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Fishing Report
12-29-05
Sheepshead and more sheepshead, along with a few trout,
pompano,and redfish. Live shrimp has been producing record catches of the
bucktooth porgys. Its winter and the zebra striped brawlers are the main
event. They are running up to 6 lbs. and very numerous.
Had a mess baked,
stuffed with a shrimp and crab dressing , and topped with
hollandaise the other day. Pretty good groceries in my book.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II " 941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
12-20-05
Took new bradenton resident Ed Speairs to a catch of
sheepshead to 5 lbs and redfish one cold morning last week. Since then the
weather has moderated and the number of species increased. In addition to
the sheepies and reds, a number of catch and release snook have been coming
in and a handful of pompano, bluefish, trout, flounder, snapper, and grouper
as well. Live shrimp and artificial jigs have accounted for the action on
both the incoming and outgoing tides.
I want to wish y'all a very Merry Christmas and a super
fishy New Year. To all of my patrons out there, I want to let you know that
after almost 20 years of running out of Annies Bait & Tackle in Cortez, I
will be moving to a new home at Parrot Cove Marina(Formerly Sunny Shores
Marina) at the very end of 115 th St. West on the shores of Palma Sola Bay.
I can still be reached, as usual, at 941-795-5026 to book trips on the "DEE
JAY II".
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias 941-795-5026 email:
zachcap@aol.com
12-10-05
Guided Gary Cox from Virginia, Fred Murrell from Cortez, and
Ed Zawadzky of Las Vegas, Nev. to a catch of snook to 25", redfish to 20",
and sheepshead to 5 lbs. on a half day trip last weekend. A falling tide and
live shrimp accounted for the action that took place mostly in north
Sarasota Bay around deepwater docks. Other action last week included a
smattering of trout, flounder, jacks, ladyfish, bluefish, and pompano.
Good luck and good fishing!! Be careful out there. Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias- 941-795-5026 email: zachcap@aol.com
12-2-05
Although our winters here in Manatee/Sarasota are pretty
benign, the changes on the fishing scene are substantial. As of this writing
our winter angling season is upon us and each front that blows through the
area will serve only to reinforce the pattern. The bait situation changes
from primarily white bait to shrimp and artificial lures, most of the
pelagics are heading south, and many of our native, year round species are
bunching up in backwater holes for the duration of the season. This is a
good thing however because once the pattern is established the fish are
found concentrated in smaller areas and when on a feed, big action can
ensue. Many days will produce snook in canals and creeks. The mouths of
canals and creeks will harbor trout, reds, and flounder as the water
temperatures drop and every dock, wreck, shell bar, or ledge in the bay will
hold sheepshead. Remember that trout continue to be off limits until Jan 1
and snook will be going out of season Dec. 15 until Feb. 1.
On a cold and windy day last week I guided a quartet of
anglers from the National Weather Service office in Ruskin to a good day of
action considering the weather. Nick, Rick, Tom, and Russ managed a couple
of snook early on the incoming tide and nailed a better than average bunch
of sheepshead throughout the morning.
The winter pattern should fall into place over the next
two weeks, so think deep, think structure, look around for the presence of
glass minnows, and a good tidal current.
Good luck- good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:
zachcap@aol.com
11-26-05
Some pretty good late fall action was enjoyed by anglers
aboard the "DEE JAY II" last week. Thanksgiving week here in Manatee County,
Fl. can be feast or famine depending on the weather conditions and this year
the situation was positive with a couple of mild fronts, but we have yet to
experience a hard norther that usually brings in winter pattern fishing. The
big wind front just before turkey day kind of moved the bait around and sent
some packing I'm pretty sure. Live shrimp were very productive toward the
end of the week.
J.R. and Curta Addington and their kids Hannah and Jake,
down from Indiana for the holiday enjoyed some good snook, jack, and red
action on an abbreviated trip last Monday due to the passage of a strong
squall just after noon. Young Hannah hooked up with a nice keeper snook for
dinner. White bait produced most of the action on a falling tide.
After the front I had a hard time locating bait in the
time allotted but live shrimp paid off in spades for a quartet of Biddle
family members from Rye, N.Y.. Numerous snook, a few reds, flounder, and
jacks were taken early in the tide and we finished up with some sheepshead
at the bottom of the tide under a dock. One of the sheepies weighed in at
about 5 lbs.
As is the case fairly often this time of year, shrimp can
produce far better action than pilchards, especially under post-frontal
conditions.
I am looking forward to doing more in the way of beach
fishing this week coming if the weather cooperates.
There have been strange patterns so far out there on the
beaches with real good days producing mackerel, cobia, and kingfish and
others its like fishing the dead sea. The M-reefs off Sarasota have been
crawling with cobia according to reliable sources, but up this way they have
been spotty at best.
Good luck- Good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:
zachcap@aol.com
11-21-05
A variety of action was enjoyed by anglers aboard the "DEE
JAY II" this week. Species taken ranged from snook, reds, trout, flounder,
sheepshead and big jacks inshore to hefty spanish mackerel and a few cobia
just offshore of the Islands. As of this writing the weather is a little
dicey and it looks like the first substantial cold front of the season is
upon us. I feel the front may diminish action for a couple of days but serve
to eventually bring on some great fishing action. I believe things may hold
up pretty good right through until Christmas.
