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Fishing Report
From Capt. Zach - 2002
12-30-02
The last entry for 2002 could be a real
downer but it isn't. Despite very cool and unsettled weather fishing has
provided a lot of surprises.
A wide variety came aboard once again this past two
weeks including snook,trout,many redfish & sheepies, pompano,bluefish, jack
crevalle, ladyfish, flounder, mangroves, and barracuda!
Live shrimp accounted for the majority of the above but
artificials such as yellow or white jigs and soft bodied jigs also put fish in
the boat. It has been awhile since so many species have been available
mid-winter.
The snook have been taken on warm sunny days while
sunning themselves on muddy bottom and in the lee of the wind. Reds and trout
have been very close by in the same type of areas. The cuda I mentioned was also
taken in the same area on a large dead shrimp. It was 28" long and a real
surprise in late December.
On the really low range tides we have concentrated on
deep boat channels and seawalls with a lot of docks for most of the reds,
sheepies, and snapper. When the tide comes in pretty well, especially on a sunny
afternoon the reds, snook, and trout will ease up the dropoffs and feed in
pretty shallow water. Look around for bait such as glass minnows, small sand
perch, or chubs. If there is structure and some deep water nearby you can almost
count on fish being there!
Big schools of jumbo sheepshead will start ganging up on
the gulf reefs beginning in January and right up to the spawn in early spring.
If your in the hunt for a mess of legal, good eating fish for a family fry this
time of year, they are the way to go.
Happy New Year to all and here's to great fishing action
in 2003!!! Capt. Zach- 941-795-5026
12-13-02
Angling action continues productive despite
lousy weather. El Meano looks as if it will be a huge factor in the fishing
equation this winter season.
A wide variety of species have come aboard the Dee Jay
II this past week. The laundry list includes average sized redfish, sheepies,
trout, ladyfish,flounder,black drum, a few scattered pompano, and 2 lonely snook.
Most of the action was produced with live shrimp around docks and pilings in
4-10 ft. of water. The pompano were fooled with yellow jigs. On a couple of
trips we did extremely well with mangrove snapper up to 12" in the same
areas. The bulk of the reds were surprisingly caught with shrimp under popping
cork rigs in pretty shallow water for this time of the year and water temps in
the low 60's.
A key to succesful winter fishing is to look for
concentrations of glass minnows. The diminutive minnows are probably the primary
fodder for most of our local gamefish in the cold of the year. Also the low
water temps reduces the metabolism of our warm weather species so everything
they do is in kind of slow motion. When using artificail baits it is important
to slow down your retrieve dramatically. Live baits do this automatically
because of the cold. Live shrimp will go into a semi dormancy when the temps
drop in the 50's. Place them in a bucket in the sun and watch them get really
frisky. Patience is the key to success at this time. If you know that the fish
your seeking are present in an area, stick with them and they will feed to some
extent sooner or later.
I have gift certificates available for your favorite
anglers. The certificates can be claimed at any time of the year and make a
great and appreciated gift.
Merry Christmas to all!! I hope your wildest fishing
dreams all come true.
To book a trip or just shoot the breeze give me a call
at 941-795-5026. Capt. J.A. "Zach" Zacharias"DEE JAY II"
12-5-02
Things have changed dramatically since my
last report. Winter has arrived and winter patterns are in full swing. Reds and
sheepies have made up the bulk of the catch for a couple of weeks now. Trout are
also plentiful for catch and release, but I do not recommend targeting them due
to their fragility. Out in the gulf and near the passes, spanish mackeral are
still available along with a few pompano, bonito, and mangrove snapper in 30' of
water or so. Cobia are lurking about but this years fall cobia run was a bit off
from previous years.
White bait is no longer a certainty from day
to day so make sure and stock up on alternative baits. Shrimp and a variety of
jigs and spoons will work well. At this writing the water temperature is 62
which is really low for this early in the winter season.
11-13-02
As I am writing this the first hard cold front of te year
has passed through and will undoubtedly have an effect on local fishing. Up
until now the kingfish run had been nothing short of phenominal. I'm hoping I am
wrong but this could be the end of the close in action. Cobia should be on the
improve however and should peak between now and Christmas. There are still those
big ball bat Spanish mackeral still running along the beaches and they are a lot
of fun. The water temp today is 75 which is perfect for nearly everything but
the downside is that it will be nosediving this week. The falling temperatures
will eventually run all the baitfish and pelagics out of our area.
