. Like this morning, it was 41 degrees when leaving the house and by the time I was launching the boat the temperature was 46. The wind feels colder when you’re traveling at 35 MPH, but when fishing is in your blood, just wear another sweatshirt and get out there and fish. Most mornings when it’s that cold you don’t expect to catch fish, but you can. I had four clients on the boat, one of which was ten, and we landed almost 50 redfish on live shrimp. Now I have to say, that there were only four keepers in the bunch, but we went through 10 dozen shrimp in a little over two hours. The point I am trying to make is, everyone thinks that the bite is so regulated by the weather, but for late February, that’s a darn good morning. Most other days, the mornings have been slow, and when the water temperature has had a chance to warm up, clients have been able to hook up with a few snook, sheepshead, black and red drum. Bait, if you don’t go to the bridge, has been pretty scarce. One day you find some, the next it will be all anchovies and glass minnows. The skyway is still your best bet in Tampa for consistency on holding bait. That should change this coming month and more bait should show up on the flats in mid to late March. One thing I notice each winter is the cooler water temperature, softens the bite. Most people want to know, “what do I do then?” Here is my tip, for a soft bite, instead of using a circle hook, change to a traditional “J” hook. My guess is, a combination of a fast rod tip, and the angler, trying to catch the fish like the water is warm, just don’t go together. The fish are sluggish and a softer rod tip and a “J” hook will give you a few extra seconds to allow the fish time to swallow the bait. That being said, if you regularly fish circle hooks, you can be successful as well, but slow down, slow way down and allow finesse to be the name of the game. This past week, my trips on Monday and Tuesday were canceled due to the heavy rain, lightning, and thunder which passed through the area. That happens, it’s winter in Florida, but after the front passes, we will be in a warming trend and the fish will certainly pick up with a few days of the water temperature on the rise. Last week the water was 68 degrees and after the front, the water was down to 61 degrees. It is hard to predict when spring will come, but be patient and get out there when you can. For those of you that read my column regularly, fishing is not always about catching fish, but it is more about participation. Get in the game and take some chances, some of your best days often come when you least expect it. I am looking forward to the end of the month when Snook Season reopens on the west coast. While I have seen many large fish lying on the darker bottoms, we have not been able to catch the bigger ones. In a few more weeks the water temperatures will be in the 70’s which should be enough to jump start them feeding. I am booking now for the spring and would love to spend the day on the water with you.

January  2008 Our good fortune and unseasonable mild temperatures were disrupted in early January with the ringing in of 2008, with which, I would like to wish everyone a “Happy New Year”. The first week of January 2008 brought along with it some cold nights and cooler days, with the mercury dipping down to around the freezing mark inland. The cooler temps had a pretty good affect on the fishing in general compared to the mild temps we had been enjoying a month earlier. By mid January, the temperatures had rebounded and the daytime air temperature was back in the comfortable 70’s, where we traditionally are this time of year. Although winter began a month ago, I can now say that winter has officially arrived in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Most days that I have been out this past month have been different than the previous trip. While the weather is back and forth, so has the fishing been. Late last week, there was bait located near Long Bar, but several days later the winds were up and the bait had all but disappeared. Consistency is not normal this time of year so be prepared to adapt to the situation as it may arise. With live bait unavailable, I pulled out those frozen sardines from the month prior and stopped at the bait shop for live shrimp. We also cut up the first few lady fish we caught and later used them as cut bait. Of course we had some artificial soft bait on hand to work the edges of the grass for trout. The trout has been pretty good of late and will continue to get better as the year continues. Since the water temperature has been a little cooler with the decrease in air temperature, I’ve been working heavier plastic swim baits, slowing them down to help trigger a bite. For the most part we have been successful and caught some nice ones in the mid 20 inch range. A few days this past month, we had a pretty good redfish bite, which all but disappeared without warning when another front stalled over the panhandle mid month. The fish were mostly caught on pilchards fished on the deep edges in about 6 feet of water. We have also managed to catch some snook on both shrimp and white bait around the many exposed oyster bars with darker bottoms. All of our snook and redfish bites occurred in the afternoon, after the daytime air temperatures have raised the water temperatures a few degrees. On an interesting note, the Manatee Fishing Club held a sheepshead tournament on January 5th, with about 15 anglers participating and only one sheepy being caught and weighed. Although I did not participate, I can say that the sheepshead have been a little scarce for me as well. Perhaps the warm weather has got them confused, so keep targeting them in the month to come. Anyone interested in joining the Manatee Fishing Club, can contact me or can join by attending a club meeting held the first Monday of each month at Cypress Creek Golf Course in Sun City. The clubs organizers have events throughout the year as well as tournaments and guest speakers. The club is open to anyone, with an annual membership fee for new members as well as a $5.00 dollar per meeting charge. I have been a guest speaker and have been very impressed with their members and there activities. The club is for all levels of experience. Usually this time of year I slow things down, not only my baits, but also my fishing. I take the time to make repairs to rods, service reels, repack trailer bearings, change the water pump in my Mercury Outboard, and make general repairs to the boat so that I am ready for the spring. This year has been not been different, I even promised my wife to clean the garage and get all my gear, including those poles stacked in the corner hung up or put into a rack. Spring cleaning for me generally starts in January so that when February and March roll around, I am ready to get on the water and fish, when the rest of you are cleaning you garage. It al and organized. fishing this past month has been But what does all this mean for the fishing? n the months to come since write our reports in  a front that continued this past month, with one week were the temperatures dropped into the in December has left us with good activity at years end, and some memories of catching snook in Late December. I’m not going to complain and just take it as an extra holiday bonus. Overall this past month, we have had good catches of flounder, participating reds as well as the snook already mentioned. Looking back to last year, the weather was very similar with a mild December according to my log. One thing I found interesting was I predicted an early spring do to the unseasonable weather, but this year I won’t be doing that again. Mostly because that early spring never came and it’s probably more likely that January will be more seasonal. Since our December was spent partially on the flats, we are looking forward to continuing to catch grouper over the many rock piles and reefs in the bay, along with the edges of the shipping channels. Our baits of choice have been Pinfish and Threadfins, which upon days end I’ve been bagging and placing in the freezer to be used later as cut bait. Come spring, the left over can be ground and frozen into blocks to be used to chum mackerel, which by the way, have still been hanging around the bay. In January I’ll continue to hunt the deeper and or darker bottoms, canals and rivers, for reds and sheepshead as well. While I am not seeing as many schooling sheepshead, this month should prove to be productive to those who pursue the convict fish. We have caught some nice ones around dock pilings on shrimp and mussels. What I find is that the clarity of the water does not appear to spook the feeding fish, but if you can find water that’s a little cloudy, you might do better. Along with the sheepshead we have and will continue to catch black drum and maybe a jack hiding in the waiting. This time of year the outflows from the Power Plants in Tampa will begin to attract fish. Be sure to check the local regulations and defined Security Zones, because many well known outflows have been off limits since 2001. I would like to point out that Manbirtee Key, the spoil island outside of Port Manatee, has established new security measures for the area. The details and the application process can be retrieved by calling (941)722-6455. One fish I have not seen a lot this year and have only boated a few undersize fish is the cobia. Perhaps they will be a little more prevalent in the month to come. While no one, not event the weatherman can predict what will happen in the coming months, hopefully the mild weather will stay with us and the bait won’t move into the deeper waters. Last year the bait was available all year lone at the skyway, but in 2005 the bait moved off the end of the fishing piers into about 25 feet of water making it difficult to cast net. For others, were whitebait is replaced by live shrimp, the catch has been pretty good and the supply at the bait shops is plentiful. Look for us at the Millers Boating Classic in Ocala next month and stop by to chat about fishing, Mercury, MotorGuide, tackle, boats or your favorite barbecue recipe. We are booking for the spring and would love to spend the day on the water with you. Let’s hook up, give us a call at (941) 238-7597, till then, tight lines and keep your rod tip up….. Captain Jim Savaglio www.inshoreslam.com