A pair of anglers, Klaus Wilpart and Ulrich Niepel, from
Friedrichshafen, Germany and guests at "La Costa" in Bradenton Beach,
hammered a bunch of snook ranging from 24" - 28" on a low incoming tide
Saturday morning. The unsettled weather that morning seemed to get the snook
going and they were slamming the beautiful white bait that is still
available locally. They hooked an estimated 30 linesiders in a couple of
hours in Sarasota Bay.
Beach fishing was a little off from what it was just
prior to the full moon but after things settle from this front it should
jump back strong.
Good luck- Good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:
zachcap@aol.com
11-12-05
The arrival of good numbers of spanish mackerel, cobia, and a
few kingfish was the highlight of this past week here in Manatee County.
Anglers all along this coast were wondering if there would be a fall run and
it looks as if it may be happening. If the current mild conditions continue
we can look forward to several weeks of pelagic action. If a harsh cold
front moves in to the area it will probably put the kabosh on the coastal
action.
Snook, reds, jacks, drum, and sheepshead continued to
provide sport inshore. After the wimpy little front passed on Thursday it
dampened the action somewhat except for a very hot bite of sheepshead on
Friday. Things bounced back very quickly on the weekend however.
White bait, small pinfish, and some real quality shrimp
are all available and producing well both inshore and offshore.
Al Scram and Rick Fuchs, both guests at the Bali Hai
Resort in Holmes Beach hooked up with a number of cobia midweek. The best of
the bunch was a hefty 30 lb'er bested by Schram on 12 lb. test. The ling
were taking pinfish and shrimp the best, and numerous mackerel were taken by
the duo on whitebait. A number of snook and sheepshead rounded out the
action for the pair on a couple of trips last week.
As you've probably noticed the tides are coming around to
a more winter pattern with the big tides occuring at night and the lesser
ones in the daylight hours. This will bring about a change where a lot of
the inshore action will take place around deeper, more structured areas such
as seawalls and docks. This pattern will become more evident with some
cooler temperatures on the horizon and flats fishing will be over after the
passage of a few hard fronts.
I have heard of some good pompano action in the area as
well.
Good luck-good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:
zachcap@aol.com
11-6-05
After a brief spate of near winter weather following Wilma
things got back to some ideal weather here in Manatee County. Lows in the
60's, highs in the 80's and light winds made angling a real treat. The fish
weren't all that impressed with it all but it was a good week nonetheless.
Come to think of it there was one day midweek that fell far short of another
day in paradise!
Rick Fuchs and Al Schram teamed up a couple of days and
did reasonably well with snook, reds,black drum, and sheepshead. The snook
were overall on the small side but Rick did manage one of 28". The reds
ranged in size from tiny 12 inchers to some nice specimens in mid-slot.
White bait and pinfish accounted for most of the snook and reds, while
shrimp were the ticket for the sheepies and drum. A few flounder, mangrove
snapper, and numerous jack crevalle were taken as well over the period.
Inshore fishing has been a challenge as the clarity of
the water is a huge factor. Many areas are gin clear and even when the fish
are present they are extremely spooky, so the trick to success is finding
murkier water conditions and large concentrations of fish can be found there
and are a little easier to coax to a hook. The extreme low tides we have had
has helped bunch'em up as well.
Where are the pelagics? I have encountered almost no
mackerel. No reports of any banner kingfish or cobia action are being
bandied about the waterfront. There has been years where the fall run came
as late as December, so maybe things may happen yet. It has gotten down to
the fact that one or two substantial fronts could drop the water
temperatures below the comfort level of most pelagics and if they do show up
I don't reckon they will hang around too long.
Good luck- Good fishing- be careful out there!!!
Capt."Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:
zachcap@aol.com
10-30-05
All in all an enjoyable week was had by my patrons aboard the
"Dee Jay II" plying the waters of Manatee and Sarasota Counties. The fringe
effects of Hurricane Wilma were not severe and she certainly dragged some
pretty serious cold weather to the area. The wind and cold temps sent the
water temperature tumbling early in the week but things bounced back very
quickly.
I still have no positive news of a big kingfish, cobia,
or mackerel run but the snook, redfish, and flounder fishing was strong.
Also; right on cue the sheepshead started biting in earnest with a number of
really large specimens boated.
Dave Bittrich and Jerry Hotz from north Jersey hammered
around 35 reds midweek. The reds ran in size from 22" to 32". Rick and Matt
Fuchs from Cincinatti duplicated the hot redfishing the following day with
the addition of keeper snook to 32", flounder to 16",and a pair of
sheepshead in the 6-7 lb. class.A strong north wind and bluebird sky
dampened the action somewhat on Saturday, but Tom Tryon and Shane Hebert
from Ellenton managed a mixed bag of snook, redfish, and more sheepshead.
Any and all baits were working for us, the sheepshead of
course were all taken on shrimp but whitebait, pinfish, and shrimp all
worked equally well with the snook, reds, and flounder. Both sides of the
tide produced good action as well.
