I live in Port Charlotte, FL on a canal with access to the Myakka River near El Jobean, FL and Charlotte Harbor. I own a boat and I love to fish. I'm new to Florida so I'm learning a new kind of fishing and I thought a record of fish caught, weather, tides, etc. for each trip would help me to learn quicker. That record is what you'll find in my blog which I post as soon as I possibly can so check before you're going out, my success or failure might help make your trip more productive.
Fishing Myakka River/Charlotte Harbor, Florida Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Lady Fish, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper
High Tide: 12:30 AM 1.9 FT Low Tide: 8:30 AM -0.9 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 42/71 Water Temp: Clarity:
It was kind of cool in the morning so we didn't leave the dock until nearly noon. My brother Fred and wife Ruth are down from Connecticut for a few days, so this was to be their day on the water. As it turns out they liked the first day a lot so it ran into two days and screwed up all the plans they had for the last days of their vacation. I can't blame them, after the cold weather we've had (nothing compared to theirs) it was perfect boat weather. Sunny, 75 degrees, with only a light breeze.
In the two days we used up 9 dozen live shrimp. As you can see from the photos it was only Fred and I feeding shrimp to the fish. Ruth was practicing to be a sun worshipper, following it around the boat with a book or a nap. Fred and Ruth are dog rescuers and Ruth was on the phone a lot trying to rescue dogs while on vacation. I did notice she'd take the time in every conversation to ask the weather the caller was experiencing and reporting her location, temperature and sunny comfort. "How is the weather there?… Oh, man, well it's 75 here, I'm on a boat, in a canal, in south west Florida…" Something us Floridians do regularly when talking to northern friends.
Fred did a lot of fishing in two days. We caught a lot of fish with our 9 dozen shrimp but mostly, as Ruth would be glad to tell you, we fed shrimp to many small sheepshead, mangrove snapper, catfish and redfish. There was rarely a dull moment, we were forever trying to set the hook on the little tap tap tap of the small, bait stealing sheepshead or snapper. But mostly we were helping them gain back their strength after the horrible weeks of cold weather. There are still fish dying in the canal, mostly sand perch. We also got to see a manatee which swam within 10 feet of us. It seemed like it was cold, surfacing very frequently and swimming very near the surface trying to get as much warmth from the sun as it could.
And we did manage to get a redfish over the 18 inch limit and a keeper sheepshead and we had a sudden run on mangrove snapper that were around 11 to 13 inches, so we did have some fish to clean when we got home.
But we could have done better at the fish market with the money spent on bait. But we would have had to find something else to do for two days and the cost of vacation would have been that much higher. So we're all sunburned and happy. At least Karen and I are, I checked the weather in Connecticut, where Fred and Ruth are home by now, it was only 5 degrees. I'll bet that sunburn looks a little out of place now, doesn't it Fred?
But it was a really nice visit, a great couple days on the water and we hope ya'll will come back soon.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Trout, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Black Drum
High Tide: 10:00 AM 0.8 FT Low Tide: 1:30 PM 0.6 FT Wind: 10-20 E Air Temp: 59/77 Water Temp: Clarity:
I'm still here! It's been way too long since I last wrote, a lot has happened. I have had a few trips that I was unable to write about. I had a real bad attack of my old friend "Tennis Elbow." One of the things that aggravate this condition is my work on the computer. Just too many hours with a mouse in my hand. So I had to limit my computer time to necessary work only and much of that I did with only my left hand.
We also had a terrible cold snap. It lasted about 2 weeks and the worst day we hit a low of 25 degrees, yes that's Fahrenheit. They claim that beat the last record which was in 1976. The canal water was down around 50 degrees. Many fish were killed including many large snook. Our canal still has a dead odor and I see dead fish drifting back and forth with the tide. Mostly what they call sand perch but I did notice that the oysters that line the canal are mostly dead and that is where a lot of the odor is coming from.
But since my last post in november we've been out several times and I'll summarize those trips by saying there are a huge amount of redfish in the canal. I got one from my dock that went 27 inches but mostly they have been around 12 to 16 inches with an occasional keeper mixed in. But there are lots of them now around 15 inches and many trips we had spans where we would catch one with almost every cast. A lot of fun but of course it didn't put food on the table.
So, Saturday the weather was great so we left the dock by around 10:00 AM with a couple dozen shrimp. Within the first hour I hooked a nice redfish that went a little over the 18 inch minimum. But it was the only one all day, unlike the past trips. But the action was consistent with small sheepshead and mangrove snappers. A little later in the day Bimini and Julie tied up and joined our party and thats when the fishing got started.
There was a school of small spotted trout that were aggressively taking shrimp or plastic lures under a popper cork. I don't know how many I caught before I got tired of catching and releasing. There was a few sugar trout mixed in and one was big enough to throw in the cooler. Bimini and Julie were bottom fishing shrimp and catching small sheepshead, snapper and catfish when Bimini finally hooked into something much larger. We had the two boats lashed together and at that moment Bimini was alone on their boat with a very large fish, yelling for a net. The "Net Girl," Julie, grabbed my net and started to make the long step from my boat to hers. Bimini was so obviously in immediate need of the net that Julie set all caution aside and in her haste to get the net to where it was needed forgot completely about the icy cold water below.
