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July 9, 2010
I'm taking a sabbatical from writing the fishing
column on a weekly basis until October 1st, with periodic check-ins
throughout the Summer. I'm off to New England for (what else?) a
little bluefish and striped bass fishing, as well as some landlocked
salmon fishing in Northwestern Maine with an old friend. Ah, life
is grand!
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Have a great summer!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
July 2, 2010
It's a three day weekend - hold my calls, 'cause
I've gone fishin'! The 4th of July weekend finds Southwest Florida
still COMPLETELY OIL FREE, with nary a sign of the problems experienced
in the northern Gulf. The fishing has been hot, as well as the weather,
with mornings being the safest time to fish and allowing one to avoid
the regular afternoon thundershowers!
After the second coldest Winter on record since the late 1800s, we have
just emerged from two months of record heat - May and June being the
hottest on record since 1902. The average temperature for the May -
June time frame, taking into account both daytime and nighttime
temperatures, was 83.1F. Whereas daytime temps top out regularly at
c.92F, we had several days spiking to 99F which makes doing most
anything outside difficult. The heat has resulted in a change of
strategy to effectively target fish.
Because warmer water carries less oxygen, the best fishing has been in
freshly oxygenated water found around the passes on the incoming tide.
Consistent Summer rains and higher than normal water levels on Lake
Okeechobee have resulted in steady outflows of fresh water into the
Caloosahatchee River. Some c.2 billion gallons of fresh water are being
released on a daily basis by the Army Corps of Engineers to ease the
stress on the Herbert Hoover Dike and to drain the lake's levels in
preparation for rainy/hurricane season and the associated inflows of
rain water. The result has been a marked increase in the fresh water
levels of the estuaries which has negatively affected the associated
ecosystems. Bait in the river can't handle the lack of salinity and
move out toward the Gulf. Gamefish (snook, reds, and trout) lose their
primary food source and seek a more balanced salinity level, resulting
in their exit from the brackish (a natural mixture of fresh and salt
water) water estuaries. This situation, coupled with the oxygen levels
of the water, have pushed the best fishing out toward the passes and
along the Gulf beaches.
Tarpon are still holding fairly strong around the beaches of Captiva and
the passes. Fishing with Tasa and Terry Stoyer, and friend Don Grote
last week along Captiva, Don-o managed a c.80 lber after a 25 minute
fight - the first tarpon of his career! Actually, fishing all week for
tarpon along that same spot yielded hookups all week - rather surprising
for this late in the season. We're usually down to hunting for singles
along the beaches at this time of year which can sometimes make for long
slow days. Threadfins, large white baits, large pinfish, catfish tails,
and chunked mackerel have all been effective means for hooking up.
The snook fishing in the passes and along the beaches have been
stellar! While the overall population has taken a massive hit as a
result of our Winter freeze, one may still find them concentrated in
very specific environments. Rocks, rock piles, and shadows have
produced snook everywhere from Sanibel rocks, to Blind Pass, Redfish
Pass, and Captiva Pass. While the bait has been pushed away from Punta
Rassa by the sheer volume of fresh water coming down the river, I have
been consistently successful finding bait on the outside of Tarpon Bay -
with the bulk coming in between first light and sunrise. Best to be
chumming by 6:00 AM.
Redfish are still around in numbers, and are successfully being caught
away from the fresh water inflow. The Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge has
been extremely productive as of late, as well as the flats and creeks
North of Matlacha Pass on the East side of Pine Island. The West side
of Pine Island has been equally productive, with live bait chum being
used to entice the fish out from the mangroves on the higher tides, when
the fish manage to tangle themselves in the deepest of the mangroves.
The trout fishery, for me, has been extremely slow as of late. More of
a cold water species, trout have become lethargic due to the lack of
oxygen in the water. This may not be all bad as the result of the
closing of snook season this year was anglers targeting the trout
population. In my opinion, the trout population of Pine Island Sound
this past season took a massive hit as they became an easy species to
legally harvest after the snook ban. Contrary to my normal 'catching'
spots (grass flats with potholes), most of my trout - and they have been
big - have been coming out of the Gulf along the beaches, which is not
where I would normally catch trout.
July finds me at the end of my hardcore fishing season as the seasonal
residents have left, tourism is down for Summer, and lightning tends to
break out on a fairly regular (and unpredictable) basis. I'm taking a
sabbatical from writing the fishing column on a weekly basis until
October 1st, with periodic check-ins throughout the Summer. I'm off to
New England for (what else?) a little bluefish and striped bass fishing,
as well as some landlocked salmon fishing in Northwestern Maine with an
old friend. Ah, life is grand!
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
June 16, 2010
First, I would like to report THERE IS NO OIL
ANYWHERE NEAR SANIBEL, CAPTIVA, OR THE BARRIER ISLANDS of Lee County.
The beaches are pristine, the shelling is awesome, the fishing is world
renown, and there are huge discounts going on everywhere for the Summer
season!
"Rainy Season" is off to a sputtering start this year - another
seemingly delayed event a byproduct of the unseasonably cold Winter of
2010. On a typical Summer morning day the winds tend to start as an
offshore breeze, the result of cooler night air settling. At c.11:00 AM
to about the 1:00 PM hour, breezes dwindle and the seas become still as
glass. And, it gets hot! Man, it gets hot! C.1:00 PM or so, the
breezes originate from the West, carry humid air onshore which heats up
over the mainland and rises into massive 'anvil' looking cells. C. 3:00
PM it's the 4th of July all over again. By 5:00 PM, it's done. June
10th has been the typical target date by which rainy season has
started. Lately, however, the seas have been still as glass from Sunup
to Sundown. A beautiful sight to behold if you can just wipe the damn
sweat out of your eyes. The heat index (whatever that is) registered
107F yesterday based on a raw temperature of 95F, which made for a
sizzling day on the water - as have been the past several days.
On Saturday, Scott Tollaksen from Chicago gave the tarpon his best
shot. Shove off was 7:00 AM from South Seas Plantation. The seas were
still as glass which makes for the most productive tarpon hunting as it
both allows the fish to roll in the morning, filling their air bladders,
thereby showing themselves; it also allows safe access to the Gulf in a
flats boat, increasing the territory in which to hunt for fish. We
fished the Gulf side of Captiva and immediately saw fish rolling.
Single fish, c.80 lbs., could be seen squirting beneath the boat - all
seemingly coming from the shoreline and running perpendicular to shore.
We were able to get up on a school of c.4 fish meandering along, yet
cast after cast of live bait could not get them to bite. Nor did the
crashing baits spook them, kind of like they were taunting us. We then
came upon some tarpon 'daisy chaining' - a phenomena whereby the fish
all swim in a tight circle - and managed a toss directly into the
center. The result... Nothing. Frustrated, we moved into Captiva Pass
where we again saw tarpon showing themselves here and there, either by
rolling, free jumping, or tail slapping. Finally, in mid-conversation,
the line jerked tight, the reel screamed, and Scott was off! Weird
thing, though. The fish didn't jump (a sign). Several minutes of
watching the rod double over (meaning the fish was directly beneath the
boat), and then motoring up on it confirmed my suspicions: a massive
goliath grouper (most likely) had gulped his bait and disappeared into a
hole. Ten minutes of working that fish from all angles produced no
movement until the line finally broke. Several more series of drifts
were fishless, it became brutally hot, and we decided to try another
day.
On Monday, Michael Wilson from Lakeland, FL, joined Scott and we started
the whole process over. It became evident after a half hour or so that
the population had dwindled from Saturday. Fishing for about an hour
and a half produced zero results, so we picked up and headed to Captiva
Pass. Passing Redfish Pass on the way North, we decided to stop off at
a rock outcropping to see if the snook population was feeding. Sure
enough, lob after lob of smaller live bait produced snook after snook -
all about 20 inches or so, with Mike nailing the biggest one of the
day! We then segued back to tarpon by cruising to Captiva Pass where
things were excruciatingly quiet, and the heat became almost
unbearable.
Yesterday, Dr. Tom Davis from St. Louis, MO, chartered me for a 6 hour
trip angling for reds, snook, and trout. We started off in Tarpon Bay
on Sanibel and worked three different areas, the technique comprised
mainly of flipping to mangrove shadows with live shiners for snook.
Whereas we saw a number popping the surface here and there with their
signature 'hand clap' sound, we couldn't get them to take. Knowing
about the fish in Redfish Pass, we decided to head out to where the
water is more oxygenated - an incoming tide bringing in 'freshly
oxygenated' Gulf water. We're heading into the First Quarter on 6/19,
the result of which is a flat morning tide and later afternoon rising
tide. The slow moving water translated into more effort than anything
else on Dr. Tom's behalf. We decided to wait for the current to pick up
and moved across to North Captiva Island where there are some deep water
pockets that tend to hold snook and some occasional reds. Live bait
freelined (no weight - just chuck it and let it swim) produced no
results. 'Hail Mary' thinking had me attach a #5 split shot just above
the leader knot in order to get the bait all the way to the bottom to
see if we could dredge something up. Yeah, I was just about out of
ideas and starting to work on my fishing stories. That sinker couldn't
have been down there for 10 seconds when BOOM, the Doc tied into
something massive! The fish managed to get off, and a check of the bait
determined the point of the hook had been driven back into the baitfish,
leaving nothing to hook the gamefish. It simply spit the bait back
out. Reload. Another 10 seconds, another monster, another release,
same symptom. A third try, the same thing. Serendipity rather than
human error had the hook point being driven back into the baitfish. On
his fourth try, Dr. Tom reared back, the hook was set, the fish made
several reel screaming runs, and the reward was a nice 23" snook! As
the tide picked up and made that spot difficult to manage the boat
because of the current, we went back to our original rock outcropping
where we anchored and drifted bait with the building incoming tide.
Bam, bam, bam, the fish were biting! Finally. Water flow makes all the
difference. Two more stops by the McKeever Keys and then back in to the
Ding Darling Sanctuary produced no results, which confirms my theory
(for me, at least) that the best bite will be in environments serviced
by freshly oxygenated incoming Gulf water. By default, and with the
volume of fresh water being dumped down the Caloosahatchee River, that
means the passes and surrounding flats that are serviced by this water.
Bait has been coming in off the grass flats between first light (c.6:00
AM) and Sunrise (C.6:30 AM) with everything shutting off after that.
The First Quarter takes place 6/19 with flat morning tides and later
afternoon incoming tides dominating the week. The most effective part
of the day fishing will coincide with the most dangerous part of the day
staying alive: afternoons/evening.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
June 7, 2010
My apologies for last week's missing column - an
errant 'send' command sent it directly to my 'drafts' folder. At least
that's how I choose to recall it. At any rate it was on back-country
fishing - a topic I can drone on about for hours on end. More important,
though, is to say there is NO OIL anywhere near our shores and that the
fishing and beaches remain awesome!
Hot? Yeah it's been hot - hotter than Hades for the better part of last
week and still more to come this week. Last Wednesday found the
thermometer at 97F with no afternoon rains to do their thing and cool
things down. Which is the way most of May went, receiving only .54 inch
of rain as opposed to our average 3.42 inches. June is typically one of
our wetter months, receiving 9.77 inches of rain on average; and as of
today, we're up to a whopping .92 inch of moisture, so far. The lack of
rain, though, couldn't come at a better time as the Army Corps of
Engineers is flooding the Caloosahatchee River with fresh lake water -
trying to lower the water level/pressure against the dikes - in
preparation for hurricane season as well as 'rainy' season in general.
The fresh water tends to run a deep maroon color from the tannins in the
red mangrove roots, which mixes with clear salt water around the
causeway and diffuses the color to a dirty brown. Not dangerous, not
appealing, all natural (except for the man made releases). The heat and
lack of rain have raised back-country water levels to c.88-90F which has
severely diminished the oxygen content in the water - necessitating
different tactics to catch fish.
Tarpon are all over Pine Island Sound, with this week being an extremely
favorable week for angling as we head towards the New Moon and it's
associated increase in water volume/tidal flow. Threadfins, big pinfish,
crabs, catfish tails, chunked mackerel... All will do the trick. The
high water temperature and the sheer volume of fresh water coming out of
the mouth of the Caloosahatchee has pushed the better back-country
fishing - as well as bait - towards the power lines, Chino Island and
points North along Pine Island, and the passes. Better productivity in
these areas is a result of both their distance from the river mouth, as
well as the fact that they are flushed with each tide by Blind Pass,
Redfish Pass, and Captiva Pass which results in much better water
clarity. Snook fishing around creek mouths will be the most productive
on incoming tides as this water is typically cooler and more oxygenated
than the warmer stagnant water it replaces. Snook are also concentrated
around rocky outcroppings in the passes as well as in the shadows
created by docks. Rocks provide a respite from the current and allow a
fish to ambush bait caught in the current. Shadows provide relief for
their light-sensitive eyes - snook really being nocturnal feeders. Snook
may also be spotted slowly cruising the beaches - some no more than 3
feet from the shoreline. They are feeding on baitfish and sand fleas
(mole crabs) found in the sand at the water line. The low light hours of
early morning and evening will provide the best results along the
shoreline using either shrimp, lead head/rubber body (or lead head/bucktail)
jigs (white or chartreuse), or flies in calm situations.
