FLORIDA FISHING REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING 3/15/08
by
Capt. Butch Rickey
I got to run four out of five trips I had on the books this week. The first part of the week we saw big winds out of the north after the big front that passed on Saturday. Dr. John Hitt and I decided it was best to stay in port on Sunday, as the winds blew, and the fish were surely lockjawed. So, the week began on Monday with Joe Moyle and his crew, who had braved the elements the previous Friday as the front blew in.
Monday morning, Joe, Stu, and Harry were delayed when the caretaker for Stu's wife failed to show up. She had apparently forgotten to set her clock ahead. Then when they got hold of her, her car wouldn't start. So, it was around 8:30 or so before we were underway. I told the boys as we made ready it would be a tough day of catching, and windy. They were quick to tell me that after having such a good time on Friday, they didn't care whether the fish ate or not. They just wanted to be back on the water for one more day.
We headed to the flat at St. James Creek, where we caught one shiner after some serious chumming. I wasn't really surprised. Generally, bait gets tougher as the sun gets higher, plus I figured the front may have blown it out. We moved on to Tapon Bay where we caught a total of three shiners. With the time approaching ten o'clock, we decided to take on the day with artificials.
We headed off into the Sound to see if we could catch "anything". The first thing that happened as we went to set up on our first spot was that the Power Pole broke. On, no! Anything but that! I had expressed my concerns for the Power Pole to Joe and the boys on Friday in that 30 MPH plus wind and the chop that comes with it. I was fully prepared for it to break then. But, it didn't. I guess that if we'd fished one more spot it would have let go, as I'm sure the damage was done on that Friday. So, it would be anchor appreciation day!
Our first stop gave us quite a few trout, but they were on the small side. Typically the trout that inhabit that spot are very nice and plentiful. We moved to another great snook/trout hole where the fish are always quite nice, but only got one very nice trout to eat.
We hit a number of spots all of which offer up good fishing, but the fish weren't having anything to do with us. Eventually, I came back to the same area to another hole a quarter mile away, and we scored our best fishing and best size trout of the day. We caught plenty, and again put fish in the well for the girls at home.
We paid a visit to one beautiful snook hole as the last stop of the day, but couldn't get anything interested in our lures. With the tide about done, we headed for home. It was imperative that I get the Talon to Fowler Marine for Power Pole repairs. I couldn't imagine a whole week without it. Although it wasn't a typical day in the Sound, we had made it work and came home with fish. And, I thoroughly enjoyed my two days of adventure with Joe, Stu, and Harry!
I arrived at the ramp Tuesday morning for my trip with David Bond and his son Ted, happy to have my Power Pole back in working order and hopeful there would be bait. With the big front now well entrenched, it was already cool and windy. I fully expected another tough bite.
We headed off to Tarpon Bay figuring it would give us a bit more protection from the brisk E/SE breeze which was already up. Bait was tough, but we got it. It now remained to be seen if anything would eat it.
We had almost no moving water until around ten o'clock, so we had a couple of hours to burn before we could reasonably expect to have much biting. We headed to a spot that would squeeze the water down and cause it to move a little. To my surprise, the David and Ted caught several snook. But, to my further surprise, once the tide turned and the bite should have been on, the fish quit eating. We gave them a few minutes to make sure, and then moved on.
Our next stop was at a pothole that offers great snook and big trout fishing. Although the boys caught some nice trout and a ladyfish, there were no snook hooked. We did have some baits scaled as only a snook can do it, so we knew they were there thinking about it. The ladyfish went into the well for possible later use as bait.
At the next stop it was more of the same. The Bonds caught several more trout. No snook. And, then again at the next stop it was more trout, but nothing else. We had some nice trout in the well. I decided to move on north into the Sound to see if we could find some hungry snook. I chose one of my favorite snook holes, and one that has been giving me great action of late. But, we couldn't buy a bite, except from the birds, which literally drove us nuts all week. I feel comfortable saying there would have been many more fish caught were it not for the birds stealing our baits.
Frustrated with the bite and the birds, I opted to make a big move to a totally different area. We would use the ladyfish to see if we could catch some redfish, and hopefully avoid the birds. We were just a redfish away from having the West Coast Slam! After settling at a spot I hadn't fished in a very long time, we scored on the steaked ladyfish. It took almost no time for the bite to begin after the steaks hit the water. They were beautiful fish running to almost 11 pounds, and I was concerned that we may not catch one small enough to keep.
WINTER FISHING IS ALMOST OVER!
WINTER FISHING IS ALMOST OVER!
But, as we fished another school showed up, and the fish were near the top of the slot. We put our limit in the well, and ended the day in grand fashion. Those big reds are so much fun to catch! A few days ago, I received the following note from Ted.
Capt Butch
When you send my Dad the pictures can you also send them to my e-mail
address? I am not sure my Mom or Dad will figure out how to send them to me.
Also I wanted to Thank You again for a great trip this week. Dad was not
sure he was up to a full day of fishing but you made him excited about
fishing again and for that I THANK YOU!!!!
Ted
I hadn't seen David and Ted in a few years, and it was great to receive this note!
