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Fishing Report
From Capt. Zach - 2004
12-16-04
A
fairly abbreviated report this week. To be honest I have not ventured out since
last Friday. Just before the front my charters enjoyed average action, certainly
not what you would expect in a pre-frontal situation. We did manage a handful of
a various species including snook, reds, flounder, and C&R trout inshore and
gags, spanish mackerel, flounder, triggerfish, mangrove snapper , and key west
grunts in 25 to 35 ft. of water just offshore.
The big chill is upon us and water
temperatures are plummeting. For all practical purposes the white bait season is
over. Time to plunk down the green for live shrimp and stock up on the
artificial offerings for the next few months.
Sheepshead will be the big deal on a
regular basis, but some average sized redfish should be available around docks,
canals, and deeper water structure. Trout should be excellent this winter in
their normal haunts. Catch & release snook in residential canals and
protected creeks and bayous will cooperate on warm sunny days. A prolonged cold
spell has brought pompano to the upper reaches of Sarasota Bay in the past few
years and here is hoping it will happen this year. Black drum are often
overlooked rodbenders in the cold and real suckers for shrimp; live or dead.
Its time to be flexible with your game plan
and roll with the punches from mother nature. Surprisingly good action can be
had when the north wind brings the long britches out of stow.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Try to stay warm and happy holidays to all. Capt. "Zach"
Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email: zachcap@aol.com
12-11-04
The
inshore and offshore action went a little squirrely this past week. As I am
making this report a decent cold front has made its way through the area and it
is a good thing. Simply put, the weather had been too nice of late. The fair
weather has made fishing a very pleasant pursuit but it has gone on too long
into the fall and we need some cold weather to assert the winter pattern which
should be in full force by now. The cold and wind should drop the water
temperatures to a seasonal level and drive the snook and reds into their
wintering spots, making them easier to find and figure out. Trout have remained
strong however and a great trout season should be expected when it reopens on
Jan. 1. A few offshore trips produced a mixed bag of grouper, snapper, triggers,
key west grunts, flounder, and mackerel. Close to the beach there has been an
abundance of bluefish. I am pretty confident in saying that a close to the beach
kingfish run never materialized and is not going to this fall. Offshore in 60-70
ft. of water they have been thick along with cobia. This front may send some
cobia closer to shore but the kings should be history until spring. Reports of
pompano to our south have been coming in but not much being reported hereabouts.
The front will drop water temps to the low 60's and will bring on the sheepshead
and push the redfish and trout to deeper, more protected locales. Both trout and
snook will be verboten in the ice chest for a couple of weeks until trout
reopens. With most folks Christmas shopping and mullet netting, it is a good
time to do maintenance on your boat and give the fishing a rest for a
couple of weeks. Merry Christmas to everyone- have a safe and peaceful holiday!!
Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:
zachcap@aol.com
The
lousy tides of the past week took its toll on fish numbers brought in but there
were a few notable exceptions. White bait made a good comeback from a couple of
tough weeks and small pinfish remained highly available and productive. All of
my trips were inshore and the results varied widely from day to day. Snook
continued to please on days with unsettled weather but most were on the small
side. Redfish were very spotty and scattered for me but on good days numerous
reds were boated running in size from below slot dinks to respectable fish in
the mid 20 inch range. Flounder were common but again not any doormats to
report. Some killer trout action was enjoyed by charters at weeks end and all
were dutifully released. Jim and Brigette Burdick of Long boat Key nailed 7 or 8
gators in the 23 to 27 inch range thursday along with snook, reds, flounder,
ladyfish, and jacks. Bill Noll of Bradenton and son-in-law Mike visiting from
Michigan wound up a slow morning by hitting the jackpot with some decent redfish
in the P.M. Most of the action took place in the Manatee River west of the Green
Bridge, Palma Sola, and Sarasota Bay. We may luck out and see a decent run of
schooled cobia off the beaches before Christmas. The kingfish I think are
history except for a straggler school here and there. The kings really
disappointed many nearshore anglers this fall by taking a more westerly offshore
passage this year. Maybe next spring it will happen.
Good luck and good fishing - be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
11-26-04
Thanksgiving
week started out at an average clip with a couple of trips out in the Gulf. The
action out there consisted of mostly spanish mackerel, small sharks, barracuda,
and a couple of flounder, triggerfish, key west grunts, and gag grouper. Claus
Wilpart, visiting from Germany did well with most of the above on Monday. He
bested a 27" keeper gag grouper in only 20 feet of water off Anna
Maria.
Wednesday brought a high southerly wind
,putting Gulf fishing off limits so we stayed in the bays with excellent
results. The south wind and approaching cold front pushed the tide above normal
and the snook,reds, and flounder cooperated nicely. Kurta and JR Addington down
from Indiana nailed numerous snook ranging in size from dinks on up to whoppers
in the mid 30 inch range. A mini-cuda, reds, and flounder rounded out their
inshore action. Whitebait and 3-4 inch pinfish produced the bulk of the action
which took place tight to the mangroves at the top of the tide about noon last
Wednesday.
Post-frontal angling on Friday was a
challenge with strong northeast winds, cold temperatures, and an extremely low
tide. Bait was surprisingly easy and I loaded up on shrimp as well. Persistence
and many moves eventually paid off when the Biddle brothers from Rye, N.Y.
landed a diverse bunch of fish including snook, reds, sheepshead, mangrove
snapper,flounder,and ladyfish.
Cold fronts can be expected now on a
regular basis until spring and each frontal passage will reinforce a winter
pattern with most inshore fish bunching up in deeper holes and pelagic species
hightailing it out of the area for warmer latitudes. Live bait fish will become
scarce and shrimp and artificials will take over as our local waters dip into
the 60 degree range or lower for the next several months. Its time to learn how
to roll with the punches and savvy anglers will continue to do well in our area.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt."Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026-
email: zachcap@aol.com
11-19-04
Not much new on the angling front this week. Snook up to
32" continue to please inshore, scattered redfish to 25". C&R
trout to 23", and a smattering of flounder and gag grouper.
The high winds early in the week kept most
boats from venturing too far offshore where the kings and cobia have been
running. Unfortunately the two mentioned species have not materialized any where
close to the beaches as of this writing. Along the beaches of Anna Maria and
Longboat there has been steady spanish mackerel action with a few bonito,
sharks, and gag grouper tossed in the mix to keep things interesting.
Live bait gathering is going through a
transition. Large pilchards have become increasingly hard to get for me anyhow.
A lot of smallish pilchards with numerous small threadfin herring mixed in have
been easy along with medium sized pinfish. The closer we get to December the
harder bait will become and one good hard cold front will put the kibosh on live
bait gathering all together, shifting focus to live shrimp and artificial
offerings until the return of the bait in spring.
The impending winter pattern will bring on
sheepshead action once again and numerous mangrove snapper will be taken on
structure far inshore from the gulf.
When trout season reopens in January I plan
to use a variety of soft plastic jigs for them. The "Cajun Thunder"
type rigs are deadly for trout . Being that trout prefer larger
"select" shrimp, using the fake varieties can save an angler big bucks
considering the price of live shrimp these days. Regular shrimp can be used to
great success for sheepshead, snapper, and pompano.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
11-12-04
This week saw a great many snook brought aboard the "DEE JAY II" . The
numbers of large "in the slot "specimens which had been really
numerous slacked off a bit but the action remained hot. Redfish went kind of
scarce for a week but made a good comeback at weeks end with quite a few being
landed and ranging in size from 14 inches to 27 inches. I did not target trout
as the season is closed but a number of spotted beauties were dutifully
released. A few flounder were taken but the action on flatties was a bit
disappointing when November should be producing some red hot action. One trip in
the bay produced some killer grouper bites on inshore wrecks with some keeper
sized gags encountered. Look for some pompano to show up on grass flats in Anna
Maria Sound and Sarasota Bay in the near future.