No, she didn't go in, but we all still wonder why. I think Karen grabbed the other boat which was drifting farther away than Julie could stretch. But some how the "Net Girl," managed to gain secure footing and get the net under a nice, 20 inch, black drum. Once the congratulations were done and the fish was safely in the cooler we inspected the scuffed knees and purpling thighs of the "Net Girl," who will never live down this story and her new, self proclaimed, title. I think we need to make a full body leotard with "Net Girl," and maybe a cape. Although a cape may have been the last straw that put Julie in the water.
Bimini caught a second drum, a little smaller at 17 inches and we got a keeper sheepshead before we used up all the shrimp. So about 4:00 PM we head for the dock. Another very exciting, productive and wonderful day on the water.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Lady Fish, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper
High Tide: 5:00 PM 1.3 FT Low Tide: 10:00 AM -0.4 FT Wind: 5-10 NW Air Temp: 53/80 Water Temp: Clarity: clear
We managed to get away mid afternoon for a few hours of fishing. The weather was so nice at about 80 degrees with a light wind we just couldn't resist. That and every one seems to be talking about the red fish that are biting all over this end of charlotte Harbor.
So I ran out for some shrimp and we were in the boat anchored at the end of the canal by the docks by about 2:30. It wasn't as wild as our last trip but we started catching small reds and mangrove snapper. A few very small sheepshead mixed in. It was a little slow so we moved around a bit. I was throwing a gold spoon and Karen and I each had shrimp out. We stopped by the mouth of a little reedy swampy area where I know there is an oyster bar. There was a lot of movement in the water but it was mostly mullet. The shrimp were doing nothing and I was about to suggest another move when a nice red hit my spoon. Doesn't it always seem to be when you least expect it. Well it woke me from whatever I was dreaming about and when we got it netted I knew it was close to slot sized. Sure enough, just over the 18 inch minimum, finally a red fish dinner.
As the sun got low it started getting a little chilly. The photo is the last thing we did before heading back to the dock to clean fish. Another great day on the water.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Snook, Jack, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Stingray
High Tide: 2:05 AM 2.2 FT Low Tide: 10:20 AM -0.5 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 68/86 Water Temp: Clarity: dark
My two sisters, Judy and Kate, walked for breast cancer (Judy is a survivor) in Tampa last weekend. They were both very tired and struggling to walk on blistered feet, so they spent a couple days with us, one sitting by the pool and one sitting on the boat. As it turned out the day on the boat was not all that physically relaxing. A good thing!
We got Kate up and on the boat by 7:00 AM, a miracle I'm told. And we started right off catching small mangrove snapper and catfish. The bite was light and we fed a lot of those little thieves very well. We tried a couple spots and got a couple keepers one over 13 inches. We ended up by the docks at the end of the canal were we added several small reds and a very small snook to the tally.
It was a nice cool, lazy, breezy morning when an odd noise slowly caught everyone's attention. It sounded like the squall line of a big thunderstorm with the big heavy rain drops hitting the water and racing towards us. The sound increased in volume until we had to raise or voices to speak above it and the water came alive under the far end of the dock. The splashing spread out across the canal and came in our direction until we were surrounded by splashing, roiling water. It was such a vicious feeding frenzy we were actually getting wet sitting on my pontoon boat a good 2 feet off the water. And everyone hooked up with a jack varying from 9 to 12 inches long. Lots of fun. I wish I had my video camera so you could see and hear that approaching wall of white water. I've been around feeding jacks before but never such an aggressive bunch and never that close. You could hear them hitting the bottom of the boat, I'm sure the net would have picked up 3 or 4 per scoop if we'd wanted.
Of course it ended any other fishing as they passed. They continued to resurface in huge schools for the rest of the day. We motored out a short way into the canal and caught and released a few more before a guy stopped and asked what we were catching. When we told him he asked if he would be bothering us if he dropped his seine net next time they surfaced. We were anxious to watch and told him so and about 10 minutes later we got to see him in action. I think he said he's allowed 3 (maybe 4?), 500 ft nets on board. When the jacks showed themselves again he raced off to one side of the school and tossed one end of his net in. Then he circled around the outside of the school letting the net feed out until he circled back to the beginning. He then pulled both ends into his boat, tied one end off and started hauling the other end in. It looked like a tough job. He had a big u shaped area around the back of his boat that he put the net and fish in. It looked like a gill net, the fish were mostly stuck in it. We could see lots of jacks and lots of catfish. When he got the whole net in, about a half hour, he shoveled ice on top of it. We asked a few questions and found out he estimated that haul to be about $200-$300 worth of fish. He said it would take him 2-3 hours longer to get the fish out of the net. Each catfish would have to have all 3 of its sharp spiky fins cut off to get them free of the net. I assume he sells all this as bait to crabbers but we didn't get the chance to ask that. It was interesting to watch but we all had to wonder about taking so many fish in such a short time. But I guess we have the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission taking care of limits and fishing methods to preserve the fish at sustainable levels. I hope they know what they're doing. We wondered back home slowly, got a few more mangrove snapper for the cooler, trolled up a few more jacks and small reds and got back to the dock before 2 PM.
I think Kate and Judy got the kind of rest they needed. I know I had another great day on the water and look forward to seeing them again soon.
Fish Caught: Lady Fish, Sail Cat, Catfish, Stingray
High Tide: FT Low Tide: FT Wind: Air Temp: Water Temp: Clarity:
I just don't have the time to write out a nice pleasant story. But I wanted to keep you all posted on fishing in my end of Charlotte Harbor/Myakka River. We went out on a few short trips over the last week. The last trip was Sunday morning, we left the dock at about 6:30 AM.
