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CAPT. THOM SMITH
HERE'S
THE LATEST FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER'S REPAIR,
Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 & 776-1187
e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
DEC. 27,
2003
WINTER
FISHING TIPS
Usually during
the winter months, I basically target two types of areas to try to produce
fish for my customers. One is concentrating on more developed areas like
docks, piers, bridges, sunken boats and the rock
ledges of the InterCoastal Waterway. Most of this fishing is
done using live bait like shrimp or pieces of shrimp, fishing for redfish,
flounder, sheepshead, mangrove snapper and an occasional
grouper.
When I target
these type of places, I look for structure that is "seasoned".
By seasoned, I mean that they've been around for awhile, like pilings of a
dock that have lots of barnacles, oysters or growth around the base.
This food source will be a feeding station for the fish and provide a good
opportunity for the angler. To fish these areas, you'll want to anchor a
short casting distance away from the structure so as not to spook the fish.
You may want to use a medium heavy rod in the 12 to 20 pound class with the
same pound test line, a two foot length of 20-25 lb. leader line, very sharp
hooks and a split shot on the leader, to hold the bait in the feeding zone.
The idea is to
get the bait up under a dock or as close to the object as possible. You
may lose tackle and have to re-rig occasionally, but remember, if your not
getting hung up, you're not close enough! There's an old saying when
fishing for sheepshead. "You have to hook them before they
bite". Sounds strange, but it's somewhat true. Sheepshead can
steal your bait before you know it, so here's a tip. Allow no slack in
your line. Watch your line where it enters the water and set the hook on
any little bump or movement of the line. Sometimes it takes awhile to
get the feel for it, but you will get the hang of it. There are a variety of
fish available for this type of fishing, so you may be surprised at what you
may hook into. Sheepshead are not the prettiest fish in the sea, but
they are strong fighters and excellent table fare.
The second type
of winter fishing and really as long as it lasts, is my favorite.
Fishing the backwaters for redfish, flounder, trout and even sheepshead.
This is what I've been doing for the past month and its been very productive.
During the winter months, we have some very low tides, especially over the
full and new moon periods. What that does is bunch the fish up into
potholes and the deep holes, usually adjacent to oyster bars and even when the
tide comes in, they still may stay in the holes, because of the food that's
available there.
Artificials are
what I prefer to use and over the past few trips, the Baby Bass
color of the Mister Twister RT Slug, rigged on a 1/16oz jig head
or a Keeper Hook has produced for me. Last week, I had a client that
used a fly imitation in chartruse and white to catch redfish, ranging from
15" to 25" on an 8 weight fly rod. The Baby Bass
has a light green back and a silver underbelly.
Terra
Ceia and Joes Bays are a couple of the areas I've had success.
Winter fishing in the back waters sometimes takes a lot of patience and you
may have to poke around until you find a spot that is holding fish.
Also, in the very clear water, you need to be stealthy and fish a hole before
you drift over it and miss an opportunity. Remember, the water
temperature on the flats is about 58 degrees, so if you're going to fish
artificials, slow your retrieve down and give the fish a chance to catch up.
Most of the time, they won't exert the energy to chase a lure that
"zips" by.
HAPPY NEW
YEAR, AND GOOD FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH 941-795-6711
e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
JOIN ME
EVERY SAT. MORNING FROM 8:30-10:00 FOR "ON THE WATER WITH CAPT.
THOM" 1490AM. Give me a call at 745-1490 or toll free
1-877-331-1490 with any questions or you Own Report.
HERE'S
THE LATEST FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER'S REPAIR,
Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 &
776-1187 e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
DECEMBER
14, 2003
Over the past few
weeks, as the water temperature continues to drop, I've concentrated on
fishing the back waters of Terra Ceia and Joe's Bays
with fairly good results, especially for redfish. I've tried to target a
few different ty places like mangrove shorelines and oyster bars, adjacent to
deep holes or drop offs. Also, very shallow areas with pot holes close to the
same type of structure.
The secret to
this type fishing is the structure because it holds a food source that's still
available. After all the bait disappears, as the water cools down, there
are still small crabs and other critters crawling around in the shell and
sand. What I've been doing is trying to squeeze my boat into shallow
areas and working every inch of the target area with a Mister
Twister RT Slug, rigged on a Keeper Hook
or using a Norton 16th ounce Jig Head.
Spoons also work
and I've been using a Capt. Mikes Spoon with a
chartruse or pink decale on it. The spoon has a large willow leaf blade
that's not made to work fast. It has a nice wobble and reds have a tough
time turning it down. This time of the year, lures have to be worked
slower to give the fish time to react and catch up with the lure.
Patience is necessary because you may have to do some searching and moving to
find your fish.
GOOD
FISHING & HAPPY HOLIDAYS, CAPT. THOM SMITH
JOIN ME
EVERY SAT. MORNING FROM 8:30 - 10:00 ON 1490AM, FOR "ON THE WATER WITH
CAPT THOM" RADIO. Give me a call at: toll free
1-877-331-1490 or local 745-1490, or call me at ANGLER'S REPAIR
941-795-6711 WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR REPORTS.
RENENBER, IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO GET YOUR CUSTOM ROD OR CHARTER CERTIFICATE FOR
YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS. 941-776-1187 OR 941-795-6711.
HERE'S
SOME CHRISTMAS SUGGESTIONS FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS &
ANGLER'S REPAIR, Bradenton 941-796-6711 & 776-1187
e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
DECEMBER
6, 2003
With Christmas
right around the corner, I always think about gifts for the angler or anglers
in the family, and I'd like to pass on a few ideas that may be helpful.
Every year, some new items come out on the market, but most of the time, it's
just a new twist on something that's been around for awhile. One of the
handiest new things is a Line winding Station. This
machine will strip the old line off of your spools and wind new line on.
It's a smaller version of the commercial line winders that tackle shops use.
It makes replacing your line quick and easy without the line twist that alot
of people get when they do it by hand.
Rods and reels
can come in two piece combos or individual rods and reels costing from
$40.00 on up, so if you have that in mind as a gift, be sure what type of
fishing they intend to use it for before buying. For the person that
wants a personalized fishing rod built just for them, a Custom Rod
is the way to go. A custom rod builder can build a rod the length,
action, and thread color that suits your needs. Some rod builders can do
fancy artwork, weaving fish, Maltese Crosses and eagles into the wraps.
Also, your name or boat name can make the rod even more personal.
As I've gotten
older, artwork, such as paintings, sculptures and wood carvings have
a special interest to me. Being in the line of work that I'm in, it's
paintings with fishing scenes, fish and boats that I enjoy. The carvings
that I have were done by Frank Gabriel of Appolo Beach.
The ones I have are full size replicates of snook and redfish that alot of
people have a difficult time believing they're carved from wood.
