Offshore Fishing Report: November 2011
Capt. Scott Bussen

Well, it seemed as if it would never arrive and that the stifling heat would never end, but the fall weather has finally made its way into Central Florida!

For some people, it’s just a welcome climatological change, but for us fishermen, it’s so much more… Sure, the change in temperature is an awesome bonus, but every fisherman has a favorite reason to await the fall weather pattern. For some, it’s the opportunity to put away the fishing gear and concentrate on hunting for a while. For me, it’s the fact that falling mercury signals the start of some potentially red-hot fishing!

For all intents and purposes, each passing front should ratchet the fishing up a notch or two. For the bottom fishing, the dropping water temps should spur the grouper to start emulating their name. Not only will the fish start aggregating, they’ll also begin their annual fall/winter migration, so they should start to get more plentiful.

If last month was any indication, we could be in for a November to remember. Though things could be red hot, not everything will be a fall carnival. There will still be a of couple hurdles before reaching the finish line with a grouper dinner. The biggest hurdle will be the weather/water-condition combination. If the weather is calm enough to fish and the water conditions are good enough for the fish to feed, the second hurdle will be catching live bait. The larger pinfish have been hard to find, and if you do catch ‘em, they’re hard to keep in a pen for more than a couple of days. If you can get it all together on the right day, the fishing could be epic. But be ready to weed through some snapper and amberjack to get your prize.

Another pleasant surprise last month happened to be the trolling. The dolphin bite was on fire, the sailfish were plentiful, there were enough wahoo around to make things interesting, and a few tuna even made an appearance! There were boats that reported catching double-digit quantities of dolphin, multiple shots at sails, and more than a few wahoo. The dolphin were mostly smaller fish under 10 lbs., but the sheer quantity more than made up for the lack of size. There was a nice current break/edge with scattered weed that varied between 170′ and 260′ day to day. The best fishing was obviously along the edge, but there were fish scattered from the weather buoy on out.

If water conditions remain decent, the trolling could continue right through the month of November. At least with trolling you won’t have the bait hurdle to cross like the bottom fishermen! Good ol’ frozen ballyhoo will do the trick. For the sails and dolphin, try rigging the ballys on mono and fish them short, either next to, or immediately behind the teasers. For the wahoo, try the baits rigged on wire behind a lure like a Seawitch or Islander. Run the bait/lure combo deep, long or both. You may also want to try a plug like a Speedy or a magnum stretch Rapala fished on a medium flat line or the downrigger.

As far as kingfishing goes, last month was a bust. However, the aforementioned weather changes should impact the kingfish population in a positive manner in November. Much like the grouper, the kingfish will begin their fall migration soon. There are several differences between the two migrations, the biggest of which is the volume. Much like the red snapper over the last few years, the kingfish stock has grown exponentially. This stock explosion leads to the other major difference — the definition. Whereas the grouper schools tend to increase less noticeably, the kingfish show up en masse. One day there are just a few scattered fish, the next there are seemingly endless acres of them. These shoals of kings usually show up toward the latter part of the month and will generally hang around until after the New Year or until the water temps on the reef drop below 68 degrees. Try trolling spoons, plugs or Seawitch/mullet strip combos so you can cover some ground until the fish are located. Once you locate the fish, slow-trolled Spanish sardines should do the trick. Live bait will likely be an issue as the pogie pods usually pull offshore with the dropping water temps on the beach. Along with the kingfish, there should be a good chance at catching a cobia or blackfin tuna with an outside chance at a wahoo. The action will generally be concentrated on the reefs between 60′ to 90′, but sometimes the fish will be located off the reef in the sand.

So get your stuff lined up for that bluebird day after the front and get out there and get ‘em! Before it gets too cold…

See ya on the pond!

Offshore Fishing Report: September 2011
“Let There Be Mullet”
Captain Scott Bussen

Well, it’s getting to be that time of year again. Time for Mother Nature to turn the old snow globe upside down. The way the fishing has been, it’s probably a good idea anyway! We could use a little change.

The good thing about the changing weather is the annual fall mullet run. As the fall pattern starts to take effect, the mullet will start to school up and make their annual migration to the south. As this happens, predators up and down the East Coast will line up for their turn at the dinner table. In turn, we fishermen will line up to invite those predators to our dinner table.

Once the mullet start to show up, it’ll just be a matter of finding where the ambush points are. Points, jetties, piers, and current eddies will be the best places to start the hunt. Anywhere the baitfish tend to congregate will attract the snook, flounder, jacks, sharks, redfish, mangrove snapper, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel. The best bait will probably be the mullet; you can cast-net for them right where you’re fishing. The bottom feeding predators may require you to use a sliding sinker rig, while others may fall victim to a freelined bait. If you’re unable to catch live mullet, live shrimp or cut bait will do in a pinch. For those who prefer artificials, try to match the hatch. Use jigs, grubs or plugs that closely match the size of the baitfish in the area.

As far as offshore fishing goes this month, it’s going to be a matter of the snow globe settling. With the passing of Hurricane Irene, the water is pretty stirred up. In addition, it looks as if we’re going to get a swell from the passing of Katia, so it looks like the bottom fishing is going to be shut down for the beginning part of September.

If the water does clean up, the bottom fishing will likely be slow like it was in August. Also, there’s a good possibility that the whole place will be overrun with puppy sharks. The sharks actually eat very well, but they can be a huge pain in the ass when you’re trying to target bottom fish. If the water does clean up, try a variety of live and dead bait to find out what the grouper are feeding on. The aforementioned finger mullet will work well for the mangrove snapper, flounder, and sea bass on the reefs.