A similar scenario will be taking place inshore.
The snook are already moving daily toward the winter dogholes. They may stage up
here and there for a couple of days but each front will send them farther
inshore. Redfish will also drop into deep holes and channels and may be found at
high water foraging around shallow water in very close proximity to the holes on
pretty days. Flounder should really be hot for the next several weeks. We have
boated some real nice ones in the past couple of weeks up to 22".It may be
time to switch over to live shrimp and jigs here shortly. I strongly recommend
leaving trout alone for the remainder of the closed season. They are so fragile
and do not release well at all. Nine times out of ten they will be gut hooked
and up being duck food. By the time the season opens again in January, there
should be some really hefty trout along the beaches staged up wherever there is
some hard bottom. Gray trout will be mixed in with them or just a little deeper
and pompano, bluefish, and sheepshead will also bend some rods once the water
drops into the 60 degree range. That's all I can think of this week. Although
the action will be changing there is still a lot of sport to be had even during
the worst weather, you just have to keep changing your tactics to fit the
conditions and you'll catch fish. Good luck!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias-
"DEE JAY II" -- 941-795-5026
11-3-02
Action in the nearshore Gulf continues hot
and heavy, and I mean nearshore! We are regularly hooking up with Kings up
to 25 lbs. in 30 ft. of water or less off local beaches. In addition are jumbo
Spanish,bonito, snapper, and loads of cuda. Cobia also show up and crash the
party . The biggest cobia we've encountered however was in Sarasota Bay in
about 4 ft. of water while snook fishing. This fish weighs 50 lbs. at least and
unfortuneately each time its been hooked has been on light inshore gear and
lost. The snook fishing has really improved with the cooling water temps with
both numbers and average size going up. Trout were good just before the 2 month
closure and should be really good when it reopens in January. Redfish are
becoming a little more scarce compared to the action of Aug/Sept., but they
should really get a lot better as the water gets colder and they hole up for the
winter. Flounder are on the upswing and should be great for the next two months.
White bait is still plentiful but the cooler
weather has them moving around some and you may not find it in the same place
from one day to the next. I have found over the years that the cooler water
temps get, the less effective white bait is and you may want to start carrying
shrimp and a good selection of artificials with you each trip. Of course there
are a number of species during the winter months that will only take
shrimp and jigs. Sheepies , pompano, black drum to name a few.
This is the time of year to get out there
fishing. Capt. Zach "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
10-25-02
Fish Report 10/25
The fall fishing run in the gulf is going full bore.
Despite the water temps remaining quite high for late October, a combination of
the cold front and heavy weather in the northern gulf has moved Kingfish, Cobia,
Jumbo Spanish and Bonito south in huge numbers. In addition there is an absolute
plethora of bait in the nearshore gulf which should hold these gamesters here
for quite a while, barring any sudden drops in water temperatures. The most
notable aspect of the Kingfish run is that they are massed very close in to
local beaches. All the kings we have caught have been in 30' of water or
less. The bulk of the big mackeral have been in the 10 - 15 lb. class but we
have bested some in the 30 lb. range and gotten tore up by some truly large
smokers. These fish have been most active in the early A.M. without much regard
to tide. Cobia were more prevalent right after the passage of the cold front a
while back and have become a little more scarce now that the water temp has
popped back up. Look for another front or two to really get things cooking in
the ling dept. The spanish running the beaches right now are some of the largest
I've seen ever. They rival the size of the school kings and are very healthy.
One drawback is an overabundance of cuda out there also and they will hone in on
your action and shred the kings, spanish, and bonitos on your hook. There is big
sport available there however by live lining a small spanish on a wire leader
equipped with a stinger hook in the tail. Additionally , there are plenty
of shark out there, some running as large as 5'.
