What Frank wrote,
Fishin Franks , Fishing Report
and general useless information page.
this is articles and other fishin things,
2020 older stories as you scroll down the page
04/2020
Sharks have become one of the
most popular fish to catch in Florida. Sharks have not gotten this much
attention since Jaws.
And catch and release shark fishing is pushing Tarpon as the number one past
time, Tarpon are beautiful and seeing a 150 pound fish jump 6 feet out of the
water, is awesome but outside of a busted finger or nose, Yes tarpon break a lot
of noses when people are trying to release them a quick lunge and pow Tarpon
head butt to human face, Tarpon wins, But if you want to talk primal and scary
we talk Sharks, not only is it unreal to catch a 300 maybe 600 pound critter it
is an adrenaline rush, And then you try to get the hook out and now remember the
head butt thing? Well think about getting head butted or French kissed by an 8
foot bull shark.
But how to get to that point, well the new laws require circle hooks which is
stupid, in my opinion.
But lets get into it.
The first mistake most people make is they use too big of hooks and bait, Yes
for many of the black tips and sharp nose sharks a 4/0 hook is more then good. I
am talking about sharks less then 5 foot long. And the rods and reels they use
are way too big, First the mouth of an average black tip is about with out
really extending about 3 inches high and 4 inches wide as an opening. So lets
say you are using a 6 inch chunk of bait you would get lots of hits but few if
any hook-ups. So if you are getting hits but no sharks make your hook, leader
and bait much smaller, lets say closer to a golf ball size rather than a Tennis
ball size. And a 10 to 20 pound class spinning reel with a 3 or 4000 size reel
20 pound braided line or 12 pound mono is more then good. And for leader, I use
40ish pound steel. Remember this is for Sharks less than 5 foot.
Now I always have one line my first line out with a float or bobber and the bait
about 3 ½ feet below the float so I can cast it. That is my back right rood
holder, and cover near the surface. My second line is a free line no weight or
float the weight of the leader, hook and bait is enough to take the bait close
to the bottom, the reason a free line works is the tide. With normal tide flow
the bait goes to the bottom and then the water/tide pressure against the line
will lift the bait off the bottom and then allow it to settle again picture a
Bull whip as the whip is lifted it curls up like a wave which will lift the tip
of the whip and the water will do the same thing to your line and bait so it is
not just sitting on the bottom.
If the tide is very slow I will put that bait under a float about 1 foot off the
bottom, So in 14 foot of water I set the float at 12 foot. Now of course you can
not cast this just set it off the side of the boat and feed the line out to get
it 80 feet away from the boat. Now both of these lines are smaller rigs with
light duty spinning tackle, If I want to put out another line I up size a bit
12/0 or larger hooks and 100 pound test steel leader or more and big chunks of
bait. The size of two fist or more and on the line here which is 50 pound test
or more and heavy rods , I place a heavy sinker as I will cast them out at a 45
degree angle to the side and back of the boat so they stay away from my other
lines. You will most times get hit on the smaller lines with smaller baits
first, but after the smaller lines quit getting hit wait as in about 20 minutes,
those big lines are going to start screaming out. The main predator of small
sharks is Big Sharks. Once the smaller sharks start feeding and fighting on your
line, the gets the attention of the big sharks and when they show up the small
ones haul they soon to be eaten butts out of there and oh yeah there’s your
bait,
SO enjoy the Smaller sharks on the light Snook/ red fish rods that is when they
are fun but have your big rods with big baits waiting for the mack daddy,
monster kick your butt, oh my stomach hurts sharks to show up.
Have Fun Fishin Frank
03/ 2020
So as I sit here typing, my mind keeps switching between, Spanish Mackerel and Black drum and are they going to close my store down. Hmm just a lot to think about there is so many mackerel and so many people having a great time trolling spoons and storm twitch stiks around marker two and markers five. Then I get a call there are tanks being moved around here in Florida. Are the people with all the toilet paper planning an armed or should I sayed rolled around the hand revolt? OR should I be thinking how cool it is to get a mackerel to hit while I am trolling and stop the boat and start casting out shrimp under popping corks, and bam, bam Fish on, Fish on. Or do I think about making pay roll for days or weeks while the store is closed?
Could be I should just keep my mind
focused on the amazing snapper fishing on the near shore reefs, with squid and
live shrimp, Shrimp is really the better option right now as every night
thousands of Shrimp are migrating out of the passes on the out going tides and
the reef fish are gorging themselves .
So if you drop a live shrimp on a reef with about 2 ounces of lead a 2/0 or3/o
hook 30 pound floro leader you will have dinner for many more than two. But them
again report of this stupid virus which was not really that bad and is now bad
enough to close states. Really what the heck, I hope by the time you read this
we have more answers than as it is like now when all we have are questions.
Why the heck would the National guard be in Port Charlotte. Do they think it is
a Grey beard/silver revolt, armed with walkers and electric wheel chairs we
intend on mounting 30 caliber Gatling guns. We will show you ya whipper
snappers. Why yes that is a 45 caliber cane.
All in all I think I will just head around the bridges. Black drum have just
started to move around the bridge pilings, All it takes it a chunk of blue crab
and a lot of hang the heck on to have fun catching them, use a chunk of Crab
meat with a sinker casting next to the piling and hope someone has a hold of
you.
Or I could head down in front of Turtle bay or by the cap e haze reef, with a chunk of mullet or lady fish on a big rod with a big steel leader and get railed by a 6 to 9 foot Shark. No sinker just free lining the bait. Anchored or drifting either will work. The same is true is in the gulf tons of stories and pictures of Sharks, More Sharks than I have ever seen at this time of Year.
Well we have been spraying
everyone's hands with Lysol after they handle money or touch the credit card
machine. Life for the last two years was kind of like it was in the fifties,
everyone looking forward to the future. Now the Zombie Apocalypse is back.
Oh well I am going sneak out and go fishing.
Fishin Frank
01-2020
Howdy fish rangers, time to
fight another fish,
which fish well take your pick there are more types of fish around than you can
shake a stick at I guess it is the crazy weather patterns, We have more sharks
than I have ever seen on the beaches and reefs in the gulf, Not as many as I
would think in the Harbor, I wonder why that is,. But if you wish a catch a
shark head out to any beach on the gulf of Mexico and toss out a chunk of fish.
Big Rod small rod just adjust the size of your bait to your rod like a two
finger cut of mullet or lady fish for a normal Spinning rod 10 to 20 pound class
with a 3 or 4000 reel and if you are using a 6000 or so 6 fingers up to 10 inch
chunk of bait and just cast it out you will need a steel leader for the lighter
set up 40 pound or more and for the heavier one start at 100 up to 250. And what
ever hook you are using flatten or bend the barb of the hook down so if you lose
it the hook can fall out. Try not to crush the barb but leave a little bump
there. Now Sheep head are the big food fish fight right now and so many people
are hitting the docks in lemon bay and on the back side of Boca, quite a few of
the sheep head and mostly the larger ones over 15 inches are under the
mangroves, Yes if you know a place with 3 foot of water under the mangroves
there is a very good chance that spot ids full of larger sheep head , Now around
Bull bay the of course would like the area around the clam leases and on the
east side of the Harbor about 4 islands north of Pirate Harbor back behind the
first row of Islands there is a big oyster bed and the Sheep head like both of
these places or I should say like to be near them. So deeper holes close to
these beds are your best bet. Now the sheep head are not eating the oyster or
clams like you would think but these places hold a tremendous amount of Tinny
Crabs, which they do love to eat so think about fiddler crabs for bait maybe
under a tiny float set where the crab will just touch about touch the top edge
of the oysters.
Now as to the blue fish, lady fish and Spanish mackerel and Pompano and holy
fish, fish man there is so much to choose from, So I will drop back to the flats
and say a ton of Red fish in the harbor right now, Smaller ones can be found in
the creeks on the West wall or back two or three sets of islands on the east
side, look ofr cuts between two islands which have a bit deeper water and good
flow. Pieces of Shrimp is the bait of choice for these “Rat” Reds. Now for the
larger Reds out in front of Turtle bay just on the out side edge of the sand bar
you can find big Reds. Snook well they are just all over the place.
For some of the schooling fish it is time for trolling. What I would suggest is
you get out side the sand bar edge or right next to the I.C.W. Where ever
shallow meets deep water and trolling on one side a Storm Twitch stik and on the
other side of the boat a double ended trolling rig take 4 feet of 40 pound
leader on one end tie a Smaller buck tail like a Hot skirt on the other end tie
a 0 Clark squid spoon. Now Holding up the rig by the line let the jig drop until
the spoon is 2/3 longer than the jig side, tie a loop in the line to keep them
there and tie your line to that loop you made, If you have questions stop by the
store I will show you and between the two lures you should be able to catch any
of them,
The last thing iis that when I hook a fish trolling I just shut down the boat
and start casting either jigs or spoon and hey I hit a fish trolling so I know
they are close by.
01-2020
Beginnings and endings,
Here we are on the end of a decade and starting off just as weird as the last
decade.
Weather politics and the environmental issues are all over the place social
media and urban legends are way more excepted than truth or facts.
Yes we have Red Tide more often than we don't have Red Tide and Red Fish don't live in Charlotte Harbor but do grow up and go on to travel the seas.
In fact all most all of the fish in Charlotte Harbor are just here to attend
school so to speak pun intended. Before the head to to parts unknown.
One of the few Fish that is a home body is the Snook. A Snook will find a place
and not stray very far from there except to spawn then return to it's home base
area.
The weather is in a constant state of change and maybe people change the weather
as we did here in Charlotte county. By building buildings we changed the local
rain patternes and the is no rainy season anymore. Yes this is true we have a
rainier season, but during a real rainy season it rains every day at almost the
same time and that rain storms are very viloent and extreme, It does rain more
in the summer but not every day like it used to. So could people be changing the
weather across the world a truthful answer is yes, maybe? We don't know as
people have not recorded the weather long enough to know,
We guess at a lot of things, and some things I know but don't think about like
that a pompano prefers to eat off the bottom, as it is a schooling fish, I would
tend to think that Pompano
November 2019
I like big tails and I can not
lie, but a little tail can be fun too.
When do you want a big tail and when is a small tail better you might ask?
Well when it comes to paddle tail lures it is all about the water temp.
When the water is in the 70's
that is when the fish are most active, and a smaller lure like a D.O.A. Cal shad
or a 3” storm swim bait is the best you can throw. But as the temperature fall
below 70 or above 80 degrees it is time to start thinking big tail. And not only
big tail but a floppy big paddle tail like a Strike king Rage swimmer or a
Gambler big EZ, even a Mirror o lure Marsh minnow. These all have big floppy
paddle tail that are held onto the body of the lure by thin or softer plastic.
You want the tail to be ale to move when the lure is barley moving and don't go
small go larger like 5 or 6 inch lure it is all about calories for effort, When
it is nice and warm not hot not cold fish will chase after smaller lures, maybe
just for fun I think sometimes, But when it is too hot or too cold, a meal for
the least energy expended is the primary mission. So going big and slow, another
trick is to use a very light weight jig head, the heavier the jig head the
faster you have to reel to keep it off the bottom,
So by using a 1/8 or 1/16 oz jig head you can reel slower giving the fish time
to see the lure and decide, if it wants to eat it.
So a bit larger lure moving really slow with a loose paddle tail to make noise,
to get the fishes attention
while it is hiding trying to keep warm is a great cold weather/water, trick
.
Now where would you go to cast this lure I would suggest an open flat near a
sand bar. Flats with white sand bottoms and patches of dark grass are the
easiest places to find Snook or Red Fish during cold water months. The shallow
water allows the suns rays to penetrate and the dark grass acts as a solar
collector, giving the fish a warmer place to lay up. And think if you were 6
inches tall and laying in a small depression 6 inches deep you would be hidden
from predators looking across the flats and with the grass to warm you up, life
is good and now it has to do is just wait for food to swim by. {hint}
so stay back ;ight line like 10 pound test or less on the longest rod you have,
By staying back you do not get the fish nervous and your chances of hooking up
are way better.
knock em dead lure for south west Florida.
Good luck & have fun
November 2019
You just don't think about it, Well
at least I don't.
What brought this to mind is a woman came in to get bait and one of the male
customers mentioned what is she dong betting bait for her husband? No she is
going fishing, I replied and he was not shocked but not far from it. Properly
surprised. I am so used to it being the woman/girl who is the one in the family
who is really into fishing, that I just don't notice it. So many woman have a
cool boat chauffeur they happen to call their husband, who takes care of the
boat so they can fish.
I don't think much about Red tide, nowadays people are so OMG about red tide any more and the truth is it is more common for there to be Red tide here in S.W. Fl. Than for there not to be Red tide. The Red Tide is here in background to low concentrations much more often than no red tide, but we notice it, when it gets to Medium or high concentrations and fish start to die. Been here for ever and will be here after we are gone.
I don't think much about climate change as portrayed on T.V. or social media. We have had ice ages and the warming period which allowed the Vikings to conquered England, Greenland, ice land, Canada, and most likely the northeast united states. Sea levels were at least 80 feet lower during the ice age. So is there climate change? Of course you bunch of goof balls. Is it the end of the planet absolutely not! The earth is a chunk of dirt and rock floating in space. Could climate change end us. Of course it could. So could getting hit by a meteor.
I don’t think much about where did
the fish go they were hitting right here and now they are gone, how far could
they have gone? Well lets think about that. If a fish traveled 2 miles an hour
for a half an hour why guess what that fish is a mile away. So how far could a
fish have gone if it was in a hurry swimming at 20 m.p.h. You get a calculator.
I guess I just don't think much but what I have thunk is that the truth is never
to the far left or right of the subject but almost always in the middle. And
what is strange and scary for one person another would not think twice about it.
So calm yourself and know that if a charity says Save that or for this, they
want your money, for nothing. I wish I could come up with a cool name save the,
or I'm for the,
Nope I got nothing so I guess I will not be rich anytime soon. So I should get
back to work.
Bye
I wrote this for my dad
Frank W. Hommema Sr. of Port
Charlotte, Fla., passed on Monday, Oct. 21, at the age of 82. Frank was a loving
husband and father and is survived by his wife of 64 years, Carol; daughters
Relinda and Pam; his son Fishin' Frank Jr.; and many grandchildren and
great-grandchildren who all loved “Grumpy.”
Frank was born in Chicago, Ill., Oct. 19, 1937, to Herman and Mona Hommema. For
much of his adult life, he operated cranes and heavy equipment, but he was also
an avid hunter and fisherman. He loved catching snook and enjoyed participating
in shark and catfish tournaments.
He was best known as the original Fishin' Frank Sr., who started the tackle shop Fishin' Frank's with his wife Catchin' Carol. The shop has become an institution in Charlotte County and is now operated by his son.
To honor Frank Sr.'s legacy, Catchin' Carol and family will host a farewell gathering at Fishin' Franks (4425 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte) Wednesday, Oct. 30, from 4 to 8 p.m. Anyone who would like to attend is invited to come tell fishin' stories and say farewell as Frank Sr. moves on to go fishin' forever.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ponger-Kays-Grady Funeral Home in Arcadia,
Fla. Online condolences may be made at PongerKaysGrady.com.
09/27/19
Fishin is like a bag of rocks,
what you think I should say chocolate? I just thinks rocks are more fun to reel
in than chocolate. Anyway You cast and cast and is it a Snook a Red Fish or a
Cat fish, Fun thing is you never know. But you can improve your odds. If you are
going fishing you have a lets say a 25% of catch for instance a Snook. Boy o boy
how you want to catch a Snook, But just going fishing is not really going to get
you that dream fish. You need to go Snook fishing! going where a Snook is likely
to be and using a bait the a Snook likes and fishing a style that is proven to
entice Snook to bite improves your odds of catching one many times over. Snook
is a heavy cover fish and is not normally found in open water, while Snook are
in the gulf of Mexico in huge numbers they will be found hanging out at one of
the reefs. Snook in the gulf tend to like high relief or structure that comes up
off the bottom a few feet and if it has an over hang to get them a roof that is
Snook heaven.
While on the flats Snook will most often be found up by the mangrove shore
lines, They like to lay up and wait for their food to come to them and in the
tangle of mangrove roots they have much better protection from larger predators.
And Snook do not really like being in the open with a clear sky above them as
ever since they were babies birds have been trying to eat them and birds attack
from above.
Even after a Snook is larger Dolphins “ Flipper” loves to eat Snook. Now this is
a guide line for where Snook like to be and during parts of the year they will
be in schools out on the open flats, but when they are there it is almost always
in an open area with pot holes. Pot hole which to you or me would be nothing how
can a six inch depression be called a pot hole well think of it this way. If you
were 6 inches tall and laying in a 6 inch hole you would be invisible to
predators looking across the flat and if there is dark grass in the bottom of
that pot hole your black back would blend right in making it hard for birds to
see you. Ya gotta admit a 6 inch deep pot hole is a great place for a Snook to
hide.
Snook like to eat Shrimp, Bait fish and crabs and often dead bait is better than
live as Snook is a really a rather lazy fish laying in wait as an ambush
predator. As far as lures I don’t know one that will not catch a Snook but size
is important keep in mind a Big fish will eat a little tiny snack but a Smaller
fish can not eat a big bait. So rule of thumb is smaller lures are for activity
and Big bait, Big fish is because the smaller fish just can't do it. So with a
big bait you wait a lot more between fish, But when you hit you hit biog, But
with a smaller lure or bait you will get more activity and every once in a while
that monster.
07/2019
If you are talking about
freshwater fishing there is one thing you have to talk about and that is Beetle
Spins. OK what is a beetle spin it is a small lure for Crappie or Pan fish which
really works great on almost any fish up to mid size Bass, A Beetle Spin
consists of a small Plastic grub on a Jig head connected to a sideways “V”
shaped wire by a clip and at the top of this bent wire there is a spoon or
blade, I guess would be the correct phrase. Beetle spins are easy to use. As
they work best with a slow steady retrieve.
But that is why many people can not figure out how to catch fish with one. It
takes a very specific retrieve. First thing is the rod should not be floppy at
the tip. Not heavy but tight action is better. Next thing is cast out and hold
your rod tip 90 degrees to the side, The trick with a beetle spin is to feel the
slight bump, bump, bump, of the spinner blade, that is why the blade on a beetle
spin is round in shape. These blades or spinners are normally a Colorado blade
or maybe an Indiana blade. The Colorado blade is rounder slightly oval in shape
and produces the most thumping when pulled through the water and Indiana blade
is much more oval in shape and while great in it's own right makes a milder
bumping, thumping when pulled. So it is about the feel when using a Beetle spin
the wire is bent in a V shape with a ring centered between the blade on the top
and the grub on the bottom. This is where you tie your line on. And most Beetle
spins do not come “rigged” as in you have to put on the grub. The Jig head has
an eye you must put onto the wire release the clip and slid it on. The Hook Must
be on the top If the hook ends up underneath the grub. Do it again.
When it is a brighter sunny day
I like to slow roll, “which means slow retrieve or reeling” the Beetle spin just
under the surface of the water letting the blade catch a bit of sun light, I
believe that flash of light form the blade will bring on strikes. But quite
often the fish are down farther and the noise from the blade spinning will call
them to dinner.
Now I understand Beetle spins are for freshwater, But no one ever told the fish
that I have caught many types of Flats fish on them including sea trout and
Spade fish. Sand Bream seem to like them as well but you have to reel very
slowly just barley making the blade spin.
But all in all I find Beetle spins to be a must have for my tackle box, and
considering they come in many weights and sizes I would start with an 1/8 once
Yellow or black with yellow.
Good luck, have fun.
07/2019
Lure and hooks, I have to say they
go together, What good would a lure be with out the hooks?
So what happens when the hooks on a lure go bad or become bent, rusty, or
broken.
OK you replace them, right “easy peasy”. Really it is as simple as changing a
key on a key ring. If you have the right tools, or very tiny fingers. I first
start with a trip to the tackle store, make sure you take the lure with you. Ahh
I think it is about that big. Anit gonna cut it. TAKE THE LURE! Hooks come in
many sizes and a little bit makes the difference at least take the hook. Keep it
simple.
Now changing hooks can be easy or easier with the correct tools hooks are
attached to the lure with a split ring and small version of a key chain ring. I
guess a circle of steel with three layers. You remove a hook the same way you
remove a key. A split ring pliers the tool and it is basically a pliers with a
tooth or barb on the end of one of the jaws. For tiny rings the A.F.W. Split
ring pliers is the ticket with the tiniest end barb which allows you to split
the ring open. I like to have a very small needle nose pliers, so once I use the
split ring pliers to open the ring and get the hook eye into the split opening I
can then move the ring around allowing the hook to come off. Now if you are
really tricky you will pace the hook you wish to remove up against the one you
are removing so the same motion that takes one hook off places the new hook on
the ring.
Now single hooks are replacing
treble hooks on many peoples lures as you can get a better hook set and it is
less dangerous for you and the fish. The problem is that you can not remove the
front treble hook only the rear one. If the lure has three treble hooks get rid
of the middle one and replace the rear with a single hook on line from V.M.C. or
Owner they both make hooks for lures to replace the trebles. The reason you can
not often replace the front treble is not a weight issue it is a rudder issue.
The front treble hook on a lure keeps it balanced in the water. So often when
you replace it the lure swims off balance and it ruins the action. Now the rear
treble on any lure may be replaced, with out any bad effects.
How do you pick the correct size in-line single hook? Well the in-line tells you
the eye of the hook is 90 degrees different than the hook you use for bait. A
regular single hook when put on a lure the point of the hook sticks out the side
no good.
With the in-line single you need only to make sure the opining or point is
pointed up to get a hook set, never down. Now as to the size it is a formula I
came up with which really seems to work, lay the treble hook on a table and then
make sure the single hook is the same gap as between the two barbed points of
the treble hook. If you are replacing treble for treble make sure they are the
same size as well.
Check out the label on the hook package lures come with a single X strength
hook, which can bend or break, most tackle shops should have 4 X which as you
would guess are 4 times stronger. But that also makes them heavier which can
mess up the action. So try different things and if you need help stop by.
06/2019
I was just sitting here
thinking, and about thoughts which make me smile.
A few years ago I had a guy com in and he made signs and advertisement stuff, we
worked out a deal for some things and then he bought a rod and a dual drag reel
for fishing Big Snook out at the Placida trestle. So with about 4 of his friend
they went to the pier for a night of Big Fish Fishing, Did I mention he had only
been in Florida for a couple weeks, So had no Idea of the power of the fish. So
after about an hour he set his rod down and went off to get a drink the fishing
had been a bit slow. He made it about 4 steps and ka-bump screech Plop Splash!
His Rod flew off the pier and into the water. Well he was cussing up a storm and
he had just got it never even landed a fish and gone. Well his buddies were
laughing and saying we tried to tell you, flip the switch, that's why you bought
a dual drag reel. So the fish can not take it. Well they continued to fish and
one of the guys had a very light hit. And started to reel in. I think it; s a
crab and sure enough there is a crab and it has the hook in it's claw gripping
it with a this is mine and you can't have it grip. Now the weird thing is in
it's other cla3w is what looks like more of the guys line, then my buddy says
hey that is my line, sure enough they guy who hooked the crab had clear mono
line and the rod that was lost had bright green solar colored line. So carefully
they got the landing net under the crab and it was up on the pier. They really
did not have to be as careful that crab was not letting go of either line or
hook as it was over 9 inches across the shell point to point he was a bad ass of
the deep. But no match for a couple red necks wanting their stuff back. So my
friend started pulling line, and pulling line the reel he had bought was a 6000
series and held about 325 yards of line. What we think happened was when the
fish jerked the rod from the pier the bail was knocked open and so with a
massive pile of line at his feet the rod finally came up and he got it back. As
he started pulling the rest of the line in. well I guess that mad the fish mad.
When the bail opened and the tension was gone the fish must have thought it was
safe and just went back and laid up. But when he started pulling in the line the
fight was on again after some sore fingers and even more cussing he landed a
Snook about 30 inches and let it go. The story was good he got the rod and reel
back and landed the fish. Story told and I almost believe every word of it.
06/2019
Writing for magazines can be
though each month I wonder, did I just write about that, is that fish here now,
what is the weather doing or gonna do, every once in a while I consult the magic
“8” Ball on the counter and guess what I am still correct more often than the
weather guys with all of those computers.
So this month I decided to talk about the random catches, There is still Triple
tail in the Harbor and near gulf, not lots and lots like in the winter months =,
but the cool thing is they are big, often reaching close to 30 inches, even
though the are larger fish I still use the small lures or bait like I would if
they were 14 inch fish, kind of strange when I write it, But yes that does seem
to work.
the strike king “Rage Menace” is a smaller twin tail grub and when paired with a
pink rock port rattler jig head is a treat Triple tail really like and it is
just a slow steady retrive, just a foot or so under the water, Color depends but
white is your best bet. For bait regular size shrimp or choice but not select or
hand picks. White Bait I choose the smallest ones in my live well with a 20
pound fool or leader and a #2 hook.
Next on the random catch is Cobia, a Felmlee Ell lure is my top choice the
company went out of business and has been bought and back, I just use a 4/0 “J”
hook through the front of the ell letting it float or drift along reeling and
twitching slowly, as far as color, they only come in one color and it works. So
make the decision easier, choice of one. And the other thing I use is gold
spoons like a ¾ once Johnson sprite gold color slow cranking so the spoon
wobbles but does not spin or rotate.
As far as bait a crab 3 feet below a small float is good or free lined, white
bait or thread fins or excellent bait for Cobia just free lined.
Both of these are fish here to catch but they are not in what I would call fish-able numbers just take an old rod you don’t use much and rig it for the possibility of coming across one of these tasty fighting fish. With the bright sun light now both of these fish are shade lovers and if you are anchored up or drifting what is the biggest amount of shade around, the shade under your boat. So if you see on, stay calm “right like that will happen but do the best you can, keep arm movement to a minimum, the more you wave your arms or make big casting movement or more likely you are to spook them off, they were coming to the shade, so take your time cast beyond the fish and a bit in front so the lure as you reel in so the fish and the lure intersect and hopefully FISH ON.
05/2019
To be or not to be, a catching
person or a fishing person. Well it take change and that is one thing most
people don't like. Change your bait and change where you fish. Right now there
is little difference between an in-coming or and out-going tide. The water is
pretty much the same temperature both ways and the salt content is the same. Now
once the rains start the in-coming tide will be the best. Not high tide as that
is when the out-going tide starts but get out at low tide and take advantage of
the cooler, saltier water coming in from the gulf, And right now most of the
fish will eat any time of the day, but the sun is already starting to cook the
water and it will be from day light to noon when the fish will bite as after
that the sun will be just too hot for the fish on the flats even on the surface
waters. So right now you can go early or late and you should catch fish but soon
it will be an early morning bite. I want to be off the water before 1:pm and
will stay in until 6 o'clock then go out again as the sun goes down.
And at this time white bait is the fish catching king but in the next coupe
weeks it is be time to switch to dead bait and dead sticking, Dead bait really
will not move around as much as live bait will, and it is easier for the fish to
catch, Yes it is that simple. And there is a new product out which seems to be
working really well to increase the number of hits you get on dead bait. Be that
Shrimp, squid or cut up fish. Boca Coast came out with a dead bait rub, You use
it like shake and bake and it will help. place the bait in the bag and shake it
up until the piece of bait is cover with it and cast it out, let it sit until
wham,
Now I like to do things the same way, change can be hard. I fish up in the top of the Harbor all of the cooler/cold months but now I am going to have to head out to the ICE or Gasparilla flats or Pine Island sound. Maybe even bull or Turtle bay. But lets stop n the east side of the Harbor for a minute. The east side is very good fishing if you are there about an hour after low tide. Most of the water that comes in from Boca Grande Pass goes right to the east side and that water is cooler so it perks up the bait. And gets the bait moving around I doubt that if really effects the Snook or Red Fish but it will and does effect the food they prey on. That burst of cool water gets them going and feeding which makes bigger things start to eat and so on.
Shrimp is still working OK, and
will be an OK choice all year, but as the rains pick up and the water browns,
start thinking stinky dead bait.
Oh and for you tarpon guys, tarpon eat dead bait. Well they eat it at first
light, evening, and all night, be it lady fish , mullet or Silver Trout Tarpon
do and always have eaten dead bait. They may call it the Silver King, but it is
still a stinky old dead bait eater, Which anit so bad, I like my steak kinda
dead as well.
Have fun
Fishin frank
04/2019
Top water lures, Not just for
breakfast anymore.
Yes for years when growing up and learning to fish, I was told to use lures
which stay on the surface only 2 ours before dark, until 2 hours after dark. The
only exception would be cloudy days, taking that into account the cloudy day
stuff, I thought about it and can to the conclusion that yes fish do not have
eye lids. Why is that important? They can not squint into the sun light and
looking up at the surface from underneath to see a lure on a bright sun shinny
day would be almost impossible for a fish to see much less strike at a top water
lure.
So why then can I use top water lures any time of the day on the flats to catch
fish?
top water lures seemed to work anytime day or night on the flats. Well I believe
it is a line of sight issue.
And that the cut off depth is
about 6 foot of water give or take. When a fish is in deep water or close to the
bottom in deep water it looks almost straight up to see a top water lure. Now
that same fish on the flats in 2 or 3 feet of water would be looking in front of
its self to see the lure, not up much at all.
Yes it is a different angle of view, in shallow water the lure is really in
front of the fish not over its head. And another thing why is the back of a top
water lure important? By that I mean the color of the top of the lure. Top water
lures are sold with a white belly and blue back or white belly and green back,
if the belly of the lure is all that is in the water why change the color on the
top which is not in the water at all? Because of the water it is laying on.
