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Fishing Report
From Capt. Russ Schnering
www.BradentonFishing.com
06-06-2007
June is here, and the fishing’s been great. The east winds that we experienced
last month should be gone for good, and we can look forward to more typical
summer wind patterns. Typical summer winds translate to more time on the beach
chasing tarpon and more permit fishing on the near reefs.
I
want to congratulate my son, Jonathan, and friends, Cody Raibel, Chris Raibel,
Matt McKeithen, and Colby Flinn for taking first place in the junior division at
the recent Sam Crosthwait Memorial Fishing Tournament. The boys fished hard and
it paid off. Way to go!
Tarpon fishing is still good at the Skyway Bridge, and it’s getting better every
day on the beach. I find that the key to beach fishing is getting there early.
Sometimes, if you wait too long, the fish have already been pressured and are
not as likely to take a bait. The flats are still producing good numbers of
trout, quite a few reds, and some decent catch and release snook.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
05-04-2007
April turned out to be a very busy month for me. We had to deal with high winds
on many days, but we still caught plenty of fish. Now that May is upon us, I’m
looking forward to as many trips as possible out to our local reefs. Starting
this weekend, I’ll be targeting kingfish, grouper, snapper, and permit. On the
days it’s too rough to get outside, there are still plenty of species to catch
in and around Tampa Bay.
Some of my recent charters included catches of a 154lb tarpon, 80lb tarpon,
snook up to 27", redfish ranging from 17" to 33," and plenty of Spanish mackeral
and ladyfish. The trout turned on for us late one day during an outgoing tide,
and we put nine on ice ranging from 17" to 21". We even caught a small shark
that I have yet to identify. The picture is on my website at the top of the
PHOTOS page. If anyone can tell what it is, please email me!
May is looking like a great month! Hope to see you out there.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
04-08-2007
Now that we’re past March, let’s hope for some calm seas and warm temperatures.
All indications are that spring is here. Shiners, the bait of choice, are
plentiful around the Skyway fishing pier. The trout have been sporadic. Some
days we catch our limit in no time, and other days we find only ladyfish and
Spanish mackerel in their place. Redfish remain dependable, with many over 30"
being released. The snook action keeps getting better every trip out. We jumped
our first tarpon of the season just a week or so ago. Reports are the kingfish
can be found several miles out, and the permit are not too far south.
April is looking like it should be a great month for fishing around the
Bradenton area. With trips including tarpon in the morning and possibly permit
in the afternoon, it’s no wonder this is one of my favorite months to get out
there!
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
03-04-2007
Fishing in February was slow as expected. My charters concentrated on mostly
sheepshead, redfish, and trout. Ladyfish where also biting on most of the grass
flats we targeted, with many in the three and four pound range. The whitebait
has been available at the Skyway early in the morning, and I have been using it
as well as shrimp. The water is very clear, so I’ve been using 20lb fluorocarbon
for leader material instead of the usual 30lb to draw more strikes.
Now that March is here everything should start picking up. On my last few trips,
I have spotted more and more snook on the open flats. A few schools of large
redfish have made their presence known. As soon as the winds lay down, I’ll
start bottom fishing offshore in the 30-50ft. range for grouper and snapper.
With some luck, maybe the king mackerel will show as well.
Let’s hope for some good weather these next few weeks. Late March often begins
the most exciting time of the year, and the Gulf seems to come alive again.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
02-01-2007
Some cold weather has finally made its way down and seems to want to stay, for a
while anyway. I have been fishing in “winter mode” these past few weeks and
don’t see any reason to change yet. Targeting mostly sheepshead and redfish in
the morning and trout in the afternoon has been working well. Even with
whitebait available, I have been using more shrimp than anything else. The
sheepshead have been found around docks and local bridges, while the trout have
been feeding late in the day on the edges of the deep grass flats. Last
Wednesday, we found some reds in a pothole on a low tide in the Intercoastal and
were rewarded with a nice one that measured 23".