December 2007 - Unseasonable mild temperatures in December has left us with good activity at years end, and some memories of catching snook in Late December. I’m not going to complain and just take it as an extra holiday bonus. Overall this past month, we have had good catches of flounder, participating reds as well as the snook already mentioned. Looking back to last year, the weather was very similar with a mild December according to my log. One thing I found interesting was I predicted an early spring do to the unseasonable weather, but this year I won’t be doing that again. Mostly because that early spring never came and it’s probably more likely that January will be more seasonal. Since our December was spent partially on the flats, we are looking forward to continuing to catch grouper over the many rock piles and reefs in the bay, along with the edges of the shipping channels. Our baits of choice have been Pinfish and Threadfins, which upon days end I’ve been bagging and placing in the freezer to be used later as cut bait. Come spring, the left over can be ground and frozen into blocks to be used to chum mackerel, which by the way, have still been hanging around the bay. In January I’ll continue to hunt the deeper and or darker bottoms, canals and rivers, for reds and sheepshead as well. While I am not seeing as many schooling sheepshead, this month should prove to be productive to those who pursue the convict fish. We have caught some nice ones around dock pilings on shrimp and mussels. What I find is that the clarity of the water does not appear to spook the feeding fish, but if you can find water that’s a little cloudy, you might do better. Along with the sheepshead we have and will continue to catch black drum and maybe a jack hiding in the waiting. This time of year the outflows from the Power Plants in Tampa will begin to attract fish. Be sure to check the local regulations and defined Security Zones, because many well known outflows have been off limits since 2001. I would like to point out that Manbirtee Key, the spoil island outside of Port Manatee, has established new security measures for the area. The details and the application process can be retrieved by calling (941)722-6455. One fish I have not seen a lot this year and have only boated a few undersize fish is the cobia. Perhaps they will be a little more prevalent in the month to come. While no one, not event the weatherman can predict what will happen in the coming months, hopefully the mild weather will stay with us and the bait won’t move into the deeper waters. Last year the bait was available all year lone at the skyway, but in 2005 the bait moved off the end of the fishing piers into about 25 feet of water making it difficult to cast net. For others, were whitebait is replaced by live shrimp, the catch has been pretty good and the supply at the bait shops is plentiful. Look for us at the Millers Boating Classic in Ocala next month and stop by to chat about fishing, Mercury, MotorGuide, tackle, boats or your favorite barbecue recipe. We are booking for the spring and would love to spend the day on the water with you. Let’s hook up, give us a call at (941) 238-7597, till then, tight lines and keep your rod tip up…..