Water has many weird properties and not the least is waters can act like a
mirror. When a lure lays on the surface and you look at it from underneath you
see the belly white in this case and on both sides of the belly you see a
reflection of the sides and the back or the lure So you would see black white
black. The belly is only seen in the center.
Now I really enjoy using top water lures, it sort of completes the whole fishing
thing, You see the fish strike the lure, then feel the hit and finally fight the
fish. Sight, sounds, feel, maybe even Smell, but I don't want to catch the fish
you can smell.
Why top water stuff, Well Tarpon, Jacks, Cobia, Even Sharks can be caught while
using Top water lures and right now there is a bunch of Sharks, and Tarpon in
the harbor. I am using the same size Top water I would for Amber Jacks, 5 to 8
inch lures for these fish/Sharks
To catch the Sharks on Top water, watch for schools of bait fish on the surface,
Pick a lure with those colors or I choose really bright colors, to stand out
from the other bait fish, Cast past the school and work the top water violently
through the school, Sharks and several other major predators tend to hang out
below the schools of bait fish, and if you work that lure through the school it
can start a feeding frenzy. I can tell you nothing prepares you for a black tip
hitting a top water lure and then doing a back flip two and a half gainer across
the water. Now that is fun, and jacks on the bar near Burnt store
there is crazy fun to be had with top waters.
Head out and enjoy Charlotte Harbor is there and it has a bunch of big fish.
Fishin Frank
don't remember when I wrote this
un-known author 2019
03/2019
Well the seas were not angry, So why did I sink my boat?
Well if you have been in business you start out doing just business with companies then you make friends and Shawn From A.F.W. Has become one of my best friends. Shawn decided to come down to Florida from Penn. Hard choice as it was snowing like crazy there and he brought his wife, So we decided a day of Fishing, sightseeing, and Islands restaurants would be a good escape for all of us. So the Four of us my wife and his headed out for the day. We started up on Shell creek trying for Tarpon and Shawn hooked up and lost one right away then they were gone we caught a couple cat fish and said OK lets move. The Fog which was thick as we started the day was slowly clearing and so we followed the fading fog all the way out to Boca Grande Pass and we fish the Phosphate docks for a while and No bites or hits. Which was not surprising as there was a big ole full moon the night before and most of the fish will feed all night and not really bite again until afternoon, So we headed out the pass into Gulf and down along the shore line of Cayo Costa to do some shelling. We found a stretch of beach with no one on it and even with a rollers coming in from the gulf they were not that big as to worry me about dropping them off on shore. “My first mistake” The correct way to drop someone on the beach is to put out a large anchor and run your anchor line through the pull ring on the front of the boat and ease the boat backwards to the shore with the Bow facing open water. The anchor line being at the pull ring allow the boat to ride any waves which might come in from wind or passing vessels. 10 years ago I worked out how to nose the boat up on the beach drop off the people and back out timing the surf. And have done this 100's of times.
This time as the bow of the boat
touched the beach I felt the back of the boat drop about 10 inches as the wave
approached the shore. OH Damn this is gonna suck! I hit reverse to try and get
the back of the boat away from where the wave would break, But forgot about the
full moon, The full moon makes the tide/currant twice as strong as normal “ my
second mistake” the pull from the wave dropped the stern far enough down so the
prop caught in the sand and stalled the motor.
I restarted the motor but too late, The first wave came over the stern only 2
inches above the gunnels putting 3 inches of water in the boat. Making her just
too heavy for the out board to pull it back of the sand just as the boat full
throttle started to back off the beach two more waves broke over the stern and
my boat was sunk!
So now I am standing in a boat full of water, the waves crashed over the stem
and washing everything in the boat out onto the beach. You have seconds to come
up with a plan before the waves start destroying the boat. I watch a boat which
had the thing happen but it turned sideways along the beach, I arrived on there
about 40 minutes after it happen and the boat was already torn into pieces. So
yes this could be bad. So we all jumped off the boat and I got Shawn to help me
turn the bow back towards open water where she could face the waves, once the
boat was turned around I took a quick check and no problems so far the out board
had not gone under water but the batteries were under water, When the batteries
go under water the start discharging like they were being used. If is not often
they will just lose power you have a few minutes to get the post back up so the
water is not sorting them out. And So far this has been about 5 minutes since
the first wave came over the back of the boat.
The next step is to get the nose of
the boat above the water so the waves can not keep filling the boat.
So both our wives grabbed buckets and started bailing. A couple minute break in
the waves gave them time to get enough water out so Shawn and I could lift the
bow and now she was riding the waves and only a bit of water was coming in over
the sides of the boat.
This is where I got lucky. The boat was just too heavy with all of the water in
it for us to drag her big butt off the beach. If we had two more people we could
have done it but lucky, lucky me a Guy in a boat came up. I guess he noticed we
were all in the water and boat was I guess you could say sunk.
He offered to pull us out so I held the bow up while Shawn swam out and got the
rope from the guy, and I tied a bow line loop on my end as I know never ever
hard tie my boat to another boat. So the guy started to tighten the line and
guess he was a bit excited he forgot to ties the rope to his boat. So Shawn swam
back out and got the rope to the guy. Who by the way, was an awesome person, and
just really nice guy. So with the rope fixed to both boats, I held up my hand
telling him to just tighten the line but not to pull until I waved. What I was
waiting for was a larger wave, The Terry and Kathleen had been bailing like
Crazy and had a lot of water out, But it needed just a bit more, a wave came up
I yelled go Shawn and I lifted and the wave pushed the nose of the boat up water
dumped out the back and off she floated. Now looking out at the boat pulling us.
He had drifted off to the side with the pull and was going to pull my boat which
still had a lot of water in it sideways to the surf, it would have rolled over
and we would have been done. Remember I said never tie to another boat. I was
bale to get the rope in my hands and my knees against the boat one big pull and
I had the slack enough to get the loop off my cleat and we were free floating. I
asked Shawn to push the boat out as I scrambled over the side and turned to key
that Yamaha fired right up and when everyone was clear of the prop I idled out
and then it was bailing enough water out of the boat the get the wire
connections to the bilge pumps out from under water so I could hit the switch.
Too risky with the wires under water. A few minutes of bailing and re-tighten a
wire and both bilge pumps started pumping.
About then I looked back at the beach, Shawn and our wives had picked up the
stuff and were walking along shelling and they did find some cool shells to take
home along home with the story.
So 40 minutes from the first wave OMG to all of us back on board and heading to
lunch and the Bar at Cabbage Key. This just seemed like the perfect Captain
Morgan time. We were not even late for lunch.
After eating and a couple cocktails, thinking about what to do, None of us
thought to save the ice. So with no cold drinks we decided not to stop and fish
some more. So all in all a great story, and no one hurt and the boat well There
is quite a bit of sand in the bilge but all of the Oak leaves and old grease and
stuff is gone and out side of me vowing to never get lazy about how I get people
off the boat at the beach. The boat is cleaner than when I started the day. I am
wiser, and just a bit embarrassed. But all in all quite the adventure.
I wish we had caught more fish. That is really a let down, and plain
embarrassing.
When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate.
02/04/19
Fishing in The ICW or Inter coastal waterway has been great and continues to be good, But How can this be? The fish were all poisoned and everything was dead as Red tide and Blue green algae covered everything, everywhere. Well maybe while there was no Red Tide in Charlotte harbor proper there was bad out breaks in ht ICW or A.K.A. The Inter-coastal waterway. And Then right after it filled up with fish. Why, how, Well it could be several reasons,
Lets start with some maybes, Red tide can clean water of many algae and bacteria so the water can be cleaner after a Red Tide, But I do not think that’s the reason.
We did have some rain so maybe the fish liked the saltier waters, No as summer time the Harbor is very, very fresh and the fish are still there. By the way that is the reason we had no red tide in Charlotte Harbor the water was too fresh for Red Tide to live in it. Red tide only lives in real salt water.
So maybe the temperature and now
this might be a real thing, The water this year is at least 10 degrees colder
than average and the water down 6 feet or more stays a more constant temp warmer
in the winter cooler in the summer months, So with the deep water of the ICW and
the shallow flats with dark green grass right next to the deep water, in the
morning the fish will be laying up in the deeper warmer water and as the sun
beats down the fish will move into the shallows to warm up and feed. Yes the
water warmed by the sun gets all of the tiny little bait things moving about to
feed, and that gets the fish feeding.
But I would have to say that the reason I believe the fish are so thick along
the ICW areas is that the shrimp are migrating out the harbor and into the gulf.
Thousands upon thousands of shrimp a day are leaving the Harbor. A shrimp is not
a strong swimmer and when they wish to leave they want move under the cover of
darkness as every single thing on the planet wants to eat them, hiding in the
dark is a smart thing to do. But not being strong swimmers they dig into the
bottom on in-coming tides and swim up into the water on the out going tides
hitching a ride with the tide as it leaves, smart idea for a creature that is
only slightly smarter than a rock, So any way the ICW and the flats close by are
full of shrimp and that is why I think there is so many fish there.
And of course saying that, what would be the best bait to use? Why yes indeed
match the hatch theory use Shrimp, and this would be my best advice for the near
shore reefs as the shrimp are trying to get to 60+ feet of water and are
traveling past all of the near shore reefs.
You can also say hi to the hundreds of shrimp boats out there from almost every
state on he gulf But Florida. Yes they come here as the shrimping in their
states are closed and only Florida does not close commercial shrimping. More on
that on another day.
Have fun
Fishin Frank
01/24/19
Here what I can't figure out,
the best fishing we have had over the last couple months has been where the Red
tide had hit the hardest. All along the in-side of Gasparilla Island and Cayo
Costa and Islands to the north and south.
The Docks on the in side of these Islands have had Big Snook and some smaller
ones, a lot of over size Red fish. Sheep head, black drum and a few other fish,
Now why would they all be at this place over the Harbor?
Well water temp could be a factor as we have had some of the coldest waters on several years and it is possible that the short distance between deep water over 6 foot deep and shallow water under two foot deep might be the deciding factor, When a fish is trying to stay warmer at night they will drop down in to waters more than 6 foot as it takes a lot longer for the cold to get that deep, shallow water can change temperature very quickly over night with just a little breeze. And That would account for why the fish like the shallows as the sun warms the water very fast by afternoon they can sun bathe warming up in the shallows for the up coming colder night.
Another thing it might be is
salinity, Fresh water coming into the Harbor can move fish out but we have not
had that much rain so I doubt that the salt content of the water is why they are
here.
Red tide yes red Tide is the most likely suspect to have brought so many types
of fish to the Inter-coastal at this time. OK I know if you watch the news at
night this might not make sense, But In my opinion the new broadcasts don’t make
sense either, So here is my side of the argument. Red tide kill not only fish
but many types of algae and bacteria which can make the water cleaner, maybe
fresher? But it does not kill Shrimp, Oyster, clams, Crab and things like that.
So after a red tide the shrimp which are a simple creature at best multiply and
grow fast and breed. The more they eat the faster they grow and with out
predators, Another thing the red tide would kill most of the things that eat
these little creatures and then they feed on the dead fish and things on the
bottom and the fish on the bottom put nitrates and things into the sand which
help Coquinas or small tiny clams and shell fish to grow.
even Barnacles can multiply faster. All of these things could be whats driving
fish to hang out here in the inter-coastal
But I would suspect the reason there are so many fish in the inter-coastal water
way and the docks n the in side of the Islands is that the Shrimp are migrating
out of Charlotte Harbor in huge numbers and there just seems to be a lot of
them. Which could be because of the dead from the red tide or it could be just a
cycle year where a ton of shrimp were hatced and there is just naturally
millions of them. What ever the reason is there is huge bunches of Shrimp
leaving the Harbor each day and the fish are liking it.
I would say the most apparent thing is that all of the fish are hitting Live
Shrimp or dead shrimp but they are eating shrimp and like they say match the
hatch. So my thinking is Red tide maybe brought on more shrimp or food, or maybe
it just is.
But whatever the reason there is a lot of shrimp moving out and the fish are
eating. And by the bye the same thing holds true on any of the near shore reefs
with in 10 miles of the beach. Drop a shrimp down and hang on.
This should go on, through the month of February with a great possibility for
you to catch a tasty shrimp dinner any night you can get to the passes during an
out going tide.
12/22/18
Hey Boys and Girls I am back
sort of, All of a sudden the store next to us moved and we took over an extra
1780 Sq feet bringing us to almost 4000 sq feet of fishing tackle and then we
found an old storage area out side with a covered roof so we built a seminar
area, with benches and tables so you have a place for your drink, writing notes
and just makes it all the more comfortable.
With all the extra space part of which I used to have and a down turn in money
made me give it up, But now we have a Rod and reel room with 14 feet of
wonderful ceiling height after 34 years of 8'3” ceiling this is a god send
wonderful thing, I bought a couple 12 and 13 foot surf rods just because I could
stand them up. Tackle boxes and Cast net have a room. And I guess the
embarrassing yet true we have built a Boutique room with shirt and hats and
stuff. Ouch that one hurt. In the main room there are big racks full of Rod and
reel combos from $19.99 and up to what ever you want to spend.
The hard part was coming to terms with I am a store clerk and no longer a
construction worker, and my body feels this. I hope you will stop by and just
check out the new toys, The reason this was possible was great friends and the
people who work here, After a couple of weeks going every day 7 days a week
month after month, I have not been the easiest person to be around and thank you
to everyone for putting up with it all.
Just a say a bit about the fishing it has and continues to be a pretty darn good
year for fishing, Now it is true most days it is better to be lucky than good,
But in the gulf some of the best Snapper, Grunt fishing in years if you are not
having that kind of luck try live shrimp on a 3/0 circle hook, lighten up your
rod to a 12 to 20 pound class and 30 pound braid, and a 2 once sinker.
In the Harbor and sounds there is a ton of Trout and true to this time of year
there is a lot of smaller ones, switch to a TT-18 mirror lure cast it out and
let it sink for 3 seconds then slow twitch it back in. The slow twitch and being
a bit deeper will attract the larger Trout. The other lure which I use for
larger Trout is the Rapala sub-walk in the OG color this lure you walk the dog
under water not fast a steady pace, Bam big Trout.
There is also a bunch of Large Mouth Bass fishing going on, I guess with a Red
Tide scares a lot of people have rediscovered Bass fishing weather above the
Franklin locks or the North Port Canals systems the bite is on. White Lizards,
Top water Frogs, or Green Pumpkin worms are rockin the Bass.
Well I hope to see you on the water if not stop by Fishin Franks and
say Hi.
Fishin Frank
12/18/18
Sometimes you run your life
sometimes life runs you, kind of like being in a boat going fishing often we are
so consumed with getting where we want to go. We don't see what's right there in
front of us.
I have often been running my boat to go to a spot I was pretty darn sure the
fish were biting and then see or smell something which will make me turn stop
and start fishing.
Robert is sniffing for what smells like water-melon rind or a WD-40 sent in the
air. Often when bait is bunched up or fish are feeding on bait fish you can
actually smell it. Now if I am cruising along I like to get the boat on plane
then back off the throttle so the motor slows but the boat remains on plane,
then I can scan the shore line for fish pushing the surface, By that I mean,
think of when you were in a swimming pool and you push your hand just under the
surface of the water and you can see the surface swell just a little and it
produces waves like a tiny boat wake. So see fish blow up. That is when a fish
gulps down a bait fish which is right at the surface and the fishes head will
breach out of the water creating a pow or pop swirling sound and that is
absolutely a fish feeding. If you see the whole fish jump out of the water and
belly flop back down, that is a mullet, a great eating fish but will not bite
your bait, they are just there to sell real estate or make you crazy.
Once you see or smell something, it starts to get tricky. First thing is to
stop. And it is better not to go from full run to boom shut down, often that
will spook fish. So I try to ease the throttle back so I slow down gradually.
And I try to keep my eye on what I saw. One other thing if you smelled
watermelon-rind look carefully at the water you should see a slight oil slick.
That is where the smell comes from.
I would often be running across the flats with people on the boat and turn in
sharply to a shore line and they would say, What did you see, I would reply, I
smelled fish farts, hard to find out who's eating.
If it is an open water area local knowledge is helpful as I know where the pot
holes or depressions are under the water so I can motor to the edge of where the
pot holes are and cast into that group of holes.
If you are new to that area. Watch the slick and try to get up wind and as far
back from it as you can cast.
Have you ever thought about chumming with fish oil on the flats? Well me too, I
found out that was one of my dumber ideas. I thought I often find fish looking
for the slight surface slicks from bait fish or other schooling fish, and with
all of that fish smell in the water it has to work! ALL the Fish in the world
are mine now ha, ha, ha I thought with a maniacal laugh. And what really happens
is that the oil makes the surface of the water like glass. The fish look up and
bam, there you are and boom off the go.
Once that oil went across the surface those fish hauled butt and I think are
still running.
Which brings me to the last
thought, the calmer and clearer the water the farther back away from the fish
you have to stay. I can tell you many fish like Snook will not run when they see
you, But they darn sure wont bite.
This is a random thought piece as 2018 was a random thought year. We at Fishin
Franks and Fishin franks II hope your 2019 will be awesome and you get time to
fish and enjoy the wondrous place called S.W. Fla. Than you for a really amazing
2018 and watch out 2019 here comes Fishin Franks bigger than ever.
11/25/18
Oh yeah lets jump in the boat
and go fishin.
So you go to back up the boat, it has been awhile so to make the boat go left I
turn well give me a minute. Now I took off the hook and straps and the ramp is
not that steep I will just back up fast down the ramp so the boat will not fall
off no problem, what is that crunching scarping noise?
Some of the best entertainment you can have is to take a lawn chair and cooler
and sit by a boat ramp on a busy weekend. Why would a guy who will not let his
wife drive the boat and trailer on the road, make her back the boat down the
ramp? And then you have the guys who sit impatiently waiting to get to the ramp,
and once on the ramp use that time to take off all of the straps and load all of
their gear on the boat and put the plugs in. why not do all of that while you
are waiting before you get on the ramp?
OK now we are going out lets get
the motor trimmed way out from the boat so the front end will do a real cool
wheelie, like we are launching for outer space. Or you cou8ld tuck the motor as
close to the boat as possible and make the boat go on plane safely, but whee is
the fun in that? Lets say you start with the motor close to the boat and once
you reach cruising speed you trim the motor up away from the boat to get the
perfect ride ans you should save a lot of fuel as you can reduce the throttle as
the bottom is lifting clear of the water by reducing the drag or friction from
the water. Ne tip if you are going against the wind try and keep the nose of the
boat as low as possible or you will ride up the wave and slam down, I watch a
lot of people pounding their way across the Harbor against the wind. All they
have to do to smooth the ride is lower the front. Now running with the wind is
different. You need to have the front of the boat up a bit or when you cross
over a wave you will stick the nose of your boat into the next wave. It is
doubtful you will sink but having a wall of water going through your boat will
make you pucker and rethink life in general. And get a chart if you run from one
marker to the next staying as close as you can, not a great idea. Watch the
chart if the water is the same depth or greater a ¼ mile away from the marker
why would you run so close to THE most dangerous object in the Harbor the big
wood thing.
So we finally make it to where we are going to fish, and darn it there is a boat
in MY spot. Really we if you are from an area where there is a lot of people on
the water t is OK to fish very close to other boats. But you are in Charlotte
Harbor and we like 100 yards between us if possible. Or 3 good casts. And NEVER
anchor in some ones chum line. If you see a boat anchored in the Harbor anchor
off to the side far enough way so you can not see the nose on their face. Not
behind or in front off to the side. As you would like them to do. NO they do not
own the water, But neither do YOU.
Now I like to cast net for bait fish, which can be awesome for the other people
on the boat of you wear jewelry or watches of button shirts so when you throw
that cast net as hard as you can and it snags on something pulling you off the
boat, well most of the time they will pull you back on-board once they stop
laughing. Oh and take the bait you need not what you want it is OK to use bait
not OK to waste it. Every two you kill is 500 not there the next year.
Now a common practise’s is to chum with live bait fish. It is NOT OK to crush or
mutilate the bait you are using as chum put them in a bat and toss them out. A
great idea is to lift your forward foot as you rear back to throw the bat full
of bait letting your foot fall just off the side of the boat so you can topple
into the water, Now as you sit there under water watching the bait swim calmly
out of our chum bat, think you still have to get back to the surface and take
the ribbing and laughing you start to wonder how long can I really hold my
breath?
So you chummed and the fish are blowing up on the bait or freebies as we call
them, but they will not touch a bait with a leash. “one with a hook and line”
the trick is to hold the rod with the bait ready to cast and throw your bait
fish right where the fish just blew up. And it really does look like some one
dropped a cherry bomb in the water and it blew up when the fish hit a freebie.
How ever we are starting to think the fish may be catching on to that chumming
trick so try putting your bait out first maybe one free-lined no weight or float
and one maybe 3 feet under a float, See if the fish will hit if not then chum
maybe 4 to 6 pieces the more you chum the more will hit but will they hit your
line, less likely with fewer chummers you are more likely to hook up.
Now with salt water fish you might not want to set the hook like you are Bass
fishing, most of the time you will see the hook fly out of the water wrapping
around and around you head until the hook comes to a nice stop hopefully just in
your ear or scalp. Not your nose, altho I was at the mall and that is the new
“IN” look hook through the nose and if it seem like it would be too painful,
just sett the hook really hard on a Snook and that nose ring is no problem.
Oh and just for fun don't look in the mouth of a fish be fore you grab it by the
mouth or lip it. This is amazing fun for the other people as you scream and
dance around with a fishes teeth stuck in your hand or it is trying to swallow a
finger or two. Me I always look before I grip,touch, or put my fingers anywhere.
Some of the fish here in Florida have very sharp fin's which if they get stuck
into your hand can cause infection like Red Fish, Snook, Sea Trout or even Cat
Fish. I like to use a fish gripper tool which would hold the fish or even just
hold the jaw of a fish, Be cautious as to the weight of a fish, if it has a big
belly you can dislodge the jaw of a fish with a holder/gripper so support the
belly smaller or more trim fish it is unlikely you will cause problem with a
gripper.
OK and if you like salmonella and a lot of trips to the bath room, which of
course every one does, lets put your fish on a stringer in 90 degree water while
you continue to fish. The trots are really fun and where would be the fun of
placing your fish on ice in a chest so it stays fresh and wonderful in the
Florida heat. Why that is just plain boring.
When I fish bait I should just put a sinker on and cast it out far as I can.
Well it is salt water fishing. But what does that have to do with anything? If
you are fishing from a pier you go out as far as you can and cast out. If you
are in a baot you cast as close to shore as possible or as far under the pier as
you can. Hummm what? Well I think it is pier boat envy If you are on a pier you
wish you were way out on a boat, And The people in the boat know that most fish
like heavy structure and want the fish hiding under the pier. And maybe they
think I spent all this money on a boat but I wish I was still just walking out
the pier and just relaxing instead of paying boat payments a simpler life and
time. Grass always greener or water always bluer.
Lure fishing is a passion of mine, But I have changed a couple things over the
years. With time ou learn how things work better or worse, I would have never
guessed a single hook instead of a treble hook would get more fish to the boat.
And That by flatting the barbs on the front treble hook I could make the lure
safer for me and the fish and acually land more fish. VMC hook have a sungle
hook replacement for lures to get rid of the back treble hook and it works
great. Why not replace both front and rear treble hooks, The truth is most lures
will not wrok or run properly with out the fornt treble hook not only is it the
weight it is that the treble hook acts like a rudder to help control the lure as
it swims through the water. And So I crush the barbs on the front ones and
single hook the back keeping the great action of lures like the Rapala X-rap
which has that realalistic swimming motion balenced and tested by Rapala but
with out the front treble it is just not right.
All of these thing are really fun to watch but not so cool to do, I hope you
have a Merry Christmas or Hanukah and Happy New Year
10/28/18
Changes we all kind of hate them
or dread them in some ways, But change things do. Like S.O.S. Marine closing, I
went to the last day and bought some stuff, Jerry who is one of the best
mechanics and friends I have ever known retired. And I understand that is a good
thing he has worked hard and deserves a rest. But I was still standing there
trying not to tear up.
Changed like Red tide is every where and then it is gone and the places where
“all “ of the fish were dead now have fish again. Do people think God is that
dumb not to have a plan “B” fish move off and when it's over they move back in.
Same as humans. The Pan handle got slammed with a major Hurricane People left
and people come back.
Changes Red Fish is one of the biggest changes I have ever seen in the fishing
of Charlotte, About 5 years ago I started taking about where did the Red Fish
go? About December the Reds would all but disappear. Then in July the Red Fish
would magically reappear. I looked up some old articles and listened to some old
Pod Cast from fishinfranks.com and sure enough there it was me and Robert
talking about the hole in the space time continuum. A funny way of saying they
disappeared and everyone was going around crying there is no Red Fish, then by
august the Red fish were every where again. I was talking to a marine biologist
and he asked me if I thought it was increasing pressure on the Reds that would
be causing this, I said wrong word continuous pressure was the more likely
suspect. What I mean is that when the weather cools down the locals start to
fish more, and then add the snow birds and tourist and the Charter boats and the
flats get a bit full of boats. It would be hard for a fish to find a place to
relax. So in my opinion they are moving to quieter areas as the normal or
historic fishing spot fill up with boats. Then move back when it is slower.
Changes even at Fishin Franks we are now just about twice the size we were a
month ago. And yes there is even a boutique. Ouch, But hey changes customers
come in and say where is this or that and as Robert says it is one giant Easter
egg hunt right now. Now the question is with a room full of shoes, shirts,
sunglasses, gifts and apparel do I need to change my slogan This Anit no
boutique? After all it aint the whole store just a room. Well you decide.
Changes Snook and Red fish were put as catch and release only until at least
May. No one knows why as F.W.C. Will not let the stock assessments out for
public viewing, are they playing politics? or watching out for the fish? Me I
think they are not doing things in our best interest just for some politician to
say look at me I’m a good person. Just like the F.B.I. And others the working
people are great and the management is screwed up.
Changes well the weather changed
and it is cool and the fish are moving in, Cobia, Pompano, and Spanish mackerel
are all in the Harbor and the Sheep head have moved back to the Placida Trestle,
So some changes are good other are like changing a diaper, not bad once your
done but you have to live through some crappy smelly times to get there.
One thing that has not changed we are all still here and there are fish to
catch.
09-27-18
El-Diablo lives in Charlotte.
Yes we ran into or I should say hooked up el-Diablo on a Fishing trip with Capt.
Karl. My son Frank with two of his friends Schmidt and Dunn can to visit and
catch big fish.
So Friday they flew in and we went
fishing we had to catch live lady fish for bait and what is strange the neither
the Shark or Tarpon would hit dead bait, they would slam live bait, maybe the
dead fish from the Red tide on the coast has made them wary of dead fish? Any We
hooked some tarpon and sharks Friday but did not get any to the boat, So that
night as we were loading the boat at Ponce Frank cast a lady fish up against the
piling of the docks and bam Nice Snook I would guess in the lower slot size.
Saturday we were out bright and early and first thing is catch8ing bait live
lady fish was the target and there would huge schools of lady fish right off
Mangrove point, thousands of them, The trick was getting them in the boat, I
think it was 10 on and 1 in. The VmC Hot Skirt jig was the ticket, They would
hit it and live, so in he live well they went.
We headed down off Cape Haze First off a shark I would guess to be about 6 to 8
foot slammed a lady fish and Dunn took the Rod and just as it came next to the
boat pop goes the leader.
El-Diablo shows up. And came out of the water with a vengeance. Schmidt is on
the Rod.. Down and dirty the Tarpon dives, wait heads up it is coming out. It
leaps from the water, WOW fat fish. Schmitt bows to the king. One more time it
surfaces with a quick head and shoulders out of the water throwing water 6 foot
in every direction. Now the Tarpon shows it's true colors and starts pulling us
east. I am on the helm and Karl is helping. About 20 minutes in the bobber show
at the surface and Schmidt pulls and the Tarpon turns towards the boat. Hey this
is gonna be a quick fight, so Karl gets ready and I move the boat forward and
the Tarpon screams off another 150 yards of line, 40 minutes later the float
comes back to the surface, Schmidt is steady pulling, Karl checks the drag,
tightens a couple clicks, we get ready and off El-Diablo goes again. OK 40
minutes is not bad then again at an hour, and hour and 15 minutes on and on it
goes. I put the boat in reverse and try to pull the Tarpon with the boat, Karl
is checking the drag, I use the boat to try and pull to the left and then to the
right, we use neutral so the Tarpon is dragging the boat. Nothing seems to work
2 ours and 15 minutes in and are you kidding me? Now we are thinking maybe the
Tarpon is foul hooked. Sometimes the hook will pull from the mouth and get
caught in it's tail. Nope the next surface time it is hooked right in the
button, this is just a Devil of a fish. Mean and nasty. Now it is time one way
or the other this is going to end. So Karl locks down on the drag and I moved
the boat so Karl can reach the line, and the Tarpon is still pulling drag! I
checked after the fight I could not pull it with my hands. So again I try to
place the boat so Karl can reach the line he gets it and the fish plunges away
Karl is pulling hand over hand Schmidt is pumping the Rod and Karl refuses to
let go of the line So I watch and grab Karl by the back of his pants and his
shirt, This Tarpon pulled Karl's head under water twice as he tried to land it
after a 2 ½ our battle an hour and a half with close to 30 pounds of drag. By
the by most Tarpon are fought with 8 to 13 pounds of drag. Once the fish was
next to the boat
it was not that long and at first glance you would have thought 100 pounds then
you look close at the girth, That Short tarpon was an easy 160 Short maybe 6
foot long but built like a bull dog and we were only able to hang onto it for
five minutes, That fish should have been laying up resting for 20 minutes but it
was trying to jump away from Karl it was lively and wanted away from us. The
whole fight not only lasted 2.5 hours it was 4.8 miles from where we started
We also had a 4 foot Gar at Cape haze and small Bull Shark, Frank caught as well
as A tarpon hooked on a Rapala on the east side sand bar, so not bad fishing.