Due to all this action in the nearshore gulf I've not
fished inshore all that much. The snook, redfish, trout, and flounder are
available all year long, and all this great pelagic action will not last
forever. Redfish continue strong and seem to be massed from the bulkhead on over
towards Bishop's Harbor way. Some really nice trout have come in fishing the
deeper grass beds in SaraBay, Palma Sola, and Anna Maria Sound. Pompano are on
the verge of coming on real strong as well as the best flounder fishing of the
year coming up between now and Christmas. A few more cold fronts of average
intensity should really help in massing up the snook before they hit there
winter dog holes. There is plenty of baitfish everywhere and easily netted even
without the benefit of chum. Remember that trout will be going out of season for
two months in about a week (Nov. 1- Dec. 31). The hot Mangrove Snapper action of
this past summer will be on the wane now but big sheepies will start moving in
when the water cools into the sixties. All in all I'd have to rate the fishing
right now as a solid TEN. It just doesn't get any better than this so get out
there and enjoy. Only take what you can reasonably use and pay attention to
regulations. The bag on Kings is two per person but will drop to one when the
federal quota is met. Also remember that Cobia have been reduced to one
per person also.. Good luck and good fishing- Be careful out there. Capt. "Zach"
Zacharias - "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026.
10-4-02
The last few nights have been noticeably
cooler which signals the fact that water temps will be moderating gradually for
the next couple of months, and even though the fishing action has been really
good for the past month, it's on the verge of getting even better.
The fishing in the nearshore gulf is where the biggest
change will take place. In addition to the mackeral, snapper, and bonito that
have been around all summer, there will be the welcome addition of kings, cobia,
southbound tarpon, and tripletail. In addition the bait supply will be in prime
condition, not only in numbers but size and that will be the case until some
really hard fronts roll through. Pompano will also be on the increase with
cooler temps.
Inshore action will also be on the upswing with good
sized snook returning to the flats where they will be staged and feeding pretty
good until cold weather drives them to winter holes. Redfish should continue
strong as well as trout. Lately I've done best with reds and snook on flood
tides fishing right up against the mangroves in areas with an abundance of
oysters. Big snook will also be found feeding on the lower stages of big
tides in deeper boat channels along with reds, trout, and flounder.
Mango snapper are still going strong and should continue
until the fronts get them moving into canals and creeks. Small white bait and
shrimp will do the trick on the snapper on slow periods of tidal flow. I've also
been encountering some truly big grouper(gags) while snapper fishing. Try
bringing some stout boat rods with hefty lines to yank them out of the ledges in
the bay. One lucky angler on a recent trip bested a 29" gag on 10 lb.
tackle.
Flounder are always a big attraction from now till
Christmas. Historically this period has been the best for flatties. Chubs
(killifish), small sand bream, and any number of grub tailed jigs will put good
numbers of flounder on board. Concentrate on hard sandy bottoms near
structure such as shell bars, turtle grass, docks and such.
Get your trout fishing in during October because us
lucky folks in Manatee County will be enduring a closed season in November &
December, which is usually a great time for big specks. The only saving grace is
the fact that an awful lot of other stuff will be going on during that time
period.
Within the next week the local crabbers will be setting
their traps in the gulf and consequently they make great attractors for both
cobia and tripletail. Tripletail kind of resemble a big old speckled perch
(crappie) but fight a whole lot harder and are as good eating or better. The way
to fish them is to cruise stone crab trap lines in the gulf and spot them
lounging around just beneath the floats. They will take most offerings of
shiners, shrimp, jigs, and also flies. If they spot you they will descend
down the trap rope but will still take a bait presented to them. The same
scenario applies to cobia as well. Quite often, when the crabbers are tending
their traps, cobia will be following right behind scarfing up all the goodies
discarded by the crab boats.
One other thing I want to mention is that I've found
that those simple lead jigs known as crazy or goofy jigs are pretty deadly on
mango snapper. Using these jigs will also produce Spanish and pompano and on
occasion a cobia. This time last year a customer of mine hooked and landed a 35
lb. cobia on one of those silly things.
Tarpon, some really big ones, have been making a short
appearance every October on the artificial reefs off our beaches, so keep your
eyes pealed for the big silver herring.
Good luck and good fishing! We are coming up on some of
the best action of the year. ENJOY!!!