Wednesday, I met Jim McNulty and Lloyd Momborquette, of Medfield, Mass. for my first trip with them. Jim winters in Bonita Springs. I knew that with everything going on and degenerating tides, it would a another tough day. By now, another small front had passed, and the wind was back around to northerly. We headed to St. James Creek for bait, and after a protracted battle with the snotty grass that covers the bottom there, had enough bait for a day of fishing. We headed off to our first spot on what would be a hard, but good day with Jim and Lloyd.
We were greeted with your basic lockjaw everywhere we went. At the first stop Jim and Lloyd caught a couple of snook and a trout. But, that was it. The next spot offered up only one snook, but plenty of birds. The next spots offered up goose eggs, but we weren't hunting for eggs!
WINTER FISHING IS ALMOST OVER!
It was time to see if we could catch a ladyfish or two, and then see if we could turn them into redfish. But, even that was tenuous! We made drift after drift across a fertile ladyfish/trout flat and managed a couple only. But, that would be more than enough to do what we wanted to do. We headed to redfish country.
With the wind out of the north/northwest, it was a different setup. But, I knew the fish were there. I would fish my way across the flat until I found them, or they found me. Or, would they eat at all? Nothing else had.
I prepared the ladyfish steaks and put them out a good 150 ft. from the boat. We waited. Nothing. After a few minutes, I moved us up the distance of a cast, and put the baits back out. Nothing! Well, we don't count catfish!
The third move was the charm. Jim scored a big, beautiful redfish that was right at the top of the slot. A short time later, another big red was cut off by an oyster or something sharp in the bottom. A little later, a big snook took off with Lloyd's bait. It managed to jump in the shallow water and we got a good look at it. It was a beauty, and would have gone home. But, after fighting it to the boat, the snook did what snook do, and took off for the back of the boat looking to break Lloyd off on the motor or the Power Pole. I was coaching Lloyd on how to turn the fish, but in his excitement he yanked back hard on the rod at a strange angle, and ripped the hook from the big snook's mouth. She swam to freedom. Lloyd was less than pleased with himself.
WINTER FISHING IS ALMOST OVER!
The last fish of the day came as we were preparing to leave for home. As I readied the boat, Lloyd hooked what turned out to be a beautiful trout of nearly 5 pounds. It was a good way to end a tough day, and we did get the Slam. Jim and Lloyd were great guys, and a lot of fun.
WINTER FISHING IS ALMOST OVER!
Thursday was not only a very tough day, but it was one of the toughest for me in a long time. Fortunately, it was with a great couple of guys, Charlie Cooper and Jack Mackenzie, of East Falmouth, Mass. I've been fishing with Charlie for a number of years, and had some great times with him. Jack joined us last year. Charlie and Jack are both laid back, easy going guys, and those are the kind of anglers you want to have in the boat when things are very tough.
We began the day at Tarpon Bay for bait, and although it was quite tough, we got more than enough for a day of fishing. If you factor in the lack of a bite, we had more than enough! That was one obstacle out of the way. The next big obstacle would be a horrible tide that would go on for some sixteen hours. And, then there are the birds!
Well, we began in Ding Darling. Hadn't been in the sanctuary in some time, and though it might be a good change, and a way to get out of the prevailing wind, which was pretty stiff out of the northeast. We fished some of the prettiest, snookiest looking shoreline God created with not so much as a hit. And, I have caught so many snook, big snook, in there, as well as redfish, grouper, snapper, and outsized trout. But, nothing. Well, nothing but scaled shiners, that is. They did let us know they were there, but weren't about to eat.
From there I decided I'd like to get some ladyfish in the well early, and know that we had them for later use on redfish. We hit the flat on the north side of the powerlines on the Sanibel side, which is usually full of ladyfish, trout, and other fish, and struggled to put two ladyfish into the boat. We did catch a trout or two in the process. After repeated drifts, we decided to take our two ladies and move on.
We settled on a series of potholes that are usually full of willing snook this time of year. We fished our way down them catching a few trout, but couldn't catch a snook. We did have a lot of baits scaled, though. As we got to the end of the potholes, we eased up on one of them after fishing it and were treated to the sight of several "big" snook scooting out of the hole once we got too close. They were there, all right!
We moved on and settled on another series of potholes that I love to fish for big trout on the winter low tides. I hadn't fished them but once this winter, and caught some beautiful fish. But, Mother Nature had other ideas, and we struggled to catch anything. We did catch a number of trout, with the largest at 3 pounds, though. And, although we started out tossing live bait, we caught all the trout on jigs! Makes you wonder.
WINTER FISHING IS ALMOST OVER!
The water was finally about right to chase some redfish, so we moved on. Again, we fished our way across the flat waiting on contact with an alien redfish. Finally, it came. Charlie boated a beautiful 27 inch redfish! A little later, Jack boated an 18.25 inch red. Again, fish from different schools. I'm sure we had plenty of fish there, but they just weren't interested, even in that magic ladyfish bait.
WINTER FISHING IS ALMOST OVER!
It was time to head home. For the first time this week, we hadn't put a snook into the boat, or gotten the Slam. It was indeed a tough day. But, the really tough days, and the tough weeks, are turned into gold by great customers and great anglers; anglers who know fishing isn't always about catching, but is about enjoying the outdoors, and enjoying the fellowship of good friends and kinfolk.
Be sure to check out www.BestFishingBooks.com, Books and gifts for fishermen from my friend Jim Dicken!