Hopefully February will pass quickly and springlike conditions will begin in
early March. This spring looks to be a very busy one, let’s hope for great
weather and no Red Tide.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
12-4-2006
Finally, I got a chance to hook some kingfish last week! Tuesday, we had one on
that straightened the hook. During my charter on Sunday, the wind laid down and
we ended up catching one that measured 33". We fished in fifty feet of water and
brought in quite a few grouper, although none were big enough to keep. We did
manage to put some triggerfish and large Key West grunts on ice and ultimately
on the table.
The grouper we have been keeping are coming from within Tampa Bay. Stretch 25's
have been working the best while trolling around the Skyway Bridge. The flats
have been holding some small reds and nice catch and release trout. Ladyfish and
jacks are still eager to take a bait and provide plenty of entertainment.
The weather will determine where I fish over the next few weeks. Windy or calm,
cold or warm, I’m sure I’ll see you out there.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
11-01-2006
The month of October turned out to be a very productive one for the inshore
fishing around lower Tampa Bay. The main focus has been, and should be for the
next couple of weeks, schooling redfish. With the dropping water temperatures,
snook have been active as they migrate into the rivers and canals. The offshore
(5 to 10 miles) should start picking up, and king mackerel, grouper, and snapper
are first on the list. In coming months, I’m sure sheepshead and trout will be
targeted when weather does not permit offshore fishing. Until then, let’s all
take advantage of what warm weather we have left!
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
10-3-2006
Between fishing charters I managed a dive trip last weekend with my good friend,
Lary Nixen. This is the time of year when the grouper should start moving to
within ten miles. Although there were signs of Red Tide, the reefs we dove still
had plenty of fish on them. I wouldn’t call the grouper large yet, but there
were plenty of keeper size mangrove snapper.
The fishing here in the bay has been consistent. Many nice redfish (15"-30") are
being caught, and the snook are coming on strong. A few nights ago, strong winds
pushed my shark fishing charter out of Tampa Bay, and we ended up fishing
lighted docks in the Manatee River. We caught a few undersize snook from one
dock and two beauties from another that measured 36" and 27.” This is the time
of year when I highly recommend trying my $250.00 night charter. The fishing
times are from 6:00PM to 10:00PM, and we usually bring home some nice snook
fillets.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
09-20-2006
The fishing has been pretty good lately, all things considered. I have managed
to fish around the current Red Tide bloom, and I am catching enough to stay
busy. Most of my clients have been catching trout, mackerel, and redfish of all
sizes. Whitebait can still be caught on the flats around daybreak and has been
working well. Some snook have been hanging around one of my favorite grass
flats, although I have not yet been able to get them to eat.
With the weather changing, the fishing will too. Pretty soon we will be
targeting grouper, snapper, and kingfish. With all the baitfish around this
year, we will hopefully have a great kingfish run.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
08-27-2006
This has been a typical Florida summer so far. Red Tide is lurking and
Hurricane Ernesto is forecast to come into the Gulf within the week, but we are
still catching plenty of fish.
A
couple of weeks ago my fishing team and I took 6th place in the Pete
Turner Classic Fishing Tournament. We weighed in two snook (32" & 31"), two
reds (34" & 29"), and two trout (20" & 18"). The weather was excellent, the
fish were biting, and the company was outstanding.
On recent charters I have been targeting redfish, trout, and mackerel. Some of
the reds caught have been scattered across the flats on the high tide and on the
edge of the sand bars on the low. The mackerel are showing up on the same deep
grass flats as the trout. With a few sharks mixed in here and there, these past
few charters have been entertaining to say the least.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
07-11-2006
Our annual trip last month to the Keys turned out to be a great time as usual.
Between the two boats, we ended up with a nice sailfish (released), plenty of
mahi mahi up to 35 lbs.,and a 25lb strawberry grouper (taken with a spear gun).
The most unusual catch on this trip was a rainbow runner, which took one of the
skirts we were pulling through a school of mahi mahi, I haven’t caught one of
those since living in Hawaii several years ago.