Good luck- Good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:
zachcap@aol.com
10-23-05
The latest storm is about to come ashore to the south of us
here in Manatee County. Its effects should be minor and it is supposed to
pull down some cooler, drier, weather that we are accustomed to this time of
the year. It should help by bringing normal patterns expected for this time
of year with the fall migration.
Look for spanish mackerel and cobia to be showing in some
numbers, and hopefully some kingfish as well. Snook, reds, and trout will
also be getting into the autumn groove. Some of the best flounder fishing of
the year is usually happening between now and Christmas. The flounder were
hit pretty hard by the red tides earlier on. Sheepshead fishing looks as if
it may be off the charts once the water cools in to the 60's because they
are all over the place right now.
Trips on the "DEE JAY II" produced some action with
numerous snook, although predominately small, some good sized reds up to
29", and big bruiser jack crevalle. Rick and Matt Fuchs down from Cincy
teamed up with Al Schram from N.C. to best some smallish snook, big jacks,
and ladyfish Saturday morning. A couple of really huge snook to us to the
cleaners around dock pilings.
Lets hope that Wilma causes a minimum of problems for us
and she will be the end of the big winds for this year.
Good luck- good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
10-16-05
It was a great week on the waters of Manatee/ Sarasota this
past week. No effects of red tide were evident inshore and some really great
catches were logged aboard the "DEE JAY II".
Early in the week a trio of anglers hailing from the U.K.
enjoyed banner action with snook and redfish. Pat, John, and Liam Jarvis
from Suffolk, England bested snook of 32", 30", and 29" plus numerous
releases in the 24/25" range. The reds were numerous and ranged in size to
30".
Alan Schram from Greensboro, N.C. had a great day with a
bunch of reds ranging up to 30" and a number of not quite legal snook on
Thursday.
Another trio of anglers, Mike Dalton and sons Corey and
Casey from Bradenton also did great with the big reds and snook at weeks
end.
Most of the action was at the top of an incoming tide and
the first of an outgoing tide in the Manatee River, Terra Ceia Bay, and
Palma Sola Bay. White bait and small pinfish produced most of the fish found
near mangrove shorelines and oyster bars.
In addition a smattering of trout, spanish
mackerel,flounder, and large jacks were taken at a variety of locations in
Anna Maria Sound and southeast Tampa Bay.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 Email:
zachcap@aol.com
10-8-05
Jumped from the frying pan into the fire this week. After a
long wait for red tide free fishing the weather took a nose dive for a
couple of days last week, but for those willing to brave the elements things
were pretty upbeat.
Took Alan Schram down from Greensboro N.C. To a catch of
around 18-20 snook and a few reds on wednesday. They were taken at the start
of an incoming tide with white bait.
On Friday, Scott Schnieder, and sons Luke and Zach from
Indianapolis, Ind. did pretty well on big ball bat spanish mackerel,
sharks,small grouper,and snook on an incoming tide in the vicinity of the
Skyway and Terra Ceia Bay. The day started out dark and rainy but at midday
the skies cleared and it turned out to be a beautiful day.
All in all things are looking a lot rosier in the waters
of Manatee and Sarasota counties and I dare say the scourge is behind us and
we can look forward to some good old bang up October fishing in our area.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" Annies Bait & Tackle- Cortez, Fl 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
10-1-05
The overall situation on the water in Manatee County improved
by leaps and bounds by the end of last week. The period started out with yet
another blast of red tide in the wake of a hurricane passing in the gulf but
after a few days passed things cleared up dramatically and action in local
backwaters was off the charts.
One trip with three staffers from the National Weather
Service in Ruskin, Fl enjoyed a good old redfish rally with a number of
snook mixed in as well at weeks end. Bait was relatively easy to get, stayed
alive with no problem, and caught fish like crazy.
The three weather gurus, Nick, Rick, and Russell put the
hammer down on around 30-40 redfish ranging in size from 20" to 30" and a
number of snook with some in the keeper slot. One huge linesider was hooked
and took us to the cleaners over an oyster bar. The area we were fishing was
clear, clean, and loaded with forage fish of every size, shape, and
description. Most of the action came at the change of an incoming tide and
was north and east of Cortez.
Another trip during the week produced snook and trout
taken with a Top Dog Jr. lure on a falling tide in the same locales.
A number of pompano schools were sighted on the shoals
west of Emerson Point. A number of large sharks were also evident in the
unusually clear water of Terra Ceia Bay and the lower Manatee River.
I think snapper fishing has peaked but a number of mangos
will still be taken for about another month. I have never seen so many
sheepshead ganged up on the flats in certain areas as there has been this
summer. I believe the spotty outbreaks of red tide has concentrated a lot of
fish in small pockets of good quality water and if you locate those areas
the possibilities are endless on the right tides and weather conditions.
There are reports of spanish mackerel being pretty thick
just north of John's Pass so it should be a matter of days before they start
invading our area.
With the persistent red tide in the Gulf lying in an area
roughly 10-15 miles offshore, I feel the fall pelagic run is either going to
happen close to the beaches or well offshore as the migrating schools avoid
the foul water conditions produced by the algae blooms.
My general outlook is much brighter than it was at this
time last week. Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there. Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" out of Annies Bait & Tackle, Cortez, Fl.