Harvey
Gaunt is a local artist that does excellent work on everthing
from fish prints, t-shirts to custom picture frames for your artwork.
Harvey can be found at the Red Barn Flea Market. Florida
Sportsman puts out a line of books that are very helpful and
I'll mention 4 that I have. The "Fishing Planner"
gives you a full year of tide, moon phase and solar-lunar tables for all of
Florida. Also, alot of useful information about a variety of things.
"Sportfish of Florida" and "Sportfish
of the Gulf of Mexico" are two fish identification books
that are illustrated by Kevin Brant. The pictures are in color and right on
the money. Each fish is described with its scientific name, other names
it may have and other information about the fish, such as size, food value,
game qualities, tackle and baits to use and areas that the fish can be found
in.
"Bait
Rigs and Tackle" covers more knots that you will ever need
to know, from how to tie a "bimini twist" to how to hook a shrimp
and other live baits. Personally, I think all of these books are
necessary to have. "How to" books and videos on fly fishing
and fly tying, cast netting, cast net repair, cleaning fish and books on
antique rods, reels and lores are popular. Stocking Stuffers range from
filet knives, sharpening stones, lures, jig heads, hooks and charts.
These days, if
none of these ideas appeal to you, check with a local tackle shop for help.
They have knowledgeable people that fish and can give you first hand
information. Gift certificates always work and all of the tackle shops
have them. Fishing Guides also have gift
certificates available and it's a good way to secure a fishing trip for a
prime time period.
I hope some of
the suggestions help. If you have any questions or want more
information, you can call me, Capt. Thom Smith at Angler's
Repair, Bradenton 795-6711. We also have gift
certificates for rod or reel work, and we build Custom Rods.
GOOD
FISHING & REMEMBER, YOU CAN JOIN ME ON THE RADIO EVERY SATURDAY MORNING
FROM 8:30-10:00 ON 1490AM, FOR "ON THE WATER WITH CAPT. THOM".
Call in, tool free 1-877-331-1490 or 745-1490. YOU CAN ALSO
REACH ME AT ANGLER'S REPAIR & FLATS LADY CHARTERS - 941-795-6711.
e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
HERE'S
SOME "FALL FISHING TIPS" FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY
CHARTERS & ANGLER'S REPAIR, Bradenton, Fl
941-795-6711 & 776-1187
e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
NOVEMBER
15, 2003
FALL
FISHING TIPS
After 3 days of
early morning temperatures being in the 50's and the probability of another
cool front pushing through this week, it looks like Fall is settling in. The
Gulf water temperature has again dropped to the low 70s and unless we get
another warming trend, fishing will be in the "Fall mode".
This past week, I was able to fish an area near Miguel Bay.
It's a place that I really like to wade on the lower tides. We did
manage some snook and "catch and release" trout. (Remember
trout are Out of Season until Jan. 1st). We were using Mister
Twister RT Slugs in the rainbow shad and golden bream colors,
but with the water being a little chilly, it was more productive and warmer to
stay in the boat and work the grass edges and the sand bar that runs from Big
Pass of Miguel Bay, southwesterly to Terra
Ceia Point.
As we moved
along, using the trolling motor, we were able to sight cast for redfish
and snook. It's only a few feet deep and the water is
nice and clear. Once you get the hang of recognizing what you're looking
at and casting to , it's alot of fun. When the fish are in the grass,
they are almost impossible to see, but alot of the predator fish will stage up
just on the edges and from a distance, may look like just a clump of grass off
the main body of grass. If you see anything like that, make your cast to
the object, but not right on it. You may get a pleasant surprise.
We did manage
some nice redfish and some smaller undersized snook. One other thing I
did notice was the amount of big sheepshead staged up on the
flats, waiting for cooler water temps to push them into deeper water and by
the location, the sheepshead we observed , they will probably move onto the
natural rock bottom off of Rattlesnake or over to
the Skyway Piers and reefs. Being crustacean
eaters, they are very seldom caught on whitebait and artificials, but they
have a hard time turning down shrimp, fiddler crabs, clam pieces or even
barnacles.
The following
day, I decided to more back out to the beach off of Anna Maria
to see if the kingfish and Spanish mackeral
action had picked up. We targeted the dredge hole area that was so hot
two weeks ago with little sucess. Even though we chummed heavily, we could
only manage a few small mackeral. After it dawned on me that the beach
was not going to work, I started thinking about some places inside where we
could catch some redfish. As we motored down the beach to Longboat
Pass, I could see Spanish mackeral crashing
bait and feeding over the rocks off of Coquina Beach.
Taking advantage of an opportunity, we spent the next hour or so catching and
releasing one mackeral after another, all being in the 22 to 25 inch range,
before moving inside to catch some reds near Tidy Island and in the Longbar
area.
Eventhough it is
cooling off, whitebait is still readily available, but it
will begin to disappear as we cool down.
GOOD
FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS &
ANGLER'S REPAIR AND "ON THE WATER WITH CAPT. THOM" RADIO.
JOIN ME EVERY SAT. MORNING FROM 8:30 TO 10:00 ON 1490AM.
Call me toll free with any question or report. 1-877-331-1490 or
local at 745-1490.
FROM
CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS, ANGLER'S REPAIR AND "ON THE
WATER WITH CAPT. THOM" RADIO Bradenton, Fl
941-795-6711 & 776-1187 e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
NOVEMBER
8, 2003
WEATHER,
TIDES, WATER TEMPERATURES, ALL AFFECT FISHING.
A week ago, the
beach area off of Anna Maria was alive with Spanish
Mackeral, kingfish, bonita and barracuda action.
This past week, with a change of tide direction from outgoing to incomming, a
full moon and the water temperature warming up at least 3 or 4 degrees, the
beach activity is practically down to nothing. I don't know if the
schools have moved out to deeper water or continued south, but even the
offshore anglers are not reporting much in the way of mackeral catches.
Hopefully more schools will work their way south and things will pick up
again.
The inshore Gulf
still has large schools of threadfins just off the beach, so hopefully the
action will pick up again. Inside the beaches, snook and
redfish have picked up in a variety of places. Snook
are staging up near canals and deeper troughs, eventhough the water
temperature on the flats has warmed back up to the high 70's. Whitebait
and pinfish are readily available on the flats and the snook are fattening up
for the winter ahead. Redfish have been a little
more difficult and sometimes you might need to move from place to place,
before you can locate some.
Right now, there
are alot of smaller fish around in the 14 to 16 inch range, which of course is
a good thing to see, a nice crop of youngsters on their way up. Larger
keeper slot size fish are available, but as I mentioned, patience is needed to
find the right ones. Since Nov. 1st, SPOTTED SEA TROUT SEASON
HAS BEEN CLOSED and will be until JAN. 1st. I know alot of
people are aware of the closed season, but in my shop, Angler's
Repair, I'm getting alot of people coming in and telling me
about the trout they're catching and keeping, not knowing that they could
get into alot of trouble for possessing "Out of Season" fish.
