Bait: live ladyfish, storm jigs, white bait, small jacks
Conditions: Sunny with a little Breeze.
Guests: Steve and Kyle Zabin, Capt Mel Berman and Jeff Fox, Pete Mitchel, Theresa Mitchel, Homer Mitchel, Dennis
I have a total of 5 trips to report on this week. We fished all over. Everywhere from the Mogan Mansion all the way to the offshore rocks and wrecks.
To start things off: I tangled with the largest snook of my life on a nice night a few evenings ago. While trying to get some bait, we caught so many trout they became frustrating. Especially since we were looking for Ladyfish. It seemed as if every cast we would get a fish and the bite went on for about 20 minutes straight. All we did to find our fishing grounds was find a large flock of diving birds, then we fished underneath them. Dennis and I managed to boat about 10 Ladyfish altogether. We then went to our favorite spot. A boat was parked right over the hole. We had to adapt and fish a little different than usual. Dennis and I fished for nearly 45 minutes before the first hit. Dennis missed it because he was hooked on a rock the second before the snook laid him out. I then tossed a 2 foot lady two holes over and Crush!! Snook ON!! I ripped the Snook out of the hole in a split second. The next thing I know is a 24 pounder is raising cane on top of the water. I knew if I didn't keep her head up she would take me into the cover. I managed to keep her out and here is my rewards. The largest Snook I have ever landed. She went a solid 24 pounds.
On Wednesday I had my first trip with Steve Zabin and his son Kyle from up north. Steve has been fishing this area for awhile with different guides from SW Florida. His son was a good looking kid who looks alot like Johnny Knoxville from that infamous show on MTV. Steve really wanted Kyle to catch his first large snook. I picked them up at the Punta Rassa boat ramp and off we went to catch the Lady's. We fished hard for the Lady's without much luck. The freshwater release from The BIG O has really messed up the Lady's normal haunting grounds. We caught trout, jacks, mackerel, and more trout but only 4 Ladyfish in the first hour and a half of fishing. We had a great outgoing tide so I decided to take them on to the Mogan Mansion. I gave Steve and Kyle the instrucions and we proceeded to the inside. The first to holes didn't produce a bite. Then we went to old faithful. Kyle tossed his bait into the hole and Steve did the same thing just a little closer to the pilings. First Kyle gets slammed and the large Snook just plain old murdered him. Those big girls were extra hungry that morning and they inhaled the hole lady in one bite. Kyle got his hit and she ran him straight into the pilings and busted him off. Steve was next: he dropped his bait down and crunch!! Fish On!! Steve pulled up and the Snook jerked him straight down and into the pilings. Those big girls are tough and until you have had some experience getting them out, they usually get the best of you. We then went on the outside and fished with our last lady. Kyle got hit so hard by a snook that all I heard of the whole thing, was his line popping like a gun shot and him nearly falling in the boat. After that we were out of bait and left out for some more Ladys. The Lady's were tougher than ever and we only managed one more. We fished a couple of Mangrove creeks and shorelines in the mouth of the river, only managing one 8 pound Jack and a couple of good hits. Unfortunately, we never managed a big Snook for Kyle. We had our chances but it just didn't work out. Hopefully I will get another chance at putting them on a big one again.