If the water is funky inshore, there may be a nice edge offshore to troll on. If this happens, the trolling in September could get hot. There have been some decent numbers of dolphin and wahoo around, so a good edge could concentrate the fish in a smaller area. Also, the fall weather should should start the sailfish migrating south just like the mullet. Naked ballyhoo rigged on mono will be the best bait for the sails and dolphin. Try a ballyhoo/lure combo for the wahoo. This is also the time of year we start to see some blackfin tuna, so keep your eyes peeled for anchored rock shrimpers. The tuna will be mixed in with bonito feeding on the shrimpers’ bycatch being discarded over the side.

Whatever the case, get out there and catch something before Old Man Winter shows up and wrecks the place!

See ya on the pond!

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: August 2011
Capt. Scott Bussen

Has anybody had about enough of the heat? Is it just too miserable to bear? Do you feel like you’re melting on the walk to your car? Are you continuously bitching about it to the people around you, even strangers? If so, maybe you should move back up north where you’ll have the same (or worse) heat in the summer and have to shovel truckloads of snow all winter.

The air temperature would probably average 7 to 8 degrees less if people weren’t constantly spewing their hot air, squawking about how hot it is! Also, is it just me, or does the summer heat bring out the “global warming” idiots? Apparently, either two of the coldest winters in years were just a fluke or these enviro-terrorists have problems with short-term memory. Morals of the story: 1. Don’t ask local Floridians if it’s “hot enough for ya, eh?” 2. Yes, we know it’s hot too, we just choose not to waste valuable energy talking about it. Possible solutions to the problem: 1. Tall glass of ice water. 2. Large pitcher of frosty margaritas or Ice Picks. 3. If you must be outdoors, locate an area of shade (use your iPhone app if necessary). 4. Stay indoors. 5. Move somewhere more climate suitable.

Speaking of funky weather, this was the first lobster sportsman’s season I can recall where the water was actually relatively warm and clean on the bottom. The pessimistic side of me tells me we are gonna have to pay for that. That optimistic side of me thinks we should enjoy it and not look the gift horse in the mouth. Then, the pessimist says to the optimist, “Wasn’t the Trojan horse a gift horse”? I’m really not crazy, it’s the heat…

Whatever the case, the water was nice and the lobstering was okay. Some people caught their limits of bugs while others only caught a few, but most people just enjoyed the tropical temperatures and good visibility. Not long after the mini-season, the water did get dirty on the bottom. Unfortunately, we are currently in the forecast path of a storm named Emily, so the likelihood of clean diving conditions for the opening of regular lobster season looks rather grim. The silver lining to the hurricane cloud is the fact it could send some lobsters marching up from down south. We’ll just have to wait for the water to clean up after the swell.

The bottom fishing last month showed a resemblance to the aforementioned swell after having been up and down all month long. Every trip was definitely a new adventure from the trip before. You could go one day and catch a bunch of amberjacks and a couple of grouper, then go the next day to the same general depth/area and hardly get a bite. As far as August goes, I would look for this pattern of randomness to continue. The only time this month there will be any predictability will be with the passing tropical systems. If a storm comes close enough or actually hits the coast, it will likely shut down the fishing for several days by murking up the water. Once the water cleans up enough, the grouper, snapper, and ajs will likely be fired up! Remember to bring plenty of live and dead bait, because the dirtier the water is, the more likely the fish will have to sniff out the dead bait. The groupers should be found from 120′ on out and the amberjacks should start in around 180′.

Keep in mind that the same dirty water affecting the bottom fishing will also negatively impact the slow trolling on the reefs. The kingfish bite was fairly steady last month and hopefully will continue into August, provided the water conditions don’t turn to caca. With the warm, clean surface water we’ve been having, live bait is a must. The fish have been finicky, so spend the extra time looking for the pogies or sardines. Mixed in with the kings should be an occasional wahoo, dolphin, or sailfish with the large likelihood of catching some bonito, barracuda, and sharks.

For the diehard trollers, last month was surprisingly good for the month of July. There were several good catches of dolphin with more than an occasional wahoo and sail. Expect much of the same in August providing the water doesn’t get turned upside down. The one bonus to passing storms is that when things start to get back to normal, there can be a nice edge where the water cleans up from the dirty stuff to blue. This is great for concentrating the fish that are typically scattered out. There should be a pretty fair chance to box a few dolphin and/or wahoo with the possibility for a sail, or maybe even a blackfin tuna.

Whatever the case, get out there and get ‘em before the heat is gone. ‘Cause when the heat is gone, the wind is gonna start blowin’.

See ya on the pond!

Scott

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: July 2011
Capt. Scott Bussen

It’s that time of year again. That’s right, fireworks time! Why is it that we like to celebrate our nation’s independence by attempting to blow off our own appendages? You know it’s only fun and games until somebody gets hurt… Then it’s just fun. The problem with July is the fact that Mother Nature likes to join in the festivities via her own fireworks! She likes to play with sparklers that are slightly more dangerous. It’s time for the afternoon hurricanes again. Oh yeah! Can’t wait!!

