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Updated 08/16/10
Fish Passes For The Best Action
Pass fishing was about as good as it gets this week.
Strong morning outgoing tides made for great action catching and
releasing snook along with some good sized redfish too. Though
many of the snook were on the small side catching and releasing
25 to 40 fish on a half-day trip is always a good thing. Every
trip this week produced at least one snook or more over that
magic 30-inch mark. |
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The big snook of the week caught on my boat measured 351/2
inches and was caught on the last hour of an outgoing tide. What made
this trip even better was the long-time Florida resident who was a guest
of one of my clients that day was telling me earlier that he has caught
everything to catch in our area but never a big snook. On back-to-back
drifts of the pass he caught the 351/2-inch snook then another big snook
measuring 331/2 inches.
Areas in and around the passes also produced a good mixed bag of fish
including flounder, sea trout, mangrove snapper and even a few grouper.
The outside sandbars around the passes had good action with Spanish
mackerel and lots of ladyfish. Baitfish get pushed in and out of the
passes on the tides making them a natural feeding station for gamefish.
With water temperatures in the bay usually at 90 degrees plus by the end
of the day the passes stay a few degrees cooler because of the deeper
water and faster moving tides. No matter what the tide, all summer long
you can find some action in and around all our local passes.
On several charters this week I spent the half-day trip in one pass as
the action never stopped. Happy clients and not a lot of running around
to locate fish - it does not get much better than that.,
Redfish could also be found in the passes with the incoming tide being
the better tide. Reds were also caught mangrove fishing on the higher
tides. All the reds we caught this week were at the top of the slot, if
not over. Working the no motor zone in Wulfert Keys during the stormy
conditions of a tropical depression we caught five nice big redfish
while throwing large, live pinfish back deep under the bushes. This area
does not see the fishing pressure it once did and on the right tide and
wind direction is well worth the slow electric trolling motor ride back
inside.
Shark fishing in the middle sound continues to be on fire. I've been
saving a Ziplock bag or two of the smaller shiners I catch while cast
netting in the mornings to use for chum. Not that you need to chum to
catch these blacktips, which range from two to four feet long. The chum
brings the sharks so close to the boat you could hand feed them if
you're not worried about losing a finger. Big live pinfish fished under
a float with a circle hook quickly gets the sharks in a feeding frenzy.
Every time I have been on these sharks it's amazing how many are in this
middle sound area. Watching packs of four to 10 sharks chase your bait
is the norm. Circle hooks are key if you want to land one. Remember
regulations on sharks are one per boat per day.
Click the links below to view copies of my other recent reports.
07-26-2010 -
08-02-2010 -
08-09-2010
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