November 2007- “Let’s go fishing” turned to “Let’s go hunting” this past month when a group of us gathered to hunt for Pheasants in Kansas. This season would mark our 27^th year that the group has been hunting together. During those past 27, opening day has brought us everything from freezing temperatures and snow, to hot and sunny weather in the 80’s. This years’ opening day was no different and in fact gave us both one day of cold weather and one day of warm weather. On Saturday morning the outside temperatures was about 25 degrees when we arrived at the first field, and the wind was blowing out of the north at 15-20 mph. The CRP grasses had a good layer of frost on them as we started our long walk into the wind. Everyone in the group was excited to get out and get moving, not only to hunt but to keep warm. The dogs and the hunters in our group began to walk our first half section which we decided to divide into three equal parts to push the birds.  It didn’t take long before one of the dogs was on point and the first bird was flushed. Just after the flushing of the bird, those hunters nearby take their shots. As 3 or 4 shotguns go off, and the bird tumbles to the ground, each one of the four shooters shouts, “I got it”. Standing in a distance, down the line of hunters, I think to myself, “some things never change”. No one wants to be known in the group as the guy who missed and there is a certain amount of male ego at work as well. By mid day the temperature had warmed up and the frost had burned off. Heading to lunch we had nearly 20 birds in our pick-ups. After lunch, we decided to hit a few fields planted in Milo and managed another 10 birds or so. Day two was a whole lot different, the temperature to start was 45 degrees and there was little or no wind. The warmer temperatures kept the birds from flying and when they did, they were getting up out of range to shoot. On day two, we did manage to bag another 15 birds with most everyone of the shooters getting a chance to get a shot at a bird or two. All in all not a bad year, since we had a smaller group as seen in the photo. Till next year we said our goodbyes and look forward to hunting together again next season. Let’s turn our attention back to the fishing which has been very good this past month, despite the winds blowing and the clarity of the water being so clear you can see the bottom even in 20 feet of water. Snook and Trout have been the hotter of the bites for us this past month, with grouper and flounder still making a strong showing.  We managed to switch baits around from live pilchards to cut bait to shrimp and pinfish. The bait this past month has still been available and caught on the flats and is also available at the skyway or on the beach if you choose to go outside. Some years the bait will move off the flat and sometimes it will stay in the bay throughout the winter. In the past few years we have always had live bait at the Skyway Bridge but there are some days in the month of December when the bait moved off the main pilings to about 23 feet of water making it difficult to cast net. When the bait is unavailable, I switch my tactics to shrimp or artificial. Let’s face it, you typically catch more on live bait, but there are many soft plastics, especially those made by Stanley Jigs that will catch trout, redfish and snook. I will also turn my grouper hunting into a slow troll procedure using large diving plugs along the ships channel edge. Fishing with artificial baits is not only fun, but it is a welcome change from the live bait tactics to using ones skill and ideals to be able to fool a fish into attacking a shiny or plastic bait. During the month of December head to the deeper waters of the bay and some of the back bays closer to canal homes and rivers which dump into the bay. As the temperature of the water continues to decline, focus on the afternoon bite and dark bottoms, which will help heat up the water temperatures by the end of the day.

October 2007 - Weather this past month has been cooler and hurricane season is drawing to a close. Storm activity in September in the gulf aided in lowering the water temperature, and fronts which have been frequent in the early part of October have dropped the air temperatures and humidity as well. With all of theses changes it is not hard to believe that fall is approaching. A few mornings this past week with the temperature in the 60’s, I dug to the bottom of my T-Shirt drawer and pulled out some long sleeves. Catching bait in the morning is not brisk by any means, but comfortable and cool enough to make a bird dog feel a little frisky. In November we will continue to see the temperatures decrease and the storms diminish but the fronts will likely be less predictable. This is a transitioning time of year and fishing with that in mind will bring success. The water temperature has dropped from high 80’s to high 70’s. Last month we were getting out of the boat to cool off, but now that fall is here, those of us from the south think the water is too cold to wade in.  The past month has seen movement of fish from the shadows of the shorelines, to away from the mangroves. Most days, we caught fish on the incoming and high tides, but the outgoing tide has been productive when it was strong no matter what time it is. So if you are an early riser or have insomnia, the outgoing tide might be for you. For the rest of us, during the day, the flats, deeper edges, depressions and drop offs have been holding fish on the incoming and highs.  It seems like I fished quite a few low tide days this month and stalking the redfish in the shallows requires wading, the use of a push pole, and or the use of a trolling motor. This approach has helped me keep my distance from the schools, as not to spook them and has yielded quite a few nice fish. My wife was ready to go after I mentioned catching some slot fish on consecutive days around Long Bar in Sarasota bay. My wife has always liked catching redfish more so than other species and suggested that she would like to catch a few of those reds. I could not say no, nor would I since for her it is a treat, and for me it’s a chance to relax, have someone else drive the boat, help with the catching of the bait, and see what we could hook up. The redfish cooperated and gave us a good fight, mostly away from the shoreline, in the shallows and on dead and cut bait including threadfins and pilchards. We even managed a few flounder, grouper, trout, and mackerel. For my wife, she landed some nice fish and had a great time and for me I had a vacation for a few days in Sarasota.  The snook fishing should continue to get better over the next month especially on the stronger outgoing tides. The snook are beginning to eat and we have caught a few, but almost all of them below the slot and only one in the past month that made the slot.  The redfish will continue to build in numbers and will appear in the traditional of locations on the high tides around the Bulkhead, Emerson Point and the many areas of Fort Desoto.