Remember for 2 months, it's "Catch & Release" only. This
is for spotted sea trout only. It does not include grey, sand
or silver trout, so if you're not sure what you've just caught, you might want
to invest in a fish indentification book, like the Fl. Sportsmans
"Sport Fish of Florida" book. It's available in
most of the larger tackle shops and book stores.
Spotted sea trout
are a very fragile fish that really does not handle catch and release very
well. My suggestion is, first, don't fish for them, but if you do
get into a school, you can do a variety of things to avoid alot of stress on
the fish. First, mash the barbs down on your hooks for a quick release,
try not to handle the fish and if you have to hold the fish, wet your hands
and try not to remove the protective slime off of the fish. NEVER use a
rag, wet or dry to hold the fish. It will remove the slime! There
are alot of "easy release" devices on the market or you can make
your own like I've done for years. Most of the time, by using these devices,
you don't even have to touch the fish. Try not to use the stainless steel
hooks, try to use a bronze hook or a type of hook that will breakdown quickly
and disolve if you have to cut the hook off and leave in the fish.
GOOD
FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS AND ANGLER'S REPAIR.
YOU CAN ALSO JOIN ME EVERY SAT. MORNING FROM 8:30 - 10:00 ON 1490AM FOR
"ON THE WATER WITH CAPT THOM". Call me local
at 745-1490 or toll free 1-877-331-1490 with YOUR fishing report or question.
REMEMBER
ON THE 15TH AND 16TH OF THIS MONTH - NOV., YOU CAN ALSO JOIN ME AT THE "SHALLOW
WATER FISHING EXPO". This is by far one of the BEST Shows
you'll ever attend. I will be giving a SEMINAR each day, as will MANY
great Speakers. CHECK OUT WWW.Castlow.com
for all the info on the show. IT'S WELL WORTH YOUR TIME!
REPORT
FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER'S REPAIR,
Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 & 776-1187
e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
OCT. 18,
2003
FALL IS
HERE AND THE FISHING IS GREAT!
Over the past few
weeks, I've fished from the beach to the back country and over all done pretty
good. The beach is loaded with bait schools and everything is starting
to come together. Like I've talked about in previous articles and
reports, Spanish mackeral, king fish, bonita and
cobia have all been cooperating over the natural hard bottom off of Whitney
and Coquina Beach. Also, the
area known as Spanish Rocks. Live bait seems
to be the way to go and again, chumming with whole or pieces of white bait
will definitely get their attention and draw the fish to your boat.
Wind will play a
large part in your sucess. Anything out of the easterly direction will
allow you to fish comfortably. Wind out of the north or west may make it
difficult to see the bait and schools of fish if the Gulf is stirred up.
The Gulf water is about 76 or 77 degrees. This is a temperature that
kingfish feel very comfortable in and so far, we're hearing about alot of
school size fish in the 8 to 12 lb. range being caught, and a few reports of
"smoker" kings in the 30lb. class being taken as well. They're
labeled "Smokers", because of their long "drag screaming"
runs that they make!
Inside, redfish
are still the mainstay in the back country of Terra Ceia, Miguel and
Joes Bays. Snook activity has
picked up some too. Primarily on the outgoing tide. Most tend to
be smaller fish, especially on the flats, but you can hook into some larger
fish, if you concentrate on structure of some sort, like mangroves, oyster
bars or docks. According to my gauge on the boat, the temperature at
lowtide, middle of the day is still only in the high 70's.
For redfish, it's
no big deal, but snook being the semi-tropical fish that they are, can feel it
and instinct tells them to begin the move toward their winter haunts, like
creeks, canals, up river and deeper water where they will be better protected
when winter kicks in. For now, however that's not a worry. As I
mentioned, the outgoing tide seems to be the most productive time. Last
week, as the tide started going out after a very high tide, we were
working a pocket on the shoreline without a bite. We had pitched both
live bait and artificials and nothing seemed interested, until I started
chumming heavily with whitebait.
Normally I may
chum with a few just to see if there's a reaction, but this time I covered the
area with alot of crippled baits. A few minutes later, it was like
someone rang the dinner bell. Fish were popping all over and for the
next few hours, we hooked up on snook, redfish and jacks
until we ran out of water and had to get out of there. There is no doubt
that fish that are not biting can be stimulated into a feeding frenzy by
offering an easy meal.
Fishing reports
from the Skyway Piers, both north and south have
been excellent with a variety of fish being caught. On the North
Skyway Pier, some impressive kingfish have
been caught freelining live threadfins, blue runners and pinfish. Up
closer to the shoreline, snook action has been good at night. On the South
Skyway Pier, big Spanish mackeral during the
day and some keeper size gag grouper are being caught around
the pilings.
GOOD
FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS
& ANGLER'S REPAIR. JOIN ME EVERY SATURDAY MORNING FOR "ON THE
WATER WITH CAPT. THOM" ON 1490AM FROM 8:30 - 10:00. Call me toll
free with YOUR report or question 1-877-331-1490 or local
745-1490.
COME JOIN
ME AT THE SHALLOW WATER FISHING EXPO IN NORTH ST. PETE ON NOVEMBER
15TH & 16TH. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST INFORMATIVE SHOWS YOU CAN
ATTEND. YOU CAN ALSO HEAR MY SEMINAR AROUND NOON ON EACH DAY.
(More info on castlow.com)
FROM
CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER'S REPAIR,
Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 & 776-1187 e-mail
tesmls@infionlne.net
SEPTEMBER 7, 2003
NIGHT FISHING
TIPS
Snook season
opened up September 1st. and by reports that I've received
from Gruide Friends and customers in my shop, Angler's Repair, it seems that
daytime snook fishing has been OK, but by no means spectacular. That
could be due to all of the rain we've had or that the season opened on the 1st
quarter phase of the moon. Sometimes this moon phase is good, but
usually the tides are longer and slower and it's difficult to judge periods of
feeding.
Over the years I've come to prefer the full
and new moon phases that tend to have more tidal changes and move more water
in a shorter time. Also, the tidal flow tends to carry bait and other
food items for preditory fish to feed on. Wednesday, the 10th, happens
to fall on a full moon and if the daytime snook action is not happening for
you, I might suggest you give night fishing a try. Snook are nocturnal
feeders and many times your larger fish tend to feed at night.
