For those of us who are lucky enough to be a part time or annual resident of Central Florida with the hope of catching an in-shore or near-shore slam, the time is here! As the month of May arrives with stable weather and fishable breezes, so does the game fish that slams are famous for; tarpon, snook, redfish and spotted sea trout. Whether you are on the east coast, west coast or in the Florida Keys, the time for catching a ‘Grand Slam’ is now. As our coastal waters warm and these game fish migrate closer to the inlets or passes from the rivers, creeks, back-waters or deep water of our oceans, one thing for sure is they will be there. Not only will these hard fighting game fish be in or around these areas, at some time during the day and with the right tide they are happy to eat live, cut and artificial baits if properly presented.
Good catch reports of tarpon and snook have been com- ing from the east, from Port Canaveral south to Satellite Beach and north of the cape to Bethel Shoal. The bait has arrived and has been south of the Cocoa Beach Pier down to the area just north of the Steeple. Be careful they’re close or just behind the shallow shore break. Once you find the poggies, one or two throws of the cast net and you will have plenty enough bait for fishing and chumming. Look for the birds diving or start fish- ing near the bait schools for active, feeding fish. Hook your live bait through the bottom lip then out through the nose with a 7/0 to 9/0 circle hook with at least 50lb. fluorocarbon leader and just slow troll them keeping your eyes open for rolling tar- pon or schooling fish feeding in or near the bait pods. Tarpon, snook, sharks, large jacks and other species will be in the mix. Large bull redfish and snook will be near the inlets and jetties and large sea trout close by in both Banana and Indian River Lagoon systems.
Along the west coast lies Pine Island in Bokeelia, the last of ‘Old Florida’ non-commercialized island areas. The local waters of Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound plus the famous passes of Boca Grande, Captiva and Redfish Pass are famous locations known for catching record game fish. Watching the sun break and rise above the eastern shore riding across Pine Island Sound to my favorite place to catch live bait is my favorite time of day. I usually catch a nice trout while chumming and waiting for the bait to arrive. After chumming for long enough to get a good slick going, a few throws of the 8 foot cast net will load the live well full of a mixed bag of live baits including pinfish, pigfish and white-bait (the local name for scaled sardines). Not too far from my bait spot is a place where we have caught many slot size snook and redfish as plus a lot of oversized trout. To complete the slam we will usually move to the outside of Captiva Pass. We set-up anchor about a mile off the island shore and wait with a few baits under a popping- cork and one or two others drifting on a free line, keeping our eyes open all the while for groups of a few tarpon to several hundred in a school coming to the surface and gulping air. If the fish are off in the distance we will pick-up and move our boat to get in the path of the oncoming school. As the fish move their way towards us placing a good cast with a live bait or small pass crab will usually get a look from one or more of the passing school. Fighting a tarpon of 100 to 200 pounds is much easier when we are in shallower water than those in the middle of Captiva or Boca Grande. Not far from Captiva pass to the north is the famous pass of Boca Grande. This is a very deep pass that has extremely fast running tides. The full-moon in the months of May and June will produce extremely high flood tides bringing lots of bait and numerous pass crabs on the outgoing tides. When this happens late afternoon to early evening it means game-on! The tarpon will stack in the pass and the chances of hooking up or catching one of these trophies is as good as it gets. Tarpon in the 150 to 200 pound class is the norm with fish well over 200 pounds not uncommon. Not only are trophy tarpon in or near Boca Grande Pass but huge snook hang out just around the corner to the north at the old phosphate docks or just to the south at the entrance to Pelican Bay. The chance of catching a snook in excess of the 33” top slot size limit is not easy but the chances at them are steady. I have witnessed several Snook in the 40 pound class either landed or lost near the boat at both of these locations.
If you are looking to catch a grand slam of your own made up of tarpon, snook, redfish and trout, the feat can be accomplished within a short drive of Central Florida. The month of May will be a great time to get out on the water and try your luck. Remember be safe, watch out for the late afternoon storms that approach rapidly and always wear an approved life vest while off-shore with your large outboard motor under power. Don’t forget to email your best fishing photos to Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando. Send your hi-res photos to: phillip@coastalanglermagazine.com.