September 2007 - Well, most of us thought last month was hot, but September continues to crank the heat. In fact my charter group got out of the boat today to walk over a sandbar, fish some potholes and cool off. The bay water temperature is 89 degrees and feels warmer than bath water. Weather and water temperature are likely to begin changing this month and activity of the fishing will increase as the appetites of the fish begin to head into the fall. I am already seeing some subtle changes in the menu, as dinners of choice, cut white bait, have been less effective and bay shrimp have replaced the pilchard 4:1.The schools of redfish have started to collect themselves and this past week on an outgoing tide, I came across three schools what were 30-50 fish with some larger fish being present. There have been more reports that the fish are beginning to collect in the usual October haunts, however I have not changed my approach and continue to fish along the mangrove shorelines since it is producing nice redfish, and snook. My suggestion for the recreational anglers is to get out early and arm yourself with a ¼ inch cast net and some nice select shrimp and success should be imminent. Snapper are still evident and present in the chum slick and the cast net and will steal your meals when you don’t cast close enough to the mangroves. We have had good catches of snapper in the bay and over the rock piles and I look for this to continue for a while. These tasty treats would make a nice tailgate party meal as we head in the football season. Another species that should begin to produce is the flounder. Try tipping a jig with shrimp and working the weeded edges and darker bottoms. Tarpon are still in the bay and been hanging around with the heat and can be caught on pilchards. Some interesting catches this past month in Tampa bay have been Barracuda, fishing with a friend and his son; the barracuda took the bait and ran like a snook. The runs were pretty good and I thought we might have a keeper on the line. As I continued to give excited advice to the young angler, the jumps and flashes did not look right, there was no lateral line. As the fish got closer I could see that there would be no lip holding this fish, so we grabbed the net and landed the fish. Barracuda, not the most common of catches here in the bay and not something you see every day. Most other captains I tell about it even one of my favorite, Captain Richard Seward agreed, its’ not something every angler can say they have caught in Tampa. Which leads me into Snook fishing……………The season opened back up on the west coast of Florida September 1^st, with new size regulations of 28 to 33 inches with a pinched tail overall length measurement.  Catching fish within the slot has always been difficult, and fishing bigger snook is in so many ways like hunting for whitetail deer. Scouting, patience and noise are just a few of the important keys to landing the bigger fish. Many people are happy catching the smaller fish but working the bigger ones takes time and most anglers give up too soon. This week one of my regulars spent several hours trying to lure one of these edible delights to the boat.  The outcome was not as we desired but then it would not be fishing if we were able to boat all the fish we wanted. All the signs were present, the popping of the chummed baits, the moving water current, and the break-offs, just no big fish in the live well. I am sure the phone will ring and a voice on the line will say, “can we give those snook another try”? Oops, the phone is ringing…………. 

August 2007 - Just when you think it can’t get any hotter in West Central Florida the heat index goes up into the triple digits. In the beginning of the month, we missed quite a few days on the water due to some reverse pattern thunderstorms. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the storms here on the coast usually occur in the afternoons, however, what we were seeing were thunderstorms that would hit us even before the work day got underway. In some cases the storms were offshore and moving inland by 3:00 - 4:00 am when checking radar before heading out. The morning storms lasted on and off for about two weeks in our area from Clearwater to Sarasota. Since rain kept me off the water, I had a chance to complete some maintenance and hit the local tackle shop and repair a few reels and pick up some supplies. When you fish day after day, its’ nice to get a break and catch up with some of my 9-5 retail friends.  The storms have had there effects on the bait schools, but things seem to be settling down there as well and catching bait on the flats has been a little more consistent. The skyway is still your best bet if you get out before the sun comes up, and the majority of the bait has been off the pilings, on either side of the bridge depending on the current. Mangrove snapper and reds continue to be the species that we have been targeting, with trout and snook somewhere in the mix depending on the tides and the winds. In the past several weeks we had many slot size reds taken in the trees with scaled sardines. The snapper have been varied in size with many good keepers and good numbers caught, with the small 2 inch baits making an easy meal for the snappers.If you’re interested in the spanish mackerel, there are plenty of schools crashing baits throughout the bay, but probably one of the best bets is the Egmont Key area. 

July 2007 -The West Central Florida the hot days of summer have arrived. While the temperature has heated up so has the fishing. I have always liked the summer because of the variety of opportunities, but the downside has always been the unannounced arrival of a summer thunderstorms. Well last summer we fixed that and installed satellite weather onboard. Beating the thunderstorms and heat are a lot easier to do if you choose to fish early morning or later into the night. But if that’s not an option, getting into the water during the heat of the day is another way to beat the heat and get some relief. With the added visibility of weather at your fingertips, you can go about fishing and have some indication as to the status of any approaching thunderstorms and the ability to get out of the way before they are on top of you. Fishing early, the air temperatures are a little cooler, and the opportunity for catching tarpon moving up and down the beaches is a little greater. Crab, threadfins, scaled sardines and pinfish are the baits of choice with large sardines leading the way and crab coming in a close second. Catching those big baits has been tougher this season but a sabiki rig works great when fewer baits’, are required. Cast netting is still an option but the small bait seems to have invaded the flats of my choice lately. Snook have been both running the troughs of the beaches and many big fish can be found hiding in the shade of the mangrove shorelines. While fishing the open beaches, lighter tackle is not only acceptable, but preferred, and on the other hand, the mangroves demand a braided line and heavier fluorocarbon leader. Most of the fish on the beach have been of the smaller variety, and the ones held up in the bushes have been the larger yet more cautious variety. Fishing dead threadfins have yielded some big fish, however be alert because the big ones have been slurping up the baits so gently that if you’re not paying particular attention, you may miss the opportunity. Sight fishing these fish in both areas is a good approach if a tower is available at least to locate the fish, but don’t give up on traditional tactics since these fish seem to blend right into the light sand and mangrove shadowed backgrounds. Redfish have been caught on the high tides in the bushes with pilchards and pinfish, and low tide potholes have produced on the flats when the water has moved out. Shrimp, when the larger ones are available will produce as well. When the water is off of the flat, try approaching the pot hole areas on foot and wade fish. Dragging a bait bucket or a few soft baits worked off the edges and the bottom, can be a sure way to hook up and cool off at the same time. But overall, the high sun overhead and the heat of the day has been the slowest, with mornings and evenings producing better overall. Some of you looking for mackerel action and snapper action can find the deeper and structured bottom areas of the bay holding fish. This month, while fishing the bottom somewhere in the vicinity of the Skyway Bridge, we hooked up with a few grouper, when searching for the snapper. But mostly the snapper have been taking advantage of our shrimp dinners and feeding at a rate of more that 5:1(five shrimp to 1 hookup). So take plenty of shrimp dinners or try cutting pilchards in half and placing them on a small number 1 hook.