Areas I like to fish include lighted docks,
piers and bridges that have a decent amount of water under them. The
light doesn't have to be bright, just as long as there is a lume on the
water. The light attracts insects and the bugs attract bait or smaller
fish that may attract snook, redfish, trout, jacks or even a
tarpon. The technique here is to play the tide, cast up tide
and work your live bait or artificial just on the edge of the shadow line
throught the area. Once it moves through the target zone, reel it in and
cast uptide again.
Boat position is important.
I prefer to anchor casting distance away from my target so as not to
spook anything around the light. Sometimes you may be able to see fish
milling around the light, but if there are any large fish there, you won't see
them. They'll be laying back in the shadows waiting for an opportunity.
Alot of times live bait will produce better, and by chumming with a handful of
whitebait to turn them on, will tell you very quickly if there's anyone home
or you need to move to another spot.
Pinfish are very effective under these
conditions and hard for them to turn down. Artificials I would use in or
around the rivers or creeks would have a scent, make a noise or rattle of
some sort. Because of all the tanin stained water running out of the
back waters it would help if you give them something to zero in on.
Another technique and probably one I enjoy more is limited to the outgoing
tide and usually isn't even close to a light. I like to position the
boat near the mouth of a creek, drain or cut that the fish have to get out of
as the tide drops. Usually the fish will stage up in a deeper hole or
edge to feed on the critters that get pushed out as the water drains.
Again, you play the tide by casting and letting your bait drift into the
strike zone.
This type of fishing I really enjoy, but
there are some drawbacks commin in the form or "no-see-ums" and
mosquitos that tend to drain your blood supply if you don't use bug spray or
Skin-so-Soft to ward them off. Actually once you start to catch fish you
have a tendency to forget about the bugs. Night fishing does require a
few extras, such as a decent flashlight, lantern or console style lights in
your boat for re-rigging in case you get cut off on a piling or mangrove root.
Fishing tackle can be the same as what you
use during the day, but normally dock or structure fishing calls for a little
heavier rod, reel and line to coax them out of their house. Night time
totaly changes everything on the water. If you're not used to
navigating in the dark, you just need to take your time and feel your way
around. Navigational lights on your boat are a MUST and a
spotlight will help you find your way home.
GOOD FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH
OF FLAT'S LADY CHARTERS, ANGLER'S REPAIR AND RADIO "ON THE WATER WITH
CAPT. THOM" EVERY SAT AM FROM 8:30 - 10:00 ON 1490AM.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU WANT
ANSWERED ON THE AIR, CALL THE RADIO SHOW AT 745-1490 OR
1-877-331-1490 (OUT OF THE AREA). OR CALL ME AT 941-795-6711 - ANGLER'S
REPAIR.
e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
JOIN ME IN NOVEMBER AT THE
"SHALLOW WATER FISHING EXPO" IN ST. PETERSBURG. MORE INFO TO
FOLLOW.
HERE'S A
REPORT FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLAT'S LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER'S REPAIR,
941-795-6711 & 776-1187 e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
AUGUST
24, 2003
Snook
season officially opens on September 1st. The season has been
closed since May when snook go into their spawning mode. In the
past, my policy has been to pretty much leave them alone while they reproduce,
especially with a summer like we've had to deal with. Red tide showing
up here and there, heavy rains that has changed the salinity of the water in
the back bays, creeks and in the Manatee River where our back water snook tend
to gather and spawn. Overall, however nature seems to take care of
itself and it all seems to work out.
September 1st is
also Labor Day and usually a Holiday is not the best time to fish, but I'd
like to make a few suggestions that may help in producing a keeper on
opening day. I would think that passes and the beach close to the pass
may work. Bean Point on the northern tip of Anna Maria
and Longboat Pass and the beach also known as "Beer
Can Island" are areas I would target. All are accessible
by boat or just walking the beach. Anglers that just drive out to their
spot are limited to a smaller area, but your opportunities are still pretty
good if you fish early before the activity on the beach starts to pick up.
I'm sure over the
years, you have seen people fishing off the beach and alot of times you see
them wade out as far as they can and cast as far out to the west as they can,
like they're trying to hit Mexico. Well, sometimes it may work, but most
of the time, the fish and the real action is behind them,
right next to the shoreline. In the past, I'm sure you've noticed that the
waves or tide has cut a little step where the water and sand meet.
Preditors like snook, redfish, trout and flounder will
sometimes work that step or the sand where each wave may uncover a morsel like
a crab, sand flea, (small crustatceon), or minnows for them to feed on.
Polorid
sunglasses are a must. Most of the time, beach fish are a lighter color,
due to the clear water and may be difficult to see. The glasses cut the
glare and let you look into the water. Sometimes you can see all of the
fish, but alot of the time you may only see a silhouette or shadow. With
practice, you will be able to spot them. Two techniques are productive.
Walking on the beach and scanning the area in front of you, as you work your
way along. The second technique is wading out a short distance and doing
the same thing. What you use can vary from live bait like whitebait,
pinfish and shrimp, to artificials like DOA Shrimp,
small jigs and flies.
The real secret
to this type of fishing is to be at your fishing spot very early or later in
the day when there are very few people on the beach. If that's not your
style of fishing, you may want to target areas like Emerson Point
or Terra Ceia Point or bays like Palma Sola, Miguel
or Joe's Bays where you may need a boat to get to, but they do offer
some excellent snook oportunities as well as redfish and trout and alot of it
is in beautiful pristine back country filled with oyster bars and mangrove
shorelines.
As I mentioned
the rain has been a problem lately and the afternoon thunder storms have been
fearce, so keep an eye on the weather, and take care. Here's a great
Snook caught last season.
GOOD
FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH. FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER'S
REPAIR 795-6711 & 776-1187 ALSO, JOIN ME
EVERY SAT. MORNING FROM 8:30 - 10:00 ON 1490AM FOR "ON THE WATER WITH
CAPT. THOM". GIVE ME A CALL WITH YOUR QUESTION OR REPORT
745-1490
FROM:
CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLAT'S LADY CHARTERS AND ANGLER'S REPAIR,
Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 & 776-1187 e-mail
tesmls@infionline.net
"ON THE WATER RADIO, SAT. 8:30-10:00AM ON 1490AM. Toll free
1-877-331-1490 or 745-1490 Do Call In.
AUGUST 9,
2003
DUE TO
THE RAIN, BAD WEATHER, LOTS OF LIGHTENING AND "SPOTTY RED
TIDE", I WASN'T ABLE TO GET OUT MUCH THIS PAST WEEK. PICTURED
IS WHAT YOU WANT TO AVOID. THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN TERRA CIEA BAY.
HERE'S A LITTLE STORY ABOUT THE AREAS I FISH. HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.
SALTWATER
FISHING AT ITS BEST. BRADENTON,
FLORIDA AND THE MANATEE COUNTY AREA.
BY: CAPT.