Redfish are being found on both sides of Pine Island. The sheer volume
of fresh water at the river mouth has pushed the better redfish angling
up past the power lines on the East side heading toward Matlacha Pass.
The oyster bars and flats/mangroves from Pine Island Creek to the Indian
Field/Bokeelia have been the most productive mostly due to the flushing
from Boca Grande Pass. These higher Summer high tides (compared to lower
Winter high tides) necessitate a good backup of live shiners to pitch
into the deepest of mangroves in order to entice some fish out into an
area where one may effectively cast a rod. Target the grass flats and
associated pot holes on the lower tides; you may even see a 'tailer' or
two.
The trout fishery is still active, though the fish are becoming
lethargic with the rising water temperature. The grass flats opposite
and around the passes may be your best bet for productive results. The
New Moon takes place 6/12. Daily temps are forecast to be c.93 until
further notice - with no rain in sight! The best of the best, right now!
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses
May 23, 2010
I'm soaking up these next three weeks as it's the
best it's going to get, whether it's back-country fishing or tarpon
fishing - at least until Fall comes around. Gulf temps are at 83F, every
day hovers around 90F, no rain in sight, and the tarpon are biting all
over the place!
I fished the Scott Kennedy/Brian Settle party this week on a two-day
tarpon hunt and can report that fish are being spotted everywhere from
Fort Myers Beach to Captiva Pass and points North. Threadfins were hard
to come by, though catfish tails and cut up Spanish mackerel chunks all
produced positive results. A ton of fresh water being released from Lake
Okeechobee has stained South Pine Island Sound water a brownish/purple
from the red mangroves lining the river. The volume of fresh water may
also help explain why the threadfins around the causeway bridges are a
bit difficult to find. Good tidal flow and an East wind may make the
passes a productive place to fish this week - an East/offshore wind
having a calming effect on the Gulf, and the passes being a phenomenal
place to fish in general.
I haven't had any flats fishing trips as of late, it being tarpon season
and all, but I have several trips lined up this week and will have those
to report in my next edition. Don't miss out on some of the best fishing
of the year, it honestly doesn't get any better than this!
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses
May 17, 2010
Hot. That's the forecast for Fort Myers and Lee
County over the next 129 days. Minimum 90F hot, for the sake of it.
With that said, we find ourselves in a special window of opportunity
over the next several weeks as a result of the prolonged Winter cooling
area waters, and Summer rainy season pattern having yet to set in.
The Gulf water temperature has been fluctuating between 78F and 80F this
past week - some 5 to 7 degrees below where we typically find ourselves
at this time of year - a byproduct of El Nino. Cooler water holds more
oxygen, enabling fish and baitfish to stay in the shallow back-country
waters longer than on average. Snook, most notably, will abandon the
oxygen-deprived waters of the back-country and move to the Gulf beaches
and passes where the water is a bit cooler and more oxygenated. And
while snook have made their annual migration to the beaches, there are
still plenty to be caught in and around the creeks and mangrove cays of
Pine Island Sound. Also, with the Summer weather pattern still several
weeks away - c.6/10 - we have not had to deal with either the early
morning thunderstorms or the afternoon fireworks, allowing for full days
of fishing.
Breezy mornings kept the tarpon fishery on the inside of Pine Island
Sound this past week - the calm early morning conditions of rainy season
being the one big bonus that allows smaller boats into the 'still as
glass' Gulf. A steep falling afternoon tide made the afternoons more
productive than the mornings. Redfish have been biting around the
northern end of Pine Island - both around the creek mouths of the East
side and the channels and mangroves of the West side. Chumming with
live bait has been the most effective method of getting fish out from
deep in the mangroves on the ultra high tides we have been
experiencing. Trout are still a major fishery, being caught with live
bait, poppers, artificials, and flies on virtually any grass flat.
It looks like we have another c.3 weeks of incredible fishing lined up
before the Summer weather pattern takes over. Which simply means being
more careful with regard to the weather. Rain during the Winter is an
afterthought. The Sun is rising c.6:39 AM this week as we head into the
First Quarter 5/20. Anemic incoming morning tides and steep outgoing
afternoon tides are predicting better hookups in the late afternoons
this week. Keep one eye to the sky.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses
May 9, 2010
Calmer winds have allowed tarpon anglers to target
the Gulf in the mornings; moving to the inside and passes when the
afternoon onshore breezes picked up. Plenty of threadfins are
available, either by cast net or by Sabiki (brand) Rig. Afternoon
falling tides may be the ones to target this week, provided Summer
afternoon thunderstorms don't pop before sunset. Our Summer weather
patterns, with prevailing winds from the South, haven't dominated our
weather pattern yet making a whole day of fishing still possible.
There is plenty of bait on the flats for back-country fishing, whether
targeting snook, reds, or trout. Water temps are still in the low 80sF,
which is a prime temperature as the water is warm - trending toward hot
- yet still holds plenty of oxygen. Murky water around southern Pine
Island Sound has been the result of the natural tannic acid from the red
mangrove roots lining the shores of the Caloosahatchee River.
Mega-fresh water releases from Lake Okeechobee in preparation for
hurricane season have flushed the mangroves and their root systems,
resulting in a natural - though unappealing - look to the water. A run
to the passes, flushed with Gulf water, provides very clear conditions.
The Sun is rising at c.6:40 AM this week as we head into the New Moon
(5/13). Look for flat tides to coincide with the appearance of the Moon
throughout the day - a tough time to fish. The forecast, weather-wise,
is for a beautiful week!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses
May 1, 2010
Winds blowing a consistent 15-20 mph this past
week kept the tarpon angling in and around Pine Island Sound, as opposed
to the open Gulf waters. The passes were productive, though anyone
venturing out there had the fillings in their teeth knocked out during
the ride back to Punta Rassa. Steep falling tides in the afternoons
made for the better part of the day, as a slow morning rising tide kept
water flow to a minimal stage - this being a result of coming off the
Full Moon and heading into the Last Quarter. Back-country fishing on
the flats and in the creeks for snook, reds, and trout was a bit slow
during the morning hours as well, with best results at the end of the
day with low-light conditions coinciding with a decent water flow.
All eyes are on the big BP oil spill off of the Louisiana coast. 15-20
mph Southerly winds forecast to blow through Tuesday or Wednesday look
to work in our favor (a Pyrrhic victory, at best) keeping the spill at
bay from Southwest Florida, though no one would wish this situation even
upon their mortal enemy. Any way you look at it, it's a "lose-lose"
situation all around. No straight answers and a rudimentary strategy
for cleanup at best (Really? Setting fire to the Gulf is the best they
can do?); and with BP both causing and being responsible for cleanup
efforts - it looks as if the fox is guarding the hen house. Hopefully,
this will put a stop to the, "Drill baby, drill!" baloney echoing
through Washington these days. Borrowing money from countries that
despise us in order to purchase oil from countries that despise us even
more in order to fill our gluttonous appetite seems absurd; it's time
for a new strategy.
Say a prayer for the folks in Louisiana.
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses
April 25, 2010
The tarpon are in!!! And, like most other
naturally occurring phenomena in Southwest Florida, are about a month
behind schedule due to the incredibly cold Winter of 2009-2010. An
example of this delay is reported in an article from this past Saturday
in the News-Press newspaper by Stephen Brown, horticulture agent with
the Lee County Extension Service (visit his Web page at http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/gardenhome.shtml)
describing the delay in blooms of two flowering species of trees native
to our area: namely, the silver trumpet and the jacaranda. Mr. Brown has
kept notes on the flowering of four selected trees of each species
(referred to as the "science of phenology") and states,
"Last year, four silver trumpet trees (Tabebuia aurea) came to 50
percent of maximum blooms on March 10, 18, 21, and 25. This year the
same trees reached that same degree of bloom on April 9, 18, 21 and 19 -
about one month later.
In 2009 four selected jacarandas (Jacaranda mimosifolia) were 50 percent
of their maximum blooms on March 23, 25, 31 and April 1. This year the
dates were April 7, 10, 14 and the fourth tree has yet to reach 50
percent of bloom. Thus, about two weeks off last year's schedule."
(Stephen Brown, News-Press, Section "D", Home and Garden, 4/24/10.)
The tarpon fishery typically coincides with Gulf water temperatures
reaching c.78F, an event that has been reached within the last week -
again, almost a month behind schedule. In last week's column, I
described the basic tackle setup for tarpon angling; this week focuses
on the fishery itself. One caveat is that, as a guide in the business of
fishing, I can not describe specific "spots" to catch fish. That
information is gleaned through years of practice and time on the water
and would not be fair to anyone else in the business. On the other hand,
I can provide basic knowledge that can then be applied by anglers in
their own right, who can then develop their own "spots."
Tarpon are migrating from the South to Boca Grande Pass where they
fatten up on threadfin herring and crabs before heading out to the Gulf
to complete their spawn. They can be found both in the Gulf as well as
Pine Island Sound. Tarpon typically "roll" on calm mornings at 'first
light', filling an air bladder. Without getting into the minutiae of
facts as to why they do the things they do, the method of targeting
tarpon is to concentrate on deep water - that's the best I can do
without making enemies myself. There are three signs one typically looks
for: 'rollers,' 'free jumpers,' and 'tail slaps.' Whether singly or in
schools, tarpon will roll much like a bottlenose dolphin coming up for
air. Free jumpers are just that: tarpon that rocket out of the water -
hard to miss. Tail slaps are also as described: a quick slap of the tail
at the surface which results in a telltale slapping sound and resulting
spray. Noise will close the fish down, as well as make immediate enemies
of all other immediate anglers, so it is best to cut one's engine and
proceed by trolling motor.
Different anglers employ different techniques; mine is not the "best"
but it works for me. I fish with circle hooks and spinning reels and
like to set my drag to a very light setting. This allows for minimal
resistance when a potential hookup is taking place. The key is to get
the fish to take a bait while, at the same time, having the hook
preferably slide down to the hinge of the fish's jaw - referred to as
the 'clipper.' When drifting and using threadfin herring, one typically
feels a 'nervous bait' preceding a hookup. Rolling fish may also be
targeted by casting in front of them - allowing the bait to naturally
swim away from its predator. Bait that appears unnatural to a tarpon
will not be taken. When a hookup takes place, I then create tension via
the reel's drag. Typically when tarpon feel immediate tension, they
rocket out of the water - which is where most fish are lost. Having a
hard interior to their mouths, a hook set is typically lost when the
tarpon rockets out of the water, shaking its head. 'Bowing' to the fish
is a famous adage; creating slack in one's line, thereby alleviating
tension on the hook, is the goal - whether by 'pointing' (thrusting the
rod forward) or opening the reel's bail. Anything to relieve line
tension and thereby increasing the chances of a poorly set hook staying
in the mouth area. Timing the jump isn't necessarily predictable.
Once a hook set is established, one wants to fight the fish in the 'down
and away' position - a back breaking task that may last for hours on the
biggest of fish. The key is to keep the fish from coming up for air and
filling its air bladder, which will result in more fight from the fish.
Landing a tarpon can be a most dangerous task. Gloves are mandatory to
both grab the leader (which will burn through naked hands if the fish
takes off), as well as to grab the lower jaw of the fish - which has the
consistency of sandpaper. Facing the fish, always grab the leader if -
using one's right hand - using two clockwise turns of the leader (the
left hand, in a counter clockwise direction). This will allow the leader
to 'spring off' one's hand quickly if the fish comes back to life and
runs, avoiding a potentially deadly situation caused by a tangled angler
going overboard (drowning/sharks). Remember, it is now illegal in
Florida to 'boat' a tarpon - it must remain in the water while removing
the hook and, unfortunately, for the camera snapshot. Reviving the fish
after a long fight by grasping the lower jaw, powering the boat forward,
and creating flow through the gills until the fish swims off gives it a
better chance of avoiding potential disaster if sharks are nearby.
The tarpon fishery is one fraught with danger and should not be
undertaken with naïveté. Guides are the safest way to undertake this
fishery by the novice, as there is a maximum potential for disaster.
Safety first - always! Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug (and never
with a circle hook); and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses
April 17, 2010
April! At last! All year long I wait with great
anticipation for this time of year for the one species of fish that
defines many an angler's ultimate dream: tarpon! AKA The Silver King,
tarpon are a fish unlike any other species on Earth! As big as a
refrigerator and stronger than The Hulk, tarpon are one of the most
thrilling species of fish to fight on 'semi light tackle,' requiring
patience, finesse, and extremely strong arm and back muscles. And, as
Fate would have it, most of the world's tarpon population must travel by
Sanibel, Captiva, and through Pine Island Sound to reach their ultimate
Summer destination: Boca Grande Pass.