A couple of sojourns west of the islands
gave up good numbers of spanish mackerel but precious few kings or cobia. The
higher than normal winds have kept boats in my size range hugging the beaches in
the lee when there are many more of the above lurking out several miles in water
depths of 40-60 ft. A couple of keeper sized gags were taken on close in hard
bottom in 20-25 ft. using small pinfish. Lou Frigali boated a beautiful 24"
gag on friday. Al Schram, a guest at the Bali Hai resort enjoyed a good snook
catch on Wednesday bagging a 29 inch keeper, numerous snook releases, and
rounded out the day with reds trout, and flounder. A 28" barracuda was
hooked the same day. The toothy critter was hanging out in the shade of some
mangroves along a deeper channel. White bait and small pinfish are still
available but a little hard to get somedays when the wind is howling. Most of
the white bait is schooling to get out of dodge on the first hard norther and it
may be changing locations as each day passes.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias - "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
10-29-04
Inshore
fishing has been off the charts most days with good tides. Snook ranging from
dinky 18 inchers to a few over the slot size linesiders have been hungry and
cooperative. Trout will be going out of season for two months beginning Monday
Nov. 1 but it has been an exceptional trout year all through with numerous
specks ranging in size up to 28 inches recently. Redfish continue to please,
they are ranging in size from 14 inches to 34 inches with most falling in the
slot. The reds are not bunched up big time but scattered all over the area.
Flounder are coming on really well and this should be a good peak season for
them up until turkey day. The big bites are occurring just an hour or so either
side of tide changes whether low or high. White bait and small pinfish are still
accounting for the bulk of the action and both are still readily available on
area grass flats and the beaches.
The nearshore gulf is still on the verge of
busting wide open. One more good cold front should bring the big schools of
kings through the area. Right now the king action is sporadic and scattered.
Ditto for cobia. Big spanish, sharks, bonito, and some grouper have been the
mainstay of the action west of the Island. Big white bait and thread herring can
be sabikied on most of the artificial reefs and they are the hot ticket to
produce big kings and cobia. Make sure and carry wire leader rigs in order to
handle all the toothy critters finning around gulf structure right now.
Artificials can be cast and trolled for kings as well. Gold bombers have been
pretty hot in the past few years as well as capt. action spoons, and white jigs.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
10-23-04
Excellent
action with trout, snook , and redfish this week. Whitebait and pinfish did the
damage and the best feeding times were either side of the tide change at each
extreme high or low. Several nice snook in the slot were brought aboard and
numerous too small guys were released. The reds are not huge but running in the
slot between 18-27 inches with very few over or under. A number of fat trout
came aboard the "DEE JAY II" and that fishing should remain excellent
right up to the closure on Nov. 1. Some exceptionally nice flounder have found
there way into the box and that fishing should do nothing but improve right up
until Christmas.
Gulf fishing was a bit disappointing to me
the couple of times I was out there. There continues to be oodles of spanish
every where and it seemed as though the biggest concentrations of bait and
schooling fish was tight to the beach within 1 mile. We did hookup a couple of
kings, sharks, small grouper, and barracuda but the big bang is not here just
yet. The odd thing was that in the 30- 40 ft. range in the gulf was pretty much
devoid of bait and fish. That will change soon though I am sure.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
10-16-04
Excellent
snook, redfish, and trout action in our local bays last week. The big incoming
tides in the AM really turned the inshore action up a few notches. All of the
action on the "DEE JAY II" was on live bait, mostly whitebait and 4-5
inch pinfish. The snook ranged in size from 20" to 33" and the larger
slot sized fish went for the pinfish. Ditto for the redfish running up to
28" and the trout preferred the whitebait in most instances. A number of
good sized and fat flounder rounded out the action on the inside. After the cold
front passed by the snook slacked off just a bit, this should be temporary and
they should begin to chew good this next week. The reds, trout, and flounder
numbers fell off just a tad post front but they should come on real strong once
again. It is amazing how wide spread the inshore fishing is, with very few areas
not producing good numbers of skinny water species.
On the western horizon the gulf is ready to
explode! Big spanish mackerel, sharks, and bonito have been common catches since
the storms but the kingfish and cobia should be here in good numbers starting
this week thanks to the passage of the first significant cold front of the
season. Water temps across the area are running a few degrees either side of 75
and as you all know that is optimum for just about everything available to catch
in our neighborhood short of tarpon and sheepies. Speaking of the two,
there should be a mini run of schooling tarpon along the beaches as they depart
the area the next couple of weeks and I have witnessed a surprising number of
sheepshead being caught already by those using the appropriate baits around
docks and bridges.
All in all we are solidly in to that
wonderful time of the year when the biggest decision to be made each day is
which way to point your bow for superb fall angling.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
10-10-04
Trips
on the "DEE JAY II" this week produced some really good results. A
couple of days we enjoyed some really hot trout bites with the spotted beauties
falling for medium sized white bait in 4 ft of broken grass. Most of the trout
ran 14- 22 inches but a few topped out at 25 inches. Redfish were also pretty
cooperative and have been coming in between 16- 28 inches. Most of the reds were
taken at the low tide levels and seemed to prefer pinfish. They were encountered
in open bay potholes and around dock structure as well. Snook action was OK with
most of the fish undersized but a few in the slot made it aboard. Some really
good sized flounder made for happy diners too. Numerous jacks, ladyfish,
bluefish, sailcats, etc rounded out the action for pure sport.
Along the beaches there has been numerous
ball bat spanish mackerel., blue runners, and lemon sharks ranging in size from
4-5 feet. A few cobia have been seen and a couple brought in but the best cobia
action, along with kingfish is still just around the corner. There have been
some good catches of school kings in 40-50 ft. of water in the gulf but sadly
the winds picked up dramatically at weeks end and made trips out that far in the
gulf off limits for me. With some luck the big macks will begin running a little
closer to shore. The air temperature this morning(Fri) dipped into the high
sixties and It felt so good. I know it is a harbinger of cold and windy winter
spells but after the heat of this past summer it was very welcome. Good luck and
good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE
JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
10-03-04
The
hot action in the bay for reds, trout, and snook cooled off a bit since the
passage of Hurricane Jeanne. We managed to catch all of the above but I found it
difficult to get any kind of hot bites going. The full moon may have been a
factor with a big bright moon and a big tide at night. Better tides coming up
this week and a waning moon should remedy the situation. Bait is
absolutely thick in Anna Maria Sound with all sizes and species of bait readily
available.
Made a few forays out on the beach this
week and did better out there with some big ball bat mackerel, sharks, snapper,
and even a few trout on structure in 20 ft. of water. King fish should be
showing locally any day and many cobia have been sighted but very few hookups.
A couple of trips in Palma Sola bay
produced some nice mangrove snapper, gag grouper, and trout from around docks on
really low water. Conspicuously absent was any decent redfish and snook action
in these locales.
All in all I felt the week following the
storm left a lot to be desired but I feel the situation is about to change in a
big way in the next couple of weeks.
Dolphin are about as thick as I have ever
seen them in the Anna Maria and Longboat Key area. Just about everywhere we
fished there seemed to be an abundance of them. I wonder if they are refugees
from the more severe weather that has been to the south and north of us or
possibly from the upper reaches of Tampa Bay and its tributaries which is
probably suffering from major runoff issues.
