Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: July ‘10
• Captain Scott Bussen •

Mama always said: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

I would like to start out by saying sorry to Mom. I just can’t find anything positive to say about NMFS, and I’m damn sure not going to keep my mouth shut about the absolute travesty they call “fisheries management.”

In case you haven’t heard, the Council voted 9 to 4 in favor of Amendment 17A, which will include a continued closure on red snapper for up to 35 years. It will also include a large area closure for all bottom fishing from 98′ to 240′ from around Melbourne extending to a portion of Georgia. For a group of people who are supposed to be intelligent, the Council seem to be more like intellectually challenged sheep. If they’re going to be ignorant animals that follow the animal in front of them, then why couldn’t they be more like lemmings and find a cliff to follow each other off? Probably because Florida is too flat… Maybe a rooftop? I’m not sure what lemmings eat, but I’ve got a little cash in the old slush fund to help build the primrose path. Maybe the rest should just stay in my head…

Who was that guy? Whoever he is, I think maybe the sun has turned his brain into scrambled eggs. I’m thinking orderlies in a white van, white scrubs, and a padded room might be in his future. Maybe I shouldn’t be too hard on him, it has been extremely hot.

It always seems that the hotter it gets, the slower the fishing gets. It gets that way every summer. The pelagics are mostly gone and the cold Labrador Current causes the bottom fishing to shut down. The fishing last month was actually pretty good, and hopefully this month will follow suit.

The live baiting in June was definitely spotty. One day the kings would go crazy, the next it would be a struggle to catch a handful. For this month, I would expect much of the same. The key will be finding the fish the day you are fishing. There will likely be no discernible pattern to the king’s location. It will require a bit of luck or possibly some help from a friend on the radio. Once found, the fish may be a bit picky, so make sure you have some quality live baits. If you can’t find the pogies on the beach, stop and catch some greenies or sardines on the way out. Action could be found anywhere from right in the surf to the reefs and wrecks out to 120′. The mackerel will be the most solid bite, but you might also catch dolphin, cobia, sailfish, wahoo, bonito, barracuda, and sharks.

Unfortunately, the cold water upwelling shut down the bottom fishing last month. There were, however, a few decent catches of grouper and amberjack. As long as the cold water stays around, the bottom fishing will remain slow and sporadic. The best bet for July will be finding areas where the fish are holding above the cold water. These fish will not show on your fish finder unless you have the screen expanded to see the fish holding in the warmer surface water. If you can find areas where these fish are holding “up in the water,” the action can be awesome. The amberjacks and snappers will sometimes come right to the back of the boat. For the mangroves, you may have to use a flourocarbon leader as light as 30#. Hide your hook in a piece of sardine and let it drift down naturally. You may have to use flouro for the jacks too, but try not to use less than 80# or they will run you down to the wreck. Either way, be prepared to release plenty of the endangered red snapper. Baaaah… Baaaah…

If you want to stay closer to home, try livebaiting on the beach. There should be an assortment of kings, jacks, tarpon, sharks, and barracuda to keep you busy. If you want to target the tarpon, try using flouro leaders with circle hooks. The tarpon will likely be closer to the beach and bait as the others. You should be able to see the fish rolling or gulping air occasionally. For the others, use the wire stinger rigs a little further offshore in the cleaner water. Sometimes the best bite will be in the afternoon when the sea breeze starts or the storms start looming from the west.

Whatever the case, get out and catch something before NMFS takes away all your rights to the ocean and gives them to their brother, Big Oil.

See ya on the pond!!

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: June ‘10
• Captain Scott Bussen •

So I lied to you all. Yeah, yeah, the check’s in the mail, I love you and, well… you know the rest. If it’s any consolation, the lie was completely unintentional. The lie I’m referring to was my promise to step off the soapbox. I just can’t, in good conscience, keep my mouth shut about the situation.

The “situation” is a little thing called the Gulf Oil Spill, which is probably the biggest man-made environmental disaster in the history of this small planet we call Earth. The whole ordeal reeks of unfathomable idiocy. The number of retarded decisions that had to be made to facilitate this disaster is absolutely astronomical. Those of you who thought I needed anger management before should really appreciate the steam coming from my ears right now. It may sound crazy, but there’s another facet of the Spill that enrages me as much, if not more than the Spill itself.

Here’s the lowdown: IN THE FACE OF THE WORLD’S WORST ENVIROMENTAL DISASTER, WHERE THE F$#% ARE THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS NOW? They spend millions campaigning against the working fisherman, spreading propaganda, turning the public against us and putting us out of work, but again: Where are they now? Just in case you didn’t know: THEY’RE FUNDED BY BIG OIL!

That’s right, they’re not going to bite the oily hand that funds their beloved trusts. The PEW Charitable Trust, the Environmental Defense Fund, and other so-called “environmental” groups are hiding under the outstretched wing of Big Oil, and like good trained monkeys, they won’t start dancing until Big Brother starts the organ grinder. That’s the story. You have the enviros using the NMFS like ventriloquists and Big Oil using them all like an expert magician uses a pretty girl to divert your attention. Harry Houdini, David Copperfield, and David Blaine combined couldn’t come close to touching the illusion that’s being perpetrated on the American People by this circus. The whole thing makes me sick!

On a lighter note: the cobia fishing was sick last month — but in a good way. Both the manta rays and the cobia following them were unbelievable last month. The abundance of cobes and rays was somewhat of an anomaly for May, but who’s to look a gift manta in the mouth? Maybe the environmental disaster in the Gulf pushed them around into the Atlantic?! It seemed like day in and day out there were reports of cobes and/or rays from Sebastian to Ponce Inlet. The fish, in general, were quality-sized, with most being keepers ranging up to 70 lbs. As far as optimism is concerned, I’m gonna cross my fingers that the trend continues into June. Keep your eyes open and the jig rods handy.

The May kingfishing was pretty hot, too. It seems that some of the larger breeders, headed for Jupiter, took a wrong turn and hung around for a couple weeks. For several days the bite was absolutely blistering — literally. More than one thumb got blistered letting back the baits. Although the action this month might not top May’s, it should be fairly consistent. The action could range from right outside the bait on the beach on out to the inshore reefs and wrecks. If you fish right near the beach, you can expect a mixed bag of kings, jacks, tarpon, sharks, bonito, and cobia. Out on the reef, expect a mixed bag of kings, dolphin, cobia, bonito, and possibly a sail or wahoo.

With the cool waters of the thermocline chilling the bottom, the bottom fishing was kind of a letdown for May. There were a limited amount of grouper caught, and the amberjack bite was just o.k. Should the waters warm up, things could heat up right with it. For the most part, I’d concentrate your efforts from 21 fathoms on out to the cones. In addition, I’d use a variety of larger live baits to avoid the endangered American red snapper. If conditions get right, this could be one of the best bottom fishing months of the year.

Much like the bottom fishing, the trolling was a bit of a downer last month. There were a few fish caught, but it was pretty slow overall. The bright spot was that a few nice dolphin were caught toward the end of last month. I’m going to hope that they’re just late, and not drowning in oil to our south. Should they show up, you know what to do.

Keep in mind that it’s “Take An Enviro Fishing Month.” (Returning them to land is optional.)

I’ll see ya on the pond… Or the oily cesspool, whatever it may be by the time of publication.

Oh yeah, and if you see a rabbit floating in a top hat near an oil slick, go ahead and save him. He’s just an innocent victim, too!

Land of the free, home of the brave MY ASS!

That’s right, we’re still not allowed to keep red snapper! Sadly, if the Environmental Defense Fund, PEW, and other pinko, commie dirtbag organizations have their way, I may have caught the last red snapper I can legally keep before I take the proverbial six-foot dirt nap. It’s all a bad ventriloquist act with NMFS as the dummy and the environmental groups pulling the strings and moving the mouth. I’ve never really been a fan of ventriloquists… They’re creepy, like clowns.

What do they really want? Who the hell really knows? Maybe they don’t have boats and they want to catch red snapper from the shore with surf rods. The stocks are at an al- time high since I started fishing offshore 25 years ago. Apparently, they’re considered overfished until there are so many that somebody can walk across the top of the ocean on them. Which brings me to my most recent conspiracy theory. Keep in mind this is just my own personal theory…

Now, we all know that the NMFS is using archaic, anecdotal data from the ’60s. I surmise that there is another influence driving both the enviros and fisheries groups: Religion. That’s right, religion! Apparently, the Red Sea wasn’t in the Middle East after all. It was on the east coast of Florida. When Moses parted the Red Sea, he was just moving the snapper out of the way so he could have grouper for dinner. In addition, when Jesus walked on water, it was on the backs of red snapper. The part they don’t tell you about is when Jesus gets a snapper fin spine stuck in his foot. He then decides to have a feast and bring the snapper stocks down to a more manageable level. I think if there was a reasonable stock assessment the day after the feast, it would probably reflect the stocks we’re seeing today. Does that sound far- fetched to you? Well, it’s not half as far-fetched as this bass ackwards snapper closure!

Anyways, it’s a good thing all my body fat isn’t between my ears, ’cause falling off that soapbox could have injured my posterior — that, and the fact that my vertical leap is only about eight inches, which keeps me on a relatively short box. It’s good to be back on solid ground, but that won’t last, because May is here and it’s time to live on the ocean.