For millennia, tarpon have traveled a yearlong counterclockwise spawning
route both starting and ending in Boca Grande Pass. Tarpon season in
the Gulf and Pine Island Sound (defined by the bulk of the population)
is a c.5 month time frame that usually starts toward the latter part of
March when the Gulf water temperature hits c.78F and runs into August,
with May typically being the peak month of both sighting and
'catching.' All Summer long, tarpon feed and fatten up on threadfin
herring and crabs before leaving Boca Grande Pass to initiate their
spawning cycle which, oddly enough, is something that is still a mystery
to fishery authorities. Targeting and catching tarpon requires a bit of
specialized knowledge and specialized tackle. In this installment, I
will focus on the tackle I employ and then discuss targeting tarpon in
next week's column.
Whereas one may employ 'telephone pole' thick rods, 100 lb. test mono
line, and those big 'ol 'oil can' reels, it can be more of a thrill
using a lighter setup which will allow one to spontaneously present bait
much easier to fish that randomly present themselves nearby. My setup
consists of a G. Loomis Surf Series rod that is actually marketed in the
G. Loomis catalogue as a bluefish rod (SUR 965S/8' Medium, Mod-Fast
Action, 15-30 lb. test line (mono), 1/2 to 1 1/2 Oz. lures. I prefer a
spinning reel as it allows for long casts and am currently using the
Quantum Cabo 80, although there are many different brands of reels that
will work - depending upon one's personal preference. As opposed to
mono or fluorocarbon line, I line the reel with 50 lb. test PowerPro
brand braided line that is extremely strong, has no stretch, and - with
its minute diameter - allows one to put much more on the reel than the
reel's rated mono or fluoro line maximum. I use 60 lb. test Seaguar
brand fluorocarbon leader material for a 'butt' section, and 80 lb. test
(same brand) for the actual leader-to-hook section. Hooks are a
personal choice; I prefer the Gamakatsu 8/0 Inline Octopus Circle SE
(St# 265418-25 there being 25 per package).
Starting with the 50 lb. test PowerPro (I prefer the color red), I tie
in a Bimini Twist Knot and create a c. 2 ft. loop. I then marry in a
c.2-3 ft. butt section of 60 lb. test Seaguar leader material to the 50
lb. test PowerPro loop via a Triple Overhand Knot. The purpose of the
60 lb. test butt section is to easily allow one to replace the 80 lb.
test main leader section without having to go through the arduous
process of the Bimini Twist/Triple Overhand Knot over and over. I then
marry in the 80 lb. test leader section (c.6', or about two arm's length
pulls off the Seaguar holder) to the 60 lb. butt section via a Double
Uni Knot - which allows for 100% breaking strength for both the 60 lb.
test and 80 lb. test sections. Finally, I secure the hook to the 80 lb.
test leader via a Non-Slip Mono Loop, the industrialized version of the
Clifford's Knot. This creates an extra strong, non-collapsing loop at
the hook eye that allows the hook to swing freely, thereby allowing a
threadfin to swim somewhat independently from the total line system - a
much more natural presentation to the eye of the tarpon. The butt
section is invaluable for speed in replacing the 6 ft., 80 lb. test
section as bycatch typically consists of large spanish mackeral and
sharks - which tend to chew up leaders, leaving them useless. Pull off
another 6 ft. section, secure Uni to Uni, and you're back in the game.
The Gulf temperature is being reported at 74F in the News-Press
newspaper - still a bit cool for the big schools to arrive; a lack of
big threadfin herring around the Sanibel Causeway bridges also attesting
to that. With that said, 'singles' have been seen around Pine Island
Sound, so the possibility does exist to hook into one. East winds
blowing 20-25 mph over the past week have negated the potential
sightings of any 'rolling' tarpon and have made boating rather
precarious; hopefully the next scheduled front will pass through this
weekend and calm things down at the beginning of next week. The Sun is
rising at about the 7:00 AM hour as we head into the First Quarter Moon
phase (typically flat tides/negligible linear water movement) on 4/21.
Next week: how to target tarpon.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses
April 10, 2010
Flipping my ignition switch on this morning, I
noticed that my temperature guage registered the 'magic' number: 75F!
From past experience, this is the water temperature at which fishing
explodes in Pine Island Sound; and as predicted, it has arrived almost a
month later than usual due to an extraordinarily cold Winter. Whereas
the trout and redfish fisheries have been in the biting mode over the
past several weeks, the snook fishery has been a hard assessment as they
typically don't 'turn on' until the water temperature maintains at a
minimum 75F. The next several weeks should give an accurate picture as
to the state of the snook fishery as water temperatures begin to heat
up.
I had the pleasure of fishing with the Rev. Nathaniel Urshan and his two
sons, Joseph and Benjamin, yesterday - it being Benjamin's 9th
birthday! A cold front with showers had pushed through the area in the
early morning, pushing our shove off time to 10:30 AM. Loaded up on
bait, we harnessed the 15-18 mph wind at our backs and drifted the
various grass flats that comprise the North/inland side of Sanibel -
from Tarpon Bay to the various creek entrances of the Ding Darling
Wildlife Refuge. 'Fishing' was more like 'catching' as loads of trout,
spanish mackeral, and several ladyfish bombarded their baits all
afternoon long! A quick stop in one of the deeper cuts inside the
Wildlife Refuge coincided with slack tide and the much wanted snook was,
unfortunately, not to be. With that said, plenty of hooked fish and a
couple of 'reel screamers' gave everybody a thrill - none so more than
me!
Tarpon are just beginning to make their way to the Gulf and Pine Island
Sound, with a prediction of c. April 25 to be the date the big fish show
up as a legitimate fishery. As with most everything else, they are
about a month behind schedule from years past - though things may happen
sooner than predicted as Summer is fast approaching and the water is
sure to heat up quickly.
The New Moon takes place 4/14 with rising morning tides dominating the
next week. Daytime highs are forecast to be c.82F, which should warm
the waters dramatically!
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Costa Del Mar Sunglasses
April 3, 2010
For the first time in recent memory, Fort Myers
broke the 80F mark yesterday, topping out at a pleasant 84F - 1F higher
than the normal 83F for this time of year. The results were evident on
the water as anyone and everyone with a boat was motoring around Pine
Island Sound. With daytime temperatures expected to maintain above the
80F mark through this coming Wednesday, the waters should be warming
quickly and the fishing should be hot!
Throwing the castnet for bait has been a 'hit or miss' kind of situation
- some mornings resulting in plentiful bait; others requiring lots of
chum and many throws and reloads. With that said, the bait is there and
should only get better as the water temperatures rise. The Gulf, as of
this morning, is still hovering at a chilly 74F - just short of the
warmth needed to turn Spring fishing into catching. 'Today's the day'
Gulf waters should surpass that mark!
In years past, April 1st is typically the date by which tarpon have
shown and are being fished for legitimately. I, personally, have yet to
see one roll - nor have I had any big threadfins showing up in my
castnet - which is what the prediction some time ago has born out. They
will be coming, though, and probably fairly immediately with the spike
in temperatures.
Spotted sea trout seem to be the species targeted by most anglers these
days, and I reiterate my concern for the stability of the fishery. It
seems that boat after boat is returning to the Punta Rassa boat ramp
filet station with their limit per angler. I targeted some rock
outcroppings in Redfish Pass yesterday to determine whether any snook
had taken up their Spring/Summer/Fall haunts with nary a one seen. The
jury is still out on the effects of this unseasonably cold Winter on the
snook population. Very small snook are being reported in some of the
back country creeks, so they have not been completely wiped out. I also
ran some crab buoys in the Gulf looking for triple tail, without
success. Redfish seem to be biting around the oyster bars and Western
side of Pine Island.
The News-Press is reporting today that water levels in Lake Okeechobee
are above normal as a result of our abnormally rainy season (11.33" as
opposed to an average of 7.16" from January 1st to April 1st). The
water level is being reported to be at 14.6 feet above sea level, with
the Army Corps of Engineers targeting the 15.5 foot level as the maximum
safe level before concerns of pressure regarding the Herbert Hoover Dike
mandate the release of fresh water into the Caloosahatchee River, St.
Lucie River, and the Everglades. The ACoE has released some 22 billion
gallons of water since 1/1/10 from the lake to artificially relieve
pressure on the dike.
An accident at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River - involving alcohol
- last Saturday between a motorized vessel and a sailboat (the motorized
vessel with an intoxicated person at the helm has been reported to be at
fault) underscores the danger and seriousness of navigating. Know the
'rules of the road' before navigating a boat, operate at a safe speed,
don't drink, and always be aware of what is happening around you.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Happy Birthday Mom!
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
The Bait Box Fishing Staff
March 26, 2010
"March winds gonna blow all my troubles away."
- Robert Hunter
Windy conditions, always a staple of the month of March, have been the
norm over the past several weeks as Spring has arrived and temperatures
are finally heating up. Whereas the Gulf temperature was c.62F some 10
days or so ago, today we are finding the Gulf approaching the c.70F
mark! Miracle of miracles! Air temperatures, at the same time, have
been flirting with the 80F mark for the first time since Thanksgiving -
approaching the daily c.83F that is typical for this time of year.
This new-found warmth seems to be resulting in a lot of "catching" - a
far cry from all the "fishing" undertaken over the course of Winter. I
threw the cast net yesterday for the first time since early December and
actually loaded up on big, meaty scaled sardines - the bait of choice
when stalking the 'Big 3' of Pine Island Sound: snook, redfish, and
spotted sea trout. Whereas shrimp have been the 'go to' bait for the
past several months (there were no bait fish as a result of the
prolonged Winter cold spell) and are effective, they are not the
favored bait among serious anglers. The reason: sheepshead and
mangrove snapper are notorious crustacean eaters with voracious
appetites that populate the same waters as our more favored gamefish.
Both species have a propensity to attack a shrimp in nanoseconds,
whereas sardines typically go unmolested - save for an occasional
mangrove snapper. This allows for prolonged bait exposure to gamefish
and enables the angler to present bait through all depths of the water
column. A 1/8" mesh, 10' cast net is perfect for gathering sardines,
though I did have to take 15 minutes or so to pinch off the heads of a
gazillion glass minnows that had gilled themselves in the cast net.
Snook are a difficult bite theses days - a direct result of the
incredible die off from the extraordinarily cold water temperatures
during the Winter season. Remember that snook season is closed for
keeping/killing this Spring as management authorities work to determine
the damage to the overall snook population. Redfish are being found
around the oyster bars and grassflats, though they are more of a 'Fall
run' species, peaking in massive schools in late August, September, and
October.
What I am noticing is that spotted sea trout are biting big time and are
being targeted by most anglers. Boat after boat seem to be returning to
the dock with their limit (4 trout per person per day, with a slot of
15"-20", with 1 trout per person over 20" legal within the aggregate 4
fish daily limit) which proves that the bite is on. My only issue is
that the trout fishery may end up being decimated as they are an easy
target (read: dumb as dirt), fished for with shrimp, sardines, lures,
poppers, and flys. It may be time for management authorities to analyze
the effects of targeting trout before this fishery is wiped out as
well.
Healthy morning rising tides will dominate the weekend, as the Full Moon
takes place March 29th. These tides, coupled with warmer water
temperatures and an active baitfish population should make this next
week some of the best fishing we have seen around Pine Island Sound in a
long, long time!
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
The Bait Box Fishing Staff
March 15, 2010
An abbreviated fishing report as I'm off to Vero
Beach for a week of golf with my folks. Ah, life is grand!
We received 7.8 inches of rain here in South Fort Myers between Thursday
and Friday afternoon of this past week, c. three times the average
monthly rainfall total for the total month of March (2.74 inches)! I
thought my house was going to float away. After the front passed, the
'wrap around' winds from the North blew hard all weekend and have
plummeted the Gulf temperature to a staggering 54F. Forecasted overnight
lows of 48F to 52F through Friday, with daytime temps c.70 will not be
helping much. Sheepshead and snapper will be your best bet.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Slow and steady,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
The Bait Box Fishing Staff
March 11, 2010
Mel Fisher, the treasure hunter who found the
Spanish galleon Atocha and all its silver, gold, and jewels in the
Florida Keys after years and years of searching, had a great motto he
invoked every day. "Today's the day," which referred to that particular
day being the day on which he would find the long lost ship and all its
wealth. Well, "today's the day" we may hit 80F for the first time this
year! And none too soon.
Fishing is picking up after an inordinately long cold spell, with the
trout fishery showing the best results. The Gulf temperature was 61F
this morning, some 10-12 degrees cooler than where we typically are at
this time of year. In years past, March 15th has always seemed to be
the date on which the snook fishery 'turns on', as snook are a warm
water species fish and tend to feed like a bear fresh out of hibernation
after a long Winter. This 'turn on' typically coincides with warmer
water temps hitting a certain point (c.75F). Unless Earth moves closer
to the Sun over the next several days, I am forecasting a 2-3 week delay
in the snook bite; and even then, results may be somewhat mitigated by
the culling of the snook population due to prolonged cold this past
Winter.
Flats temperatures in the morning typically start c.5F degrees cooler
than the Gulf temperatures as the shallow water cools more quickly than
the deeper Gulf, and then warm up c.5F degrees warmer than the Gulf at
midday as the same shallow water is able to heat up much faster. I have
been targeting deeper holes for trout and redfish in the mornings as a
result, and then refocusing my attention on the shallow flats c.Noon and
throughout the afternoon.