THOM SMITH of “ THE FLATS LADY CHARTERS”
&
“ANGLER’S REPAIR”
Tel: 941-795-6711
& 941-776-1187
e-mail tesmls@infi.net The
Manatee county area has so much to offer anyone interested in
fishing, or just the beauty of the area.
It holds everything from The South Sunshine Skyway
fishing pier, to the quiet back country where the scenery and wildlife is
just as interesting as the fish that swim the waters. You can fish from the
pier itself or the waters around it, and hook everything from
grouper, sheephead, mangrove
snapper, mackeral, kingfish, and even permit &
pompano. If
this isn’t what you are looking for, then head for the backcountry.
Here, you will find snook,
redfish, trout, flounder, and even possibly a tarpon
or two. The
“Backcountry”, from Joe’s Bay, Bishop Harbor, Miguel
Bay, Terra Ceia Bay, and the Manatee River hold just
about any species you are looking for. These
areas also hold bait, (whitebait),
if you choose to use these small fish, or you can stop at any of the many bait
shops and Marinas, in and around Palmetto and Bradenton
to get shrimp, or your choice of bait.
Artificials are also very good, and many Anglers choose to use them.
CoteeJigs
are always a good choice. If you
choose to use whitebait,
mix your “chum”, to entice the little critters close to the boat,
throw your net, and fill your bait wells. Then--- head for the fishing. Terra
Ceia Bay holds many areas
around the mangroves where you can catch a redfish, snook,
or just enjoy the scenery. It is
not uncommon to see a beautiful pink Rosiet Spoonbill, or many of our other
Florida birds. Terra Ceia
Bay holds its own bird sanctuary, called Bird
Key, where you can just sit in your boat, and watch the birds, if
the fishing is slow. In the
“cut” from Terra Ceia Bay to the Manatee River,
it is not uncommon to see a Manatee family or two, swimming around.
Of course the beauty of the mangroves themselves is something to see.
Up to the East of the skyway, you will find Joe’s Bay,
Bishop Harbor, and Port Manatee.
These areas are dotted with oyster bars, and deep edges next to the
mangroves, that will supply you with snook
and redfish
along with many other species. If
you’re looking for the Big grouper,
kings, cobia, etc. head west from the beaches of Manatee
& Sarasota county to the 1 mile, 3 mile, or
7 mile Reefs. These
reefs hold the big fish, and will supply you with a great place to Scuba
Dive also. If it is trolling
for “Kings”
that is your choice, head for Egmont Channel, put a
“spoon” on, or your choice of “live bait”, and get ready.
It is not always that the “Kings”
are running, so this is something that may not always be a choice, but when it
is time, it is a great experience. During
certain months, you can also catch Tarpon
in the areas off the beaches, or go North to Terra Ceia Bay,
or around the Skyway Bridge. If
you head south from this area, down the Innercoastal Waterway, you will find
many fishing spots as well as Marinas and “on the water” Restaurants all
along the way to Sarasota Bay.
The FISHING IS GREAT FROM THE SUNSHINE SKYWAY, SOUTH TO, AND
IN, SARASOTA BAY. Just pick
an area, and -
LET’S GO FISHING.
HERE'S
SOME FISHING ADVISE FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS &
ANGLER'S REPAIR Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 & 776-1187
e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
JULY 19,
2003
NO BOAT?
TRY WADING.
The dog days of
summer are upon us and as I've mentioned before, the old saying "fish
early and late" should make sense to beat the heat. Another way to
beat the heat is wading. Wading is a good way to stay a little cooler
and also be a little stealthier in your approach to the fish. Over the
years, I've been impressed by the quality and size of the fish that wading can
produce. Eventhough you may or may not have a boat, it doesn't matter.
Yes, it would be nice to have a boat and find a spot that is away from
everyone else, but for the "boatless angler", there are plenty of
places to wade around the county.
First of all, the
standard equipment for boater or wader should be a hat, polorized sunglasses
and plenty of sunscreen. For a wader, a good pair or shoes is a
must. I suggest something with a high top on them. Lowcut sneekers
and those little beach shoes are OK, but being low cut, they allow sand, shell
and other things to get into your shoe and eventually it starts to grind on
your ankles and feet, making walking difficult. I like the "Dive
Booty's". They usually have a good tough sole that can handle
oysters and with the higher top, the grit has a harder time getting into your
shoe. What you wear is up to you, but I prefer to wear short as long
pants tend to have more resistance in the water and rubber waders are too
cumbersome and hot in the summer time.
What you carry
with you is also up to you, but I would suggest a stringer and a small
container to carry extra leader line, hooks, jig heads and lures, in case you
have to re-rig. For waders, there are some items on the market that are
like towing a small boat around, but they can be handy. There was one
called the "Wade Caddy". It had a cooler, small tackle box,
bait bucket, rod holders and an anchor to secure it in a spot. Just
remember, this is something you'll have to drag around with you. A pair
of needle nose pliers and a pair of scissors or fingernail clippers to cut
braided line or trim your knots, rounds out what you need to carry.
As I mentioned,
there are alot of areas here locally for waders and I'll mention some that I
feel are easily accessible to the water and your vehicle will be reasonably
safe while you're off fishing.
1.
Palma Sola Bay off of Palma Sola Blvd. You can fish the flat
out from the shoreline where it drops off into deeper water on a lower tide.
The fish hang out on the edge of the dropoff, waiting for the tide to
come back in. Also, in the southeastern corner, there are mangrove
islands and oyster bars, but it is fairly muddy.
2.
The flats to the south and north of the Manatee Bridge, going over to Anna
Maria. The flats to the south extend from the bridge to the
mouth of Palma Sola Bay. There are numerous sand holes. The
shoreline has oysters and you can fish the edge of the Intercoastal Waterway.
3.
DeSoto Memorial and Emerson Point, are both parks that are good
areas, but close at dark. DeSoto is on the south side of the Manatee
River and it offers a great shoreline that can hold a variety of fish on it's
shoreline. Snook, redfish and trout being the most prevelant. On
the northside of the river is Emerson Point. You will need to drive
through Palmetto and Sneed Island to get there. Emerson gives you at
least three directions to fish. South faces the river, to the west there
is a large grass flat and what we call the "River Bar", where snook
roam during their spawning period. To the north and back to the east is
the pristine shoreline back into Terra Ceia Bay.
4.
South Skyway Rest Area. On the northside you have Joe's
Bay and Joe's Island. This side has loads of oyster bars, sand holes and
a long mangrove shoreline. On the southside, Miguel Bay boarders the
Interstate, but you barely know it's there. This area has a sandbar you
can walk out to and work your way across to a string of islands that have
oyster bars and nice sand holes.