Although Mother Nature may not always cooperate, there are still some viable options to catch some decent action in July. Due to the fact that the thunderstorms generally move in early, slow trolling live bait on the beach is often the best bet this month. The pogies should be readily available and the fish shouldn’t be far from them. You can expect to catch jacks, tarpon, sharks, bonito, and barracuda. In addition to some good action, you can remain close enough to shore to beat the afternoon boomers should they pop up.

If you plan on trolling, get offshore early. The fishing will be generally slow and spotty, but there will still be a few fish around. Trolled ballyhoo should account for the usual cast of suspects like dolphin, wahoo, sails, and kingfish. Pack plenty of ice, ’cause the heat makes it tough to keep the beers cold!

As far as bottom fishing goes, we’ll be at the mercy of the Labrador Currents bringing the coldwater thermocline. There are a few fish around, but the chilly temps make the fishing tough. When the water is too cold the fish get dormant and eat rarely. You could probably sink the boat with red snapper, but that story is a broken record. Although the grouper bite will be slow, the amberjacks may still cooperate from the 27-fathom ridge out to ten-ones and deep wrecks. Large live baits will be beat, but vertical jigs should work too. On the inshore reefs and wrecks you may be able to find some mangrove snapper suspended above the cold water. Fish live or cut bait on fluorocarbon leader to get the most bites.

As for slow trolling the inshore stuff, last month was definitely hit or miss. One day the kings would chew the transom off, the next they’d be nearly impossible to find. On the when days they were biting, it was as good as it gets. The fish were mostly average 8- to 12-pounders, but there were some fish caught upwards of 30 lbs.

As for July, I would look for the trend to continue with the possibility of some bigger animals showing up. Pogies have been relatively easy to find south of the Port down to the steeple in Cocoa Beach. Remember not to overload your livewell so the baits remain in shape. The livelier the bait, the more likely it will get bit. Number 4 trebles on nos. 3 or 4 wire should do the trick.

Whatever you plan to go after, get out early so you can beat Mother Nature’s finest in the afternoon!

See ya on the pond!

Well, with the passing of Memorial Day Weekend I guess we can officially kick off the summer season. Does that mean I can wear white, or can I not wear white? Aw, to hell with it… I’ll just wear the Floridian tuxedo: white t-shirt, board shorts, visor, and flip flops! It almost makes me feel sorry for the 9-to-5 ham-and-eggers wearing the shirt-and-tie business attire. But, then again, they are probably working in air conditioning. Oh well, I’ve tried that before and I always end up back on the ocean. It reminds me of one of the four basic rules of finance: “Risk, return, trade-off.” I guess that in my situation, the financial gain was never worth the trade-off.

Speaking of risk, return, trade-off, it’s getting to be time to start watching for those afternoon boomers. If you’re gonna be fishing out in the deep blue, keep a close eye on the weather or plan on getting back home in the mid-afternoon. Either way, don’t forget the foul weather gear.

The best option with the least risk for weather ruining the day will be fishing the beach. This time of year, the near-shore waters like the bouy line area and waters within 5 miles of the beach can offer both excellent action and close proximity to safe areas when threatened by inclement weather. Live bait has been relatively easy to come by and is a necessity for beach fishing. Sometimes the action will be in the immediate vicinity of the bait; sometimes you may have to move a bit farther offshore to find clean water. Once the right area is found, you can expect to catch kings, cobia, jacks, tarpon, bonito, sharks, and barracuda. Just slow-troll the pogies on stinger rigs and get ready for some fast action. In the event live bait cannot be found, dead sardines with dusters may entice some action, but not nearly as much as the live bait.

If you’re a bit of the gambler type and would like to take your chances offshore, this month the returns could definitely outweigh the risks. By the looks of things, the spotty trolling in May should continue into June.Though a little hit or miss, there were some pretty nice dolphin caught last month; not a ton of really big fish like years past, but some quality animals. I’m not sure why, but I have a feeling that we should see some decent trolling for at least the first part of this month. Hopefully, along with the scattered dolphin, we will see a few more wahoo and sailfish than we did in May. The standard ballyhoo and ballyhoo/lure combos should adorn the trolling spread.

As far as the bottom fishing goes, I’m not sure what to say except, “HEY NOAA, LET US KEEP SOME F#$%ING RED SNAPPERS, YOU A-HOLES!” It’s sad to say that NOAA has successfully turned the American red snapper into a nuisance fish akin to a remora. At least some of our representatives and legislators are finally coming around and putting their foot down on Jane Lubchenko’s neck. For the first time in a while, there’s a glimmer of hope that we may be able to keep red snapper in the not-so-distant future. In the meantime, we’ll just have to keep weeding through the trash to catch a few grouper and amberjack.

Speaking of grouper and amberjack, the bite in May was what I would consider middle of the road, with the ajs biting a bit better than the groupers. If the water would warm up a bit, the action could heat up right with it. From what I’ve seen on the bottom machine, I think there are a fair number of fish out there, but the cool water is preventing them from feeding heavily. When conditions do improve, I would expect to see some excellent action. Live bait should work well, but be sure to stock up on larger baits as the endangerd snapper will likely eat many of the smaller ones. Dead bait and vertical jigs will also take their fair share of fish too. Most of the bottom action will be from the 23-fathom ridge on out to the deeper waters.

Make sure to pack the foul weather gear and get out there and get ‘em!

See ya on the pond!

It’s kinda sad when May is upon us and I’m not the least bit excited about the start of grouper season.

