Fishing is Heating up

I've had some web hosting troubles but things have been corrected and it looks promising out on the water. Things have been reported to be heating up. My buddy was out the other morning and literally 5 minutes after putting his kayak in the water he was hooked up with a nice redfish. It seems they are sitting in the shallows and haunting some of the creek edges. I have also moved and live up near Pasco so my information may target some new areas. Look for new reports soon.

SALTWATER ADDICTION CHARTERS (New Charter Captain in Local Resources)

I wanted to invite everyone to see the new local charter captain on my Local Resources Page. Captain Craig Weaver is a full-time Tampa fishing charter guide and veteran angler bringing over 20-years experience. He has fished as an commercial and professional but the charter end of this business is by far his true passion. From seasoned anglers to the individuals who are new, but interested in learning the sport. He treats every fishing charter the same, giving his clients the experience needed to make their Tampa fishing charter one heart pounding fishing adventure to remember with some of the best inshore fishing in the State of Florida. All it takes is one Tampa Bay fishing charter and you will quickly see that Tampa Bay and our beautiful Gulf Coast has some of the best inshore and offshore fishing available.
Here are a few of the species that can get you hooked on Tampa fishing charters:

• Tarpon (silver king)
• Snook
• Redfish
• Trout
• Cobia
• Shark
• Pompano
• Mackerel
• Scalloping

Captain Craig Weaver
Saltwater Addiction Charters
13707 LAGOON DR HUDSON FL 34667 US
http://saltwateraddictioncharters.com/
Phone:info@saltwateraddictioncharters.com
(813) 610-1672Email:
info@saltwateraddictioncharters.com

Tampa Bay Boat Show Nov 19-21 2010 (FREE ADMISSION $5 Parking)

Just a little information for something to do since it is getting chilly outside.

Capt. Gary Burch sent this out.
Ahoy Mates!


It's time for the Florida Fishing School seminars for the fall season.
Presented by the St Petersburg Times and will be located at the Florida
Fair Grounds.

Come by and see my seminars on Staurday and Sunday. I will be talking
about inshore equipment and techniques and cast netting.
I will be persenting at 12 noon and 2 pm on Saturday the 20th and 2 pm
Sunday the 21st.

This is the boating and fishing event of the season. Chart your course to
the Florida State Fairgrounds on November 19, 20 and 21. The Tampa Bay
Boat Show is a grand event showcasing area boat dealers and the latest in
boating and fishing supplies... great accessories too. This three-day
sales event offers a great way to see and compare all available makes and
models in one location. The main floor will be filled with new boats,
trailers, docking and safety equipment, the best fishing equipment in one
place and many outdoor-related exhibits!

Don't miss the Florida Fishing School on Saturday and Sunday!
Local fishing captains will share their expertise in a variety of fish-y
topics.

FISHING SHOW: Gulf & Bay Florida Fishing School
Learn From The Pros • Saturday & Sunday
Presented By The Area's Top Fishing Experts & Captains.

WHERE: Florida State Fairgrounds
ADMISSION: FREE - $5.00 for Parking

Friday, November 19, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday, November 20, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, November 21, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

http://www.tampabayboatshows.com/index.shtml

Come on by the seminar and say hey.

Capt Gary Burch

http://www.allcatchcharters.com/

captgary@allcatchcharters.com

727 458-6335

Great Summertime action

The trout on the flats are outstanding right now. They seem to be hitting just about anything you throw to them. The morning bait schools are alive and well and the trout are hanging around the edges looking for that easy meal. Top water is one of the most exciting and fun things to do and watching those trout explode on your bait is a real fun time. My favorite is a "bagleys jumping finger mullet" Silver or Gold and I cast it as far as I can on my 20lb braid and (18")17lb flouro leader once it hits I give it one violent jerk that makes it jump about 1-2ft after about two or three jerks you should have the attention of any nearby trout. After about 2-3 casts in the same spot you should have made them mad enough to hit it, and I mean hit it they seem to be jumping all the way out of the water chasing it. The picture above is the 24 incher that seemed to be one of the ones I made mad yesterday morning.