The local fishing has been pretty good as well. It’s nice to see that the trout
are recovering nicely from last year’s Red Tide. The redfish are starting to
school up now, providing plenty of excitement when feeding. There are still
some snook around ~ we caught and released one measuring forty inches last
week. The Spanish mackerel are still on the beaches as well as in Tampa Bay.
Tarpon can be found at the mouth of Tampa Bay and at a few spots up the Manatee
River.
There are plenty of fish to target out there. If you’re flexible and plan your
day around some of the afternoon thunderstorms, you should be able to provide
some nice fillets for the dinner table.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
06-16-2006
The fishing has picked up in the month of June. Quite a few tarpon have been
jumped in the past several weeks, with a nice 130 pounder being the biggest
brought to the boat so far. My charters have been on fish at the Skyway Bridge
and on some grass flats near the mouth of the Manatee River. The beaches are
producing some schools as well, but you need to get there early if you want a
hookup. The redfish have been cooperating at various spots around Tampa Bay,
providing some take home filets. The the trout have been dependable also.
This next week I will be down in the Keys for our annual fishing trip. We will
be fishing for dolphin, blackfin tuna, sailfish, and we plan to do a little
SCUBA diving as well. If interested in booking a charter give me a call.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179.
06-01-2006
The month of May turned out to be a little slower than April. The permit fishing
has been off a bit, and the tarpon bite was unpredictable as well. Now that June
is here, that will likely change for the better.
My last couple of charters have included catches of cobia(16 lbs) and a very
nice speckled trout that went 26" (6 lbs). Some of the other species included a
kingfish caught near the skyway bridge, redfish, snook, and Spanish Mackerel.
Now that the tarpon are showing up on our beaches, the full moon on June 11th
should provide some of the best fishing of the year. Try to get out and fish the
strong tides that are sure to follow!
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
05-10-2006
Spring fishing is here in full swing now, with kingfish off the beaches, Spanish
mackerel in the bay, and tarpon showing up everywhere. I still haven’t found any
permit, but they should be here any day. The snook, trout, and reds have been
cooperating on the flats, and even the sharks are putting on a show in and
around Tampa Bay.
Last weekend I managed to SCUBA dive some rocky bottom in 50' of water. I was
glad to see plenty of marine life. The reef was full of mangrove snapper,
hogfish, sheepshead, small grouper, triggerfish, and many other species. The
only concern I had was the large amount of reddish brown grass everywhere.
Hopefully, this is temporary. When the rains come and the water is less clear,
the sunlight will not penetrate so deeply. I’m hoping some of this grass will
disappear.
Whether diving, fishing, or just sight-seeing, it’s a beautiful time to be on
the water.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
04-24-2006
The Spanish mackerel are now here in abundance inside Tampa Bay. Many of the
fish being caught are well over two feet long. Casting white bait at the schools
using long shanked hooks has produced the most strikes. The trick to not getting
cut off after every strike is to keep the line tight, either by casting down
current or by using a slow retrieve. Offshore, the King mackerel have arrived as
well. Mixing in some bottom fishing for grouper and snapper while flat lining a
bait for kings or cobia can be a great way to spend a morning or afternoon when
the weather permits.
The flats are still full of snook, trout, and redfish. With the new moon coming
in a few days, the next week or two will have some strong tides, and the tarpon
bite should be good late in the day. The whitebait is now plentiful and the
fishing is nearly as good as it gets. Make plans today to enjoy some time on the
water.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
04-09-06
My recent trips out have included mostly snook and redfish. The bait is at last
plentiful on the flats. Although a lot of our snook have been short of the
26"minimum size limit, we’ve still put some on ice up to 33". The redfish have
been just the opposite: Trying to catch them small enough, under the 27" maximum
size limit, has been quite a challenge.
We finished very well in a tournament this past Saturday, with a first place for
largest snook, first place for largest trout, and first place for largest
“other” with a jack that weighed in at about 8lbs.
Nighttime tarpon action is starting to pick up. I had a client jump the first
one of the season last week (in the 150lbs range). I expect to hook many more in
the next few months. If interested in my special tarpon charters for $250.00,
give me a call.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
03-25-2006
Inshore fishing these past couple of weeks has been rewarding for my clients.