941-795-5026 Email:
zachcap@aol.com
9-29-05
Took Bill Waite of Palmetto and his son Chris from down
Naples way fishing Friday morning. Hurricane Rita was sitting about due west
of us and had a dramatic effect on the tide. High tide was at 2:30 am and
the low at 11:30 am. When we left the dock at 7:30 am the tide was still
almost to the top of the docks. This allowed us to fish in most places that
could only be accessed at the top of an outgoing tide. For about two hours
we enjoyed near non-stop action with snook and redfish. The amazing thing
was we had mullet spinning and dying all around us from red tide and could
barely keep our bait alive. The rest of the tide produced little or no
action at several different spots we tried. This included no mangrove
snapper at a place that has produced easy limit catches for about three
months. I cannot surmise that the snapper run is over based on one poor day,
but it is possible that the snapper run has peaked for this year.
Had a great trip to New England despite lousy weather
courtesy of tropical storm Ophelia. We did manage one good fishing trip that
produced numerous big bluefish to 17 lbs and striped bass to 22 lbs. taken
just south of Nauset Beach, Cape Cod. I nailed the big bass and my stepson
Jesse Candish bested one of about 12 lbs. Thanks to Capt. Jeff Smith of Fin
Addiction Charters and my son Josh for the superb trip.
I wish I could look into a crystal ball and figure what
is going to happen going in to fall fishing, so I think I'll just leave it
at "hope for the best" right now. I had really hoped to return home and find
the waters of Manatee County clear of the red tide scourge but no such luck.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" Annies Bait & Tackle, Cortez, Fl.
941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
9-10-05
It was a far better week red tide wise in the
Manatee/Sarasota area and the weather was really enjoyable and unexpected at
this time of summer. Lower humidity and a fresh breeze made it extra
comfortable on the water.
Fishing was pretty good on the "DEE JAY II" as well with
some truly productive days and others a little harder. The tides going into
this week are looking pretty good and with a little break from mother nature
it should be pretty good on the angling front.
Snapper continue on a hot bite and are coming in from all
over. Any docks, shell bars, wrecks, and ledges are loaded with the tasty
"mangos". Snook are fair with some good days but the average size a tad
small. There are a lot of them around though and when the water temperatures
start to moderate I feel the snooking is going to be above average. Reds are
hard to figure as they seem to be constantly on the move depending on water
quality. They can be thick in one location one day and gone the next. Trout
should be coming on pretty strong in the near future as well. When inshore
fishing right now be very observant for the presence of glass minnows and
mullet in the area. If there is nothing in the area there most likely won't
be any predators in the area either.
Looking to the prospects for the next month, there should
be some spanish mackerel moving into the neighborhood soon. Other pelagics
may show up a little earlier again this year caused by water turbidity
issues in the northern gulf. This happened a few years back when the north
gulf coast was impacted by several strong storms. Of course these
predictions totally depend on water quality issues here over the next month
or two.
There is absolutely some of the best bait around that
I've seen in many years at this point on the calendar. If the bait holds for
a while, there will ample bait for the kingfish run.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" @ Annies Bait & Tackle, Cortez,FL-
941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
9-3-05
This has truly been an incredible week. Only by the grace of
god we are not suffering the travails of our neighbors to the northwest.
Please help out in any way that you can.
The "Dee Jay II" had precious few trips this week and I
am very sorry to report that once again, a spate of red tide has come to
Manatee and Sarasota County waters in the wake of the monster Katrina.
The few times out did continue to produce snapper, snook,
reds, and trout. The snapper were the only volume catch and the others
mentioned did not come in very big numbers.
I must admit I am at a loss to say much else. Fishing
seems to be kind of inconsequential considering the circumstances. I guess
in time it may be therapeutic however.
The fuel issue is getting out of hand as well.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Say
some prayers for and send some cash to those of our folks that need help so
badly.
Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
8-27-05
Anglers on the "DEE JAY II" continued to do extremely
well with mangrove snapper. The saltwater panfish were the big numbers catch
again this week followed by redfish, catch and release snook, trout, and jack
crevalle.
Rob and Bruce Bonar, visiting from
Florence, Ky. limited out on snapper running up to 16" and nailed reds up
to 22" in length on Thursday last week. The expectation of tropical
weather in our neighborhood kind of put the damper on folks looking to go
fishing over the weekend, but luckily we escaped any ill effects from Katrina
other than higher than normal easterly winds which may have helped send what
was left of the red tide out of our bays and nearshore gulf.
Snook season reopens next week, and it
looks as if it may be a good late summer season for them. There is plenty of
the right sized white bait around along with numerous small pinfish that work
so good in the fall months coming up. Most of the snook we have encountered
have for the most part been small but there are plenty of big specimens to be
had under the right conditions.
Reds are beginning to school up as
well. Unfortunately, there were a lot of reds that went belly up this summer
due to the persistent red tide but there are still good numbers of survivors
about local bays.
Going into late summer and early autumn
look for spanish mackerel to start returning to our locale. The snapper bite
should continue great guns for at least another month. Snook and trout action
should start looking up just due to the shorter duration of daylight hours and
will continue to get better as soon as water temperatures begin to moderate.