If one has the patience, the snapper and sheepshead fishing has been
fairly productive throughout the cold spell. A size 6 or 8 hook, as
opposed to my standard 1/0 hook, is perfect for these two species as
they have very small mouths. Instead of using a whole shrimp, smaller
shrimp 'bits' fastened tight to the hook may result in better catching,
rather than being stripped off, as shrimp bits fit the mouths of
sheepies and snapper and also allow for more opportunity with less bait
than standard 'whole shrimp' fishing. Sheepshead have an uncanny
ability to strip a hook of its bait without being hooked itself. An old
Florida saying is that you have to set the hook before the fish bites,
which really translates into "patience", or, "slow and steady wins the
race." It can take a lot of "yanking" before you start "cranking" up a
sheepshead, but once you get the feel of it the fishery can be very
productive. Mangrove snapper and sheepshead populate the same
environment together, which is simply 'structure.' Whether it be dock
legs, or mangrove 'tangles', a quick look will yield either the black
and white stripes of a sheepshead, or the mini football shapes of
snapper. When everything else shuts down, it can be a great way to
spend the day!
A cold front is moving through today and tomorrow with a 70% chance for
rain today and a 90% chance Friday; and winds blowing 15-20 mph with
higher gusts. The weekend is forecast to be clear with temps in the mid
to upper 70sF! The New Moon takes place 3/15, with flat tides (two
tides per day as opposed to our normal four) beginning to show up as we
head toward the 3/23 First Quarter.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater team
The Bait Box Fishing Staff
March 4, 2010
Have you seen the commercial on TV where the adult
shafts the kid over a pony, the ability to ride a bike, or some other
pathetic situation by pointing out the 'fine print' found at the bottom
of some contract that allows the big company to weasel out of its own
'policy' - you know, the same one that gets you to buy the product in
the first place? Even a kid knows when he's been hammered. The same
thing just happened to me.
Being on the water day after day takes a toll on your equipment, whether
it be from the sun, the salt, the humidity, the physical pounding, etc.
Engines are run long hard hours in all types of conditions and fail now
and then (I've blown two of them), rods break due to constant stress,
reels disintegrate, mildew permeates clothing, resulting in tears; I
probably run through ten hats a year. Because of this abuse, I buy
'quality' products (except for my hats) that not only are built to the
highest of standards, but also come with specific replacement policies
that they abide by. I run a Mercury 225 HP Optimax for power - the best
in the business! The engine came with a 5 year warranty, and due to
constant usage I have had to undergo some basic repairs from time to
time - all at no cost to me (because, it's under warranty) via (another
great operation) Offshore Performance Specialties in Fort Myers, who
also do what they say they're going to do. I fish with G.Loomis fishing
rods - because they are a top quality product and have a return policy
with damaged rods that is both explicitly stated and consistently
honored. I tend to wear LL Bean products because they also are top
quality products and they will replace any and all damaged goods -
purchased whenever - for free, no questions asked. Yup, free. Purchased:
whenever. My $150 Goretex shell jacket is a phenomenal product that I
wear when I throw the cast net, and it has been replaced three separate
times simply due to extreme stress. For free. Phenomenal!
And the thing each of these companies understands is that I have a
'kept' audience of 2-3 people for c.4 hours per trip who are directly
exposed to their product for a long time - not just 30 seconds on TV, or
through some magazine advertising that reaches nobody. Also, the old
adage, "serve a good burger and they may tell someone; serve a bad
burger and they'll tell everyone" comes into play: stand by your product
and it will be promoted by a satisfied captain. Repeatedly. If not,
beware. So imagine my chagrin when a 'big' Florida East Coast sunglasses
manufacturer (for whose product I paid a boat load of money) had the
audacity to point out some 'fine print' - after standing by it's
'lifetime warranty' for three replacements over eleven years - and
determined (who does that, anyway? Them, with a capital "T"?) that I'm
going to have to 'pony up' some bucks, if I want my (different) glasses
back, intact. Actually, my style has been discontinued, and I was
directed to go to their website, and pick out a new style. I don't want
a new style. Then, the manufacturer made the claim that there has never
been a problem with my specific model in the past, which also didn't go
over so well when the manufacturer also made the comment that my style
had never been returned before in the past... Really? What color is the
sky in your world? I guess 'lifetime warranty' has everything to do with
the lifetime of that specific product style... Keep my glasses, big guy
- I'm going with the best in the business. Your competitor. Costa Del
Mar. Great guys, fantastic product, and a real, honest and transparent
replacement system. And, they don't play games. So, beware the 'lifetime
warranty' t(c)rap and choose your products very carefully. I know of one
Florida East Coast sunglasses manufacturer who thought - mistakenly -
that I wanted a pony.
Windy conditions have kept me ashore the past couple of days, so I took
a tour through the Ding Darling Wildlife Sanctuary on Sanibel and paced
off the best areas to fish via the odometer. The great thing about Ding
Darling is that virtually all fishing can be done from the side of the
road with shrimp; and some great action can be had! The entrance to Ding
Darling is located on Sanibel-Captiva Rd. between Rabbit Rd. and the
Sanibel School. The sanctuary is open six days per week (closed Fridays)
from 7:30 AM to Sunset. A fishing license is required and may be
obtained at The Bait Box. Starting at the entrance booth (mile: 0),
admission is $5 per carload; $1.00 per bicycle (must obey the one way
rule), or hiker. Children under 15 years of age are free. My suggestion,
for multiple access, is to purchase an annual pass for $12, which will
have you ahead of the game on your third tour. Most of the fishing is
centered around the culverts that run beneath Wildlife Dr. and connect
the mosquito lagoon on the left side (a brackish water with Summer
rains) with Pine Island Sound on the right side. Tides tend to run c.2
hours after the "Pt. Ybel" (East End/Sanibel Lighthouse) tides on a
tidal prediction chart. A hard North wind will delay the incoming tide
somewhat. The most productive fishing takes place c.2 hours before high
tide to c.2 hours after high tide. Wading is allowed, but one must be
observant at all times for alligators on the left side of the road
(gators thriving primarily in fresh water, not salt). Signs stating,
"Area Beyond Sign Closed" is as far as one may wade from shore, and most
signs are posted abruptly.
The first culvert is a 'major' one (defined as a high volume of water
flow) located .2 mile from the entrance booth. To the left, one will
notice a basin and 'collar' of sand that has been blown out due to the
incoming tide pushing into the lagoon. Live shrimp either free lined (no
weight), or suspended beneath a popping cork is the most effective way
to fish the left side culvert basins. There is an algae that covers the
bottom and shrimp tend to bury themselves in it when allowed to sink to
the bottom, or if weighted with split shot. With my free lined shrimp, I
am constantly raising my rod tip to keep the bait up and off the bottom.
The bottom closer to the culvert itself is comprised of lava rock/pumice
and tends to catch hooks and jigs if dropped to the bottom. An awkward
cast sideways will place your shrimp in front of some mangroves (snook),
but is a tricky cast. The right side is a less defined basin - more open
- but also has a lava rock bottom that will catch hooks and jigs. All
culverts are fished virtually the same way. Culvert #2 is located .4
mile from the entrance and is a 'minor' culvert, with a lesser volume of
water flowing through it than a 'major' one. Culvert #3 is a major one
and is located .5 mile from the entrance. I ran into Mitch Teuteberg
(10) and his father, Matt, from Oconomowoc, WI, who were giving it their
best. Matt was using a shrimp while Mitch looked to be using a D.O.A.
(brand) artificial, brown shrimp. While fishing was slow while we spoke,
they volunteered that a day or so earlier, they had gotten into a mess
of sheepshead! Culvert #4 is a minor one and is located 1.6 miles from
the entrance. Culvert #5 is located 1.7 miles from the entrance is also
known as "Cross Dike". Fishing to the right is primarily for snapper and
sheepshead, while fishing to the left is more for snook. The open water
on the right as one makes their way to the Cross Dike shelter will cough
up trout and snook on the higher tides. Wading to the left is not
recommended as gators tend to wander through there. The tower is located
1.9 miles from the entrance and has very shallow water - best fished at
high tide. Culvert #6 is located 2.1 miles from the entrance and is a
major one with great water flow. Culvert #7 is one of the best and is
located 2.5 miles from the entrance. The right side is the deepest water
access with great mangroves, snook, and a ton of snapper! The canoe
launch sign is located 2.7 miles from the entrance, and .1 beyond (Mile:
2.8) is a sharp curve to the left and, if one looks closely, a little
path to the right into the mangroves. This path is c.30 yards long and
brings you to very wadeable water that allows one access to productive
water with boats from Pine Island Sound on it. The final stop is the
power lines that cross over Wildlife Dr. 3.3 miles from the entrance.
Park your car and walk a 2 minute walk down the path to the end. Here,
you will have access to "Hardworking Bayou". To the left are mangroves
that hold snook, reds, sheepshead, snapper, and an occasional grouper.
Straight ahead is a channel that comes in along the power lines and then
cuts in front of the point. Fish will use this deeper water to safely
migrate in and out of the bayou. A grass flat on the far side of the
channel may be worked for reds and trout. A pickle bucket with a "Mr.
Bubbles" battery operated air pump holds my shrimp, and I pack along a
"Flow-Trol" (brand) shrimp bucket for wading. The law is ever present;
it's best to keep your fishing license on your person.
A warming trend is forecast for this coming weekend, with temperatures
near 80F! The Gulf plummeted to 60F during the last cold spell and
should be up another 5 degrees or so by the end of the weekend. Don't
jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
The Bait Box Fishing Staff
February 26, 2010
After a very balmy weekend with temperatures near
80F, I was having high hopes that we had finally broken Winter's grip.
El Nino, though, seems to be making things difficult. While conditions
were extremely foggy first thing in the morning this past week, things
generally cleared up by 10:00 AM - which has been the better starting
time for a half day trip so far this season. The flats have been
reaching their peak temperatures c.3:00 PM, with the bite coinciding
with the warmer water. Bait has been spotted in small schools on some
grass flats, though shrimp is still the live bait of choice.
Wednesday ushered in another cold front that plunged last night's temps
down into the 30sF as far South as Alligator Alley - another Florida
peculiarity in that one takes I-75 South to get to Miami, which is
located over on the East coast. While Gulf temperatures were able to
climb to 65F as of this morning, look for that to drop several degrees
over the coming days as daytime highs are forecast for the mid-60sF
through Tuesday. Friday and Saturday will be your best bet on the water,
with winds forecast for less than 10 mph. Another cold front should be
coming through Saturday night with rain forecast and breezy (15-20 mph)
winds to follow Sunday. The Full Moon takes place 2/28, which means the
morning low tides this weekend will be a -0.7 (Friday, 5:33 AM), -0.6
(Saturday, 6:11 AM), and -0.4 (Sunday) - perfect for tailing redfish
fishing! Because of the North wind forecast to blow Sunday morning, look
for the actual low to be more like -0.7, as the North wind will blow
water out of Pine Island Sound and into the Gulf, and then keep it at
bay until the force of the incoming tide overcomes the strength of the
wind. It will be a shallow morning - be extra careful getting to your
reds.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
The Bait Box Fishing Staff
February 19, 2010
I had an interesting day coming home from the ramp
on Monday. As I was pulling out of the water at the end of the day with
the boat on the trailer, the trailer made some noises I hadn't heard
before - which left me more puzzled than anxious. Two miles up the road,
c.by Shell Point Blvd., puzzlement was replaced by pure, unadulterated
anxiety as the trailer vibrated violently and made some
groaning/grinding sounds as the boat and trailer sagged at the stern. A
quick assessment was one of, "Oh, %&#$," as the front axle bolts had
sheared through the I-beam of the trailer, causing the spring mechanism
of the axle to slam the axle backwards and fold underneath itself,
dropping the trailer fenders onto the tires... Man-o-shev-itz. A quick
prayer and the good fortune of living within close proximity of the ramp
allowed a 5 mph crawl back home, with no damage to the boat, engine, or
structural part of the trailer itself. My signal lights, unfortunately,
are ground up shards of plastic and metal scattered up the better part
of McGregor Blvd. Boatmaster trailers, the best in the business, sent
Chris out who cut out the old axle, mounted a new bracket, and remounted
a brand new axle and hub - all within an hour and a half! Just like new!
Unbelievable!
I was extremely fortunate to be able to get the boat back home; just in
case there is a roadside emergency, I have assembled a big plastic box
in the back of my SUV loaded with a basic kit of tools that will get you
through the most basic of situations (the flat tire) and maybe a little
more. The first item is a set of roadside markers for safety set up
behind the boat to warn approaching drivers of danger ahead. A can of
WD-40 is invaluable as a lubricant of the lug nuts before attacking them
with the tire iron, as well as a fantastic cleanup medium at the end of
the job as it effectively cuts through oil and grease on one's hands. A
pair of gloves comes in handy when having to move tires around and other
grimy tasks. 2 tire irons, one big and one small, will allow various
clearances and torque. Torque is created by the hand sledge I carry to
get even the most 'frozen' of lugs rotating. Once the lugs are loose, a
6 ton hand jack is perfect for lifting either trailer or car, and two 3
ton adjustable jack stands allow me to safely secure the trailer or car
in the air without fear of it crashing down. A spare tire mounted on the
front of the trailer is easily accessible; rags and a roll of paper
towels allow for a decent cleanup. Jumper cables (in the boat as well),
2 adjustable wrenches, oil filter pliers, a wire brush (for battery
terminals), and a 'come along'/winch system round out the contents of
the box. Not only will this allow a quick and safe means of changing a
tire, it also allows you to give someone else a hand.