The gulf is looking amazingly good considering
the recent rough weather and I believe things are on the cusp of breaking wide
open out there.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
9-24-04
A
welcome respite from tropical weather this week, although some vestiges of
Hurricane Ivan made conditions less than ideal on Tuesday and Wednesday with
rain and high winds.The offshore boats are dying from this weather scenario and
luckily the backwater fishing has been great allowing me to get out despite
marginal conditions. On the downside another storm, Jeanne, is looming on the
eastern horizon and may affect us once again early next week.
Two trips early last week produced good
results on a big outgoing tide in the morning. George Czapko of Bradenton and a
friend from Indiana did real well Tuesday with a limit catch of redfish to
24", snook to 29", trout to 20" and a few flounder. Quite a few
fish, especially reds were released in the effort during windy and rainy
conditions. On Wednesday, Wayne McCammon of Tallevast and buddy Charley Pride of
Cortez Heights put the hurting on trout, a few redfish and flounder. My wife ,
Donna, put me to shame on a busman's holiday monday by nailing snook, reds.
flounder, big jacks, and small grouper. She outfished me by two to one easily.
Most of the action was from Longboat Pass
south into Sarasota Bay. An outgoing tide did the trick with pinfish the bait of
choice. Small to medium sized white bait served quite well for chum however.
I've found big white bait to be scarce since the storms. In addition to the
reds,snook, and trout there has been a lot of bluefish, ladys, jacks, and
sailcats all over the area as well.
Last year a lot of muddy water in the
panhandle from tropical systems sent the kingfish on an early run down the
coast. I caught my first kingfish on Sept 24 and they were in residence, close
to the beaches, all through October. I am looking for the same sort of thing to
happen again this year with Ivan, and then again Ivan fouling up the usually
clear water of the northern gulf.
We all need to do some collective praying
again to ward off these hurricanes. The scourge of storms is almost reaching
biblical proportions.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
9-11-04
Made
a couple of trips this week and did well with redfish up to 30", snook to
28", trout, and a few flounder. Most of the action was just before and
after the morning high tides and right up tight to mangrove shorelines and
oyster beds. White bait and pinfish produced well with a slight edge to pinfish.
With another big blow on our doorstep I will be pulling the boat and buttoning
down the house. At this writing the storm looks like it may pass a little more
to the west and hopefully a LOT more! Y'all stay safe out there and hope for the
best. Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt. "Zach"
Zacharias "DEE JAY II"941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
8-27-04
The
late summer doldrums have set in I guess, not a whole lot of folks are into
getting out fishing right now. Not that the fishing is terrible all the time but
it certainly has had its days. Some trips have produced banner action and others
have been dismal.
When the fish do cooperate we've been
encountering reds, trout, snook, bluefish, snapper, and mackerel on the inside.
Throw a few flounder in the mix as well. If you're lucky enough to be in the
right place at the right time the action can be frenzied with most of the above
species going for anything and everything you throw at them. When not frenzied I
still find small pinfish to be the most productive bait. I have noticed the
shrimp at the baithouse have taken a quantum leap in size the past couple of
days and they should produce some great catches going into fall. White bait of
all sizes is available in the bay and along the beaches of LBK and AMI.
The gulf beaches are thick with blue
runners in close. Heading a little farther offshore will get you out of the
pesky jacks and into better action with mackerel, bonito, barracuda, and
snapper.
It is hot and funky out, the water
temperatures are soaring again, and wouldn't it be great to feel some 70 degree
weather in the daytime. Its not far off and I can't wait. I do not know if the
summers are getting hotter or I am getting older. Good luck and good fishing- be
careful out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II"
941-795-5026- email:zachcap@aol.com
8-22-04
Redfish
are schooling up but have not settled in particular spots as yet. A large pod of
reds can be encountered one day and not be within a half mile of there the next.
The ones we have encountered have been big and well fed running up to 34".
Trout up to 22" are scattered about
the deeper grass of north Sarasota Bay. The best way to approach them is by
drift fishing the light breezes of late.If you nail a big fish or two try
anchoring up for a while and thoroughly work the area before moving on. Small
pinfish and whitebait have both produced well. Use a float over the grass beds
and try free lining bait in the deeper pot holes especially on the low tides.
Snook are pretty thick and of good size. It
should be a great fall season. I think we may have broken out of the "dink
era" for snook of the past several years. The next month should bring a lot
of linesiders returning to inshore areas from a stint on the beaches.
Mangrove snapper are peaking right now
inshore. I have continued to produce more and bigger mangos with small pinfish
rather than small whitebait .Ditto with flounder. The flatties are coming on
strong and are being found on hard sand adjacent to hard bottom and wrecks.
In addition there have been bunches of some
pretty healthy bluefish for this area all over Sarabay. Ladyfish and spanish
mackerel as well.
Mid week an estimated 50 lb. cobia was
hooked and lost on trout gear outside the mouth of Cranes Bayou. The big brute
took a pinfish in an isolated deep pothole surrounded by 10" of skinny
water. When the fish hit the shallows it looked like a torpedo half out of the
water. when the line parted we retrieved the standing line and the last 10 yards
or so was completely chewed up from being dragged across the turtle grass.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there, it is awful hot!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias-"DEE JAY II-
941-795-5026- email:zachcap@aol.com
8-15-04
The
importance of matters such as fishing seem rather inconsequential in light of
the destruction, death, and misery that our close neighbors in Charlotte Harbor
and the Peace River Valley are enduring. It is staggering to consider that a
slight vagary of upper level winds could have brought the nightmare right here
in our community. I urge all of you out there that have the wherewithal to do
so; seek out an appropriate charity or disaster assistance organization and help
out as much as you can. The government cannot do it all and a huge portion of
the folks affected by the storm are not well heeled and properly insured for
their losses. This is especially true the farther inland the storm wreaked havoc
all across the state. Remember it could have been us and one day your help for
our neighbors to the south and east could come back to us in spades when the
"big one" rolls through Manatee County; and it will one day.
Prior to the storm we had been doing well
with redfish to 32" primarily caught on live pinfish, trout and snapper
taken with white bait, and a notable increase in flounder numbers. The flounder
were found on a hard sand bottom immediately adjacent to heavy structure and
were interested in small pinfish and sand perch. The size of the flatties ranged
from 14"-20" and were pretty chunky. Snook were very evident all
across the area but not easy to coax to the hook. Tarpon were absolutely thick
on the inside channels of Longboat Pass. We could not entice a take from any of
the silver kings but if the conditions are right I am sure you could experience
multiple hook-ups. Heavy rains will continue to darken up our local waters but
most species eventually adjust to the lower salinity and actually go into some
pretty surprising feeding frenzies.
Good luck to all the participants in the
rescheduled Pete Turner Memorial Tourney. Hopefully the weather will be much
improved with the second attempt.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
8-6-04
A
number of factors are in play recently that should have a big impact on inshore
fishing in our area. Abundant rainfall has succeeded in moderating the water
temperatures on the shallow flats and lowered the salinity levels substantially
in canals, bayous, and tributaries. These factors have already triggered redfish
into a schooling mode and from now right up to the spawn some time in the fall
the big reds can be found in open bay holes. When the tidal conditions are right
non stop action with oversized reds can be phenomenal. My favorite conditions
are an incoming tide coming off the low in potholes at the edge of large grass
flats and oyster bed areas. The massive influx of fresh water in the estuary
will also flush species like trout that do not tolerate low salinity
levels out of backwater areas out on the open flats. The same scenario holds
true for snook. The linesiders can tolerate and live in fresh water but they do
not prefer a too sweet water environment in the summer.
Mangrove snapper will be peaking in the
next couple of months. We have caught our share of the dog toothed panfish so
far this summer but their numbers have not been quite as thick this year as the
last couple of summers. The snapper are of good average size with a lot in the
18-19 inch range recently. Trout continue steady and those really
targeting them can do very well drifting 4-6 foot deep grass beds. Live bait and
artificials produce equally well. The same areas have been giving up bluefish,
spanish mackerel, and ladyfish. on occasion a cobia is encountered as well.