Howard Park - Trout and some Tarpon

Hit the water by 7am the tide was outgoing and it seemed like a good morning. However we weren't able to see any Tarpon rolling early. So we threw some topwater plugs and had a few nice strikes but they were random and nothing consistent. We did spot a few small pods of tarpon but they weren't that active and throughout the day we saw only about 3 pods that were too far away and by the time we moved in their direction they were gone. The Trout bite was hot though and is the goto fish in the early morning and throughout the day on jigs and underwater plugs in the 5-8ft water. anything shallower and the bite shuts down. Yesterday's favorite color was a light natural gulp swim bait. We left the water by about 11am and headed back.

Kingfish Just offshore - few tarpon showing

The kingfish are still out there and they seem to be hitting good starting in about 12-20ft of water. Trolling the beaches just outside of Clearwater all the way to johns pass should produce look for bait schools and for birds and you should find them. Also I have heard reports that Tarpon have been seen just outside of Ft. Desoto rolling off the beaches. Hoepfully the warmer water will keep them here and we should see them move into the bridges soon. Trout are a steady bite on the grass flats on outgoing tides and the Red fish seem to be hanging out as well on some of the flats off Dunedin and down near Desoto. Snook are there too but they are off limits best to just leave em alone and target the Reds and Trout, there are enough of them around to satisfy the bite.

Early Tarpon Reports, Redfish Hangin out.

I have heard from a few captains that the Tarpon are already here, and with the weather warming up like it has and the water following suit I believe it shouldn't be much longer before the bridges are a good place to find em rolling. Redfish seem to be hanging out on the flats and the early morning and evening should be your best bets. If your wanting to stay out after the heat hits by midday find the beaches and look for tarpon. Remember those lady fish can be good bait so bag one or two and freeze em up for the next trip out.

Spanish Makerel Invade Tampa Bay

With the warmer weather and the excellent bait situation in the bay the waters are teaming with Spanish Makerel. They seem to be around every bait pod and just about anywhere you go within the bay there will be Macks looking to feed. This coming weekend if your looking to catch fish then Macks are it. Of course there are other fish around and the Redfishing is still excellent as well up on the flats.

Kayaks near Anclote River, Spanish Macks in the Bay. Snook here but still tired

Hit the water during the week and along the banks of a Small Salwater Lake off the Anclote river we found the Snook and Small Reds were very active. Hitting just about any top water or small swimming lure we through at them Hooked up 4 times and landed about a 29" Snook. She came up slow snapped the line next to the Kayak and laid there waiting for me to pick her up and take the hook out. She was BEAT jumped 3 times and came to the boat. I got the hooks out with no damage to her and towed her behind the kayak to get the oxygen flowing. She bit my finger and flipped her tail and was gone. other fish were active in the small eddies near the shore and tide currents.
   Another Tip was in the bay near Gandy Bridge the Spanish Macks were out in force over the weekend. Trailing behind large schools of glass minnows and other small bait schools. Anything Shiny and darting was a good bet. Easy to land about 10-15 in as many minutes. Bait seems to be all over in the shallows and across the bay. The cold doesn't seemt o have affected them much. Bad thing is walking the shoreline you can see the reminders of the cold on the Snook. Snook Skull bones were plentiful in the upper bay along the shores.

Hunting for Reds and only get Trout

We hit the water late morning but with the wind and the previous cold weather, really we were just relieved to be back on the water. A beautiful day 71 degrees and one small cloud. The wind was a little strong but behind the mangroves we found calm water and a few trout that seemed to be slow but hungry. The good news is we found a few Reds, Large but not very hungry or happy to be chasing our baits.  SO all in all it was a good day to be a fish. BUT the weather was excellent and just getting out there made it a fantastic day Sometimes just going out and looking at new locations is what fishing is all about.

Warmer Weather means Warmer Fish

Well if we can read into anything about the weather and the fishing situation this weekend it should tell us that the Fishing should improve over this past week. The Fish should be a little more active and they should be feeding, SO the bite should be good. Look for Redfish to be active as soon as the morning CHILL is knocked off and look for the regular Trout bite to be happening on your favorite Grass Flat. From the shore off Dunedin causeway should be great fishing this weekend. Also fish around Desoto area and other causeway haunts should be pretty active.

REDFISH - IN abundance

It seems the Redfish are making an appearance. The warm weather got them feeding and it seems in Cockroach Bay they have been schooling and hitting anything thrown at them. Also around Ft. Desoto reports have been good of schools and biting redfish. This is great news and hopefully it continues. BUT with the cool front moving through we may see a slight slow down BUT hold onto your hats cause it seems with the Warm Weather on its way fishing could be Heating up....LOL literally. look for early morning reds and early evening reds to be some of your best bets Although with the water getting to it's max in the middle of the day the Bite even in the heat of the day should continue to be good for a while.