On all 3 trips we caught a lot of junk fish, no reds, trout or snook. But we caught lots of cat fish and ladyfish.
But more importantly is for the first time this year the deep water around the el Jobean bridge was full of bait. I threw my cast net once and had to shovel bait back off my boat because I didn't have room to keep so many bait. They were there all 3 trips.
And on Sunday huge schools of ladyfish came in from the harbor to devastate the bait. The bird were diving everywhere. The water, calm due to no wind, was alive with schools of fish and birds were diving as far out as we could see. I have to believe that something worthwhile will be coming in to feed on all this bait. I hope I can find the time to get out there again soon.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Stingray
High Tide: 11:30 AM 1.8 FT Low Tide: 8:00 PM 0.2 FT Wind: 5-10 NW Air Temp: 75/91 Water Temp: Clarity: murky
A few weeks back I helped my dad install a new door on his back porch. The new door replaced a storm door he had installed just a couple years ago and I had need for a storm door at my house. So my sister Kate was kind enough to bring the door in her new truck and my mom and dad came along for the ride and a short fishing trip.
I went down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop about 6:30 AM and picked up 4 dozen live shrimp and a couple bags of frozen that I decided to try as chum. Mom, dad and Kate arrived, said hellos and toured the house and yard to see all the updates and dad and I rushed them into the boat. Even with two of us pushing it was a late start, we left the dock about 10:30 AM.
There were storm clouds to our south east so we decided to stay in the canal and out of the lightning. We dropped anchor and Kate got the first sheepshead within a minute. In the next half hour we caught sheepshead, mangrove snapper, catfish and a small redfish. All were way under keeper size except one sheepshead my dad caught that was an inch or two over the 12 inch minimum. Then the action just stopped and after a half hour without a bite we moved to another spot.
We tried several other spots over the next few hours and continued to catch small reds, snappers, sheepshead, catfish and rays. My mom hooked one huge ray which acted just like a big red for a while, a little bit of excitement. We even took a short ride out by Bird Key which is just out into the Myakka River. The tide was really rushing out fast out there, I think too fast for any fish to be hanging around, we didn't get a single bite.
So we headed back to the canal, stopped and played with little fish along the way and hit the docks by about 3:30. It's still too hot to be out there for too long. We were all tired and glad to be back in the cool house or pool. Its always nice to be on the water but its an especially a great day on the water when shared with family.
High Tide: 4:00 PM 2.2 FT Low Tide: 12:01 AM 0.0 FT Wind: 5-10 S Air Temp: 77/91 Water Temp: 85 Clarity: murky
Well, over a month with no fishing. I've got to stop letting that happen. But finally, we took the time to get back out even though it was only for a short time.
I ran to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop to greet them as they opened at exactly 6:00 AM and picked up a couple dozen nice fresh shrimp. So by 6:30 we were on the way down the canal.
As we got to the end of the Jupiter Waterway there was a lot of action on the water surface so we anchored and threw a Gulp Swimming Mullet at the swirls. But nothing was interested so I put a shrimp on with a small split shot and cast it in the deeper water. After catching 2 small catfish and not a lot of action we decided to move on.
I worked the Gulp hard passing through the sea walls and under the docks along the way but the only action was from very small Ladyfish. So we anchored and threw some shrimp at the docks.
That's when I started getting plenty of action. But only from very small mangrove snapper. I don't know how many I got in the boat, a lot. But only one was over the 10 inch minimum and that was only by 1/2 inch.
By about 10:00 AM I'd used up my shrimp and it was already getting hot, even though the south wind was really picking up and we got a few light sprinkles of rain. So we turned towards home, another nice day on the water.
As I was writing this I got to talk to one of my neighbors that is on vacation this week. And he spent a lot of his free time out on his boat. He has been having no luck with fish all week. I checked the Waterline Magazine and it seems its been a tough week for fishing for almost everyone. But, that usually turns around with a great day of fishing, I hope I'm on the water for that!
Fish Caught: Mangrove Snapper, Spanish Mackerel, Catfish
High Tide: 1:00 PM 2.0 FT Low Tide: 6:30 AM 0.9 FT Wind: 0-5 E Air Temp: 70/87 Water Temp: 82 Clarity: murky
My Dad had open heart surgery about 5 months ago so he's been working hard at getting back up to par. He finally felt strong enough to spend a day on the water so he and Mom came out for a few days and today was our fishing day.
I got 4 dozen shrimp from El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and we got on the water by about 7:30 AM. My Dad really likes to fish for trout and I'd heard of a spot they were getting them recently. It's out just a little past the El Jobean bridge and we went right there and made a couple drifts through the area. But there was nothing there.
So we moved back to the bridge and anchored so we could drift the shrimp, on the incoming tide, into the it. We immediately started catching mangrove snapper. The first was a monster 14 inch fish but after that they were mainly under 10 inches (10 inches is the minimum limit) and while we got an awful lot of snapper, I was catching one on every cast for about an hour, we only ended up with 5 keepers. A nice supper for 4 people.
I also was just starting to retrieve a shrimp that had drifted past the snapper zone when something grabbed it and I hooked it. It seemed obviously different than the snappers and we finally netted a nice big 18 inch spanish mackerel. We've found these are very tasty when pan blackened so we added it to the cooler.
There were a lot of dolphin in the area and my Mom spotted a couple playing just on the other side of the bridge. They were jumping several feet out of the water and splashing back. They continued to do this several times after Mom pointed them out to us. It must be a good life as a dolphin in Charlotte Harbor.