Other species such as king mackerel,
cobia, pompano, and sheepshead will start making the scene when the water
begins to cool.
After a brutally hot summer and all the
attendant plagues we have had to deal with, it sure feels good to anticipate
some really great, normal, and cooler fishing conditions on the horizon.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful
out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II"- Annies
Bait & Tackle, Cortez, Fl.-941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
8-20-05
I am happy to report that we have enjoyed a full week
free of red tide issues in the immediate vicinity of Anna Maria Island,
Longboat Key, and Cortez. The water is looking really clean and clear.
Bait is plentiful and the various inshore species have been responding well on
the big full moon tides this past week.
The Hiteman family down from Lutz, Fl.
had a banner day on the "DEE JAY II" with redfish and
mangrove snapper earlier in the week. Numerous reds running up to 29"
were landed and later in the morning they limited out on some nice snapper up
to 17" in length. All of the action was on pilchards, small pinfish, and
sardines. A high outgoing tide did the trick with the reds up tight to the
bushes and the snapper from a deep ledge in Sarasota Bay. We also took some
snapper by working a yellow Doc's Goofy Jig. The jig was dropped over the
structure during a strong outgoing tide and jigged in place in the current. In
addition to the reds and snapper, a number of snook, flounder, gag grouper,
and trout have cooperated as well.
With some luck and positive thinking
the water quality issues we have been experiencing will continue to diminish
and we can get back to our normal fishing patterns and have a super late
summer and fall fishing season.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful
out there!!(especially of the heat). Capt. "Zach" Zacharias-
"DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
8-6-05
Things are looking up depending on the area you are looking at.
The bay waters from the Manatee bridge south to the county line, including
Palma Sola Bay are looking great for the first time in months. Bait is
plentiful, easy to get, and remains frisky for hours in a baitwell.
The fishing has shown a decided
improvement as well with numerous snook of all size ranges being caught and
released, spotty redfish and trout, and scads of mangrove snapper being taken
from just about every piling, ledge, wreck, or shellbar in the bay.
A trio of anglers from New Jersey did
well on snook and snapper last week. Granddad Larry, son Larry, and grandson
Larry Monaco nailed a limit plus catch of snapper to 15 inches and a number of
snook ranging in size from 18" to 29" on an incoming tide using
shiners and spanish sardines for bait. The snook were typically found in the
shade of the mangroves at the top of the flood tide. Most of the snapper were
coming in on the same baits fished over hard bottom near Longboat Pass. A
number of small to some pretty hefty jack crevalle have been crashing the
party on occasion as well.
On a totally optimistic note, I think
the worst of the red tide is over for us and as usual the fishing comes back
like gangbusters after the bay and gulf get back to our normal water quality.
The dog days are upon us but as the days shorten going into fall the fishing
generally starts to pick up and climaxes in October/November.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful
out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias, "DEE JAY II" Cortez,
Fl. 941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
7-30-05
Ron Zacharias and sons Kyle and Bubba visiting from Fayetteville
N.C. braved the rain, wind, and lightning one morning last week and were
rewarded with some decent action with redfish, mangrove snapper, and jack
crevalle. Also a couple of "too big for our tackle" inshore grouper
took us to the cleaners.
Without a doubt, mangrove snapper are the numbers
catch recently. They are fat and feisty and provide the makings for a top
notch fish fry due to their abundance and a somewhat liberal bag limit
compared to other species right now. A slow tide and a little structure will
produce the tasty panfish if offered the right sized bait. Small hooks, light
flourocarbon leaders, and a minimum of weight will produce limit catches of
the toothy critters.
I have found the redfish to be scattered, but
available. Snook are returning to the inside now and taking up residence under
the shade of docks. Trout are scattered as well, and drifting deep broken
grass with white bait, small pinfish, select shrimp, and any number of soft
bodied jigs will produce some nice specks. Bonus catches of spanish mackerel,
bluefish, and small shark can be taken that way as well.
Getting into August the redfishing should begin to
improve a lot. Schooling usually begins in preparation for the autumn spawn at
this time. Considering how the normal seasonal patterns for a bunch of other
species has been off this year, it would be nice if something would fall into
the "normal" category for once.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!!
Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
7-23-05
Water quality seems to be generally on the improve this
past week.
Several trips during the week produced
decent results with redfish and mangrove snapper providing the best action. In
addition; snook, trout, flounder, and jacks made their way aboard the
"DEE JAY II".
At weeks end, a half day trip with
Bryan Day and his 6 year old son, Nathan. from Kennesaw, Ga. ,gave up a
limit plus catch of mangrove snapper ranging from 12- 16". All of the
snappers were really healthy and hefty and I am sure they made for a
great fish fry at the Day's place.
One really interesting aspect on the
angling scene this summer is the abundance and availability of bait this deep
into summer. In a normal year there would be precious few big pilchards
available and the fry bait too small to bother with. Small pinfish would
usually be the primary live bait at mid-summer.
This year however there are pilchards of all sizes available
and the fry are already at a nettable size. In addition there have been
billions of small spanish sardines in the mix. The sardines are at a perfect
size for mackerel and absolute candy for the plentiful snapper right now.