Warm Weather - Better Bite....Hopefully

Well with the expected warmer weekend there should be a little better bite. If nothing more than we hear more about it because MORE fisherman are out and about able to report it. The Trout are still very active in some of the main areas near Dunedin, Ft. Desoto and the bay and grassy flat areas. This is a good sign if your out and about trying to fish, if nothing else you should have a great day on the water. Best bet is still Live Shrimp free lined on a Cork OR a scented plastic like a DOA or a GULP twitched along the bottom.

Fall Fishing in the Tampa Area

After a few outings in the kayaks I have to say fall is one of my favorite times to fish. The snook are very active knowing that the weather is changing and the water temps are moving all the fish around letting them know its time to eat. Look for the Redfish to be moving across the flats on high tide feeding near the mangroves, the Snook to be moving into the winter haunts in the upper creeks and areas where the water will warm during the day, and well the trout will be active all winter across a lot of the grass flat areas. The offshore should pick up also with some of the mangroves and grouper moving into the closer reefs. Remember to BUY AN EPIRB. Or at least ask Santa for one. It can save your life!!!

Redfish and Snook Action Maybe even Tarpon

If the weather holds off a little this weekend the Redfish, Snook and Tarpon should be good bets this weekend. Target the Redfish near the flats and mangroves. If the tide is high the Redfish will be up in the mangroves and with an outgoing tide look for them to be flushed out onto the flats. Mangroves on the backside of Honeymoon island will be holding a lot of fish. The snook will be prowling the edges of the grass and Mangroves and in the early morning they will be moving along the beaches. Tarpon should be all along the beaches throughout the day. Look for them to move by you if your on the beaches but if you in a boat target the passes and watch for them as they head along the beaches to the passes. Nothing will beat a nice crab laying on the wide open sandy bottom as they pass by. Be Safe this weekend and Tight Lines.

American Red Snapper Season opened

Well my buddies at topdogfishing went out and limited out on American Reds and caught everything else they were after some gags, a few Red grouper and some nice AJ's.

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June 1, 2009, at 12:01 a.m. and will close August 15, 2009, at 12:01 a.m. The minimum recreational size limit for red snapper is 16 inches, and the bag/possession limit is two fish per person.Charter vessel crew and captain are prohibited from retaining the recreational bag limit.
In addition to your two red snapper per person, you are allowed two red grouper and two gag grouper.

Weekend Snook Fishing - Sat Morning

Looks like tomorrow morning the weather will cooperate and the winds will be perfect. Sunrise is 6:34am and the winds are suppose to be around 3-4knts W - WNW. This should make for excellent fishing early morning with the winds picking up later in the afternoon and our afternoon showers popping up. We will be targting the pass at dunedin and around the beach area of Honeymoon and Caladesi Island. The BIG snook should be laying in the eddy's and slack areas right next to the fast moving current. We should also be on the top of an incoming tide so between the turn there should be ample time to land a few nice sized monsters. Maybe even get lucky and spot a few Tarpon to throw at.
Tightlines!

Good Fishing along the beaches and IN the Passes

We hit the water by 5:30am Mothers Day. It was a little windy and we headed out dunedin pass to cruise the beaches. We had heard reports of kings being caught by kayakers 200-300yds off the beaches. We tried our luck but only landed a few Spanish Macks. The Bait in the passes were attracting all kinds of Jacks and Big Snook during the strong incoming tide. Up on the flats we hooked up with some nice sized trout. We will keep trying and hopefully we can hook a Tarpon or two once the beach run starts.

Weekend fishing should be picking up

With the small front that came through the fish should be moving around. Monday Night in our old channel I was able to hook a few snook and landed a 24 incher. Wednesday Night wading near Safety Harbor we saw a lot of hook up but were doing more exploring then fishing. looking for good spots to try at another time. The Kings should be offshore this weekend except the Wind is suppose to pick up so be careful. The Reds should be on some of the flats and the Snook should be coming out to the creek mouths.

Trout and Reds near Dunedin

The trout are hitting regularly and the reds are following. This weekend should be good for the Trout off Dunedin causeway. Live shrimp or Gulp swim baits seem to be the favorite.