We went through our shrimp very quickly with all the snapper action and it was beginning to get a little warm so we headed back to the dock by around 11:30 AM. Another great day on the water, one of many more I hope to spend out there with my folks.
I was fishing the Charlotte Harbor reef the other day and caught what I thought was a Spanish mackerel,but something just did'nt look right I checked the fish I D site and it was a cero.the meat was lighter and it tasted very good. tight lines Harry By Harry Mullica, At
June 7, 2009 9:14 PM
Hi Harry, Thanks for the note. I'd never even heard of a cero mackerel before but I also just went to the fish ID site for FWC and you may be right. What I caught may have been a cero. Unfortunately I did not take a photo but I did look at that mackerel a few times to be sure it was not a small king, something just seemed different about it. By twlack, At
June 8, 2009 6:44 AM
High Tide: 2:00 PM 1.75 FT Low Tide: 8:00 AM 0.5 FT Wind: 0-5 S Air Temp: 66/89 Water Temp: 75 Clarity: clear
I was sitting on our dock yesterday when my neighbor, Bimini, was bringing her Mom and Dad in from a day of fishing. They had spent the day trying to catch spadefish from under a dock where they'd stumbled on a large school with some large fish. I'd only caught them accidentally and they were always small so when Bimini asked if I'd want to go back with her in the morning I couldn't resist.
I went down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop a little before 6 Am and picked up 4 dozen shrimp and by 6:30 we were on our way down the canal in Bimini's boat. When we got in site of the sea walls the water was alive. So we cut the engine and drifted on the outgoing tide casting Gulp and drifting some big shiners caught from the Venice pier.
Bimini had several misses on her shiner and I cast my Gulp in front of a big, fast moving wake and hooked up with a nice big jack that kept me busy for the next 5 minutes. We got a couple rays and catfish and when we reached the end of the canal the tide was just turning in so we headed back to drift some shrimp under the docks. We immediately spotted a school of spadefish feeding on jellyfish delivered to them by the incoming tide. I can say that's what they were eating now because once we started catching them, each one would regurgitate a small pile of jellyfish onto the deck of the boat. I had never known any fish to eat jellyfish but I did some Googling and found it is a favorite food of the spadefish. I'd noticed my last trip out there seemed to be a lot of jellyfish in the water, I guess that's why the spadefish have moved inshore so far.
Bimini had spent a day already catching these fish so she told me what I needed to do. A smallish hook with a 3rd of a medium shrimp and the shrimp had to be shelled first. She also said a steel leader but I couldn't get myself to use a steel leader with such a small hook. What fish is ever going to take that bait that was so obviously attached to a big bulky steel leader, right? Well after hooking several spadefish and having them wrap my line around the docks pilings and snapping me off I accepted Bimini's steel leader. We got a lot of spadefish after that, letting many smaller ones go (no size or bag limits) and keeping the larger, platter sized fish you see in the photo.
Here's the best spadefish catching story of the day. They are extremely strong fish. They turn that wide body against the water and they go just about anywhere they want and you better hold on to your rod with two hands. So once you managed to hook one (they nibble at the shrimp until there is just a tiny piece left) the big ones just run right under the dock and around and around the pilings. I hooked a good one and it ran three times around the piling nearest the boat until I could no longer see or even feel him on my line. So Bimini runs to the back of the boat and puts slack in the anchor line while yelling to me to let my line slack. She runs back up and moves the boat right up to the dock piling and tells me to hand the pole under the dock to her. After we did this 3 times the line was still snagged in the barnacles and oysters, it wouldn't unwind any further and I still couldn't feel a fish. So I dipped the rod down under the water and started trying to untangle it from the pole when suddenly the spadefish burst out from under the dock and the line came free from everything. My thirty pound mono leader would have been useless under those conditions. I'm surprised my 20 lb. Power Pro Spectra braided line held, I don't think Fireline would hold up to that abrasion. But we netted the fish.
When the tide really got moving fast the spadefish moved off and we started feeding the little mangrove snapper that are almost always there. I got three that were between 11 and 13 inches which is a nice size for eating.
We drifted on the tide for a while throwing Gulp and floating a couple of the big shiners. A big shark hit Bimini's but it quickly spit the hook and we couldn't seem to hook it again even though we saw it a few more times. The bait was pretty lively and that shark gave up trying to catch him even on a cork.
So by about 2:30 we were tired and still had to clean fish so we headed home. Another great day on the water.
The spadefish was good eating. We blackened it, the taste is great, the meat is a little mushy in texture but overall very good blackened. I'll gladly spend another day fighting with the spadefish.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Lady Fish, Catfish, Skate/Ray
High Tide: 4:15 PM 1.2 FT Low Tide: 10:30 AM -0.2 FT Wind: 10-20 E Air Temp: 50/77 Water Temp: 68 Clarity: murky
Ran down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop got some shrimp and we left the dock by about 11:30 AM. Down near the end of the Apollo canal I noticed a lot of action on the water in a deep trough were the water was rushing over a sand bar. It took me a half hour to find out it was a bunch of catfish, I've seen them breaking water like this before but its not too common.
I moved on to drift my shrimp under the docks with little result. I think I fed a few Mangrove Snapper but even they didn't seem hungry today. I did see a manatee come by but the water was so dark I could only see it's nose when it came up to breath even though it swam within 4 feet of our boat. As the water got a little deeper I moved over to an oyster bar, there's a channel that runs strong between two bars and sometimes the snook feed there.
