by Capt. Matt Fueyo
It’s hurricane season and some of our favorite vacation destinations are being destroyed. Some islands are lucky and others will face destruction for months and years to come. One island that has remained “lucky” is Siesta Key. We are fortunate to remain unscathed in years past and can only hope that our luck will continue. Whether it be the Indian burial grounds or Zeus catching some rays on our pearly white sand beaches…as a fisherman I’ll take it!!
Tourism is a year-round happening here in sunny Siesta Key and even though the streets are not as crowded as they are during Spring Break, we still have some travelers. One of our favorite travelers happens to be Mr. or Mrs. Redfish! These drag pullers have a different attitude than the rest of the bay species we target. These guys put their head down like Mike Alstott, the A-Train, and bolt towards the mangroves. No jumping, no head shaking like the snook, just a brute fighting for what he thinks is his life. The Red Drum or “Redfish” to most fishermen, is a great tasting fish that yields a good amount of meat within the slot limits. These fish are protected in our area and the restocking programs have done a phenomenal job in the replenishment of a depleted resource. Local and state agencies are working to keep these fish abundant in our region and have put a closure on them until 2020. Companies like Reel Tight Fishing Charters, Mangrove Charters, Catch Sarasota Fishing Charters and Capt. Nate Fishing Charters all agree that the closure is necessary and “it wouldn’t hurt our feelings to keep it closed!”
Why wouldn’t you want to be able to put this fish on the table for your guests? Well that’s a simple answer. I want to catch fish! Our guests want to catch fish! Our kids want to catch fish and you get the idea! Our fishery has rebounded since last year’s Red Tide/Blue Green Algae outbreak and we want to see it continue to thrive. Our livelihood depends on it and we hope that everybody makes a conscious effort to do their part and help sustain our nature’s beauty.
The next few weeks of fishing will be awesome. As our waters begin to cool, the bite will pick up. Bait is plentiful and as the old timers always say “match the hatch.” We use a 12’ ¼” mesh Barracuda Cast Net to catch our bait. That is a large net for most anglers, but we generally have 3-5 anglers on the boat, so a ton of bait is necessary. 7’ medium/light rods for pulling those spunky redfish out of the mangroves or docks. 25- 30# fluorocarbon leader is a must! Be ready for the ride of your life if you hook a big one!
