Fishing report for the week ending 10/24/2010
With colder weather clearly on the way we are well into the annual bait migration with fish, birds and fisherman all reaping the benifits. On the lighter wind days its hard not to spend most of the time fishing off the beaches. There is bait everywhere, shinners, mullit and every type of small bait in the area is moving off the beaches in incredible numbers.
Following the bait are ladyfish, mackerel,bluefish,kingfish,jacks,sharks and tarpon. This is a event that only happens for a week or two each year just before cooler weather arrives, they are very easy to find just go off the beaches anywhere and look for the birds. The great thing about this is it does not require live bait although it works very well, spoons, or soft baits are great but be prepared to loose a few unless you use wire leader. Another thing you can never know exactly what you are going to hook, it can be as small as a one or two pound ladyfish to a hundred pound tarpon or shark. This makes choosing tackle a trick but you can bet if you have a light rod and reel you will hook a big fish, murphys law.
For instance while catching ladyfish, mackerel and bluefish using live free lined shinners within a ten minute span on friday we hooked a 100lb. tarpon and a 6ft. blacktip. Like I said this was on 20lb. spinning tackle neither of which lasted very long but the tarpon made two spectackular jumps 20ft. from the boat and the blacktip ate a small bluefish that was being reeled in right next to the boat. The folks I was fishing with ken and Sandy Ashley have caught lots of fish here but I am sure there still talking about it.
Inshore snook , trout and redfish have been steady but I have not spent a lot of time on them with whats going on nearshore.
Take advantage of the great fishing and weather and the lack of crowds.
For charter information or to book a charter contact
Capt. Gary Clark
Ultimate Charters
Ph. 239-542-9315
E-mail fish@ultimatecharters.com
www.ultimatecharters.com or
Saturday mornings on ESPN reeltalk radio am 770 between 7-9 am