But if you are tarpon fishing in Charlotte harbor eat your Wheaties before you
go and maybe pump some Iron, because Tarpon El-Diablo is alive and mad swimming
in Charlotte Harbor.
09/2018
The big Purple elephant, or a
problem we have never talked about.
This is not meant to make people mad, only make them think.
Think about what or who is to blame for a lack of fish. First thing is too many
people, Too many Tournaments, Shrinking Habitat, Pollution, Commercial Fishing,
Red Tide.
These are the factors people talk about when asked. I think there is one more.
Another hidden in plain sight and is a biggie. Charter boats! In-shore charter
fishing. Why after all of these years I never thought of this, I guess it was
just a part of daily things going on and if I thought about in-shore charters it
was who caught fish the most fish. Most fish is the interesting part. Many of
in-shore Captains catch 30 Red Fish in a four hour trip and with customers on
board that could be two fish or more in the cooler. Then later that day the
Captain will book an afternoon trip and bada bing another two or more Red fish
go into the cooler. Always staying within the rules, I would hope. But were the
rules meant to allow a single boat to take Dozens of fish each week. Where as
the average recreational angler might keep a couple fish a week.
In-shore Charter fishing boats are responsible for some of the highest amounts
of kept fish, and no one is talking about that. There are a lot more people
fishing true, But there is a huge number of Charter boat Captains getting their
license each year. In Florida the Captains number in the tens of thousands.
Each day on the West Coast of Florida Dozens of fishing Charters are run in the
in-shore waters.
Why am I talking about the in-shore boats? Well there is limited space for the
fish to live or hide and most places can be found as Charter Captains are on the
water many days a week following the Fish.
Where as the vast amount of places in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico gives the
fish more places to hide and more chances of not being caught again and again.
And to another point many of the gulf fish grow up in the in in land back
waters.
I guess I started thinking about this as more and more Captains started talking
about catch and release fishing. And I thought about how good many of them are
at finding and catching fish. Then calculator math set in. 50 Captains a day
taking two red fish is 100 Red fish and that per year is 36,000 Red fish and
Then think about Snook is open about 150 days a year so 50 times 150 = 7500
Snook a year for a conservative total of 43,500 Red fish and Snook taken a year
by in-shore charter fishing Captain. I should think the number is more than
three times that amount.
I guess I wonder a couple things, These are the people telling us we should
Catch and release? And If we find that what I am thinking is true or worse my
numbers are really low. Maybe it is time we re-think the fishing laws for The
In-shore charter boat captains and their customers. Is it time in-shore Charters
are put on a catch and release basis only, Or a monthly or yearly quota of fish
taken like a normal commercial fishing vessel which is what they are. Charter
boats with a 6 pack license are just commercial fishing boat. Each week they
take much higher number of fish, due to the amount of people they take and the
skills they have.
I think that it is time top
regulate this industry. OK I only spoke of Snook and Red fish, think of how many
Trout, Sheep head, Snappers, Cobia, Pompano, and every other fish. The numbers
are staggering.
Now I could be wrong about all
of this, and I have asked several Charter Boat Captain to point out mistakes in
my logic or numbers, which I did low to be safe. So for the Captains who will
hate me for writing this, please take a moment to think about this and write me
frank@fishinfranks.com and I will add that to my column and I hope I am
wrong about this. As I am a charter Captain.
Frank
08/27/2018
Deja-vu to Deja-what?
It all started when Mike asked me to write an article about fishing in Horse
creek, Hey cool I love fishing Horse Creek but I just don't get there often. And
my days have been a bit, well they have been a bit. So I wake up and feeling
great look in the mirror and Who's the old guy? Some strange looking old man is
looking back at me. The back story is that we had Pestgurad from Sarasota Tent
our house for Termites, So I call SWFL RV rental to get a place to stay while
they tented the house and it was great a nice Trailer with all the comforts and
we could stay at the house while they tented, Awesome! However sitting there on
our concrete blocks and having a night cap & nicotine the feeling of deja-vu 14
years ago we were sitting right there looking at the house from an R.V. After
Charlie, So once again looking at a house we can't use. At least this time it
was only for 3 days.
So I had an article to finish so we got back in the house and after hauling and
carrying everything I was ready for a boat ride. And, Bam! Once again Deja-vu. I
headed up river and as soon as I cross the Desoto line The was People
everywhere. Desoto County on the Peace River is full of what we call Red Neck
Campgrounds wonderful little Islands with beaches on them and People swimming
and Drinking, talking while standing in the water swing from ropes into the
water boats and Barbeque grilles. What A difference from the gloom and doom of
the Salt water. This was the story all the way to Horse Creek.
New comers and Slat water people do not realize that right where Horse Creek
meets the Peace Rive is an amazing beach and has been a favorite hang out of
Locals for decades. Now If you are going to run up there you need to know a
couple of rules. Do not go fast around a corner there could be 50 people in the
water around that bend. And if you leave trash you will not find your welcome
back. Boats can get little round holes in them up in the back woods. These are
the nicest people I have ever met and very welcoming, But this is their back
yard and you are welcome but Treat it and the folks and their kids with respect.
Lazy, stupid, reckless need not show up.
As to my fishing adventure well I make my way up to the creek and looking north it was beautiful Horse creek is a pretty a spot as you will ever see. But when I looked south east, dang thunder boomers building big time so I tied on my Rapala Rip stop and let my boat drift cast the left side just behind the concrete wall. Yes there is some old ruins up there from the glory days of River travel, Massive old metal tubes sticking up. I think where they would tie up the phosphate barges and there might have been a bridge there at some point in time. But any way I thought with all of the water coming d up of the creek the Bass or Snook would be hanging out in an eddy, so 3 casts and I got my first hit and the rain drops started, 3 more casts no hits and the rain was coming so I started the boat and headed back down river. On the way up I know there was over 150 boats lined up on sand bars, Islands and coves. But Red Necks anit stupid so Mother nature was getting ready to rain havoc and they were hauling butt.
I was Proud to see them slowing to an idle for people loading their camp/picnic
stuff in their boats to tell the truth I was not sure if I should write about
the wonderful world of Up-River Red necks. It is their world and maybe I should
keep their secret. But seeing it alive and well and so many happy people getting
along. I am smiling as I type. No I did not catch fish that trip, But what I did
catch was a bit of pride and wonderment from awesome people and a life style
which is still going strong.
Thank God for Red necks they give me hope,
Enjoy be good to each other and the places we love to go. Like Horse creek and
the Peace River
Fishin Frank
08/2018
This one is a bit bitchy, sorry
I never sent it in to be published as it was kind of mean. But I wrote it so I
thought you should see
I am not as nice as I might be, I have those moments.
Life and death and the other
unimportant matters of Red Tide.
Well I got to tell ya Boys and girls I have heard a lot of scared and angry
people over the last few months. And why? Social media, Yes this was the first
social media Red tide event in our history, and the more it popped on Social
media the more the TV media picked it up. For the record. FACT this was no where
near the worst Red Tide we have had, Please understand that just because the
water has a Brown or red tint, that does not mean it is Red Tide. Most often
during a Red Tide the water will not appear Red. The Tanic acid in the leaves of
Oak Tress and many other plants dies the water a brownish red color, Just like
in many rivers and creeks in Canada.
To hear people talk this spring
and watching the news we are all dead and dieing, and all of the fish and wild
life are gone. Give me break! And If I hear about how the Caloosahatchee is
causing Red tides in Venice or Englewood that is just plain B.S.
The currant in the Gulf flows from the north to the south, along the west coast
of Florida So I don't think Red Tide can swim against the currant. Did it grow
little froggy legs and swims? No the problem with people making up things with
out looking for facts is we do not find out what is really causing the problem.
And I want to know the real cause of the problems.
While I am writing, Lake Okeechobee is not poisoned, In fact it is still some of
the best Bass Fishing in the world! So what did happen to cause this Blue Green
Algae, Well the best explanation I can find is three weather patterns and human
error of sorts, We had an overly rainy January which caused an extreme run off
into The Big O then it got dry and still so all that run off into Okeechobee
just sort of settled to the bottom. Then BAM Hurricane Irene hits and with the
massive winds and waves stirred up the Big O and all of the excess fertilizer
and muck mixed up in the water and Then the Human part.
They were working on the Dike so instead of as they had since 1939 pulse the
water releases letting some out then stopping, to give it time to disperse. The
Government just opened the locks and let er run, There was no way the salt
water/brackish water bays could take this much nasty gunk all at once and
continuously, it over whelmed the Bays on the East coast and west coast of
Florida. Causing the blue/green algae to flourish, making toxic amount of this
muck.
Now people can blame Farmers for every thing but think about it, This release has been going on since 1939. So why now, why this bad, I understand it is easy to get mad and call names and make people feel better if they can say that bad farmer bad, bad, bad. But will that fix any thing No. Will it cause more problem YES. We need food. 330,000.000 million people in the U.S. Now I think so that’s 900,000,000, think of it 900 million meals a day, and there is less sugar cane by half than there was in the 1990's most sugar is from South America and the Islands where they can use D.D.T. After all it is only Illegal in the U.S. So the rice and other crops they grow far out weigh the sugar, Not defending them, but I understand how important food is. And to be truthful you should too.
So lets help get the farmers a
reservoir they can pump water from and excess water from the farm land into. Why
build a drinking water reservoir, when we all ready have Lake O and others. Lets
solve the problems, Make the dumb feds change the water restriction going into
the ever glades. Right now if you poured a bottle of drinking water into the
glades you could be fined for polluting the water, Yes bottle water in not pure
enough. So turn the everglades back into the filter it once was. Dig big deep
lakes and then have very shallow weedy areas so the water can settle and be
filtered, and make ditches wide enough to plant Duck grass which is an excellent
filter with high profit when harvested for oils and animal food. This is enough
complaining with out understanding.
I had a person come in and Tell me the Myakka River was all Red tide just
because of the water color. Not knowing is not bad, But making stuff up should
be saved for inter-net social media comment, If you don't understand or don't
know that is ok. But going around stating that this is what's going on when you
don't have a clue is just, Well Clueless and that sort of thing is what's the
internet is for.
A good rule of thumb if you don't know. Ask.
Fishin Frank
08/2018
Hidi ho neighbors, with all of the gloom and doom out there in the media social and interweb I am here to tell you the truth, Red Tide has NOT been in the upper Harbor at all this year and the fishing is not bad. Is it wonderful well maybe, is you are the lucky one who gets on one of the schools of monster Black drum or one of the schools of Tarpon. Capt. Karl went 9 for 13 in other words landed 9 out of ten hook ups on Tarpon. Schools of Spanish mackerel and lady fish are in the Harbor and the Red fish on the north end of the west Wall and Myakka Cut off are in good numbers, The Reds by the skating rink are mostly over size. OK yes there are plenty of Snook but the larger ones are way up the Peace or Myakka Rivers. With a lot of smaller ones on the flats.
This was by no means the worst Red Tide we have had, 2006 and 2009 were way worse. Maybe because there was no social Media back then and this was our first Social media Red Tide event that it seems so catastrophic.
The Red tide comes and it goes as it always has. As I wite this today I have had
several reports of bait fish along the beaches. Schools of pompano are going
through Boca Pass and have been running the sand bars on the West side of the
Harbor and from Pirate Harbor to two Pines just out side the bars.
For everything being dead in the Harbor there is an awful lot of fish being
caught, And if you can get on them Jacks in the 5 pound range off Turtle bay and
up towards the Mouth of the Myakka river will test your rod and the drag on your
reel,
To be truthful this is a fairly normal September Fishing. I guess a young
anglers thought turn to Snook at this time of year so,
Snook Fishing. What I love about Snook fishing is that a boat could make Snook
fishing harder, as Snook like the piers and dams and more live in he Canals and
or under bridges than anywhere.
A great way to catch your Snook is to take a Shrimp for a walk, Now remember to
keep your Shrimp on a lease. I would use a Med heavy 7' Spinning rod with a 4000
size reel and 30 pound braided line with 40 pound floro leader and a Boxing
glove Jig head at least 3/8 once, and I like pink, Hey it's Pretty and I catch a
lot of snook with pink, So there! Ok place the point of the hook on the under
side of the shrimps mouth when you are ready it should look like the shrimp is
following the Jig Head.
Let the shrimp jig go to the bottom right off the side of the pier and then very
slowly and quietly walk out the pier. Trying to keep the Shrimp 1 foot off the
bottom. And Hang on. When you get hit, the whole fight is right thee at your
feet, If the snook goes 5 feet to the left or right it will warp the pilling and
break off, So tight drag set to hate, and hang on.
Lots of fishing and fun to be had in South west Florida and I am doubling the
size of my store in Port Charlotte. Which would be not smart if the fishing was
not good, and I am weird but not qiuite stupid.
Enjoy
Fishin Frank
Who would have thought, Fishing is
getting great again, The upper Harbor is alive with giant schools of black drum,
Pods apon pods of tarpon and big schools of Thread fins, reports of nice schools
of lady fish and Pompano. How can this be?
Don't know don't care sometimes just is, is a wonderful thing. And by the way
there has not been any Red tide north of Cape Haze this Year,
Now OK the Fishing being good is a strange thing but here is the really weird
thing, There are hundreds of Big Red fish In the Harbor. With quite a bit of
Slot Size red fish, But I will say the vast reports of what I am hearing and By
the BY I have caught is over slot Red fish. Yes these big old bull reds are each
year starting to stay around more or they could be left overs from the old
stocking programs. It is a thought that Red Fish which were not Native to hear
and just released as young adults possibly do not migrate out of the Harbor they
way Native born fish do. Why not well Salmon released into a lake will not go to
a River to spawn, So it is possible that could be why Red fish which are way too
big to still be here, are here. Or They could be just lazy and prefer living in
Mom and Dads Garage.
How do you catch them. Today I was
reminded of an old trick, Put the shrimp, large or small in a white bucket or
cooler and provide bright light, Just do not have the bulb close or you will
cook your shrimp. Shrimp will try to match the color of their surroundings and
turn very clear, sort of white in color make them stand out like a sore thumb,
and bam/pow fish on. How ever the best way to get fish right now is dead bait,
Blue crab cut in half or top off, Cut Mullet is a very good bait right now. I
think I for get how may fish love mullet. Yes indeed dead sticking is the way to
go, In other words cast your bait out and let it sit until the fish stats moving
away. Unless there is a lot of currant where you are the less weight you can use
the better. If you feel a bite do not move the bait, often when I think I have a
bite, I will pull the bait a little to try and make the fish think it's food is
getting away. If you do that trick now the fish is likely to just let it get
away, too much effort. Hot water has very low oxygen levels and the fish are
sleepy.
If you are a person who uses lures,
Lets say a Paddle tail with a jig head, find a paddle tail with a large tail and
is very soft and then use a 1/8 or lighter jig head, this allows you to slowly
very slowly reel the shad in so it is barely moving but the tail is still going.
A heavier jig head you have to reel too fast to keep it off the bottom. Another
old trick is to use jointed lures, You know the ones slit in the middle jointed
lures can be reeled in very slowly while still having great action.
Now there are huge schools of 60 pound black drum in the Harbor and how do you
catch them, first you have to find them. Just watch the surface of the water and
look for water out of place, somethinig different a different color, waves that
are going side ways to other waves. You are ot looking for fish jumping out of
the water, You are looking for fish displacing the water or churning up the
bottom.
What should you use for them, Crabs, shirmp, or cut bait. But rigging is key a
bait under a bobber or float is better than a sinker, Think if of it this way,
you can see the the fish so a sinker would take you down past them too fast. Try
a small Split shot just enough to help you cast, and get your bait to sink a
little but not too fast. Free line is the best way with no sinkers or floats.
These Black drum will often be schooling from the surface all the way to the
bottom.
Funny very few people are going fishing compared to noraml years and we have
some great fishing, This kind of makes it even better as there is not many folks
out there, So head out Enjoy the quiet time.
The Harbor will fill with boats before long enjoy while you can.
Fishin Frank
This is a
article from C. Krauthammer
warning not
that someone is opposing Trump, heck who wouldn't at some point.
But this is more about an evil and sinister plan. They are subverting our laws
and rules of government
for their own purpose.
watch out, the water is getting pretty warm Mr. Froggy.
The Enemy Amongst Us!
By Charles Krauthammer, New York Post
— March 6, 2018
I do not understand how living in a
country with its democracy established more than 200 years
ago, and now, for the first time in history, suddenly we
have one of our former presidents set up a group called
“Organizing for Action” (OFA).
OFA is 30,000+ strong and working to
disrupt everything that our current president’s
administration is trying to do. This organization goes
against our Democracy, and it is an operation that will
destroy our way of governing. It goes against our
Constitution, our laws, and the processes established over
200 years ago. If it is allowed to proceed then we will be
living in chaos very much like third world countries are
run.
What good is it to have an established
government if it is not going to be respected and allowed to
follow our laws? If you had an army some 30,000 strong and a
court system stacked over the decades with judges who would
allow you to break the laws, how much damage could you do to
a country? We are about to find out in America!
Our ex-president said he was going to
stay involved through community organizing and speak out on
the issues and that appears to be one post-administration
promise he intends to keep. He has moved many of his
administration’s top dogs over to Organizing for Action.
OFA is behind the strategic and tactical implementation of
the resistance to the Trump Administration that we are
seeing across America, and politically active courts are
providing the leverage for this revolution.
OFA is dedicated to organizing
communities for “progressive” change.
Its issues are gun control, socialist
healthcare, abortion, sexual equality, climate change, and
of course, immigration reform. OFA members were propped up
by the ex-president’s message from the
shadows: “
Organizing is the building block of
everything great we have accomplished Organizers around the
country are fighting for change in their communities and OFA
is one of the groups on the front lines.
Commit to this work in 2017 and
beyond.” OFA’s website says it obtained its
“digital” assets from the ex-president’s re-election
effort and that he inspired the movement. In short, it is
the shadow government organization aimed at resisting and
tearing down the Constitutional Republic we know as
America.
Paul Sperry, writing for the New York
Post, says, “The OFA will fight President Donald Trump at
every turn of his presidency and the ex-president will
command them from a bunker less than two miles from the
White House.” Sperry writes that, “The
ex-president is setting up a shadow government to sabotage
the Trump administration through a network of non-profits
led by OFA, which is growing its war chest (more than $40
million) and has some 250 offices nationwide.
The OFA IRS filings, according to
Sperry, indicate that the OFA has
32,525 (and growing) volunteers
nationwide. The ex-president and his ‘wife’ will oversee
the operation from their home/office in Washington DC.
Think about how this works. For
example: Trump issues an immigration executive order; the
OFA signals for protests and statements from pro-immigrant
groups; the ACLU lawyers file lawsuits in jurisdictions
where activist judges obstruct the laws; volunteers are
called to protest at airports and Congressional town hall
meetings; the leftist media springs to action in support of
these activities; the twitter sphere lights up with social
media; and violence follows. All of this happens from the
ex-president’s signal that he is heartened by the
protests.
If Barack Obama did not do enough to
destroy this country in the 8 years he was in office, it
appears his future plans are to destroy the foundation on
which this country has operated on for the last 241 years.
If this does not scare you, then we are
in worse trouble than you know. So, do your part. You
have read it, so at least pass this on so others will know
what we are up against. We are losing our country and we are
so compliant. We are becoming a “PERFECT TARGET” for our
enemy!
Editor’s comments: Krauthammer is
about the best and brightest journalist and political
analyst we have. His words of warning should be taken
seriously and spread throughout the country so as many of
our citizens as possible are made aware of what is happening
right under our noses. Every American needs to take
this to Heart and start spreading the word.
06/20/18
Old School Trout some times going back to the basics is the key to catching fish, But often new tackle or gear makes it hard. I like the old school poppin corks, But they don't work with braided line very well at all. The Single peg which is pushed into the cork to hold the line against the foam body just ins not made for the very thin braided line, the cork will not stay in place like it did when I was using Mono line which is thicker and compresses so the line is pushed in to the foam and held good, not like the braid. so I have switched from the 25WR3 to the 27W3 which has a swivel on the top and bottom to tie your line to. Side note here this cork comes with a snap on the bottom get rid of it , if you get more than an 18 inch red fish that snap will straighten right out and your fish, leader, hook are gone. It is kind of easy to take off I hold the cork and put my thumb nail against the brass part of the snap and push forward and it will fall right off. I told you it was no good. OK it is good if you are fishing for blue gills. But I would not trust it on a bass, Much less a decent Red fish. Another thing I like is that the 25WR3 has ½ once of lead weight in it so you can cast it far enough to catch fish. But the best part of this poppin cork is the price. $1.29 each give or take a few cents.
Now the D.O.A. Clackers are Another one which has a ½ once of led easy to cast
and you tie your line to the top and leader to the bottom, and there is no dumb
little snap thing on it. The difference is two fold the Clacker is set on a wire
with a bead at the bottom to give it some extra noise, which can be good, and it
is definitely different than the standard poppin cork. And the price $5.60 for a
2 pack, or $2.80 a piece which is much less than most. The D.O.A. Clacker come
in 3 different shapes for even more types of noise, the standard poppin cork or
Oval and cigar shapes. When I go out I take the 25WR3 Comal brand float and the
D.O.A. Oval floats The less money one and the oval is my favorite sounding cork,
But the last time I was out they were hitting the old standard cylinder shaped
with the concave end, So while I still like the oval I learned better to stitch
corks and catch fish or use the one I like and not catch fish. Here's a thought
why do I or should I care what I like? When it comes down to it, It is all about
what the fish want.
After that long explanation I
should get to that it was a shrimp about 30 inches below the poppin cork that
the Trout were hitting on, And over the shallow water of the sand bars, a
Torpedo top water lure that got the hits, The Darn Trout would not look at my
curl tail Grubs, not eve the Tandem rig, which was real strange. So all bets are
off and you won't catch much if you are a one trick pony. Change it up.
Pompano is a by catch while Trout fishing the same rig poppin cork with a shrimp
seems to be working well on the east side of the Harbor and near shore on the
gulf. Of course the Crazy jigs slow reeled and jigged just a little bit is
hooking a lot of Pompano as well, But the shrimp popped is what quite a few of
the Pompano are hitting and you do not have to know how to work a jig. I like
that part easy. Just back off on how much you pop the cork about half of normal
from what you would pop for Trout will get the pompano hitting.
be Lucky and Good
Fishin Frank
06/11/18
Maybe fish where they ain’t? And then change it up
Yes I have had a few fishing trips lately and I think that is my best advice, as for some reason this year, Every time I go where the fish should be they ain’t. So I started looking for places I had given up on, where I had found no fish for the last couple years, and you guessed it fish.
It does stand to reason, that
spots where the fish did gather and went bad would again start to hold fish.
Cycles and fish find hiding or feeding places and then pressure from fisher
people or possibly the food source was depleted or maybe they just wanted a
change of scenery. Anyway the fish left that spot and now they seem to be
leaving the places they have hung out in for the last couple of years. So when
you are out looking for fish, think 4 years ago or more, where did you used to
find fish. For you new comers, go to places you have never seen a boat at or
where you have never fished at.
Why places you have never seen a boat at? Well so many people are not having
great days, why try where the fish are already getting pressure? I understand
your first instinct is to go where you see other fishing. I believe that is
in-grained into the being of people. But to be catching and not fishing we need
to change not only where we fish, But the way we think.
Another thing I have changed is the color of my leaders and hooks. Yes my go to
is the Hi-seas Fluoro-Carbon Clear leader, which for me seems to be the best
option, But I have now started taking the Yo-Zuir Pink leader and the brown
color, sorry ran out so no picture. The color leader materiel is not to me real
fluorocarbon as the main benefit of fluorocarbon is that it bends light the way
water does, so if you add color it does not bend light so colored mono would be
as good except hey this is easier to find now a days.
The other thing I am changing is my hook color.
Hook color I only use this
hook!! is what I hear from people all the time,
OK now wait that same person will come in,
and they want a Red Jig head with yellow eyes and a white under side,
because that is the ONLY jig head that will catch fish.
So why not your hooks?
Right now if 10 people go out,
2 will have the trip of a life time,
3 will have a good day,
3 will do OK,
and the last 2, well the day will suck on a stick,
In other words bad day.
So to increase my odds,
If I have two rods out each has a different color hook
and different color line and a couple different leader colors.
This last week end my Dad and I were not catching much,
and In the dark waters of the upper harbor I switched to bronze Mustad
hook
and I got a couple smaller Trout.
We left and were fishing out in front of Pirate Harbor,
on the in-coming tide the water was much clearer here.
So I tried the green Chartreuse hooks and I caught more fish than the Black
hooks.
Now I do not think it will make a difference most of the time what color
hook you use.
But when it makes a difference. It can be the difference between catchin
and Fishin.
So change it up and change your luck.
Be lucky and good.
Fishin Frank
06/01/18
Snook to the left and Red fish
to the right here I was stuck in the middle with Dad,
The other day my Dad says, hey can I use your boat? What? Huh? Excuse me. OK it
is my dad and all but my boat? So I said hey Dad you want to go fishing? So he
decided on Sunday 7:am Sunday morning came and it was raining, I called Dad and
told him it was raining, Not at my house, OK But dad the boat is here where it
is raining How about 8:o'clock OK. So the rain stopped and we headed out, Let's
go Trout fishing with lures Dad said, OK so as we were going under the 41 bridge
Do you have a cast net on the boat he asked. Sure let's stop and get bait. OK
plan “B” we stopped at marker “2” and I threw on the down currant side of the
marker and got about 3 dozen Thread fins. You can tell them from the Green backs
as they have a brighter color green back with black spots and of course the
thread extended fin on the dorsal. And they do not live in a live well very
good, So I made another cast next to the marker and landed maybe 5 dozen hard
scale sardines or green backs. OK Dad where do we go. Your the Captain you
choose. OK? Well the Myakka cut off was close so we headed into there, stopped
just inside on the left, Bam Hard head cat-fish, moving on. We stopped in the
middle just past the narrows and nothing. So I ran all the way to the north end,
bow Bam boink, boink went the rod Sail kitty in the boat, Grrrr. OK Lets try for
some Trout in Tippy Canoe bay. We drifted across the Nothing, we cast a Johnson
Sprite and a Shrimp under a float. So we headed over to a point on the South
side and Dad fishing the right side and me on the left and Bam. I had a red fish
and Bam Dad had a Snook we double up. Ok now this is better both fish caught
free lining a white bait. We fished for another 20 minutes and nada. So I picked
a point between two Islands and Four more Snook, They all hit and were caught
within 20 minutes and then the bite stopped. Now I have a rule No chumming with
live bait fish until I have a bait in the water. Or the Snook will only hit the
chummers, And will not touch a bait with a lease on it. I caught the first Snook
right off and when the next one did not hit right away, By that I mean 5
minutes, I put about 5 Thread fins in my chum bat and tossed them where I had
caught the first one. Dads line was in the water I was holding my cast to see if
one would blow up chasing a freebee bait and pow, A Snook hit one of my chummers
and I tosses my bait right on the blow up spot and pow as soon as it hit the
water Snook on. This was how I caught The other three, toss four or five baits
as chum No squeezing and a Snook would blow up and I cast and Fish on.
After the Snook quit we decide to head back as a big storm was coming up from
the south. And it was getting choppy. So back through the cut-off which is a
pretty a ride as you can make all through the keys and Islands. Out the south
end and the wind stopped. The water had that flat lumpy look, You know what I
mean if you have been on the water just minutes before a good storm. I pushed
the throttle right to the fiberglass raised the bow and hauled butt back up the
Peace to get home and we made it, As we put the rods under the house, the skies
opened.
The moral of the story, would be, fish a spot see whats there and if it's not
good move. I had not fished that point in Tippy Canoe in over 15 years, as I had
been doing well in the cut off, When the fish are not where you think they
should be, Go where you think they ain’t.
Good luck
Fishing Frank
05/10/18
Sharks
and Cat-fish they go together so often, This was a lesson I had to relearn.
Often to catch sharks you have to go through a bunch of cat fish.
My mom and Dad wanted to go shark fishing, So we loaded the boat and were going
to head down into the Harbor to west side of marker #2. But we only got on to
the river and the motor started coughing, So we went back to the dock and
changed the fuel filter, tried again, but it ran good at idle, but no way would
it run at more than that so, hey we were on the water and the peace river
usually has sharks this time of year so what the heck Let's fish.
So we put out the chum bag and started casting rods out, two rods with Sardines and the A.F.W. Bleeding steel leaders on them and a rod with a mono leader with a shrimp. The first rod bend before we had all of the lines out and the fish is pulling and the rod starts boomp, boomp, boomp, the world famous signal for cat fish on. And that was the story, for the next 40 minutes, cat fish, after cat fish, well my Sister had brought her grandson, Ouch think about that not her son, her grandson who is 18 years old, OK I am starting to get used to the whole I am an old guy thing,
so it was, here kitty, kitty, and
it is kind fun, although it is like riding a moped. Fun to do but embarrassing
to be seen enjoying it. all of a sudden the cat fish stop biting, this is the
time to bring in the smaller rods. Because something big has made the cat fish
move off. Almost 15 minutes we sat there waiting and I was just asking my dad if
we should find another spot, starting to doubt my theory about big fish moving
in, and WHAM that was no Cat-Fish. The line started peeling off the reel and the
drag was singing. Then I looked out and saw every ting Jess pulled back on the
rod a crab trap buoy would bob with the pull so I brought in the anchor and we
got to the crab trap UN-wraped the line, and Jess stated to reel and another
crab trap buoy started bouncing, So we got that UN-tangled and the fight was
back on, 30 pound braid and a 10 to 20 pound class rod, and he had his hands
full, the shark pulled us about a ½ mile and then finally came to the boat and
Bull shark about 5 foot long. We got the hook out and got a couple pictures of
it next to the boat and back into the briny deep it went to fight another day.