Wading can offer
alot of fishing opportunities, but remember when wading always do the
"Stingray shuffle" and you can wade as far as your legs can carry
you, but remember, you still have to wade back.
GOOD
FISHING AND STAY SAFE. ALWAYS WATCH THE WEATHER, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF
THE YEAR.
CAPT.
THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS AND ANGLER'S REPAIR. ALSO, "ON
THE WATER WITH CAPT. THOM" ON 1490AM EACH SATURDAY MORNING FROM 8:30 -
10:00. Call me local - 745-1490 or toll free 1-877-331-1490
with your questions or Fishing Report. Fishing or rod & reel repair
- 941-795-6711 e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
A SHORT
REPORT FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER'S REPAIR,
Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 & 776-1187 e-mail
tesmls@infionline.net
JULY 12,
2003
This weeks
fishing produced a mixed bag of fish. Friday's charter with Stan Holuba
and his daughter Nicole, who are staying on Anna Maria Island was no
exception. We concentrated on keeping the young lady busy with a variety of
fish. Spotted sea trout and grey trout up to 17 inches made up the bulk
of the catch, but mix in some Spanish mackeral up to 21 inches and some jacks
and the rods were bending for a couple of hours.
The target area
was a deeper grass flat off of Rattlesnake Key in Tampa Bay.
After that we moved back into Terra Ceia Bay
for a few catch and release snook before our time and tide ran out.
All fish were caught on white bait and Mister Twister RT Slugs
in the mangrove red and watermelon seed colors. HERE'S A PICTURE OF A
NICE SNOOK CAUGHT AND RELEASED JUST BEFORE SEASON
CLOSED.
GOOD
FISHING AND REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE SKY THIS TIME OF YEAR.
CAPT THOM
SMITH
JOIN
ME FOR :'ON THE WATER WITH CAPT. THOM" EVERY SATURDAY MORNING
FROM 8:30 - 10:00 on 1490am. Give me a call with any questions or your
own fishing report. I'd love to hear from other areas. You can
call toll free at 1-877-331-1490 or local 745-1490.
FOR FISHING OR ROD & REEL REPAIR, CALL 941-795-6711.
HERE'S
SOME GOOD INFORMATION FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS, ANGLER'S
REPAIR AND "ON THE WATER WITH CAPT. THOM" RADIO.
Bradenton, Fl. 941-795-6711 & 776-1187
E-MAIL tesmls@infionline.net
& 1490AM radio
FISHING
ALTERNATIVES
You say you would
like to go saltwater fishing but you don't have a boat and no ideas about what
to do. Two suggestions I might offer would be wading, (there are alot of
local wading spots), and fishing piers. Being that I would
like to go into detail about types of fishing, I'll concentrate on PIERS for
now and talk about wading areas another time.
Anna Maria has
four piers open to the public. There are 2 on the North end, the Rod
& Reel Pier and the Anna Maria City Pier.
Both piers face to the north, into Tampa Bay. Passage Key and Egmont Key
are plainely visable as you look across the bay. Looking to the west,
you can see the Gulf of Mexico. The two piers are not far apart and
bacically offer the same types of fish. In the warmer months, anglers
fishing out and away from the structure usually have sucess with Spanish
Mackeral, kingfish, cobia, sharks and the occasional tarpon.
Under the piers,
snook, redfish mangrove snapper and sometimes grouper hang around the pilings
feeding on all of the bait that tends to hold around all of the piers
I'm talking about. In the winter months, the best fishing is normally
right under your feet for mangrove snapper and sheepshead that feed on the
barnacles and other critters around the pilings, where bait is available.
The Manatee
Beach and Pier is on the Gulf side, behind the Cafe on the Beach, at
the end of St R. 64 or Manatee Ave. It's a shorter pier, but the
mackeral fishing is excellent and there is some hard bottom that's within
casting distance. Redfish and snook like to roam the area and also like
all of the piers, sheepshead always show up in the cooler months.
The Bradenton
Beach Pier is on the end of Bridge St., facing eastward to the
Intercoastal Waterway. Here spotted
seatrout, flounder, Spanish mackeral and sharks make up the bulk of what's
available. Also, keep in mind, all four of the piers I've mentioned have
restaurants on or near the pier.
The Green
Bridge Pier in Palmetto is what's left of the old Green Bridge that
connected Palmetto to Bradenton. Fishing is excellent year round for all
of the species I've mentioned before and there is plenty of room for everyone
to fish. Last, but certainly not the least, the "Grand Daddy"
of the piers and I believe the longest fishing pier in the US, The
South Skyway Pier. The Skyway Pier is what's left of the old
Skyway Bridge. It's about 1 1/2 miles long and what's unique other than
the length, is they took the rubble from the old bridge and made row after row
of artificial reefs that run at right angles to the West side of the pier.
The reefs are spaced approximately 20 to 30 yds apart and start about a
quarter of a mile from the south end and extend all the way to the end of the
pier.
When the water is
clean and clear, you can see the reefs as they appear darker than the sandy
areas in between. Not only do you have oportunities in and around or
over the rubble of the reefs, the pier itself has produced keeper gag grouper,
snook and a variety of fish from around the pilings. Another plus for
the Skyway P{ier is you can drive right to your fishing spot and have your
vehicle right there. Also, bait, concession stands and bathrooms are
close by. The Skyway Pier is the most costly of all the piers. It
will cost you $1.00 to get on the the Skyway System, $3.00 per vehicle and
$2.00 per person for anyone over 12 yrs old, plus tax.
The rest of the
piers range from free to $2.00 per person to fish. Some also have rods
and reels for rent and may carry tackle like hooks, sinkers, leader line, etc.
You may want to call ahead to see what they offer if anything. If you're
using your own tackle, medium to heavy rods and reels are recommended so you
can control your fish and not tangle up everyone elses line.
Keep in mind that
you are fishing off of a structure that may be just a few feet above the
water, so plan ahead with a means of getting a heavy fish from the water up on
the deck. Alot of times, a long handle net or some type of net that can
be lowered under the fish is best. Another way and I don't
recommend it is a gang hook, but keep in mind that this method
usually is deadly to the fish and an undersized or out of season fish may get YOU
in trouble with the Fish & Game.
Remember, as with
any fishing, check wind direction, before you make the drive to your fishing
destination and find the wind is blowing 20 knots into your face, making
fishing uncomfortable if not impossible. Always keep an eye on the weather.
GOOD
FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS, ANGLER'S REPAIR
941-795-6711 AND 1490AM - "ON THE WATER WITH CAPT. THOM", EVERY
SAT. MORNING FROM 8:30 TO 10:00AM. GIVE ME A CALL, on the Radio
- local # 745-1490 or toll free, 1-877-331-1490 with
any questions you might have, or e-mail me at tesmls@infionline.net
HERE'S A
SHORT FISHING REPORT FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS &
ANGLER'S REPAIR, Bradenton 941-795-6711 & 776-1187
e-mail tesmls@infionline.com
JUNE 26,
2003
After last weeks
deluge of rain, my Monday Charter cancelled while I was out getting bait!