It has been downright chilly this past week, with air temperatures
barely making it to 60F during the day. The Gulf temperature had been
holding fairly steady for three weeks at c.65F; with prolonged cold
temperatures, it dropped to 60F over the weekend and is oh-so-slowly
trending upward. A quick reading Wednesday morning as I started the
engine showed Punta Rassa at 57F. Fishing has been difficult. Consensus
among several guides at the dock has fish biting around the 3:00 PM hour
- which makes sense as it is the warmest part of the day. That's not to
say reds and trout aren't being caught before that time - just that more
numbers are produced later in the day. Shrimp is the bait of choice as
white bait is still nonexistent.
Air temperatures are forecast to warm up to c.80F over the weekend - the
first time in a long time - which leads me to believe that someone is
going to happen upon a pod of trout or reds that are feeding like a bear
fresh out of hibernation! I hope you're that person (fishing from my
boat)... Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank
and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
The Bait Box Fishing Staff
February 11, 2010
This past week was dominated by wildly fluctuating
temperatures and dramatically shifting wind directions, making boating -
let alone fishing - somewhat precarious. On the two mornings I was able
to get out, the fishing was slow due to cold water temperatures and flat
tides that stifled any linear water movement. Crystal clear water has
made fishing more challenging as well, allowing any feeding fish left
over from the early January cold snap a 'fish-eyed' view of any
approaching angler from afar.
Shrimp is still the bait of choice as nary a white bait is to be seen
these days. With the Gulf temperature holding at a consistent 66F for
the past three weeks, flats temperatures have fluctuated above and below
that temperature throughout the course of the day. Overnight
temperatures on 2ft. deep flats water will dip to the mid-50sF, while
mid-day temperatures might reach 68F. The basic premise here is that
shallow water will cool quickly overnight, and heat up quickly during
the day. Without getting into temperature fluctuations regarding the
various water strata of the Gulf, suffice it to say the Gulf is deep
water which is more immune to drastic heat fluctuations due to the sheer
volume and depth of water thereby providing more consistent (less
fluctuating), overnight and day time temperatures. The down side is that
it takes a bit of time to heat up in the Spring.
I'm seeing many snook on some of the various shallow mud flats around
Pine Island Sound - mud being a substrate that heats up more quickly
than grass. While not targeting the fish, I am seeing some big cruisers
as well as many smaller/juvenile snook. Crystal clear water has given
away my presence from afar (not to mention their lateral line, really);
and most snook I have seen have been darting away - which is a far cry
from the lethargic fish wallowing around in January. A most positive
sign!
Running my trips from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM has allowed for the water
temperature on the grass flats and around the oyster bars to begin their
daily rise. As the water warms, trout and redfish will emerge from the
deeper holes and troughs around the Sound seeking warmer water
environments and food. Fishing the Western side of Pine Island allows
one to travel in a linear direction and switch from targeting pot holes
on grass flats for trout, to dredging around oyster bars for redfish, to
targeting mangrove environments as well for reds - all segued. Shrimp,
shrimp-imitation flies (best tied clousure-style, where material is tied
beneath the shank, forcing the hook to ride up due to the grass on grass
flats), Zara Puppies (brand) lures, poppers, and lead head/rubber body
jigs (with a little bit of shrimp meat on the hook) all work well within
these environments.
Chilly temperatures will dominate the coming week with overnight lows
down to the lower 40sF and and daytime highs to c.60F. Morning rising
tides will be the rule and will be perfect for targeting oyster bars!
Your best bet is to get up late, start late, and fish late - get going
when the day gets warm. The New Moon is on the 13th, with the First
Quarter taking place 2/21.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
The Bait Box Fishing Staff
February 5, 2010
As a result of the cold snap of early January and
the pessimistic press reports of the snook situation that followed, many
people from around the country have been calling The Bait Box
(239-472-1618) and asking for a clarification of the facts regarding the
snook fishery. How bad is it? It isn't bad at all. From my experience,
the immediate, 'knee jerk' reaction to most situations in Life is never
as bad as time ultimately comes to prove. There were no weapons of mass
destruction... As with the snook fishery, I believe the immediate dire
reports of the fish kill and its consequences on fishing in the coming
years has been blown way out of proportion - based on what is being
witnessed around Pine Island Sound. Yes, there was a large fish kill
within the snook population; that point is indisputable. An eye witness
account, though, and hearsay from others at the dock confirms in my mind
that there is a perfectly sustainable population in the Sound -
evidenced by healthy fish noted in the environments that typically favor
snook. The general consensus is that most healthy fish are in the small
to medium-sized range, with the larger snook taking the brunt of the
damage. It may take a spawning cycle - maybe two - to bring the
population back to saturation, though no one knows for sure. A few
thoughts on this at the end... If one believes in Darwin and his theory
of Natural Selection, the new generations of snook that emerge from this
situation will be a heartier species more tolerant of cold water
temperatures. Just in time for Global Warming.
A brief history of the Common Snook has been researched (and directly
quoted) mainly through the Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology
Department (www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/snook/snook.html).
Common snook is defined as Order: Perciformes, Family: Centropomidae,
Genus: Centropomus, and Species: undecimalis, with the first Centropomus
undecimalis described by Bloch in Jamaica in 1792. While common snook
are the most widely distributed species within the Centropomus genus
(reports from New York to Brazil), they are abundant along Florida's
Atlantic Coast from Cape Canaveral south through the Keys and Dry
Tortugas, and north to Cedar Key (Tampa) on the Gulf Coast. Juvenile
common snook are generally restricted to the protection of riverine and
estuary environments. These environments offer shallow water and an
overhanging vegetative shoreline. Juvenile snook can survive in waters
with lower oxygen levels than adults. Adult common snook inhabit many
environments including mangrove forests, beaches, river mouths,
nearshore reefs, salt marshes and sea grass meadows. The lower lethal
limit of water temperature is 42.8F - 57.2F for juveniles, and 42.8F -
53.6F for adults. (Our water plunged to 38F at one point). Common snook
on the Atlantic coast of Florida commonly grow to larger sizes than
common snook on the Gulf coast of Florida. The largest observed sizes
for females on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are 43.5 inches and 40.6
inches respectively. The world record for a common snook caught on hook
and line is 53 lbs./10 ozs. in Parismina Ranch, Costa Rica. Theoretical
longevity estimates from age and growth studies suggest that common
snook can live to about twenty years old. On the Atlantic coast, the
oldest sampled common snook was an eighteen year old female and the
oldest male was fifteen. On the Gulf coast, the oldest common snook
sampled was a fifteen year old female and the oldest male was twelve.
(Note: date of study not provided). Common snook are protandric
hermaphrodites, changing from male to female after maturation. This
transition is identified by the presence of both male and female sex
cells in the gonads and takes place when they age from one to seven
years. A study conducted in 2000 indicated that the sex ratios for
common snook ages 0-2 are significantly skewed between the East and West
coasts of Florida due to protrandry and differences in growth and
mortality rates. The majority of small common snook are male and most
large snook are female. Males reach sexual maturity during their first
year.
A few thoughts: the culling of the snook population has been repeated
millions of times throughout the course of History. They always bounce
back. Also, snook are targeted and caught in specific environments. My
gut tells me if you set up on a past proven snook hole, they will be
there. Maybe not in numbers - but an aside to that is that during the
Spring and Summer I have several spots that will cough up, on a really
good day, 30-40 snook an hour (3 anglers fishing). Which, technically
isn't "fishing", but rather, "catching". Wipe out half the snook
population, and I'm down to 15-20 an hour... That's still "catching" in
my book. And, I can all but guarantee you that half the snook population
has NOT been wiped out.
So, everyone take a deep breath. All's well with the snook fishery in
Southwest Florida! There are a ton of fish in Pine Island Sound! In
fact, after I hit the 'send' button, I'm goin' fishin' myself! (It's
that good!). Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to
yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
The Baitbox Fishing Staff
January 28, 2010
What a difference a week makes! After experiencing
the most prolonged cold spell in recent Southwest Florida history,
temperatures are rising and the fishing is heating up as well. The
damage to the snook population has been extensive - yet there are many
being seen, which portends a positive future. The redfish and trout
fisheries are still holding stable populations - both being species of
fish more resilient to the cold water temperatures.
Frank O'Connor, a customer from Gorham, ME, and I spent several days on
the water this past week assessing the snook situation and targeting
reds and trout. As reported in various sources, the snook kill resulting
from the cold snap/cold water has affected both the East and West coasts
of Florida. Because of this, the State of Florida has closed snook
season, which was set to open 3/1. Whereas red tide fish kills tend to
result in bloated, floating dead fish, most of the dead snook I have
witnessed have been lying directly on the bottom. The damage to the
population is somewhat deceiving to the average person because one does
not see many floating fish. On the positive side, there have been many
juvenile snook witnessed by several guides over the past week - with the
general feeling shared that these more resilient fish will comprise a
stronger population in the years to come.
Our first day started as a fairly calm day, with water temps at c.60F -
a bit cool for most fish to feed. We targeted a hole just off Merwin Key
that tends to hold trout and an occasional redfish. Baitfish being
nonexistent, we pitched free lined (no weight) shrimp both into the
center of the hole (c.6' deep on a 2' deep flat) and along the sides
where the grass begins to grow - all to no avail. From there, we decided
to head up toward Matlacha Pass (between Cape Coral and Pine Island). On
the way we stopped off at a 'no name' key in the South Matlacha area
where, again, there is a c.6' deep hole on a 2' flat that is a
productive fishery. Twenty minutes of drifting shrimp through the hole
provided zero results - time to move. Stop number three entailed fishing
some keys and oyster bars around the mouth of Pine Island Creek for
redfish. There is a brown kelp-like sea weed that grows in long strands
around oyster bars in the Winter, making the retrieval of shrimp
somewhat difficult as they tend to cling to the weed. On the plus side,
reds and trout will use the weed to hide and will ambush unsuspecting
bait as it swims past. We targeted both mini key/mangrove islands as
well as the weed covered oyster bars - again with no results. The wind
was picking up from the South as a front approached from Texas, and we
decided to duck into the lee by heading over to the 'Horse Shoe' of
Sanibel - the North shoreline of Sanibel that begins on the outside of
Tarpon Bay and ends at the mouth of McIntyre Creek/Ding Darling Wildlife
Preserve. There is a sandbar/grass flat that comprises the length of
this drift and goes on for c.2 miles. On the lower Winter morning tides,
redfish tend to cling to the sand/grass line while trout generally
populate the relatively deeper water of the grass flat. Basically, it's
a matter of positioning your drift down the sand/grass line and casting
ahead for reds or off to one side for trout. We covered c.1 mile of this
drift and, yup, no fish... We did, however, see many trout and lady fish
that weren't actively feeding, as well as an occasional swirl from a
redfish. The wind picked up to c.20 mph with gusts to 25 or so, and we
made the suicide decision to run behind Chino Island and toward Regla
Island. All giggles getting there with the wind; Hell to pay on the run
back to Punta Rassa. A few pitches of shrimp behind Chino resulted in
what appeared to be strip offs by either sheepshead or mangrove snapper,
though nothing actually made it to the net. A final drift along the
grass flat starting from Regla Island back toward the McKeever Keys
targeting reds and trout also produced no results for the effort. We
decided to bite the bullet, call it a day, and proceeded to have the
living tar knocked out of us as we fought a quartering chop (read:wet
and cold) on the ride back to Punta Rassa. My hat's off to you for that,
Frank.
Day number two was a couple of days later and, while much calmer,
started off with a brief shower. We cooled our heels at the fish cutting
station (metal roof - no lightning) and, once the rain was through, we
made the decision to fish the Western side of Pine Island for trout and
redfish. There are a series of oyster bars along the Western side of
Pine Island that define the outer edge of the grass flat located @ c.mid/Southern
Pine Island. A low/incoming tide provided a perfect water depth that
left the oyster bars exposed and the potholes glowing yellow. A few
pitches of shrimp tight to the sand line along one of the bars yielded a
nice redfish - just under the legal 18" minimum. A positive sign that
the species is still thriving! Another cast yielded a decent trout
(yeah, you don't want to 'lip' those trout, Frank, they have fangs...).
After concerted effort, we headed North and fished the grass flat past
the Pineland channel, as well as some key islands. We managed to target
a c.30' pothole (3' deep) in the middle of a vast flat that finally
coughed up four trout! A lot of drifting, a lot of casting, and a decent
bag to show for it. We finished the day by picking up Frank's wife, Mez,
and spent a nice, leisurely lunch at the Waterfront Cafe on the Henley
Canal, Pine Island.
