by Capt. Dave Stephens
Over the past couple weeks, I have noticed a form of preservation that will take place no matter what man tries to fix. Mother Nature is an incredible thing, I have seen schools of ladyfish in the harbor feeding on glass minnows. Also, mixed in has been some Spanish mackerel and tarpon. For the anglers that have fished these waters, we know that this is the norm for this time of year. I for one was worried that this year was going to be anything but normal.
Due to the media coverage, I have been slower than I can remember in 10 years. Over the last couple weeks, I have had some of my regulars that still wanted to get out fishing. I am very happy to report that we had some very good fishing. So fellow anglers, I am going to give you a report from my last couple charters. I know the news has been beating our lovely fishery up.
Over the past couple weeks, I have seen a major push of snook beginning to migrate north. The northern portion of the harbor has been on fire. For the most part these fish have been under 30”, but we have had some shots at very good fish also. The barrier islands with good current flow have had the best bite. We have also had a good bite in deeper water. Fishing around docks and other structure. Live bait has been doing the best for us.
The trout bite on the flats has also picked up the past couple weeks. On a recent charter, we caught over 25 fish throwing artificial. Most of the fish caught were 15-20”, however when we switched to live bait the bigger fish came out to play. Our biggest trout was a whooping 26.5”, which is a nice fish this time of year.
Probably one of the biggest surprises is how the redfish bite has picked up. Yea, I know it’s the time of year that it’s supposed to happen. Well I’m not saying it’s as good as it should be, but I’m happy to report we’re catching some good reds. On a recent charter, we had multiple fish over 30” and our biggest was pushing three feet. Of the fish, these guys have taken the biggest beaten. So, seeing some of these big reds was a welcome surprise. Mother nature has a way of taking care of herself. We just need to be vigilant and do our part. If we don’t start preserving what we have who knows what can happen. I’m sure if your reading this, it’s because you share a passion for our fishery. We have to remember it starts with us.