Flounder will become more and more evident
heading towards a Thanksgiving peak. A truly deadly flounder bait is small sand
perch(mojarras). I have found them mixed in with the thick schools of fry bait
evident this time of year and tend to bunch up over a clean sandy bottom in and
around grass beds. Snapper love these guys as well.
Speaking of fry bait, many are reaching
pretty good size levels already and plenty of good sized white bait should be
available for the kickoff of the fall snook season on Sept. 1
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026-
email: zachcap@aol.com
8-1-04
The catches this week
on the "DEE JAY II" included snook, snapper, flounder, gag grouper,
redfish, trout, and spanish mackerel. While that sounds good their were precious
few of any of the above. While I am sure there were some banner catches made by
a lot of fishermen fishing at night or on the big falling tides of the afternoon
and evenings, our efforts on the last of the huge incoming tides in the morning
proved to be as tough as I have ever seen. Plenty of fish were sighted but
coaxing them to take a bait was a different matter. A lot of the inshore flats
species were probably way back up in the mangroves grubbing around for food on
the 3.0 highs of the past few days. Another aspect of the extreme full moon
tides is that many schools of fish may be found in a certain area on the flood
one day but the extreme low tide later in the day forces them to relocate and
they do not always return to the same spot on the following flood. Better action
should return after a few days wane of the moon. Good luck and good
fishing- be careful out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY
II" 941-795-5026 email: zachcap@aol.com
7-24-04
The
heavy downpours of last week have certainly moderated the water temps, for a
spell anyhow. The big influx of freshwater and runoff should help flush a lot of
inshore species out of canals and backwater dog holes out in to a cleaner and
more saline environment in the open water areas. The lower salinities should
trigger the redfish in our area to start schooling up in preparation for
spawning duties at summers end.
Trout are still holding their own through
the heat and are common over deeper grass beds. Small pinfish,grunts, small
white bait, and shrimp are all equally productive presented below a popping
cork. Many of the trout are in the 20-26" range. They are also suckers for
a variety of artificial offerings, especially the soft plastic body jigs.
Mangrove snapper are building up to the
late summer peak. They are numerous, cooperative, and above average in size.
Limit catches are common and are falling for any choice of smaller live baitfish
and shrimp. The same bay ledges harboring the snapper are also giving up good
sized spanish mackerel, flounder, grouper, and an occasional permit.
Fished the Longbar area a couple of times
this past week and did fair with catches of redfish to 28", snook to
30", gator trout, and some hefty hard fighting bluefish. The action was
sporadic at best, however.
I did not sample the gulf this week and
have not been out there since the big blow of last week. The 4-5 day stretch of
higher than normal west winds kept most offshore boats at the dock and gave the
reef dwellers a respite from the daily fishing pressure the mostly calm
conditions this summer has blessed us with.
The upcoming full moon should provide some
killer snapper action both in the bay and the gulf. Really high tides will send
most reds, and snook far up into the bushes to gorge on goodies found there. It
would be best to start fishing the flood tide just as soon as the tide is high
enough to get up there and forget about it after the tidal height passes 2.0 The
huge falling tides in the evenings should provide red hot action in the
swashes,channels, and passes for just about everything that swims.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
7-18-04
The
above average heat and below average rainfall along the coast is beginning
to takes its toll both on the fish and the fishers.
My clients have been catching fish but the
pursuit is not easy nor are the fish exactly hell bent on self destruction.
A trip out in the gulf to 40 ft. or so
produced a lot of action with grouper, snapper, mackerel, bonito, etc. but an
overabundance of jewfish virtually made putting anything in the boat wishful
thinking. There are relatively few wrecks and reefs that are devoid of a number
of goliaths and barracuda as well.
The best mangrove snapper action came on
the inside with bay wrecks,reefs,docks,and ledges giving up good numbers of
snapper ranging up to 19" in size with no interference from gluttonous
giants. A number of cobia have been seen and caught cruising the edges of
shallow bars but the average size has been small. Great sport on light tackle
though. Trout continue steady and most often cooperative drifting deep grass
beds(4-6 ft) with a small pinfish and popping cork rig. Redfish have also been
suckers for the same combo and have been taken mostly at high water up against
the mangroves and bars.Snook for the most part have finished their early summer
duties of replenishment and have conspicuously begun to return to their haunts
in the backwaters. I feel as if we are going to have an above average fall snook
season.
I have opted to leave tarpon alone for the
remainder of the summer except for the most hardcore tarpon enthusiasts among my
clientele. Although they are still available, their numbers are on the wane and
will be encountered in much smaller pods as the summer plays out.
Bait of all sizes and descriptions is still
available. The big white bait is deep around 5 feet, white bait fry are favoring
the shallow edges of bars in 3 ft. or less, and pinfish of all sizes are
available everywhere. Chubs(killifish) and small sand perch(mojarras) are also
an excellent summer bait and can be found on shallow mudflats adjacent to
shorelines all over the area.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
7-07-04
The
majority of my clients the past week or so have been intent on inshore fishing
and the content of my report will be on skinny water endeavors as the DEE JAY II
has not ventured out in the gulf at all.
The big numbers catch inside has been
mangrove snapper. The diminutive panfish have not been so diminutive either.
Several mangos came aboard reaching 19" in length with numerous ones
running from 14" to !6 ". Most of the action has been on the slower
portions of the tide and a variety of baits have produced well including small
pinfish, white bait fry, shrimp, and small mojarras(sand perch). Ledges, wrecks,
and dock pilings have all given up good numbers of the tasty saltwater panfish.
In the same areas we have done well with gag grouper and flounder. Trout
continue strong on area grass flats. Our most productive rig has been small
pinfish and grunts suspended beneath popping corks. A good moving tide is
essential for success and we have also boated numerous ladyfish, spanish
mackerel, and bluefish as well. One client nailed a 30" cobia with the same
rig. Redfish have been scattered but of good average size. Most are running
between 18" to 30" and have been most common during the last of the
flood tide and the start of the ebb way up on the flats in close to the bushes
and oyster beds. Once again small pinfish have accounted for most of the redfish
while white bait has been ignored. Snook have been taken in a variety of
locations but mostly close to the gulf passes on outgoing tides. Tarpon are
still available but their numbers should be waning now after the passage of the
July full moon. Many smaller schools of tarpon will be taking up residence in
deeper bay holes and we have seen quite a few in the deeper channels of Longboat
Pass.By the end of July the redfish should start schooling up a little more each
week and some really great late summer/early fall action should be coming up. I
am seeing a lot more reds in the area than we were at this time last year. Snook
should be great upon the reopening of the legal season in September. Some truly
large specimens have been seen recently and I am optimistic that we are breaking
out of the "small snook phenomenon" we have been experiencing the past
several years.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
6-28-04
Inshore
action has been fair to good depending on what you are targeting. Inshore
mangrove snapper have come on like gangbusters, taking small pinfish, shrimp, or
fry white bait. Trout continue good but are scattered all over the flats.
Redfishing and C&R snooking have been running hot and cold. Spanish mackerel
are still common and big in southeast Tampa Bay and out in the gulf for several
miles from the mouth of the bay. Numerous shark are common in the same areas. On
several trips last week my parties put the whooping stick on some dandy gag
grouper in only 35" of water off Egmont. Many gags above twenty inches and
several keepers up to 28" were boated. In the same area we nailed mackerel,
shark, snapper, bonito, and barracuda. Tarpon are still about but their numbers
seem to be dwindling a bit from the huge numbers in the area for the past month.