Gulf temps are c.66F with flats water heating up into the low 70sF by
late morning. The bite, as of late, seems to pick up around the 10:00 AM
hour as the water warms. Shrimp will be your best option as there aren't
any baitfish around at the moment - and they would move too quickly for
Winter fish to effectively pursue. A front is forecast to come through
Sunday which will drop the temps somewhat and may stall the bite a bit.
A fast warm up, and then another front on Thursday/Friday... You get the
picture. The Full Moon takes place 1/30, resulting in extremely low
early morning tides - perfect for redfish fishing!
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Baitbox Fishing Staff
January 19, 2010
The deep freeze that gripped the nation for the
first two weeks of January affected Southwest Florida as well,
establishing a new record for consecutive cold days. A string of
overnight and mid-morning temperatures in the upper 20sF to lower 30sF
have radically cooled the waters, leaving fish in a state of shock and
the snook population, by some estimates, in a virtual state of
desperation. And while all the talk at the moment regarding snook is of
desperation, a first hand look at Pine Island Sound is a positive one,
with many species thriving well.
As of this morning, The State of Florida has closed snook season - set
to open March 1st - as well as banned the harvest of tarpon until April.
Snook, a warm water oriented species, have a metabolism that slows to a
crawl as the water cools. Winter snook are infamous for shutting down
after a cold front with especially cold temperatures - even shunning
bait placed directly in front of them. With water temperatures plunging
to the lower 40sF and staying there for a prolonged period, the stress
has been overwhelming, resulting in a massive snook kill. While no one
seems to know with any certainty, the general feeling is that it will
take several years for the snook population to build itself back up,
hence the proactive approach to snook management.
With that said, I have personally seen a load of snook that have not
been killed off by the cold - leaving me to believe that there are many
pockets of snook spread around Pine Island Sound that are still
thriving. In time, I believe the dire predictions being made now will be
proven unfounded; snook have been around for millions of years - and
will be here for many more. The snook that I have seen were unmistakably
lethargic, although they did dart out of the way when absolutely
provoked. Water temperatures at the time were in the lower 50sF. Some
look to be kind of opaque - like a spawned out salmon - but still
moving. None would even remotely respond to a bait. Being a species that
thrives in water temperatures between 75F-85F, it may take a while for
these fish to feed. Nature has a way of cleaning out the old and coming
back new and stronger. If Darwin has his way, the next snook population
will be a strain more resilient to the stresses of cold.
Drifting along the grass flat/sand bar from Tarpon Bay to the back
entrance to Tarpon Bay resulted in sighting many trout, lady fish, and
the occasional redfish. These fish are better acclimated to the colder
water temperatures and, while not feeding, were moving quickly out of
the way. Water temperatures in the 60sF will bring these fish back,
which is about where we are today. Small pockets of baitfish were also
spotted swimming across the flats - an excellent sign that the food
chain is still intact.
With the Gulf water temperature at 64F this morning, water on the flats
will fluctuate between c.58F overnight to c.67F during the day on
shallow water (2-3 ft. deep) grass flats. The best bet for catching fish
is to target trout and redfish starting in the later morning after the
Sun has warmed the water. Shrimp suspended beneath a popping cork will
be the most effective for trout, as they are not going to travel far for
their meal. A cork will allow you to position a shrimp in a stationary
place in the mid-water column - keeping the shrimp from digging into the
grass. Shoot for one of the many potholes around the grass flats as they
will heat up a little quicker than the surrounding water.
All in all, a positive look to an unfortunate situation. In time, all
will be normal. Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to
yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Bait Box Fishing Staff
December 8, 2009
As the weather cools during the Winter months of
"Season" in Southwest Florida, the fishing heats up - and this year's
unseasonably warm and dry conditions portend extremely successful
angling for Pine Island Sound's 'Big 3': snook, redfish, and spotted sea
trout. A Summer without hurricanes has resulted in smaller releases of
fresh water from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River and,
ultimately, Pine Island Sound. This, in turn, has resulted in
clean/clear water with a favorable salinity level in the back-country
estuaries; Red Tide and it's resulting fish kill has been a minimum
presence at best, thankfully, this year.
Typical Winter fishing seems to work in a somewhat orderly fashion -
though not necessesarily a convenient one - weatherwise. Cold fronts,
on average, blow through the area from the Northwest every 5 - 7 days.
Some cold fronts are accompanied by rain; most just barrel through,
blowing hard and dropping both air temperatures and water temperatures
precipitiously. Winter wind directions may be associated with a clock.
The "day before the storm" is always a deceiving one - calm air, blue
skies, perfect temperatures, and still seas - and is what is featured on
every Florida postcard. As a cold front passes through, the wind shifts
to the Westerly direction (as the front approaches), and then the
Northwesterly direction once through. After the front passes through
winds tend to blow for a day from the North at a sustained average of
20-25 mph, with temperatures plunging to as low as 30F in the mornings
and rising to 60F by mid-afternoon. Days #2-4 find a wind that
originates in a clockwise direction each progressive day. As the wind
direction shifts from North to East, it tends to settle to a sustained
15 mph or so and begins to warm each successive day to c.70-75F as the
central Florida landmass heats the air. Days #5 and #6 tend to have a
pleasantly mild 10 mph Southerly breeze blowing, with Day #6 starting
off as a keeper and then beginning to disintegrate as Westerly winds
pick up, signaling the arrival of another cold front. Cold air
situations can be controlled by dressing appropriately; cold water
situations are a bit more difficult to manage.
Snook are a nocturnal feeding, warm water oriented species whose
metabolism slows as water temperatures cool. As their system slows
down, their diet also tends to switch from their normal feed of scaled
sardines/threadfins to shrimp. In the coldest of water temps, they will
stop feeding completely. Targeting snook during the Winter months can
be most challenging as one spends the day trying to defy the conditions
Nature has provided: angling at the wrong time of the day for a
lethargic fish with finicky feeding habits. But, as the saying goes, a
fish has to eat - and there are ways to increase your odds of catching
Winter snook. The first is to target mud flats in shallow water that
will be the first water to heat up as the day progresses. I find
schools of 10-20 fish resting on the same flats each Winter, conserving
energy and 'thawing out' from the overnight dip in temperatures.
Because the water is so shallow and, typically, clear, these fish will
'spook' easily. Whereas Summer snook are dumber than dirt and oblivious
when it comes to bait presentation, Winter snook must be treated with
kid gloves - no sudden movements, no big splashes. Baits must be
presented in front or to one side as opposed to being lobbed into the
middle of the pack. Once one is spooked, they're all spooked, and
you're done. Sea walls and rock outcroppings are another great source
of heat that attract snook; the deeper waters of some of the marinas
provide a depth of water where the overnight temperature doesn't
fluctuate so drastically. The bite is typically a lethargic one - not
like the voracious take in the Summer - though the fight is still a
snook fight!
Redfish are much more amenable to the water temperature fluctuations of
Winter and will feed during the coldest weeks. Targeted with either
sardines/herring or shrimp, redfish may be found around potholes on
grass flats, oyster bars, and the quieter waters of the Pine Island
back-country found on both the Matlacha Pass side (East) or the Western
shore. On grass flats target the potholes, or yellow sandy areas
throughout a flat. A pothole can be 3 feet across or it can be the size
of a football field. The key is to lob a bait into a small pothole and
along the edges of the larger ones. Sardines and shrimp use the grass
for protection and try to get down there asap. When lobbed into a sandy
bottomed area, the bait has nowhere to run and becomes easy pickings for
any predatory fish nearby. Oyster bars are a natural habitat for
redfish and will be found as singles and in schools. The back-country
mangroves of Pine Island are the 'quietest' of the waters around Pine
Island Sound - that is, relatively little boat traffic - and are the
best mangrove environment to consisitently produce redfish. Fished in
the same manner as snook - targeting the shadows produced by the
mangrove - redfish will explode on the bait!
Spotted sea trout are a great species to catch, have saved many a day,
and may be caught in great numbers when the bite is on.
Sardines/herring, shrimp, lead head/rubber body (or bucktail) jigs,
poppers, and flies are all equally productive. Target any of the
grassflats potholes or run the length of Sanibel's sandbar, targeting
the edge of the sandbar for reds and the deeper water off the bar for
trout. A trout popping cork is another effective means for targeting
trout - especially when fishing with children. Rig one up, set it out,
and give it a jerk every now and then. A concave top to the cork will
produce a popping sound, which drives trout mad. When the cork dips
down... Fish on!
The Gulf water temperature (today) is 75F - extremely favorable for all
types of fishing. We're finishing the year some 15" below our normal
rainfall, which shows how much a hurricane and a tropical storm or two
will dump during the Summer. The Last Quarter of the Moon takes place
tonight, with the New Moon taking place on 12/16.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Baitbox Fishing Guide
August 11, 2009
It's "Rainy Season" here in Southwest Florida, a
naturally occurring Summer weather phenomenon that takes place c. June
10th - c. September 15th where rain and lightning take place virtually
every afternoon - almost like clockwork; and at times during the morning
as well. "Dry Season" takes place during Fall, Winter, and early
Spring; and the Summer rains, tropical storms, and hurricanes are
natural precipitation events that effectively replenish Florida's lakes,
reservoirs, and aquafiers that are drained during the cooler months.
Fresh water rains also serve to keep our estuaries - consisting of
brackish water: a mixture of salt and fresh water - balanced, as this
specific environment is an especially delicate one. The reason why we
have consistent afternoon precipitation is because our Summer weather is
typically dominated by the Bermuda High, an area of high pressure
(heavy, sinking air) that rotates clockwise and generally sets up for
weeks at a time with its center over Bermuda. Southwest Florida is at
the bottom of the rotating 'wheel' and when the superheated Easterly
breezes associated with the High coming across the state collide with
the saturated afternoon predominant onshore Westerly Gulf breezes,
things can look like a war zone for an hour or so. When the High sets
up a bit South over the Bahamas, we tend to get storms both in the
mornings and the afternoons.
An immediate visual result of all the rain is a reddish-purple stain to
the water in Pine Island Sound, the effects of runoff and "pulse"
releases of fresh water from Lake Okeechobee by the SWF Water Management
District. Pulse releases are releases of fresh water out of Lake
Okeechobee into the St. Lucy River (flowing East) and the Caloosahatchee
River (flowing West) in order to artificially lower the lake's levels in
preparation for massive deluges of incoming water associated with Summer
hurricanes and tropical storms. Water running from the lake down the
river is stained with tannic acid found in the red mangrove roots lining
each side of the river for miles and miles. This year, though, as it
has been for many areas of the country, has been a weird one. We're
barely keeping up with our seasonal rainfall average with no tropical
storms having taken place so far, and a single remote hurricane
possibility as of this writing. (Note: I'm a homeowner and earn my
living on the water; I don't condone hurricanes - I'm simply addressing
them as potential freshwater sources). What rain that has fallen all
seems to fall at once. Pulse releases are still being carried out (some
2.5 billion gallons on 8/9, and averaging that over the last month or
so), and the effects can be seen; but we're not getting massive runoff
from afternoon rains which has made for some pretty awesome fishing in
areas not usually associated with productive Summer angling.
Bait - shiners - are usually pushed out of the general Punta Rassa area
grass flats as a result of its proximity to the mouth of the
Caloosahatchee River and its outflow of fresh water. As of yesterday,
though, bait was still holding strong on the flat on the West side of
the "B" Span (middle causeway bridge) chummed up using Tropical Fishfood.
One might want to scale down to a 1/4" cast net in order to avoid gilled
shiners that take forever to clean out of one's larger meshed nets.
Shiners have also been easily targeted in the Passes simply by finding a
school (they tend to stay in place as a school when caught in a
current), throwing - and then immediately seining (retrieving) the net
before it gets hung up on any bottom structure. Usually one throw is
all you'll need.
The mouth of the river has been extremely productive in the low light
conditions of the early morning hours for snook. As well have been
several of the Cape Coral creeks associated with the mouth of the
river. Snook are a species of fish that can survive in salt, fresh, or
brackish water environments - and our less-than-average rainfall has
allowed them to stay in these back waters. The Ding Darling Wildlife
Refuge creek mouths have also been productive when targeting snook
beneath the mangroves (in the shadows) on the incoming tides, when water
with a higher oxygen content displaces the depleted water from the
previous outgoing tide. Redfish Pass, its associated underwater rocky
structures, sea walls, nearby docks, and infamous "falldowns" of North
Captiva Island (remnants of trees that have toppled from erosion into
the water that cast long shadows along the Gulf bottom - snook heaven!)
has been insane with snook! The beaches and especially the docks of
North Captiva Island around Captiva have been extremely productive as
well.
Shore fishing from Sanibel has had reports of some large snook coming
from the hole to the Northwest of the Sanibel Pier during the nightime
hours. Some bombers have been spotted on the rocks just offshore from
the Blue Dolphin motel. And one of the premiere fishing spots in all of
Florida has just reopened after many years: Blind Pass! This is the
pass separating Sanibel and Captiva that filled in c. 8 years ago. A
massive project to dredge the pass is finally coming to fruition with
water freely running through a remarkably improved and widened pass. An
amazing job, I'll have to admit. Drift shrimp or use bucktail jigs and
target the legs of the bridge - on a clear day you can stand on the
bridge, look down, and see some submarines! Fish the same on the Gulf
side on an outgoing tide when snook tend to gather up and feed on prey
being funneled through the pass.