For the die-hard bottom fisherman, May is like your Birthday, Christmas, New Years and the 4th of July all rolled up into one. It’s like getting the call from the Governor in the 12th hour. You still can’t keep a red snapper, but grouper are finally fair game! There should still be a fair amount of post-spawn fish around this month. The best bait for the grouper and amberjack will be some sort of live bait-like pinfish, grunts, and beeliners. You will probably find that you need to use the larger live baits as the smaller ones will probably get eaten by snapper. Start fishing as shallow as 100′ and work out to the deeper water as needed. The later it gets into the month, the deeper the fish will likely move. Keep the spinning rods ready for those dolphin looking for shade and food.

Last month there were signs of the dolphin run beginning. With everything running late this year, May should be the month for the big push. The fish will be found on weed lines, rips, edges, and flotsam starting in as shallow as 70′. Keep your eyes out for flying fish and working birds, too. The larger fish will likely be caught outside 120′, but it never hurts to start trolling if the water is blue. The standard trolling spread with naked ballyhoo on mono rigs fished tight to the teasers and lure/ballyhoo rigs on down riggers or shotgun lines should do the trick. Keep some of the smaller live baits ready for the occasional finicky dolphin. With the dolphin, expect scattered wahoo, sails, and an occasional tuna.

May is also the official start of the summertime live-baiting extravaganza. This is generally the time of year when the water cleans up and the pelagic fish start to move back onto the inshore reefs and wrecks. It’s also the time when the pogies start to become accessible on the beach. Dragging live baits on stinger rigs could get you strikes from kings, dolphin, cobia, sharks, wahoo, bonito, and barracuda. This month, it should be as close to a guarantee as you will get in fishing.

Oh well, whatever the theory, get out and catch ‘em while you still can!

Me? I’ll see ya on the pond…

… Or possibly on “Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown: Life of a Fisherman.”

So… the Groundhog Day saga continues.

You’re probably thinking “Is this idiot going to go off on another rant?” or “Is he going to babble about television commercials again?” Although I’m not going to entertain you with anecdotes about daytime TV, I am going to tell you a thing or two about the National Marine Fisheries Commission and the South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council. If that is going to affect your delicate sensibilities, I suggest you flip over to another page. If you consider fishing in Florida one of your rights as an individual, you might want to listen.

After writing last month’s article, I had the experience of visiting our Nation’s Capital for the rally in D.C. I can honestly say that I’m glad I was in attendance. I’m not much for the hot air politicians will blow up our skirts, but it was good to see that the fishermen were getting support from their state representatives. It was good to hear that there’s legislation in the works that could give us some relief from the stringent Magnusson Act.

On the other hand, what really pisses me off is the fact that organizations like the PEW Charitable Trust and the Environmental Defense Fund are using their extensive funding in their fight to put us out of business! What do they really have to gain by this? What stake do they have in the fisheries? If I had to guess, it’s sleight of hand, like a good magician. Somewhere, somehow, they are getting something in the long run. Right now, they are just putting more Americans out of work. These groups being in bed with NMFS goes way beyond the proverbial fox in the henhouse. It’s more like the fox in the henhouse followed by the snake in the grass. The fox eats the chickens, the snake eats the eggs, and all we fishermen are left with is chicken sh*t. You can make a chicken salad out of it, but it’s still going to make one big sh*t sandwich and we’re all gonna get a huge bite.

Another thing that raises the hair on the back of my neck was revealed to me by talking to fishermen from around the country. From Alaska to California, from Texas to Florida’s West Coast, from Key West to Cape Cod, no matter what region the person was from, the story was always the same: “NMFS screwed up the fishery”. Hearing the similar story from others provided some level of comfort, as many times we go through life thinking we’re the only ones suffering certain circumstances. On one hand, it was good to find out our region was not alone. On the other hand, it’s not very encouraging to know that the governing body of the nation’s fisheries has screwed the pooch everywhere. Not only that, they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. I’ve said it before: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result”. Hello, head. Hello, brick wall.

The other overwhelming similarity between the regions is the story of data. Many fish have been declared “overfished” by NMFS data while the fishermen say: “There’s never been so many and now we can’t even fish for them.” From personal experience, I can say that our red snapper population is, by far, the best it’s been in 25 years. NMFS says that they are so badly overfished that they have to shut down the ocean to stop the bycatch. Could there be any bigger gap?

Oh yeah, it’s not enough that the data sucks and NMFS admits it! Now they’ve taken money from data research and allocated $54 million to promote catch share programs. Could they be any more backwards? HEEELLLLLOOOOOOO!!?? CAN ANYBODY F*$#ING HEAR ME? Does that not seem ludicrous? Somebody should allocate monies to a slush fund to buy council members some common sense. This is the kind of stuff that makes people go postal…

I’d like to think I’m just being extra crazy ‘cuz I haven’t been fishing in a while, but that kind of thinking would only be a form of moderate self-preservation. I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m too afraid of heights to climb an antenna tower.

If you do want to go fishing, cobia should be a good bet at the beginning of the month. Toward the middle or end of the month, we should start seeing the beginnings of the dolphin run.

Typically, for April, I would write a kind of April Fool’s article. Although I joked about my mental state, the subject material of this article is very much real.

Get involved with the fight to save our fisheries: www.joinrfa.org

See ya at the next meeting!

Stovall Report: April ‘10
Captain Sherrie Stovall

I do hope that winter is finally over because my heating and firewood bills are astronomical. I’m pretty sure there are a lot of fish that will agree with me in welcoming spring.

But expect everything to be late this year due to cooler water temperatures. The cobia run, which can be really great during the month of March, was mediocre at best. A few fish were caught, but not in the numbers that should have been brought in. Scattered reports of free swimmers and a few following rays are being reported around the docks. We’re hearing good news from the south that they’re seeing cobia and rays, so they should be on their way up. Some warmer days and some southeast winds should make a difference. The board for our Cobia for Cash tournament at Whitey’s is pretty pathetic at this time, so it’s not too late to sign up. Get in the tournament as soon as possible as the cobia aren’t even here yet.

Offshore should light up this month as fish prepare for th migration back north. Good numbers of wahoo have already been caught throughout the winter by anglers trolling out deep. Expect this to remain strong as the fish move up from their winter hangouts in the Bahamas. Dolphin will also begin their run this month. Trolling or live baiting on temperature breaks or over the offshore bars should bring the fish to the table.

For the bottom fishermen out there, it has been a long three months and we only have 30 more days till grouper opens up. Until then we have to keep catching our sea bass, triggers, mangroves, and the occasional mutton. I know it’s hard to keep releasing those “highly endangered” red snapper, but maybe they’ll let us start keeping them after the six-month closure.

Sebastian Inlet has been alive recently with good numbers of Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Got-Cha plugs and small spoons have been accounting for most of the fish on the outgoing tides. Sheepshead are still pretty active around the Inlet on the drop-offs and deeper channels. Cut shrimp, clams, and sand fleas have been working well for the prized game fish. Expect the numbers of these fish and more to continue to rise as water temperatures rise.

The surf was pretty slow last month except for the occasional whiting and pompano. A few reports of big pompano coming up from the south are trickling in, and they should be hitting our beaches soon. Hopefully the sand fleas will come back from wherever they’ve been for the last few months and make an appearance on our beaches. Bluefish are plentiful for people throwing spoons or using cut mullet on bottom. April can be a great month for some of the biggest blues of the season. Large top water plugs can produce some explosive strikes when the blues are on a feeding frenzy and can be a blast.

The Indian River will should be teeming with life this month. All the fish are fattening up after the long, cold winter and are preparing for their spring spawn. The shallow water flats will be flooded with every fish in the river. Pinfish, pigfish, mullet, and shrimp will invade the potholes and the game fish will surely follow. Live baits fished under a cork will bring a lot of action as well as soft plastics and top water plugs. This month can be the best month for the river, and from what I’ve seen, the snook are thick along the mangroves already. This can provide some excellent sight fishing opportunities.

As usual, check out our website — www.whiteysonline.com — for the latest reports and pictures from the region, or call the shop at (321) 724-1440.

Hope the winds lay down for everybody this month and temperatures stay warm.

Until next time, tight lines!

Stovall Report: March ‘10

Looks like winter is slowly relaxing its grip on us here along the central Florida coast. With a few warm days here and there, the fishing really should pick up.

Fishing overall has been the best right around Sebastian Inlet. Good numbers of black drum and sheepshead are being caught off the north jetty. Clams are the best bet for the black drum, and shrimp and fiddler crabs work for the sheepshead. Lots of bluefish are moving in and out of the Inlet. Silver spoons in the 2- to 3-oz. range will work as well as any lipped diving plug or flashy silver jig. Try fishing on the outgoing tides for the most action right now.

The flounder are starting to return from offshore and settle back into the river on the incoming tides. They are very lean right now and most of the legal size fish look too small to keep. The females have spawned offshore and it will take most of the spring for them to bulk back up. Live shrimp and finger mullet work the best when fished from the catwalks or along the rocks on the south side of the Inlet.

Scattered numbers of pompano have been caught right around the Inlet and the beaches. Sand fleas are still very scarce along the beach, so put the rake away and grab some frozen fleas, shrimp, or live clams to use as bait. The pompano have been small and most are not a legal size. Hopefully the larger fish will show up soon as they begin their migration back north. Large whiting have been a tasty bycatch for surf fisherman over the last few weeks.

River fishing has been slow for all other species except the spotted sea trout. The trout seem to be the most active in the cooler water temperatures. As the waters begin to warm up this month, it should help bring the other species out of their winter haunts. Large schools of snook are hiding out in marinas and deep water canals. Look for most of the snook and some of the reds to be warming up in the afternoons on shallow mud flats. The mud holds the heat of the sun and with cooler nights still prevailing, the fish are seeking the warmth for survival.