No snook today but I did get a bunch more catfish and rays. I also got a few small redfish but only one reached the 18 inch minimum and I kept a couple ladyfish to put in my crab trap.The wind was very strange all afternoon. It would be calm when suddenly the palms on the west side of the canal would start rattling and a wall of wind would sweep across the canal blowing the boat into the tide on the anchor line.
It was during one of these revolutions that one of my rods started bending over. I though it was caught in the oysters and it was the motion of the boat pulling it over. But when I picked it up I felt some life on the other end of the line. I set the hook and realized I had something huge. It wasn't fighting like you'd expect from a snook or even a redfish. It just swam around a little while I tried to pull it towards the boat. I could feel it thrashing it's head but it was a slow powerful motion. I finally got it up to the boat and we started to see a shadow in the very dark water when the hook shot up and over our heads.
We'll never know what it was, it never surfaced or gave us a glimpse. It was about 4 o'clock when we ran out of shrimp and headed home, another exciting day on the water.
High Tide: 5:15 PM 1.25 FT Low Tide: 11:15 AM -0.25 FT Wind: 10-20 SE Air Temp: 53/84 Water Temp: 69 Clarity: murky
It was a windy day but finally it was warm. I know it's been very cold up north but we're not used to the record cold we've had either and it is so nice to be warm again. So, we chose to deal with the wind and get out of the house. I ran down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and picked up a couple dozen shrimp and we ate lunch and shoved off by about noon.
The tide had already turned in and was moving fast when we got to the end of the Apollo Waterway. Action was very slow. I don't think I had a single mangrove snapper steal a shrimp all day. I did find a lot of very small catfish enjoying my shrimp and I lost count of how many I had to unhook. I don't enjoy those slimy fish with their dangerous barbed fins. Anybody that ever got stuck by one knows how hard it hurts and how easily it can become infected.
So I've gotten very good at hanging the catfish by the line and grabbing the hook with my pliers. A quick flip in the right direction will unhook the fish and I never have to touch it or bring it in the boat. Except, these were very small, 6 inch, fish and they didn't always drop down into the water with my unhook flip. One of them flew over my shoulder and landed right inside Karen's boat bag. The boat bag is filled with reading material, wallets, sunglasses, sunscreen and some snack food. And now a slimy catfish that would not stand still for a second. What a mess, I finally grabbed a fin with my pliers and pried it (it's barbed fin stuck into the bag) out and tossed it overboard. Karen wasn't pleased.
I also hooked a few bigger rays and got one very small snook on a Gulp. But fishing wise it was a tough day.
I once again forgot my camera and camcorder and wouldn't you know a bald eagle flew lazily over our head giving me plenty of time to grab the camera, if I had one. And then it spotted a fish in the water and made a slow glide down to the surface, leveled at the last moment and swept forward about 6 feet with it's huge talons extended easily grabbing an unsuspecting mullet from the water. It looked so easy. I'd been working for several hours and I didn't have a thing to show for it. It was amazing to watch only 50 yards from our boat.
So I finally used up all my shrimp and we headed for the dock by about 4:30. Another wonderful day with the wildlife on the water.
Lost my boat, some of my mind, but not my fishing' lust and knowledge. 'Want to catch big cobia, black tip sharks, bull sharks, other catch the bait for the big'ns there, too. Super, easy trip & fun time. I have a spot not 10 minutes from shore via Port Charlotte Beach Complex launch. Also used to have flats boat, and know some good spots. If you'd like a fishin' buddy, please email me. I'll bring bait, beer; you bring boat. If interested, please email me at darrylwatson@live.com. By Darryl, At
August 9, 2009 4:55 PM
Lost my boat, but not all of my mind. Know a great spot for blacktips and cobia. Catch bait in same spot. Great little trip, 10 minutes from Port Charlotte Beach Complex launch. Biggest cobia I've landed there: 65 pounds. Bull shark (est) 150 pounds. Also familiar with great backwater fishing. If you'd like a fishin' buddy, I'll supply the bait and drinks; you supply the boat. If interested, please reach me at darrylwatson@live.com. By Darryl, At
August 9, 2009 4:56 PM
Fish Caught: Sheepshead, Snook, Lady Fish, Catfish, Spadefish
High Tide: 6:00 PM 1.25 FT Low Tide: 11:50 AM -0.25 FT Wind: 10-20 S Air Temp: 60/81 Water Temp: 71/73 Clarity: murky
The day was so nice and the forecast for the next few days was so bad that we decided to get our fishing trip in today. A front coming through tonight, heavy wind from the south and a steep rise in the tide was so much like our trip on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 that I had to think we'd have some fun in the same spot we fished on the 13th. So I made the trip down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and got a couple dozen shrimp.
We were a little early for the tides so we stopped and fished the tail end of the outgoing tide by the docks at the end of our canal. It was so windy it was hard to get the boat right but when we finally started drifting shrimp up under the dock the action was immediate. I'm sure we made a lot of mangrove snapper very happy. They know how to get shrimp off a hook without touching the hook. But we did find a couple very nice sheepshead, one was 14 inches and the other went almost 17 inches. That's enough for dinner for two.
I also got a small snook, about 20 inches and a spadefish that was pretty big, about 13 inches. We weren't sure about size limits or even if spadefish were any good to eat so we let it go. But I see from a Google search that some people really like them, but I guess they're hard to fillet. Maybe next time we'll try one. There doesn't seem to be any size or bag limits in Floorida.