Redfish season is almost upon us with some decent results taking place
along the Eastern side of Pine Island up by Pine Island Creek. Look for
schools of reds to begin herding up toward the end of August/beginning
of September on grass flats on both sides of Pine Island, the mouth of
Blind Pass, and the shallower bayous of Ding Darling.
Each September seems to have a burst of tarpon activity as the last
holdouts leave for offshore. While not as intense as tarpon season in
the Spring, multiple fish days are not uncommon for a c. 2 week period
starting in c. 3 weeks.
Trout are around on the grass flats; to be honest, that's a
generalization not a fact - as snook are so easy to catch these days
(and can be sooo big) I haven't done much else.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Bait Box Fishing Staff
June 25, 2009
Summer's here, and with it comes new techniques
and tactics in order to effectively catch fish around Pine Island Sound.
A persistent Low that stalled off Florida's East Coast - bringing rain
and lightning both during the mornings and the afternoons - has moved
North off of New England and has been replaced by a massive High
centered over Florida. The result has been a heat wave with
extraordinary heat indexes and unseasonably minimal rain - until
yesterday. C.5 inches of rain fell over Cape Coral yesterday in just
over a two hour period, resulting in massive drainage into the
Caloosahatchee River. Even with all that rain, though, we're still 5
inches behind our average rain totals for the year. For fishermen, the
plus side to all this is that while Lake Okeechobee stands at 12 feet in
depth (c.17 feet seems to be the desired level for boat traffic),
preemptive water releases (in anticipation of massive tropical storm and
hurricane deluges) have been somewhat minimal (966 million gallons on
6/23), keeping water clarity fairly clear for this time of the year and
keeping floating tape grass to a minimum. In rainier years, a billion
plus gallons of water were released on a daily basis which threw the
carefully balanced ecosystem of the estauries into chaos. When the
releases take place, brackish water immediately turns to fresh water,
and anything that needs saltwater to survive either moves on or dies.
Our clear Winter water, the result of minimal rain and releases from
Lake Okeechobee, is replaced by a reddish-brown "coffee" water - the
result of the tannic acid from the red mangroves lining the river
staining the runoff and lake release water. Tape grass is one of the
most noticeable casualties and can be seen floating all over Pine Island
Sound. On incoming tides, it makes fishing some of the creeks most
difficult as the grass tends to funnel in with the rising tide. On the
outgoing tide, the grass tends to clog the passes as they are the only
conduit between Pine Island Sound and the Gulf. Piles three feet high
may be seen at times on the South shore of North Captiva Island at
Redfish Pass. The blue crab fishery in the river goes to pieces, and
scaled sardines - our favorite baitfish - get pushed off the flats
around the mouth of the river and are displaced further toward the
passes.
At the moment things are A-O-K, though Summer brings some nuances that
one most take into account to catch fish. With all this heat
(consistent indexes of c.107F. over the past week) comes the
oxygen/water phnomena; the hotter water gets, the less oxygen it holds.
Our water temps have maxed at a 90-91F. in some of the back creeks
resulting in minimal oxygen content. Snook move from their back country
haunts to the passes and beaches where the oxygen content (and food
supply) are at a maximum. Also, we experience our highest high tides of
the year, peaking at just over 3 feet, which makes redfish fishing a bit
of a challenge as they have higher water to swim in and can recede
farther back into the bushes.
Snook, BIG snook, are on the beaches at this time of the year, running
up and down the beaches in the 'trough' between the beach and the
offshore sand bar (40 ft. off) that runs the length of Sanibel and
Captiva Islands feeding on minnows and sand fleas (mole crabs). Rock
outcroppings such as Sanibel Rocks, Blind Pass, and Redfish Pass are
especially favorable to holding snook as the fish use the structure to
hang out of the current and to ambush bait. If you are strictly fishing
from the beach, a most effective artificial lure for catching snook is
the age-old leadhead/bucktail jig - in white, yellow, red, or
chartreuse. Cheap and simple - just tie one on and you're off! Use 40
lb. fluorocarbon leader and bring extras, you're going to need them!
Redfish are most effectively targeted along the Western shore of Pine
Island as it has miles of undeveloped waterfront well away from the
incessant noises of the Intracoastal Waterway. With higher Summer
tides, the reds tend to recede farther back into the trees, making the
presentation of one's bait very difficult. Of course, you're dealing
with an opportunist here, not Einstein, and the simple employment of
"chumming" with live bait will usually have them rushing out into the
open. Make a few extra throws with the castnet in the morning, grab a
handfull, crush them a little bit, and give them a toss. Some folks
take those oversized wiffleball bats, cut them down and carve a 'scoop'
shape on one side, and use them to effectively throw bait farther.
Wounded baitfish emit strong electromagnetivity, which appeals to the
predatory fish's lateral line - driving them into a frenzy!
Tarpon are still around, albeit spread out along the beaches or
concentrated in Boca Grande Pass. The most effective time to target
these fish is early in the morning. While out in the Gulf, triple tail
are still around, hanging on the line suspended between the buoy and the
crab trap. Use shrimp or flies and set up upcurrent from the fish. If
the fish is spooked, it will simply run down the line and will
eventually come up again.
Trout are scattered around the flats for the Summer, the heat taking its
toll on oxygen and available bait.
The First Quarter of the Moon takes place 6/29 with the Full Moon taking
place 7/7.
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Fishing Team
Bait Box Fishing Staff
May 7, 2009
It always seems the hardest fish to catch is the
first fish of the day. And true to form, the pressure was on as I was
fishing an 'especially elite' clientele this particular day, namely my
Pop, Ted, and two very close friends: 'Hap' Merriman and 'Chili'
Foresman. As a family living in disparate locations around the country,
we try - as most do - to get together several times a year. Aside from
the traditional holiday visits, each May Dad brings a couple of buddies
over from the Vero Beach area for a great dinner the night before,
followed by some hard fishing the morning after.
On paper, the day was shaping up to be a corker, with a cloudless sky,
moderately breezy conditions, and a healthy rising tide of c.1.7 ft.
over 6 hours - starting at the c.5:30 AM hour - which would produce
decent tidal flow throughout Pine Island Sound and the Caloosahatchee
River. Because the bait (shiners - scaled sardines) is coming in and
petering out before daylight, I gave the guys the option of joining me
while I castnet for bait. Fish - especially snook - bite in the
lowlight hours, and we could effectively be fishing - hooks in the water
- by 6:30 AM. 'What does that entail?,' they asked. Shove off at 5:20
AM... Silence. Suffice it to say I cooled my heels for an hour, dining
on my Circle-K chicken salad sandwich at the dock, while they caught a
leisurely breakfast in front of CNN at the hotel.
My original intention was to run to Redfish Pass and the beaches where
the snook bite has been rather spectacular of late. That idea was
quickly snuffed out as I drove to the ramp and checked out my 'early
indicators': the massive flag at Tanger Outlet on the corner of McGregor
Blvd. and Summerlin Rd. (if that is outstretched at 5:00 AM, forget it),
and the small flag at Naumann Real Estate, just short of the Punta Rassa
boat ramp/Sanibel bridge. The big flag was flapping a little bit
(which, already, is not great), and the traditional sized flag was
virtually shredded with an East wind: no Redfish Pass today. Actually,
getting there wouldn't be a problem, riding the wind and the waves; and
once there would be rather calm. Getting home, though, would loosen
your fillings and bust your bladder and we weren't that hell-bent on
fishing. With a strategy of staying in the lee (calm) all day, we
started off in the Caloosahatchee River where the tide was still
falling, as opposed to the beginning of the rising tide at the ramp.
Tides in the river run c. 2 to 2.5 hours after the predicted tides at
Punta Rassa, and we arrived to fish the last hour of the falling tide.
And, consistent with a slow tidal movement, the fishing was just that.
Nary a hookset. While the river is a highly productive spot to fish, we
were also using the first hour of the morning to allow the backcountry
creeks to fill with water in order to have enough draft for the boat to
(barely) enter.
Other than,"I think I had a nibble...," (sorry,boys, no nibbles here -
just 'hammer time!') and some good ol' 'smack talk' back and forth, we
reeled up and headed out of the river and over to a Cape Coral creek to
try our luck. One of the idiosyncrasies of Spring here in Ft. Myers is
that various boat companies hire helicopters and pilots with
gravity-defying acrobatic skills to fly exceeding low along the water at
breakneck speed while filming their boat product for advertising
purposes. Typically, filming is done just after sunrise when the early
morning colors are intense. As we idled out of the manatee zone at the
mouth of the river, we had a Checkmate brand photo shoot taking place,
with a boat screaming up toward Matlacha doing c.80 mph (in a 25 mph
channel, but what the hey) paralleled by a helicopter that corkscrewed
forward and backward so much, it made me dizzy. What a sight...
Up in the creek, and out of the breeze, we had a nice little incoming
current to stir things up. After 10 minutes of "0-fer fishing" (and
now, after an hour or so of constant casting, a few sideways glances)
the ice was finally broken when Dad let out a "hey, hey, whoa, whoa" and
hooked and yes, by jove, landed (after umpteen years of being 'guided'
by me) his first snook! Whereas the apple doesn't fall far from the
tree, it's fair to say the pulp doesn't necessarily share the same
passion. A quick father/son photo snap and a release for another day.
Perfect. After several more missed snook opportunities we became
infested with mangrove snappers - mosquitos, in my opinion - which
machine gunned our leaders. Time to move.
Keeping with the strategy of staying out of the wind, we headed over to
one of several entrances to Sanibel's J.N. 'Ding' Darling Wildlife
Refuge. An incoming current again provided favorable conditions, with a
pesky problem being the micro brown algae that seems to appear in Pine
Island Sound each Spring (I can't repeat what the locals call it) and
really affects the creeks on the North shore of Sanibel and Captiva on
the incoming tide. Not only does it foul your hook and bait, it can
also clog the water intake of your engine's water pump, wreaking havoc
with the thermostat and overheating the engine. This was a problem to
contend with, but I have a specific "bush" in a specific creek that
always seems to yield fish and, algae or no algae, it was worth the
extra effort to get a bait in there. After five minutes or so of
'zeroes', an enormous explosion coming seemingly out of nowhere took
place butt up, next to shore, with white water surrounding a swirl
quickly disappearing beneath the bush on the incoming current as an
indicator of what had just taken place! Hap reared back and set the
hook on a bully, and now it was time to yank and crank! After a few
nice runs to the tune of a screaming reel, Hap boated a beautiful gag
grouper c.22 inches ($18 a pound in the local stores)! Another release,
a few "Atta boys", smiles all around, and we were off to another Ding
Darling creek.
Shhh. I have this hole I use as a backup when things are slow. Because
it takes a while to motor to, I don't necessarily take customers there
because I have to manage a 'clock' in my head that that is dictated by
the mantra, 'You can't catch a fish if your hook isn't in the water."
Time spent motoring is less time fishing, and I typically only have 4
hours to produce. With time on our hands, though, we went in - and
Opportunity presented itself, in the form of a monster snook! Once
again, Hap lit into a beast yanked out from a pronounced, deep shadow
beneath a mangrove blob. A quick 'on', a quick 'off,' and a positive
philosophical approach to the hookset/fight experience, and it was time
for lunch at the Waterfront Cafe on Pine Island. The day couldn't have
been any better! Good friends, great times!
The tarpon are here! Getting to them has been a bit difficult, though,
as a result of the consistently windy conditions that have prevailed
over the past month or so. Big threadfins can be found in the deeper
waters around structure such as the legs of the Sanibel causeway
bridge. Windy conditions have confined boats to Pine Island Sound and
the Passes, though, and have kept the fish from rolling early in the
morning. As a result, targeting the fish has been difficult - though
fish are being caught despite the wind. Summer weather patterns are
about to take over, the winds will stop, temps will be c.94F, and
customers soon will be begging me to move the boat just to get some air!
Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Bait Box Fishing Staff
April 19, 2009
Just like a Swiss watch, water temperatures warmed
and the snook fishing exploded just on or about March 15! All over Pine
Island Sound BIG snook are being hauled in as they make their way from
their Winter haunts - backwater creeks and deep water reefs - to the
Gulf beaches and passes in pursuit of baitfish and sand fleas. Tarpon
are the next fishery that is about to ignite with early strays showing
around various sights in Pine Island Sound beginning c.March 10, and
threadfin herring - their favorite meal - just now showing up in bulk.
Snook are a nocturnal feeding fish with light-sensitive eyes. When
fishing by 'day', the best results take place early in the morning and
late in the afternoon when light conditions are low. As the day
brightens, snook will recede to shadows where they can ease the strain
on their eyes. Any shadow may hold a snook, whether it be a dock, a
boat, or a mangrove. Because we have miles and miles of mangroves
lining the shores of Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, and the
Caloosahatchee River - it tends to be the environment in which one
typically targets snook. Two styles of fishing are typically practiced:
anchoring and fishing; and constant movement with a trolling motor.
