A Blessed Captain
A blessed captain is what I am. Blessed to be able to be on the water, blessed to have met some wonderful people on my charters and blessed to be a “Captain.” I’ve always had a passion for fishing ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper, and my grandparents would take us kids fishing with cane poles. Some of the most fun charter trips for me was with families, seeing the excitement and smiles on the kids’ faces and hoping I helped them get the fishing bug for the future. Thanks to all that have read my articles, and I hope you enjoyed them.
This will be my last report for the Coastal Angler Magazine. It has been great to be part of a lot of knowledgeable charter captains and seeing how much this great magazine has grown. When I started over eight years, ago it was almost like a newspaper type magazine–now it’s full glossy color. I’ve worked with a few editors in the past and they have been really wonderful to work with. I will be turning the reports over to a local guide that has been fishing in this area for quite a while. His name is Gary Strickland of “Reel Shallow Fish.” I’m sure you will get some great tips from him.
Offshore fishing: The good news is that red grouper season is now open (gag grouper is closed). Most of the time, you will want to anchor on some kind of structure and bottom fish for them. I use the same gear for reds as for the gags; 60-pound mono, a 4-ounce weight and a 7/0 circle hook. You can use cut bait, squid or live baits. The legal size to keep is 20 inches to the tail and 2 per person. With cooler water and the thousands of stone crab traps being set out, the grouper will begin to move in to more shallow water. There have been a lot of mangrove snapper being caught now (remember 10 inches in state waters and 12 inches in federal, 5 per person). The best tactic is with shrimp on a jig head or a 2/0 hook. Sheepshead can also be caught with this method.
Inshore fishing: With the water being cooler now, the snook, trout and redfish bite has been great. From Pasco to Citrus, look for the outside edge of oyster bars or mangroves with moving waters. These predators like to ambush their prey, so moving water is key. This time of year, shrimp seems to be the best choice. Shrimp is very abundant in the Winter months; therefore, that’s what most fish are keyed into.
Get out there on the water and make some memories with friends and family!