As far as an offshore report for this month… All I can say is: COBIA! March is the month all of us sight fisherman have been waiting for. A few early reports of cobia and manta rays have already been reported, so hopefully the weather will cooperate and give us calm blue skies.  Schools of cobia have been swimming up to the boats fishing along the Bethel ledges. Also, look for free swimmers up on the surface as you run back home in the evenings. Bucktails tipped with squid or an eel tail will lure any cobia in for a bite. Soft plastics, large shrimp, and live baits will also get a second look from some of the more educated fish. As usual, Whitey’s will be holding our annual Cobia Tournament, so don’t forget to stop in to sign up.

Kingfish have been around the offshore bars for anglers live-baiting the reefs. There have been reports of good dolphin and wahoo action in anywhere from 150 to 300 feet. Amberjack are hanging out on the deeper wrecks in 200 to 300 feet of water. Deep jigging is the key when live or frozen bait is not working.

Winter cannot last forever, and before we know it, the hot and humid summer days will be back.

Stop by Whitey’s for all the latest action and up-to-date reports.

Tight Lines!

Ever see the movie “Groundhog Day”? Ever feel like you’re living your own version of the flick? Well, thanks to the South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council, I know exactly how that feels. Having taken away most of the offshore fishing opportunities, the SAFMC has left us with little or no options to earn a living for a while. Are we done fighting for our rights? No, but it’s going to be a serious uphill battle to save our rights to Mother Ocean. I write this column the night before the big Fisherman’s Rally/March in Washington D.C., so bear with me if I go off on a tangent here and there.

Back to my own personal Groundhog Day… Without the lack of sponsorship funds, I wake up relatively refreshed around the glorious hour of 9 a.m. The song on the radio maybe different, but the tune of the day remains the same. A fisherman without fish to catch is just another man without a job. After breakfast, me and Tanker clock in for a full shift of daytime television. The experience conjures up the image of Wile E. Coyote and the sheepdog clocking in for their sheep shift, but in this case, the TV takes the place of the sheep. Most television is mindless, but daytime TV is like an Olympic event of stupidity. I can almost feel my brain turning to mush, yet I continue to watch the slow motion train wreck unfold in my living room.

Know what really sucks about this daily exercise? It’s that the molten tar pit pooled between my ears never tells the hand molded to the remote to utilize the DVR function. This means that I’m continually bombarded by the worst commercials. After a couple weeks of my regimen, I have a couple of questions. Why are the most ass-backwards people on talk shows always from Florida? I’m seriously afraid to tell new people I meet that I was born and raised in this state. Is it just me or does every prescription medication cause more side effects than the symptoms it treats? Thanks, but I’ll keep the stuffy nose over the risk of death. Life insurance is another biggie. Do I really want to be worth more dead than alive? I don’t think anyone needs another reason to put me six feet in the dirt. It’s not insurance, it’s incentive. If you’re a detective, it’s motive. No thanks. One of my personal favorites is home exercise equipment. If you’re thinking about setting up a home gym, do yourself a favor and buy a fold out table. At least it’ll get used once a year at Thanksgiving. Then you have the erectile disfunction and feminine hygiene ads. I’m not even touching those…

This day ends like all the others: a “Law & Order” marathon followed by a dinner enhanced with Glycemic Advantage. Don’t believe the hype, they don’t work. Maybe I shouldn’t eat three or four, but they’re just so small… After my meal, I would typically self-medicate (I mean have a cocktail), but the fundage situation has landed me in a dry county. In addition, I haven’t been able to make my monthly payments on the liver I put on layaway, so I guess I’ll have to take care of the one I’ve got. Oh well, time for my acid reflux medication and a couple more cop shows before my Zoloft kicks in. Do I drift off to sleep as soft as a floating butterfly? Not! The stuff is like Nyquil; you shouldn’t take it more than falling distance from the bed.

So, I wake up this morning and things are different! It’s the day of the Rally and the alarm on my iPhone is quacking in my ear as I awaken from my sleeping pill-induced coma. I pray that I didn’t sleep for two days and miss my flight. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, my hands feel the indentation of the keyboard pressed into my forehead. I sure hope that goes away before I have to explain it to airport security. Social Distortion’s “Story of My Life” reverberates in my head…

Oh well, off to the airport. If you see me on the news, the one finger salute means “You’re number one!” to readers of The Resident. To the above-mentioned Council, it has a different meaning all together.

Sorry about the lack of fishing information, but I’m out of time. I wonder if there’s a medication for procrastination?

If you do go fishin’, make sure to check the regulations.

You may only be able to feed and pet the fish.

See you in D.C.!

So I’m one V8, two McDonald’s cheeseburgers and three Tylenol into my Monday morning after Sunday’s NFL playoffs.

I enter Stage-Two Recovery as I wrap myself up in my sweet new Snuggie and prepare for full hibernation. I’m a modern day cave man except my cave is lit not by campfire, but by the soft glow of the LCD flat screen. Alas, the sweet euphoria of an early afternoon couch coma is rapidly approaching, when suddenly, the dream bubble above my head evaporates like a cloud over the desert. “Tommy Boy” is starting in a couple of minutes! I’m not sure what number Man Law it is, but I know I am required to view a majority of this cinematic masterpiece.

So I watch “Tommy Boy” for about the 200th time. Now, y’all know my brain works a little bit differently than some, right? Well, it occurred to me that the National Marine Fisheries Service is much like Tommy in the early part of the movie when he’s an undeniable screw-up, not like in the end when he actually does something right. Funny thing is that even Tommy Boy can get something right some of the time. I don’t think NMFS has gotten one thing right in any fishery they have tried recently. I am going to put them on the list with weather persons as the only job you can be wrong 100% of the time and still keep your job. I mean, they could throw their hat down and miss the ground. They could sit down on the commode and still miss the bowl, which is only fitting for someone who enjoys pissing in the wind. They are like a bunch of sheep following each other in a circle, snoot to starfish. There’s a line in the movie about a T-bone steak, a butcher and putting your head in the part of the cow where the sun doesn’t shine that hit my funny bone. It made me think of how the NMFS is like a deranged ostrich who sticks his head into a place on his own body much warmer than sand. Are you picking up what I’m putting down?

Now that they’ve taken away our staple wintertime bottom fishery, I’m not quite sure what to write about. From what I’ve been seeing, there are too many grouper and snapper out there to even try and catch an amberjack. I never thought I’d see the day that grouper and snapper would reach trash-fish status. Times they are a changin’… Three more months of grouper closure and at least five more months of snapper closure to go. Pray for a miracle and get involved in the fight!

On a lighter note, the kingfishing was still pretty good last month. However, the colder water temps early in the month pushed the fish a bit to the south. The fish stretched from the south end of Pelican Flats down to the Offshore Bar east of Fort Pierce. Mixed in with the kings were a few cobia, dolphin, blackfin tuna, bonito and an occasional wahoo.

For February, I would expect this trend to remain relatively the same with the fish holding in the southern areas. There may be a few fish in the northern areas, but they will be scattered until temps reach above about 68 degrees. Try trolling spoons, plugs or seawitch/strip combos until the schools are located. Then switch to the lighter rigs with live baits or frozen sardines for fast action. Once a concentration of fish is located, it should be easy to catch a quick limit.

As far as trolling goes in February, the action could range from slow to fair. Probably the best bet on the troll this month will be the sailfish, followed by dolphin and wahoo. The key will likely be finding the green- to clean-water edge. Like the kingfish, the best bet for the pelagics should be to the south.

If you are a glutton for punishment or just a die-hard bottom fisherman, go ahead and try the bottom. There should be plenty of amberjack from the 27-fathom ridge on out to the cones. Just be prepared to cry as you release all those snapper and grouper! Cobia and triggerfish could also be a possibility on the inshore reefs and wrecks. If you do get out, have fun and watch out for those fast moving fronts.

If you need me, I’ll be… LIVING IN A VAN… DOWN BY THE RIVER!!

See ya on the pond!

Life is tough here in the Sunshine State! Gee, I sure wish I were up in the Great White North freezing my chestnuts off and shoveling snow from every inch of concrete on my property. Maybe I could even get “snowed-in” for a few days — that would be soooo cool!

I think not.

Being a third generation native Floridian, I made the determination long ago that areas prone to snow and cold weather should be relegated to the “short visit only” portion of the globe. Don’t get me wrong — cool is cool. I mean, if you can afford to keep your house climate-controlled to 72 degrees, that’s the cat’s meow. However, temperatures outside the domicile bordering the 40s or below are unacceptable. The last cold snap before Christmas had me scrambling for the must-ridden ski jacket lodged in the corner of the closet. Showing up to the boat to go fishing, I looked something like Randy (Ralphie’s little brother in “A Christmas Story”), all the while mumbling expletives like Ralphie when he beat up the bully.

Speaking of Christmas, does anyone have a standard grill I can borrow? All I have is a gas grill that won’t burn all this coal Santa brought me. And I thought I was a good boy. There’s a story about God, lemons, and lemonade, and if I interpret that correctly, I’ll be having nothing but coal-fired barbecue meals for the foreseeable future. Mmmm, barbecue — my favorite. Thanks, Santa. But seriously, I had a great Christmas and I hope all of you did too!

The coal Santa brought to many one of us is nothing compared to the enormous turd sandwich being served to fisherman by the NMFS. Unfortunately, no one will be able to eat snapper or grouper for a while, unless it comes from the freezer or somewhere other than the East Coast. In all their infinite wisdom, the Southeast Regional Office of the National Marine Fisheries Commission has determined that gag grouper and red snapper are being overfished. Grouper will be closed January 1 through April 31, and red snapper are the victim of the dreaded interim rule handed down by the NMFS. This means that red snapper will be closed to harvest from January 4 for 180 days. In addition, the Council has the option to extend the closure for another 186 days when the initial closure terminates. By the time the year is over, they will have additional amendments to govern the snapper stocks. By the time this paper hits the streets, we may have caught the last red snapper we’ll be able to eat for many years to come.