When the tide was really rushing in we went over to the oyster beds where Bimini and I did so well a couple weeks ago. The tide was really rushing in and the water was just about as deep as when we had all our luck with snook. I put some shrimp out into the very fast current and started getting action immediately. I got a couple catfish before I noticed the same big swirls in the water that I had seen on the trip with Bimini. So I put on a Gulp Swimming Mullet and started casting. On my second cast I saw the swirls very near and head towards my lure and, as I said so out loud, I got a nice hit on my Gulp. It was a nice snook that we manged to net and measure at just shy of 29 inches. I put an X on the side of the boat, we'll be back for that fish when it's in season. But they are so much fun to catch even when you have to let them go.
We fished on to catch a ladyfish, several more catfish and Karen got another smaller snook on a shrimp. We finally used up the shrimp and headed home to clean our two sheepshead for supper. Another great, sunny day on the water. I really hope my experiences on the Myakka River can take some of my northern friends out of that harsh world for just a little while. From what we see on TV it's a tough world up there this year. Come on down and take a break!
Fish Caught: Redfish, Snook, Lady Fish, Jack, Mangrove Snapper, Catfish
High Tide: 6:30 PM 1.1 FT Low Tide: 12:01 PM -0.75 FT Wind: 20-30 S Air Temp: 53/77 Water Temp: Clarity: murky
My neighbor, Bimini, asked if I'd like to go out fishing with her. Of course, even though I have an awful lot of work to do, I couldn't say no to that offer. Bimini is know for her fish catching abilities and I wanted to learn anything I could from her.
So I ran down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and got some shrimp, packed up some lunch and fishing gear and stood on my dock with my thumb out. Bimini slowed as she passed my dock (she didn't want to waste any fishing time) and I jumped aboard..
The tide was rushing out when we reached the end of the canal. We anchored up so we could drift our shrimp under the docks and started feeding little mangrove snappers. In the first couple hours, on a tide running out very quickly, we caught several small snapper, Bimini got a redfish that was just over the 18 inch minimum by 1/2 inch, a small snook, a huge jack and finally a very nice snook that was about keeper size. It took me a while to get the hook out so I didn't take the time to measure it before returning it to the water but I'd guess about 27 inches.
When the tide turned in we moved to the upstream side of a very shallow oyster bar and anchored so we could drift our shrimp over the bar to a deeper trough. I got tired of feeding shrimp to the little snappers and switched to throwing a white Gulp Swimming Mullet. The wind was really blowing out of the south by now and the tide was moving in extremely fast. The water was all churned up and we kept seeing these big swirls and tails flashing in the chop. Finally my casting efforts paid off and I hooked up with a nice big snook and a real fighter. I got him to the boat twice only to have him take off again dancing on the water before he at last gave in on the 3rd approach and Bimini scooped him in the net. He was hooked right in the corner of the mouth so we took a few seconds to measure him at 31 inches and then got him right back in the water. I'll come back looking for him again when snook season opens.
I got one more snook about 25 inches before the rain came and we headed for the dock tired and cold and smiling from ear to ear. Another great day on the water.
Fish Caught: Sheepshead, Snook, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper
High Tide: 5:00 AM 2.0 FT Low Tide: 1:15 PM -0.5 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 57/82 Water Temp: Clarity: murky
Finally the weather and work load matched up and we managed an afternoon of fishing. We left the dock about 10:30 AM and with a couple dozen shrimp from El Jobean Bait & Tackle. We'd heard there were sheepshead down by the seawalls at the end of our canal.
We stopped at several different holes and along the seawall and fed small mangrove snapper and catfish getting only a few small ones in the boat. There was a lot of action on one of the shallow points near a hole that was about 5 feet deep today. It was a very low tide so I was looking for deeper holes to be holding fish. I cast a red and white Heddon - Zara Puppy up near the action and enticed a nice little snook to take it. But he was very small and out of season anyway.
Then we anchored next to a dock that I know has a fairly deep hole under it. The tide was rushing out and that dragged our shrimp under the boat lift. And that's where the sheepshead were. For the next hour we pulled several in the boat and managed to get 2 over the 12 inch minimum size limit.
There were also plenty of small mangrove snapper and a few very small catfish so we were very busy for that hour and then the fish just turned off. We roamed around for a while throwing the popper and remaining shrimp here and there with very little action. We did see a couple manatee in the small lake that's off Jupiter Waterway.
We finally used up our shrimp and headed home to fix our sheepshead dinner, another wonderfully relaxing afternoon on the water.
Fish Caught: Sheepshead, Lady Fish, Trout, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Skate/Ray
High Tide: 3:45 PM 2.1 FT Low Tide: 9:45 AM 0.5 FT Wind: 5-10 S Air Temp: 75/91 Water Temp: 83 Clarity: coffee
Hurricane Ike has had our tides running very high with lots of wind and sudden bands of thunderstorms which kept us off the water. Our dock actually had water on top of it a couple times this week, I've never seen that before. What a storm, we watched the broadcasts from Galveston with some relief but also with a great deal of sympathy.
But it was finally a more normal September day so we decided to get out for some fishing. I went out early to get shrimp and when I brought it down to the dock a little before sunrise there was a lot of action in the water. I put on a Gulp and cast at some of the noisy spots only to scare some large schools of mullet. But there was something bigger out there but I never did get a hit except for something very small which appeared to be a small trout. I never got it out of the water except that it jumped to get lose of the hook.
