The old saying about April coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb seemed to be shifted up a month this year and got switched around. May, 2013 came in like a lamb and went out like a lion. During the last week of May we saw steady winds in the 20 – 30+ knot range along with torrential downpours. All my trips during this time got postponed except for one. Toward the end of the week the winds finally came down and the rain storms were much more scattered.
The good news prior to this weather event is that the fishing was very good both offshore and inshore. The even better news is that the fishing has bounced back since the weather quieted down.
Offshore there is a mixed bag of fish with blackfin tuna being the star. Throw in kingfish, bonito, mutton snapper, and sailfish and you have a good mix of the favorites. The dolphin fishing can still be hit and miss.
On the days when they are out there it's great action and tasty fillets. On other days, be prepared to come back in on the reef and finish out the day with the above mentioned species.
As I mentioned, blackfin tuna is the star species during May and June. Catch them early and in the late afternoon till dark. The fish have been averaging in the mid to upper 20 pound range with a few topping 30 pounds. The initial run of the tuna will have you wondering if you have enough line on your reel. Then it's a slug it out give and take battle as you slowly work the fish toward the boat. The final stage of the fight has the fish doing circles all the time trying to throw the hook. Once in the boat, your mouth starts watering as you think about tuna steaks or seared tuna medallions.
This is the time of year when the afternoon/evening fishing trips ready start to shine. You get to sleep in go out at 2:00 pm and fish offshore for the blackfin tuna, dolphin, sailfish, kingfish, and mutton snapper. Then as the sun has almost set, we move inshore and finish off the trip with tarpon action. The tarpon have been waiting till just after sunset to turn on the feed bag. Then it's hold on to your rod, do a lot of reeling, and match your angling skills with the strength and stamina of the tarpon. Almost every tarpon we've hooked lately has beaten its fins straight for the deep water of the main channel at Government Cut. That's when the real fight starts as the tarpon drops down to the bottom of the channel and your job is to get it back up to the surface for pictures and release.
Art, Lynne, and Eric Schneider along with Gemma Ros took full advantage of an afternoon/evening combo trip. Eric got things started with a 25 pound blackfin tuna. The very next drift, we hooked up again, however, this time the fish won when the hook pulled. Not to worry, on the next drift Art hooked up and caught a 28 pound blackfin tuna. It was then Gemma's turn and she added a kingfish to the fish box. The bite slowed down and it was decided to head in early for some tarpon action. Eric had hooked a few tarpon in the past on the west coast of Florida, however, had never successfully landed and released one. On the first drift, he got his chance. His fish ran straight for the main channel. It didn't stay there very long as it came out of the channel on the north side and headed up the beach on the north side of the north jetty. The fight went back and forth with Eric keeping up the pressure and the tarpon responding in kind. In the end, Eric caught and released the tarpon, got video and pictures as well as a souvenir of the hook used to catch his first tarpon.
Shaun Hoskins came back for his second go at tarpon fishing. The wind had started to pick up as it was coming from the NE/ENE @ 17 – 20 knots. The tarpon didn't mind and kept true to form by making us wait until after sunset. They turned on and began chewing on almost every drift. We had a lull for about two drifts before they started feeding again. By the end of the trip, the final count was six (6) tarpon hooked and three (3) tarpon successfully landed and released. The next morning, the wind picked up dramatically and the rains came.
On the last day in May, the wind settled down enough to go tarpon fishing in the evening. The trip with Jeff and Aaron Bemers and Ricky Oliveira was originally scheduled to be an afternoon/evening combo. Jeff opted to only do the tarpon portion of the trip. The wind has settled down to a beautiful ESE/S @ 6 – 10 knots. At about 8:25 pm we got our first tarpon hit. Ricky was up first and got his initial lesson in cranking like crazy as we tried to catch up to the tarpon. Once we caught up the tarpon then started running offshore on the shallow side of the main channel once again dumping a lot of line. Catch up time again, except this time the fish made it to the drop off before we did and the end result was a cut off line on the ledge. We reset our drift and almost immediately hooked up again. This time it was Aaron's turn to crank like crazy. Everything went as planned with his tarpon and the fish released itself after almost jumping into the boat. Another reset and this time Ricky got to catch and released his first tarpon. Then just as quickly as the tarpon turned on, they shut off. Final count for the evening was three (3) tarpon hooked up and two (2) caught and released.
Till my next report, tied good strong knots, and use frisky live bait to get the action you're looking for.
Capt. Dave Kostyo
Knot Nancy Fishing Charters, Inc.
305-965-9454
www.knotnancy.com
nkostyo@bellsouth.net