The only way these things are going to change is with a fight. If you don’t like what’s happening to your fishing rights, do some research and join the fight. Currently, the Recreational Fishing Alliance is filing a lawsuit against the NMFS and they can use any support fishermen can muster. In addition, Seafood Atlantic owner Jim Busse and other seafood dealers up and down the coast will be traveling to Washington to lobby Congress to have the Magnuson Stevens Act changed and allow the Council ample time to address the stocks.

But enough with the soap box. The overall fishing last month was pretty good. The kingfishing was absolutely on fire, the trolling was O.K., and the bottom fishing wasn’t too bad. Although the snapper population is better than it’s been in 20 years and the grouper will probably be thick as thieves, I will no longer be talking about catching them.

The kingfish lived up to their name in December as the kings of the month. They were biting like piranhas from Daytona to Sebastian all month long. Provided the water doesn’t get too dirty and remains above 68 degrees, the action should continue through January. Troll plugs, spoons or seawitches with strip baits until the fish are located. Once found, switch to some lighter tackle and slow-troll Spanish sardines for some fast action. Any limit of fish should be relatively easy to capture.

The trolling remained consistent in December with a few dolphin accompanied by an occasional wahoo or sailfish. In January, this action should remain relatively unchanged. The key this month will be in finding the clean water edge, rips or weedlines where the pelagics will be concentrated. Expect to have to run as far as the 27-fathom ridge before wetting a line.

As far as bottom fishing goes, there’ll always cobia and amberjack. There should be a few cobia roaming the inshore reefs and wrecks in January. Try anchoring and bottom fishing or drift fish while jigging for them. The amberjack will be concentrated from 27 fathoms out to the cones. Large live baits and jigs will both take their share of the AJs.

Either way, bundle up and go get ‘em!

See ya on the pond.

They say the mind is the first thing to go as one gets older, and I’m starting to believe it’s true. I know it’s been nearly 20 years since I raised a puppy, but did I really forget that much? Was it really this difficult the last time? Did my last puppy really cause me this much grief? I guess we only tend to remember the good stuff, repressing all those memories of the not-so-good times. I think I should have named him “Taz,” because he’s like a little tornado rolling through the house, the boat or wherever else he may be. The process of raising him has been a test of wills and my patience. Am I ready to give up? Depends on what day you ask me… The one thing that I can tell you for sure is that Scott needs to build a flip-flop that can withstand puppy teeth! Oh well. I won’t be needing them for a while anyway…

I know this because, as I write this, the Cocoa Beach Block Party is kicking off. This means that the first big cold front of the year has set in just like clockwork. The weather may be less than ideal for the party, but it means good things for the fishing. The wintry weather should be the spark that lights the fuse to some dynamite fishing.

The weather in November was a bit suspect at the beginning, but the latter part of the month was fairly fishable. On the days it was fishable, the bite was pretty good. The snapper and amberjack were consistent with a few grouper here and there. The dolphin were scattered but reliable, and a sail or wahoo made a few appearances. Toward the end of the month, the kingfish started to come on strong.

For December, expect the bottom fishing to remain good and get better as time goes by. The snapper should be the most consistent, followed by the amberjack. The grouper fishing should pick up later in the month. With the arrival of the cooler weather, the snapper and grouper should start to move into shallower water. Start fishing in as shallow as 70′ and work out until you locate some action. The amberjack should be found from the 27-fathom ridge on out to the cones. The snapper should readily feed on frozen sardines, squid, cut bait and smaller live baits. The grouper and amberjack should fall victim to the larger live baits, but more than a few grouper will be caught on the dead stuff.

If it’s kingfish you want, then December is your month. The fish are migrating south and should be found in significant numbers. Generally, they should be found on the reefs or wrecks from 60′ to 100′ of water. Troll spoons, plugs or sea witches with strip baits until the fish are found. Once located, it shouldn’t be a problem to catch a quick limit on slow-trolled Spanish sardines. Also mixed in with the kings will be an occasional wahoo, blackfin tuna or cobia.

As far as trolling goes, December should be much the same as November. There should be a few dolphin mixed in with a possible sail, wahoo or blackfin tuna. Troll ballyhoo on mono rigs in tight to the teasers for the dolphin and sails. For the wahoo, try a ballyhoo/lure combo on the shotgun or downrigger.

Off to the block party to freeze my a@# off!

See ya on the pond!

The arrival of a new puppy is always a joyous occasion. Everything he does is so cute and funny, and you just can’t help but love him. The first time he relieved himself on the carpet was even adorable. But it kinda loses its luster the more he continues to do it over and over and over again. I’m not saying that I have buyer’s remorse or anything, it’s just not all roses and sunshine. It’s been a few years since I raised a puppy, so I may have slightly underestimated the amount of time and patience a new dog requires. Oh well. In order for a pup to become man’s best friend, man and dog have to come to an agreement. So far, we agree that he’ll pee on the carpet while I’m not looking — and I’ll clean up after him. It’s a less than ideal arrangement for me, but we’re still in negotiations. Let me just say that a man should never buy a dog that’s smarter than he is.

Speaking of dog days, what’s up with this weather? The weather last month was probably one of the best Octobers I can remember. There were actually more fishable days than not. Normally, we’re lucky to get just a handful of fishable days for the whole month. Let’s hope this favorable pattern carries through the next few months.

In addition to the excellent weather, divers had unbelievable visibility for the first portion of last month. Unfortunately, this visibility had a bit of a negative impact on the bottom fishing. The water was just too clear, and the fish were extremely finicky. However, after the cold front in the middle of the month, the water clouded up a bit, allowing anglers to take advantage of the early fall conditions. The numbers weren’t great, but some nice grouper, red snapper and amberjack were caught. Let’s hope this trend moves right into next month.

November is the month when bottom fishing should take a decided upturn. The fall conditions and the cooling water usually trigger the snapper and grouper to start feeding a bit more heavily. It’s also the time of year when the fish start to move into shallower water. Water clarity will have the biggest impact on what bait to use. If the water is dirty, frozen sardines, squid and cut bait will likely be the bait of choice. If the water is clean, live bait should be the answer. These rules of thumb are not absolute, so mix it up until you find what’s working. Start fishing in as close as 70′ and work out to the deeper areas. In the 70′ to 125′ depths, don’t be surprised to see some cobia showing up later in the month.

The slow trolling on the inshore structure last month was very hit-or-miss. Some days there were just scattered kings, cobia, bonito and sharks; other days, the king bite was pretty good. This pattern will likely continue into the middle of November. Toward the middle of the month, the kingfish migration usually starts to happen. Once the migrating fish arrive, the action will get red hot. With the pogies being relatively scarce, frozen sardines on stinger rigs with king busters should do the trick. If the action is slow, try trolling spoons or plugs until some action is located, then switch to sardines.

Like the live baiting, the trolling was spotty last month. There were a few dolphin, scattered sailfish and an occasional wahoo. November could make you forget about last month in a hurry. Just like the kingfish, the sailfish migrate south in the fall. This month is one of the best bets for a multiple sail day. Troll naked ballyhoo on mono rigs in close proximity to teasers or dredges to entice the most strikes. The mono rigs will also work for the dolphin that may accompany the sails. There should also be a decent chance at a wahoo. For them, use a ballyhoo/lure combo on a downrigger or way back on the shotgun.

Much like I am currently ruled by my puppy, the fishing will be ruled by the weather this month. When the front blows through, wait for that calm bluebird day and go get ‘em.

See ya on the pond.

Everybody loves to share a favorite recipe ideas as Fall approaches. I’d like to share with you one of my ideas that you probably won’t be seeing on the Food Network. I’m not sure whether I should call it “Recipe for Disaster” or simply “Trouble Brewing,” but for me it conjures up the image of a “Far Side” cartoon. The ingredients are as follows: One part slightly intoxicated charter boat captain + one part smoke alarm with low batteries + one part nine-foot ceilings + one part small two-step stepstool.

So I arrive home around the magic witching hour of 2 a.m. A pint of Gatorade and three Tylenol later, my flip flops are tucked under the edge of the bed, and it’s TIIMMBERR! As if I were already dreaming, the fall towards pillow-top heaven and blissful slumber is like a slow- motion car wreck. My Nestea Plunge ends, but before I can start sawing down the imaginary forest, my euphoric state is interrupted by “BEEP! …BEEP! …BEEP!” What the…? The dream bubble over my head suddenly evaporates like a cloud in the desert. I’m suddenly awake and on my feet, bound and determined to root out the source of my new found frustration. Fortunately, the source is quickly identified before I blow my lid and set off the rest of the smoke alarms. It’s not like I fell asleep with a frozen pizza in the oven or anything; the alarm just has a low reserve battery. And that’s just the start of the fiasco.