So we left the dock about 8:30 AM stopping a couple times along the way to cast a Gulp with no luck. We finally anchored near the docks about 9:30. The tide seemed to have turned in a little early so we were already on the incoming. I started getting small, snapper like hits, immediately. I got about 3 small snapper and 4 or 5 nice sized sheepshead in the boat while missing quite a few. The sheepshead went from about 10 inches up to about 13. We don't like sheepshead so we didn't keep any even though at least 3 were over the 12 inch minimum.
I caught several large rays which I wished to be redfish as I was yelling for the net, but they were rays everytime. There were a few catfish and the lady fish were around most of the day but they did their aerial displays and spit the hook everytime. I would have kept a couple for my crab traps which have been drydocked far too long.
Another fun day on the water, plenty of action but nothing to show for dinner. Next time!
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Lady Fish, Trout, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Skate/Ray
High Tide: 4:00 PM 2.25 FT Low Tide: 10:00 AM 1.0 FT Wind: 10-20 NE Air Temp: 75/91 Water Temp: 84 Clarity: dark
It's been about 5 weeks since the last trip out on the boat, too long. And we almost got canceled again because of Hurricane Gustav. But we left the dock about 9:15 with my Dad, my sister Kate and her husband James looking forward to a quiet day of fishing in the canal. Not too far from home because the weather wasn't looking very gentle.
We had menhaden, shrimp and a brand new bucket of 4" Gulp Swimming Mullet. We stopped in the Apollo Waterway at the very end of the ebbing tide. The shrimp proved productive immediately but only small bites including a sheepshead about 10 inches long. When the tide turned in we went over to the docks where we could drift the shrimp underneath. There were a lot of small snapper, a ladyfish and generally bait stealing pests. We were about to pick up and move when my Dad cast in one more shrimp.
I happened to look over at him when his pole was almost yanked from his grip. I watched as he reared back and set the hook into something that didn't seem to slow down at all against the pull of 30 lb Fireline and a tight drag on a Penn 450SS. I could see by the bend in the pole and the speed of the line peeling out that he had the big red we'd come here to catch. I yelled "Net" and then watched as the tiny wake from the line zipping thru the water headed back under the dock, around a piling and, with a huge swell of water, snapped. It was all over in 15 seconds or less. But we've talked about that 15 seconds for an accumulated 4 hours since then. We've decided it was a redfish at least 30 inches, maybe bigger.
We made several other stops without getting too far from the canal. The sky looked threatening and the water outside the canal was starting to show signs that Gustav was exerting some influence on it. We only managed some rays and small catfish and a trout that was 1 inch shy of the 15 inch size limit.
Finally the rain got too hard and lightning started showing on the horizon so we started back home with nothing in our cooler for dinner but a great fish story and a fishing spot to look forward too in the near future.
Everyone agreed it was another great day on the water and we're all enjoying razzing my Dad for losing that fish! Dam what a fish.
Fish Caught: Jack, Sail Cat, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Stingray
High Tide: 3:45 PM 1.25 FT Low Tide: 10:00 AM -0.1 FT Wind: 20-30 SE Air Temp: 64/82 Water Temp: 75 Clarity: clear
Living on the canal, with the boat always there ready to go and being self employed gives us the freedom to take a break and head out to do a little fishing almost any time we choose to do so. So normally when we check the weather and it says 20-30 MPH wind we stay home or at least in our own canal. But today we had friends come down from a snow storm up in CT and it was the only day they could get out and we really wanted to give them a good day on the water.
So Tom and Arlene arrived at 9:00 AM and as planned several weeks ago, we headed out for an adventure. It was perfect timing to catch the low to incoming tide at my snook spot at the El Jobean bridge but with the wind so fast I knew we'd never be able to anchor. So I instructed my fishing crew on where I wanted them to drop the menhaden and told them I'd hold the boat steady under power and they should be careful not to get thrown off in the rough waves. It all sounded like a great idea.
BUT, as they were dropping their bait a huge gust of wind and a giant wave hit us at just the wrong moment and turned the nose of my boat in just the exact wrong direction. I was nose into the bridge piling with the wind blowing us hard towards it and not enough room to swing back out in either forward or reverse. I turned the wheel hard to the right, gave it some gas with the intention of pushing off the bridge with my hands to keep the rear of the boat and motor from hitting the bridge. As I rushed from the captains chair my hand tapped the throttle and everything happened a little faster than I'd planned. I managed to get a hand on the bridge but not soon enough to keep from scraping just a little along the wood bumpers. Of course the extra power sent Tom back pedaling to maintain balance. Lucky for me Arlene and Karen were both seated and Tom was coordinated enough to stay upright and on board. He later sad he saw what was happening and was expecting the get away, although not with the sudden acceleration, but being aware was enough for him to keep safe.
We abandoned the bridge fishing and headed across the harbor for the mangrove bays behind hog island. The wind was whipping straight up Charlotte Harbor and the waves were much larger than any I've been in before. A pontoon boat is a little like a bar of ivory soap in a tub full of kids. It was slow going and we got very wet. Salt spray was in the air in sheets, the wind was almost too loud to yell over and hog island was almost invisible through dripping sun glasses. After 8 hours with no food and water we finally started getting into the lee of the mangroves. Well, I guess it only seemed that drastic.