May 2007 - Windy conditions prevailed this month on the west coast of Florida, with calm days able to be counted on one hand. With the winds generally out of the NW, N and NE the bay waters have been quite choppy, making short ride to the Skyway for bait a little slower going. Bait has been good despite the windy conditions, as long as you are out before the sun comes up. The flats have been holding bait, especially around the Key Royal flats and the Bulkhead, if you prefer to throw your nets more than a few times.On to the fishing, Redfish have been our mainstay this past month and have been in abundance around the deep water edges of mangrove lined shores. Live shrimp have been the top producer with many reds in the 16-22 inch range and fewer in the 26-30 inch range. Schools of Reds, when located have been responsive to pilchards and gold spoons. Most of my charters have been boating double digit numbers of Redfish, when the water is high. Trout fishing has produced on the live baits including shrimp and pilchards and fun for those wanting to use artificial, many swim baits and jigs have kept the fish interested. Finding the trout in both sparsely grass covered areas as well as heavy grass and bait covered bay bottoms. Sook have been more selective this month especially the larger ones. A few of my charters have had the opportunity to catch some over slot size fish, however the fish have laid motionless and lip locked for many. Live pilchards have been producing on the outgoing tide and patience and silence has been the key to catching the bigger fish. Scouting out bigger fish and going in with an assortment of baits and giving the fish a good amount of time to get comfortable to our presence. Sometimes we have waited as long as 30 to 60 minute for the fish to start eating. Look for the fish laying on the bottom and use baits including live and cut, pilchard or threadfin, fished on the bottom and even cut up mackerel or finger mullet. Tarpon are showing up in the bay area, with a few seen at the skyway bridge. It won’t be long before they will be in abundance along the beaches and in the backwaters of the bay.

April 2007-This past month my partner and I fished the IFA Redfish Tournament out of Sarasota, finishing 26 out of 97 teams. While we were on top of big fish, the ones we were catching were between 20 and 22 inches. In fact we were culling fish a short while into the tournament. Most of the action we have been seeing with the redfish has been in the Terra Ceia and Perico Harbor areas, in fact one of my charters this month caught and released over 30 fish in a few hours. Our snook fishing has been on again off again, mostly due to the few cold fronts that have passed through the area over the month. This has been one of the windiest Aprils that I have seen in a while. One good thing that has come out of the wind is the water clarity in areas has become cloudy helping to be able to stalk the fish more than when the water was gin clear. Some of the biggest snook that we have seen have been laying motionless on the sandy bottoms and refuse to take a bite of anything we have to offer live or artificial. A local captain gave me some advice................."try cut up chunks of spanish mackeral", which was a twist I had not thought of, but it makes sense since the mackeral have been in the bay since late January. I am certainly going to give it a dry run over the next month. Trout fishing has been active with a few fish being caught over the 20 inch mark, but many of our fish are between 12-18 inches in length.

March 2007 - The fishing this past week was outstanding due to the weather and the warmth. The bad part was the wind blowing a few days making the some windy areas inaccessible and hard to get to.  Just two nights this past week got cold, but I don't expect the weather to be a factor in the weeks to come, since it looks like the cold stuff has passed.  If you are looking to get out, try some of the weekdays that I have left in my schedule as there will be less traffic on the water and certainly some good days ahead. February 2007 -Snook season opened this week to strong southeastern winds and rain, and water temps in the high 50's, making the opening day a difficult one to be thinking about catching snook.  While I arrived early at the ramp, there were few others going to brave the elements. In fact, I was the only one.... Once out at the bridge for some bait, the only people I saw where on the pier fishing. Even though it was opening day, I did not intend on targeting the snook, the day was going to present a great enough challenge, with the forecast calling for high winds, with gusts over 30 mph, and a 30 percent chance of rain. On the radar, (I love that XM satellite weather), we could see the front was moving in over the panhandle and the barometric pressure was falling. There were storms brewing off the coast of Sarasota and they would likely greet us later in the day. Our first stop produced a good and encouraging look at a few nice reds and a few snook, but the fish were spooked pretty easily. So off we go to try some of the potholes on the low tide. The winds were brutal, sitting over the holes and fishing them was next to impossible and impractical, since the tide was moving in and the wind was in our face, making the casting difficult. So we were off to some protected areas. By now the winds had really begun to blow and the rain started to fall. Fish were spooky at best, again the snook spooked before we could even get a line in the water almost as if they were looking at the calendar and knew the date.  The thought of getting baits in front of them was a fleeting thought let alone thinking that they would even eat on a day when the water temp was 59 degrees. The snook were mostly uncooperative and while the weather was changing from blowing wind to hard rain. Once the rain passed over us and the skies turned blue, we got the chance to catch some reds. Although most of them were small, 18 inches and under, they did start to bite late in the day. Mid January - The fishing in January has been as good as I can remember for this early in the year, while last year the bait moved off the bridge and the flats, the outside air temperatures have kept the bait at the bridge and even on some of the flats. What does this mean for the fishing? Well it means that the food source for the fish has been plentiful and normally when we are fishing with live shrimp and artificial, there is another choice. Many of the fish we've been catching have been caught on whitebait and shrimp.  While we would normally be fishing trout, reds, and sheepshead, the mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish have kept us in action most everyday. The temperature of the water has raised as much as 6 degrees in some areas from December. While I am seeing big snook, on the flats, they have not been eating with any regularity, and when they do, it has been so gently that you don't even know they are there. If the weather holds it looks like we may have an early spring.

