Grouper in State Waters Opens 1 April 2011

This Friday Grouper in STATE shallow water out to 9 miles in the GULF is open. If you want more detailed information on Saltwater fishing regulations see this link. http://www.eregulations.com/Florida/fishing/saltwater/

The kingfish should be moving in as well and while your out on the shallow wrecks make sure to keep a flatline bait out with a wire leader and you will probably find a King or two trolling the tops of the wrecks.

Fishing this weekend

The weather is moving into that perfect day pattern where the winds are low and the sun is shinning and the fish seem to be hungrier than ever. Trout are hitting all of the grass flats, Spanish macks have moved into the bay and are also all throughout the intercoastal. Even some reports of Tailing Reds near desoto and some of the other flats. Snook are still in their winter haunts for now but will slowly move towards the beaches as things warm up. Offshore the Grouper season is closed for a few more days but I talked with a few divers and they say that there are a lot of them out there and Mangos too good sized since many people were off the grouper the mangos benefitted as well. Kings should be showing on some of the closer wrecks as they follow the bait that has started showing up. All in all if your hitting the water to fish or just enjoy this wonderful weekend it should be great either way. Be safe and tight lines.

Shrimp Starting to show off Ft. Desoto Flats.

We made it out to the water on the 18th, just in time for the full moon Saturday night. The wind was out of the North adn we thought it might not be that good of a night the tide was way out and with the wind it was a little choppy. BUT shortly after the moon rode about 9:20 or so we were able to get out to the knee high water and the eyes were lighting up everywhere. The shrimp were everywhere BUT they were mostly small, not that the bay shrimp are very large but these were very small. during the night however over the next hour we were abelt to find shrimp large enought to take home and not feel like we had popcorn shrimp. It was a good night and you could tell the fish were active that night as well. From the sheer numbers of shrimp we saw there had to be fish that were pleasantly plump after the nights feeding. Take a look at my previous shrimp blog in one of my previous entries.

Fishing for the Everyday Guy.

My fishing day normally begins very early. It actually starts the day before, normally because I wake up before the sun comes up to hit the water when the light is just busting pink on the horizon. Something about the sun just peeking up when your already on the water and hearing the slurping of fish on the calm surface and the popping of a Snook in the mangroves or the splash of the Mullet catching some morning air. It is my church where I worship the greatness of the outdoors and the natural beauty that someone has put in front of us but is rarely admired for just existing. I'm not trying to be a professional writer but I do think that many of us feel the same way about the outdoors and we sometimes can't explain it to our friends or family what the outdoors means to us.
       The Night Before I head out I normally get my rods out and make sure that they are well lubricated and that I don't have any kind of issues with them that went unnoticed the last time I was out. I also check the leaders on them and I look over about the first 10-15ft of line to see if there is much wear and tear on the braided line. If there is I cut it off and tie a new leader on. 
My typical line and leader setup is a 20lb braided Power Pro main line with 15-20lb monofilament leader tied line-to-line using a Surgeons Knot. It's pretty simple and I haven't had it be the weak link in my rig yet. Next I think about the type of fish I am targeting and I choose the appropriate two lures OR Hook/weight combos to tie on. I normally use two Poles for ease of switching out baits fast and have two options to choose from while fishing. I then tie the lure or hook on using a Rapala Knot. This knot allows the lure or hook to swing freely on the line for more action. This is also a very simple and quick knot that can be used to change lures rapidly while on the water.
     The Day of fishing begins like I said before the sun comes up. IF I'm taking the Kayak I typically load it the night before also if not I head to my boat in plenty of time to get it in the water before first light. I normally load my tackle, a small cooler or just a quick bottle of water and a few ziplock Baggies and my fillet knife. normally I am the only one at my fishing spots, alone in the dark and nothing but the salt air and the soft winds to keep me company. It is great to fish and to be that one person in your own little piece of the ocean a truly relaxing time and a lot of fun when you start catching fish. Speaking of catching fish sometimes I switch between multiple lures so when I am done with one I try to keep it in one pocket of my tackle box so I can wash them out later when I get home and it doesn't get saltwater all over my other lures and corrode later.
     When I'm done it normally is just a matter of loading up and heading home unless of course I have caught fish. If I caught fix I try to fillet them at the shoreline so that I can feed the pelicans or other birds the remains rather than trying to throw the remains in my trash and waiting for two days before the trash runs. Once home I take all my used tackle, including my rods, reels and lures and wash it off with freshwater to make sure that I don't have any salt on them. Because if you have fished here for very long reels and lures don't seem to last as long as they do when used in just fresh water. Washing your kayak out and/or your boat is also a good idea. Flushing the motor on your boat is must but I don't think I need to even say that.

That's my fishing routine and I know everyone has their own habits and things that they like to do and maybe my routine will help you to think about some things that you might not have before. Like I continuously say. I am a regular guy, I like to fish and I have a full time job that supports my fishing habit. So the next time your out on the water and you aren't sure what your going to target or where your going to go think about my web site and hopefully when you come back you will check it out and learn something that you can share.

Tampa Outdoor Expo - 20th YEAR

This weekend is great weekend to get back into the OUTDOOR season with a trip to the Tampa Tribune Outdoor Expo and Boat Show. It is at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa FLorida. and is also during the same time as the SUNCOAST GUN SHOW.  The Outdoor Expo will feature MANY of the local Fishing experts and TV hosts and has more than 150 Vendors in 140,000 sqft area. Something for everyone!

Runs from FRIDAY March 4th, 2011 - SUNDAY March 6th, Admission is $8.00

GOTO THE WEBSITE.