With the problem identified and 9v batteries on hand, the fix should be a snap, right? Wrong! Maybe it was just my perception, but I couldn’t pinpoint which unit was beeping every 60 seconds. Standing under one detector, it sounded as though the sound was coming from the other. Looking like a portly ballerina doing a pirouette standing on a ridiculously small step stool, I manage to change the batteries in the living room and office, only tumbling over once or twice. Problem solved, back to bed, right? Wrong! More beeping! Re-grouping, I try to quell the boiling blood currently creating extreme pressure in my cranium. I’m possibly seconds from a nasty electrical fire, or at least a hefty electrician bill, as I contemplate ripping my nemesis from the ceiling. Regaining control, I open the nearby guest room door. Immediately, I’m stopped at the doorway as my donkey ears hit the upper doorjamb. As if cued by the opening door, the devilish detector emitted a much more distinguishable BEEP! I swear the bastard winked at me…

Much like my smoke detector story, the fishing in September was a bit of a debacle. It was kind of a letdown considering we had one of the best weather patterns for the month that we’ve had in recent years. But, like always, persistence was rewarded with some fish for the table. Bottom fishermen saw mixed bags of red snapper and sea bass with a few amberjack and an occasional grouper. Trollers managed a dolphin or two with a wahoo thrown in once in a while. The kingfish bite was very slow with just a handful caught per day accompanied with a rare cobia.

October is very much a transitional month with regards to both offshore fishing and weather patterns. The good news is that the changing weather should have a positive affect on the fishing. The bad news is that the fall weather hampers our ability get offshore. Either way, things are a-changin’.

The key to bottom fishing this month will be combining good weather with good water conditions. Some of the best snapper fishing this month will occur when the water cleans up a bit after a front or two. The fish feed heavily after periods of muddy water. Targeting the snapper in dirty water, you won’t need much more than frozen sardines or cut bait to entice bites. If the water clarity is o.k., you may need some live bait for the larger snapper, grouper and amberjack. The snapper can be found from 60′ on out. The grouper will likely be outside of 120′, and the amberjack should be from 180′ out.

The trolling in October can still be decent, but is heavily effected by the water conditions. If the blue water is reachable, there should be a grab bag of dolphin, wahoo and sails. There probably won’t be a large number of either, but you can still have a good day of trolling — one exception being toward the end of the month. If a handful of fronts blow through, the sailfish will start migrating toward their wintering grounds of South Florida. Then the sailfishing could get hot.

Kingfishing or live baiting on the reef should remain rather sporadic this month. You will likely see a few fish caught here and there.

If the fronts start early, be ready for the start of the fall mullet run. Chasing the mullet down the beaches will be snook, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, sharks, tarpon, jacks and others. Live finger mullet will be the bait of choice fished on sliding sinker rigs or free-lined without any weight. Jigs, grubs and mullet imitating plugs will all work well if you prefer artificials.

Gotta go change some batteries..

See ya on the pond!

With my last twenty dollars burning a hole in my pocket, I pull up to the Cumberland Farms gas pumps with the dog hangin’ out of the bed of my pick-up truck. I put five dollars worth of the cheap stuff in the tank and stroll barefoot across the less-than-immaculate parking lot. Inside the haven of the blast freezer atmosphere, I purchase a can of Copenhagen, a six-pack of Busch Light, one pickled egg and a Slim Jim for the mutt. I lay two rolls of quarters on the counter and take the change out in trade for Lotto tickets. Does this make me a redneck? Maybe, but do I really care? Hell no! Those Lotto tickets are gonna make me one rich redneck! I’m a millionaire for a few hours until the 11 o’clock drawing. Oh, how I can spend the money? 11:01 arrives and reality slaps me in the mug like the paw of a grizzly bear. Now I’m back to being broke with the beer buzz wearing off and a story to write. Dammit, reality sucks!

That’s the thing about reality, it’s always waiting around the corner of a daydream or in the tunnel of a pipe-dream. Oh well, what are ya gonna do? Tell you what I’m gonna do: keep dreamin’ and face reality whenever it steps into my path. I prefer the ocean’s reality when it’s a gentle bit of sea spray in the face. It’s actually a bit refreshing that way! Right now I’m dreaming about fishing… Forgive me if I sound a bit ponderous or melodramatic, but by the time this paper hits the streets, I will have become an old man of forty years. Sooner or later, maybe I’ll grow up and become an adult. Maybe not…

The reality on the fishing front is that September is upon us. September is just one of those in-between months that can go either way with regards to weather and action. We could start seeing early fronts, we could be harassed by tropical systems or we could have perfectly marvelous summertime weather. My vote is for summertime weather. As far as the fishing goes, it’s pretty much dictated by the water conditions, but it’s still summertime fishing.

The bottom fishing last month was fairly typical for August, with the cold Labrador Current upwellings shutting down the bite for much of the month. There were some shining moments when the snapper and amberjack rose above the chilling thermocline to feed in the clear-blue warmer water. On these days, there were some excellent catches of ajs mixed with both red and mangrove snapper. Later in August, when the water warmed on the bottom, there were also a few days when the fish went on a tear.

Provided the water temps and clarity remain fairly stable, the bottom bite could be decent in the month of September. The snapper and grouper will be a bit scattered, and the amberjack should be a little more concentrated on certain spots. If the water clarity is good, live bait will be the ticket for all of the above, but don’t be afraid to use some of the dead stuff. If the bottom gets stirred up a bit, dead bait will likely be the order of the day. For the ajs, you’ll need to stick with the live bait or try jigging some. As far as depth goes, the mangroves will primarily be found inside 125′. For the grouper and red snapper, start in 120′ and work offshore. Aside from a few stragglers on the inshore wrecks, the amberjack should be found from 180′ on out to the cones.

Much like last month, the live bait fishing on the inshore areas (65′ to 100′) can be a bit hit-or-miss this month. Some days will yield easy limits of kings, while others will be a struggle to catch a few fish. Mixed in with the kings, there should be a cobia or two, an occasional wahoo or sail, a prized blackfin tuna and sharks, barracuda and bonito. Live pogies may become a bit scarce this month, so don’t forget to pack some frozen sardines. Fish each area for a while (maybe an hour); if you’re not getting enough action, try different areas until you find the fish.

A little bonus surprise last month were the catches of dolphin and wahoo. Most of the fish were caught by boats live baiting inshore, but there were a few wahoo caught on lures. Although trolling is not my favorite method of fishing, it’s my estimation that September is under-rated as a trolling month. There’s almost always a bit of a fall run that happens in late August or September. Although the size of the dolphin will not rival the spring run, they can still be fun. Personally, I think the wahoo bite is better now than in the spring, there are just not that many boats out there trolling. Standard ballyhoo and ballyhoo/lure combos will work just fine, but you may want to pick up the speed just a bit. This will allow you to cover more water and possibly attrract a few more ‘hoo strikes. Mixed in with the ‘fins and ‘hoos should be a few sails and blackfin tuna.

There’ve been a few rock shrimp boats dragging, so remember to stop and check for the blackfins!

Whatever your reality, find a day this month to get on the water! There’s hardly another boat out there this month!

See ya on the pond!

Have you ever had one of those days — been out late, wake up a little “foggy”… Check that, “hung to the roof,” as George Thorogood might say?

No? Then here’s to you, Mr. Professional! You can party like a rock star all night long and still make your charter in the morning. You can drive your body like you stole it and wake up with a smile on your face. You can show up at the dock in the morning with that Cheshire cat grin on your face like you own the place. You can throw the cast net just one time, catching your bait without getting wet. You can charm your clients with a twinkle in your eye (behind your polarized lenses, mind you). Wherever you decide to go, the fish are there waiting for you. Every day is a holiday to you. Maybe you should make a Captain Morgan commercial.

You would think after nearly forty years, a man would learn… Maybe not. If you haven’t guessed, I woke up this morning a little foggy. I intended to spend the day wallowing in my misery and keeping the couch from escaping my living room. So, there I am, curled up on the sofa, watching “Smokey and the Bandit.” Phone rings… It’s Lucifer, with the promise of  bloody marys and bloody decks. Who am I to refuse the call? There’s a saying about good intentions and the road to hell, but it happens escapes me. So, here I am. Late night. Working on another fuzzy morning, tryin’ to meet my story deadline. Oh well, I can sleep when I’m dead!

Speaking of Lucifer, how about that heat? Wow, that sounds kinda touristy, but 85 degrees at 6 in the morning is a little ridiculous. Still beats shoveling snow in the winter, I guess.

What was really hot in July was the beach fishing. The kings and tarpon were as steady as it gets last month when the conditions were right. For a portion of the month the water inshore was filthy and the bite shut down, but for the most part, the fishing was banner. Some of the best fishing was just before and directly after afternoon thunderstorms.

If water conditions remain relatively fair, the beach bite should continue well into August. The kingfish and tarpon should be accompanied by jacks, bonito, sharks, barracuda and an occasional cobia. Slow-trolled live pogies on wire stinger rigs should attract bites from any of the previously listed preditors. But, if you want to try specifically for tarpon, try using circle hooks on 50# flourocarbon monofilament.

Live bait fishing on the inshore reefs and wrecks should remain fairly constand in August, too. Kingfish, cobia, sharks, barracuda and maybe even a dolphin can be expected to jump the baits. With the blue water remaining inshore, a sail or wahoo is not out of the question. If live bait is unavailable, try Spanish sardines or cigar minnows slow-trolled behind a king buster.

As far as trolling is concerned, August is a try-at-your-own-risk kinda month. The trolling is extremely hit-or-miss this time of year. If you hit the right time and area, you can have a banner day. But it’s definitely a crap shoot. Generally, you’re gonna have to cover a lot of water to find some action. Ballyhoo and ballyhoo/lure combos should yield a mixed bag of dolphin, wahoo, sails, blackfin tuna, bonito and barracuda.

Much like trolling, bottom fishing in August is a gamble. If the water remains warm and the moon and stars align properly, a good handful of fish will be caught. The best bottom fishing this month will likely occur outside 125′. The snapper, grouper and amberjack should readily fall victim to live baits such as sardines, cigar minnows and pinfish. But don’t be afraid to try some frozen or cut bait just to make sure.