Hopefully the plagues of early summer
will continue to abate and we can get back on schedule with some normal
patterns going into late summer and fall.
It is very hot out there so make sure
and take precautions and use common sense while out in the sun and the stormy
weather.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful
out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II"
941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
7-17-05
Nothing would make me happier than to report that inshore
action is off the charts. It is not; and the current red tide outbreak after
the passage of hurricane Dennis has done nothing but add insult to injury. The
red tide situation is going on ad nausiem and if it does not clear up
soon it will start to have some long term negative effects on our
resources here locally.
The couple of trips I made this past
week have produced mixed results. Matt Brown visiting from Kansas enjoyed some
fair action on snook, mangrove snapper, and feisty jack crevalle early in the
week. On Friday, Jeff Simmons and a crew of kids were highly disappointed with
a morning of fishing that produced precious few fish and a real lesson in what
could have been by checking out all the dead and dying snook, reds, trout,
flounder, et al floating around Sarasota Bay and Anna Maria Sound.
At this writing, fishing is wide open
and excellent according to all reports well offshore in 60-80 ft. of water.
Even the tarpon fishing is happening out there.
Optimistically, I hope the situation
will improve dramatically in the coming week.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful
out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II"
941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
7-11-05
Mother nature seems to have an axe to grind with us in
these parts. As I write this report, hurricane Dennis is having his way with
us along the west coast and the only positive thing is it is not a direct hit.
The wild weather may be a blessing or a curse depending on the end result of
the storm on the red tide situation that has gone on far too long.
The couple of trips out that I have made in the past week
has produced mostly mangrove snapper. The ones that have been caught ranged
between 10 and 16 inches and have come off of inshore ledges, wrecks, and
shell bars. Small baits including pinfish, shiners, and shrimp have been
producing the dog toothed panfish.
In addition, there has been catch and
release snook to 30", scattered reds , trout, and flounder.
The red tide has abated in the
immediate area, but it was still evident on a trip to Egmont Key and far south
in Sarasota Bay.
On Saturday morning as the tropical
weather system was bearing down on us I witnessed at least a couple of hundred
snook massed at the mouth of a Cortez canal feeding like a bunch of crazed
jacks on a strong falling tide early in the morning. They were going ape over
a thick school of glass minnows. I was completely amazed at the number of fish
and the sizes of the linesiders ranging from 12 inches to 30+ inches.
I must admit that I do not know what is
going to be thrown at us next on the angling scene but it is becoming almost
biblical in nature.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt. "Zach"
Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
7-2-05
I am happy to report that the red tide has diminished to near
zero in the Anna Maria, Longboat Key, and Cortez areas as of this writing.
Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July weekend.
Fishing this past week was certainly on
the rebound with continuing action with catch and release snook running up to
30" in length, trout of good average size, scattered reds going to
28", and flounder. There were more flounder brought aboard the "DEE
JAY II" on a couple of trips last week than I have seen in the past two
months. The flatties fell for whitebait, small pinfish, and shrimp. They were
in fairly deep water(over 5 ft.) on sand bottom adjacent to hard bottom. In
addition to the improving flounder action there has been lots of mangrove
snapper and near keeper gag grouper taken as well. The mangroves have been of
good average size for the bay, and limit catches easily accomplished. The
snapper and grouper also went for shrimp, shiners, and small pinnies equally
well. Another bait that will produce all of the above as well would be
chubs(aka. killies, mud minnows) and small sand perch(aka. mutton minnows,
mojarras).
The action for the snapper, grouper,
and flounder should just get better into late summer and early fall.
Redfish will begin to school during the
same time period and reach a peak at the spawn some time between haloween and
turkey day.
Over the years I've noticed a definite
improvement in the quality of fishing once things get back to normal after a
red tide episode. Unfortunately the timing of this outbreak really spoiled the
tarpon run this year. However there will be some tarpon(usually big ones)
caught in the deeper bay holes into late summer if you look for them. These
late summer tarpon will take just about anything you offer them. Look for
dense balls of glass minnows and whitebait fry in deeper areas of the bays and
there could be some big silver kings lurking around.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful
out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias"DEE JAY II"
941-795-5026 email: zachcap@aol.com
6-24-05
Action aboard the "DEE JAY II" was decent
considering the conditions again this week.
Snook and trout were the species
out in front as far as numbers were concerned. The snook ran up to 32"
and the trout ranged from 14" on up to a few gators in the 25"
range. This action was followed closely by a number of redfish to 28" and
scattered flounder, bluefish, spanish mackerel, and jack crevalle.
The challenging part of angling right
now is that most species are constantly on the move in an apparent attempt to
avoid the frustrating red tide blooms. A spot that may prove productive one
day will be really slow another. The same is true with bait gathering. The
white bait is pretty thick everywhere but will belly up on you at any given
spot. I recommend that live shrimp be used as an alternative as it seems to be
immune to the algae blooms.
Mangrove snapper are on the increase
inshore and regular sized shrimp are the ticket for the toothy panfish being
that the fry bait they love is conspicuously absent from the flats right now.