Some of the different species have included snook up to 34", reds to 26", trout
to 20", sheepshead, jack and bluefish. The whitebait I’ve been catching has been
on the small side but still very effective. Most of my inshore fishing has been
between Terra Ciea and Palma Sola Bays.
Nearshore fishing has included only one trip last week. We picked a day with
little wind and calm seas and traveled out to 50' of water. On the way out we
passed some schools of small baitfish with bonita feeding on them. With the
water temperature around 74 degrees we kept an eye out for kingfish while bottom
fishing. Using small shiners and pinfish, we caught countless grunts, quite a
few short grouper and a couple of nice size mangrove snapper.
April is shaping up to be a great month for fishing here in the Tampa Bay area.
Make your plans early to enjoy some time on the water.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
03-01-2006
Spring is finally making itself known! Despite a couple of cool mornings, the
weather has been what the Chamber of Commerce would call perfect. Many different
species of fish are starting to show up on the flats in good numbers. Most of
the schools of snook my clients have been casting shrimp to have been producing
one or two fish, and then the schools get wise and disappear. We have been
targeting some redfish on the low tides and getting a few of them to the boat.
Ladyfish and pompano have also entertained my last couple of charters.
Sheepshead are still abundant for those who want some steady, rod-bending
action. Some of the near shore reefs should start holding bait soon, which will
attract the kingfish, Spanish mackerel, and plenty of barracuda. Greenback
shiners will show up any day now on the flats, and the inshore fishing is going
to get even better. March and April mark the beginning of some of the best
fishing on Florida’s gulf coast. Don’t get left out. Make your plans today to
enjoy a day on the water.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
2-15-05
02-15-2006
Until this past week, my boat has been on the trailer waiting for new seat
covers. I’d like to thank Kevin Stancil at KTM (Custom Marine Canvas) for doing
such a good job and getting me back on the water quickly.
This past Saturday I was able to take a charter out in the morning. We fished
mostly in Terra Ciea Bay and a little in the Manatee River. Typical of this time
of year, we caught ladyfish with a few trout mixed in. Yesterday, once the ice
melted on my boat, the day started out with me searching a few different bait
shops for shrimp. Apparently, with all the bad weather over the weekend, the
shrimp boats didn’t get out to catch any fresh shrimp. Fortunately, I found a
shop with bait left over from last week. By 9:00 a.m., we had lines in the
water. The morning started slowly but picked up near the end of the incoming
tide just after lunch. Most of the action came from sheepshead caught in
Longboat Pass. We also caught a nice bluefish on shrimp. We finished the day
catching slot size trout in Palma Sola Bay.
The weather is starting to warm up again, and the white-bait is sure to show up
soon. I think we’ll see some great changes on our local flats in the next few
weeks. Good Luck!
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
01-11-06
I hope everyone had a good holiday season. We are in the middle of winter and,
although the fishing may be limited in variety, it remains consistent.
Sheepshead are the staple on most trips with ladyfish, trout, bluefish and
flounder all helping to keep the rods bent. The kingfish passed us right by with
some of the cold fronts we had last month, and the grouper bite is still better
inside Tampa Bay than just off our beaches. There are some redfish around and
still some good size snook showing themselves in Palma Sola Bay. So far, the
weather has been forgiving. Let’s hope these next few weeks will remain the
same.
12-1-05
With the water temperature down in the low 70's now, some different strategies
are being used to catch fish. The docks in and around the Manatee River are
holding good numbers of snook and redfish, and the bridges crossing the river
between Bradenton and Palmetto are a great place to fish at night. A nice
flounder was caught the other day in one of the local passes, and it looks like
the sheepshead are showing up in abundance.
While camping with my family over the Thanksgiving holiday, we managed a trip
out about eight miles looking for kingfish. Although we didn’t find any of the
big mackerel, we did manage to bring back a cobia. We also had a tripletail
hooked up for a few minutes. We trolled some grouper plugs around Tampa Bay and
picked up three nice gag grouper for the camp fire.