The next day my dad, Butch Botelor and I met a friend Rick Schaffer who lives at Southseas Plantation on South Captiva for a day of offshore rock and wreck fishing. We loaded Captain Butch's Pro Sports with white bait and big pinfish before we arrived at Rick's dock. Sea conditions called for seas from 3 to 6 feet which is not alot for Ricks rigged out 29 foot Century center console with tower. We arrived at a spot 8 to 10 miles off of Redfish Pass. After chumming and finally getting anchored we only managed one small snapper. While attempting to set up on our spot I started to feel the dreaded sea sick Monster. I purposely don't eat before going offshore because I don't want to get sick. Well it didn't work, I was so sick I even got dry heaves. Sea sickness is one of the worst feelings you can ever have. I hated it and still hate even thinking about it. To make along story short, they took me back to shore. Capt Butch stayed with me and they headed back off into the wild blue yonder. They had a good day out there but with not much to show for it. My dad hooked into a large grouper on his 8 foot ugly stick and Calcutta 700 filled with some new Fins 80 pound braid. He told me a story of hammering into this large grouper and as he pumped it out away from cover the rod compressed right above the reel. Rick made a the grave mistake of grabbing the braid trying to stop the fish from going into the rocks. Never do that with braid! You risk the chance of cutting yourself very bad. After they lost that fish it was Ricks turn. Instead of Rick laying into the next five grouper they all 5 layed into him. If his circle hook didn't bend, his steel leader would break, or he would just get drug into the rocks. Unfortunately they never were able to land any of them. On the way home from Butch's house I mentioned to my dad that we had one ladyfish in the well. He decided he wanted to fish the Mogan Mansion. We fished 6 or 7 holes before we finally found one that wanted to eat. Fortunately for my dad the fish ate twice because the first time he was drug right into the pilings but the bait pulled out of the snooks mouth. I dropped it back in the hole for him and Slam!! Snook On!! the fish drug him two or three pilings deep but thanks to the Fins Braid he was able to pull this nice girl out. If I remember correctly she went a solid 13 pounds.
The next trip was with Pete Mitchel and his wife Theresa and son Homer. We fished on a Sunday and the boat traffic was nice and heavy plus we got a late start so fishing was a little tough. We started out the day going for ladyfish and we caught everything except Ladyfish. We caught grouper, big trout, little trout, mackerel, jacks, and more big trout. We just couldn't catch and Ladyfish. We fished all day without landing even one. I caught white bait, threadfins and pinfish for the Mogan Mansion but they just wouldn't eat them. If you don't have the right bait there just hang it up. Fortunately Pete's son Homer caught the fish of the day. It was a nice 20 plus inch trout. They ended the day with 4 or 5 big trout for dinner.
My next trip was with Captain Mel Berman of www.capmel.com and his good friend Jeff Fox the owner of the Bucs store in Tampa, he is also the publisher of "The Pewter Report" which is a weekly bucs magazine. Captain Mel and Jeff arrived at my home around 11:30 Tuesday morning. We started a little late so we could fish the outgoing tide. After struggling to catch ladyfish the previous 3 days I decided to take the fellas into the sound to find the feeding birds and hopefully feeding ladyfish. We sure found the fish. We caught mackerel which is one of Mel's favorite's to eat. We also caught trout, jacks, and more trout. The whole time we only put two ladyfish in the boat and one ended up jumping out. While trying to catch Ladyfish I decided to keep some of the small jacks we were catching because my friend Nelson said the Snook have been sucking them down where he has been fishing. Off we went to the Mogan Mansion. Armed with one Ladyfish and 5 or 6 small jacks. I loaded up one of the rods with the Ladyfish. Jeff was the first to step up to the plate. I gave him the instrutions and he shook his head he understood. We dropped his bait Freight Train!! Mogan On!! Jeff did well with the first pull but after that he tried to reel which is a big NO NO in this kind of fishing. Fortunately the bait pulled before the line severed. I went over the instructions once more with Jeff and we dropped the bait back in the hole. Slam!! Jeff again laid the wood to the fish but he also tried to reel after his intial pull. It wasn't going to happen and the Snook buried him on the bottom of the piling. He gave me the rod and I almost got the fish out but the Snook busted us off before we got her off. She was probaly in the 15 or 16 pound range. Next I loaded Jeff and Capt Mel up with the baby Jacks. Mel got slammed and after two or three tugs the fish put him around the pilings. Oh Well! you can't always get them on your first time. Jeff was nice enough to bring me one of Jon Grudens new visors, a bucs keychain, and a subscription to Pewter Power. I really appreciated the gifts and the fellowship we had on the day. Looking forward to seeing them again soon.
To conclude, our water is still awfully dirty. I have been finding white bait and pinfish everywhere but the Ladyfish just don't want to cooperate. Redfish are turning on and the big snook are still around. Trout and Mackerel are everywhere which makes for good action. Another good tide week is coming up, so I look for some more excellent fishing. If you are urning for some rod busting leader fraying excitement then give Captain
Chancey a call @ (239)540-7529
Until next time may you have line singing, leader fraying, and
drag screaming action!!!
