June Jumpers

By: Capt. Matt Fueyo

The migration has happened and the big snook, tarpon, and redfish are here inshore!  Offshore, the black fin tuna, sailfish, kingfish, and barracudas are making a strong presence too.  The bait is thick and weather is hot!  All this heat has fish jumping out of the water and fishermen/fisherwomen jumping in. Occasionally while beach fishing, we will jump in the water near the sandbar and snap a pic with a tarpon or snook after landing the fish.  This is a rewarding moment for our guests and a nice way for them to cool off after a heated battle.  I can’t stress how important it is to keep hydrated on the water.  There are hot summer days when the Gulf of Mexico turns into the Lake of Mexico with not a breath of wind.  All we can say is drink water.  These days also create some epic aerial shows.  Calm water allows us to see our baits clearly behind the boat. It also allows us the opportunity to see the predator stalking the bait.  As we say in the fishing world, “live for the bite!”  The best part of fishing for us is the strike.  Watching a large fish light up before they unload their fury on a small bait is about as awesome as it gets.  Fish will get airborne when they get hooked!  Sailfish will tail walk across the surface putting on a show like no other. These fish aren’t rare in our waters, but to get them close to shore while trolling for kingfish and tuna is a nice surprise.  Big kingfish will launch upwards from the depths, much like you might have seen sharks doing to seals on the Discovery Channel.  Until you witness this in person, it’s hard to explain the amount of force that these fish create.  It’s like taking a hit from Mike Tyson!  The show will go on sometimes long into the fight, as there are predators that want to eat these fish too.  Big sharks are back in town and they love kingfish and tuna.  This jumping behavior will be a lot different from when they were on the attack.  Not to be anthropomorphic, but you can almost see the fear in the fish’s eyes as they swim for their lives.  Unsure of who to trust more, the shark or the human.  This is why fishermen love the thrill of fishing.  You never know what you’ll see out there, and you never know what end of the dinner table your fish will end up on!  Tight lines and be safe out there. Remember, radio checks and a float plan are always helpful!