Unfortunately, we’re saddled with water that’s too cold for the fish to bite and too dirty to dive for ‘em! Hopefully this situation won’t last too long and we will be able to catch a few before they become scarce for the summer. There should still be plenty around; we just need some clean, warm water to push the other garbage water out.

When the conditions do improve, live bait will be best bet to get bit. You’re gonna want to have some larger livies too, as the endangered American red snapper will likely eat you out of house and home and boat. The fish start to pull offshore this time of year, so most of the action will be from the 21-fathom ridge out to the cones. There should also be some amberjack starting around the 27-fathom area on out to the deep wrecks and cones.

The live baiting on the inshore reefs was a little spotty last month. One day the fishing was as good as it gets; the next day you would struggle just to catch a handful. The bright spot was that there was a nice mixed bag on the good days. Mixed in with the kings were a few blackfin tuna and dolphin, plenty of bonito and an occasional wahoo, cobia or sailfish.

This month you can expect more of the same spotty fishing but toward the end of the month, the kings should start to get more dependable. Also, some time this month, we should see a few days when the larger (15lbs and up) kings show up on 8A or Cris Benson in big numbers. Typically, these schools show up for a few days while they migrate south to Jupiter to spawn in May. When they’re here, the fishing is unbelievable, so don’t miss it.

The hit-or-miss thing was contagious with the dolphin fishing in April, too. There were a few catches you needed two hands to count, but the majority were fewer than five. The water out on the edge of the Gulf Stream was a funky green color, which made the trolling not so good. Many of the scattered fish were caught by live baiters fishing on the reef. Most of the fish were small gaffers and bailers, but there were a few caught in the 20s and 30s.

The trolling in May is going to be a waiting game, much like the bottom fishing. The nasty green water needs to give way to some purple Gulf Stream stuff. Once conditions improve and the edge forms up proper, you trollers should be in for the green and gold of May.

Once the moon and stars do align, rigging ballyhoo should be the order of the day. Naked swimmers should be rigged on mono and fished tight to the teasers and the wash. Rig a couple with wire-on lures for the long baits and the downrigger. With the dolphin, there should be a good probability of a wahoo, sailfish and/or blackfin tuna as well.

So whatchya waitin for? Get out and take Mom fishing!

See ya on the pond!

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: April 2011
Capt. Scott Bussen

Not really sure what to say about last month except, “Holy cobia!”

It’s rare when you get the fish and weather to cooperate like they did in March. It was almost as if we won the cobia fishing lottery. I honestly can’t remember a March where we had such beautiful weather and such reliable cobia fishing. It will definitely be something to look back on during the upcoming summer doldrums. But let’s not look that far ahead; there’s still the upcoming dolphin season followed by a bit of grouper fishing.

There may also still be hope for more cobia in April, too. As I sit down to write this column (late on the deadline as usual), there’s a strong current pushing the cold water south back down the beach. This could prolong the cobia run well into April if this cold eddy stays around for a bit. Fortunately, it happened just as the fish seemed to be making the move north around the Cape. There also seem to be more manta rays than ever this year, and the south current could keep them here. The trick will be finding the 68- to 72-degree water with weed edges, rays, bait pods, color changes, free-swimming cobia and/or any combination of the latter. Jigs have been working well, but when the fish get snooty, a frisky live bait should do the trick.

Another bright spot last month was the early arrival of some dolphin. The size and numbers were nothing crazy, but it’s awful early to start seeing them… Could this be a big year for the ‘phins? Being slightly gravity challenged, I’m not going to go out on the limb just yet… I’m just saying that I’m cautiously optimistic.

The strong south current that may help the cobia fishing is not exactly what a dolphin fisherman wants to see, but there is a silver lining associated with the cold green water. Somewhere offshore, there should be a pretty amazing edge where the southbound green water meets the warm blue water of the northbound Gulf Stream. This could be a troller’s dream if things line up properly, but keep in mind that theory is not always reality. When you do find the Yellow Brick Road to troller heaven, have some ballyhoo rigged on mono and some rigged with lure combinations. Along with the dolphin, there should be a pretty good chance of a sailfish or wahoo, too.

But wait, there’s more… As if all that hope and promise weren’t enough, the kingfish showed up on the reef again. Toward the middle/end of last month, there were several days that the kings were as good as it gets on Pelican Flats. The only problem is that the influx of cold green water will likely shut that bite down for a while. But when conditions improve on the inshore reefs and wrecks, look for the kings to fire right back up. The live pogies have been relatively easy to come by, but spinning minnows will do the trick in a pinch.

I really should be more careful, this article sounds way too optimistic. I guess I’d better prepare myself for the taste of flip flops and the look of donkey ears…

See ya on the pond!!!

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: March 2011
Captain Scott Bussen

I don’t mean to step on Bloody Bill’s toes, but I just have to say … What the hell is going on with all the sharks around here?

I’m afraid to rinse my hands over the side of the boat anymore! It was bad enough that over the last few years the population of Atlantic sharpnose sharks has bloomed like the ocean was full of fertilizer. They’ve gotten so bad that some days you can’t even bottom fish for snapper, grouper, and amberjack. They’re actually quite good table fare, so next time you’re fishing take home one to eat. Not to mention they’re one of a few things you can take out of the ocean to eat anymore.