Feeling pretty fortunate that I could find some nice size whitebait in the
black water caused by the runoff from the storms, I decided to check things
out. Of course the Manatee River and Terra Ceia Bay were dead.
Poking along with the trolling motor, I worked the shoreline of Terra Ceia and
Miguel Bays with Mister Twister RT Slugs with no
sucess.
Finally, I found
some cleaner water on the Rattlesnake shoreline that was holding a nice
concentration of redfish. Still trying to use artificials, it dawned on
me that they may want a live bait. The first freelined whitebait into
the spot resulted in a hookup on a nice 6lb, 26 inch redfish. Staying on
the spot I did manage three or four more nice reds in the 24 to 26 inch range.
All of these fish
were a golden color due to the tanin stained water. The only fish I was
able to find were in cleaner clearer water. This weekend, I'll be down
in Punta Gorda, fishing the "Flatsmaster Tournament Series".
(redfish is the goal).
GOOD
FISHIN AND STAY SAFE, CAPT. THOM SMITH
JOIN ME
ON SATURDAY MORNINGS FROM 8:30-10:00 ON 1490AM, FOR "ON THE WATER
WITH CAPT. THOM".
THIS IS
THE LATEST FROM: CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS, ANGLER'S
REPAIR AND "ON THE WATER WITH CAPT. THOM" RADIO
941-795-6711 & 776-1187 e-mail tesmls@infionline.com
JUNE 21,
2003
Over the past 3
weeks, Mother Nature has played her little tricks on us. First, about a
week and a half of southwest-westerly winds that completely shut down our
beach fishing for Spanish mackeral, bonita and of course tarpon,
actually tarpon were still available on the leeward side of Passage
Key and Egmont Key, especially on the outgoing tide. Next
came the rain to add to our difficulties. Dodging thunder storms and lightning
bolts is not my idea of having fun, so on Wednesday of this past week, I
decided to run south to Charlotte Harbor to fish.
This was for two reasons. First off, the weatherman and the radar
seemed to feel that most of the storms would be in our area and to the north,
and the second reason was to "prefish" the area for next weekends Flatsmaster
Tournament, held in Punta Gorda, that I'll be fishing in.
At first, I
thought I had made the wrong decision, but as Scott Dalton of
Bradenton and I drove south down the interstate, it began to clear up
and by the time we reached Bokelia on the northern
tip of Pine Island, the rain had stopped and things
were looking up, despite a strong wind out of the southwest. If you have
never been to Pine Island, it is a truely a neat place. On the
north end where my wife and I have been going for years, you can look across
Charlotte Harbor and see the Burnt Store area to the east, you see Turtle
and Bull Bays to the north, Boca Grande Pass to the northeast and to the west,
you can make a short run by boat to Useppa Island and the famed "Cabbage
Key", along the Inter-Coastal Waterway.
With Pine Island
on the East side and the barrier Islands of Cayo Costa, north Captiva, Captiva
and Sanibel Island to the west, the area in the middle is called Pine Island
Sound. The Sound is approximately 12 miles of small islands, oyster bars, deep
and shallow grass flats that hold a variety of fish, including snook, trout
and redfish, the "target" species for the FlatsMaster Tournament
next weekend.
Using Mister
Twister RT Slugs, rigged weedless and on 1/16 and 1/8 oz. jig
heads, the plan was to try to find a concentration of redfish in the slot
limit, (18 - 27") range. We did find some fish on the inside of N.
Captiva Island, but not much in the way of size, although in one spot in the
same general area, Scott did manage a 23" gag grouper in 6ft. of water,
no more than 20ft. from the shoreline.
Moving back
closer to our launch site, in Bokelia, I wanted to check out a spot I
remembered from years ago. It had changed some! The islands and
the oyster bars were bigger, but the best thing was we were right in the
middle of a large school of redfish that had to be over 100 fish or
so!! After the first hookup the school spooked and a steady stream of
redfish shot by and under the boat for the next few minutes. The trip to
the south was productive. We caught some fish and I had found an area to
target for my upcomming tournament.
If you ever get a
chance to fish Charlotte Harbor or Pine Island Sound, I would
highly recomment it. There's always great Fishing!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOD
FISHING AND WATCH THE WEATHER, CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS
& ANGLER'S REPAIR.
JOIN ME
EVERY SATURDAY MORNING FROM 8:30-10:00AM, 1490AM FOR "ON THE WATER WITH
CAPT THOM". CALL ME, toll free 1-877-331-1490 or local
745-1490. Need a rod or reel repaired or want to go fishing, call me at
795-6711.
HERE'S
THE LATEST FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER'S REPAIR,
Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 & 776-1187
e-mail tesmls@infionline.net
JUNE 8,
2003
This past week,
the stiff southwest, westerly winds have pretty much shut down Tarpon
fishing on the beach. The only places fishable were on the lee side of
Bean Point and Egmont Key, where the calm seas made spotting the Tarpon alot
easier. The tip of Rattlesnake in Tampa Bay, the north eastern tip of
Egmont Key and Bean Point were holding some nice fish when the wind was
blowing out of the south-southwest. Crabs, threadfin and large whitebait
have been baits of choice for most anglers.
Snook have
been making their move to the points and passes into the Gulf and Tampa Bay.
There are still fish in the back waters, but alot have moved into their
spawning mode. This time of the year, snook are not real difficult to
catch, but remember that Snook are OUT OF SEASON until Sept
1st., so catch and release is a must.
Redfish
have been a mystery over the past few weeks. One day, we run into a
school that will keep you busy for an hour or so and the next day, there is no
sign of them and this past week, the reds have completely dissapeared.
Spotted sea trout have probably been the most active and constant fish
available. Artificials, like Mister Twister Darts and RT
Slugs, Cal Jigs, Cotee Chubby Grubs and chartruse Swirltails
have all produced a variety of sized trout from 12 inches up to 27 inches.
Whitebait,
pinfish and small grunts have also been very effective on trout and flounder.
By working the edges of the flats and pot holes on a deep grass flat, you are
more likely to hook up on a larger trout. For a live bait, I prefer to
freeline a whitebait and use a popping cork or "flats equalizer" to
suspend a pinfish or grunt over the grass or pothole.
Artificials, I
like to work the edges of the pothole by slow bouncing a jig and changing up
with a steady fast retrieve to entice a strike. Bait is still plentiful,
both whitebait and grunts, and zillions of pinfish in all sizes.