Look for the big silver kings to begin taking up residence in deeper holes in
Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay. A few really nice flounder have come aboard this
week from the edges of reefs in 30-40 ft. of water in the gulf. This is a good
sign as the flatties have been pretty rare recently. The bait situation is still
good with plenty of large white bait, small pins and grunts, and a ton of white
bait fry for those with small mesh nets. It has been exceptionally hot this week
and we desperately need rain in the coastal areas. Be very careful with the heat
and sun situation! Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026- email:zachcap@aol.com
6-20-04
Fishing
action remained just average for me this past week. All of my trips were in the
morning on the incoming tide and we never experienced what could be called a
"hot bite" with any of the species we encountered. The majority of my
charters opted to remain inshore to target trout, redfish, and snook. We were
successful in connecting with all three on most days but the action was far from
stunning. The trout were running about average in size with an occasional gator
mixed in. Redfish ranged in size from dinks to 30"., and the snook were of
average size. The interesting aspect was the bait of choice switched from
whitebait to small pinfish. I have still been able to secure good numbers of
whitebait on the flats with numerous pinfish in the mix, and the pinnies
have outproduced the white bait three to one on all of the above mentioned
species. The small pinfish have been offered under a popping cork with the bait
suspended just inches above the bottom
Tarpon have been literally everywhere
around the area. The bulk of the action with the silverkings has been on the big
falling tides of the afternoon and evenings. I believe the best results on
everything has been in the p.m. and ebbing tides. The tarpon have been taking
pass crabs, large pilchards, large threadies, and pinfish.
Spanish mackerel continue to run big and
plentiful from the skyway west out in the gulf for several miles off the mouth
of Tampa Bay. Snapper are also numerous and cooperative on offshore hard bottom
in 30-40 ft. and they are beginning to come on strong on the inshore scene as
well. Permit are still a factor and can be taken with pass crabs presented on a
free line over offshore wrecks and hardbottoms in 30- 45 ft.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
6-12-04
The
fishing action this past week showed really diverse opportunities. Tarpon are
literally everywhere and once in a while they do cooperate. Outgoing tides have
been the best times especially in the passes and the silver kings are showing a
preference for small crabs, large whitebait and threadfin herring.
Out in the gulf we have done well with
mangrove snapper, grouper, spanish mackerel, and some nice permit up to 18 lbs.
Most of the action took place in 30-40 ft. of water over hard bottom and wrecks.
On the inside waters we have done well
early in the week with redfish up to 30" but most running in the 16-
22" range. Trout continue strong, coming in from 5-6 ft. of water over
heavily grassed bottoms. Small pinfish suspended under popping corks have become
a really productive option for trout and will continue to be the case for the
remainder of the summer. The same offering has produced redfish as well.
Snooking has remained hot and most of the action with larger fish has moved to
the passes. A lot of snook probably spawned on the June full moon and the rest
should follow suit in July.
The water temps have soared along the
western bays and the beaches. We desperately need some regular rainfall in the
western portions of the area in order to moderate the water temps which are
approaching the 90 degree mark.
Look for mangrove snapper action to really
get hot on the inshore structure from now through September. Small shrimp and
small summer pilchards will provide most of the action with the delicious
panfish.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
6-6-04
This week brought a real transition from spring into summer
with the outbreak of morning t-storms all over the place on Saturday. I had
forgotten how much "fun" it is to dodge thunderbumpers all over the
county.
A couple of trips offshore to 40" ft.
of water produced some big action with bonito, big spanish, grouper, snapper,
and a few permit. Egmont Key has also been pretty hot with a lot of tarpon
around, really good trout fishing on the backside grass with mackerel and
bluefish mixed in as well as numerous barracuda in residence to gobble up
anything you might be playing. Ditto for jewfish offshore. They were coming to
the surface trying to gobble up 10-12 lb. hooked bonitos. It seems as though the
state needs to reconsider the ban on taking jewfish as they have come back to
the point of being a total nuisance while wreck and reef fishing offshore. A
couple of Tampa Bay reefs produced some bragging sized gag grouper on a couple
of occasions recently. The tarpon have been all over the place and it would seem
that they are biting best on the outgoing tides. Actually this has been true for
just about everything this past week. The incoming portion of the big full moon
tides have been a tough fish but as soon as the tide peaks and starts to ebb is
when the best action for tarpon, snook, redfish, and trout. develops.
Early in the week the tide change was late morning but going into the weekend it
is solidly dropping in the heat of the afternoon.
Bait continues to be fairly easy but it is
really mixed up with a lot of small pinfish on the flats. The Key Royale area is
still producing well and if you concentrate on the 5-6 ft. levels near the edges
of the grass you can get pretty large white bait, threadfin, and shad which are
all super baits for tarpon, shark, and cobia. The small pinfish offered under a
popping cork over deep grass is really coming into its own for productivity of
speckled trout on the inside. Mangrove snapper should be coming on strong on the
inshore ledges and wrecks. Shrimp will produce the lions share of inshore
snapper until the pilchard spawn is available.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
5-31-04
Inshore
action for trout has remained as hot as the weather. Above average trout fishing
is taking place all over the area from Egmont Key to the Sarasota County line.
Most of the specks are of above average size and found over dense grass in 4- 5
ft. of water. White bait is the ticket although numerous specks have been taken
on Tsunami Trout Maulers and clouser flies. A falling tide has been most
productive for me. Catch and release snook remain strong and redfish of average
size are scattered and unpredictable. Fished the mouth of Tampa Bay quite a bit
this past week. Did well on grouper on ledges and reefs with a pretty good bunch
of keeper gags up to 26". Big spanish mackerel are thick. Small to medium
sized sharks are common, mostly blacktip and lemons. Saw a nurse shark in Anna
Maria Sound Saturday that was easily 12 ft. long. Tarpon are definitely here.
The north end of Egmont Key is literally crawling with them. Despite their
strong presence we did not have a lot of success hooking up. We did most of our
fishing for the big silvers in the A.M. and I have heard through the tarpon
telegraph that they are hitting better in the afternoons if you can stand the
heat. The few we did get to hit took crabs and large whitebait. Good luck and
good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE
JAY II" 941-795-5026 email: zachcap@aol.com
5-23-04
Action
remained steady this week, especially inshore. Trout fishing has been off the
charts. If you hit them at the right time(which has been the start of the
falling tides) over deep grass of about 5 ft., you can easily limit out on
specks up to 24" in length. They have been preferring white bait but a
number have been taken on small pinfish, grunts, clouser flies, and tsunami
trout maulers. Snook continue good for catch and release, and scattered redfish
have been coming in as well. Flounder, spanish mackerel, and numerous small
sharks round out the inshore scene. The mouth of Tampa Bay up to the skway has
been giving up ball bat mackerel as well as the blacktip and lemon sharks. Quite
a few tarpon have been witnessed especially in Tampa Bay and I plan to start
targeting them soon. Cobia still have been eluding me but I know there are some
being taken but seem to be few and far between.
A trip out to 50 ft. in the gulf this past week produced some grouper and
barracuda but was a tad disappointing overall. Mangrove snapper should become an
item on inshore rock piles and ledges real soon. The best baits for the toothy
guys is shrimp, small white bait, small pinfish, and jigs like doc's goofy jigs.