Capt. "Zach" Zacharias--- DEE JAY II
-941-795-5026
9-18-02
The "RED RAMPAGE" continues. Redfish ranging in size from 14-34" are
coming in from just about every inshore spot you can think of. It is not uncommon to boat 20-40 reds on a single outing. They are not very picky
about what they eat! Shrimp, whitebait, pinfish, lures,spoons, and jigs will all work. The best bites for me have been at the top of the tide. Snook have been fair. They are definetely schooling up and returning to
the inshore flats in great numbers. A really good tide and some unsettled weather will get them fired up, but otherwise can be hard to get going,
especially the big fish.Trout are good if your willing to work for them and cull through a lot
of shorts.
Otherwise Mango Snapper are still strong but maybe a little past the peak inshore. Pompano have been coming on and Spanish Mack's continue to
please in the nearshore gulf and Tampa Bay.Whitebait has been plentiful and should remain so until strong fronts
start blowing into town. Speaking of blows, let's all pray that Isidore doesn't make it around here.Have heard tell of some cobia being caught but have not encountered any
myself. There has been some patchy red tide in the Gulf and Sarasota bay. Also zero oxygen from overly hot water can raise hell with your live bait but
these are things we have to live with until summer gives way to some cool fall weather. I don't know about you but I am more than ready. Good Luck and
leave a few for the next guy. Capt. "Zach" "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
9-8-02
Reds, reds, reds. They are everywhere. In
fact they are so prevalent in most areas they have hindered the amount of snook
boated as they are feeding so aggressively. The bait you use is pretty
inconsequential, just about everything will work. The bulk of the reds have been
hitting best the last hour of the incoming and the first hour of the ebb.
Mangrove snapper are literally in clouds in and around
Longboat pass. They are tricky to catch as the water is clear and they are very
hook and leader shy. Try completely burying a small hook in your bait and forego
a leader to entice them.
Spanish Mackeral and bonito are common on structure off
local beaches. A few pompano are coming in as well as a very few cobia.
Snook have been really cooperative during the daylight
hours if: There is a really good tide, the weather is somewhat unsettled, and
you have good sized whitebait.
Over the weekend I had some trouble keeping bait alive.
I'm not sure if it was from low levels of red tide we've been experiencing or
just oxygen depletion from the runoff of recent heavy rain. The problem was most
severe in back water areas in close to the mangroves.
Also caught some 20" class barracuda out of the
mangroves this past week. The heavy rains have had the positive effect of
lowering water temperatures a bit which always helps with getting things biting.
More next week. Overall the action has been really hot
lately and I look for it to continue and improve barring any bad storms or red
tide developing. Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II"
941-795-5026
8-26-02
The summer doldrums are close to being over. In the past couple of weeks
the nearshore action in the gulf has picked up dramatically. Spanish mackeral are nearing their spawn and feed voraciously at times. They are running the
whole range of sizes uo to some ballbats of 27". There are days when they are very leader and hook shy. When this happens scale way down on your leader
weight and hook size. You will get cut off a lot more but you will get more hits and a few fish in the boat. In addition to the macks there are good
numbers of Mangrove Snapper, Triggerfish, Bluefish, and bonito on the close in reefs. Be thinking flounder in these same areas, they should be coming on
pretty strong shortly barring an outbreak of red tide.
Inshore the reds have finally begun to school up pretty well. We have done best at the top of the tide and throwing our baits right up under the
bushes. The size range has been in the slot and over up to 35". Once the reds turn on for you just about any bait or lure you throw at them will be
greedily devoured. In the past week we have boated as many as 40 reds during a bite. This is really the time of the year for long wand anglers to get
there jollies with redfish. They are not very particular about a fly pattern when they are in a feeding frenzy.
Mangrove Snapper are coming in to their annual peak right up to the
first cold front to roll in sometime in October. Right now they are
available on any hard bottom, sunken boat, dock, or shell bar out there. Just about any structure that harbors large amounts of sheepshead in the winter
will be filthy with snapper right now. Remember that mangos like a slow moving tide. When the current gets too strong they will shut right down.Snook season will be opening soon and it looks like its going to be a
good fall for them. The white bait is plentiful and growing larger every day.
There are a good number of truly large specimens on the flats already, more than I've seen in a couple of years.
Have heard through the grapevine that pompano are pretty thick in the vicinity of the Skyway. This is good news because about a month ago they were
up around the Gandy and it would appear they are working their way out and hopefully will be in abundance on the beaches soon.