If nothin’ else, don the scuba gear and chase those wiley crustaceans they call lobsters. Make a dive or two. Catch a few bugs. Troll the live bait in between dives and catch a king or cobia. At least the dives will keep you cool for a bit.

Either way, see ya on the pond!

So, I’m having a couple ice picks with my fishing buddies after a long day of fishin’ and — bling-a-bling-ding! — I get a text message from the hard-ass editor of this fine periodical.

Bing, bang, boogie to the fish-mobile and to the house, Jeeves! I’ve got some BS to spew! So here I am writing this article… Back against the wall… Editor screamin’ deadline in my ear… Blowin’ cigar smoke in my face… Slammin’ the keys of this 1980s typewriter… Now I’m huntin’ and peckin’ my way to glory, just to bring you this piece of literary genius they call the “Fishing Report.” Well, maybe genius is stretching it a bit… Maybe the alcohol has a hold of me… Maybe this is all a dream… Realistically, it’s not a dream. I’m just a slacker with a propensity for procrastination who needs a push to propagate my prose.

I told you last month when I went out on a limb that the fall was gonna hurt. Apparently, I didn’t realize how far off the ground I was when I went out on that weak branch, nor for that matter, how the fall on my melon would effect my faculties. OK, disclaimer out of the way; I can admit when I’m wrong. I said I thought the dolphin run would continue into June. Am I still wrong if there was actually a dolphin caught last month? Maybe I can get off on a technicality? Whadda ya think, judge? Darn it, my head hurts! Whatever. I’m blaming everything on the heat.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, there wasn’t a whole bunch to talk about last month when it came to fishing offshore. There happened to be just enough action to keep up interest. It seemed as though there were a few of everything about in June, with no particular fish taking the headline. Bottom fishing was hit or miss, trolling was spotty, and the live baiting on the reef was sporadic. With the air and water temperatures rising, you can expect conditions in July to remain relatively the same.

If I was to put a spotlight on any one area for July, it would be live bait fishing the beach. It’s fun, easy, and close to home when the afternoon hurricanes come rolling through. The tarpon showed up last month in the pogie pods outside Canaveral in pretty good numbers. As long as the bait holds and the inshore waters remain relatively clean, the ‘poons should be the best bet for July. In the same vicinity, you should be able to find kingfish, jack Crevalle, sharks, and more. If you want to target the tarpon, try slow-trolling live pogies on flourocarbon mono leaders with small live bait hooks or circle hooks. If you want to play the potluck game, troll the live baits on treble hook stinger rigs. The only problem with the light wire of the stinger rigs is that you can’t put that much pressure on the tough tarpon. But, if you use mono, be ready for the kingfish cut-offs.

The next best bet this month will be live baiting on the inshore reefs and wrecks. Slow-trolled pogies should bring a mixed bag of kingfish, cobia, dolphin and other less desirable pelagics. If the bite is anything like last month, you may have to fish several areas before you find the desired action. Fish an area for 30 to 45 minutes, and if you don’t have any action, move to another spot and repeat until you find some fish. With the ever-warming water temps, live bait is a must. So try and spend a little extra time to find the pogies. The spinnin’ minnows will work, but live bait is really a must this time of year.

I’m sure July could provide us with some decent bottom catches, providing conditions cooperate. There have been reports of dirty water on the bottom from 130′ on out. If the water cleans up and the thermocline doesn’t set in, the fish might just go on a tear. I’m not going to prognosticate, I’m just going to hope… Whatever the case, fishing for grouper and amberjack should be concentrated in deeper water (130′ or deeper). There should still be some snapper activity in the shallower waters, but mangrove snapper will be the most prevalent with reds taking the second seat.

As far as trolling goes, July is a troll-at-your-own-risk month. The dolphin, wahoo and sails will be extremely scattered out. Plan on covering a lot of ocean for minimal bites. My advice if you go trolling in July: lots of beer and lots of ice.

Whatever you do this month on the ocean, do it early and get home before the squalls start blowing the coconuts off the palms.

See ya on the pond!

As a full-time fisherman, I spend countless hours on the ocean. Although much of the time spent offshore is fishing, there are still those idle times to sit and think. Now, I’ve never claimed to be a genius. I’m not talking about solving the Theory of Relativity here, but merely pondering the everyday trials and tribulations of daily life. Who the hell am I kidding? I’m not that deep. If I were a swimming pool, I’d be sky blue and fit on top of a minivan. No, my time is more suited to thinking about twisted, goofed-up things that might make me laugh out loud (and not “lol”). The other day, I was cruising along the ocean swells, day-dreaming how I might solve my newest personal crisis, when it came to me. Or should I say that my brain said to my heart, “Hey, let’s cut the serious crap. It’s giving me a headache. Let’s make it a funny!” WHY ARE WOMEN AND FISH SO SIMILAR? Now, don’t hate me. I don’t claim to be an expert on either. These are just personal observations. In no particular order, here we go:

Y)    Both have the ability to make your day the best day ever.
J)     We devote a lot of time and disposable income in pursuit of both.
6)    Sometimes, one gets on the line that’s too much to handle.
@)   Both have the ability to outwit on any given day.
X)    We love to chase the ones that run away.
#)    The harder you hold on, the easier they slip out of your hands.
8)    One day you think you’ve got ‘em figured out, the next day everything’s changed.
K)    Both have a unique ability to cause frustration.
2)    The chase is 75% of the fun.
S)    You never forget the one that got away.
F)    They will cause you to do foolish things.
B)    They are some of the most beautiful things on the planet!

Speaking of beautiful things, how about that dolphin run? I can’t say that it’s been the best, but it has been fairly consistent. There haven’t been the number of really big fish we saw last year, but there have been good numbers of “gaffers” caught throughout May. The biggest problem last month was the lack of structure to fish on. The current edges were non-defined, the weedlines were blown apart and this caused the fish to be randomly scattered all over the ocean. Fishermen had to cover a lot of ground to find the fins. There were, however, a few wahoo, sails and tuna to add to the action.

Being a bit on what they call the “husky” side and suffering from acute acrophobia, I don’t do this very often, but I’m going to go out on a limb. Dammit, this fall’s going to hurt…but I think the dolphin run will continue into June this year. It’s been a funny year so far, so keep your fingers crossed; maybe the patterns will change for the better. As soon as some decent weedlines and/or edges form, things could turn white hot. Mixed in with the dolphin, we should still see the occasional sail, tuna and wahoo. Ballyhoo and ballyhoo/lure combos will still be the bait of choice, but if the sargassum gets too bad, try a strip bait for the weedless approach.

As far as bottom fishing in May is concerned, cold is the only word to explain it. Although there were some good catches, the cold thermocline of the Labrador Current moved in and effectively shut down most of the bottom dwellers. If Mother Nature sees fit to remove this bottom barricade, things should return to relative normality.

With the summer here, it’s time to fish a little deeper. Fish as deep as you can with respect to the current. Provided the cold water leaves, expect to see good numbers of amberjack, decent numbers of red snapper and a grouper here and there. If you can locate live sardines, scads, boston mackerel and/or cigar minnows, load the livewell and go hard at it. In lieu of those, pinfish grunts and beeliners combined with some frozen sardines will have to do the trick. Verticle jigs and deep jigs may also be worth a shot.

The live baiting on the reef last month was very hit or miss. However, kings, cobia and dolphin made fairly regular visits to the fishbox. In June, expect the kings to be a bit more consistent when they settle down from their spring spawn in West Palm. A stray cobia and/or dolphin may be mixed in with the kings, but don’t be surprised if you get jumped by a sail or big wahoo. Live pogies and sardines will rule the bait roost, but don’t be afraid to pull the spinnin’ minnows in their absence.

To quote George Gershwin: “Summertime… and the livin’ is easy!”

Get out and take Dad fishin’.

See ya on the pond!

WANTED: Charter boat captain, fisherman, outdoorsman, partially trained circus monkey, bicycle riding bear, or just a general know-it-all to write fishing column. Qualifications include a minimal knowledge of local fishing and techniques, some schoolin’, a propensity for BS and the ability to tell a tall tale in lieu of a forecast. Attention to detail is not imperative and procrastination is not frowned upon. A sunny disposition is not a must, as the job requires no personal interaction. Ability to solicit pictures from random strangers is a plus. Alcohol consumption is encouraged to promote expression and creativity. Applicant must be able to remove inserted foot from mouth. Drug testing not required.

So I said to myself: “That sounds sweeeet. Where do I sign up?”

And the rest is history.

Know what else is history? The month of April! As far as Aprils go, last month’s fishing would probably be considered middle of the road. The supposed star of the month, the mahi-mahi, played the shy-guy routine, being here one day, gone the next. Nevertheless, the action was fairly consistent. As usual, there were some pretty healthy catches on several days.

With a little luck, fishermen this month will be able to follow the Earth Day Birthday motto of “Go Green.” And blue… And yellow… That’s right, dolphin days are here! If something can keep Mother Nature from blowing the coconuts off the trees, this should be the time. Fingers crossed, the mediocre April dolphin run means that the gulfstream flood gates are ready to open and release a “sea of green.” The dolphin should be accompanied by a friend or two named Mr. Sailfish and Mr. Wahoo. Ballyhoo should be the bait of choice, but keep some cut bait or livies close at hand for schoolie dolphin or finicky fish. Troll the ballyhoo naked on a mono rig close to the boat for the fins and sails. Try a ballyhoo/lure combo way back or down deep for the wahoo. Concentrate efforts in blue water around rips, weedlines, floating debris or areas holding good numbers of flying fish. Don’t be afraid to start trolling around 100 feet if the water is blue. Sometimes the fish are scattered if there is no edge offshore. Also, you can save fuel and increase fishing time this way.