We headed in that was a great way to end what started of as kind of a bad trip.
So if you can't go to where you want to go, Fish where you are. Hey we had a
great time.
04/23/18
Shark fishing is a challenge and to make even more challenging try from land,
It is a misconception that you need bigger, larger reels in a boat, when the
truth is I use much smaller reels and rods fishing from a boat than I do from
land based fishing. Why how could that be? Well, it is simple my boat can travel
at 50+ M.P.H. I can follow that fish where ever it want to run to. OK most of
the time the boat is at Idle, But one day I hope to have that 20 M.P.H. Chase
out though the gulf. Now lets see a pier match that. So in other words I can use
the boat to follow the fish, So I do not need as much line on my reel. And try
and look as I might I have never found the starter for the pier it just stays
put right there I can't even get it in gear. So in order to land a big fish from
shore you need to have 2 to 3 times as much power and line in order to slow down
and stop a big fish,
One of the biggest mistakes people make fishing from land or pier is to use very
heavy line on a small reel. A smaller reel does not have the drag pressure to
stop a big fish quickly so all you do is run out of line quickly. Once you are
out of line the fish either jerks the rod from your hand or breaks off.
For most pier/land based
fishing, I would like to have about 300 hundred yards of line, for fish up to 4
feet long add 100 yards for each extra foot of fish. The line will help you tire
out the fish, the friction of the line being pulled through the water is
tremendous, Line friction is what people used before reels had so much drag
pressure. Even a 14/0 Penn reel as big as paint can only had maybe 25 pounds of
drag pressure, this is back when drag washers were made from leather. There is a
secret bit of information which most people don't know and that is that when
using a conventional reel and fish fish takes out half of the line, the smaller
diameter of line on the spool increases the drag pressure to about double so a
14/0 half full has around 50 pounds of drag. And that get increased the more
line if pulled from the reel. So today with reels which can have 40 pound or
more of drag pressure, once the line is half out that could be 80+ pounds of
drag and so you wonder why the hooks pull out or breaks so often on big fish. I
think you get it now.
We all want that once in a life time fight with a monster fish or shark where we
almost get dragged off the beach and into the water. Which that part is not bad
and really will not hurt the fish, causing damage to the fish is about how long
the fight last.
So how long should you fight a fish lets say a shark. You can fight a Bull
sharks almost twice as long as a hammerhead before you risk killing the shark a
Hammer head 45 minutes is the longest you can fight or the mortality rate will
reach as high as 75% of Hammers caught die after an hour fight, They just put
too much into it.
The true definition of catch and release is to use heavy enough tackle to land
the fish in a reasonable amount of time. But what is reasonable? That be the
question.
Tune in same fish time same fish place for more on how to catch big fish from
land hook rigs and tackle next month,
04/10/18
Why is fishing different? That
difference makes it good for mental health.
Humans that be us, people type folks, have some weird things about us. Take for
instance memories, if you think about it the bad memories are right there for
you to remember. Yes every bad thing or embarrassing thing pop into your mind
readily. Now that dose make sense if you think 500,000 years ago when people
were just getting started if something bad happened if you survived that making
that same mistake could kill you and end the human race. So bad plants, animals
or not jumping off a cliff were very important things to remember, which seems
to make good things less important back then and good things that much harder to
remember.
Except fishing for some wonderful reason we tend to remember the good days when
we caught tons of fish or that big ole monster fish, or the days when the wind
and tide and fish all were excellent. It is very difficult to remember the day
when we caught no fish or sunk the boat or well you get the idea. We remember
the wonderful or amazing, smell of the water in the morning making us long for
another day to do it again, and it does not seem to matter if the amazing trips
are a bit farther apart than we say, we still have them.
And how cool is that! Fishing is good mental heath and just makes you feel
better about the world. Take for instance this year when fishing has been a bit
harder. There still has been that trip or two where the big ones were biting and
another day where there was dozens of fish caught. So how will May be? Excellent
at least as far as I remember the fishing in May.
So to be fair and not reley on
my wonderful fishing memories alone I looked up may on fishinfranks.com fishing
history reports, Tarpon, Sharks, Cobia, Big Snook, all here and biting. May is
one of the best fishing months of the year, the rains don't really come with
full force until June and the water is still cool enough to hold a lot of
oxygen.
May is the Month of Big fish, Huge Hammer heads at Boca Pass, Thousands of
Tarpon in the pass and on the Hill or in the deep holes, For the Shark catching
folks start in the deep holes chumming and use smaller Rods like you would for
Red Fish, small leader with a 4/0 to 6/0 hook I like the bleeding ones from
A.F.W. And you will catch a bunch of smaller sharks remember to bend the barb
over on the hook so it comes out nice and easy. Once the small ones stop biting
that means a monster Shark has moved in Big Sharks eat little Sharks. So when
the small ones stop switch to big Rods and hang on.
Hopefully May will bring you lots of great fish memories to be forefront in your
mind.
And not the coffee you just spilled on your lap going into the meeting.
Fishin Frank
03/28/18
Rule about fishing don't really go
together. Everything we know all of the books we read, and the videos we watch I
am not sure the fish have read those articles or seen the Video.
Maybe the thing to do is if you are a Good fisherman rig the way you know how
and do the things you are good with. You never know that might be the best
technique that has ever been done here.
For you newbies well Shrimp is still working good as bait but you might want to
try something besides a sinker on the bottom. I know you are slat water fishing
and that is what you are supposed to do. But maybe lets try a float or bobber if
you are fishing a canal say for Snook. The Snook are going to be from the out
side edge of your dock back to the sea wall. Most Snook are caught within two
feet of the sea wall. So if you have a sinker and a shrimp and cast it into the
middle of the canal and catch Cat-fish well you should not be surprised as you
are technically fishing for cat fish, canals get a bit deeper in the middle so
all of the dead things would drift to the center of the canal on the bottom so
where would the cat fish be? Rhetorical.
Back to the Snook fishing a bobber
or float With a shrimp about 3 feet below it hooked through the head, I will
cast it out across the canal there could be a trout or lady fish out there that
would be happy for a snack. If I do not get a hit I let the tide take the float
and bait toward the sea wall then as it gets close to the edge I start letting
out line. Open the bait and let out enough line to get your float and bait up
under the neighbors dock or against a boat tied up there, That is where the
Snook would be hiding out waiting for food to come to them. They like to ambush
food and not really run around much looking for food. So the lazy Snook will lay
up behind a piling and as the bait come past dart out and swallow it. That is
what makes Snook catching harder than Snook fishing. When the Snook darts up
from behind the piling that Snook wants to get right back behind the piling
again, if it gets there you are warped up on the barnacles of that piling and
you line is cut and the Snook is free.
So you have to be ready and use a rod that has a good back bone, not really big
or heavy just stiff if the rod tip flexes or bends easy that makes it easier for
the Snook to get back around the piling and cut you off. So a Med heavy rod look
for Mono line class written on the rod of 8 to 17 or 10 to 20 pound class.
While not the same on all rods it is a place to start. If the line class is 6 to
12 or 8 to 15 the rod will most likely bend to easy for good Snook catching
control.
And you do not need a Big Shrimp I often will use a jig head in place of a hook
and by running the hook up through the bottom of the shrimps head and having the
point of the hook come out the to and the point should be right above the horn
on the shrimps head. This gives it a good “look” and can make a smaller shrimp
appear larger.
Another trick is to free line that Bait casting it very close to the sea wall
and just let it sit there, not reeling it in. You should cast with the tide
currant, as the shrimp is out there, the tide can lift the shrimp up and then it
will settle back towards the bottom. What lifts the shrimp is the tide pressure
against the line as the water flows it tries to lift up the line and that is
what will lift your bait making it look as natural as possible. I tail hook the
shrimp so it looks like it is swimming away from the hook like it is pulling it.
I hope these tricks help you get that Snook dinner, or just the thrill or a
catch and release.
03/14/2018
What is the perfect bait? Are there any rules
about about bait? which stay constant or true? Not really,
but Possibly Like whats the best bait for fishing the flats? We need to look at
water temps to answer that, Why?
Well everything effects every thing, Say for instance the weather this year is a
lot like last year there is no no El-nino or La-nina in the Pacific ocean, why
is that important? We are vulnerable to Hurricanes, yes when ever there is
either of those in play all the way over in the Pacific ocean, we might get 1 or
2 Hurricanes that hit the U.S. With out the effects of El nino or La nina we get
a lot of storms. So watch
the weather, this year could be weird again.
Weather effects us and bait and fish. It also effects what fish will eat.
So everything effects everything and the water temps effects the choice of bait,
much of it is by how the fish react to the temperature changes. A good rule of
thumb is when water under 70 degrees Shrimp
and Pin fish are good. Under 65 degrees, Shrimp is King of baits. When the water
is colder the fish and are cold blooded they can not digest food properly, once
swallows the bait/food the food can rot in the fishes stomach before they can
digest it. It takes warmth to digest. Shrimp seem to be easier for the fish to
digest, and it is about how many calories a fish uses versus the calories of
chasing down the meal. And the fish are moving slowly, Florida fish are
temperate zone fish and like us in the fall they slow down, Just like we do as
it gets cold.
Water from 70 to 75 white bait or Shrimp. Both will catch a lot of fish equally well.Red fish will make you crazy with that as it starts to warm up again, they will for some reason just want pin fish or blue crabs. And once the water gets back to 80 things change again.
Over 75 degrees to 82 white bait is the king.
White bait is fast and shiny so combine the warm water and oily food the fish
are in the mood for fun.
Over 85 degrees dead bait, dead shrimp cut pieces of Fish are the best king of
baits. When the water gets too hot, the problem is low oxygen and when it is
hard to breath like a room that is over 100 degrees you have a hard time
breathing even gasping for air. Same thing for fish so dead bait sitting sit on
the bottom is easier for a fish to find as it stinks more So they seem it and
easy to eat as it is just sitting there.
So the best bait for fishing the flats is the best
bait for the water and weather conditions. And you will find people who say, you
have to this for bait well they will have some good days and a lot of slower
days, the People who change the bait they are using to fit the weather and
temperatures will have many more good days.
Good Luck and Have Fun
Fishin frank
02/2018
Get the most from your fishing
magazines.
Magazines like coastal Angler can give you insights into what and when the next
hot bite will be. When you read a report from north of you and the fish are
really hitting along the gulf and the water temp starts to drop it is most
likely that the fish will start to move south, and just the opposite cold
weather getting warmer will start the fish moving from the south back north so
don't just read your area check out other areas to see what is coming your way.
And I also suggest that you want to know the next big flats lure, read some
fresh water fishing articles. Why fresh water? Because almost everything crosses
over. As I was traveling Europe selling fishing tackle I found myself trying to
fish many places I had never seen or even heard of, some fresh and some
saltwater. With no time to learn the water and the different fish and new lures
and styles. I decided to just do what I knew how to do. I would get to the
water, Lake, river, coastal shore line and look to see water color and movement,
temperature currents eddies, weather conditions helped me pick the lures, I
thought would be good for that. As no one ever told the fish they were a fresh
water or slat water fish, all the fish knew is they were hungry fish, So I did
very well. When I did not catch fish and had the time I would find out what the
locals used and how they used it. But to be truthful in a humble brag, I often
out fish, out caught the locals. And they were asking me what I was using and
doing. So use what you know and are good with before you try the local way. You
might have the best lure or style ever used there.
Many times a “new” lure which those fish have not seen before is very likely to
be very interesting maybe the fish strike it to kill a new species or hey like a
new candy bar in the store just would like to try something different. Cross
over lures and rigs from fresh to slat is nothing new but we tend to give rigs
different names a Knocker rig for grouper fishing is the same as a Texas rig for
bass fishing. And a Carolina rig as a salt water slip sinker rig. I can name two
lures that go from fresh to salt easily Number 1 the Storm twitch stick. Which
was invented for the Canadian Bass fishing market but catches every thing in
Salt water from Snook to King mackerel, We have sold thousands upon thousands of
twitch sticks and is the #1 Snook catching lure in the History of our store,
That was an accidental find. Then take one of the best best known Top water lure
is the Hula Popper there is no better top water popper ever made than for fresh
water, slat water flats or open Gulf fish love them.
So once you under stand that
good lures are good lures no matter where you use them, you start to get the
idea that if a lure is hot on the Bass tournaments it will find it's way to the
flats. And many flats lures find their way to the fresh water market. I guess my
point is that you never know where the next great thing will come from, and
often it is a mistake or some one using a lure or style because they did not
know it was wrong for that area which turns out to be incredible for catching
fish.
So good luck and try doing what you do best, if that does not work check with
your local tackle store for help. If what you are using really works great, let
me know. I would like to stock them. After all I do own a tackle store.
Fishin frank
12/26/17
Lewis and Clark exploration, While
yes they did map almost the whole of the western U.S. You can take a page from
them and map the flats. Yes during this time of year the water can get really
low, and add to that east or north east winds and the water levels on the flats
can get so low it is mostly sand, while that may not be great for fishing, it is
great for learning. OK when you go out fishing on higher tides all you see is
water. On the very lowest of tides you see the holes, instead of guessing where
the deep spots or pot holes are you can see them, with your own eyes, and that
is very cool.
On the days when I go out for a
Lewis and Clark I take a Rod with a Paddle tail shad on it and maybe have a top
water Zara Spook with me. It is too much to ask not to have a rod with you. Now
I do not take bait, that is too much temptation and I can resist anything but
temptation. The other thing I have is binoculars, why? Often I can not get onto
to the flats I wish to explore so I have to get as close as I can and look out
with the binoculars. Now that I have where the deep spots are and have them
mapped out in my head. How do I know where the deep spots are you might ask,
well it is pretty simple. The shallow spots are sand and where you do see water
that is a hole,
Charlotte Harbor has sand bars that run up both the east and west sides of the
Harbor. Separating the open Harbor fro the flats. And you read stories about
fishing the pot holes on the flats, and how many fish are caught doing this. But
how do you find them. This is the best way I know of. And pick land marks. Like
a tall tree on an island or a marker. Do not use land marks which will be under
water when the tide comes up like a cut in the sand bar. Often when fishing the
east side. I will count how many islands north of the entrance into pirate
Harbor the spot is and then how far out to the sand bar.
So that the next time I come back when the tide is up, I know where to anchor
the boat so I am not sitting on top of the fish I want to catch.
Another hint is you can get your
bat much shallower than you think, by how you load your things, First off take
everything out of the storage lockers and cubby holes, with no bait keep the
live well of and no water in it. Now take as much as possible from the back of
the boat and move it to the front. The back of the boat with the motor is
already heavier than the front. And do not try to run. Very slow idle speed is
what it takes to learn the bottom and balancing the load in the boat to get
every inch of floatation, is a good trick to get you back there.
This is a trick I have used for years to get me one step ahead with my fishing
and more important my catching. Knowing the bottom features and the fish will
get you more consistent hook ups.
Good luck
Fishin Frank
12/25/17
Mullet are and have been important
to life in Florida, they have inspired hair styles, fashion dresses, and have
been a food staple since about 8000 B.C. Mullet were important part of the life
of the Paleo-Indians, and then later the Caloosahatchee Indians came around 500
B.C. Both of which dependent on Mullet for food. Then The Muspa Indian were here
as Jose Caldez of Cuba began using Charlotte Harbor as a base for seasonal
fishing, and it was the Mullet run season they came for. Mullet is the reason
People first started to live here. This began about 1705 which lead to more year
round camp it has been said that others believe that the Jose did not get here
until 1784 but it was a seasonal fishing camp with the mullet as the basis for
the season. Many other types of fish were caught but as they rowed out or sailed
out to find fish it was the vast schools of Mullet that shook the surface of the
water and that is what a school of Mullet is called today a Shake of Mullet as
they shake theirs heads slightly out of the water causing a huge ripple as
thousands of Mullet move forward towards the Gulf to spawn. One of the big
reasons, that this was profitable is that they could get the fish to Europe by
the time of Lent. Fish was not considered meat so could be eaten during lent.
And even now they still effect the economy as the number one real estate
salesmen, for canal property. Jumping out of the water, it is thought they jump
to get rid of parasites, or to digest food, or to escape predators. OK maybe I
think they jump because they can. Although some one should teach them to land.
Every jump a Mullet takes ends in a belly flop. How ever they learned to jump
they skipped the last part of the class. Splash/flop/plop.
Mullet have been caught pretty much the same way all through time using throw,
Seine, or gill nets. Throw or cast nets were common just as they are in use
today by fisherman, The boats have changed more than the nets. First canoes
rafts, then skiff type boats with oars/rowing then sails. Some of the first net
boats were called Skip jacks, Sail power fishing boats able to get in shallow
waters and still hold a load of fish.
Then motor boats with coal or wood fired steam engines, Now things were really
moving you could maintain 2 maybe even 3 miles per hour. Then gas or diesel
inboard engines and the single biggest change the out board engine was invented
and the boats began to get fast, it was the speed of the boats that ended the
use of the ice houses, and Mullet fisherman began using gill nets. These nets
were stacked in the back of the boat and the fisherman found that by putting the
out board in the front of the boat it off set the weight and it was not getting
tangled in the nets. One end of the net had an anchor tied to it and when you
saw fish, You tossed over the anchor and then used the boat to encircle the
school of fish, trapping them inside. You may see Mullet fishing boats carrying
or pulling a tiny little boat along with them this is to increase the amount of
nets they can use as it is measured by the boat. And you are allow two boats
worth of netting. Most are small made of ply wood and 6 to 8 foot long but hey
it is another boat.
Once the fish were caught in the beginning like the 1700's the fish were scaled
and slabbed or to say the skin left on and lead weights were placed on top of
them to press out the juices and dry the meat, this also kept down the maggot
damage. The fish dried and or smoked were then sent to markets in Cuba and
Europe. This practice of processing fish did not change a lot until they
invented making ice in 1805 but was not until around 1900 that ice factories
were becoming more common and you could not eat the ice until 1929 but many ice
machines made their way around the country and Ice boxes were the I-phone of the
day, ice was made in large blocks and then taken to peoples houses and placed in
the ice box to keep their food cold. Same thing for the fishing industry, Ice
was made at a factory like the one in Punta Gorda, then taken around the Harbor
to the boats by Truck, then flat barged out to the Fish houses were the fish
they had caught were put on the barge and trucked back and ice loaded onto the
boats, If you were catching a lot of fish south in the Harbor or near the gulf
at a speedy 2 miles an hour it would take a day to get to Punta Gorda were the
fish house was. So to save time the boats could fish more if the fish was
transported by truck. That is why the fish or ice houses are scatter up and down
the east side.
Mullet has never gotten the credit
for being a tasty fish, which I think they taste great, but Smoked mullet and
the row from the mullet or eggs of the mullet is a medium priced caviar and
sought after in China Asia and Russia. But now being thought of as a tasty fish
the meat it's self has very little commercial value. Once before Viagra white
row or Mullet sperm was thought to be a very effective aphrodisiac, But hey
Mullet sperm or a blue pill? Well it is safe to say The white row of the, male
Mullet no longer has any commercial value. This bring of to why you see so many
dead mullet in the water.
The female mullet will fetch from.75 cents a pound to $2.75 a pound where as the
males have a market value of. .05 cents. And the only way to tell if they are
male or female is to squeeze them and see what color the row is. Orange or Red =
female, white row = Male as it is Very ill-legal or waste or to throw over board
half your haul of fish, people do it and hundreds or thousands of Dead male
mullet are tossed over board each year. I wonder if old time Mullet Fisherman
knew they were in the porn industry, well kind of any way.
All right now in the fall or early
winter Mullet get the urge to gather into great schools and head out into the
gulf, the thought is that they swim down in schools and the water pressure
squeezes the row out of the fish and it mixes as the row floats to the surface.
It is the urge to school up into the shakes of Mullet which makes them a target
for commercial fishermen. They can be caught thousands of pounds at a time.
Mullet fishing because of the prices is on it's way out. People still go out and
catch Mullet but less each year. As the price falls. One problem is that when
the smaller boats who use cast nets and or small seine net stop mullet fishing,
that could be very bad for Mullet. As the large Purse seine boat who travel the
off shore waters, will not strike a small school of 3000 pounds of Mullet But
the larger schools they will strike and nothing escapes a purse seine boat. The
entire school is wiped out. They are history.
So thee is the devil in the detail. With the smaller boats breaking up the big
schools and catching some of the mullet may be a bad thing, But a worse thing
may be if they do not go and the entire spawning schools of Mullet are wiped out
by the purse seine boats out off in the gulf where you never see it.
Me I don't know the correct answer.
So food for thought from me Fishin Frank which is not as good as a mullet
fillet.
11/25/17
Mullet the jumping real estate salesman, Yes Mullet have sold more homes in S.W. Florida than anything else in history, I mean think about it. You are looking at a house on the water look out back and see fish literary jumping out of the water, Like WOW I want this house. Then you buy and find out the truth. But what is the truth about mullet. Here is the real answer.
Mullet are not vegetarians they
eat almost anything, provided it is soft. Why soft the reason is that Mullet
have a gizzard just like a chicken, yes when I first came to Florida I was a
Bass player in bands and every party we played at the food was wild Hog, Cabbage
Palm, Mullet fillets and Mullet gizzards. Bowls full of fried mullet gizzards
were a staple at parties. While not my favorite food they are better tasting
than Chicken gizzards. OK why is the gizzards important? Well Chickens and birds
in general gather pebbles in their gizzards to grind up food, Mullet can only
get very find sand from the bottom here in Charlotte Harbor and the Canals watch
next time you see a school of mullet, they dive down and come back towards the
surface streaming mud out of their gills, they are cleaning the mud from the
sand. The sand is held in the gizzard and used to grind up food. Because the
sand is so fine anything hard like the shell of a shrimp or the scales of a fish
would get stuck in in effect plug up the gizzard causing the mullet to stave to
death. So Mullet will eat worms, Bugs, Algae, meat, anything in front of them.
Now Mullet do not kill for a living, and will not seek and destroy. So they swim
along and if there is something in front of them they will take it in their
mouth and if it is hard they spit it out and is it is soft they will swallow it.
So how do you catch Mullet? Well
think sabiki rig. We use 4 or more hooks My favorite one is the Mustad 92671 #4
gold hook Tie them about 10 inches apart on the line and put a small sinker like
a #2 slit shot at the bottom and a Bobber at the top. Now for the bait I use a
piece of soft white plastic or corn, worms, I have used a piece of white gulp
one the hook. Keep in mind soft and you have to let the point of the hook stick
out just a tiny bit. Now I cast that out standard rod and reel. You do not need
or want a long cast for this as there is chum involved. The chum or Mullet is
rolled Oats, and laying mash.
You can get them at any feed store. The proper way is to mix a tiny dash of
water until you get a dough ball just hard enough to stay together so you can
throw it at your bobber. The smell of the laying mash is what will make the
mullet circle near the bobber and the bits of rolled oats slowly sinking by it
get the mullet to open and close their mouths and hopefully mistake the bit of
white plastic of another piece of oat meal and if the bobber twitches set the
hook. Mullet are great fighter on the line and will jump and give you one heck
of a fight.
How to cook, well I can't stand smoked mullet personal choice but I love Fried,
baked, Boiled, Yes boiled or steamed mullet is poor mans lobster, I like it way
better than lobster myself. Boil a a minute or two then finish by steaming,
serve at the table with butter and lemon, Yum-mm.
Last thought you will set all of this up and throw your chum at the mullet and
the mullet scatter and run instead of feeding on it. Yes that is possible. Some
times mullet have to be trained to like the laying mash oats. So if you live on
a canal get the chum and leave it dry, take a ¼ Dixie cup full and every morning
toss it into the canal dry so it will float as long as possible. As you start to
see fish get interested increase the amount, Soon in a matter of days or a few
weeks you will have a whole herd of fish waiting for you to toss the chum. I mix
the chum wet when I am fishing, but dry for pre-chumming
The only bad thing it is hard to eat pets. I grew up on a farm in part so I can
do it, But for many people it can be well, Don't name the fish or you will never
get to enjoy poor mans Lobster Ala Mullet.
Fishin Frank
09/15/17
Fishin on windy days has become the new normal So when my old buddy Blake came to town with his two sons, at least we were lucky and the wind was blowing hard from the east north east. I say lucky as it is easier to hide from the east winds.
We started out heading to the east side. We stopped at mangrove point
and idled back over the bar, we knew the water was deeper once you get
across the outer sand bar and the fish like to hang out under the
mangroves and with the tide falling that deeper trough should be the
place. Well it was for one little Snook.
How ever we did have a school of white bait swim right up to the boat. Blake could not stand it so he got out the cast net and smartly threw at the edge of the school. They looked pretty small and most were but we did get a couple of throw-able size to fish with. Blake caught an under slot Snook so after a half hour of no fish we continued our way down the east side, what we were looking for were islands which had deeper pot holes out in front of them. By deeper I mean 6 inches or more of added water depth.
anchor on the north east corner of an island. Where we could cast the
back of the Island “east being the back and the north side of the
island. Cover two side. With the wind at our backs. If we fished for 20
minutes and no fish I would let the boat drift to be along the north
shore of the island where we could cast the front or west side of the
island and if that did not work one more short drift to cast the pot
holes out in front.
If that did not work we moved to the next islands by the 3 rd island we
had caught a Couple smaller Snook a little red fish, A few Smaller
mangrove snappers and a lot of needle fish.
The fish were caught by free lining, and using poppin corks.
The poppin cork did catch more fish this day than the free line ones did. And the needle fish just attacked any bait under a float, the most needle fish I have even seen in on the east side, weird.
So time to change tactics. Head headed out to the bar and noticed a
bunch a lot of bunch of Crab traps well crab traps are baited to attract
crabs and 2+2 fish eat the same stuff so that is a lot of chum so to
speak and we started drifting along between the crab tarps and the Trout
were there we caught several but only a couple big enough to keep and
while the boys were fishing with white bait. It seemed the keeper Trout
16 inches or so were both caught on shrimp under the poppin corks and
two Bonnet sharks hit the shrimp under a poppin cork with a Pink Rock
Port rattler jig head instead of just a hoof. We that is what the Trout
had hit as well.
So all in all not a great day but not a bad day we caught a fish about
ever 15 minutes during the time we fish averaging it out.
I will
say the small white bait was a bit better for the Snappers we caught and
of the 3 Snook 2 on white bait 1 on shrimp as far as the Sea Trout 50/50
but bigger ones on the shrimp.
So the Fishing with the wind while is not easy as fishing with a light
wind, you can find ways to use it to your advantage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/20/17
Fish on. Dad starts reeling in a fish,
I go to reel in the other
lines before the fish gets tangled up in them.
too late,
I notice the wind not the fish blown the line from one rod across
the other rod and the one in the next one and cluster,
get out the line
cutter and re-rig.
Dad is fighting the fish one of the tangled lines is tangles with the one with the fish,
So I get his line cut loose and he lands the trout,
Just a bit too short.
I will blame the 15 mph winds on that tangle.
So we moved closer to an
island to get out of the wind a bit, good idea right? Stopping just a couple
islands north of Pirate Harbor and anchored the boat and then cast up close to
the Island with one rod using a sinker on the leader with a live shrimp, The
sinker was to keep it from moving away from the island.
2Nd rod we put a float on
and cast it in front of the island about 20 feet.
where we knew it was just a bit deeper a slight trough.
The float would let the live shrimp move around the trough.
Dad and I each free lined a shrimp out toward the open flat hoping to find Reds in the Pot holes.
Then Fish on Dad got a hit weird
thing is the fish had not pulled the instead swam a little towards the boat then
off to the side. Wrapping that line with the other two we had out. So he did not
know the fish was hooked up. Until it was a tangled mess. I saw where the fish
was headed and tried to get the lines in and what I should have done was reel in
my line from the front of the boat, as while I started reeling in the last one
the fish saw it's chance to make life really miserable and shot straight to the
front of the boat and tangled that line as well. So here we are holding rods
that are tied together with a huge knot in the middle and 4 lines going every
where. Still a fish on. And yes it was a cat fish a 2 ½ pound Hard head cat-fish
who decided to get even for any bad things I have said about them and we let it
go after cutting the lines and hauling it in hand over hand. This trip was about
tangles and busted lines the only two big fish on we had one wrapped around a
crab trap and the other wrapped around another line and both broke off.
OK the fish won the first two round, so we switched up and only one rod for each
of us we started drifting. And Dad with a shrimp and a split shot, me with a
shrimp under a float. Fish on. Yes it was steady fishing and catching easy as
you please.
My lesson of the day, One rod, one
line when the wind or tide is really going fast. Two rods don't make a catch. I
went back to Mark Twain saying “Put all of your eggs in one basket and Watch
that basket”
So when you are out there keep in mind it happens to every body, We all lose
fish our rods tangle and things can just go bad. We did catch quite a few Trout
and a Shark even a couple smaller Snappers. And of course the Cat-fish but it
was a day of what the heck, really?
Fishin Frank
10/10/17
Fresh water, slat water mix it
up you got brackish and that is what we are still dealing with but the good news
is there is clear water on the horizon and the fishing is getting good, Yes the
flats on the east side and the west side are both looking good with schools of
Red fish and Snook up under the mangroves, now do not be surprised if you hook
into a nice size sheep head back under the mangroves on the flats.
Where ever the mangroves have a depression/hole/pocket under them the sheep head
are making it their house. They have set up camp and it may be a bit unheard of
5 years ago but over the last few years this has become more common, and I think
it is a matter of food, the mangroves leaves fall into the water and as they
break down, there is a mold which grows on the decaying mangrove leaves that the
tiny crabs love to feed on, and the sheep head which may be having trouble
finding food where they would normally hang out have found the mangrove crabs.