That's about all I can think of this week. Good fishing to all! Catch
'em up!! Capt. Zach - "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
8-9-02
Things are sort of settling in to a late
summer ,early fall pattern. White bait of all sizes including numerous grunts
and pinnies have been a real novelty for the time of year. Redfish are
starting to school and should only get better over the next couple of months.
Look for them in fairly shallow water now and holding close to their favorite
structure, oyster beds. Catch and release snook action has been pretty good on
the right tides with a lot of 30' class fish returning to the inshore flats
after the spawn. I am looking forward to a banner fall season for snook. Trout
are plentiful but most averaging small, but a few gators are available if you
really concentrate on them. Bait shrimp are also getting back to a reasonable
size and at times can be the hot ticket going into the autumn months.
Mangrove snapper are absolutely everywhere
in numbers I've not witnessed in many years. The average size of the mangos is
disappointing but we are getting some in the 16-17'' range. Just about any hard
bottom, sunken boats, bridges, piers and docks are holding huge numbers. Small
whitebaits and medium sized shrimp will produce. If the snappers are finicky try
ditching your leader and tie a 1/0 hook directly to your standing line and they
should hit.
Spanish mackeral are running along the beaches and
sometimes foray up into the passes. Once again, small whitebait and shrimp will
produce. Triggerfish are pretty thick on the nearshore reefs right now. They can
be taken with a variety of baits and a small jig is absolutely deadly on them.
With fall coming on start to think flounder in a
big way. September, October, & November are probably the best months of the
year for flatties.
Good luck and good fishing.
Good
Luck!!- Capt. Zach- DEE JAY II
Zachcap@aol.com
7-29-02
Things are pretty much normal for late July. The mid-summer doldrums are
here but there are some bright spots. One is that the average size of the whitebait spawn is already big enough to net without gilling up 5 million
every time you throw the net (Christmas in July!). These smaller baits are really the ticket for
Mackeral, Mango snapper, trout and redfish. They have even worked reasonably well on
snook. The species listed is pretty well what to expect now on the inside. Tarpon are still available but your tactics need
some adjustment. Tarpon remaining in the neighborhood are primarily in deep cuts and channels with good tidal flow and abundant bait. It is best to fish
them real early or late in the day when boat traffic is at a minimum.
Pinfish,grunts,ladyfish, and crabs will all work well on the big silvers. Mango snapper will be the big catch inshore for the next month or so. We
like to clean them like a bluegill(scaled,gutted, head off, etc) then filet along the bones up to the dorsal but leave the filet attached. Whip up your
favorite stuffing like crab, oyster, shrimp and stuff the body, dredge in seasoned flour and brown well on
both sides in a hot skillet. remove to an oven pan and finish in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes. When eating fish done
this way make sure and pull the meat off the skeleton carefully and away from
the backbone so as not to get forkfuls of bones. DELICIOUS!!
Try to stay off the water mid-days, unless some benign cloud cover rolls
in it is dangerously hot after noon until about 6 p.m. More next week- Good
Luck!!- Capt. Zach- DEE JAY II
Zachcap@aol.com
7-19-20
Good luck to all the participants in the
DeSoto fishing tournament!! You're going to need it! Since the low cleared out
of the Gulf last week it has become brutally hot out on the water. With some
luck it will moderate by this weekend.
Fishing has been tough. With a lot of work and perseverance you can get in to
some fish, but with the heat and all it's hard to get into it. Mangrove snapper
have begun to turn on and if your looking for some fun with not much work
involved that is the way to go. They are probably the best bet for putting some
groceries on the table too. Mackeral are still prowling the inshore gulf but can
be elusive. Caught some jumbo macks in L.B.Pass this past week. Snook are all
over and I have to believe they are feeding heavily at night cause they are a
tough catch in the daytime. Ditto with redfish. Reds should really be schooling
up any day now but I've not really seen any evidence of it as yet. To be honest,
there are not nearly the numbers of reds this side of the skyway. I've heard
through the grapevine that big numbers are being caught from the big
bridge to the Hillsborough county line. Trout are plentiful but averaging on the
small side. Tarpon have begun dropping into channels and we have encountered
them at the mouth of the Manatee, in the icw just SW of Gilligans Island, and
inside the bridge in L.B. Pass.