GOOD
FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS, ANGLER'S REPAIR
(941-795-6711 & 776-1187), AND "ON THE WATER WITH
CAPT. THOM" RADIO, every Sat. morning on 1490 AM from 8:30 - 10:00.
(toll free 1-877-331-1490) e-mail me at tesmls@infionline.net
HERE'S THE LATEST FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS, ANGLER'S
HERE'S THE LATEST FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS OUT OF
ANGLER'S REPAIR. Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 & 776-1187 e-mail
tesmls@infionline.net AND "ON THE WATER WITH CAPT. THOM RADIO.
HAPPY AND A SAFE HOLIDAY!
HERE’S
THE LATEST FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER’S
REPAIR & “ON THE WATER WITH CAPT THOM” RADIO.
So
far this year, I have been relying on artificials
like Mister Twister Exude / RT Slugs,
gold spoons and Cotee
root beer Chubby
Grubs
for my charters to use and all of the above have not let me down. With
charters coming up over the next few weeks, some clients that are not the best
casting a lure, I have decided to go to the South
Skyway Pier and castnet a
bait well full of nice big whitebait. I love working
the artificials in the shallow water, and it’s
pretty cool to see snook or redfish
explode on a damaged bait. Working
the mangrove shoreline and oyster bars on a higher tide, the whitebait
produced some nice big reds up to 25 inches. A
lot of the snook
were small, but we have managed a few up to 28 inches. Bishops
Harbor, Terra Ceia, Miguel and Joes
Bays all produced fish. Thursday, another
front blew through with high winds and cooler temperatures, throwing a monkey
wrench into the works for the second time in the last two weeks, so it will
take a few days, but everything will return to normal over the next week and
these fronts that have been messing us up are over. Every
time one moves through, it drops water temperatures, muddies up the water,
pushes the bait off of the flats and shuts the fishing down for a few days.
This is just until the warm up begins. There are
some fish available, so if you have an opportunity to get out fishing, by all
means do so. I feel like we should be able to catch some snook,
trout and redfish, but it will be a little slow
until the water warms up and the bait shows back up, before it really turns on
again. For
now, the south Skyway Pier is the only constant bait spot
here locally. Where there’s a food source, there’s fish, and right now, it
could be a Spanish mackerel, a kingfish
or a tarpon that could provide some action.
Bottom action around the structure has been fairly good for mangrove
snapper, gag grouper, and I guess since our
water temperatures keep going up and down, there is still a lot of sheepshead
hanging around. As I
mentioned the Skyway Piers are a great place to get bait, but you must be
careful. It’s also a dangerous place. First
off, it’s deeper water – a minimum of twelve
feet of water and the tide most times is very strong, so you need a big heavy
net to get down over the bait as a light net doesn’t sink fast enough to
catch anything. A 10ft. 3/8 inch mesh with about 16lbs of
weight or heavier will do the trick, chumming with a mixture of Jack Mackeral,
crackers, whole wheat bread or anything else to mix up with the” jac
mac”, will get the bait into a feeding frenzy
and divert their attention, making them a little easier to net. Check
out this beautiful snook I had the pleasure to
catch this past week using Mister Twister Exudes. GOOD
FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH OF
FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER’S REPAIR. JOIN ME EVERY
SATURDAY MORNING FROM
HERE’S THE LATEST FISHING NEWS FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER’S REPAIR Bradenton, Fl 941-795-6711 & 776-1187 e-mail tesnls@infi.net
This
past week an unseasonably strong cold front pushed through our area, shutting
the fish down considerably. Water temperatures dropped, the
bait disappeared off of the flats and everything seemed to develop lock-jaw. Each
day, it has warmed up some, but the water temperature is about 10 degrees cooler
than it was a week ago. The good news is, we are in a warming
trend and probably by next weekend, we should be back to normal. Even
though it has been cold, snook
action has started to pick up. Mangrove shorelines that are
adjacent to grass and pot holes, and also mangrove points on the shoreline and
the oyster bars are areas that may produce a snook
or redfish. Also, the manmade
structures like docks and piers tend to hold larger snook,
especially ones that are in deeper water, even at low tide. When
you fish docks, concentrate on older, more seasoned ones, rather than newer ones
that don’t have any, or very little growth on then. Oyster
and barnacle growth on a dock will be a feeding station for snook,
redfish, sheepshead,
mangrove snapper and even flounder that
are cruising the pilings looking for a bite to eat.
Spotted sea trout activity has slowed on the
flats, but find a deeper grass flat in 5 or 6ft. of water and you should be able
to connect on a sea trout or a gray trout, a smaller feistier cousin to the
spotted sea trout. Actually they seem to be a bit more
prevalent on some of the grass flats I’m working right now. To
catch a few all you really need is a 1/8 oz or ¼ oz. jig head with a white,
silver glow or chartruse colored soft plastic tail
on it. Work the lure by varying speeds, until you get an idea
what they want. Live bait, like shrimp or a
white bait under a popping cork is effective too, but a lot of times with
live bait, a trout being very aggressive will swallow the bait and hook and it
may be difficult to get the hook out of the fish’s throat. When using a jig, the hookup is usually in the lip or corner of the fish’s mouth, making release much easier. You will also be moving your lure and covering more area instead of casting into one spot and waiting for a bite. As I mentioned, the bait had moved off of the flats, but there are signs, it’s coming back in the regular places. The Key Royale flats, the Bulkhead and the South Skyway Pier being the main spots. Over
the next few weeks, our fishing will be better. Water
temperatures will warm and everything will turn on again. Now,
with the Daylight Savings time, we’ll have an extra hour of light to fish the
late afternoons, when the boats thin out and there’s less competition and
traffic. GOOD
FISHING, CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS
LADY CHARTERS, ANGLER’S REPAIR AND “ON THE WATER WITH CAPT. THOM” RADIO
SHOW. JOIN ME EVERY SATURDAY MORNING FROM
HERE’S
THE LATEST FROM CAPT. THOM SMITH OF FLATS LADY CHARTERS & ANGLER’S
REPAIR, Bradenton, Fl
941-795-6711 & 776-1187
e-mail tesmls@infi.net Inshore
action has remained steady this past week, even on the days of slow incoming
tides. The afternoons have been productive. Snook
action has been excellent on both artificials and
live whitebait. Structure like docks, oyster bars and
mangrove shorelines on the higher tides have been areas that are working
pretty good. Quite a few of the
fish are on the small size, but “keeper size” are
available as well. Redfish
activity in the same areas keeps you on your toes because in certain places,
you can catch a snook on one cast and a red on the
next. Both spotted sea trout and gray trout
are on just about any patch of grass in a decent depth of water in Terra Ceia,
Joes and When
I’m fishing this way, I prefer to use artificials,
like Mister
Twister Exudes, |