Small pinfish and mud chubs are also deadly on the mangroves. Try fishing
heavy hard bottom and dock pilings on the slower portion of the tides. These
same areas will produce some flounder, big reds, and an occasional grouper as
well as snapper.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful
out there!! Capt. Zach Zacharias-"DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
6-16-05 This will be an abbreviated report as there is not a
great deal to say. The week started off as a real nightmare for live baiters due
to a potent outbreak of red tide following the passage of Arlene to our west.
The red tide tribulations continued unabated til midweek and finally slacked up
on Thursday.
8-11-05 Tropical
storm Arlene has just added insult to injury in a year gone crazy with out of
control weather patterns.
6-4-05 The
weather continues to mystify me long into late spring and early summer. The
marathon rain and wind of the past week has certainly curtailed the normal
pursuits of local anglers that we are used to at this time of the year. Offshore
trips have been out of the question for the "DEE JAY II" and inshore
trips have been just O.K. considering the new moon tides should be producing
some of the best inshore action of the year. Sporadic red tide blooms continue
to make bait gathering a challenge, the bait is readily available but a trick to
keep alive in the well.
5-28-05 This
past week continued to produce spanish makerel, bluefish, and trout in lower
Tampa Bay and Anna Maria Sound. Add to that a few hookups with tarpon. I feel
the silver kings will be all over the area after the holiday weekend.
5-21-05 The
transition into summer patterns is taking place. There are still plenty of
spanish mackerel around( the biggest being in Tampa Bay) and lots of schoolie
kingfish in forty to fifty foot of water in the gulf. There are some permit
around but nothing you can depend on in any given spot. Inshore is still giving
up good catches of snook, redfish, trout, and flounder but continued sporadic
outbreaks of red tide are still a problem especially when getting white bait and
trying to keep it alive in the baitwell. A number of tarpon schools were spotted
off the beaches of Longboat Key this week and they should be coming on strong in
the next several weeks. Some pretty hefty and hard fighting bluefish have been
on the line both in the gulf and the open waters of Sarasota Bay and Anna Maria
Sound.
5-14-05 Finally
at mid May we have had a solid week of near normal weather. The relentless winds
of this spring gave way to an entire week of running offshore to enjoy the
action out there.
5-8-05 It
looks as if we are going to go straight from cold front season into hurricane
season this year! Banner offshore action has been off limits to the "Dee
Jay II" because of an almost relentless wind this spring. Fortuneately my
charters have been enjoying some really great action with huge spanish mackerel
and school kings in lower Tampa Bay. There has also been an occasional cobia and
shark in the same location and tarpon schools have been spotted but none hooked
up so far.
4-23-05 The
red hot action in the nearshore gulf was really set back by the unusual cold and
windy weather of last week. Kingfish, spanish, and cobia that had been coming on
real strong kind of disappeared into thin air for most of the past week. A
couple of forays out into the gulf produced gag grouper, flounder, key west
grunts, etc. Surprisingly we slammed some trout in the 15-22" range over
hard bottom in 25 feet of water on a couple of trips. The trout were taking a
variety of offerings including pilchards, shrimp, and small pinfish fished right
on the bottom.
4-15-05 The
new moon tides and warming water temps made for a great week aboard the
"DEE JAY II" for the most part. White bait has become pretty
dependable and producing a diverse array of quality fish.
4-9-05 A
banner week on the "DEE JAY II" despite a couple of horrendous days
with brain addling wind.
4-2-05 Good
action all week on the inside with snook, trout, reds, and flounder cooperating
pretty well. White bait has become a certainty, along with small pinfish and
live shrimp producing as well.
3-27-05 Another week of crazy weather goings on but the past weekend brought some nice sunny warm days and the fishing responded in kind.Friday was an exceptionally good day. Ed Merman and Tony Butti from Siesta Key enjoyed some top notch action with snook, reds, trout, and sheepshead. We did not get any decent white bait that morning but it was no problem at all because all of the above were more than willing to eat live shrimp. The snook topped out at 30 inches, the reds were all in the 20-24 inch range, trout to 19 inches, and sheepies to 5 lbs. Interestingly enough the snook and reds were not the first bit into eating small pinfish and artificial offerings in the middle of a frenzy on the shrimp. The trout were equally bent on eating shrimp over any and all fake offerings that day. The sheepshead were bunched up over hard bottom in Longboat Pass and all were hefty brutes. Earlier in the week we experienced some of the above action with pompano, bluefish, and huge ladyfish in the mix. As of the weekend there were scattered reports of a few spanish mackerel along the beaches, kingfish in 60 ft or so offshore, and an incredibly hot mangrove snapper bite going on from 30-60 ft. of water. Most days have been too windy for the "DEE JAY II" to venture out in the gulf but it looks as if the much ballyhooed spring blowout is starting to materialize. All in all things look really promising with good spring tides, bait schools coming in, and more seasonal weather on tap. Good luck and good fishing-be careful out there!! Capt. Zach Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email: zachcap@aol.com
3-19-05 This
past week brought some white bait on to the local flats and a couple of trips
before the most recent deluge and cold front produced some nice snook to 30
inches. Trout were also a big deal with numerous spotties coming onboard with a
goodly bunch in the 20-25 inch range. The trout were going for a variety of
baits including shrimp, pinfish, white bait, and soft plastics such as tsunami
trout maulers and DOA shrimp fished under a float. Quite a few big jack crevalle
were wrestled with along with ladyfish and bluefish. A number of pompano have
been coming in; they are of a good average size but really scattered all over
the place with no big numbers coming in from any single location. Redfish have
been an occasional catch this week with the seasonal transition but should be
coming on better when they begin to settle in their warm weather haunts.