Funny how one thing effects each other thing.
So fish are fairly simple eat, sleep, reproduce, nope don’t see a problem with
that life style, but there is another thing to consider about fish and it is
something that Snow Birds know well. Temperature, if it is too hot the fish are
uncomfortable and the hot water holds much less oxygen, and if the water is too
cold they are not happy, So fish travel from warmer waters to cooler waters and
back during the course of the year, Summer time is when most fish will work
their way out towards the gulf of Mexico as the clear water is cooler than the
brown solar collector which is the harbor, and each year about October or
November the water starts to cool down and the fish start to head up into the
Harbor, where the temperature is nicer, the may some people go from Florida to
Up north and back following the weather
White bait is still what many people would like to use and for Snook fishing is
would be great, But I think you might wish to give pin fish, a try for the Red
fish. Red fish have been hitting Shrimp and Pin fish better this year. And then
there is blue crab cut or whole which have been accounting for a bunch of hooked
Red fish, With the Pin fish try a float or poppin cork and get the pin fish
about 6 inches off the bottom, and Hook the Pin fish side ways across the body
just rear of center under the dorsal fin.
The shrimp under a float is again a great way but I would use a poppin cork and
slam that pop, don’t be shy about the pop.
Another Big thing over the last year has been lures under poppin corks, the
Drunk Baits , DOA shrimp, and even a Rat-L-trap have been very effective, when
used under the poppin cork, and you work them just like you would a Shrimp, I
even like to put a bit of Smell/scent on them I use the Strike King Coffee
flavor scent. Hey for years by boat smelled like dead fish/Crabs/ what veer
scent like Pro-cure Blue crab scent. And maybe it does will a tiny bit better,
But my boat now smells Like Coffee with Cream and sugar, One of my favorite
things and I catch fish.
So Win-win best thing ever.
Any way the fishing is very good but you have to look around and best part of
that, thee is not many people fishing and lots of room to look around, in may
places all by yourself. So good fishing, less people and what are you waiting
for. OK if we all go it will be crowded again, So disregard what I wrote No fish
and it is nasty out there.
Fishin Frank
09/28/17
OK whats up. Tarpon Yes the tarpon fishing right now is really going Crazy. How ever just like the rest of these strange days it is not the normal Tarpon fishing we think of, where these Monster fish are hanging out in the deep holes and you would drift a lady fish through them and hang on for dear life, for the next hour. OK that is possible but the real Tarpon story is on the flats. And 1/3 that size.
Tarpon are in unreal numbers on the east side, and maybe more on the west side. They have found new feeding grounds back on the flats. Tarpon have always been year round here in the canals and up the Peace river and Shell creek. But this year for some reason the Tarpon are still in those places but even more have moved onto the flats.
Now the Snook and Red Fish are mostly under the mangrove branches I would think finding a cooler place to hang out during the heat of the day, The Tarpon are out in front maybe 20 feet away from the shore line and you will see them rolling. Now is where the fun part starts. How do you get one to bite?
Good question I am going with a Top water lure. I threw a lot of sub surface lures at them with no luck I did catch a Little Snook on the new Rapala Rip-Stop. I had been casting it at the tarpon rolling and just for grins and giggles I threw it right along the edge of the mangroves, within a foot of the drip edge and Pow this that Little fellow had to have it. My Dad decided to try his hand with a Top water, A Mirro-l-lure Top Pup. Which is just like a Zara Spook or Skitter walk, We were on the front side or west side of an outer Island Just north of the Carmine Key about two islands. We could see fish rolling just off the point while the tide was coming in. This was around 8:am. With the tide moving in they seemed to stay just between the islands in a cut and as the tide slowed they came more out in front of the islands. Dad hooked the first one while they were in the cut between the islands and wow did they like that top water just a couple pops and Slam. The fun was on. We had been casting Shrimp up to the islands looking for Red fish. And even had tossed a couple by where we saw the fish rolling,
Once we had hooked one I started to try different lures and see what they would
eat, Dad worked top water and I worked sub surface, Dad won.
Now on the west side of the Harbor the Tarpon can be found right off the
mangroves just like the east side, only they are just as likely to be out on or
just inside the sand bar. Now why the difference? We did not see any Tarpon on
the east side out by the bar. It could be as simple as the Sand bar on the west
side is much closer to the shoreline. The distance is less than half of that on
the east side.
Now Once again this is a catch and release fish, So here is my recommendations.
The Tarpon want to hit Top water lures so here is what you do Try the new D.O.A.
PT-7 I would get a dark color and a light er brighter one. With this lure it has
a single weedless hook, and comes pre-rigged so you can see how to properly
place the hook. But I would not stick the point of the hook back into the
plastic let it ride just off the top, this will give you a surer hook set. To
use a walk the dog style top water like a Zara,Skitter walk, or top pup, remove
and back Treble hook and replace it with a single hook. VMC and Owner hooks have
the single hook replacement for treble hooks, VMC #7237CB and the Owner are
4101- You should leave the front treble hook but take the time to flatten the
barbs on that treble flat, removing the front treble can cause the lure to lose
some of it's fish catching action. And take the lure with you to the store and
hold it up to the package of hooks. Try to find one that is just slightly larger
than the treble hook you are replacing.
You do not have to work the
lures hard just give your rod tip a twitch and then pause then another twitch or
jerk of the rod tip. This is a really Fun way to get into top water lure fishin.
Enjoy I hope everyone is OK back to the new normal as much as possible
Fishin Frank
90/??/17
OK here is another rant from me. which I should not publish
as it just sounds bad. I know there are many great young people and people in
general, but the other part make me a little nuts. and are just plain educated
beyond their intelligence.
So here is part of Bad Frank writing.
But, there are those who are just plain educated beyond their intelligence.
The Oceans are rising. a college student called me about a doing survey, Ok I
had a few minutes. Ok They had to take classes on how to be stupid. You would
have to have special training, in how to turn off your brain and just repeat
what you are told, to ask the questions they asked me.
One of the ones that stood out was would I change my habit's, if the sea water
would over come the Everglades in the next 100, 50 or 25 years.
I said no. oh what a sorry human I am. I should be tied to a stake and whipped.
So I thought well maybe they were not liberal, idiots and maybe I was wrong.
NOPE they are taught to be stupid on college now. I believe the term is group
think.
Here is what I found.
First I needed an old place with recorded history that could be proven. OK
Venice Italy is very old and there are records
Here is what a group found, the water had risen and the building had sunk a
combined total of 27.5 inches since 1772 to 2010
so the water has been rising about the same each year since 1772, before the industrial revolution and cars and all of the bad things like air planes were invented. I believe you could take that water level rise each year all the way back to the end of the last ice age. But & however part of that was oceans water rising and part the building sinking so I had to look further.
here I found the waters had been rising since 1870 to 2010
and they had OMG come up almost 200 M.M. millimeters or
just about 8 inches.
So yes the water is rising, less than an inch a year and some years are less some are more, here is the problem I have, when I consider what hey are trying to sell me on this sea level issue
.
There were glaciers all across the U.S. Wisconsin and Illinois, have glacier cut
lakes, and the glaciers were maybe miles high, and they have been melting for
the last 10,000 years, there are underwater cities off Cuba, the Bahamas and a
big city under the water off the coast of Japan. India has cities under water
some they figure are 60,000 years old. and the water came over them. is man
making the planet warmer, Well I did pass quite a bit of gas this morning, gee I
hope that wasn't the tipping point. Yes , no, maybe, all are correct answers,
The Viking's settle in Canada and Ice Land while the was a warming trend in the
climate. Then what they call the mini Ice age came and they froze out, If the
climate had not changed the Vikings would still hold England. It would be a very
different planet. So is this just what the earth does? are we helping? all could
be true. No one knows if you believe, ok you believe, But what you believe may
or may not be true, So keep an eye out if the water double its current rate in
100 years it will be 8 inches higher. OMG
In the case of cities getting flooded more and more often
you should ask has the city sunk? In the case of Huston it is 8 feet lower than
when they started building the city, Venice Italy has sunk. some of it is we
have pumped out the ground water for drinking and coffee and what not, So the
ground has sunk to make up for the void in the ground which the water used to
fill. Places in California have sunk more than 25 feet.
So to blame all of this on rising sea levels is just plain dumb and lazy
thinking, which I believe is a class you can take at any major college today,
Extra credits if you skip class.
Now all I am saying is read look at a history book, I look at old paintings from
before camera's and then try to find modern pictures and see what the
differences are. You may also read diaries from people who families have printed
them for historic value. Above all else don't believe an Idea consider it.
Fishin Frank
here are the pages I used for this
08/24/2017
Brackish water what can you catch?
Why over 50 types/species of Fish and Sharks and a few of them are Rays, there
could be closer to 100 types, I really don’t know all that can be caught here.
Heck you can even catch a dinosaur here like a saw fish.
I don't care what they say this fish could not have changed much since the days of the dinosaurs, the long snot which from what I understand they use to sweep bait out of the grass like a rake. When I look at that nose sticking out in front lined on both side with teeth, I think of an attack weapon, Which I am sure they might use for offense or defense with other fish, But it is more of a tool to slash through a school of bait fish stunning them or sweeping through the grass to make pin fish or shrimp jump up where they can eat them as I said before. You are not allowed to keep these but they are fun to fight and will eat chunks of fish or shrimp, they even have been caught on pieces of crab. Funny thing is you catch them between the 41 bridge and I-75 or that area, and then they kind of skip the mid section of the Harbor and can be found in front of Turtle Bay or Bull Bay. Saw Fish are most often caught while bottom fishing for other Sharks.
but Now there is even more we think of Charlotte Harbor fishing we think Snook, Red fish, and thing s like that but there is new fish as well like Mayan Chichlid, Tilapia, Invasive fish, which I think have made a great contribution to the area, Like Oscars in the Everglades the Chichlid are great eating and live well in brackish or fresh waters and already we are finding the Snook and Tarpon eat them as a food source. So one thing brackish water is salt water diluted with rain water/river run-off. You can not really have brackish water in the gulf, it would take too much fresh water, But in a Harbor like Charlotte Harbor it is easy to get to the brackish point. Charlotte Harbor is topped by two river the Peace River and The Mayaka River.
These two river form the top of Charlotte Harbor and Then add in the
Caloosahatchee at the southern rend of the Harbor lots of fresh water get poured
in to Charlotte Harbor every summer. And as the rain slow and the river levels
drop, the Harbor becomes Salt water again These two river form the top of
Charlotte Harbor and Then add in the Caloosahatchee at the southern rend of the
Harbor lots of fresh water get poured in to Charlotte Harbor every summer. And
as the rain slow and the river levels drop, the Harbor becomes Salt water again.
Fishing Here in the Harbor has been at it's slowest ebb during July, September
is the month when it all starts Snook season is open and the weather will start
to cool off and there is plenty of Tarpon to play with and did I mention
Dinosaurs?
Have fun out there Fishin Frank
08/0?/2017
Snook season is open, and whether
it is to help that Snook keep a good aerobic workout program or
to take it home for a dinner date, now is the time to go and catch a few.
But if
you're going snook fishing, you'll want to have a dependable reel, because these
fish can be tackle busters.
Here are Reels which are at the
$100ish mark, Why pick reels at the 100 price range, or up?
In my experience
this is where you get better materials,
The steel in the bearings is a much
better grade of metal, it is about the quality of the materials,
and this is the
middle price in today's world where reels last a lot longer,
Lets start with the
one that started the $100 revolution,
The Penn Battle. Every other company is
trying to catch up,
the Battle reels are the bench-mark standard for what a $100
reel should be.
Penn puts an additional stainless steel bearing for the drag to
spin on. HT-100 drag washers,
many reels even at this level come with felt
drag washer, sad but true.
What size reel you choose should be
by what size line you wish to use. In the old days reels were designed by line
capacity more than strength. Well plastic mono filament line is similar to a
coil spring and if the spool was too small the line would just uncoil off, and
if the reel was larger, the smaller line would catch in the cracks and the drag
would in many cases break the lighter line before slipping.
Now today’s reels are made much
stronger as line has gotten so small, the reels are made for that and here are
the top reels for the money,
#1 Penn Battle the drag washers and ball bearing
for the drag still best dollar value,
#2 Fin-nor Lethal they just don't go bad, reliable.
#3 Okuma Azore again strong, I think with this one do you want a dark color or a silver reel, Yes it is that close.
#4 Daiwa BG it got here for casting distance, it seems to cast a bit farther.
# 5 Shield reels, I really like the design and “feel and they seem to hold up so far. I think they could go up in the ranking.
# 6 the Shimano NASCI nice weight and feel better than average casting distance but random problems with returns, bail issues and the reel stem is a little short if you have larger hands.
Choosing Reels is kind of a how does it feel?
thing, if it feels good in your hand, or is it the right color?
The Daiwa and the Shield are newer and I can not tell you how they will hold up
long term yet. The Battle, Lethal and Azores great strong and time tested, And
one thing about the Shield is that I like it better with the shield Rod, a solid
graphite rod, not a hollow core, I tried the reel on one of my rods and it was
OK, but on the shield rod, a very cool experience.
Hope this helps, for in depth question stop by the store and we will help and
Just F.Y.I. We are not under sold on Penn reels by any one on the Net or in a
store.
07/2017
Red fish are stating to reappear
Even up on the Peace river, and they are eating shrimp.
There is a picture of my sister holding a barley Legal red fish if we were going
to throw it back she would be holding the belly. But lets face it it did not
survive, we ate it so too much pressure on the Jaw, least of it's problems. Not
as to how we caught it we were up river. The picture shows where we were and the
thing that is hard to see the the tiny deep cut right along the shore line. On
this point of Long island the sand bar comes way out a couple hundred feet, But
right next to the shore is this little deep place where the Red Fish cross from
the main channel to the Open area of Harbor Heights.
I had a ½ once sinker in front of a swivel, Slip style with a 2/0 octopus hook
and 30 inches of 25 pound fluorocarbon leader. I was using a live shrimp about 3
inches long and had cast about 2 feet from the mangrove trees. Now I would have
liked to get a bit closer to the trees but with the sinker and the shrimp it
helicopters and it is very easy to get snagged in the branches, So I was trying
to stay out a bit.
The Shrimp I had hook sideways across the head. What that means is you can set
the hook right as you feel the bite. If you tail hook a shrimp you need to count
1, 2, before setting the hook, Reds like most fish eat a Shrimp head first, they
are easiest for the fish to swallow that way, when a shrimp is tail hooked the
Red fish will take a second to spin it around in it's mouth before swallowing
and set the hook too soon and you Red swims away to bite another day.
The half once sinker was not to hold it in place but to give me casting
distance, I needed the weight to get in close enough to where the Red Fish were.
And right now you need to be back 50 plus feet from where you are fishing as a
rule, the water has gotten quite a bite darker and you can catch Red much closer
Now But they are still very spooky, so even with the darker water I am staying
back. Hence the weight/sinker.
Now what I am looking for it that bit of deeper water next to the mangroves,
this holds true right now weather you are on the east side or out on Gasprilla
Sound, which by the way is getting loaded up with Red Fish, People have been
talking all this year about where are the Reds? Well I can tell you I am heading
to the tailing flats for my next article. There are reports of hundreds of Red
fish there and I am excited about the chances to really have a 20 Red fish trip,
Yeah OK it has been a while, I will let you know where and how.
In the mean time stop by and see us, and Good luck
Fishin Frank
06/2017
Well good news and some OK news for the waters of
Charlotte Harbor. This year we have seen a tremendous number of Saw Fish, Nurse
Sharks and Flounder. The drought we had experienced over the winter did just
what it should have done and that is allow much more grass to grow, The Grass
has expanded on the flats and out side the sand bars on the edges of the Harbor.
This is just what was needed to create habitat for bait fish, Shrimp, and of
course small crabs and a for gotten bait here is worms and small eels. Yes we
have a few species of salt water worms and they are loving the new grass beds.
To under this you have to go back to I believe the spring of 1995 we a 18 inches
of rain in a couple hours and then the rain kept coming, 1995 destroyed much of
the grass habitat we had on the flats and almost all of the grass beds in water
over 5 feet deep. Then in around 2010 we had a two year drought I could be off a
year or two but the drought lasted for two years and many fresh water canals
only had a foot or so water in them and the Harbor with no rain was clear you
could see bottom in the 20 foot hole, The second year of the drought we spent a
lot of time looking at the bottom features of the harbor, rocky/stone bottom,
where the mud bottom and where the grass beds had returned. After the two year
drought things went back to normal with dark water n the summer and clear water
in the winter, I have never again seen the bottom in the 20 foot hole. OK long
time in getting to the point the Flounder and the sharks like the same habitat
sand bottom mixed with grass patches so the Harbor is getting healthier and the
many fish we did not see for years are coming back.
Snook populations are growing steady and this had little or nothing in my option
to do with the closed season, It had all to do with the rain, The rain was timed
perfectly for the Snook to get a bit of fresh water just before they spawned
which pushed them out to the gulf, before the eggs were released from Mom and
that ensured they would float, Snook spawn in fresh or salt water but in fresh
water most of the eggs sink to the bottom and never hatch, the salt water being
more buoyant allow them to float and then hatch, The perfect timing of the rain
has given the Snook a huge boost in numbers.
Red Fish are coming back in to the Harbor after a
year of very poor number, the number of Red fish
on the flats of the east side and Pine island on Gasprilla sound, Now the OK
news is that the Reds have come out of hiding but over all number of Red Fish
are down and I believe that it is due to the Red Tide we have been getting at
least every two year right during the red fish spawn, People see some adult reds
dead from Red tide and think that is bad, well yes but not nearly as bad as the
millions of tiny baby Red fish which are too small to be noticed so, judging by
what I can see is that we are having maybe 25% of the red fish which should be
hatched actuality hatch. And then with predators very few reds are making it to
slot size, compared with non-Red tide years, If we can get through this fall
with out a Major Red tide, we will see a huge jump in the numbers of Red fish
with in two years, Yes it could take a couple years for the reds to make it to
slot sizes, although I have found out fish grow at vastly different rates just
like people, some kids get huge quick and some stay smaller and get a growth
spurt later, So the good news is don’t freak out about the numbers of Red Fish,
we have the same amount of even less some time people fishing and the number of
tournaments are way down from what they were and all it will take to get bunches
of Red Fish back herein the harbor is a little less run off so there is no Red
tide this fall.
Hey happy thoughts.
Frank
??/??/??
06/10/17
A beautiful day, well yes I found one and took my Sister Pam and My Cousin Tracy out for a bit of Shark fishing. I had not checked the Tide so if I had known what the tide would be for an out-going tide I like to fish in the north end of the harbor around the 20 foot hole or Marker #1 if the tide is in-coming I like to fish south in the Harbor like the Pirate Harbor hole or by Cape haze, But I had not a clue so I went in the middle of it all between marker #5 and Marker #6 in line between Cape Haze and Burnt store, I figured if the tide was going out I would be chumming towards Boca Pass. If the tide was coming in I would be chumming the Harbor.
So we get to the Spot you should be east of the line between Marker #1 off Ponce
Deleon park to Marker #5 off Cape haze as this is the line all of the big boats
travel in and out of the Harbor lots of wake and when or if they would slow down
it makes it even taller wake waves, So picture the line in your head, and stay a
¼ mile or so east of that, much safer. Once I am there I put out the Anchor and
then the Chum Bag keeping the bag about ¾ the way into the water and then first
line out is a med to med heavy Spinning rod an 8-15 or maybe 10 -20 pound class
rod, With a bobber and a short AFW bleeding leader with a 5/0 hook 4 feet below
a float, Now the float line or bobber line goes out first. The reason is I like
to check the direction of the currant, looking at the water will not tell you
really which direction the water is really going, but that float will, and I do
not fall in love with the spot I anchor at first, highly likely I will move the
boat at least once, after seeing which way the bobber is going. I want my chum
to flow when I am here at the south end of the Harbor over the gravel bottom, I
know the general direction the gravel bottom takes and that gravel bottom unlike
the mud bottom in most of the Harbor holds a lot of bait. Small crabs, tiny bait
fish, shrimp and other types of bait often the chum will get them excited enough
about the food that they will come out and that really brings on the larger
predators.
So After I cast out the bobber line I open the bait and pull another 30 or more
feet of line from the reel and close the bait again, Now once the line drifts
off with the tide I cast out a rod free line no sinkers or floats. This free
line with just the leader and the bait will on a slow tide be right at the
bottom, and when the tide picks up a little faster it will lift the bait off a
bottom some, higher off the bottom as the tide moves faster, just like the way a
piece of dead bait would drift along naturally.
Now I have not caught anything on
my rod that have a sinker on them, So I decided to up those to larger rods with
a larger bait 9/0 or 12/0 hooks with 250 pound steel leader and a half of mullet
or big chunk of Bonita. I think the smaller sharks are staying more off the
bottom and it is the larger sharks that are feeding deep during the day while I
am out. You can tell when the larger Sharks show up if you have been catching
smaller sharks and the bite just stops. Well that is a very good indicator that
the big ones have showed up. One of the few predators small sharks have is big
sharks.
I like to eat sharks hay it is only fair they would eat me given a chance so,
when I catch one I judge how big a shark I will keep my my cooler, Yes if it
will not fit on the ice chest I let it go. Now you should understand I was
raised on wonder bread and my food is refrigerated or frozen and meat left out
in the sun or worse yet letting the fish hang on a stringer will just make it a
bacteria factory and while I enjoy the shower curtain in our bathroom which has
a map of the world on it, Very cool, I do not feel the need to be running in
there ever 10 minutes because I let my fish spoil in the heat. Ice it down.
For hooks I always use J hooks for
shark fishing with the barb bent over as to leave as much of a bump there as
possible.
Circle hooks are too difficult to get out of the sharks mouth and if I happen to
break off, a J hook with a bent down barb has the best chance of just falling
out of the sharks mouth. And there is no blood all over the boat. Be kind bend
it over. For some reason that don’t sound right, any way.
For bait and chum I have been just using the frozen stuff, I don’t get much time
to go fishing and it has been working. So frozen sardines and or thread fins cut
in half or if they are smaller size I put the hook through the head into the
body threading the hook from front towards the rear and then cut up the bait
just a bit so more smell is released. These are the tricks I used to get my
Cousin Tracy her first sharks
this is where we went, and I will tell you the first hit will be 35 minutes
after your chum is out and the first real bite should be 5 to 10 minutes after
that. If you are there or any where Shark fishing I give it an hour no bites I
am out of there. And always start with the 3 basic rigs, flaot line , free line
and sinker rig. I always think I dont care how I fish. I care how I catch.
And try smaller rods with 15 or 20 pound test, leave the drag a ¼ turn looser
then when I Snook fish, it is open water and out in the open it is better to
have more line than heavier line with less yards, let that Shark run take your
time bringing it to the boat. Who wants to grab a green Shark or I should say a
shark that is not tired out. And last tip always control the head of a shark
holding a shark by the tail will get you bit. A shark can pretty much bit it's
own tail. Control the head.
Enjoy
Fishin Frank
06/09/17
Cobia fishin at Marker #2 my Mom and Dad asked me to help find my nephews a big fish to fight and I right away started thinking about the mouth of the Myakka river, one of my favorite places for big fish now funny thing is there I average about 4 to 5-foot fish not quite as larger as farther down in the Harbor but just right for younger people with little or no experience fighting big fish, But the weather gods had other plans and there just was not time to go that far. So, looking at the building weather we stopped at marker #2 out in front of Alligator bay.
The tide was coming in so we anchored up on the west side about 200 yards away from the marker and as always, I cast out a bobber line and my luck was good the bobber was pointing right at the marker. I mean I tested the wind and used my ancient sea lore to perfectly position the boat so the chum would flow right at the marker.
Now there are two or three reasons not to be closer to the marker # 1 boat traffic just when the fish Shark or Cobia would be interested in the bait a boat would chase them off and the second reason is that people cast net there for bait all day on and off, so with the nets crashing down on the water again spooking my lager fish. And #3 it is nor fair to others to take up room that close to where they want to get bait so they can go fishing. And to be truthful that is what the chum is for. It takes about 30 minutes or so for the chum to start working on the bait fish by the marker and my regular frozen chum which come already in the bag or a box whatever you like will pull the bait at least some of it from the marker over towards my boat. Combine the chum smell in the water and a school of bait fish feeding on the chum line that is the recipe for Big fish on.
So not knowing
if it would be sharks or Cobia or what I went back to my steel leader the blood
ones from AFW and put out a set bobber line, free line and a sinker rig, Now I
had a larger rod spinning with 50 pound braid on it so I took a chance and free
lined a Sardine out on that line and the other rods I put on the bobber a half
of a pilchard on the free line I placed a whole pilchard but cut slice from the
back of the bait under the tail up into the belly cavity to release a bit more
smell.
The My two nephews flipped a coin for fist hit. We put out the rods each of the
boys had one and the other “extra rods we put in rod holder and then flip a coin
to see who gets first hit on them. If you are holding the rods of course that is
your hit, but it eliminates questions/problem if you know who gets first hit
The first rod to go was one in the holder I took the rod Jesse was holding as
he won first hit with the coin toss. Now I reeled that rod in as fast as
possible and had Ethan reel in his rod, the rod Jesse had was peeling line and
right before I could get to the last rod and start reeling in it went off, I got
Ethan’s rod from him and he settle in for the fight< By now Jesse had his fish
coming at the boat and last minute it did an end run around towards the back of
the boat. At that moment I could have told him to get down on his knees and put
the rod tip as far under water as he could, but the fish was deep and I decided
to have Jesse start going to the back of the boat, Now this is a boat I got for
my parents a 23 foot fiberglass pontoon boat with two Bimini tops and a lot of
straps to hold them in place and Jesse was working
the rod towards the back holding it in one hand and grabbing it with the other to get around all of those straps. The Biminis which keep the sun off so mom is comfortable are great until you have a big fish heading to the back of the boat, then pain in the pa-toot time. Just before he made it to the back the fish came up and I watched the line hit the prop and bink it was gone. Leaving Jesse panting trying to catch his breath and wondering how that could have happened.
For me no time as Ethan still had a big fish on at the front of the boat. So, I started coaching slowly lift the tip of the rod up and start reeling and lower the rod as you reel. Stop reeling lift the rod up, more pull ok 12 o’clock stop and start reeling while you slowly lower the rod, now a big problem people have is they get anxious to let the rod down after the big pull, and if they drop the tip of the rod too fast the line will wrap around the tip of the rod tying the fish hard to the pole and bang fish gone. But that did not happen and Ethan did great slow up and slow down while reeling. Once it came close to the boat the first time we could see it was a Cobia about 40 inches to the tail. Yummy, Now Cobia have a thing like many of have our things and the thing about a Cobia is they play mind games with you. It will stay right out of reach, I mean just out of reach of your net and if you hate your landing net Cobia are wonderful as they will go right through the mesh of a landing net like it was made of butter. So, once it is close and if you are going to eat it grab a gaff. I had the gaff ready and Ethan was pulling up and reeling down, but as he pulled up the drag just let out line after another 15 minutes of this and I had to stay right him as if you get impatient you will lose that Cobia that is its mind game right there just out of reach waiting for you to make a mistake. He made no mistakes so the pressure was on me now with the gaff, 4 times I tried but I was going to go through the gills so not to mess up the fillets. Steel leader good hook set, we had time, Finally I got the gaff through its gills and into the head and on to the boat it came.
Which after it went straight into the ice chest letting Ethan have a break and
letting the fish expire on the ice. Have you ever landed a big fish and went to
take pictures and it thrashed it was out of your grip and back into the water?
Me well I don’t want to talk about it. So now the fish stays on ice until I know
it is calm. After the pictures, we put the lines out again and got just railed
by a fish we could not stop on the rod with the 50-pound test on it. Big, huge
it must have been. We got the anchor up and flowed the fish then a big lunge and
pow the line broke. Yes, Poor Jesse no luck that day.
With the storms building
we decided to head back to the dock. Great day batted 250 hooked 3 lost 2 landed
1
Enjoy your selves out there
Fishin Frank
??/??/??
Picking the line to fish with,
This is a big question now, should I use braided line or Mono, Mono Filament line is a solid plastic line getting it's name from a single or {mono} filament invented in 1938, but was stiff and kinky and not until the mid 1960's was it really usable to fish with. Braided line is a type of cloth and from Kevlar, Yes bullet proof vest thread. While not exactly Kevlar close enough. Lets start with that, Braided line is amazing new line because it allows you fish fish with very heavy line, that is so small you can cast 20 pound test with the ease of 8 pound mono. Yes there is a difference between how thin a line is and the castiblity of the line, Take 30 pound braided line it is smaller than 12 pound mono, but when you throw it on a fishing rod it will cast the same distance as #12 mono , So 2o pound braid while the size of 4 pound mono will cast like 8 pound. Braid line is more resistant to scarping against barnacles so wears better than mono, Mono filament line tends to twist when used on s Spinning reel, and to get the twist our you would drag it behind the boat as very slow speed, When twisted mono looks a lot like wrought iron, and when pulled through the water the water would work out all of the twists in about 1 to 2 minutes. Braided line when it gets twisted just will not UN-twist when pulled through the water, some of the twist will come out but it takes 5 time longer to get the twist out. Braided line, being cloth material dose not hold the shape as will mono to help the water work the twist out. Good news is that it take 5 times longer to see the or have the twist in braided line become a problem.
Braid is stronger than mono line. That is what most people think and not really true. Braided line has no give or stretch, So on a flat dead pull with no jerking it is very strong, but if you pull then jerk on the braided line it will pop quite easy. This is the reason I use braided line when fishing against the mangroves or under docks, I use it because it breaks so easy, If you hang braided line in a tree branch a short sharp jerk of the line will pop the braid line easy, while mono fishing line stretches so much it is very hard to break and often sends high speed missiles back to the boat, the stretch acts like a sling shot. So contrary to people opinion I use braided so I can safety break it.