The best time to nail a bunch is to hit them on the slow portions of the tides
when it is just barely moving in or out.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt. "Zach"
Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email: zachcap@aol.com
5-15-04
Did
extremely well fishing Tampa Bay between Bean Point and the Skyway
mid week. Numerous huge spanish mackerel, black tip sharks, and one 70 lb. (est)
jewfish came aboard the "DEE JAY II". The higher than normal winds of
this week kept me from venturing too far offshore so the great action in the bay
was nothing to sneeze at. Trout continued to be strong on the inside with
C&R snook, scattered reds, and flounder being the mainstay of the inshore
action. Looking for mangrove snapper to be on the upswing at inshore locations
now that the water temps are approaching summertime levels and tarpon should be
getting thicker each week. It is just a matter of time for a solid summer
pattern to establish itself. Within a few weeks the lower than normal humidity
levels we've been experiencing will be history and the the usual summer species
should shift into high gear. White bait on the flats has already begun to get a
bit squirrely and massive numbers of small pinfish are common which surely
signals the onset of summer. Reports from the Panhandle indicate great action
for kings and cobia in full swing up there so I really believe the chances for a
major late run here is a pipe dream. The fall run for these pelagics has been
excellent for a couple of years now and a great deal more predictable.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
5-9-04
Started
out the week working primarily inshore and the latter part reef fishing out in
the Gulf. On the inside we had a couple of pretty good trips that produced
catch and release snook to 32", numerous trout to 24", reds, shark,
flounder, and jacks. One day a lady angler bested a 5 ft. blacktip on 10 lb.
gear in Anna Maria Sound while fishing for trout and mackerel that have been
pretty common in that area. A lot of small to medium sized sharks have been
prowling that area for weeks. An occasional cobia shows up in the same area. On
Thursday my party did real well with trout and redfish. One red of 31" was
boated and sent on his way and a limit catch of slot sized reds was iced down.
Earlier that morning, fishing the nearshore reefs off the Island they did well
with good sized mackerel and one schoolie kingfish. At weeksend my parties and I
ventured offshore some 8-9 miles to some so-so action with spanish mackerel
(ball bats) and a few kingfish. Many short grouper and scamp were boated but our
hoped for action with cobia and maybe a permit did not materialize. Amazingly we
were overrun with lovebugs that far out in the gulf but the results of our
efforts were not much better than could have been found right along the beaches.
Snapper should be coming on in the bay now that the water has topped 75 degrees
and tarpon sightings have become more frequent in the last couple of days. We
have spotted tarpon in all of their usual early haunts around bridges and deep
bay holes and a couple of beach schools seen as well. I have not begun to target
the silver kings as yet but that may change if they keep coming on strong.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
05-01-04
Overall the action for the week was good. Inshore results included snook
up to 32", reds to 30", trout to 24", and flounder to 18".
Some big jacks were bested around the bays as well. Most of the above action
took place on an incoming tide with white bait being the key to success. White
bait has finally hit the flats and has been pretty easy most days. The
combination of a warm front and weak tides late in the week made things a bit
more challenging. I don't know what the deal with warm fronts is but I have
always had a hard time getting fish to cooperate during them.
Fished off the beaches a little early last
week. The results from right along the beaches consisted of spanish mackerel,
grouper, and mangrove snapper. As of this writing; the much anticipated run of
kings and cobia just hasn't materialized in water depths less than 45 ft. I have
heard of and witnessed the catching of a few but in my estimation it has been
pretty slim pickings. Reports from the south indicate the action down there for
kings is still good and pompano are thick below Sarasota, so maybe we are in for
a late run. For those plying the gulf in 60-70 ft. of water things have been
good with kings, cobia, blackfin tuna, and even a few permit cooperating.
The weather guys are predicting another
cold front to pass right after the weekend, so the prefrontal action should get
pretty hot and the negative effects of the post front are not much of a factor
this late in the spring.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email:zachcap@aol.com
04-24-04
It's
closing in on the end of snook season and it has been a good one with numbers of
fish but still not up to snuff size wise. When the snook first broke out of
their winter holes there were some really nice specimens taken but the 24/25
inchers are the most common catch. Redfish really came on for me this past week
with a number of over sized fish and some in the slot range. They were taken in
a variety of areas which bodes well for summer redfishing. Ditto for spotted sea
trout. They have continued strong since late winter both in size and numbers and
should provide good sport all through the summer. My charters had backwater
slams every trip this week. The best snook was taken by Mary Shukert, a hefty
31"er and the best reds of the week were taken by Gary Shukert and Alan
Shram each going about 31". The trout were of good average size running up
to 23". A lot of big jack crevalle are roaming the flats as well.
Nearshore Gulf action has been a
disappointment still. Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper and gag grouper have
cooperated from the beaches out to 40 ft, but the kings and cobia have been
rare. Offshore boats report good action in 60-70 ft. Have heard of many more
cobia sightings this week so maybe we will get a few weeks of the ling thing.
White bait has solidly invaded the flats
and they are coming in from a variety of locations but the Anna Maria
Sound/bulkhead area seems to have the largest concentrations. A bunch of sharks
have moved in the area too. We took a few just off the beaches and have seen
numerous small to medium sized sharks while netting bait on the flats,
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 e-mail:zachcap@aol.com
4-18-04
I'm
sure you've heard the old saying " The wind blew, the spit flew, and there
we stood!". Not a lot to say about the post Easter week other than there's
not much to write home about. What should have been the hottest fishing of the
year was a total bust. At weeks end things began to improve. Bait came back
around and a few fish were taken but not like it should be at mid-april. Trout
were the bright spot on the inside. Quite a few came aboard and were of good
average size running up to 24". The snook action that was hot and heavy
pre- Easter crashed and burned after the wind/rain/cold insult. If we boated
more than a dozen on
Friday and Saturday it was a bunch. Trips out to the beach produced very little
in the muddied up water with the exception of lemon and blacktip sharks that
seem to relish the low visibility. Mackerel and kings are not fond of the mud
and were conspicuously absent from near shore.
I have to admit I do not know what the deal
is with the spring run of pelagics along the beaches. We were right on the cusp
of some great action and I do not know if it is still on the way or has passed
us by as it sometimes does in the spring. Inshore action should bounce right
back after a few warm and calm days with better tides on the horizon.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
4-11-04
All
in all it was a different kind of week. Snook fishing was excellent mid-
week with limit catches and nice sized fish up to the top of the slot. Trout
also cooperated with some nice specimens up to 24". Redfish were sporadic
and the fish we encountered were of average size. Big jacks, ladyfish, bluefish
and flounder made up the rest of the inshore action this week.
A couple of forays out to 45' of water in
the gulf at weeks end produced some banner catches of mangrove snapper to 6 lbs,
and numerous juvenile gag, red, and scamp groupers.
Kingfish are apparently thick well off the
beaches in 70-80 ft. but pretty rare in depths closer to shore. Cobia are also
few and far between. Hopefully the pelagic action is still coming and they have
not pulled a big pass on by this spring. Large schools of bait have been working
in closer to shore all this week. Speaking of bait, white bait has become pretty
easily found on local inshore flats.
The air temperatures have become more
summer like the past few days and the humidity has also been on the rise, this
should add up to a solid spring and early summer pattern. Water temperatures
should come off the roller coaster ups and downs of early spring and things
should settle in to some really great action.
One day this past week we spotted a large
school of permit in about 40 ft. over a wreck in the gulf but were not
successful in getting them to take any of our offerings.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
4-3-04
Another
bout of wind, this time from the northwest has limited my options which are
numerous this time of year. Early in the week a couple of my parties and I
ventured offshore a bit to 50 ft. and did well with some dandy mangrove snapper,
scamp, and gag grouper. A lot of barracuda were present but not much interested
in anything we threw at them. Primarily looking for kings and cobia we did not
find any, but there have been a few show up off local beaches as of this
weekend. On the inshore we did well with snook and trout. The snook ranged in
size from 19" to 30" and we were smoked a couple of times by
some huge specimens that took advantage of inexperienced anglers. The big
trout (20" +) have been coming from depths of 8-3 ft but all from darker
bottomed areas. They have also preferred white bait and shiner imitating
artificials. Shrimp have been a dud where the specks are concerned. Reds have
not been exactly suicidal this past week, but we did manage a few nice keepers
around docks in the vicinity of Longboat Pass. The reds definitely showed a
preference for live shrimp. In addition some jumbo jacks and ladyfish, bluefish
and mackerel have contributed to the overall action.