January 2007 -  Fishing has been a continuance of December thus far with the water temps staying in the upper 60's. Redfish, Sheepshead and ladyfish have all been pretty regulars to the hook. Trout, Bluefish, Cobia, and Mackeral have not been far behind. The last few days of December and the early part of January has seen a rich influx of small reds in the 16-22 range. They have been a bundle of fun for this time of year but most of them short for the dinner table. Trout have been productive on the flats after the water warms.  Negative low tides have kept fish concentrated in the pockets of water on the flats in the afternoon. Getting out of the boat this time of year with a good set of waders in almost sure to find you some action. The early part of the month, fellow anglers and sportsman will be at the SHOT show this year to be held in Orlando, checking out all the latest and greatest items. If you get a chance look for me wandering the convention center. 

December 2006  - Well the year has gone fast almost too fast....This month the fishing has been pretty good with the outside air temperatures in the 70 and 80's most days in the month, and the water temps have stayed or remained warmer than normal. Although December is usually a month for me to spend hunting in Kansas, this year was a little different, with more time spent in Florida do to the warmer weather and excellent winter season. The lowest temp in the bay observed was 62 degrees for a short time and by the end of the month the temps were backup in the upper 60's. If this keeps up we will have an early spring season and I am ready. .

November 2006 -Awesome fishing in the bay this week!!!!!! The temps are just right and the fronts are through causing big catches of snook and reds. I hope the fish stay the course this week, cause there will be some happy, happy customers. Fort Meyers Bass Pro was a super big hit with Traffic all weekend at the Motor Guide Display. I would like to thank all of my customers for stopping by and saying hello as well as those of you that purchased new motors. I have to say the wireless 55 and the wireless 75 for salt water use were definitely the demand. It was nice to see the United States Coast Guard personnel, and you know who you are at the display. Man oh Man you are always the coolest. Great Stuff!!!!

August 8, 2006 - Well I have been busy the last four weeks and not had the time to keep up on the biweekly reports, however the fishing has certainly still been fun fun fun even with the water temperatures heating up to almost 90 degrees in some places. Like any month some days have been better than others, depending on the tides and the moon phase, but the fishing lately has been pretty good. Early in the month, I took one of my best clients for a little Tarpon fishing trip and had five hookups, with two tarpon boated. The tarpon on the beach had some good days and some very slow days. Inshore fishing has been good with a few days seeing big numbers of fish and other days seeing and hooking big fish. This month we had 8 snook over 35 inches. The funny thing about these big fish is that you only get one shot. The bite for these big fish have been extremely light so being prepared is the key, one never knows when the big on is going to work you over. All of our big ones have been caught utilizing ????????. I'll keep that quiet for a while since the pattern is still working and producing fish. The reds have been hit or miss, we have boated some nice ones over the last month and also some rat reds. Shrimp have always been my personal favorite for these summertime monsters, but the big shrimp are just now becoming available again from the bait houses and the reds are likely to follow. Some decent fish are out there on the flats and getting them to eat has been easier in the cooler mornings or late afternoon.  On the low tide this week we fished late and found them hanging on the outside edge.

Bait this month has taken a turn and the small pilchards have invaded the flats. Working hard for the right baits has provided some additional success, but also delayed some trips. The 1/4 inch net will produce some small pilchard but get out early before the sun comes up and find the big ones so that you can be successful. A 5/8 has been working but it has been slow, but not as much gilling and I am throwing a new 3/8inch EXCLALIBUR cast net from Shaun Gore, which has been doing the trick. If you have not seen these nets, check them out because they are well worth the price. You can't beat em!!!!!!! This net is better than many a custom nets that I have thrown over the years and the value is certainly apparent.

June 16, 2006- Fishing this week has felt the after effect of the first Hurricane of the season. The Fishing on Saturday prior to the storms arrival was slower than it had been all week. Prior to the storms arrival the Redfish were hitting the baits like crazy and not just the little 25 inch fish but I mean the big 28 -30 inch fish. One day the big bulls were stripping the line off the reels and making runs like crazy Jacks. The weather and the moon was also right for night fishing and although I had not made it out at all after dark, fellow angler and guide Gary Cook will tell you that the big 40 inch snook were feeding on hand sized pinfish. As the waters return to normal as it usually takes a few days after a storm, fishing should once again return to the summer time patterns. I look for the next few weeks tides to produce some good if not great fishing by the end of the week.

June 1, 2006 - The fishing this past week has started to settle into the summer patterns with the beginning of the week being a weak performer, the rain, overcast and the wind, had the fish shut down for a day and once the front pushed on through the week began to brighten up with the sun and plenty of action to keep the anglers busy. I was certainly disappointed for Ray Ledbetter who came a long way and had the weeks worst weather on Tuesday. Rain and high winds made the fishing difficult, Wednesday the Tarpon were at the beach and a few throws of the crabs failed to get us hooked up, but then again, we were just on our way back to the ramp when we took a detour because it was such a beautiful day. The remainder of the week catches included good slot size reds and snook as well as one monster Snook snapping 20 pound power-pro like it was 1 pound test. Even the holiday weekend produced fish, although a little slower given the number of boats and traffic on the water. Take a look at our front page and give us a call, the time is right to get out there and fish. Book a charter today and join the anglers in the "catch of the week club"

May 20, 2006 -Snook, Snook and more snook..........Ken and Ken caught their share, including three 40 inch fish on their second attempt. The weather, the winds, the tides were right for the catch and the fish are still lurking in these areas waiting to be caught. Redfish, Redfish and more redfish have been congregating on the flats over the past month, one day they are there and the next they are gone and with a little bit of patience and gas the fish reappear just as though its magic. The schools of reds have gotten smaller than they were 2 weeks ago but they are ferocious eaters at certain times.