However menacing, the sharpnose is not my purpose for mentioning the shark population. What concerns me more than anything is the proliferation of larger pelagic species of shark. Over my past two decades diving and bottom fishing offshore Port Canaveral, I’ve had very few interactions with sharks. … That is, until the last couple of years. Much like the near coastal sharpnose, the bull shark and the sandbar shark have both had recent population explosions. Where several years ago it was almost unheard of to have a shark take a hooked fish, today it’s a commonplace occurrence. Sometimes you’ll have to leave a spot because the sharks will eat every one you hook.

That’s not the end of it, either. The hammerheads are far more abundant than I’ve ever seen. Almost every day I kingfished since Thanksgiving I’ve seen at least one hammerhead; some days, several. They are not quite the nuisance the sandbars are, but once and a while, they will snag one of the kings.

The blacktips and spinner sharks can’t be left out of the equation either. Some days you can see them jumping all around the boat. My concern with these is, much like the bull, that they’ll patrol the surfline when the bait is on the beach.

Last but not least, sitting atop both the food chain and my list, is the elusive great white shark. Some of you may wonder why I mention this beast, while others might share my concern. Just recently, with the arrival of the whales, manta rays, and cobia, there have been several confirmed sightings of great whites. Some of you might call bull sh@#, as I might have, had I not had seen them with my own eyes. It is possible that the half dozen or more sightings were of the same animal, because everybody has estimated it to be between 14- and 16-feet long! Personally, I have a feeling that there’s more than one of the beasts roaming our waters! What’s really scary is the fact that most of the sightings have been within 12 miles of Port Canaveral and some within 4 miles of the shoreline!

The bottom line of it all is this.: Be ready for more shark attacks this year than ever before. When you do get bit, remember to thank the National Marine Fisheries Service for not letting the shark fishermen to do their jobs!

If you want to try fishing this month, go sight fishing for cobia. Catch one before they take those away too! Start by finding some water around 67 degrees or higher. Look for fishy areas like weedlines, birds working bait, large bait pods, or temperature breaks. The Holy Grail is finding the floating cobia hotels called manta rays. Once found, most people will cast jigs tipped with squid to the cruising cobia. If there’s a pod of fish, you’re sure to hook the non-keeper fish first, as they’re the fastest and least cautious. Have another rod rigged with a jig or a live bait, because sometimes the larger fish will follow the hooked fish. Almost anything live will work, but make sure to have some bigger baits, as the little fish will eat anything.

Get out there while the getting’ is good. And, oh, and be careful what you dangle over the side. You never know what’s lurking! Keep your camera handy in case you encounter Jaws.

See ya on the pond!!

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: February 2011
By Captain Scott Bussen

By the time you read this, the month of January will have come and gone. This, of course, means most of us have realized that our New Year’s resolutions have already been broken like so many Christmas toys. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we think that a new year is a new start that requires us to saddle ourselves with the burden of extra rules to follow? You know what they say about rules. That’s why, if I do make a resolution, I try and break it before 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve. There’s no sense in prolonging the agony with the anticipation of how long it will last. This year I think I have it figured it out: I resolved to stop procrastinating. At 12:01, I said to myself, “That can wait.” Problem solved. So, if any one asks, that’s the reason this article held up the printing of this fine periodical — again.

Speaking of resolutions, it appears that the National Marine Fisheries Service has renewed its resolve to try and stop all fishing, both commercial and recreational. It’s getting to be where you’ll need a laptop computer linked up with a satellite to determine what type of fish you can and can’t keep. Get involved and help the fight before your rights to the ocean are taken away by the NMFS and the dirtbag environmentalists driving them. I think the driving force behind this mythical “global warming” is all the hot air and manure the environmentalists are spewing up into the atmosphere!

Without our staple bottom fishing, February is going to be a tough month offshore. There should still be the usual amberjack and stringer fish. The bonus to the colder winter waters is that the sea bass bite much better, and there seem to be larger numbers of them this time of year. There should also be some triggerfish, porgies, lane, and yellowtail snappers mixed in with the bass. The “big fish” excitement may not be there, but the table fare is awesome. In addition, all the action may attract a curious cobia. Number 2- to 2/0-hooks with squid or cut bait on a chicken rig will do the trick. It’s certainly not big game fishing, but the action is fast. The amberjack will be found on the reefs and wrecks from 27 fathoms out to the cones. Be sure to try and take some larger live baits, as the snapper have become quite the nuisance in a large number of spots. The bigger baits should eliminate most of the snapper interference, but be prepared to release a few grouper if you do go jack fishing.

The kingfishing this month will rely solely on water temperature. If the temps on the inshore reefs climbs back to 70 or above, the fish may move back into our area. Otherwise, they will likely stay in the region between Fort Pierce and West Palm. If they do show back up in our waters, they will likely be in fairly large schools. Once found, the action should be fast and furious. If available, live baits will rule, but slow-trolled sardines will work just fine too. Also mixed in with the kings will be an occasional cobia, loner wahoo, and plenty of little tunny.

Speaking of cobia, for the last couple years February has been the month when we started seeing them, both free-swimming and on manta rays. Look for inshore color changes, weedlines or current edges with a temperature range from 68-70 degrees. Sometimes, the free-swimmers will be found around visible bait pods or areas holding large amounts of bait on the bottom. For bait, most people will use a 1- to 2- oz. jig tipped with a bit of squid. For the finicky fish, a live bait or live eel should be kept in ready mode.