As you can tell from this fishing report, the fall/winter can offer some really
good fishing. My next report should include some more information on kingfish.
If you are interested in trying for some grouper on the bottom or snook around
some docks, give me a call.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
11-11-2005
It seems the weather can’t get any better, and the fishing has been great.
Lately, my clients have brought everything to the boat from bluefish to trout to
red’s and plenty of snook. The whitebait can still be caught in parts of Terra
Ciea Bay, and is working well. It’s getting close to that time of year when I’ll
start carrying a few dozen shrimp to target the pompano and sheepshead. There is
still no word of kingfish, but hopefully they will show up in good numbers over
the next couple weeks. A charter that is very productive right now is my evening
charter. Instead of targeting tarpon, I’m catching snook around lighted docks.
This trip is less expensive than a full or half day and just as productive.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
10-17-2005
The cool mornings we’ve had the past few days are a welcome change. It’s been
quite some time since a jacket was required while catching bait in the pre-dawn
hours. The water temperature has stayed in the low 80's now for a few weeks, and
the fishing has been very good.
We have been catching snook up to 36" on some of the usual flats in Terra Ciea
Bay and around Joe’s Island. The reds are more scattered out than last month,
but they are still producing with sizes in the 18"-27" slot. Trout were
productive last week as well, with most being around the 15" minimum size limit.
We got into a school of ladyfish the other day so thick they were bumping into
the boat. They were feeding on schools of shiners, and underneath the sharks
were feeding on them.
The temperatures have been great and the Red Tide manageable. It will be
interesting to see what happens off our beaches in the next few weeks. We are
usually getting ready for a mackerel run and the grouper bite to pick up. This
fall and winter might be spent fishing the Tampa Bay shipping channel and the
flats that surround it.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
09-21-05
The month of September has provided some pretty good catches in and around Tampa
Bay. I’ve still been using small pinfish and greenback shiners under a float,
while working the grass flats in the one to three ft. range. Fishing these past
strong outgoing tides has produced plenty of trout and small snook with a few
reds mixed in. Flounder are still being caught with some mangrove snapper taking
the bait as well. With the weather cooling off these next few weeks, take
advantage and be sure to get out on the water!
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
08-22-05
Fishing these past couple of weeks has been interesting. I
have fished quite a few charters and another tournament, and it seems no two
days have been the same. The staple on every trip has been redfish, with a few
snook, trout, and flounder mixed in. I’m still catching my bait on the flats,
and I have been keeping all the extra pinfish I can. Pinfish can endure the Red
Tide and/or shallow flats where the water might be in the high 90's. Fishing my
bait fish about 18 inches under a Cajun Thunder has been working great for both
redfish and snook.
Offshore has been disappointing to say the least. My last
couple of trips out to fifteen miles have not produced the first fish. Pretty
soon I’ll dawn the SCUBA gear and get a firsthand look at the damage the Red
Tide has caused to our local reefs. I’m no longer concerned with this summer’s
permit run, but I wonder if they will return next spring. Hopefully the near
shore reefs will hold the usual grunts, grouper, and snapper this winter.
Meanwhile, I’ll have my clients on the flats fishing for
redfish and trout. Let’s not forget that snook season opens Sept. 1st.
I can hardly wait.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
07-26-05
Well it’s been a few weeks, and I’ve been busy on the water. Red Tide has
still been lingering but is much better now. Let’s hope it’s just about
gone. There is still some small white bait on the flats and bigger bait around
the markers and bridges. Everything considered, it seems like the fishing is
getting back to normal.
I fished in the Desoto Fishing Tournament a couple of weeks ago with
teammates Mark Royal, Mark Atwood, and my brother Brian. Being so tired of the
Red Tide, we decided to fish 60 miles south and did pretty well. We weighed in
two 36" snook, two reds measuring 29" & 27", and two trout
18" & 19", all of which where good enough for 5th
place.
Since then my clients have caught at least one fish on every charter that
would have put us nearly in 1st place. Besides all the small snook
and 18" to 26" reds we have brought to the boat a 44" snook,
another 36" snook, a 28" red and a 25" trout.