May 15, 2006 -The first few weeks of the month, snook have had an abundance of bait move in on them and inordinate amount of fishing pressure placed on the species. With the water as clear as it has been, many have been running the bars which are usually reserved for poling and trolling motors. A few days with the northeast winds blowing, the tides stayed out and of course these areas are marginally accessible with the water low. Days when the winds have been above 20 knots, the fishing has dropped off. This past week we caught snook, redfish, trout and a few flounder. I am seeing big snook, over 35 inches, and redfish schools working the flats, but the winds have made the presentation and access difficult. The weather this week calling for lower winds and possible thunderstorms.

April 10, 2005 - Started the week fishing out of Goodland, which most of you know is to the south of Marco Island and the gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands the Everglades National Park. The weather could not have been nicer for the entire week, Florida Chamber of Commerce Days. Fishing too has just been awesome this week with most of the species caught being snook, redfish and trout, and the remainder species taken, were grouper, mackerel, jacks, ladyfish and mangrove snapper.  The nicest fish this week goes to Adam Smith with a 40" Snook. Way to go Adam !!!!!!!!

March 30, 2006- Well this has been an awesome week to be out and I am tired as I write this report, and ready to take a short break. The week started out with the Children's Home Sporting clay event in Lutz, Florida, when I arrived at 7:00 am the boat had FROST on it from the overnight low which came through the area last Friday night. The Snook action to that point was awesome and the fish were beginning to eat with great regularity. The temperatures gradually warmed all week and by Thursday the Bite was on again. In fact the word must be out cause this week it looked like a weekend on Tampa Bay. Redfish are also coming around and the latest had me spotting a school of monsters on the flat and some nearby sharks. I figured I give a break knowing I would have stirred up the sharks as well. The bait seems to be holding good at the skyway and has been good sized. Next week it is off to fish the backwaters of the ten thousand Islands with fellow angler Captain Smith. We will be testing some new technology he has brought to me for some commercial punishment as I call it. Call today and book the remaining days that I have left in April if you want to get in on some snook action. 

 March 16, 2006 - The wind, wind, wind, has been blowing this week across the bay and one morning when I headed out the computer showed 28 knots out of the northeast. However along with the winds we had been enjoying daytime highs in the 80's which has certainly helped increase the water temperature. In the past few week the rising temperatures has brought out the baitfish if you are willing to make the long run. Soon the bait will be on the flats and then most anyone, even a kayaker or wade fisherman will be able to net some. Snook are becoming increasingly interested in eating with the appearance of bait and the warmer waters, look for moving water and you will find the fish. Clients this week from Wisconsin and Indiana, got the chance to make some hookups with the snook, most of them undersize with two keepers in the mix. The redfish, all though on the small side, provided Sarah and Mike some fun rod bending action. Trout continue to be available over the grass flats and I look for the next few weeks to be a good time to get out and fish.

February 25, 2006 - The fishing the past few weeks has been pretty good given the unreliability of the weather and the influences of various cold fronts moving through the bay area. Whitebait has appeared again in the bay but has remained tricky to capture since it is still moving around. The temperature of the water in the last 2 weeks has risen in some areas of the bay as much as 10 degrees while some have remained constant at the low end. Reds and and snook have been caught, with some days catching as many as 20 reds and others as few as one, The snook have not been as aggressive however with the regularity of whitebait and the rise in the temperature, I look for that to change. It won't be long before the weather is more consistent and the days of spring upon us.

Feb 15, 2006 - The cold front pushed through a little later than anticipated and made the fishing early morning a little slower than the previous weeks. The afternoons high winds made it difficult for us to keep anchored and in position to fishing however, Fire Marshall, Amory Planchard was able to hook up with a few Snook, sheepshead, Drum and a snook disguised as a Catfish. Well even the Captain makes mistakes.....This snook stayed down in the warmer water of the area we were fishing and when Amory brought him to the surface, I got a glimpse of the colored belly and a pectoral fin and dropped the net thinking it was a gafftopsail, which is in the family of saltwater cats, Ariidae, having a scientific name of Bagre Marinus instead of the Centropomus undecimalis in the family centropomidae, known as the common snook. Here are some photos, in which one could easily make the mistake.

Well, I was mistaken and got a good laugh out of it....which just goes to show you that winter time fishing can be more productive than you think and can play tricks on us. The point being, with the cooler water temperature, the bite is softer, the fish are moving slower, staying deeper, and acting like a sneaky and finicky felines.............

This weeks trips on Friday and Saturday were cancelled due to the heavy amounts of rain that we are experiencing, along with the lightning and thunder that is passing through the Tampa and Sarasota areas. Along with the weather, the winds have been blowing from Tampa down to Venice, with the winds as high as 25 knots.  I am certainly looking forward to the backside of this front because snook season is open from now till the end of May.

January 25, 2006 -Fishing this week was a little upset by the front which pushed through midweek. The backside of the front brought in colder air temps and higher winds making the fishing harder in the latter part of the week opposed to the first few days of the week. The bait saga this year continues.......the skyway has been void and finding it elsewhere has been quit the chore. Artificial and live shrimp have been the tickets to catching the snook, with a mixture of hard hits and soft bumps.....Sheepshead and Drum are  available if you have the interests and will put some "fun in your rod". As the month continues, and February arrives, the weather and water temperatures will warm and the baitfish should reappear. Last February was an excellent month and the season started early as many of you know.