As far as trolling goes, it’ll be somewhat of a shot in the dark. There should still be a few bites, but the action will likely not be red hot by any means. The key will be finding water with some semblance of a blue color. Once a suitable looking area is found, you should be just as likely to get a sailfish bite as you are a dolphin or wahoo. Standard ballyhoo and ballyhoo/lure combos should be employed.

Whatever the case, get out and enjoy the water!

See ya on the pond!

Well, it’s a brand new year. So why does everything feel the same as it did in 2010?

I guess I’m going to renew my resolution to stop procrastinating for the coming year. It worked so well before… I mean, I’m only two weeks past the deadline writing this article. Either the editor is a glutton for punishment or just a really nice guy, ‘cuz my ass should have been canned a loooong time ago. If I had to lay odds, I’d say he is a little of both, but I’m lucky my ramblings aren’t printed on note cards and stuffed into the paper like a subscription renewal card in a magazine. Next month I’ll have it done on time, I swear!

One good thing to celebrate for the new year is the fact that we dodged the large area closure alternative in Amendment 17a. Unfortunately, we are still unable to retain the elusive red snapper. On the subject of S.S.D.D., how can the NMFS data be so far off on the red snapper populations? The recent stock assessment allowed them to drop the large area closure, but we are still not allowed to fish for red snapper? I call bullsh*t! I think they’re just covering their asses while pissing on our heads and telling us it’s raining. Time for a change…

Although we are allowed to fish, there’s not a whole lot you can do bottom fishing. The red snapper are going to be closed for what looks like at least two more years and the grouper are closed through April. That leaves us with amberjack and bucket fish. By bucket fish I mean sea bass, triggerfish, and assorted snappers that are not on the endangered species list. The amberjack should be scattered from 27 fathoms on out the cones and deep wrecks. Both live bait and jigs should work well for these arm stretchers. If you want to have some fun on the reefs from 23 fathoms inshore to 60′, try downsizing your tackle and filling a bucket full of little guys. Try using a spinning rod and a chicken rig with a 1/0 to 3/0 hook and a small strip of cut bait. Besides black bass and triggers, you might catch some porgies and lane or yellowtail snappers.

The best bets for the month of January will also be found on the inshore reefs. The kingfish bite in December was blistering, and conditions permitting, January should bring much of the same. Troll plugs or spoons until the fish are located, then switch to slow-trolled live bait or frozen sardines. Once you find the fish, your limit will come in a hurry. Mixed in and around the kings, you have a good chance of catching a cobia, blackfin tuna, or a wahoo. Also, while fishing inshore, keep an eye out for manta rays. They have been hanging inshore of the reef on temperature breaks, color changes, and around bait pods. If you see one, be ready with the jig or live bait, because chances are he’s loaded with cobia.

If you prefer to troll for sportfish, your best bet is going to be the sailfish. The hotspot as of late seems to be the area southeast of the Port and northeast of Sebastian Inlet between 140′ and 200′. Naked ballyhoo trolled in close proximity to a mullet dredge should do the trick. In addition to the sails, there’s a good chance to catch a dolphin, wahoo, or blackfin tuna. If you want to target wahoo, use a lure/ballyhoo combo rigged on a wire leader. Troll this rig way back on the shotgun or down on the downrigger.

Gotta go so I can start writing next month’s article…

See ya on the pond!!

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: December 2010

By Captain Scott Bussen

Last month, I said I had that old familiar feeling of déjà vu. Well, it’s happening again. Only thing is that this time, I don’t think I can call it the same feeling. It seems it’s more like déjà vu in the middle of déjà vu; kinda like looking into two opposing mirrors, or filming a television with the camera in front of the TV. There’s this story about a rabbit hole, but I’m already too dizzy to attempt the recollection. It all boils down to the fact that I had to open my big trap about the unbelievable weather in October. I mean, what did I think would happen, that the weather and the fishing would continue to be glorious? Delusion, Florida. Population: One. Maybe it’s time to move back to Optimism City and get my head out of the clouds. But my flip-flops don’t make any sound when I click the heels together…

I’m not even going to attempt the weather forecast… though it is the only job in which you can be wrong every day and still get a paycheck. (That is, the only job besides writing a fishing forecast…) The only thing that’s a given is the fact that some cold fronts should pass through this month. When they do, the wind will blow and the ocean will get rough for a few days. Hopefully, they will not come at us back-to-back-to-back, and there will be three or more days of awesome bluebird weather between the fronts. These are the days you have to be ready to take advantage of, as they will seldom coincide with the weekend.

When the weather does cooperate, the kingfish should be the best bet. Last month, the migrating schools started to show up, and there should be plenty more to follow. The kings will be located on a variety of inshore reefs and wrecks from 60′ to 120′. If the ocean has been blown out for a few days, it may take a while to find the schooling kings. Try trolling plugs, spoons or seawitch/strip combos until the fish are located. Once the fish are found, switch to live bait or frozen sardines for some fast action. Once located, it should be fairly easy to catch a limit and move on to something else. There also may be a blackfin tuna or cobia mixed in with the kings.

December is usually a darn good month for bottom fishing. The grouper should start moving into shallower water and grouping up for the coming spawning closure. Catch ‘em before the end of the month. They will be found from 60′ on out to the cones. They should also be receptive to a variety of live and dead bait. If you’re fishing inside 130′, there is a good possibility of a cobia sighting, so keep the jig rod handy. In addition, the amberjack should be a good bet from 170′ out to 280′. Live bait will be the best offering, but deep jigs and vertical jigs will do the job too.