When anchoring, the strategy is to target points of land and deeper
pockets of water around key islands that have a shadow falling across
them. When using a trolling motor, running a mangrove line with fairly
deep water allows one to cover 100% of the accessible territory.
Because snook move around a bit, neither style is necessarily more
effective than the other; rather, it is one's personal preference.
Scaled sardines are the number one live bait for snook and can only be
obtained by castnetting them and keeping them in a highly oxygenated,
thoroughly flushed environment (livewell). Most grass flats will hold
them at this time of the year; the only caveat being that they show in
the dark just before 'first light', so one has to get crackin' early to
get a chum line out.
Other equally effective means of catching snook entail night fishing by
boat, and shore fishing along the Gulf and the Ding Darling Wildlife
Refuge. Night fishing involves the targeting of spotlights on docks
that are mounted close to the water and shine down. The light attracts
baitfish and shrimp, which in turn attract snook. Shrimp are typically
used at night as shiners can be harder to castnet in the evening hours,
and shrimp are readily available from the bait shops like the Bait Box.
Look to the edge of the ring of light in the water, where it diffuses to
dark. You'll see some humongous snook lurking in that 'zone.' Shore
fishing may be done by artificials, shrimp, shiners, or sand fleas - all
with tremendous results. With regard to artificials, a simple white
bucktail/ 1/2 oz. leadhead jig - about as simple a lure as one can find
- retrieved in a style that allows it to bump along the bottom will
yield effective results. Rat-L-Traps, Mirro-Lures, and Yozuri brand
swimming lures all work equally well also. Shrimp may be purchased from
the Bait Box and either 'free lined' (fished without a weight), weighted
with a bit of splitshot, or suspended beneath a 'trout popping cork.'
At times, clouds of baitfish tend to swarm next to the shore which
allows one proficient in throwing a castnet in obtaining bait - with
longterm storage a bit of a problem. When the bait is en masse, though,
its simply a matter of throwing and rebaiting. Sand fleas are an often
overlooked source of bait that is easily accessible and readily
available along the Gulf Beaches. A sand flea/shelling rake is all it
takes, again available at the Bait Box. If you walk to the edge of the
Gulf beach where it meets the water you'll notice a c.6" dropoff where
the beach meets the water. By digging a sand flea rake sharply into the
drop off, pulling up and shaking out most of the sand and shells, you'll
see 1" - 2" long little gray "bugs" that are actually sand fleas or mole
crabs. As each wave recedes, it takes with it several fleas that are
then devoured by snook that literally cruise the shoreline. Sand fleas
burrow into the sand like sulphuric acid through Jello, so you can't let
them get back onto the beach. A small pail with damp sand will preserve
them for quite some time. And no, they don't bite. Hook them in the
'tail' (small jointed carapice) and suspend them from a trout popping
cork (or else...) for best results.
The Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge (closed Fridays) is another great place
to fish - literally from the side of the road! Use shrimp and either
freeline them or suspend them beneath a popping cork. Target the
culvert areas that run beneath Wildlife Drive, and some of the deep
water accesses found along the Drive. Tides run c. 2 hours after the
Point Ybel (Sanibel Lighthouse/East End) tidal prediction. A final word
on snook: if you're going to catch and kill, you have 11 days left as
snook season closes May-August.
Tarpon are what we have been licking our chops over for the past nine
months, and we are finally on the cusp of the season! My setup: I use a
G. Loomis SUR 965S 8' Medium Mod-Fast Action rod. I think it's
classified as one of their bluefish rods. I use different reels;
currently I'm favorable to the Quantum CSP 80 PTS, though I have no
allegiance. I have it strung with 50 lb. test PowerPro. I tie in a
bimini twist with a rather long loop at the end of the PowerPro. I then
marry a c.18" butt section of 60 lb. test SeaGuar brand fluorocarbon
leader to the bimini twist at the end of the PowerPro via a triple
overhand knot. I then marry a c.6' 80 lb. test SeaGuar segment to the
60 lb. test butt section via a double uni-knot. Finally, I'm partial to
the Gamakatsu #221316 (6/0), #221317 (7/0), or #221318 (8/0) Oct-Inline
circle hook., which I tie to the 80 lb. test leader via a Loop Knot.
The tarpon fishery has a 'pulse' to it in terms of fish movement as the
season progresses. On calm days, fish may be targeted in the Gulf off
Sanibel, Captiva, and the Barrier Islands North. Tarpon 'roll' in the
early morning when the seas are calm, sucking in air and filling an
airbladder. They may also be targeted throughout Pine Island Sound with
specific areas holding concentrations of fish. By basically targeting
the various deeper pockets of water around Pine Island Sound, one will
encounter a school or two. Threadfin herring and 'pass' crabs are the
favorite diet, with large pinfish and severed catfish tails being
equally effective. Threadfin herring are caught by castnet around deep
water structure - the legs of the Sanibel causeway bridges being a prime
example. Pass crabs may be found at night around the Full Moon on an
outgoing tide floating in massive numbers. I prefer threads because
they are readily available. I hook them through the nose and through
them out behind the drifting boat with the reel drag set as lightly as
possible. When a tarpon picks one up, the key is to get a clean hookset
by hooking the fish in the very corner of the jaw, referred to as the
'clipper.' A hookset here will maximize the odds of landing a fish, as
the bony insides of their mouths are not conducive to a proper hookset.
By keeping the drag off and allowing the fish to run for a moment, the
intention is to allow the hook to ride along the tarpon's lip and down
into the corner of its mouth. After a '5 count' or so, I tighten the
drag and put all I have into setting the hook. Immediately thereafter,
I'm prepared to 'bow to the fish' or create slack in the line as the
fish is apt to rocket out of the water, shaking its head - which is when
the non-clipper set hook typically comes flying out. Fight the fish
'down and away' - a back breaking task that keeps the fish from
surfacing and refilling its air bladder. Each time a fish refills its
bladder, it comes back to life with a burst of energy that is mind
boggling, and results in more brutal work. Remember, it is now illegal
to take a tarpon out of the water in Florida - which, yes, does make
taking that picture of you and the 'big one' difficult. But, the law's
the law.
The New Moon takes place 4/24 with the best tidal fishing days taking
place 4/19 -4/27. Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug, and be prepared
to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Bait Box Fishing Guide
March 1, 2009
"Opening Day!" In New England, specifically in
Maine, it refers to the first day one may legally fish fresh water -
typically for brook trout, landlocked salmon, and togue (lake trout).
All Winter long, one lives for ESPN fishing shows on Saturday mornings,
staring at a snowbank outside, tying flies and fantasizing about the Big
One on Opening Day. And every year, without fail, Opening Day is a
cold, wet, and miserable experience. Cigar chomping old boys O.D.-ing
on testosterone and Jack Daniels stand shoulder to shoulder in the only
available open water, lobbing cast after cast toward phantom fish. Lines
tangle, tempers flare, and there's always the boozed up zero who somehow
manages to 'fill his waders' in the only productive hole of the day.
You fish with Jack, and you'll end up on your back...
Opening Day in Southwest Florida marks the day snook season starts. For
the next two months, an angler is permitted (with a valid fishing
license and snook stamp) one snook per person per day between 28" and
33" WITH THE TAIL PINCHED. Many anglers will mistakenly measure a snook
with a natural 'square' tail, when in fact a pinched tail provides for a
supposedly more accurate measurement. The jury may still be out on that
one, but the law is the law. FYI: reds and trout are measured the same
way.
Opening Day also coincides with what I consider to be the most exciting
and productive stretch of fishing in Pine Island Sound. I am often
posed the question as to when my favorite fishing time is, and without
hesitation I tell them March-June. All the elements converge to provide
for the perfect fishing environment. Over the next several weeks, the
water will warm to a consistent 75F - the point at which productive
fishing becomes fairly consistent. Dry season still predominates with
83F days, allowing one comfortable access to the water virtually every
day without fear of lightning. And what comes up at the end of your
line can be BIG. C.March 15, snook will be into their migratory run
from the backcountry creeks and offshore reefs to the beaches, where
they feed on schools of threadfin, scaled sardines, and sand fleas (mole
crabs). Redfish, while being a Fall-run species, are plentiful
throughout the Spring around oyster bars, grass flats, and beneath the
mangrove bushes on the higher tides. Trout can be a 'dime a dozen'
during this time on the grass flats ; find one and you'll typically find
another 4 or 5 with it. Triple tail will start to show up on the stone
crab trap lines in the Gulf, and monster cobia may be seen free swimming
along the surface of the water.
With regard to snook, live shrimp is always a winner - either hooked
through the 'horn' on its head, or through its tail starting from the
back to the front. Just as effective is a 1/2 oz. white or chartreuse
lead head bucktail jig; or the lead head, rubber shad or worm body
configuration. Some people like to lob it out there and reel back with
a 'straight' retrieve - that is, where the lure 'swims' back without
touching the bottom. Personally, I prefer to 'bounce' it back by
jerking back on my rod tip while retrieving, creating slack and allowing
the jig to brush the bottom and kick up a little bit of sand. 30 lb.
to 40 lb. mono or fluorocarbon leader attached by a surgeon's knot or
double uni knot to your fishing line is a must as snook, reds, and trout
shy away from steel leader. Most folks use 12-15 lb. test mono or
PowerPro brand; and a 1/0 hook when using live bait. Shrimp may be
'free lined' (i.e. no weight/sinker) and allowed to swim naturally; or,
they may be suspended between a 'trout cork', also referred to as a
'popping cork' due to its concave top that creates a 'popping' sound
when jerked - driving fish crazy. When fishing beneath the trees on a
higher tide from my boat with live sardines, I'll throw a handful or two
of shiners into the bushes to stir up some action. Once you have a
snook's attention, it will bite almost anything. Redfish are approached
the same way on the higher tidesunder the bushes, and are then targeted
on the grass flats on the lower tides. Set up on a drift, look for the
yellow sand holes, or 'pot holes', that pock mark a grass flat, and
target your cast toward the middle of the hole. The natural instinct of
a bait fish is to dive down into the grass in order to hide from its
prey. Gamefish tend to hang on the edge of a hole; and when a bait fish
ends up in the middle of a hole with no grass to hide in, they're easy
pickens.
Trout are found in the same grass flat environment as redfish and tend
to run in groups of 3-5. An old school method of trout fishing is to
pre-rig several small floats with weights and drift downwind. Each time
a pod of trout is found, a float is dropped overboard to mark the spot.
On subsequent floats, the markers are targeted with typically successful
results. Triple tail like to hang on the line that runs between a crab
trap and its buoy. Crustacean eaters, they shun sardines but readily
take shrimp, sand fleas, and fly patterns that mimic shrimp. Their
noses always point into the current and one wants to set up upcurrent
from the buoy and cast downcurrent toward it. Cobia can be found in
schools or roaming solo right on the surface. My most effective means
of catching cobia are to target the area immediately behind swimming
manatees, whose tails stir up the diatoms and crustaceans upon which
cobia feed. I've seen up to eight cobia hoovering around behind a pod
of manatees. Another method is to look away from the sun at the surface
of the water with polarized glasses during the mid-day hours (10 AM - 2
PM). Cobia will swim just beneath the surface and can be seen as a
large shadow (typically where there shouldn't be one). They tend to be
dumb as dirt, which conveniently allows one to pull up fairly close in a
boat without spooking them. Shrimp, shiners, or sparkly leadhead jigs
all work with great success. An oddity about cobia is that they fight
as hard as you fight; stop fighting and they stop fighting. Probably
because they know that if you get them aboard, they're gonna kick your
ass. Once out of the water, they're like a rhino on meth. A backbone
of armored spikes akin to a stegasaurus come out of nowhere and will
give you a thrashing like no other. Forget your tackle, these brutes
will break you engine! Keepers are 33" from nose to fork of tail with
one per person or no more than 6 per vessel. Jacks, ladyfish, pompano,
spanish mackeral and bluefish tend to make up the Spring bycatch.
Just around the corner comes the Silver King, a.k.a. tarpon! Tarpon
season starts c.middle of April when the water warms, and the migration
of threadfin herring - upon which tarpon feed - show up en masse.
Running anywhere from 40 lbs. to 225 lbs., these brutes are completing
their annual migration to Boca Grande Pass - which brings them by
Sanibel and Captiva as they migrate from the South to the North.
Threadfin herring, 'dollar' crabs, pinfish, catfish tails, and flies
resembling crabs, shrimp, or bait fish all work effectively. Look for
schools of tarpon at sunrise rolling in the early morning calm water as
they fill their air bladders. Position yourself ahead of their path and
cast back toward them. If you hook up, hold on! Fight them 'down and
away', and don't let them come up for air!
This is about as exciting as it gets in the fishing world. All those
possibilities (and maybe even the 'Big One')! Today I fantasize;
tomorrow I practice! Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be
prepared to yank and crank!
Cheers,
Capt. Dave Torrance
Mercury Saltwater Team
Bait Box Fishing Guide
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Fishing Report