But once in the mangroves it was calm and quiet and sunny with just enough breeze to keep us cool. We spent the rest of the day idling around from spot to spot catching only a big jack, some stingray, and Arlene caught a catfish AND I LET HER KEEP IT (a private joke). The only sign of the pandemonium whirling outside of our mangrove sanctuary was when you cast your lure up above the mangroves. The wind would grab it an fling it way off it's intended destination, usually well into the mangroves. I've always found fishing in Florida to be much better on those beautiful, sunny calm days we're getting so used to. I always thought it was my state of mind that made it seem so. But over the last few years its starting to seem like the fish also enjoy those nice days to dine. I think even the fish in Florida are relaxed and mellow and choose to venture out only when its a beautiful day on the water!
Our trip home was no less brutal. But we motored very slowly directly across the harbor to the lee of the far shore before turning back north west towards the bridge. It made the trip a little shorter and we only got mildly wet. It was plenty warm enough so being wet didn't bother anybody and with 30 MPH wind we dried fast once we were out of the spray. We stopped in the Apollo canal and played with mangrove snapper, stingray and a sailcat and decided it was time for a still, quiet seat on the lanai out of the wind and a cocktail. I won't say it was a beautiful day on the water, but it was exciting, it was fun, it was a very nice visit with Tom and Arlene and it was a beautiful day amongst the protective mangroves!
P.S. Arlene took some photos she'll email and I'll post them later.
Fish Caught: Snook, Lady Fish, Goliath Grouper, Catfish
High Tide: 6:45 PM 1.5 FT Low Tide: 11:45 AM -0.5 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 73/82 Water Temp: 76 Clarity: murky
Left the dock about 6:45 with a live well full of nice big sardines I netted from a local canal yesterday. We went straight out to the El Jobean bridge with the intent of anchoring on the West side of the bridge so we could drift our bait under the old section of bridge. But the tide was so fast I was worried about the anchor pulling free and crashing into the bridge before I could react, so we went around the other Charlotte Harbor side.
Hard to fish with the tide racing at you but I was casting up under the bridge and letting my bait drift along the pilings. When I could keep from snagging the bottom I usually managed a Goliath grouper and caught about 4 or 5 the biggest was about 20 inches or so. Nice fish, strong fighters, they don't like coming up from the bottom and they let you know it. Karen was letting her line drift out and sit and she was catching an occasional cat fish.
I also managed to boat a snook about 23 inches long on one drift. At this time the tide was slowing a little so this one snook was a good sign of things to come. As the tide went slack I repositioned the boat to fish my snook spot on an incoming tide.
Once the tide turned in with a little force I started hooking snook. I got 2 more one going to just under legal at 27 inches. And then finally a keeper at 29 inches. Remember our slot limit is over 28 and under 33 inches with a pinched tail.
It was about 1:30 PM when I landed that keeper and since we'd left in the dark it was already a long day so we left them biting. A great day when you can hit that tiny slot limit and bring home a nice fish dinner!
We cooked the whole snook on the grill. I make a foil tray and seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic and spritz it with lime, lemon or grapefruit juice. I cut rosemarry from our plant and place the branches on the flavor bar in the grill just before putting the fish on. It adds that smokey flavor missing from most gas grill cooked foods. We sliced an eggplant from the garden and brushed it with olive oil and lime juice and put it in the smokey grill too. Topped with a salad of arugula from the garden, it was delicious and we had leftovers for lunch.
Fish Caught: Snook, Lady Fish, Spanish Mackerel, Catfish, Stingray
High Tide: 5:00 PM 2.5 FT Low Tide: 1:00 AM -.5 FT Wind: 10-20 NE Air Temp: 66/89 Water Temp: 79 Clarity: clear
We left the dock about 7:00 AM, without checking the weather since the evening before. We made our first stop at the Bridge over the Myakka in El Jobean, FL. I bought a new Gulp called "Greenback" which looks very much like a threadfin sardine. It is shaped like a fish but has a lump on its tail that causes it to swim when you pull it through the water.
On my first cast with that lure I hooked a spanish mackerel about 19". Nothing more there for a half hour and the wind started picking up and blowing us around so we headed for trout creek.
We anchored in that first big cove in trout creek, we were watching a bunch of pelicans diving as we approached, thought that was a very good sign. Well they weren’t afraid of us at all and for the 3 hours we fished there they kept up the comical group fishing all around us. I took a video on my little digital still camera, its not great but here it is, Pelican video.
My Mom and Dad are with us on this trip. They were fishing live shrimp, my Mom under a cork and my Dad on the bottom. Plenty of catfish for both and my Mom also got a stingray. I was throwing my new green back Gulp and got a couple ladyfish.
Then, about 11:30 I hit a huge snook on my Gulp. A great fight around the boat, under the motor, passing the pole between the bimini top and finally landed a 28" snook.Unfortunately the season is closed because that 28 inch fish would have made a great dinner, I got 1 more about 23" before we decided to leave. It was getting very windy out in the harbor, there were no boats looking for cobia like we had expected, maybe they checked the morning weather report.
We made our way into the shelter of Hog Island at trolling speed pulling a few lures. About halfway up Hog Island in 7 feet of water my Dad hooked a nice Spanish Mackerel about 22". We got several more bites a small one in the boat and Karen had a nice one on that cut the 35lb florocarbon leader right at the boat.
It was a great day on the water, we were back at the dock by about 2:30 with fish to clean.
We left the dock about 7:00 AM, without checking the weather since the evening before. We made our first stop at the Bridge over the Myakka in El Jobean, FL. I bought a new Gulp called "Greenback" which looks very much like a threadfin sardine. It is shaped like a fish but has a lump on its tail that causes it to swim when you pull it through the water.