Wanna hear a good April fool’s joke? Grouper! Although the bottom fishing was pretty good last month, the grouper neglected to show for their reservation to the party. However, the snapper and amberjack were more than happy to fill the grouper’s vacant spots in musical coolers. It was almost enough to make a bottom fisherman do the chicken dance! Limits of snappers and/or ajs were fairly common when the conditions were fishable.

May is typically a productive month for bottom fishing. The snapper and amberjack should continue to cooperate into this month with a gradual decrease in cooperation as June approaches. Much of the snapper activity should happen in the 100′ to 240′ depths. Live sardines, scads, cigar minnows, pogies and small pinfish are at the top of the bait list, but frozen sardines, squid and cut bait will draw some attention as well. For the amberjack (and grouper?), most of the action will be in 27 fathoms or deeper. The above mentioned live baits should work fine with the exception that bigger is better. Also, May is probably one of the better months for vertical jigs and traditional deep jigs.

The kingfishing last month was an Easter egg hunt every other day. One day they were here, the next day they were in a whole different zip code, and the next day they were AWOL. This unpredictibility was due to ever changing conditions and the fact that the fish are staging for the spring spawn.

Mayyybe it’s time for the kings to settle down with their queens and get down to business. They can quit chasing each other and we can quit chasing our own tails. When the fish finally settle into an area where they can be found regularly, the action should be sizzling. Slow-trolled live pogies should bring all the action you could ask for. If live bait is unavailable, spinnin minnows rigged with king busters on stinger rigs will be the order of the day.

The only excuse for not fishing this month should be the weather… There’s far too much going on offshore to be sitting at the dock.

See ya on the pond!

Well, it finally happened! The South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council has finally done it! Those tree-hugging, bunny-loving, granola-eating environmentalists have finally gotten their way! Not that either of them care about the fish stocks or give a crap about the fishermen; they just want to save their own asses…and jobs. That’s right, NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO FISH OFFSHORE OF THE ENTIRE EAST COAST FROM NORTH CAROLINA DOWN TO KEY WEST! From now on, it will be a “no-touchy-fishy” policy. You can still take your boat out, but you can’t bring any equipment that may harm the cute little fishies. You can take food out to feed the fish, but it must be made from SAFMC-approved plant-based products to provide the fish with the most nutritional value. No so-called “baitfish” may be harmed to feed the others. In addition, the SAFMC has set up a special “committee” that will install glass panels in the bottom your boat for a nominal fee. Long live the Council — yeah! The fishies are safe — yeah! What a country we live in! These new regulations are set to take affect on the first of this month and the penalties for violation are severe, so be careful.

As far as March is concerned, the cobia run turned out to be a prom-night promise. It started out exciting, peaked quickly, and rapidly ended up in a dormant state. The start of the month, there were a few rays around that seemed to be holding good numbers of cobes and there were a few free swimmers scattered about. The problem was that there were too few of both the rays and free swimmers, and they were hard to locate. Then, just as it seemed like like things were going to break loose, the March winds started and blew out the last half of the month. Unfortunately, that may be the end of the spring cobia run. The water temps have been rising as the east and southeast winds have been pushing the warm water to the north, probably taking the fish with it. If we’re lucky, we’ll have a chance at a few stragglers at the beginning of April…if the wind and seas will cooperate.

It’s said that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Similarly, the winds pushing away the cobia are pushing the dolphin ever closer. Southeast winds in April will turn Easter into Christmas for those who live to go trolling for pelagic species like dolphin, wahoo and sailfish. Last year, the dolphin showed up in fair numbers and many of the fish were quality-sized. Also, last month, a few scattered fish made an appearance, which is a good start.

With a little luck, April will bring relief from the March winds and the arrival of the ‘phins and their compadres. Once the Atlantic calms down, it will be a matter of finding blue water and a weed-line, temp break and/or current rip, then start trolling. Naked ballyhoo rigged on mono will be best for the dolphin and sails. Ballyhoo and ballyhoo/lure combos rigged on wire will do the trick on the toothy critters like wahoo and kings. Fish the mono rigs tight to the teasers and propwash and run the wire rigs either deep or long on the riggers or shotgun. If you locate a fishy area, work there for a bit before moving on. If there’s nothing but blue water with no distinguishing features, the action may be confined to one certain depth or location.

The fishable portion of March was good to the bottom fishermen. Although the grouper failed to make an appearance, the snapper and amberjacks were more than agreeable to a one-way boat ride back to Port Canaveral. More than a few boats caught limits of snappers and aj’s regularly at the start of the month. A cobia or two also made an appearance for those bottom fishing on the inshore structure.

These trends should continue through this month when the conditions improve enough to reach the fishing grounds. The snappers should bite fine on smaller live baits, Spanish sardines, squid and cut bait in depths ranging from 70′ on out to 250′. The amberjacks should be staging for the spawning season, so once found, they should be grouped in significant numbers. Once located, they should readily fall for live bait, deep jigs and butterfly jigs. If you catch a grouper, take a picture. I’m starting to think they’re mythical creatures like leprechauns or unicorns.

The kingfishing on the inshore reefs can be hit or miss this month. The fish will be moving day to day, but the action can still be very good. If pogies are available, they will be the best bait, but spinning minnows will work well, too.

Either way, when the wind quits blowing, be ready to spring into action! Get ‘
em while you can!

See ya on the pond!

Yes, I tested positive for steroids.

Let me start by saying that I knew nothing about what I was taking. They told me they were approved nutritional supplements. They told me it would help me out. They told me it was not illegal and I believed them. The whole situation is a black eye for the fishing industry, and I’m sorry.

In the cut-throat industry of charter fishing, I was looking for an edge. I thought this was the answer to keep up with the dockside competition. I know now that this was a mistake I will have to pay for for the rest of my career. My IGFA Hall of Fame status is in jeopardy. I’m just going to need to buckle down, keep my head in the game, and keep my nose to the grindstone if I want to succeed in the industry.

Does this story sound plausible? Of course not, it’s a load of crap! But I needed something to spice up the article, and nothing sells newspapers and magazines like a little controversy. Oh, I forgot, this paper is free…

Keeping with the sports theme, it’s March Madness! For some of you, this means watching some college kids try and put a basketball through an iron hoop. For the rest of us, it means something entirely different. It means cobia season! Oh yeah! Time to catch some cobes! March is typically the time of year when cobia start to migrate through the East Central Florida waters. They may be found in as close as half a mile or out 20 miles. They can be found on manta rays, bait pods and turtles, or they may be seen cruising in packs on the surface. Seen lazily cruising the surface, these fish are commonly called “free-swimmers.” They may going solo or in be in groups of as many as fifty.

The key factor in this yearly phenomenon is water temperature. The magic number to look for is 68 degrees. Although fish are sometimes located in temps below 68, most efforts should be focused in the 68- to 71-degree range. Once suitable temps and clarity are found, it’s just a matter of finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. Often times cobia fishing entails excrutiating hours of boredom and eye-strain looking for fish followed by moments of sheer pandemonium. For the free-swimmers, an accurate cast is critical, so try not to blow it and land the jig right on the head of the fish. If this happens, quickly grab your hat and plug your ears because the donkey ears will knock your hat in the water and your crew members will be yelling obscenities. Maybe that’s just my boat…but I doubt it.

As far as bait goes, it’s really a matter of preference. Jigs are good because they can be cast a long distance. On the other hand, if you can easily get a live bait to a fish, do it. While cobia will occasionally snub a jig, a lively bait is seldom refused. Just about anything live will work on a hungry cobia, but pinfish are generally the most widely used due to their availability and durability. If pogies can be found, they will work wonders also. If live bait is unavailable, a whole squid works well, too.

As far as bottom fishing goes, I’m not even going to mention the g-word as they have made me look foolish for the last couple months. You’re on your own. Maybe not talking about them will make them show up and I’ll have something to cheer about next month. The snapper and amberjack were a pretty steady bet last month. If yearly history is any indication, this month both the snaps and ajs should continue to be a reliable option. Throughout the month, the amberjack should start the pre-spawn staging process, meaning that they should be showing in significant numbers on some spots while vacating others. The snappers should be found from 80′ on out to the 27-fathom ledge, while the ajs will be concentrated from 27 fathoms out to the cones.

Both the kingfishing and the trolling bite will be hit or miss this month. You can take your chances offshore or save your fuel and stay inshore to fish for cobia. The choice is up to you, but I vote cobia.

Either way, its a great time to go fishin’. Is there really ever a bad time?

I think not!

See ya on the pond!

All speciality aside, I need help comprehending something. About how much does a surfboard weigh? Let’s just assume, for kicks and giggles, that the board with the travel bag weighs around 25 lbs. Me, personally,  I weigh in about 213 lbs. Stay with me, here comes the tricky part. How is it that I can get a round trip ticket to Costa Rica for about $350 and it will cost me $600 extra to bring my board? That’s right, Delta Airlines wanted $300 each way to take my surfboard with me. Delta really gives me that warm-fuzzy feeling all over…

I mean, I’m like a giant baby requiring constant attention — cocktails, peanuts, sandwiches, pillows, blankets, cocktails… My surfboard never asks the baggage attendants for anything; it just stays put in the dark bag in the dark baggage compartment. The whole thing’s a conundrum, I tell ya. A conundrum. Next time, I’m going to paint a face on the board, buy an extra ticket and strap it into the seat next to me. How do you think they’ll like that? Excuse me, miss, Sammy the Surfboard could use another seabreeze over here!

