One of the great parts of being a professional Captain is the people you meet. One of my favorite charters has to be father & son teams. Wednesday it was a pleasure to welcome back Barry and his son Nolan for another day on the water. Last year Nolan caught just about every species of fish in Tampa Bay! If I recall correctly I believe he took 8 or 10 different species of fish.
After Sundays rain and cold front things had settled down I was optimistic for a quality outing. First stop was the top secret Black drum location. So much for secrets by 845 there was 20 boats chasing drum.
Our first cast was immediately slammed by a large drum. Sadly the fish quickly broke free. We used the trolling motor to quietly ease up on the school and once again hooked up. It was game on with over 50 pounds of Black drum on one end and 90 pound Nolan on the other end. Nolan was amazing to say the least, using a medium action rods he worked the Drum to the boat 3 or 4 times over 20 minutes. Finally Dad jumped in and had the Drum boat side in another 10 minutes.
We took pictures and jumped back into the action. By now boats were chasing the school. it's imperative to wait and be patient and not pressure the school. They drum headed to deeper water and not seen again the next few hours. Trust me be patient and keep the school happy and you will get your shot at a true inshore giant.
We rounded out the balance of the day catching Trout, Ladyfish, Catfish and Pinfish. The water had cooled from Sundays storm and was very murky is spots. The 7 day forecast is outstanding with warm, sunny days. Look for waters temperatures jump from 66 to 70 quickly.
Captain Steven Markovich
www.onthemarkcharters.com