If trolling is your gig, the second piece to your puzzle will be finding suitable water for trolling. If I had to lay odds on the fishing, I would say the odds of catching a dolphin versus the odds of catching a sailfish are about even money. Wahoo and blackfin tuna will come in at about two-to-one. As far as bait goes, naked ballyhoo on mono and ballyhoo/lure combos will be the safe bet.

Whatever you do, when the wind starts slacking off, be ready to roll!

You never know when NMFS is going to change the Atlantic into a petting-only zone. Be sure and check if you are allowed to fish before you waste your time.

See ya on the pond!

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: November 2010
By Captain Scott Bussen

We’ve all had that feeling of déjà vu. I only mention it because it’s hitting me like a freight train as I sit down and put pen to paper. The feeling is unmistakable; I’ve definitely felt this before…

But before you chime in, no, it’s not a hangover or the euphoria that precedes the hangover! It’s more like the Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde thing, or turning into a werewolf. The ears start to get long and floppy, the teeth start to grow, and suddenly, an ordinary charter boat captain looks like a jackass chewing on a flipflop! EEEEYAAAW! It’s Halloween, and I’ve got my own personalized costume. Sweet!

This is one time that I don’t mind being in this predicament. There I was last month, spouting about lousy weather in October. We rarely fish at all, I said. October was the archenemy of offshore fishing, I said. Well, thank you Mother Nature for the heaping helping of crow. It was delicious. Guess I shoulda taken my own advice and kept my good eye on the telescope, ‘cause there was some sort of moon-star-earth alignment. It was probably the best October weather I can recall. The fishing didn’t quite shine as bright as the weather, but who cares when more than half of the month was fishable?

The bottom fishing last month continued to be steady and fairly reliable. The amberjack remained the given, and more than a few grouper made an appearance. For November, if sea conditions remain favorable, expect much of the same. The jacks should be a good bet on live bait from the 27-fathom ridge on out to the cones. If a few more cold fronts sweep through, we can expect the grouper bite to turn on a bit more. The grouper start to migrate south as the winter season approaches. They may be found as close as the 80′-reefs and wrecks, but chances are, they will be scattered from the 21-fathom ridge on out. Try using a variety of dead and live bait as the grouper’s preference can change daily.

The October kingfishing was pretty good, too. The fish were caught from 60′ on out to 150′ on both live and dead bait. Sometime in November, there should be a decided upturn in the kingfish concentrations, as the fish migrate south with the baitfish. When the fish do show up, slow-trolled dead bait should bring all the action you could want. The trick will be finding out where the schools are hanging out. The most likely areas will be the natural reefs from 60′ to 90′. Try trolling plugs, spoons or seawitch/strip-bait combos until the fish are located, then switch to the king rigs. Cobia often travel with the kingfish, so keep the jig rod handy.

The trolling bite last month was surprisingly good. Dolphin were relatively abundant, the sailfish were more than cooperative, and there were enough wahoo and blackfin tuna around to make things interesting. With a little luck, this could carry right through November, though I expect the sailfish to take center stage. Try naked ballyhoo trolled on mono rigs for the ‘phins and sails. Ballyhoo/lure combos will account for the bulk of the wahoo, and the tuna will likely be the wild card on either rig.

Keep your fingers crossed for some good weather…

See ya on the pond!

Well, I’m not exactly sure where to start.

We find ourselves at the beginning of the fall season, and squarely into the month I would consider to be the archenemy of offshore fishing. Looking back on Octobers of years past, five or six days offshore would have been a banner month. It’s not that I mean to sound negative, it’s just a simple fact that the weather this month is less than tailor-made for the bluewater enthusiast. There is, however, a silver lining, and it’s composed entirely of silver mullet. That’s right: It’s time for the fall mullet run.

The fronts and the inclement weather associated with them may be a nemesis to some fishermen, but to others they are clouds sent from heaven. Although we rarely see drastic temperature changes associated with the first few fronts, the winds and changes in barometric pressure pull the trigger on the annual mullet migration. In turn, the changing climate and the abundance of baitfish trigger the predatory fish to feed like bears before hibernation. The beauty of the whole situation is that it all happens within reach of anybody who has access to ground transportation and a fishing rod.

The best areas to fish will be where the bait tends to congregate due to obstacles. Piers, inlets, jetties, docks, and current eddies create both an obstacle for the bait and ambush places for the predators. The mullet should be clearly visible just under the surface of the water. In addition, the snook, jacks, tarpon, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and sharks should be visible as they slash through or bust the schools of bait. Down below the mullet there will likely be some flounder, redfish, and mangrove snapper. Probably the best and easiest method to fish this madhouse is with a sliding sinker rig and a live mullet. If the sinker rig doesn’t work well, try freelining a livey without the weight. Depending on your personal target species, you may or may not need a wire leader. If you want to keep it simple, skip dragging all the extra equipment for live bait and cast some artificials. Jigs, soft-tail plastics, and mullet-shaped lures will all do the trick, but remember to try and match the hatch. Lures closely resembling the bait schools you’re fishing for should yield the best results. If you really want to go the “beer-n-beachchair” route, try some cut mullet on the slide-sinker bottom rig. This way, you can fish with the fishing rod in one hand and a beer in the other.

If you’re severely determined to get offshore, you’re going to need a telescope. Just watch the sky at night till the moon and stars align with heaven and earth. Seriously though, it’s a crap shoot this month. Typically, it’s gonna be rough for several days or weeks at a time. When it does calm down, the water offshore will likely be very dirty and will require several days to clean up. Should the proper conditions align enough to go fishing, the fishing could be just fine.