I haven’t been offshore lately but have a trip planned tomorrow. The winds
should be calm and there are some crabs available for bait. Hopefully my next
report will have some cobia, snapper, and permit included in the catch.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
07-03-05
With all the Red Tide around, it seems like the place to be
is the FL Keys. I spent a few days down there just more than a week ago with
some great friends, and I’m here to tell you, it was fun! The winds laid down
for us and we were able to fish as far out as we wanted. The majority of our
catch were dolphin in the 2-4lb range with a few larger ones as well as some
black-fin tuna. Mix in four open water dives for my PADI scuba certification and
one deep water wreck dive at the USS Blackthorn (thanks to my brother who is a
PADI instructor), and you can imagine the great time it was.
Enough about the keys, back here in Bradenton the fishing has
been a bit challenging but rewarding. Last Wednesday, I was able to take a
charter out past the Red Tide and managed an impressive mixed bag of fish. With
the use of a chum bag on one of the near reefs, we were able to "turn
on" the snapper (mangrove and yellowtail), catch some small grouper, put a
34" cobia in the cooler, and the catch of the day was a 27lb permit. On the
inside we are still searching for fish while struggling to keep bait alive. Some
of the species caught have been snook, flounder, blacktip shark and trout. It’s
not been great on the flats, but with a little patience and knowing that bait
may have to be caught a couple of times throughout the day, a day on the water
can still be enjoyable and productive.
Good luck, and I’ll see you on the water.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
06-16-05
The word that comes instantly to mind when I consider the
past few weeks is "inconsistent." I’m still catching plenty of fish,
but I’m having to depart from my normal routine and try some different
tactics. The tarpon fishing has slowed down for no apparent reason, except
perhaps the red tide, which is putting a damper on things. The permit are still
out there on the near reefs, along with some small grouper. The
catch-and-release snook action has been reliable as has the speckled trout
fishing.
Nothing like a good challenge.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
05-31-05
Just as expected, the tarpon fishing so far has been anything
but disappointing. During my last few trips, my customers have brought four to
the boat with a few others that threw the hook. The length of each fight has
varied from 10 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes, with all the tarpon ranging in
weight from 80 to 100lbs.
During yesterday’s trip, we had a hard time getting our
catch back to the boat before it was eaten by goliath grouper. On one occasion,
I managed to "free spool" a permit long enough so it could escape from
one of these grouper. Once I had it in the boat, I noticed large scrapes on its
sides from where the grouper had it in its mouth.
The inshore flats have been as good as ever, producing catch
and release snook, trout, and flounder. The mackerel and small shark are still
feeding on the deeper flats around Tampa Bay. With the upcoming high tides
around the new moon, I’ll be targeting reds and snook around the mangroves and
on the oyster bars.
Hope to see you there.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
05-22-05
Fishing right now is as good as it gets. The water temp. seems just right for
all the different species that frequent Tampa Bay and it’s surrounding waters.
We have been jumping tarpon with some regularity now and this is just the
beginning of the season! The trout fishing has come on real strong with some
days producing forty to fifty fish. My last couple of charters have also
produced snook, kingfish, permit, grouper, bluefish and even a few sharks. I’m
looking forward to these next couple of months with a trip to the FL Keys and a
couple of fishing tournaments to participate in. Hopefully hurricane season this
year won’t be as active as last.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
05-10-05
The fishing has been pretty good these past couple of weeks
with trips both inshore and nearshore producing a good variety of fish. There
are still some kingfish in 30 to 50 feet of water, and the permit have been
cooperating at that same depth. Inshore has plenty of catch-and-release snook,
with reds and trout mixed in. Spanish mackerel and small sharks are taking as
much tackle as they possibly can on some of the deeper flats in Tampa Bay. My
Sunday charter had a good time when each of the three fifteen year old boys I
had on board took turns fighting a tarpon in the eighty pound range. It took a
little while, but they ended up with a nice picture and a good healthy release.
