Islamorada Daisy Chain, Tarpon on a Roll!

Rick & Mikey Mandrel Angling for Tarpon

The crisp morning westerly breeze slipped across our faces, as we headed out of Islamorada in search of the annual migration of the Silver Kings, Florida Tarpon! Rick & Mikey Mandrel, his son age ten, were eager to get out on a father, son fishing trip and experience the thrill of angling in the Florida Keys together. During April through May, Tarpon can be found migrating both north and south along the banks off the coastline, throughout the Florida Keys. Tarpon fishing really begins to heat up in April, as these migratory fish show in increasing numbers. Crabs and live mullet are the baits of choice. Yesterday, we were using live crabs as our offerings to the Silver Gods. Up on the flats, there too are plenty of tarpon, bonefish and still some permit being taken but our sights were on the Kings. These overgrown, herring-like fish, show up in good numbers, this time of year and as the waters warm up, so too will the Tarpon, both in bites to numbers. READ MORE..........

Cape Canaveral Cobia Final Florida

Rat Reds to Ling on a Guess (Florida Cobia)

Red rat tides as the birds flew by, in search of a feisty fishy dinner, as we scooted around the point coming out of Gasparilla boat ramp, just this side of the causeway to Boca Grande. All through out Boca Grand Channel up through the old docks, great schools of scaled sardines, greenbacks to glass minnows boiled the greenish blue waters with a magnitude of birds dropping from above. Osprey, hawks, Bald Eagles, the Floridian Air Brigade ( Pelicans in dive bomb formation), all in picking meals to treats to eat; only thing missing was the big fish below, they either were on a diet or not there at all!

We tried shrimp under a cork and fed the cats. Switched to a soft jerk bait, in a creme color with an 1/16 ounce Eagle Claw worm hook, for giggles, cast it out and ever so lightly twitched it on the count of three on every drop and catching specks like bees to honey. All fell in the range of 14 to 14 1/2 inches but was a lot of fun. Just before dark, we decided, again to mix it up and threw out floating stick baits by Bass Pro, XLT series and trolled them behind the canoe on speed three of my Motor Guide, 30 pound thrust trolling motor, as the sun was beginning to get a bit lower in the sky and we had miles to go, to get back to the ramp, before dark.

Each time we chunked out the baits, they were slammed by Under-slot Reds in the 15 inch class. Edwin had two break-off, probably because he was angling without a leader and fishing light...six pound test, duh, but the fights to leaps were spectacularly expensive in loosing lures on almost every cast to a fish. I went back to my original set up only this time, I figured as long as we are playing with Bass lures, why not skip a 6 inch Zoom green lizard across the top as we needed to hook it up and get it in. Wham, bam, we saw the fish for a split second before it just about spooled my reel, as we turned in chase. This guy was swimming faster and in more direction than I could do, to keep up with it. As it took us in to the shallows, the props jammed up, rod bent and that really sweet Cobia just smiled to “POP” and swam away.

Think I'll try me some more lizards next time, I mean, maybe it looks like an eel to them Ling. I do not know but I know what I'm fishing with later this week; care to guess? “FISH ON!”

Crabby Permit on a Drift, The Keys, Florida

Knowing that we had a storm a brewing off the coast meant the words I preach the most to all who fish the inshore to offshore, keep an eye on the sky because it can make the difference between a good day out on the water or a bad day at sea where it could cost you more than it was worth. Listening to the marine channels, eye to the sky and the bait well full of crabs, Tamara & Christopher Stevens from New Jersey were with me for a quick outing out for a morning ride in search of Permit. The turquoise colored chop across the bow was a wonderful feeling as we headed out of Islamorada, Florida, gilding out at a moderate speed along Shell Key, a bit or patch of rock bottom came up and a quick pull back onto the throttle, we began a circling of the wagon in search of a cast to offer. Armed with an Ohero rod & reel on Green Braid with an attached 20lb fluorocarbon leader, Christopher Stevens cast out his live crab for a slow back drift. I prefer spinners when I am slow trolling or drifting baits with clients looking for big Permits. As we were about to pass the rocky patch, sign of a big one was just to my starboard side, so that is what we tried first. First try, first cast and first hungry Permit on the first bite of the morning and not bad either considering that ominous frontal line way off in the distance, looming across the Gulf of Mexico with plenty of rain and blow! 

The Permit swam right up under the bait and  

READ MORE:

Last chance to STOP gag closure in FLORIDA! The Fish...

Bo & Denny call it like it is: (This is why Governor Scott picked Bo for his #1 choice to represent the recreational fishermen of the Gulf Council:)
"NOAA has some new data for 2009 and 2010 landings and effort for west Florida gags. it shows what we have been saying ... the effort and landing rates are down. way down - why? the economy and fuel prices that is why! There is no reason to close the fishery, we need to send the message."
Last chance to STOP gag closure.
Stop the closure & stop it NOW!
Dear Robert ,

EFFORT AND LANDINGS OF GAG DOWN 50% over last two years, yet we face a full closure?
Act now to convince the FWC to keep gulf gag open in state waters and to force National Marine Fisheries Service to acknowledge effort and landings drop by rescinding the federal closure of gag grouper. The Florida FWC will take action on the closure this WEDNESDAY, on APRIL 6th.

You can stop this travesty if you take action now.
Get more information and pick up the ACTION PLAN at:

 

www.thefra.org/gagaction1.htm

 
MAKE FOUR PHONE CALLS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

"...that government of, by and for the people shall not perish from this earth..."

We will not back down and we will not be denied. The use of flawed science to needlessly, destructively close fisheries will NOT be tolerated, by us or Congress.

I won't back down.........
Denny O'Hern

Lots of confusion out there, here are the facts:

Reds are open, as are all grouper EXCEPT GAG.
Gag are open in State waters (out to 9 miles out)

Next week - Florida FWC Commissioners vote on if the state should follow the federal interim closure for gag grouper. If the state follows the feds then gags will be CLOSED again starting June 1st through September 15th and CLOSED again from November 15th through the end of the year.

Did I get your attention yet? Hey you recreational grouper fishermen and women ... can you put your beer down long enough to email the FWC commissioners and tell them to just say NO ... Florida will not follow the federal Gag Grouper interim closure rule!

Email to: myfwc.com/contact/staff-contacts/senior-staff/commissioners/

It is NO BS time now ... we need you to make a difference!