Flounder fishing has improved markedly in the past two weeks. Speaking of Mango
Snapper- the reef at the Skyway Pier should be a veritable hotspot.
That's it for this week- Be really careful out on the water folks, this heat can
get you and the big boomers seem to be coming back in the P.M. Capt. Zach-
"Dee Jay II"
Zachcap@aol.com
7-10-02
Mid-summer
fishing has really set in. My biggest problem has been 1/2 day trips in the A.M.
in order to avoid the afternoon weather and the window of opportunity to produce
fish is pretty narrow time-wise. Tarpon are still a big factor and are spread
all across the area. The biggest concentration of tarpon seems to be in the
Egmont Key area. However, at this point of the season there are a lot of fish
settling into holes and channels in the bay. If this year proves to be anything
like last summer there will be a lot of tarpon available in Tampa Bay and the
Passes right into Sept. These late season fish can be much less fickle about
their taste in bait and will eat just about anything you offer them.
Otherwise, there are snook just everywhere. Reds are an enigma
right now with any discernible pattern very hard to get a hold of. This should
change during the next month when they should start schooling pretty well before
the spawn. All the good sized trout I've encountered have been in deeper water
around a lot of structure. A few flounder have been coming in but they just
have'nt recovered real good from last fall's red tide. Mackeral are still
present in the gulf out to three or four miles and around the mouth of Tampa Bay
along with bonito and lots of triggerfish. Small pinfish have been deadly on
some good sized triggers on nearshore reefs. Mangrove snapper are also coming on
pretty good in the same areas as well as the ledges along channel edges in the
bay and will really go for the small, just nettable white bait that is available
right now. That's about it for this week. Be safe out there and keep an eye to
the sky. Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II"
6-29-02
This past week has certainly been
nothing to write home about. At least the weather has settled in to a more
predictable pattern. White bait is on its last legs for the summer. All this
week it has been progressively harder to get and mixed in with thousands of
small pinnies. Big threadfin herring are still available around the mouth of
Tampa Bay. Snook have been the big volume catch for me lately, along with some
reds, trout and flounder. The most interesting thing to develop this week was
finding numerous reds in 10 ft. of water. Usually at this time they are solid on
the flats, but not this year. Tarpon are still around with the bulk of the fish
around Egmont and biting late in the day. Trout have been disappointing. The
bottom line has been if you're willing to work real hard, you will catch some
fish. If your looking for big hot bites and frenzied action, I have not
witnessed anything of the sort for the past couple of weeks.
Good luck/good fishing. Capt. Zach
Zachcap@aol.com
6-23-02
The past week has been interesting to say the least. Four out
of 6 trips I had booked cancelled from listening to the weather reports. In
reality there were virtually no storms of any significance in my general area
all week.
As far as the fishing action is concerned it has been
"funky". That's the best word I can think of to describe the
situation. It's not that I didn't catch fish; there were some really nice ones.
But the few that were caught was the result of a lot of work
I've heard through the grapevine that this has been a banner
year for tarpon. I'd like to know what most folks frame of reference is. They
did show up early; and there have been a few really good days, but overall I've
found the tarpon this year to be totally out of sync with their regular
patterns.
Catch and release snook fishing has been the bright spot of
the past 2 months. There have been really good numbers and some truly nice
sized fish.
Redfishing has been real spotty but did improve slightly this
past week. There are indications that the reds are beginning to school up for
the late summer/early fall.
Trout have been noticeably weird; a lot of dinks are available
but the big gators have been rare as hen's teeth.
I have been mentionoing mangrove snapper for a while now and
after experimenting a few hours this past week there is no indication that they
are in gear yet, but should be coming on strong real soon.
Big spanish, Bonito, permit, etc. have been about but again
"nuthin' to write home about"
Over the years I've come to realize that when things get a
little squirrely, the action is about to bust wide open. Hopefully that is the
case right now.