If last month was any indication, there should be amberjack and a few grouper from the 27-fathom ledge out to the cones. The inshore reefs and wrecks out to the 21-fathom ridge should be holding some mangrove snappers, seabass, triggerfish, and a few grouper. Most of the grouper and amerjack will be caught on some sort of live bait, like pinfish. Cut bait and Spanish sardines will do the trick on most of the others. If the water is dirty, dead bait will get most of the bites because the fish will be feeding by sense of smell.

If trolling is your gig, expect to roll the dice too. If you’re able to get out and find clean water, October is a very good month to catch a sailfish. The fall season pushes the sails to migrate south for the winter. Naked ballyhoo rigged on mono is probably the number-one bait to troll for the sails. Fish the baits relatively close to the boat’s wash and the teasers. Dolphin and blackfin tuna may be a good bet with the sails, too.

Whatever the case… Roll the dice and throw your hat in the ring! You can’t catch ‘em if you don’t try!

See ya on the pond!

I recently had to take a couple of days off to clear my DVR. It was almost at 97%; what other option was there?

It’s not like the shows will be shown again later on! Whatever the case, after a couple of hours of forensic science and cop shows, I end up at that show about whaling or saving whales, however you see it. Thanks to the environmentalists’ saddling and bridling of the NMFS like a Mexican burro, my tolerance for the enviro movement is nil. Did anyone else cheer when the Shonan Maro 2 smashed into the Ady Gil? I laughed, I cheered… Hell, I shed a tear… in laughter. That was by far the highlight of my 12-hour couch trip, TV-a-thon! It’s not that I’m pro-whaling, it’s just that I’m anti-enviro. The more I see of these people, the less I like about them. Just take the word “environ-mental-ist” for example. As you can see, without rearranging letters, mental is as much a majority of the word as it is in the movement. Need I say more?

Okay, if you say so.

In my estimation, there are two kinds of environmentalists. There’s the 99-percenter and the 1-percenter. Of these, the 99-percenter is by far the worst, both ethically and morally. The 99-percenter is the wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing capitalist who finds a cause to exploit to the 1-percenter and other bleeding heart types who believe everything the media tells them. The 99-percenter uses a cause they don’t give a crap about to keep the cash flowing in the direction of their cause, which is more than likely their own pockets. Like the good capitalists they are, they use that money to further manipulate the media, governmental agencies, and general public to solicit more support for” the cause.” Hey, I just noticed that governmental ends in mental, too… Correlation? You bet! In case you missed the point, I’m saying that 99% of environmentalists are both morally and ethically bankrupt. They find a cause, use propaganda in the media to sway the public, then ride the wave all the way to the bank!

On the other hand, there’s the 1-percenter. The 1-percenters actually believe in the cause they support. It’s admirable, but unfortunately, in my estimation, often driven by mental instability and fueled by the propaganda spewed by the 99-percenters. Which brings us back to the War of the Whales…

Hooray for the Shonan Maru 2! (Sorry, couldn’t help it!) Seriously though, if you watch the show, you may see some of my theory in action. Very few of the 99-percenters appear on the show; they remain in the shadows counting the TV royalties and donations. The 1- percenters remain on center stage willing to die for the whales. Really? How much good can you do for the whales if you’re dead? That’s just mental! “… Here lies so-and-so. He died in vain so a whale could later be harpooned and eaten in Japan.” Not on my tombstone. I just don’t see the draw. It should probably say: “Here lies so-and-so. He was a sheep. Baah, baah.”

Speaking of sheep, the water on the bottom is freezing and the sheephead are feasting on the lobsters. When the water approaches the mid-50s, the lobster can hardly defend themselves. It makes them easy targets for the hardier packs of sheephead roaming the reef. If you’re lobster diving anytime soon, spear a couple of sheeps for the cause.

Unfortunately, the cold water has negatively impacted much of what we fish for offshore. The bottom fishing last month was poor, except for a few areas where the amberjack and mangrove snappers rose above the thermocline to feed. In addition, the pelagic reef fish like kings and cobia were very sporadic due to the lack of bait on the reefs. The cold water sends the sardines, cigar minnows and greenies looking for warmer conditions.

As far as bottom fishing goes for August, we will be at the mercy of the thermocline. Typically, by mid or late month the cold will be gone. As long as it stays cold, look for the fishing to be rather slow. The key will be finding areas where the fish are holding above the cold layer. If you can find them up in the water, the mangroves will bite both Spanish sardines and small live baits. You will have to fish flourocarbon leader and may have to go as light as 20#. Fish with as heavy of a leader as they will bite, because they tend to run straight to the wreck when hooked. If you find the amberjacks in mid-water, large live baits will work best, but they may fall victim to speed jigs also. Chances are, when fishing for either mangos or ajs, the elusive red snapper will eat you alive!

The live baiting on the reef this month will likely remain sporadic. To put together a decent day, you may have to try several different areas. Just keep moving around until you can find a little action. Your best action will likely be a few kings and bonito, but a cobia is always a good bet too. You should probably expect to catch a few sharks and barracuda also.

I must go now to formulate a plan to make the cold-water upwellings my new cause.

Wanted: Sheep to support my cause.

See ya on the pond!

Baah… Baah…

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!