Lesson learned. Next time I’ll do the research and fly a surf-friendly airline. The strip search at the airport is one thing, but trying to take my clothes and leave the room is utterly ridiculous! They’d probably lose my board for the week anyway.

So I get to Costa Rica sans surfboard. With Plan A out of the picture, that left me with plans D, F, E and T (drinkin’, fishin’, eatin’ and tourin’). We meet up with my friend’s brother who happens to have charter boat in Golfito. Coincidentally, he was able to round up a few dozen of my old friends whose Spanish names all happen to be “Cerveza.” Throw a couple more guys on the boat, and we’re off. The scenery on the way offshore was something to behold. It reminded me of the Virgin Islands with the green mountains in the backround and the jagged coastline at the water’s edge. Long story short, the fishing was slow for CR standards, but we managed around 18 or 20 sails and a couple of dorado (mahi or dolphin) over four days offshore. We saw a helluva bunch of free-jumpers and had several other shots, so we figured we were in the right areas and the fish were just acting funny. The day before we left, one of the other boats caught 18 sails and missed a half dozen others. I would have bet my last dollar the fish would turn on that day, as we were playing tourist on land! It’s too much work catching that many anyway; you have to keep puting your beer down.

Minus the surfboard fiasco, the whole trip was awesome, with magnificent scenery, excellent food, interesting people, good friends and cold libations. If you’re going to be in Golfito, I recommend  www.SportfishingGolfito.com and the Las Gaviotas Hotel. The Banana Bay Bar and Marina and Fish Hook Bar and Hotel also had good food and beverages. It was like a home away from home. Tell me this: Is it a good thing when bartenders in a foreign country know you by name? ”Hola senior Bus, las habituales?” ”Si, Ms. Blanka. Me gusta Ron Centaurio Y Coca Cola, gracias.” Some things never change…

I’m still on Tico Time, so you’re going to get a brief report this month. The bottom fishing remained fairly hot in January with the red snapper remaining the headliners followed by the amberjack and grouper. The action was mainly from 75′ out to the 27-fathom ridge. There have been just a few fish in the deeper water besides the resident amberjack on the deep wrecks. The snappers have been mostly under 12 lbs., but a few decent fish have hit the scales. The amberjack were stacked on parts of the 27-fathom ridge (at times becoming a nuisance), and the grouper remained scattered throughout the above mentioned depths. In addition, the cobia have started to show up in increasing numbers throughout last month.

In February, look for this action to remain at the same level or get even better. There’s talk about grouper moving around both north and south of our region, so hopefully they will show up here soon. This time of year, I like to start out inshore and work my way offshore later in the day. More than once I’ve caught a days worth of fish on a couple of stops in 80′ of water. When you stop to catch bait, do a little serious fishing as well — you might be surprised. Stock up on both dead bait and live. When you figure out what they’re biting, stick with that. Here’s a hint: It’ll be the bait you have the least of. The smaller snappers will usually eat the frozen sardines or small live baits. The grouper will eat almost anything live or dead and the amberjack will eat primarily the live bait. Keep a jig rod handy as the cobia could surprise attack at any time.

The kingfishing remained crazy last month, too. The fish were found from Cris Benson all the way down to Fort Pierce. 8A, however, remained a fickle area, with fish being there one day and gone the next. The kings in general averaged about 10 lbs., so they were fun to catch and the right size to eat.

The action from last month should continue into this month with the only monkey wrench being the water temperature. If the water temps remain above about 70 degrees, the fish should continue to hold in the same areas with a slight movement day to day. If the water temps plummet below the 70-degree mark, the kings could school up tightly and move south to warmer water. As far as finding the fish, look for bait, working birds and skyrocketing kingfish. Once you find the school, a limit should be easy dragging spinnin’ minnows dressed with king dusters. If you’re fortunate enough to catch greenies or sardines, you could probably just dangle one over the side and wait for the fish to jump in the boat. Be careful; I’ve seen that and it’s not pretty.

Trolling has been just that: Trolling. Scattered dolphin, wahoo, and sails. This pattern should remain relatively the same with a possible increase in wahoo numbers this month. The cup-is-half-full side of the equation is the fact that less fish mean fewer bites, which means fewer baits to buy and rig…which means more money and time for cerveza.

Get out there and make some hay, or lemonade, or whatever…you know what I mean.

I hear the mariachi band starting. Gotta go!

Did I say if I’m ever coming home from Costa?

Vemos en el oceano!

So, it’s 12:01 a.m., January 2009. Down the hatch goes a delicious raspberry vodka and sweet tea concoction they see fit to call an “Icepick.” Just as soon as the refreshing fruity flavor leaves my palate, in goes a pinch of Copenhagen between my cheek and gum. I tell myself: “I’m sorry, I just can’t take the pressure!” and “Why set yourself for failure?” A deep sigh escapes me; a moment of reflection; and is that a pang of guilt? Nope, definitely not. Self justification is the answer… The pressure is off, and boy do I feel good! One-hundred-twenty seconds into the New Year and 2009 is shaping up better by the minute. Did I mention how much I like New Years’ resolutions? Onward and upward.

Wow! Did I just write that? Apparently, I fell from the optimist tree and hit a couple of branches on my earthbound tumble. That gravity is a bitch; it’ll get you every time! But really, does a bad attitude really get you anywhere? What am I gonna do with all this hay and lemonade? Guess I’ll have to find a new friend with a horse and a bottle of vodka who likes to wear flip-flops and doesn’t mind people with donkey ears. If this is the first time you’ve read my rantings, sorry for losing you. For the other two of you, I hope this made you laugh like I did! If I scared you, you are not alone…

“The fog is lifting. Throw off your bow line, then your stern. Pull out of the slip and make a right turn down the channel. Throw a wave to the cruise ship and the pilot boat. Pass the freezer docks, stirring up the sea birds. Pass the Vegas ship, then the Trident Basin, headin’ east. The sun hits your face and you push ‘er up to fourteen. You’re a g.d. charter boat captain; is there anything better in the world?” — A Port Canaveral adaptation of Captain Billy Tyne’s conversation with Captain Linda Greenlaw in “The Perfect Storm.”

And the answer is no, there’s nothin’ better!

As I said before, this year is looking up. The grouper closure I spoke about in past articles has not yet been implemented. It was passed by the South Atlantic Council in an 8-5 vote, but the National Marine Fisheries neglected to sign it and put it into effect. Although we’re safe for ‘09, they will probably go through a process of reviews and public hearings in the coming year. I urge you to stay up to date by visiting the web site at  www.safmc.net. Go to the  hearings and let your voice be heard. At least we’re safe for this year!

Well, December finally gave us a reprieve from the windy weather. It wasn’t quite the crazy weather we had in ‘07, but there were plenty of fishable days in between the cold fronts. True to form, the bottom fishing started to heat up as the water temperatures dropped. The star attraction had to be the red snapper, followed closely by the amberjack. Charter boats, party boats and private boats alike found snapper in pretty good numbers in depths ranging from 75′ to 200′, and the amberjack were mainly in 170′ or deeper. There were a few grouper caught, but the migratory push hasn’t quite shown up yet. There are, however, reports of them showing up off Jacksonville. Hopefully, they will be here soon.

With a little luck, this month will be the time for the grouper to show up and start the pre-spawn staging. Preceding the grouper, cobia should start to show in the 60′ to 130′ reefs and wrecks as well. The funny thing is that they can both just show up overnight, but more likely after a passing front. When they do show up, you’d better be ready. Like I always say, start fishing shallow and work out deeper ’till you find action. Also, you’ll want to have the usual variety of live and dead bait. If the water is dirty, you’ll be more likely to get more bites on dead bait. If it’s clean, the live bait will likely be the ticket. The smaller red snapper (chickens) will generally eat anything you put down, like dead sardines, squid and cut bait. The amberjack prefer the livies and jigs. And the grouper and larger snapper may fall for any of the above or nothing at all. Some days they can be frustrating and some days they’ll eat anything. Figure out what’s working that day and stick with it.

Though the snapper fishing was good, the overall star of December had to be the kingfish. If they were like piranhas, you wouldn’t be able to swim in the ocean. They showed up in the best numbers we’ve seen in recent years. Not only were they in great numbers, they were found from Cris Benson to the north down to the high bar outside Sebastian.

In January, look for the kingfish action to remain steady until the water temps drop below 68 degrees. Once the water on the inshore reefs drops below that, the schools will tighten up and start moving further south. Until that happens, they’ll remain in larger scattered schools. Try trolling spoons or plugs until you locate the fish, then slow-troll livies or spinnin’ minnows for fast action. The fish should be concentrated around the inshore reefs from 60′ to 90′. If they’re not on the reefs, they may be scattered inshore around bait schools. Watch the fish finder for bait marks and look for birds working to help you find the fish. Don’t be surprised to find a wahoo or blackfin lurking in with the kings.

As far as blue water trolling goes, there is very little to report. Those trolling put in a lot of time and effort for few fish. But if you like to just put out baits and drink beers, be my guest. There should be a few dolphin and an occasional wahoo or blackfin tuna. The best bet may still be the sailfish. Last month, boats reported seeing the spindlebeaks free-jumping in depths as shallow as 60′. Many were also seen in the dirtier green water. Ballyhoo and bally/lure combos still reign supreme.

So, take the new toys Santa brought you and put them to use. Oh, and I can tell you from personal experience that coal doesn’t make very good bait. Stick with something a little fishier.

Sea ya on the pond!