Congrats to the winners and all the participants in the
"Fishing the Islands" tournament. Once again the conditions were less
than ideal and a whole bunch of dedicated anglers went out there and gave it
their all. Kudos to Bill Lowman(and his entire family) for putting together
another real classy tournament. I know that I am very proud to be a small part
of the huge volunteer effort that puts it all together. Be safe out there, it's
summer so pay attention to the sky. Good luck/good fishing. Capt. Zach
Zachcap@aol.com
6-18-02
Summer has really set in this past week. In the near shore
gulf the action has been primarily some really large Spanish macks, a few
kingfish still, and tarpon along the beaches and the mouth of Tampa Bay. The
large schools of tarpon off Rattlesnake Key have diminished substantially but
hookups can still be had. Schools of bonito have been pretty common on the
beaches also.
Inshore, snook fishing has been pretty hot along with
the weather. We have encountered some truly large individual snook and a
surprising number of them are still on the backcountry flats this late. Redfish
have been a really scattered commodity but have managed to catch a few on nearly
every trip recently. Trout are plentiful with the big gators coming out of
isolated potholes and average sized fish schooled up over deep
grass. Flounder have been disappointing. In addition bluefish, ladyfish, and
jacks are pretty thick.
Whitebait is still readily available on the bulkhead,
Key Royale, and Jewfish Key. I do not know how long they will hang in this
year but usually bait disappears right around the fourth of July. There are
beaucoup small pinfish & grunts though. Pass crabs also will be declining
shortly and peewee shrimp season is fast approaching. A great time of the year
to brush up on your artificial lure skills!
Mangrove Snapper should really be coming on right now. I
have not targeted them as yet but any inshore sights that harbor sheepies in the
winter will usually provide good sport and good eats from now until October. Be
safe, stay cool, watch out for thunder bumpers and enjoy some good ol'
summertime fishing.
6-02-02
The overall action was a bit disappointing last week with the
full moon and super high tides. The fish were there but not in a very
cooperative mood. I fished mainly mornings on an incoming tide and most of the
big action probably took place in the evenings on a big falling tide.
Tarpon are truly plentiful, especially south west of the
skyway. Had a few hookups this week on a variety of baits, but large thread
herring seem to be the ticket. Tarpon are not thick on the beaches as
yet. Schools of bonito were busting up baits just west of L.B. Pass on Fri.. My
son visiting from cape cod bested a 12 lber. on a 12 wght. fly outfit on Friday.
Snook have emerged in the passes and are pretty thick. Night
fishing will probably produce some big snook for catch and release fun for the
next several months. Do not overlook pass crabs as a hot bait for big snook on
falling evening tides.
Trout and reds have been spotty but when they do turn on the
action can be hot.
Bluefish have been common in the bays and along the beaches.
We really need some rain and squally weather to shake things
up. It will also help to muddy up the super clear water conditions and hopefully
get rid of all the "gumbo" still showing up all around making fishing
very difficult in some areas.
In addition, permit are available in 40-50 ft. out off the
mouth of Tampa Bay and Blacktip Sharks should be active near the skyway and west
to Egmont & bean point. That's all for this week- Good Luck!! Don't forget
the Island Tournament coming up in a couple of weeks! Zachcap@aol.com
5-24-02
The weather was absolutely great for sleeping but not fishing.
The much higher than normal N.E. winds made fishing a chore and put a damper on
appetites but you could catch fish if you worked at it. Better days are on the
way! Tarpon are really thick at the mouth of Tampa Bay. have hooked a few but
the really hot action is still on the way. Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and
sharks are available along the beaches. Permit still seem to be holding 12-15
miles off the mouth of Tampa bay on wrecks. On the inside the snook fishing
should really get super once the normal weather sets back in. Some of the
biggest fish I've seen in years are prowling the flats. Reds are spotty and
trout fishing is excellent but the fish are holding over deep grass in 8- 9
feet. White bait is still easy- this cool spell has dropped the water temps
considerably and may help to slow an early departure of large shiners. Small
pinfish are absolutely thick. That's about it- have a safe & memorable
Memorial Day Weekend! Good luck/good fishing. Capt. Zach Zachcap@aol.com
5-17-02
Not much new to report this week. Backwater continues good
with trout, reds, and c&r snook. Also some big Jack crevalle roaming around.
Tarpon are on the increase and should only get better over the next few weeks.