So if I am trolling or really
open water fishing I still prefer mono as it gives/stretches when the fish hits
making it hard to break. A hint if you are going to troll with braided, here is
the equation. With mono line. The fish hits, the line stretches, the rod bends
the drag on the reel gives. So when using braid to troll with. No stretch so set
your drag at least 1/3 looser than you would with mono, so the fish will not
break off.
Now mono line will get you more hits, the same way that Fluorocarbon leader will
get you more hits than steel leader. So in open water I use mono to hook more
fish, more fish on the line means more fun,
Now What color line is the best, not too ay years ago it was simple you had a
choice of clear mono line or white mono line. Now the are tons of colors and
lines with mixed colors, So which is best. that is easy they are all the best,
but not all year, I had 8 rods and reels on the boat and each one had a
different color line on it, no one colors catches more fish than the other all
year, as the water colors changes and the conditions change so will the color of
your line, I watched one color catch way more fish than the others only to fade
back down to normal, then another color would get way more hits,
I fish every once in a while with white bait and white bait swims around a lot,
now with each rod a different color I know which white bait is swimming behind
the boat, or is under the boat and All I have to say is hey Yellow reel up, when
the line were all one color everyone had to reel to find out whose bait it was.
Tangles are easier to deal with when the lines are different colors as well,
much simpler to get Yellow apart from green than green from green.
So there is no real down side to different colors other than we are not used to
it,
Just to wrap this up as I could
go on about a lot more issues, let me say, What is the best brand of braided
line. There is not a best one. They are all good, the trick is to find which is
the best for you, which brand of line cast good for you, with-out throwing wind
knots, Some people will do better with one brand and some with an other. So if a
line works for you, that’s means it is good. But it may not be the one for your
fishing partner, how you cast, which rods and reel you put together. Whether you
use bait or lures. All will make a difference in which line is the best for you.
So when a line company says we are the best. No that is impossible, It is only
true it may be the best for you.
Thanks I hope this helps
Fishin Frank
05/24/17
Hi Every body
You know for a guy with so many
boats I don’t get out much, But got a chance to take out my little boat, which
is a 15 foot skiff, This is the boat I plan to use for creeks and exploring.
Anyway T and I headed out for a day of fishing the river. And not a bad day we
used frozen pilchards for bait, here is a tip when you are using them bring a
pair of scissors. A knife mushes up the bait too much.
First stop the I-75 bridge as it was about 8:30 in the morning and the winds
were light, you and I know by afternoon the wind will pickup. So we anchored up
at the bumpers and started out putting a half of a pilchard on at a time, using
two #2 split shots, just to see if we would get a hit. No problem getting a hit.
Cast once the bait hit the bottom tap, tap, tap, bang bait gone! Putting on a
new bait I casted just a bit closer, by that I mean my bait hit the concrete ans
slid down. Risky it is very easy to get stuck on the barnacles or debris, but it
worked and bang a nice little Goliath grouper was on it's way to get it's
picture taken. Notice the round tail, that is the way tell a Goliath from any
other Grouper in the area I have seen this species in dark colors like this one
and then light colors with red or browns, it has to do with where you catch
them, A Goliath will try like almost all fish to blend in with the back ground
colors so they do not get noticed either as a predator or as prey. This one is
was dark brown with tan markings. Fun on the light rod I was using a fishin
Franks Camo rod, I decided to use this one as the fish could not see the camo
rod sticking out from the boat. Oh and I have some ocean front property in
Wisconsin I would like to sell as well. After the little grouper it was cast and
pick, pick, tap, tap, and bait gone. So I switched to a slip sinker rig so I
could feel right when the fish started to bite the bait rather then after it had
already taken the bait, Once we switched I caught a couple decent size mangrove
Snappers, having forgot the ice chest for keeping the fish cold it was a catch
and release day.
Now Terry or T as I could the wife did catch some fish at this spot, but she was
shy about not wanted to get hung up on the piling and was casting within 2 feet
of the bridge pilings but it seemed that the Snapper and grouper were closer and
the Hello kitty moments were just out 2 feet or more from the pilings.
With the wind picking up and the tide starting to change we left the bridge to
try a couple islands and no luck, The channel between the islands of bird key
and long key before they dredged in the water pipe to Punta Gorda, which was
necessary but that did screw up the fishing there. It would have been great if
when they placed the pipe they would not have put all of the dirt back and had
left a trench.
That would have made the fishing even better than before but they left a hill or
long bump which made things worse. OK I get that hauling off the excess dirt
would have cost money, but with every one screaming about the environment
cleaning out some of that much while they were right there would have been the
right thing to do.
After trying the Islands with no
luck and to my defense the tide had stopped, So instead of waiting for the tide
to turn we went up to the trestle on shell creek. And as we motored up the fish
were not boiling at the surface but swirling would be a good word and so we
started casting and I was using a Storm twitch stick and T had a Paddle tail jig
on, She saw a fish bust the surface right between the piling and cast right on
the swirl but the fish has swirled right over a piling which was under water so
T broke off,
I gave her my rod and while she was trying to find fish I tied on a leader using
25# fluorocarbon and a DOA cal shad 443 color salt & pepper with a green tail.
Right as I was done tying all heck broke loose at the other end of the Trestle,
A big school of what I thought were Jacks wer3e blowing up the surface chasing
bait. So I stated the motor and once I had pointed the boat in the right
direction were the fish were frothing the water I shut of the motor and we
drifted in. The bottom at that end of the trestle is hard sand and that makes it
tough to use a stick it while the boat is moving so I eased the anchor over the
side tied it off and then used the stick it pin to keep the boat from swinging
towards the trestle, with that done we waited for the fish to start feeding
again, and talk about blind chicken getting a kernel of corn they started right
in front of us. I put a, if I might say prefect cast just the other side of the
fish and the shad lure did not make it 3 feet and bang fish on, and when it
jumped out and I saw the line on it's side I was stunned not jacks at all but a
school of Snook, between 20 – 28 inches feeding like a bunch of jacks and what
fun. Once we hooked one it takes a while for it to start again, So T put on a
hook and float with a chunk of dead bait. The float/bobber was great to drift
the bait along the edge of the pilings in and out of each section and she lost a
couple nice fish.
Shell Creek is such a great spot to fish on the windy days peaceful and not a
lot of boat traffic, we did see one guy who must have been having trouble with
the seat cushions on his boat while we were heading home. And the poor fellow
must have spilled something on his pants, as he was not wearing any, I assume to
keep from staining the cushions with what ever he spilled. That seat cushion
must have been stuck as he kept banging his hips against it. Well I did not stop
to help as he seemed to have it under control. All in all a really nice day on
the water, with birds fish and even a herd of manatees 7 of them can by the boat
while we were anchored at the trestle. So a good day even the guy who was having
trouble with his boat seats looked happy.
Have fun and be safe out there.
Fishin Frank
05/10/17
OK I know I keep talking about how strange the fishing is but this month is right on track for normal. In other words strange, Sheep head which should be scattered from heck to breakfast going around in pairs are thick at the Reef off Alligator creek and hitting free lined Shrimp. If you use a sinker and try to bottom fish for them no luck, But if you let the shrimp drift down slowly by casting up into the tide the Sheep head will bang it on it's way to the bottom. And here is the fun part and what helps make this weird that is exactly how you will catch the Cobia there so you cast up into the currant while thinking nice sheep head 12 to 14 inches and get a 30 inch Cobia, Yes weird but fun.
Now the Tarpon are playing hide and go seek in and out of the Pass, So take a big bait with you and if the Tarpon make ya too nuts head over to the phosphate dock and drop a big chunk of Mullet or lady fish, A big chunk of fish next to the pilings and get ready to go in reverse, Yes the Angler drops the bait right next to the pilings and when the line starts tugging you sift into reverse and slowly back away hoping to drag the fish away from the pilings. Keep in mind if you slam the boat into reverse too fast you have a very wet friend who used to be on the front of your boat. So back slowly.
Finding Tarpon during this month
may require a bit of hunting. Keep your eyes on the water while running the boat
as slow as possible while still staying on plane. And the driver of the boat
looks ahead and it is never a good idea to Tarpon fish alone. Much more often
than you think a boat is found with no one on board drifting, I have been
punched in the face/head by a Tarpon, I think it did that for fun the dirty
bugger. I reached down bending over the side of the boat to get the hook out of
the Tarpon and it lunged a quick slash of it's tail and the darn thing head
butted me. Bright pretty little lights or stars if you will went off in my head
and I was a bit dizzy for a moment. Just a little harder and it could have
knocked me out and over the side I could have gone. All in an instant. So back
to looking the driver looking ahead and the other person looks side to side and
behind the boat!!! Yes behind the boat.
One time myself Robert and the Wife “T” I call her all of us went up in a Huey
helicopter and we were flying about 6000 feet and had a beautiful view of the
gulf waters, in a Huey with all of the doors open is as close to being a very
noisy bird as a human can get. We were looking down and there was a boat right
below us and the guy on the front of the boat by himself, dumb idea and about to
get dumber was giving a great demo as to how to cast a fly rod. We could see the
into water at least 15 feet down and there was not a Tarpon any where in front
of his boat. But from the water level he could not know that, and he was really
casting. Now if that fellow had a friend on the boat the friend would have
noticed there was three different daisy chains of Tarpon starting about 6 feet
from the stern of his boat. I thought at one point a Tarpon might knock itself
out on his prop. As we flew away he was still fixated on what was in front of
him and the Tarpon were relaxing while they swam in circles off his stern.
Point being, look behind you, or better yet bring a friend.
Fish can be so weird, But then again us Humans are right there with them, I was just looking at my shiner tanks and I have a dozen or so gold fish in the tanks like the canary in the coal mines, they tell me if the water is OK. I have shiners dieing off big time, and worked with Bill from Certain water services to get my bait to live in the tanks. He tested the water and found out the problems and put in filter system so the fish would live, and we learned a lot of water quality, On a side note of that people think it is strange when I am filling my coffee water from the bait tank filler. But thanks to Bill It is the best water in town. And after that rant it brings me back to my point about the gold fish. The Gold fish were all put in the tank at the same time and yes they are fat and healthy but some are 2 inches long and some are 5 inches long. That puzzled me.
So I started looking into game fish
like Snook or Tarpon and it is the same for them. Some Snook might reach the
slot limit in less than a couple years other could take twice that long. Just
one of those things I never thought about but looking at people some kids are
6'4” and another 5'2” at the same age so go figure we are not that different
from other animals at that.
Well have fun out there and good luck
Fishin Frank
04/28/17
Spring is springing and the wind
is blowing, and the Tarpon are moving in and out of the Harbor,
Snook are covering up the flats and the Red fish are behaving strange. So all is
normal for Charlotte Harbor in May.
Lets start with Red fish. The Reds are wanting everything slowed down almost like is was August cut bait or Shrimp but not live ones, Shrimp that has been in the sun for an hour or so. Yes a bit stinky same thing with a chunk of Blue Crab. If you are using artificial baits, the lures of Choice would be a D.O.A. Shrimp reeled very slow just on top of the grass. Next best bet the Live Target green back bait, But steady retrieve with a pause like three slow cranks of the reel handle and then stop count to 2 then three cranks and stop. Another good one is the Mirr-o-lure Marsh minnow pearl white with a 1/8 once red jig head, again slow crank but a bit slower than the Live target and no pause just really slow retrieve. There is a lot more numbers and even larger Reds as you go south in the Harbor, Yes Pine Islands sound and the flats south of the Matlacha bridge are both loaded up with Reds. Turtle and Bull bay have reds but they are holding around the Islands, strange part is they are not under the branches as much as 10 feet out from the shore of the mangroves drip edge. I am not sure why the Reds are not up under the trees where I would think they would be, So when you approach the Island stay back twice as far as you would any other year and cast/work your baits from the tree line out, if you don’t get a hit move closer so you may cast up under the branches, Yes I would start out then work closer as the Reds any moment could start going back under the mangroves, as they did in past years.
The Snook on the other hand are wanting everything fast, The MR-17 twitch, twitch stop repeat, but quickly. The Storm twitch stik is doing good as well with a fast retrieve and a slight pause. The live Target bait is good as well but crank fast and when you pause the lure, it is a quick one count then a couple twitches and then fast crank again. With Snook out of season most people do not target them but a couple of catch and release Snook can save a fishing trip, and just remember to handle them with wet hands, or a wet glove or rag and the Snook will survive the catch and release easy. You are helping their cardio work out, he said with a grin.
Tarpon the big story of May, pun
intended Lady fish and thread-fins are bait of choice and you will want a couple
of crabs with you as well. The last week of April saw the Tarpon fishing
up-river go crazy good. Live mullet or cat-fish, even cut bait chunks of mullet
and cat-fish tails were getting Tarpon hooked up, several and hour. Yes the
Tarpon had moved up River and as I write this they are still there, But by the
time you read this, the Tarpon may have moved out into the Harbor, One thing
would keep them up river, talipia Yes if the talapia hatch or run of baby
Talapia is still going on the Tarpon will stay with the food, which could last
the first week of may possible even into the second week. How ever I believe May
will be Harbor fishing for Tarpon I would try the first week dead bait, whole
Cat-fish 10 inches or so or large chunks of mullet free lined out from an boat
anchored up at the deep holes or the mouth of the Myakka River. Tarpon are
really starting to think about spawning finding a mate or group of mates and
they are still in the dating mode so they are in the going out to dinner phase
of dating at this point. So they will hit and that is the pint of this after
all, putting them in the air, Yes Tarpon are a fish we count or score how we do
by hook ups, which is how many Tarpon bite and then get off before they jump. If
they Jump we count how many jumps before they shake of the hook. And last of all
how many Tarpon to the boat and released. SO hook ups, Jumps, and landed.
I prefer the second choice I like Jumps if I can get 2 or 3 jumps from a tarpon
and then it spits the hook, all good, I have been lucky enough to have caught
way more than my share and do not feel the need for getting my arms pulled form
their sockets for an extra 30 minutes. But I can tell you, my first few Dozen
tarpon I was all about the fight, start to finish.
Lure for Tarpon this year D.O.A. Bait buster the classic, Storm swim baits,
Bomber 16 sich long A, and a possible new one to the group the larger size live
target swim bait. The live Target could be great or just a flop, funny thing is
it looks maybe too real. Funny how the best Tarpon lure ever invented looks kind
of well dopey the D.O.A. Bait buster is a very simple elegant design and
continues to produce Tarpon in the air. The live Target may just do it, But I
have reservations as I have seen life like lures fail before. This will be
interesting to see.
So anyway weather you are a back bay Snook and Red fisher or a Tarpon hunter
this is going to be your month to have fun, It looks like the rain is going to
stay away for a while longer and that means crystal clear water so stay back a
bit farther from the reds time to get out those 8 foot rods for the extra
distance and with the clear waters make you Tarpon leader 60 pound fluorocarbon
and add an extra 12 inches.
Good luck, Have fun
Fishin Frank
04/09/17
Well howdy Boys and Girls of the
fishin world there is plenty to talk about, Yes lets start with the sort of bad
news Red Tide, Yes the Red tide is staying around, the truth is it has not
really left us. And continues to be in back ground to low concentrations
although the waters of South west Florida, So lets hope this stays low. But do
not be surprised if you are out fishing and your throat starts to get scratchy.
Good news is that is it not killing fish at this point but could happen any day.
The good news is that Bass fishing
is hitting an all time high I think a lot of people are heading back to the
lakes for some good old fashioned Bass fun. Soft plastics worms are still doing
as good as they were years ago and the big thing lately is Frogs yes frogs
weather used as top water or with a weight on a Carolina rig Frogs are producing
some Big Bass 5 to 7 pound or better. Here is a neat trick the Ribbet Frog is
one of the better top water lures for Snook, Yes the Ribbet has paddle tail
style feet on it and rigged weedless can be cast right up under the mangroves.
And give it a light pop, then a slow steady retrieve just fast enough to get the
feet splashing and hang on Snook on! Keep in mind as with all top water lures,
wait before you set the hook until you feel the weight of the Snook/any other
fish, on the line. Humans are quick and you will pull the lure out of the fishes
mouth before the fish can bite down on the lure causing you to miss the hit. So
wait until you fell the weight of the fish.
Now the schools of fish you will hear about are Red fish, big schools of over
size reds have been hanging out in Pine Islands sound and just south of Matlacha.
The other big fish schooling is black drum these Monster fish average of 40
pound have been seen in the Harbor just north of Bokeelia and up to the 20 foot
hole on the north end. And of Course the Tarpon. Yes schools of Tarpon are more
common as the Tarpon first enter the Harbor during the spring. I like to run the
out side of the bar on the west side from Cape Haze north in 6 feet of water
watching under the water for dozens or hundreds of Tarpon which I believe are
there to meet and greet their friends as they come in from the gulf, maybe to
start picking mates for the spawn.
How to catch some fish this time of
year lets go over the bait types, and this time of year white bait is your first
choice, White bait is really a hard scaled Sardine. Or Green back. Much thicker
and hardier than other species of similar baits, Use an Octopus 2/0 hook rigged
across the bridge of the fishes nose for best results. Next best bait is pin
fish, Pin Fish get their name not from body shape but from the dorsal fins. The
dorsal fins are very sharp like needles and I would say at one time they were
called pin cushion fish, shorten to pin fish. When I an using a Jig head with
pin fish I hook them across the back and let them flop on the bottom making a
fuss and kicking up sand. We call that a Red Fish Sundae,
If I am using a hook with a leader and a sinker I will place the hook into the
Pin fish across trough the fish just above the Anal opening, this allow the Pin
fish to pull against the weight, while remaining up right. If you wish to cast
and retrieve a pin fish hook them up trough the Jaw So it will swim along with
the pull of your line.
Tarpon how and where well watch for School of lady fish or Spanish mackerel, and
bait fish or schooling fish is going to attract Tarpon, Like a fast food sign
for a teenager. Now we all want to cast at the Tarpon with a blue crab or a
larger thread-fin herring, which is part of the group o f fish people call white
bait, The Thread fin has a green back, but it is brighter color green and has
black dots on the back in the green color, the easiest way to tell a Green back
from a Thread fin is the dorsal fin The Thread fin has a long extension on the
back of the dorsal like you see on a Tarpon, The green back has a short dorsal
fin.
While we want to cast at the Tarpon your best bet for a hook up is to cast out a
Thread fin or crab about 4 feet below a bobber/float, this can be hard if not
impossible to cast so often I will drop the bait off the side of the boat and
then us the motor with my bail open to get away from the bait. Yes this is the
time you will catch most if not all of your Tarpon on. Hey a watched pot thing
maybe.
If you are trying to cast at Tarpon
think like skeet shooting, you do not shoot at the skeet you lead it shooting in
front of the skeet to where it will be. Same thing when I cast at Tarpon, I see
which way the fish is moving when it rolls and cast in front of that. Hoping to
get my bait just in front of where the Tarpon “will” be. The more violent the
The Tarpon is rolling like when it rolls if you hear a tail slap, you will hook
up, they are angry feeding and really hungry, if it is a very soft or quiet
roll, the chances of a hook up are much less. And that is where the bait just
sitting there under the float will be way more likely to hook your fish. Try to
use a dual drag reel for the one in the rod holder, where you have a controlled
free spool then just start reeling to engage the main drag system.
Well good luck I am hoping to have my boat back in the water a get you some
fresh water and Salt water spot reports starting next month. I am ready to be
back on the water.
Until next month Good luck
Fishin Frank
03/6/17
Two
wonderful amazing problem fish and the Tackle to deal with them.
Right now reef fishing in the gulf of Mexico is very good, water temps
are just a bit cool and the fish are going crazy and you are out or a
delicious meal of Lane Snapper or Grouper and Fish on and you feel the
fish fighting like crazy and then you hit that magic point where the
fight almost stops and you are reeling like a crazy person and the fish
is almost to the boat you can see the shine of it! It's right there and
WHAM. The rod doubles over and just like that your fish is gone. For a
minute you thought your arms would be pulled off, or the fight continues
and The fish jump jumps which could be an easy 5 feet long and a mouth
full of long sharp teeth, or it stays down and pulls until you are sure
it is the bottom of the gulf, and the tectonic plates are shifting.
Either way your fish is gone.
Often the two fish most responsible for this thievery of your dinner is
a Barracuda or one of the many species of Sharks which inhabit the Gulf.
They are there on or near by the reef for the same purpose as you are,
Food. So it is not surprising when a Shark tries to steal your fish off
the line as you are reeling it up, This is when a two speed reel is
worth the Extra money after all of the money for fuel and the boat and
then not being able to bring up a fish with out something else stealing
it off your line, you make you go crazy in a hurry. So a two Speed reel
like the Penn Fathom or the Fin-nor, I mention these two as they are not
as much money as two speed reels from other companies, using a Two Speed
I start in low gear just like I would in a Truck, and for the same
reason I need the power to get things started moving in the case of reef
fishing moving up towards the boat, and once the fish is being pulled
up, They will reach a point where the fight becomes about half of what
it was. Right then you click into high gear and you switch form 3 to 1
ratio to 6 to one. And that fish is really moving towards the boat and
your dinner table. It is best to use a short Rod under 6 foot long, that
will give you better leverage.
Before the circle hook law, we used longer rods to sweep the hook set.
Pulling up hard to set the hook do that with a circle hook and you
pulled the hook out f the fishes mouth.
Now Sharks are always moving and they are moving in, anytime the passes
will be full of Tarpon and the Spanish mackerel are already here. Those
are two of the Sharks favorite meals. And did you know that Sharks give
birth or as it is called “Pup' in the spring time so that means that
most of the females are pregnant So use Tackle some what heavier than I
will use once June rolls around. By June the Sharks have given birth and
I switch to a bit light weight for more battle. But in April or May
Sharks big pregnant it should not harm them to be caught and released,
any Doctor will tell you exercise is good for you. But too much is not
good. You get the idea.
Now Barracuda fishing is a ball as they will often sky rocket. And have
been known to jump into Boats,
A tube lure is what works best in the gulf I like the pink or green ones
best, But the truth is most of the Barracuda I have seen caught have
been while I was fishing for something else. If you have ever been
swimming and look over to see a fish as long as you are starring at you
with those huge eyes and teeth O.M.G. The teeth are massive, sharp and
pointy. So there you are swing and you see this monster right there.
They tends to get with in ten feet of you, Just sort of checking you
out. That is what makes people nervous. The checking out part. Any way
it is because of the Barracuda I do not wear shine things like rings or
bracelets. Too much time in the water. I am not really scared but more
practical. For years I had to remember if I was hurt I could not work
and that meant no money.
Any way Both Sharks and Barracuda will hit the grouper rigs, weather the leader is steel or Mono or Fluorocarbon. A Barracuda is only shy when you are trying to catch it. If it is trying to catch you not shy at all.
Both Sharks
and Barracuda will eat anything from Fish to Shrimp, and both fish are
tasty, The big thing ids that a little larger tackle right not so as not
to tire out the pregnant females so much during the fight.
03/06/17
Sharks are here all year, But just like Snow birds many of them head south for the winter months, One fun and Tasty Shark that is plentiful is one of the Hammer head Sharks the Bonnet-head or when you have northern visitors the Shovel head, Sounds more Tarzan like to Say Shovel head, Some how Bonnet-head does not have the same ring to it.
So These
are Hammer heads which grow to about 4 feet long, and start having
Babies Fe-males at 32 inches long and males at 24 inches. I guess the
guys just cant wait, Having 4 to 12 Pups each year, Believe it or not
Bonnet are one of the most caught Sharks in the U.S.
OK are they good to eat? Yes they are. I fillet them and I will get to
how you should prepare your Shark for dinner, and you don’t even need to
buy it a suit. First of all, how big a shark should I keep? Look at your
cooler that tells you how big your shark can be. Well if it will not fit
in your cooler let it go. Shark meat is not good left in the sun all
day. First you should gut the shark as soon as you catch it, that stops
the transfer of fluids, Yes sharks sort of urinate through their skin
but not quite really and yes they urinate the same as most critters but
not quite, either way, you get the idea I don’t leave the skin on, if
you do it wont hurt you. A taste matter not a safe to eat thing. Now
when I go to gut the shark I use a gaff. You can not gaff a shark
through the belly like some fish, The skin is too tough, and so I put
the gaff hook through the gill opening. And now with the shark on the
gaff hook, I cut down from just below the jaw to it's butt. Then take
out or cut out every thing rinse the shark off and put it in the cooler.
Now sharks have a couple different brains, One for when they are awake
and one for sleeping, most sharks have to stay in motion, A bonnet-head
can lay still but the brain stem brain is still alive enough for the
next 15 or 20 minutes after the first brain is dead to bite you so watch
out. Hey if you just tossed me into a cooler I would bite you too.
As far as how to clean the shark you should know there is a layer of blood/stuff between the meat and the skin, If you like fishy tasting fish leave the skin on if you like fish flavor, with out the fishy taste fillet the skin off. Start when you get back by cutting off the fins, If you like a nasty gel type soup keep the fins, I throw them out. Once the fins and the tail is cut off Cut the tail off straight down where it attaches to the body, Now cut a line all the way down the back of the shark on the center line. Now I take my fillet knife and cut down to the back bone and work the meat off one side f the back bone then the other. Now you have two sides with a back bone cut the meat sides off from the head and lay them on the board skin side down and very lightly cut the skin from the meat a back and forth slicing motion is best. Now I rinse/clean the fillets and with the grille hot, I cut the fillets into chunks about 4 inches so they can be flipped. Butter one side of the fillet piece and then sprinkle n some Lemon herb seasoning. Place butter side down on the grill, when brown flip over the fillet, butter and sprinkle lemon herb seasoning lightly. Brown and done enjoy.
I guess you should know how to
catch one as well, A poppin cork with a live shrimp is the best way to
catch Shovel nose, Sharks or a shrimp on the bottom, Bonnets or shovel
nose like shrimp it is their favorite food, I have caught a few while
using bait fish but 4% of what I have caught with a shrimp.
Most Bonnet sharks are caught while people are Trout fishing on the
flats or just out side the bar.
There is a picture of me holding a Bonnet shark and that is the way to
grab a shark by the back of the head. When you get the shark next to the
bat with your good hand, Right hand for right handed people left for
left handed. Now grab your leader I use the bleeding leaders from A.f.W.
2/0 for these sharks.
Now if I can lift the shark up easily I will if it is too heavy, I
remove the hook in the water and let it go. Or Bring out the gaff if I
am going to eat it, A gaff will ruin the gills of the sharks so no catch
and release with a gaff. If I can lift it I hold it by the leader with
my right hand and then quickly after it settles down grab the dorsal
fin, It makes being Tarzan “grabbing sharks” easier when you do it a
little at a time. After I have my finger on the dorsal I then switch to
grab the shark by he back of the head. Cool thing about shark skin is it
is smooth as silk if you run your hand fro the head towards the tail and
UN-real rough if you try to rub tail to head. Funny thing it is the most
are-dynamitic surface know to man, They molded shark skin and they is
what the skin of a stealth bomber air plane feels like,
OK Now you can go out and catch your shark dinner, best places to find
Shovel nose sharks is on the flats but I often look for them on the
sides of the I.C.W.
Hope you have fun enjoy your trip.
Fishin Frank
03/09/17
Tides are not that hard to understand if you are a bass fisherman. Think about it if you fish a lake on a regular basis, when you have a lot of rain and the water levels come way up, The Bass move up into the grass and places they can not normally go. As the water level gets back to normal, the Bass move to more regular locations around the shoreline, If the water in the lake happens to get very low. The Bass move into deeper water.
So here we have have this happen almost every day, as the water/Tide rises or falls the fish will move.
Now the thing to remember is you want to go on the flats at low tide. Think about it, after low tide the water comes in meaning you will get more. And you will be able to get out from where you are, If you go in at High tide the waters is out going and getting shallower as time goes by, so you may not get out.
Now fish know the tides and will follow the water as it comes in back into the creeks and shallow areas, So it works out fishing the mouth of a small creek at low tide and as the water rises the fish will go up farther into the creek. So the same with High tide as the water is falling I will often sit at the mouth of a creek waiting for the fish to come out.
Lets jump to the middle for a minute. Slack tide yes the time during the day when the water just is not moving. That is the kiss of failure for flats fishing you need moving water so go home? Nope just go to a reef. Yes reefs can be very good fishing during slack tides when the water is not moving. When the water/tide is moving the fish are looking into the tide. Fish have a great sense of smell and like to smell what is coming at them, the same as animals in the wild. So during slack tide the fish will mill about in all directions giving you a better shot at them finding your bait, This is a good time for sheep head or mangrove snappers, even Gag grouper have been known to hit better during this time.
Now we come to the change of
tides, and sorry but nature is not run on a time table, so the tide chart might
say 1:pm but that really means 1-ish. Wind and other things all play a role in
exactly when it tides starts to move. This can be the best possible time to
fish, once the tide has stopped moving and starts to go the other way, it begins
to stir up all of the stuff which settled with the water coming from the other
way, Small creatures like tiny crabs and shrimp get swept up and the food chain
starts,
This stirring up of the debris and sand from one side of a rock to the other
side is what gets the food chain feeding. So the Pin fish start feeding and then
the larger fish and so on.
Water movement on the flats is
key to having a good day catching rather then a good day fishing, The shrimp and
smaller crabs all start into motion with moving water. Which brings the Red
fish, Snook, Trout, even the Sting rays which stir up the bottom even more all
happens when the water is moving.