The arrival of some kingfish and decent
bait schools in the neighborhood in conjunction with the surprisingly strong
cold front may bode well for us by keeping a lot of this action here for a
spell. Another drop in the water temperature should delay their northward
migration a bit. Another anomaly of this spring has been the spanish mackerel
favoring the inshore waters of Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Sound, and Tampa Bay,
while the gulf has only produced fair catches of the toothy torpedoes. Gag
grouper have substantially invaded the inshore scene as well with some bragging
sized specimens taken in the bays and close to the beaches.
For about the third week in a row I would
venture to say that when Ma nature decides to shut down the wind machine the
already good spring action should shift in to high gear.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
03-27-04
The
relentless high winds from the east has made good angling action a real
challenge all this past week. The high winds have kept me close to the beach and
the action has just been fair out there. Some decent spanish mackerel, bluefish,
late season sheepshead, and some really surprising grouper catches have been the
norm. The winds have kept the bait schools way offshore and there is probably
some good kingfish action well offshore but has been out of the question in my
22' boat.
Thankfully the inshore action has been
decent. With the exception of one day early in the week my clients have done
well on snook, reds,. trout, and flounder. I have been successful in getting
some white bait on the flats this week and along with shrimp and tsunami lures
we have brought some nice catches aboard the "DEE JAY II". It cannot
be classified as easy however. Early in the week the tides were held lower than
normal with high pressure and high northeasterly winds. Towards the end of the
week the tides jumped up pretty well and allowed me to get in the shallower
areas where the snook have taken up residence. I am really stoked on the
effectiveness of the tsunami trout mauler lure. On a couple of occasions that
lure has produced more and larger snook than whit bait. Twice it has outproduced
live bait by about three to one.
Spring is here and all of the variables
should be falling into place for some outstanding fishing if only the strong
east winds would abate and allow us to go about our business in a normal
fashion. If its not one thing its another!!
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
03-21-04
Angling
action aboard the "DEE JAY II" was good this past week but strange due
to the fact it was hard to duplicate the same results more than two days
running.
On the inshore waters my anglers did well early in the week on snook to
30", numerous trout to 22", a few redfish, flounder, and pompano. Also
jumbo ladyfish and jacks for pure sport. There were a number of spanish mackerel
taken in the bay as well. White bait, shrimp, and a variety of artificial
offerings fooled most of the above with the bulk of the action coming on an
incoming tide.
A couple of trips out to the beach
continued to give up late season sheepshead.Spanish mackerel made the scene in a
big way out there on a couple of occasions and would be noticeably absent other
days. Two trips produced some really hefty gag grouper in less than 30 ft. of
water. Several keepers were boated and the gags went for large pilchards or
threadfin herring freelined over hard bottom. The groupers would not hit a
weighted bait but would come way up off the bottom and annihilate the large
baits. On Friday we had a big hit early in the trip on a threadfin that ripped
off 60 yds of line before parting 10 lb. test. Pretty sure it was a kingfish but
the big macks are just not here as of this writing. Ditto the cobia, the only
ones I've heard off have been small.
One day this week a school off white bait
was running the beach but gone the next. The bait has yet to materialize on
local flats but is thick at the Skyway. Thanks to Capt. Sam Kimball of the
"Legend" docked along side me at "Annies Bait & Tackle"
in Cortez for supplying me with white bait he netted at the big bridge. Capt.
Sam has been making some notable catches of grouper and especially some jumbo
mangrove snapper.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
3-14-04
I've
been running out to the gulf every chance the winds not cranking in anticipation
of kings and cobia but to no avail this past week. We did do well with some real
nice spanish, bluefish, pompano, and some 5-8 lb. sow sheepshead. The above
mentioned critters should be on the doorstep. In the bays there have been some
really nice catches of spotted sea trout to 26", reds to 26", pompano,
and mackerel as well. Some truly huge ladyfish have been encountered for pure
sport. Most of the action has developed on the incoming tide using live shrimp,
tsunami lures, and fly tackle. One fly trip was spent drifting the south end of
the key royale flats in 3-6 ft. of water and connecting with those big ladies,
trout, mackerel, and pompano. An intermediate fly line and darker colored
clouser type flys were the ticket.
There is white bait at the Skway but I have
not found it on the flats as yet, there is also a ton of bait staged up about 15
miles offshore, so any day the bays could be chock full. I have heard of some
impressive snook catches already made by those using white bait from the skway.
Snook action is ready to break wide open with the arrival of white bait in the
bays and the end of the yoyo water temps which has prevented a solid spring
pattern to develop. We have had what I consider a top notch winter fishing
season and I hope it bodes well for the spring and summer.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026
email: zachcap@aol.com
3-7-04
A
number of new species entered the mix this week with the arrival of spanish
mackerel and good numbers of pompano. Most of the above were encountered in
north Sarasota Bay and the gulf. Action was pretty hot and heavy all this week
with BIG sheepshead up to 8 lbs, pompano to 3 lbs., mackerel to 26", and
some big old fat speckled trout to 26". One angler, Bert Hoeflich from
Oregon bested a 24" speck, several mackerel, and a bluefish with fly tackle
early in the week. A few snook and reds rounded out the action. The weather guys
are predicting a fairly substantial cold front this weekend with temps in the
40's once again early next week but I do not think this one will set back the
spring onslaught right on our doorstep. White bait should start appearing on the
flats within the next two weeks and kingfish, cobia, and snook should become a
factor as well. It's that terrible time of the year when the biggest hassle
everyday is deciding what to fish for. Good luck and good fishing- be careful
out there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II"
941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
2-28-04
Less
than ideal weather conditions continue to plague local fishermen but as has been
the case all winter decent catches are available for those willing to brave the
elements
All of my trips this week were inshore
endeavors which produced goodly amounts of redfish to 23 inches but the majority
were 15- 18". Some really pretty fat trout up to 22 inches, flounder to
18", a stray snook or two, sheepshead to 6 lbs, along with the occasional
grouper or snapper. Live shrimp accounted for the bulk of the action but a few
fish were taken on exude rt slugs, tsunami trout maulers, and doc's goofy jigs.
I have not taken any mackerel as yet but I
have heard they are making a showing here and there. Pompano have also been
taken to the south of our area.
Once again a cold front has delayed the
spring onslaught we have all been anticipating. It is said that April is the
cruelest month but in these parts its definetly pretty cruel in February and
March when it takes so much patience for the super angling just over the horizon
to develop.
Amazingly we spotted a school of good sized
white bait on the flats west of Tidy Island on Friday last with temperatures in
the fifties and a stiff north breeze of about 20 knots. Hopefully when you read
this report next week all hades will have busted out.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there! Capt. "Zach"
Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026-email:zachcap@aol.com
2-22-04
Despite
a lot of negatives such as high winds, cold, sporadic red tide blooms, etc my
clients have made some very respectable catches on the "DEE JAY II".
On the windy days last week we enjoyed some banner
action on the inshore waters of Palma Sola, Anna Maria Sound, and North Sarasota
Bay. James and Dave Grisham along with Jim Wymelt of Eden Prairie, Minn had
several great trips this week boating a variety of species including snook to
25", reds to21", trout to 20", flounder, and sheepshead on
inshore trips. Topping off the week on Friday the same trio fished with me on a
sojourn out to 40-50 feet of water in the gulf. We had a blast landing a limit
catch of mangrove snapper to 20", big sow sheepshead, key west grunts, and
a slew of short red & gag grouper.