Big Mackeral are still available along the beaches. Permit are offshore in 40 -
60 ft of water on wrecks. Hopefully they will start showing a little closer in
over the next month. Right along the beaches of Anna Maria in the muddy
water caused by the beach renourishment project are a literal plethora of
blacktip and lemon sharks that run up to 60 lbs. They are very willing biters
and absolute blast on light tackle. Inshore Grouper fishing should really begin
to take off soon as well as Mangrove snapper. Good luck/good fishing. Capt. Zach
Zachcap@aol.com
5-10-02
King fishing and cobia are on the down
turn. Individual fish will be available all summer long but certainly not the
hot action of the past month and a half. Most cobia will be encountered in Tampa
bay, Sarasota Bay and Anna Maria sound. Tarpon have arrived and will continue to
get thicker until mid- July and hopefully longer. The biggest
concentration of tarpon I have seen is inside the bay from Bean point, along the
bulkhead and around the front of Rattlesnake. This is unusual because the fish
usually appear off the beaches of Longboat at this time of year. Trout in the
20" class, numerous c&r snook, and reds from 16" to 36" are
available from the east side of Egmont Key and throughout the area to New
Pass. Permit are showing in the gulf but continue to be a good distance
offshore. Hopefully they will begin to work their way closer to the beaches and
within the reach of inshore anglers. Look for several things in the near
future- Mango snapper on inshore structure, Reds to begin schooling and trout to
start coming in from shallow grassy areas and be real suckers for small pinnies
and grunts under popping corks. Bait is everywhere right now from the bulkhead,
Key Royale, and Sara Bay around Jewfish and Sister Keys. Considering the high
water temps the white bait may pull an early disappearing act this year and the
shrimp go to peewees sooner than normal. There appears to be a bumper crop of
small pins and grunts to take up the slack in July and August however. Big
Spanish Macks are still common in the near shore reef areas off local beaches.
That's all I can think of right now. If you need more specific info I will be
glad to respond to e-mail queries at Zachcap@aol.com
5-3-02
Fishing in the gulf off LBK & AMI has continued to be pretty
hot. With the exception of cobia which have slacked off during the past week.
Kingfish and big spanish macks continue to be the staple catch. unfortunately,
the wind has started blowing out of the SW the last couple of days and the gulf
has become a pretty rough proposition for the small boater. One positive about a
spate of SW wind is it should bring in Tarpon and Permit real strong.
Then inshore action really picked up with the big tides and the wind. Trout to
25" are fairly common, and red fishing has improved decidedly. Some truly
large jack crevalle are marauding on the flats. With the closure of snook season
on the 1 st of may they have settled and really turned on with the absence of 24
hr. fishing pressure of the past two months. On Thursday we encountered a
wad of snook that were happy as clams, bit like mad, and were of the biggest
average size I've seen since they first came out of their hidey holes 2 months
ago. Look for mangrove snapper to really come on shortly, along with the
onslaught of tarpon. The SW winds have made getting bait on the beach a
treacherous endeavor, but luckily, some really beautiful bait has made its way
into the bays. All in all the fishing action has remained good and is probably
the best all around fishing we have experienced in years. Capt. Zach
4-25-02
For the past several weeks there has been big action in the near shore gulf off Anna Maria and Longboat. The bulk of the action has been with extremely large Spanish up to 30 inches, Kings to 45 inches, and lots of cobia from 15-50 lbs. The cobia action has waned some this past week but the kings and macks are still going strong. There has also been some tarpon and permit showing up. The gulf action is taking place on just about any hard bottom and wrecks from the beach on out to 5/6 miles. Best bait for the cobia has been large shrimp, small crabs, pinfish, and large white bait. In the local bays Trout fishing has been hot with some nice large fish coming in off of 4-5 ft. drop offs. Snook continue good when the conditions are right, a lot of small fish however with a keeper ratio of about one in twenty fish- the snook are staging closer to the beach at this point and the best month for big fish will be closed now. Redfish are o.k. with the best action in the north bays. there are some truly large jack crevalle prowling around inside with individual fish up to 18 lbs. white bait is kind of squirrelly with Key Royale and the bulkhead holding a lot of bait but disappointingly small and awful lot of crap on the bottom fouling up your
castnet. The bigger bait has been on the beaches- both pilchards and big Spanish sardines. Look for flounder and mangrove snapper fishing to really be on the upswing. Capt. Zach
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