Now Ambush fishing picking a place where the currant will bring bait by, Like
between two islands or around a point, bait get swept through a smaller cut
between two islands where the is a large body of water which is narrowed and
intensified as it is squeezed between two islands, fish will lay in wait at this
type of place, So I position my boat a long cast in front of the gap between the
islands and cast a bait with no sinker or weights we call it free lining,
because the bait is free to move with the current, Casting right at the mouth of
the cut then leaving my bail open and letting the line get sucked between the
islands which drags my bait right to the fish, So you should be at least 40 feet
away as not to spook the fish in the cut. Another good way to fish a cut like
that is with a bobber, If I know the dept of the cut, I will set my bait for
about 6 inches off of the bottom and cast the float with my bait to the side of
the cut and then again leaving my bail open to feed line out as the float takes
my bait right along the edge or side of the cut. Now when I am free-lining a
bait I go towards the middle hoping to bring the fish out to me, Because my line
gets tangled in what ever branches or debris are along the edge where as when I
use a float/bobber I can see the drift my float is taking and can adjust by
swinging my rod tip towards or away from any obstructions.
Now if I am using lures I will
cast up into a creek and try to work the lure as close to the edge of the cut as
possible, Fish prefer to hang out close to structure like roots or branches
hanging in the water, I think this is from when they were little being ready to
escape a larger predator, by running around the branches in a life or death game
of ring around the rosy.
Fishing With the tide is useful I guess you could say necessary, thing of trying
to fish a bridge with the currant going the other way, using the tide to get
your bait where you need it and again thinking that almost every fish is looking
into the tide trying to small whats out there, in front of them, A bridge
technique I like to use when the currant is stronger is I will take a free ling
bait and cast at the bridge, letting my bait be carried up close to a piling.
Once the bait is where I want it I let out another 3 feet of line as I then
place on the line a sliding sinker, which will fall to the bottom dragging my
bait down below the surface. As the tide continues to run the sinker will work
it's way closer to my bait, This is the cool part my bait gets a little closer
to the bottom every few minutes covering the entire water column top to bottom.
Now this only works with a strong tide or currant, Easy to know if you cast a
bait out and it is on the surface of the water from the currant keeping it up,
this is time to clip on a sinker. And just let it go.
01/11/2017
Boys and Girls of Fish world lots of great things happening Big, Yuge,
things. Goliath Grouper “Jew” Fish are biting in the canals and in the
passes, these monster fish which can reach 8 feet long and 700 to 800
pounds are cooperating well. Goliath Grouper are one of a couple types
of Grouper which grow up in the Shallow water of the mangrove trees than
as they get larger move out towards the gulf to live there.
It was not too many years ago we first started finding/catching in our
canals these small grouper looking fish, some less than 6 inches long,
these fish which were Brown and with or red, or maybe yellowish and dark
with spots, I took quite a while to figure out what type of Grouper they
were, this was just before the internet and back then you had to use
dial up. Let your parents explain that. Be, boop. whirl, had to throw
that in for us old timers. Finally a book and it was the round fins of
the Goliath which made the I.D. Possible. Males we would learn take 5
years or so to become able to spawn and Females about 6 years and maybe
Goliath turn male to female or maybe not. What I do know or think I know
is that they like to live once they are about 6 or so inches in the
canals. And they stay in the canals until they are about 50 pounds just
before they get 4 feet long these Grouper seem to move out of the canals
and out to the passes. Boca Grande Pass is the preferred pass as the old
Phosphate dock has lot of heavy cover for them and they like having a
home. Open sand bottom is not where they like to be.
The difference
between fishing for Snook and Goliath Grouper in the canals is the time
you spend waiting with your bait under the docks. Both fish like to live
under docks and If I am fishing in the canals I use a chunk of Mullet or
lady fish with a large enough hook to hook the bait and have the point
of the hook far enough out to hook the fish. If I am trying to catch a
fish like this I flatten the barb on the hook as I know it is catch and
release. Casting the chunk or bait under the dock as center as possible
then it is a waiting game. Studies have shown much to my surprise that
Goliath Grouper do not reduce the fish populations on the reefs like I
and many other people would have thought because they are lazy. Most of
their diet is crabs, shrimp things that they can just gulp down with out
a lot of chasing, I add this so you would under stand a Snook is a top
predator and will and does chase down it's food. Goliath will tend to
meander over to the food, not run over to get it. So the waiting game is
on.
Out by the Phosphate dock at Boca Pass the technique is a bit strange
You need a boat to get here on the out side of the piling is where we
look for these giant fish to play with or at the large round tie up
bumper. Either one How we do it is to use a 2 or 3 pound fish with a
13/0 hook or larger with 200 pound test leader, sometimes I use a 10
once sinker slid onto the line before the hook. Big rod I like the Bill
fisher 80 to 130 pound class and an International reel 50 with 100 pound
mono on it. The Angler / fisher person sits in the front of the boat and
the operator of the boat put the nose of the boat up bu the dock. Drop
the bait to the bottom and as soon as the rod person feels the fish bite
the boat is put in reverse and that helps pull the fish away from the
liking and into more open water, this has to happen before the fish
figures out what you are trying to do and decides to pull back. The
driver of the boat never leaves the helm. As that fish is going to try
and pull it back to the dock. So have back up people for the person on
the rod, a 300 pound fish mad at you is going to really fight. Now at
this point it is simple you pull the fish pulls who ever pulls the
hardest wins. If the person operating the boat and the person on the rod
work together you should be successful. Team work the Rod person gets
the glory and the boat operator gets yelled at if the fish gets back
into the pilings. Hummm So remember to congratulate the boat person as
well when the fish is landed and the pictures taken.
Just though I would share a little of the unusual things that are
possible here in Charlotte Harbor
From North fort Myers
Fishin Frank
20/21/17
Fishing and tackle store we get
to see a bunch of things I guess you can say well just can not be UN-seen, or
UN-heard. I have to say information at least critical information, is important
in finding out what a customer is looking for for. Like the day a woman came in
and said I need something 10 inches long and it has to be black. Well that was
quite a declaration and I have to say it did take a couple minutes to figure out
that a 10 inch Culprit Black bass worm was what her husband had sent her into
the store for. A little more info in the beginning would have been helpful. Or
the times when someone would pull up in their car and ask us to identify a fish
in their cooler, What kind of fish is that can I eat it? First off a little late
at that point and a couple times they were smaller tarpon. And If you think
Jacks are not good eating, there has been so many times when a person is showing
me Pictures of the Pompano they caught and while tough to clean were Just great
eating and the Pictures showed Nice size Jack Crevele. Tasty is in the tongue of
the eater.
Or in a different vein the guy
walking in all excited about the monster grouper they caught in the canal, Only
to be told it is endangered and you can not keep a Goliath Grouper but it has
red it is a red Grouper, No sorry, Color can be one of the worst ways to I.D. A
fish.
And when the Poor person has caught the Snook of a life time only to find out
the Season is open But only on the east coast and here on the west coast it is
still closed until march.
So many rules you should have a pocket lawyers.
As far as learning there as fishing clubs they are a great place to meet people, I am not sure it is the best place to learn how to fish. Joining a club is about friendship and being with like minded people. Here is the best advice I can give you. Never say to a person in the club, I would like to go fishing with you. OK that part is good, now here is where you are going to screw your self, Do not add “So you can show me where to go and how to catch fish. What? So what you just told them is you are too cheap to hire someone to teach you to fish and your value of that person is only about what they can do for you? Really? Going fishing together is about being with some one you enjoy and want to talk and spend time with. By the way this is the number one complaint from people who are asked to go fishing by someone. They feel you did not want to fish with them, that you only want a cheap teacher. As long as I am ranting, here is another thing, If you go fishing with someone, Pay your share of the fuel. And NEVER leave the boat until it is cleaned and everything is put away, NEVER no matter what.
Now classes this is good for general knowledge a class will give you basics of catching fish. I do not recommend a class for a specific fish, like catching a Snook, think of classes for how to fish from a boat or from a pier.
Hiring a local guides and hoping
they will show you where they catch fish and how they catch fish,
is not really fair. People would even go as far as hiding their g.p.s. to find
out where the guides were catching the fish. Which may work in the gulf but on
the flats, This could be a real problem for people as much of the flats may be
less than one foot deep. Folks who come down with a boat and think they can go
where a Charter Captain can go with his boat on the flats, many times will just
leave them high and dry on a sand bar. As learning flats fishing is knowing the
boat and the depth of the water, So you do not end up waiting for the tide to
come up. So hire a Captain to take you out and catch fish and have fun. Not to
try and find spots.
A new thing is instructors
People who go with you on your boat showing you where and how to catch fish,
this is different as it is their job to show you good spots and help you. Which
is different than the Captain who is just trying to catch you fish.
ire someone to teach you or pay the person you asked going rates are from $50 to
$100. an hour.
There are so many things about
fishing. The best thing is you can just go. Relax and enjoy where you are, it
sometimes helps to turn off the phone. Stop in and say Hi sometime.
Fishin Frank
2017
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016
01/25/16
Shrimping the Fleet is coming in, Yes indeed how cool dose that sound?
Well more
correct would be death and destruction, has ended for the night, sound
bad and a little dramatic but true none the less. The catching of wild
Shrimp is not a real good thing, the average by-catch is around 15 pound
of other life or Shrimp too small to sell. So all of that goes over
board dead back into the water.
I have learned many things in my time here at the bait shop and one of
those is we need commercial fisherman to get our bait and even for a
night out fish dinner. But some things just do not make sense any more.
Shrimping for food shrimp in Charlotte Harbor is not a good thing,
Charlotte harbor is a favorite place for the larger shrimping boats
which work the gulf of Mexico. When the wind gets too strong to be in
the gulf Safely, The boats head into Charlotte Harbor, The Harbor is
safe haven as it is not large enough for big waves to form. So the
Shrimpers can lay up until the wind lays down, and whats even better for
them this time of year the Harbor is full of Shrimp. Yes the Brown
Shrimp is on the move. The Brown Shrimp live in the deep waters of the
gulf 60 feet or deeper down to almost 600 feet Shrimp have been found
most common in water 100 feet deep, they spawn and the Eggs float to the
surface becoming part of the plankton, As the fry hatch they swim as far
into the creeks and canals as possible and scatter across the grass
flats. Growing at a rate of about 1/3 of an inch a month a Shrimp may be
Adult in a year able to spawn.
Shrimp is the basic food for everything . Even and including us humans,
So they have learned to spawn thousands of tiny eggs each time safety in
numbers. Humans have learned to make nets and trawls to catch them by
the thousands each pull. They use heavy doors which drag the bottom
keeping the nets open and close to the bottom. Often a chain is dragged
front of the net to scare the shrimp up off the bottom and into the net.
Every wonder why the bottom of Charlotte Harbor is so flat? Watch your dept finder and you will not see anything no bumps or junk on the bottom. Anything caught in the net of a shrimper is dumper at the Alligator creek reef or in the hole off Pirate Harbor. Now this could be a good thing in a way, but fish like habitat. Not open bottom. No reefs man made or natural have a chance here, they will be dragged off each fall or winter by the big off shore Shrimp boats.
Why is this a big deal for the Harbor, lets look at
Texas, The Snapper and grouper were becoming very scarce fishing was
getting real bad, in the gulf off Texas. So the did studies and a simple
thing was found out the fish were lacking food. With out enough food the
Snapper and grouper did not grow or reproduce well at all. Starving fish
are just not healthy, who would have guessed, So Texas closes the
Shrimping for Food shrimp until the Shrimp have become larger enough to
spawn. About 4.5 inches Which takes about a year for a shrimp to reach
that size. Only after the state if Texas has sampled to the Shrimp will
the commercial food take of Shrimp begin. Florida has no closed season
on Shrimp So many boats who's home state closes the shrimping come to
Florida for that time, Charlotte Harbor being the safe good place to
weather a storm is perfect, these huge boats anchor up and at night why
not work? So they drag up and down the Harbor, the biggest problem I
have with this is that the vast majority of what is caught is not good
to sell, Shrimp too small, bait fish , flounder and many other creatures
they are tossed back dead. Food shrimpers pull/drag their nets until the
boat slows down, and they pull fast so the Shrimp can not escape. Very
effective.
Bait Shrimpers on the other hand pull the nets slowly and only for a few
minutes as the goal when catching bait is to bring it on board alive.
Where as the food shrimpers are not interested n them being alive, The
bait boats have an order to fill once it is caught they go home. Food
shrimpers sell shrimp by the pound so when the hold is full they go
home. Big difference. We need commercial fisherman they are not bad
people or indifferent to the fate of marine life, But they have jobs to
do family to feed, and some forms of fishing are just not good.
Commercial Shrimping has come a long ways, with nets that let out a lot
of fish and or Turtles but not all. And they are good people who are in
a line of work which is out dated, Shrimp farms are supplying most of
the Shrimp you buy today and the fleets of shrimping boats are going by
the way of the dodo bird, cool in their day but just not needed to day.
Why is Shrimping for food allowed in a national estuary in the first
place? Tampa bay has out-law the take of food shrimp. Why is it still
allowed here. Because we do not see it. They do it at night and most
often when the weather is too bad to be in the gulf, still thousands of
pounds of shrimp dumped dead into the water instead of growing up to
swim into the gulf and feed the fish. We need to adopt Texas style laws
or stop all together the commercial take of shrimp in Charlotte Harbor
and most other places.
02/21/16
How great is it to be in Florida when it actually feels like Florida,
The weather is great the fishing getting better by the day and our meet
the factory Tent event sale is here March 19th, You can meet
People from Penn, Quantum, Fin-nor, Daiwa, Okuma, Reels, and from almost
every Major Lure company Eric the owner of Mirror-Lure And Mark Nichols
the owner of D.O.A. Strike king the list goes on and on, So come and
make your deals with the factory and have fun, Two questions you should
ask a lot that day is why and how, Why should I buy this and how should
I use it. Very important questions each lure company will have it own
casting demo tank to show yo9u how to use the lures they make.
And speaking of fishing, the big question is where can I find fish and
how do I catch them. The red tide has backed off out by the gulf and the
fish are moving in. They don’t seem to mind the dark water, what's up
with people thinking brown water kills the fish? If that were true every
fish in lake Okeechobee would be dead, it is just like a glass of tea,
Brown the same tannins which cause coffee or Tea to be brown are what
causes the water here to be brown. So while not pleasant to look at like
blue green waters of the Gulf, I love the brown water I can afford to
live by it. If this was all Blue crystal clear water, I could not afford
to live here.
So the wife and I got out fishing and what I had been hearing the
Captains on Radio Fishin is absolutely true not so much about moving
place to place as it is about how you are rigging your bait, or working
your lure. Right now there is a lot of fish in the Harbor along the east
side the flounder out by the Sand bar, The Trout are getting better
numbers each day right now, and a few reports of Spanish Mackerel being
caught in the Harbor,
To get to my fishing day with “T” we left the house around noon, I kept looking at the temp out side and we waited until it hit 70 before we went onto the boat, the wind chill being that close to the water at 25 mph is well BURRRRR, So once it hit 70 we were off to the Myakka Cut-off, nice boat ride but did not hit a single fish or even a bite. Started off with poppin corks and live Shrimp then tried free lining a live shrimp, then tried a Shrimp on a jig head slow bouncing on the bottom, OK Nothing next spot. As The wind was a bit more than comfortable we headed back up river and by I-75 we started fishing the mangrove shoreline, casting up under the mangroves with a Shrimp on a Jig head did not work, So I tired casting a free line shrimp up under the Mangroves as far as I could, nope not a bite, So I tired casting the free line Shrimp up into the tide and let it drift right along the drip line or edge of the mangroves. And I got a hit. So T cast up into the currant and I cast just in front of that as the Shrimp drifted down along the edge f the trees wham, wham we both got hit and her was a Red fish 17 inches my fish a 14 inch Sheep head, just Bam , bam doubles, and for the next half hour we cast and let the bait drift, Now to get the bait to drift properly Cast at the trees and then leave your bail open and pull out 15 extra feet of line so the currant catches the belly of the line and pulls it down along the shore instead of out towards you. If you cast and close the bail right away the Shrimp will be pulled out away from the Mangroves, by letting out extra line the shrimp is pulled parallel in front of the mangroves, I tried casting right to the spot where I got the fish and nothing, let it drift into the spot and bang fish on.
So look for deeper water next to the mangroves or on the open flat, then
try fishing one way, if you don't get bit, try a different way of
rigging up, Poppin cork , then try not poppin the cork, the free line no
weight or floats, then maybe a weight or jig head, Let it sit, then try
letting it drift. This is a Crazy time and it seems to change not only
by the day, but often by the hour, The more ways you try presenting your
bait the more likely you are to catch fish.
Enjoy your time our there in the beautiful Florida sunshine, See you
March 19th at the Tent sale event.
Fishin Frank
03/13/2016
How to choose a rod first thing is to not get into a type of comfort rod, the best thing to do I gues is ouch think like a golfer, I am sure there are golfers who use a 7 iron for the whole course but not many. Different types of rods for different types of fishing like a golfer who uses a driver or a putter or a wedge. That said the first rod should be your comfort rod, your go to medium to medium heavy line class that would a be a 6 to 12or 6 to 14 pound test mono rating or an 8 to 17 pound test mono rating 7 foot long. OK I will explain if I am casting lures I like a rod with a very light tip so I can twitch a lure but with a very tight lower section, light in the tip heavy towards the butt, 6 to 14 pound class, If I am casting bait shrimp or green backs I like a rod with a tighter tip and a heavier action close to the handle like an, 8 to 17 pound class.
Now there is another break down on this if I am fishing open
water with live or dead bait, I like a parabolic curve action
where the rods bends as a whole from the tip to the butt, an
even bend may describe it better. However if I am fishing the
mangrove or heavy cover I want a fast taper rod not an even
curve. The reason is that when I am fishing cover like against
or under the mangroves trees, I need more control of the fish in
open water the fish has plenty of water to run in and nothing to
break the line. Now if the fish is running under the mangroves
or docks the fish may wrap the line around the roots of the
trees or anything else there. OK I have to explain a fish does
not wrap the line around the roots or piling of a dock because
it is trying to break your line, No matter how many times I
think that smart SOB did that on purpose to me well in way a way
the fish did warp the line intentionally. Fish when they are
tiny little baby fishes are food for every thing larger than
they are and to escape the predators they run around the roots
or piling playing ring around the rosy with the bigger fish, if
they ran away in a straight line, they would not get any bigger.
So when a fish is stressed fighting you it falls back to how it
escaped from problems before and they run around branches/
roots, piling trying to get away from the thing tugging at them.
So I guess in a way they are that smart. How does it feel to be
out smarted by a creature just smarter than a rock?
OK so that brings into play the fast action rod. Unlike the
parabolic bend the fast action increases pressure to the fish a
little bit more with ever inch the rod bends which helps you
turn the fish. Think about if you were tied to a line and you
took off running hit the end of the line hard the line would
most likely break from the impact. But if a little bit pf
pressure was added to you with each step pulling you off course
you would end up running in a circle or arc. And that is what
happens to your fish the steady increasing pressure turns the
fish helps you get it away from what ever it wanted to swim
around to get away from and then break your line.
Back to choosing the right rod, for general use a med heavy 7
foot rod, for against the mangrove I would use a shorter rod may
6' or 6' 6” it is easy to control and you do not have to cast
far to reach the mangroves, now on the open flat when fishing
the sand bars or open water I would say a 7” 6” or maybe an 8
foot rod, the longer rod allows for longer casting to maybe
reach that fish way over yonder in the next pot hole. Hwy are
they never in perfect casting distance except on T.V. Shows?
Rod choice is at the basic level simple big fish, big rod and reel. That sound simple but every day people think that by putting heavy line on their small reel they will land bigger fish. That is like putting the brakes from a pick up truck in a semi truck and expecting them to stop it. The drag on the reel will only stop so much. Another problem is that heavy line on a small reel mean you do not have much line to work with and once the fish has all the line, just say good bye to the fish, It is OK to shed a tear at this point I under stand. So match the rod to the line you wish to use heavy line with a heavy rod and reel. Light line with a light rod and reel.
To close with a last
thought, if you have fished a lot and you know what you like you
can pick up a rod and sort of tell what it will do. For years I
picked rods for people and for rods to do a certain thing I
still do, but when you are starting out choosing that comfort
rod is difficult at best. And if it is for a woman very, very
difficult. A woman’s wist is different than a mans, over the
last few hundred thousand years men have eloved wrist to swing
clubs and pound on things, and a woman’s wrist has been to
comfort and really is not the same. So one thing I know it is
almost never that a rods feels good for both the woman and the
man. To make matters worse rods all kind of look the same
finding the perfect comfort rod for a person, man or woman is
though so I developed a system using weight to find out how the
rod effect a persons wrist and how it “feels” ever rod has a
feel to it and only the person can say if that is the right one.
So no matter if your buddy has his or her perfect rod for them
it might not feel good to you at all. Take your time when
choosing the comfort or go to rod and reel as it will become
your best buddy and you will hopefully spend a lot of time
together. After that get help picking a rod that will cast far
down the flats of get you a lot of control of a fish against the
trees. I can tell you many time I have had to replace rods which
customers have thought was great in the store but then got out
fishing and it was just wrong. The only way, the best test is to
fish with it.
Find a bait/tackle store to help you choose, hopefully my store,
the right rod makes the experience better. Right tool for the
right job.
Fishin frank
04/22/2016
Sharks are the story and
there is a bunch of them.
S.W. Fla. Is home to many type and or species of sharks Black
tip, Atlantic Sharp nose,
Bonnet-head/shovel nose, Bull, Great Hammer head, Lemon, Nurse,
Tiger, Spinner, Sand bar, Black nose, Scalloped hammerhead, and
there have been Mayko and Great white sharks, Funny thing is
that I know I am forgetting a couple and Sharks are really
important as far as balance of power in the water.
Yes wild life has a power system fewer Sharks can mean there
will be more sting rays and more sting rays which love to eat
scallops means fewer scallops, strange how every thing is tied
together and one thing effects all of the other things. Kind of
like six steps to Kevin bacon.
One of my passions in fishing and a source of money was catching
Sharks, I would head out and with light tackle take people to
catch small sharks 2 to 4 feet long back then on 10 pound mono,
then as it got dusk I would set up the boat to catch a couple of
8 foot plus sharks just to let them get beat up a little by a
fish. That would not stop or turn or anything until it was
ready. The light fading and the people would be thinking Sharks
I know the theme from Jaws would be going through their heads as
I would very quietly hum the Da-Dum. Da-dum thing while we were
waiting and then the reel would start to click slowly click,
click, then as the sound turned into a steady buzz of metal on
metal I would say Set the hook. And it was on. I am not sure how
to tell you when to set the hook so you get the Shark on and the
hook hit right in the jaw and not down where it would cause
damage, the Shark tends to hit and keep going and there is a
slight change in the speed when it has the bait in it's jaw and
feels comfortable to start to swallow, Think of you if you had a
fish stick in your mouth with all of your friends wanting to
take it from you and no one is allowed to use their hands,
Sharks don’t have hands So they move away holding on to the bait
then get ready to eat it, first thing with creatures is to make
sure nothing is going to take it from them. UN-less, of course
it is small enough just to swallow as first bite, then your bait
wan not big enough. Picking hooks can be daunting when it come
to Shark fishing, Circle hooks, or “J: hooks. A standard “J”
hook can easily be caught down in the throat of a Shark, and a
circle hook is almost impossible to get out of a Sharks. Bolt
cutters are often carried by Shark hunters to remove Circle
hooks. I use a modified “J” hook. The J hook is easy to get out
except for the barb.
I had four customers on my boat and they were all hooked up at
the same time it was fast, and steady, as I got one Shark to the
boat grabbed it by the back of the head it was about 3 foot long
and grabbing a Shark by the back of the head is the only safe
way to control the Shark and keep the shark and you safe, the
hook had lodged in the heavy cartilage and the only way to get
it out was to push it through and flatten the barb, so I could
pull it back out, which I did and being so busy with all of the
people catching Sharks I just stuck a bait on it, half of a
Spanish sardine, and threw it back out so he could continue
fishing. After taking off several more sharks, it dawned on me,
No difference, So I started bended down the barbs on all of the
hooks. I had always felt a little bad about the barbs on the
hooks with Sharks, Not too bad as they eat live sting rays, and
quite often I have pulled sting ray barbs out of a Sharks mouth
for it. When removing a hook. But now with the barbs bent down
almost no blood, the hook slides out easy and wow this is cool.
That was in the mid 1990's I have not used a barb when fishing
for sharks since. As time went by I did refine how I bent the
barb down. I learned that if I took an extra couple of seconds,
to just bend the tip and not flatten the barb, the bait stayed
on better. Barb-less hook suck they are use-less. The bait wont
stay on and often the fish gets off, with the barb bent over in
as much of a bump as possible the bait and the fish stays on and
the hook slides out easy from the fish and ME! Yes I have jerked
hooks out of my legs, hands, head, and other more embarrassing
body parts. Lucky though no parts that private. With a normal
fish I don’t think the barb is too bad an idea as they eat live
blue crabs, sting rays, other fin with spines and the mouth of
these fish is kind of made to get a hole in it and repair
quickly, But a shark has a mouth more like ours, muscle,
cartilage, not a membrane type tissue. So the barb do more
damage.
The other thing about
bending the barb is that if the Shark breaks off the hook with
out pressure on it is likely to fall out, Nothing really holding
it in place.
Well any way this is my long winded way of saying, bend the
barbs down on your hook when Shark fishing and that in this case
a bent barb “J” hook is way better than a circle hook which will
not come out is just way better.
Have fun out there and be safe
06/22/16
Summer time, summer time, sum, sum, summer time, Yes the wonderful time of year when the weather forecast is, Hot with beautiful mornings and a chance of rain in the afternoon. The weather people could just do a loop recording. The Tarpon are moving back into the Harbor and the feed is switching from crabs to fish, be it lady fish or thread fins, In the next 2 weeks it will be time to get out the D.O.A. Bait buster and swimming mullet lures, As the Thread fins and white bait get hard to find. The Trick right now is the Bait is following the tides. Yes the Bait is more susceptible to the salinity, So when the tides comes in the Bait moves up as the tides falls the bait will move towards the gulf. The hunt for bait is trying at best right now, My advice is to start looking at different places, Every one tries Marker #2 or #1. These are good places to find bait as both markers have 4 pilings which provides the bait with more shelter from predators. But many of the single piling markers will hold bait. The only way to know if these is bait is to try one. With bait getting harder to find Lure fishing will get to be more the normal way to hook up your Tarpon, Don't forget the hitch-hiker rig for rigged your bait buster below a bobber. As casting for hours can be tough. Put the bait buster below a float about 5 feet and let the bobber do the jigging work for you.
Another Question is why are there the king Mackerel here in the gulf? They should be far north by now, following the cooler waters. This started just a few Years ago, The kings will go past us in the Spring following the perfect water temperature 68 to 72 degrees, Which the Kings like best. Then all of a sudden a month later the Kings are back scattered all along the coast. I started watching the gulf water temps on the weather and tides pages on my website and right now it is 87.8 degrees off Naples. 89.2 off St. Pete and 86.7 off Pensacola. So about 1 degree difference from North Florida to us, The kings once they get to the Panhandle and the water warms up start heading back south stopping where ever they find good feeding. It is no longer a temperature thing as it was in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. In the 2000's the weather has changed So there is little to no difference so now it is just about where the easiest meal is. We will see a run with a lot of Kings this fall as the water temps drop. The kings will all start moving South if the Gulf gets cold enough. And again in the Spring as the water warms. So there is still 2 King Mackerel “runs” But once it is warms they scatter out looking for food.
Now this
is just a Frank-isum, and may not be a true-isum but it explains why the
Kings have migrated north then returned to hang out here all summer long
for the last few year.\
2016 continues to be the weird Year with another run of Spanish mackerel for July which is very cool as they are one of my favorite eating fish, But only if caught that day, kept on ice all day. Taken home fillet, wash, put on a grill with a heavy coat of butter on one side which is placed butter side down on the grill. Once that side is brown Butter add lemon herb seasoning, And in a few minutes brown on both side done. And wow what a meal. Only good the day you catch them not too bad the next day and not worth a darn once frozen. So if you want a Spanish mack meal, keep three mackerel for each 2 people, that will do it let the rest go. Waste not, want not,
I
am going to I-cast the national fishing trade show and this year I am
looking to add 3 new lines of lures. We will be added more colors and
style to the ones we have, But trying to find what will be the next
Storm twitch, The number one fish catcher, best selling lure of the last
3 Years. If you have a lure or brand of lure, you think I should be
looking at let me know. How do I choose what will be the next great
lure, I never could. It all comes down to one person catching a fish
with it, then telling a friend, who tells another, and if each of them
catches a fish with it, it will be a hit. But if it only works for the
first person, and not the 2nd or 3rd. Which does
happen a lot, and I am not sure why. My best guess is that lures which
work really well for a few people and not other is that they need to be
worked in a very certain way. And that can be a make it or break it
point.
Last of all watch the heat, This time of year try to get out while it is
still dark, Just as the sun starts to show it's self, the fishing will
be at it's best until 10:am then slow down By 2 in the afternoon it will
be at it's slowest, right as the sea breeze makes it uncomfortable to be
out. So try to be back in by 2 and then think about going out after the
threat of storms is past. Night fishing in July is excellent and it is
cooler and the Big fish are here to play with. So think about vampire
fishing. This is the time. And no sunburn.
Have fun, be safe,
Fishin frank
06/24/16
Well with
the rain and the river running filling the Harbor with freshwater, There are
plenty of Tarpon to go chasing after, and the Red Fish have come out of hiding
with good numbers on both the east and west sides of the Harbor. But Big Fish is
what I am thinking, So what fish can you find in sheltered watered, let's face
it Summer time thunder storms are a regular thing, and the wind is blowing hard
one day and then OK the next so planning a trip out into the Harbor is kind of
iffy.