I really feel we are really on the cusp of spring
action breaking wide open. If we could just get a solid five or six days of
warm, sunny weather coupled with the pesky unseasonable red tide blooms abating
things should really begin to pop. I really feel that the overall steady results
over this winter season bode well for a bang up spring. Cross your fingers and
maybe it will happen. I am more than ready for spring.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!!
Capt. "Zach" Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026-
email:zachcap@aol.com
2-15-04
Took
advantage of a couple super calm days to venture out in the gulf this week.
Fished in 30 - 45 ft. of water off Longboat and Anna Maria with a good deal of
success. Small wrecks and reefs produced a lot of big sheephead in the shallower
spots and a bunch of fat mangrove snapper in the deeper spots. Also a lot of gag
and red groupers and key west grunts. On friday the mangroves, running
14-18" were taking live shrimp and would also wallop a yellow Doc's Goofy
Jig bounced just above the bottom. We experienced a few cutoffs and shaved
leaders indicating some spanish mackerel hits but we did not catch any. A good
number of scamp were brought aboard, especially friday with some being keeper
size. The front coming through as I write this will probably put the kabosh on
gulf efforts for a few days.
Earlier in the week my parties enjoyed some
reasonably good action with trout to 24", redfish to 20", several
snook, flounder, and of course the omnipresent sheephead in the bay. Most of the
inside action was on shrimp, exude RT slugs, and the new tsunami split tail
holograph lures.
Heard reports of spanish mackerel being
taken at the Skyway Piers. It would appear they have come back in at
almost the exact time as last year. All things being equal, the kingfish
and cobia followed the spanish by about three weeks last year and may repeat
that schedule in 2004. Start spending your free time tying up those wire
leaders! If this front is not too hard or long lived the water temperatures
should not drop appreciably and I am still expecting the snook to break
loose in the next couple of weeks. Get ready!!!
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II"
941-795-5026 email: zachcap@aol.com
2-5-04
You
can pretty much ditto the reports from the last two months. Sheephead, reds,
trout, and a smattering of flounder, snapper, and bluefish. The important thing
is that the action at the start of February can dramatically change by the
latter part of the month if mother nature cuts us a little break. It is a widely
held notion by folks from these parts that make their livings around the
vagaries of weather conditions that spring arrives here at the full moon in
February. By the feel of the past few days, that just might be the case this
year. We will get some cold fronts until April but they usually lack the punch
and duration of those in late fall/early winter. The length of the day, a
stronger sun, and shorter lived cold spells all team up to bring some greatly
expanded angling options. There could be some whitebait begin to sneak back in
the area and a host of species will be hard on their trail. Most notably spanish
and king mackerel, cobia, pompano, permit, etc. The past few years have even
seen respectable tarpon catches made in upper Tampa Bay and west to the Skyway
in late February and into March. I still predict snook season will blast off
about the 1st of March this year. In closing, I hope these musings do not jinx
us cause sometimes our springs can be a tad on the raw side. Just knock on wood
and go fishing!!
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias - "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026-
email: zachcap@aol.com
1-30-04
Spotted
sea trout were the numbers catch this past week. The average size was pretty
good with a few fish pushing 26". Most fell within the slot, very few
undersized specimens. Shrimp and jigs produced the most results with the specks
and they were found on the edges of dark bottom in 4-6 ft. of water. Sheephead
to 5 lbs., redfish to 24", along with a few small snook, flounder, black
drum, and mangrove snapper rounded out the action.
Some oversized ladyfish also tested our
tackle and we skipped a couple of pompano way south in Sarasota Bay. The pompano
have not been cooperative though, hopefully they will increase in numbers and
appetite real soon. A couple of bluefish were mixed in with the trout and
ladyfish.
According to my log the spanish mackerel
made a dramatic return last year around Feb. 20 so if the weather cooperates
they may do so again this year.
The forecast for the opening of snook
season is to concentrate on extreme backwaters as the water temps out in the
open are still pretty low. I think the first of March may find the snook
breaking out of their hidey holes this year if the weather pattern remains
pretty much the same as it has been. I have seen and caught a few smaller snook
on pretty days already but they are hanging close to protected areas.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out
there!! Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026-
email:zachcap@aol.com
1-17-04
Only
got out a few times this past week but did pretty well. One trip in the bay
produced a real nice catch of spotted sea trout. Most of the bay is gin clear
right now and the water temperatures are back down in the mid-fifties. The trout
were found in areas where the water was a little murky with a dark bottom. The
same areas harbored a good amount of glass minnows. Live shrimp accounted for
most of the specs which ran from 16- 22".
A trip out in the gulf continued to produce
good mixed bags of sheepshead to 6 lbs., mangrove snapper to 18", red and
gag grouper, key west grunt, and triggers. Throw in a few redfish, flounder, and
black drum to round out the action on the "DEE JAY II".
With a mid-winter pattern firmly entrenched
we have been doing best by heading west in the gulf, fishing hard bottoms and
structure in 30-40 ft. of water. On the inside you will do best to head as far
inland as you can get in the local bays, bayous, and canals. The water there
tends to run a good 10 degrees warmer in deeper dark bottomed areas. Structure
is also helpful in concentrating bait and gamefish. Look for areas with an
abundance of glass minnows, current, and structure and you'll likely find fish.
Good luck and good fishing!! Be careful out there. Capt. "Zach"
Zacharias "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026- email:zachcap@aol.com
1-10-03
Mark
Johnston and Dave Schukert of Cortez joined me on a sojourn out in the gulf in
between the past two fronts. We enjoyed almost non-stop action with a mixed bag
including gag grouper, red grouper, mangrove snapper, sheepshead, key west
grunt, black sea bass, and triggerfish. We concentrated on hard bottom areas
from 20-30 ft. and enjoyed the most results on live shrimp and white bucktail
jigs sweetened with strips of cut bait.
On the inside I have been concentrating on docks, deep
water shell bars, wrecks, etc. and doing quite well with reds, sheepshead,
trout, snapper,black drum, and a few flounder. The return of colder weather and
a drop of water temperatures to a more seasonal level should only accentuate
this mid winter pattern. There are plenty of fish around and they are usually
cooperative. The wane of the big bright full moon should also increase the
number of fish crossing the gunwales of the "Dee Jay II" as well.
Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!!
Capt. "Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II"-
941-795-5026-email:zachcap@aol.com
1-4-04
The
exceptionally pretty weather we have been experiencing has been super for
comfortable fishing conditions but I hope it does not continue. If it does it is
going to mess up migratory timetables causing fish to begin patterns way to
early and it will have a negative effect on down the road into spring.
Spring fishing is always the best following a winter with a normal cold period
that breaks about mid-March. If the snook start coming out of their hidey holes
and we get a sudden hard freeze it could be disastrous.
Fishing has been great though. The calm weather has allowed me to get out in the
gulf to do battle with numerous gag grouper to 23", mangrove snapper to
18", Big old sheephead to 8 lbs., and key west grunts. On the inside there
have been numerous sheepies as well, along with reds from 14-24", some
really fat trout to 24", and a smattering of flounder and black drum.
If the abnormally warm weather continues there could be an early return of white
bait followed by spanish, cobia, and possibly some kingfish. The Feb. 1 opening
of snook season could also be productive at a time they are usually scarce. Time
will tell I suppose.Good luck and good fishing- be careful out there!! Capt.
"Zach" Zacharias- "DEE JAY II" 941-795-5026 email:zachcap@aol.com
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