This weekend is the annual Sam Crosthwait Memorial Fishing Tournament, so if
anyone is looking for some fun, the weigh-in is this coming Sunday. The offshore
boats usually start showing up just before noon, and they weigh in until about
3:00 p.m. Some of the biggest grouper and snapper I have ever seen have been at
this weigh-in. Whatever the reason, I encourage everyone to get out during the
next several weeks to enjoy the Tampa Bay area at its best.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941) 713-8179
04-24-05
Although a couple of weeks late, spring is finally here. Last week we did
well with permit in the 10lb range, boating three and losing one to a goliath
grouper. The kingfish are still offshore and as hungry as ever. This past Friday
while I was concentrating on a school of cobia out at the Betty Rose wreck, my
good friend George Smock hooked and landed a sailfish while fishing with friends
Mark Royal and Dan Snyder. Inshore fishing is still producing snook, trout,
redfish, and the occasional flounder. Yesterday I jumped my first tarpon of the
season, so I’ll be starting my $200.00 tarpon trips very soon. These next
couple of months we will see some of the best fishing Florida has to offer so
don’t hesitate to get out on the water.
Capt. Russ Schnering
(941)713-8179
04-06-05
With the weather becoming more stable the fishing has improved as expected.
Now that the Red Tide has gone and the winds have laid down a bit I finally took
a charter out to around ten miles. The day started with a few nice spanish
mackerel and then became very exciting when some kingfish in the 15 lb range
showed up and were very hungry. After putting a few on ice we decided to turn
our attention to grouper, we managed to put four in the box with the largest
measuring 34". It was quite the challenge getting the grouper bait to the
bottom before the kingfish got it.
Inshore continues to produce reds and trout with more and more snook making
there way out on the flats. There are a lot of nice fish around (snook) but not
all are eating yet, I’m sure as the water continues to warm up the larger ones
will become more eager to take a bait.
Everything considered, it’s a great time of year to be out on the water.
Capt. Russ Schnering
03-27-05
Fishing these last couple of weeks has been interesting to say the least. I’ve
had to deal with everything from Red Tide to 60mph winds, cold and rain, and
even getting sunburned. With all that said I wouldn’t change a thing. The
water temp. is starting to warm up and the bait has shown up on the flats now to
stay. I still haven’t made any trips off the beach due to the Red Tide and
wind, I’m hoping we will still have a good kingfish run this spring.
The inshore has been productive with catches of snook to 28in, trout to 21in,
and reds to 24in. There are enough undersized snook, ladyfish, and jacks around
that it keeps everyone busy catching fish while still putting some keepers in
the cooler. The sheepshead are still cooperating around the bridges as well as a
few mangrove snapper.
Looking at last years log we should start seeing some tarpon and then not far
behind will be permit. Let’s hope this Red Tide bloom is almost over or at
least we get some wind strong enough to blow it far into the Gulf. Good luck and
go fishing.
Capt. Russ Schnering
03-07-05
Just when we thought the water temperature was going to reach
70º, another cold front came through and cooled things down. Last week the
whitebait became plentiful on the flats (it was like candy to the speckled
trout!). We caught some snook around a few docks and the sheepshead are still
eating shrimp at every opportunity. There is not much to report from offshore as
the seas were too rough for me the days I intended to go out. Everything is
pointing to a good spring and should start really picking up over the next week
or two. Once the bait shows up offshore (out to ten miles) the spanish and king
mackerel will be close behind. Between fishing the bottom for grouper and
snapper and keeping a flat line out for mackerel, days on the nearshore reefs
can be full of excitement.
Capt. Russ Schnering
02-13-05
Fishing these winter months has been slower than in the summer. We have been
catching some nice grouper on some of the reefs closer in and even in the bay.
With white bait a little more scarce it's not a bad idea to try artificial
lures. The grouper have been hitting the Manns Stretch 25's and 30's. While
trolling it's a good idea to keep an eye out for tripletail, they will be close
to floating debris and crab trap buoys. The snapper and sheepshead have been
available around bridge pilings and are eager to take a shrimp. The trout and
ladyfish are on the flats as well right now.
Capt. Russ Schnering
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