December 15, 2005 - The fishing the past few week has been excellent with catches of Snook, Redfish and Flounder among the top producers. While it has been difficult to catch bait at the skyway, the extra hours that I have spent has turned into many meaningful memories for my clients. and has been greatly appreciated by them as well, and I thank all of you for the appreciation. The focus right now is selling the 1720 Action Craft and getting ready for delivery on the new 2310 Action Craft Bay Boat. I am excited to fish the new rig and know that all of my many repeat customers will enjoy the new ride. Also look for the new line of Rods this year from STAR RODS, as I am switching all of my rods to PLASMA and and am extremely excited about the opportunity to fish some of the best rods currently on the market.  Happy Holiday and Enjoy the Tarpon Christmas Card and Discount certificate that I sent out this past week...Till next time,  book early and book often!!!!!!!!!!!

November 5, 2005 -The fishing after the cold fronts has dropped the temperatures of the water dramatically and has caused the bait to leave the flats. The skyway has become the bait hole and most everyone fishing is there in the morning to catch a live well full of whitebait. Early in the week, shrimp were producing Redfish very well on the flats, however the later part of the week, whitebait was the bait of success. Trout are certainly comming back alive on the flats since the temps have dropped and as the water warms the Snook are still feeding in the afternoons. Rivers and docks are going to begin picking up the fish over the next few weeks, if the weather patterns continue. There are Redfish on the flats that are schooled up, and tailing, if you can get to them, as well as in the potholes on these negative tides we been having this past week. I have a few days open here and there, so be sure to give me a call and check availability. Lets get out there and fish before thanksgiving, the picture are sure to bring conversation to the dinner table......... 

October 15, 2005 - The fishing has been very productive lately, even thought the Northeast winds have been blowing through the bay. Back water protected areas have been our haunts this week. Yesterday we had a surprise with a Goliath Grouper being caught, of all things on a shrimp. Man these things fish are strong even when they are small.  The week has been productive as long as you have a live well full of whitebaits. The reds have schooled and keeping them interested with a few chummers here and there have been an important facet of success. All of the reds we caught this week were in the slot with the biggest going 27 inches. The snook are still abundant,  .....in the under 24 inch range, and the bigger ones are being caught on the biggest of Whitebaits. Get out there and Fish, the weather has been just excellent with yesterday the only day this week thus far that was overcast. Wilma is comming and may stir things up for a while, but then I expect the fishing to come back quickly.  

September 2, 2005 - Snook Fishing has been pretty good of late with about 20 fish boated today, with the biggest going 28 inches and 5.5 pounds caught by Pat Harmon.............Nice going Pat!!! Pat also had some nice reds as well, and had a Trout to give him the Inshore Slam.  Great job. With the holiday weekend upon us, be careful out there on the water and stay safe.

August 31, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina has passed, however the effects will be seen for a long while to come. The devastation is unbelievable, the results of which will touch many of our lives. Although the hurricane is gone from the gulf, the water temperature in Tampa bay has dropped and the fishing which was slightly recovering from the effects of the red tide has slowed a bit this week. The big news is Snook Season opens this morning and will have many of us back on the waters searching for some slot size fish. Most all reported this week are 12-24 inches found in the bay. 

August 17, 2005 - The last two days have been pretty productive, but the hardest part of the fishing is guessing where the Red Tide will not be.  On Saturday, it was slow with 1 red, 1 Snook, 4 Jacks and and hole bunch of Catfish, all caught on shrimp. On Monday, after catching bait twice at the bridge, the total tally was 2 snook, 9 redfish, 4 trout, 1 catfish and a mangrove snapper. On Tuesday the tally was 7 redfish, 1 trout, 1 ray and a cat. All in all a pretty productive few trips given the state of the red Tide.

 August 14, 2005 -Great news this week as the fishing is improving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It looks like the red tide may finally be breaking up in some of the gulf waters......This week the bait was back out on the flats and has stayed alive in the wells when boating through the bay waters. The fish have certainly started to bite again with reds caught in the 20-25 inch range and snook in the 25-35 inch range. The shrimp and the whitebaits have been the ticket. The weather has been HOT HOT HOT so be sure to stay cool when on the search for the BigFish!.

July 7. 2005-It is difficult to report that the Red Tide has crept further into the bay, but it has. While the fish are still biting a little, the Red Tide looks to have moved north. Yesterday the marine research group was out collecting samples and I am awaiting the reports this week. With the Red tide and the Hurricane Dennis in the Caribbean, the next few weeks will be slow but also could determine our summer fisheries on the west coast and Tampa.

May 11, 2005-Last week before leaving for Boca Grande, the red tide had hit Perico Harbor in Bradenton and definitely shut down the bite........The waters had been producing good catches of Snook, Redfish, even trout and flounder when targeted.  One of my fellow guides even reported landing a Tarpon. The fishing in St. Petersburg and North seem to be unaffected. Strong catches were the mainstay for the later part of the week with anglers Jo and Bill Meckno from Virginia. On Friday, I headed to Boca Grande were the Tarpon have been slow to arrive. We managed a Tarpon on Friday and Winds on Sunday kept us out of the pass and seeking the refuge of Bull and Turtle bay. The snook and Reds were in the charlotte harbor fashion, putting on a show for Bill and Norma Slyvan, yielding us a snook to 36 inches with many in the 24-26 inch range. The reds were a fat bunch, with some going 26 inches in length.  The devastation from the Hurricanes is still apparent and a looks like it will take quite some time for the vegetation to recover. More on Boca Grande in the coming Weeks...............