3-13-05 Trout,
trout, and more trout. They are literally everywhere and hitting good most days.
Sheepshead have been on the wane for me and I can't say that I am unhappy about
it. Sheepies are great but 4-5 months of them is more than enough for a while. A
few spanish mackerel along the beaches as well as some nice pompano have been
taken in the bays during the past week. Reds are definetely in a transition mode
from their winter haunts to shallower flats areas. The downside to that right
now is the flats are pretty clear most places and the reds a little skittish.
Subsequently they are an occasional catch rather than a big numbers catch as
they were in mid-winter. Snook are on the verge of blowing wide open in the
coastal areas. All we need is a good solid week of normal or above temperatures
to kick them into high gear. That is true of most species right now including
kings and cobia. We have also picked up flounder. black drum, gag grouper, and
mangrove snapper depending on the area fished.
3-3-05 Before
winter made an unwelcome encore, the snook fishing began to explode, but the
return of cold, stormy weather has put a damper on that pursuit once again.
Trout continue to be the big numbers catch with spotties coming in from
everywhere. Some days provide almost non-stop action with live shrimp, DOA
shrimp, and Tsunami trout maulers. There is a huge range in sizes coming in from
12- 24 inches. Redfish have been spotty but good days give up limit catches up
to 27 inches.Sheephead have slacked off early for me, usually this time of the
year produces banner catches of pre-spawn bucktoothers. Maybe the return of
winter type weather will get them biting real good again. A few really big
pompano have been picked up by anglers on the "DEE JAY II" this past
week while trout fishing in really odd areas that you would not expect to find
them.
2-25-05 No
quantum changes on the angling scene this week other than the bagging of a few
pompano and snook. White bait is here and the snook season is probably going to
get an early start. Redfish, Sheepshead, and trout continue to be the mainstay
on the "DEE JAY II" and have been running hot and cold all week. The
reds have come in up to 27", the trout to 24", and sheepies to 7 lbs.
Also flounder, mangrove snapper, black drum, and bluefish have been cooperating.
2-18-05 Overall
good angling results for folks on the "DEE JAY II". The weather is
moderating and if we can get a good solid week of warm, sunny days bringing the
water temperatures close to 70 degrees the spring onslaught will be on! I saw
some schools of white bait and ballyhoo along the beaches of Longboat Key this
week and the effects of a pesky red tide have been minimal in our area.
2-13-05 Another
yo-yo week with the weather but the fish seem to be getting accustomed to it
because they cooperated pretty good this last week.
2-7-05 Nothing
to write home about this week, but patience and persistence would usually pay
off with some nice catches.
I will be conducting a seminar at the upcoming Florida Fishing College and would appreciate some input from you all out there in cyberspace. The subject will be " Winter Inshore Fishing" and if you have any specific subjects or questions you are particularly interested in please email them to me at zachcap@aol.com. please subject your mail with "fishing college" so I can pick them out of the spam. Thanks- Capt. Zach 1-28-05 The
extreme cold spell fortunately did not affect the snook hereabouts other than
making them a little sluggish but the big drop in water temperatures certainly
did make the overall action slow down a bit. The numbers of trout, reds,
sheepshead, and flounder were diminished but persistence and patience would pay
off. At this time the weather has moderated considerably and piscatorial
appetites should definitely be un the upswing. Heavy fog at last weeks end made
getting out somewhat of a challenge but the pea soupers are a part of the norm
for this time of year.
1-22-05 Fishing
this past week was pretty good despite a return to more winter weather early in
the week and as I write this report the weather guys are predicting some of the
coldest weather we have seen in a couple of years. Snook should survive this
freeze as the air and the water temperatures have dropped gradually during the
last cold spell and should have them acclimated to the cold. Luckily we did not
go from the summer like conditions at the start of the month straight in to a
freeze which could have been deadly on the snook population. Keep your fingers
crossed that the cold is not too severe.
1-16-05 Winter
returned with a vengeance this weekend. In the long term this is good, it will
reinforce the winter pattern that should be in place and should keep things on
track going in to spring and summer. The reds, trout, and sheepshead will
concentrate in numbers as opposed to scattered all over the place as they began
to do during the false spring we experienced. Offshore fishing should improve as
well although trips out there need to be judiciously planned around rough
weather periods.
1-8-05 Welcome
to the summer of 2005! The weather has been absolutely beautiful and the fishing
conditions sublime. Lets all hope that winter weather makes a debut at least for
a few weeks for the over all good of the spring fishing run. It seems as if it
never fails when we get this January spring it is followed by miserable
conditions in March and April. I would much rather have it lousy now then later
on.
1-1-05 All
in all the fishing this past week was phenomenal. The weather conditions spanned
the gamut of cold and windy to warm and sunny, the tides were nothing to crow
about, but the fish ate big time.
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