That leaves one monster fish to play with Black drum, and what a great fish it
is. The black drum has whiskers like an old man of the sea and likes to hang out
back in the canals and around the bridges, Just a month ago thee were schools of
thousands of these drum from 15 pounds to 60 pounds average fish in the school
was about 40 pounds and there were thousands of them. Now the big school spawn
or meet and greet is mostly over and the Black drum are now in their summer
homes, the I-75 bridge and the 41-bridges both have a bunch of Black drum around
the pilings,
The other place which is full of Black drum is the bridges in the P.G.I. canal
systems.
For some reason there are black drum on the Port Charlotte side of the River but many, many more on the Punta Gorda side. I would suppose it is because of the canals are maintained. And the water is deeper. There are fewer openings to the canals in P.G.I. So the water moves faster and stronger going in or out than the canals over in Port Charlotte, I think that is the larger reason there are so many more drum in P.G.I.
Black drum are not fussy eaters until they are that is, try to keep in mind that if you like say Italian food do you stop at very Italian restaurant you see, No of course not some times you are just not hungry or maybe you would like just a burger in stead. I am sure fish are the same way we are in that aspect. I like to eat that just not every day or even all day long. So when would be the best time to be there when the drum would be eating? I would say half way through a tide, that is when the strongest water movement is and every thing is getting stirred up and your best chance for a good day catching instead of a good day fishing.
What is the best bait for Black drum, #1 Blue crabs that is the best. I normally cut the crab in half, to get more of the smell out in the water, But if there is a bunch of drum they will eat them whole, A black drum has a large crusher plate in the rear of it's mouth and can smash a blue Crab flat in a couple thumps of it's crusher plates, making it easier for them to swallow. Crabs are not the only bait which works well on the Black drum Shrimp, and they may be live or dead, drum don't care. They will also eat cut fish. I have not done well on whole fish when trying to catch Black drum cut pieces seem to work much better.
The main thing when fishing for black drum on a day to day basis is that it is bottom fishing, the whiskers on the drum lower jaw are there as taste buds so to speak and or extra smelling devices, Black drum use these whiskers the same way a cat fish does to find food so something laying on the bottom and if it stinks a bit so much the better.
Black drum as a
rule are not leader shy, so using a 50 pound test leader is most often OK, and
even though the fish are average weight of 40 pound they may often be caught on
15 pound test line, this takes time don't be in a hurry or start tightening your
drag the drag is there as a pressure relief for when the fish pulls to hard.
Take it easy and you will land that fish. I should say that I have had Black
drum on at the $1 bridge and they have come to the surface with one big head
shake snapped 50 pound test line like it was sewing thread. When fighting a
Black drum it is steady pressure that wins the fight a big sudden jerk or lots
of fast pulling will tell the fish to do the same thing and this fish is
muscles, Big head, big shoulders and a huge tail to really put the pressure to
you when the fight is on.
So find a canal
with a road bridge and just toss on the bottom with a 40 pound mono leader about
3 feet long with enough of weights to keep it there I would say 1 to 4 ounces
and with a 4/0 to 7/0 hook a chunk of fish the size of your hand or a couple
shrimp tails, or best bet half of a blue crab.
Kick back and wait. When the drum hits it is often slow y moving away from you
and if you set the hook and then just hold for a while you stand a very good
chance of landing the fish.
Well enjoy the days of summer on
the water and remember to drink more than you think you should.
Have fun with the drum and if it is too big, when the water is hot there is
often a bunch of parasites in the meat. So for the summer Black drum are catch &
release fishing. Once the water cools down you can go after our Black drum
dinner. The meat is wonderful, white, flaky, and solid, excellent eating, Just
wait for the water to get back in the low 70's or colder.
Fishin Frank
07/26/16
Summer time and the living
is down right hot. Like wow hot, which if you have tried to go
swimming the water is hot, The darn Gulf of Mexico fells like a
Jacuzzi Spa. Not the refreshing coolness of the gulf, But the
weird part, is there are a lot of fish, OK there are a lot of
different fish like different species, red fish which have come
way up in numbers on the East and west side of the Harbor, Dead
Shrimp, cut lady fish or best bet for catching them is cut up
Blue crabs. Yes get a larger size Blue Crab add Cut it in half
or quarters and toss it out, One thing don’t try and Check your
bait,, The act of reeling it in through the water will often
wash out any of the meat and stuff the fish would want, so it is
a cast it and leave it type bait.
Another fish which there is a lot of being caught is Bull Sharks
. Please keep in mind these Bulls are catch and release size a
Bull Sharks has to be 54 inches to keep So head up around the
I-75 bridge or out by the holes in the Harbor it is not rocket
Science a Chum bad a Piece of Cut fish and you should be
catching a Bull Shark, Some of these were birthed this year and
they are fun on lighter tackle say a 10-20 spinning rod with a
40 size reel and 20 pound Braid line 40 pound test steel leader
with a 5/0 hook. I think they get the name Bull Shark as they
fish like a bull dig heavy pressure and just keep pulling, it is
common to have people go up to a 5000 size reel and 50 pound
test just to shorten the fight.
Another Fish is the Snook they are in the canals and out on the flats, I start if I am there early and I mean dawn's Crack I work the area just inside the Sand bar of the east side and as the Sun comes up I follow the Snook back under the mangroves, Yes on the east side Mid day Green means Go, Leafy green branches mean shade for the fish, and if you are out in an open boat the shade of that Mangrove branch can look mighty inviting.
Look but do NOT touch the branches of a mangrove tree in the
summer, You touching the branch to get a lure out of the tree or
what ever you are doing lets the No-see-ums know you are there,
and that one and 20,000 of it's friends will comes as you just
rang the dinner bell.
If I am Snook fishing right now I am going to work a lure real
Slow maybe the new Rapala Twitch bait with single hook front and
back it looks like and I mean looks just like a white Bait,
If I am going to use bait it would be to try and catch live
white bait and or Thread fins and free line them, While it is
very hard to keep them alive when moving place to place, I am
not too worried if they die I cut them in half and they are just
as good maybe better if you are in dark water and if you are in
the Harbor you are in dark water.
I find it hard to think of so many kinds of fish including Mackerel, Sand bream and Snappers, Even Grouper like Gags and Goliath are up in the harbor right now, I would guess 6 to 10 type of sharks, and the Big silver fish in the room tarpon are still here, and it is looking good for the Fall tarpon season this year,
Good look Enjoy the fishing and try to stay cool
Fishin Frank
08/13/2016
Snook season is here and
it starts with a lure
Yes the lures you choose for Snook fishing is kind of where do
you fish,
If I am fishing in the canals first thing in the morning as the
sun is just coming up, I am using a Zara Spook. The Spook is a
top water lure when reeled in and twitched at the same time
causes the front of the lure to slash side to side. Pick a place
and cast the spook within a foot of the Sea Wall.
Go over the spot at least 3 times, if you do not get a hit turn
and cast the other way up the sea wall at least three times. I
will repeat this casting one way and then the other at least
twice before I move and when I move it is 10 feet farther away,
and then do the same thing again.
Now If I am casting from a pier I will choose a 15 Bomber or a Rapala X-rap 10. I start cast casting as soon as I get on the pier. OK as soon as there is 10 inches of water or more. Snook are a shallow water fish. Once on the pier I start on the right side of the pier casting along the length of the pier going out, I try to be as close to the piling as possible, so my lures will just brush the out side of the pilings. Snook hang out on the back side of the pilings waiting for food to come by. So if I cast along the side of the pier I can get the lure to go by 4 sets of pilings. This gives me the best shot at getting my lure in front of the Snook's nose. I will cast from 1 spot 4 times then move half a cast farther out the pier.
Now if I don't feel like letting a bait sit there but I don't
wish to cast a lure I will take a shrimp for a walk down the
pier. I start by getting a little larger size shrimp and a jig
head. This is the time for a heavier jig head like a 3/8 or ½
once maybe heavier the job of the Jig head is to keep my line
straight up and down. I am not casting it I put my right arm
over the rail and let the jig head with a live shrimp hooked on
the hook by going up from the bottom of the shrimp's head out
the top, letting it trail out behind the jig head. Then when the
jig and shrimp are on the bottom, I close my bail take up any
slack in the line and lift my rod tip up 6 inches. Then start to
slowly walk forward out the pier, if it is a wood pier I step on
each board as I walk out, on a concrete pier I use half steps.
Slow and quiet is they key to catching Snook this way. Have the
drag on the reel set to hate, “Locked down when the Snook hits
the whole fight will be right at your feet. If the Snook goes 6
feet to the left it will warp a piling or to the right another
piling for the Snook to warp your line up.
Out n the flats I like the paddle
tail jigs or the Soft Plastic jerk baits to cast up under the
Mangrove bushes, The jerk bait with a weedless hook rig is
better as the hook is not out, so it is harder to get it snagged
on a branch or root.
Paddle tail shads like the D.O.A. Cal shads used on the open
flats should be retrieved with an up and down jigging motion to
the Rod, The lifting and dropping of the rod tip, makes the lure
do the same thing. Picture a bait fish being chased out of the
grass towards the surface then going down to hide, and being
chased up again.
Now the #1 Snook lure the storm
twitch, this is a crank bait and may be just reeled in slowly or
twitched in the one thing on the retrieve it seems if you
stop/pause the lure when reeling the Snook go crazy trying to
eat it. Coral Creek and Lemon bay this has out fished every
thing. Don't know why but it has the same effect on the beaches
Fishing the beaches of the barrier Islands is relatively simple for Snook, wade out to knee deep water turn left or right as you prefer and cast slowly or with light twitches reel the lure in. keeping in that knee deep water. Oh yes and hang on to the rod. There is some Monster Snook right on the beach.
Snook is the year round in-shore big game fish of Florida. They can be caught at almost anytime of year anywhere there is structure Even on the near shore reefs. Yes as you get south on the west coast some of the best Snook fishing is on the reefs with in a couple miles of Shore, Not uncommon to find Snook over 40 inches on the reefs of the gulf.
Good luck
09/24/16
From Zero to Hero trash to cash? Yes the fishing industry is cashing in
on Red Fish which all got it's start with Chef Paul Prudhomme when he
created the Blacken fish craze. Before this Red Fish were considered
Salt water Carp. One of my first Fishing memories is going to P.C. Beach
and there was a guy fishing with a pile of several fish behind him, When
I asked what they were he said damn Salt water carp not good for
anything and this place is infested with them.
I should note the Chef's recipe came out not long after which consist of
The fish dipped in melted butter and then dredged in a mixture of herbs
and spices, usually some combination of thyme, oregano, chili pepper,
peppercorns, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. It is then cooked in
a very hot cast-iron skillet. The characteristic brown-black color of
the crust results from a combination of browned milk solids from the
butter and charred spices. While the original recipe calls for Red fish,
the same method of preparation can be applied to other types of fish and
other protein sources, such as steak or chicken cutlets. I got this from
wikipedia page titled Blackening cooking
within 3
years the Red Drum was put on the endangered list and we were not
allowed to keep any Reds at all. Red Drum had become one of the highest
priced food fish in the country. We all long for the good old days, I
can tell you not all of the good old days were that good, I can remember
when you could fish for a month and never hook a Red Fish, And before
that when no one cared or even thought that catching one was good,
forget cool or catching a bunch in a trip was considered a good day, it
was more like catching a bunch of cat fish now.
It was President George Bush who signed Executive Order 13449 Oct of
2007 which provides game fish status protecting Striped Bass, & Red drum
from commercial harvest in Federal waters, Many states like Florida
already had laws prohibiting the sale of Red Fish, Now there are a
couple of fish farms selling Red Drum. But very little commercial
harvest any more.
So any way, Why Red fish not Snook before the 2000's Snook was the Fish
what made the red fish the Fish of choice, the reason MONEY, Ever ask
your self why is Bass fishing so big? Simple they are in almost every
state, So tackle companies can sell a lot of bass tackle. That is the
same reason Carp are such a big thing in Europe they are in almost very
country, more sales of product, Snook on the other hand are only south
of Tampa it is a South Florida phenomenon where as Red drum are in all
of the Gulf states and up the Atlantic Sea board, Much larger
opportunity to make money.
So the lowly Red Drum/Channel Bass/Spot tail bass/ or Red Fish became a
Super star in the fishing world.
Red fish laws have gone from no regulation
to a ban on keeping any Red fish for a few years then for a couple years
You could keep a Red fish but they had a Season the Seasons for Red fish
were simple when Snook was open, Red Fish was Closed and when Snook was
Closed Red Fish were open. to finally as it is today where there is no
closed season but you are allowed to keep only one Red per person per
day, Now the is talk and so far only talk about removing the Slot limit
from the Red fish and the fish could be anything over 18 inches, I am on
the fence with this one. The is not a lot of difference if you take a
smaller or larger red as far as over all fish stock, Gone is gone but it
would make more fish available to keep, right now anything 27 inches or
larger has to go back, So that part would take more Reds from the wild,
which I guess is the problem with that. I my self would like to see the
slot moved up the board to 21 inches up to 30 inches. The only reason is
I like to eat Red fish and there is not much meat on an 18 inch Red. If
you took a Snook 27 inches and a Red fish 27 inches the Red fish would
have almost ½ of the meat on the fillet that a Snook has. Red Fish have
a big head and shoulders with a huge crusher plate in it's mouth to
Smash Crabs or Oyster shells to get the meat from inside. This takes a
lot of room in the front of a Red fish, so the meat starts after that
big head.
I should
say here not every body thought Red Fish were trash fish, we has some of
the most amazing older Black women who I am sorry to say have almost all
passed away, They knew how good the Red Fish is to eat and they taught
their Sons and Daughters. So they were way ahead of the curve.
Just some random thoughts and memories from Fishin Frank of Fishin Franks now with two locations 4425-D Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte 33980 and 14531 N. Cleveland ave North Fort Myers 33903
11/23/2016
OK it is a big deal Trout December, Yes the cooler water has brought in
a bunch of our spotted buddies,
and the Best places for them are along the Sand bars, Poppin corks with
alive shrimp or your favorite lure, and speaking of favorite lures and
boats and things I hope you mad it to the Fort Myers boat Show Wow this
was the largest boat show I have ever seen on the west coast of Florida
from Jon Boats even a couple of kayaks to Monster Yachts and bay boats,
flats, boats and pontoons of every type you could imagine. Thousands of
people came to look and buy, We had some competition this year. We
always do the fishing Village which is at the west end of the boat show
people come down and I warn them walk a bit farther and you will walk
off the end of the world, the show was so long it was just hard to
believe it had an end. But our competitor this year for who was the most
asked for where are they. The bathrooms beat us out by 5% I think the
voting was rigged myself, OK had to throw that in Yes we were a close 2nd
to the bath rooms for the most asked for place at the boat show and hey
if you have to be 2nd place it is just hard to beat the bath
rooms.
I did have one strange experience with a couple of city ladies. I was
standing at our casting tank showing a couple guys how life like the
Savage line through Trout look. I mean a dead ringer for a live Trout,
Savage has a few sizes in the casting tank I had the 12 inch and the 6
inch. I was showing a couple guys the 12 then the 6inch and they went
off to pay for a couple of the 6 inch as they were heading out Snook
fishing that night. As they were walking off a couple of women about my
age walked up to the tank and stood there looking at it. Now they did
not have the look of someone wanting to buy a lure to go Snook fishing,
but hey you never know. So I asked may I help you are explain something
for you. The woman closest to me who had now bent over the tank and had
been staring at the larger plastic Trout lure said “Do you know that
fish has a hook in it?” whoa now OK I’ll bite thinking they were giving
me a hard time, I said well you know with fishing some times that
happens and a fish can get snagged with all of the hooks we have in that
tank. Hey I thought that was pretty funny, until she said “Well are you
going to get that hook out of that poor little fish. OK city slicker
alert!! this is not an out doors person. So I am now wondering what to
do? What to say? She is just a concerned older lady who REALLY needs
better glasses as she is standing less than three feet from the plastic
lure. So I said trying not to hurt her feeling or ruin her day. “Well
the fish is a little stressed, so I am giving it some quiet time, if I
try to get the hook out now it could cause physical or emotional damage
to the fish, so once it has had some quiet time I would remove the hook
as gently as possible. Now I can introduce you to women from major
cities who would out fish you or me and out hunt us as well. I am not
sure if this person had ever left the confines of the concrete canyons
before. But as a final warning to me with a look of daggers and disgust
you better get that hook out of that fish, I promised her I would not
harm the fish, which I know was true it is plastic after all and with a
last mean look at the bad man she walked off. So I can say with out a
doubt Savage lures makes the most life like plastic lures I or a city
woman ever have seen. And I have been properly chastised for harming
one. So take my advice try a Savage lure, but do it in secret if you
have friends from the inner city who don't get out much.
In the last 32 years of being in the tackle business that take the cake
for getting chewed out over a plastic lure.
Anyway we had a blast at the boat show with fishing simulators going and
people telling fishing stories from all over the country. I heard
Wall-eye, Halibut, Salmon, Trout, Bass, Every possible fish and saw
pictures from every where, it was truly a great show. And to the woman I
did not hurt the fish when I removed the hook to put up the lure for the
night, I promise I didn’t
Fishin Frank
11/23/2016
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, St. Lucia
Day, Boxing day, Krampusnacht, Saint Nicholas' Day, Saint Lucia's Day, ,
Anastasia of Sirmium, Twelve Days of Christmas, Pancha Ganapati,
Quaid-e-Azam's, Hogmanay night, & Happy New Year. Around the world we
celebrate holidays of food and family in December, along with a lesser
known but really not important holiday Fishin Franks Birthday, a Holiday
of where the whole family gets together and enjoys Fishin and Catchin a
day of pure fun and relaxation for the whole family.
Yes South west Florida is the perfect place to celebrate F.F.B.D. We
have fresh water, Salt water flats fishing, Harbor fishing, deep water
Gulf Fishin, Pond and Creek, and lakes what ever you are into if it is
fishin, pretty much you can find it here, Fly Fishin, Spin, or bait
caster, You fish from Piers, shoreline, Boats little or big. I am not
sure of a lure or bait which will not find a taker here in the vast
array of Fishin we have to choose from to choose from. With all that
Fishin there is a by product, Fishin tackle Rods and reels which like
the F.F. Day have survived for many years in attics and basements across
the globe. And now are finding they need a new home, People say I have
out grown my home here but I just keep stuffing more things into it. You
may be thinking of getting rid of some of yours. Here are some things to
think about.
What is the real value of an old reel. The value is you. Things we have and which are close to us, are like a picture of us for our family. A guy came in the other day asking me about the price of his old reels, one of which was his grand fathers, and he was in his 70's, How or why would you put a price on that, is hard to figure. I have a Pocket watch which was my grandfathers, I would not sell it at any price. Think how much that reel would mean to your grand kids or their kids, Even if they do not fish, Hey every family has some weird folks in it. But there is hope one day they will fish, But it is not them using the reel which is important, every time they see it on the shelf, they will think of you. The images from something like that are stronger than a picture.
Reels which have lasted decades in an attic, will often go bad very quickly when used in Salt water, So if you have an old reel handed down from family, it is OK to use it, but to keep it nice wipe it off with get-some oil or reel magic, or Penn reel cleaner, just like when you wash your car, You rinse it and you see soap spots all over it, when you rinse your reel and rod off with a hose, there is still spots of salt, wiping it with a dry rag then a rag with oil, will keep it in the family for years to come. Altho putting on a shelf, it still the best way to keep it. One other problem older reels have is bake a lite, that is the name of the first man made material, sort of plastic but it gets brittle with time, and the new braided line can burst the spool on the reels, if the reel has a metal spool this will not happen. So be careful when putting new technology with old school tackle.
So like old friends our tackle stays with us, and like me it just keeps on going, a little corroded maybe a little rusty and creaks a bit, But from an old creaky Guy in the bait shop, I wish you a happy holiday and hope your year end with the fish you dreamed of. Thanks for another great year and most of all thanks for not making me get a real job.
Thanks to all of our friends and customers for a great year. Best wishes, From Andrew, Austin, Barb, Greg, Jeff, Josh, Mike, Robert, Steve “Two legs”, Steve “Peg leg” Vinnie,
Thanks to all of our friends and customers for a great year, From Robert, And me Fishin Frank & “T” Terry my sweetie. We have had a great time with our Customers during the last few Decades and to see you all next Year. Now enough reading go catch some FISH.
11/25/16
Boat Shows are a real experience, this last week we spent at the fort
Myers Boat show it is the largest coolest boat show on the west coast of
Florida, This started last Spring when I got together with John who runs
the boat show and negotiated for a huge space in the back part of the
show, I had already had a 16' trailer from Roy' Trailer, It is an
enclosed trailer for hauling things to show we do off site. But that was
not going to get it this year. So with help from Roy's they built me a
22' extra wide and extra tall trailer with a 7 foot tall rear ramp door
on the back so we could walk our product walls in and still have room
for everything thing else, So armed with 2 trailers full of stuff to the
boat show we went, Wednesday is set up day. 11 of us spent 6 hours
setting up tents and displays getting every thing, and If I say so
myself it was really cool. Our Seminar area in the big top, had chairs
and a lure demo tank so when the Captains talked about a lure they could
show the people how it worked, not just talk about it. So Wednesday
night we packed it in with a plan. I should have been worried.
I remind
you of of an old saying, If you want to hear God laugh, “tell him your
plans”.
Thursday morning we get to the show a couple hours early to get set up
and the strangest thing thing the outsides of our tents are dry, no
water on top of them but everything inside was soaked! Lure packages
falling off the walls, reel boxes water logged mess, there were cork
handled rods with water soaking into the cork under the plastic, What???
how is this possible? The ground is soggy, puddles of standing water. So
the “rain” poured up into our tents the water dripping from the tops, I
just could not think of how the insides of all the tents soaking all our
stuff, how did that much rain get in and not have the trees dripping
wet. The city did not turn off the sprinklers in the park, So it did
“rain up” that night.
The Pirate crew and I set about laying thing out to dry, and get ready, We sent Greg back to the store with his pick up truck to get more product to replace the stuff which had fallen off the wall, what else could I do but {water damage sale}
We have fishing simulators which are just a
lot of fun and a great way to test Rods and reels, I keep three units so
we have backups, Tested Wednesday night, all good Thursday with the
in-door rains one was fried, the circuit board had gotten wet, No
problem one still working and I have a back up, got the back up
simulator and nothing, opening it up we found a mouse has set up house
inside the Sim, Really?
We by 10:30 we had every set up and our
Fishin Village was up and running full speed almost with Lure demo
tanks, Okuma/Savage showing their new Swimming lure, If you see it on
the wall just another lure, but in the water WOW the real fish looking
thing Ever, We had kids thinking the lures were real fish, I know I
shouldn't have, but I would whistle and call the fish while pulling on
the line, Kids were amazed the fish would come when I called. I almost
had a couple of Adults thinking I had trained a pet fish.
Being way in the back of the show it was
great Lots and lots of people stopping by our fishing village for the
seminars which were a little hard to hear as my P.A. System quit working
water getting into it from the in-door rain storm, But the Captains did
an excellent job of teaching,
Life at the boat show settled into to enjoying our time. Until Saturday night, T and I were leaving and from the bridge we noticed the rear door of our brand new trailer was left down. Oh well nothing in it except some rod racks we weren't using. No problem.
Sunday morning
heading to the boat show were hopeful, the sun was trying to shine, the
weather people were going to be wrong no more rain. I should have been
afraid.
12/19/16
Oh Happy days I am So over 2016 the year that went by in an instant and took a decade to get through, Big question. Is there any fish left here to catch? Massive rains started off the year, then hot weather caused bacteria to hit record levels, add to that Algae growth near horrific levels from lake and river water, run off, the rains ended and the Red tide began, what? O.M.G. 2016 just all around a bummer.
So any fish left to catch, hard to believe but yes there is fish here even bait fish are starting to show up. Where did they hide/ where were they? Little know is even after a Red Tide there could be some good come from it. Yes Red tide not only kills fish but some types of Algae and a bunch of tiny creatures leaving the water crystal clear as it departs, and the dead fish if left to go to the bottom are food for tons of Shrimp and crabs Neither which are effected by Red tides and the fish are coming in, Many fish like the Sea Trout do not “live”here and were just on the way in when the Red tide happened and the Harbor is loading up with Trout, Cobia which we have had quite a few reports are another fish which travels a lot. So all good there. I am not sure in the beginning of 16 where the reds had gone, maybe through a tear in the time space continuum? But we could not find any Red fish or even bait, since then it has all changed. the red Fish are on good numbers as Bull and Turtle bay start showing fish and now look at the east side of the Harbor where the Trout and even Pompano and a few flounder, with plenty of Snook up by the mangroves.
Some tricks to catching fish right now are if you can get out in the gulf and troll a set of 4 lures, Back right a rapala, XRMAG-15 this is a Blue with black spot diving lure which will get you down about 15 feet, then on the other side a Sebile 228 Slow sink Green mackerel Magic swimmer, these are your King mackerel and or what ever big fish lures. The snack food lures which will catch larger or small fish and give you a lot of fish activity or bites, on the forward set of rod holder on one side put a Williamson Flash feather FFR5PW this pink and white little beauty will dance close to the surface, on the opposite side place a Storm twitch TWS08614 these two are really for fun and entertainment, They will catch fish larger or small, great for Tuna or kings or Bonita really even blue runners and Spanish mackerel. Now I pick a path for trolling based on whee the reefs are. I always want to troll between two reefs, one food source to another. At least it is better than blind trolling, Keeping an eye on the sky for birds diving or fish blowing up on the surface. And if I am on the way to a reef I can stop and bottom fish for Snappers or Grouper,
Speaking
on bottom fishing a cool trick is to use sardine for Grouper over the
last couple week a couple of our customers have been catching kings
while bottom fishing for Grouper. We think the Snapper are throwing up
the bait they ate when reeling them up with ended up chumming the kings,
Weird enough but quite possibly true. Keeping a sardine on the hook when
bottom fishing is not easy. So I cheat take a box of whole squid with
you which is great bait for snapper any way and you should have some.
Now lay the Squid on it's side and slice a ¼ inch cross section so it
looks like a rubber band. Place that ring of squid over the head of the
sardine and just past where the head connects put the hook through the
squid and the sardine and through the other side of the squid ring and
this keeps the sardine on the hook and you catch more fish.
The fishing in the gulf is hard core right
now with a lot of what they call reef donkeys as they pull so hard or to
you land lubbers like I was Amber Jacks, Always check to make sure they
are in season as it changes but holy moley fish man are they a Battle.
Inshore is a shrimp thing now and the Trout and fish are really moving
in a both sides of the Harbor,
the ole fashion poppin cork and a shrimp is still one of the best ways
to find fish on the flats right now, either Anchored up or drifting,
Hard to beat what works,,
Happy new Year
Fishin Frank
2016
2016
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
2015
2015
01/26/2015
02/24/15
03/22/15
If you are
looking for very good lures to troll, try the Maverick Golden
eye in the small version or the Storm twitch these lure have a
lip on them and do not spin when you troll them, use a light
rod. Lets say a 6 to 12 pound class 7 foot spinning or bait cast
set up with some thing 6 pound test or more.
I troll at about 3 miles per hour for the mackerel.
Another trick I learned is to
keep the rods I am trolling in front of me, I mounted Rod
holders on the front deck of my boat so I can watch where I am
going and see when a fish hits. If you do not have front mounted
Rod holder any couple of your friends will do just fine. If they
are in front of you, you can see when the rod gets hit and stop
the boat if the people or Rods are behind you, you may not find
out about what is happening until you are out of line.
To make sure the rods and lures are working right watch the tip
of you rods they should be vibrating the tip of the Rod that is.
The lures have a lip on the front of them which when pulled
through the water causes them to be pulled under and the force
of the water gets deflected off of the lip causing the lure to
swing side to side imitating a swimming action of a bait fish.
that Side to side movement of your lure, makes the tip of your
rod bounce ./ vibrate in time with the side to side action and
So when you look at your rod it should be bent a little and
vibrating, if the rod end is bouncing or Best case pulling hard,
meaning joy of joys you have a fish on, or if pulling down a bit
then rebounding back up would mean a very small fish or a
weed has been caught in the lure. either way reel in clear the
lure and start again.
If you are going to cast for mackerel I would suggest Spoons or
Got-cha lures. Spoons should be small Like the Clark Squid Spoon
#0 or #00 problem is they are too light to cast so I put a water
fill-able casting bubble on the line a head of the Spoon to give
it weight in the air but once the bubble hits the water it is
nothing just a plastic bubble full of water. The got-Cha lure is
different it is a jig type bait and should be reeled in
moderately fast with a jigging action, which means while reeling
steady you would sharply lift the tip of your rod. Then lower
it, repeating this the whole time you are retrieving the lures
03/11/15
04/25/15
Ahh the cool weather of Spring time. what wait a minute you are not in South west Florida. Here it we went from a beautiful warm winter right into Summer. one day I walk out of the house at 5:am and it was chilly and the next day it was hot and humid. wow what a change. The water temps are that of what should be June, the gulf is on the mid 80’s and parts of the Harbor are reaching 90 degrees. So what's all this mean well good news Shark and Tarpon even Cobia are all here and biting in full out eat something mode. But the flats is a different story as the water warms up you will need to start slowing down, much the same as when the water gets below 70 degrees in the winter, the main difference is the lack of oxygen, Hot water will not hold oxygen so the fish slow down just as you do when it is hot. a neat trick I use in the winter and summer months is to use a very small reel, instead of using a 4000 or 40 size reel I switch to a 1 or 2000 size, even though when you turn the handle it spins at the same speed like 50 to 1 ratio, the spool size is much smaller so you bring in less line per turn of the handle when retrieving a lure, allowing the fish time to see it, hear it and make up it’s mind to eat it.
Now the middle of the
Harbor is deeper and deeper water takes longer to heat
up, and the fishing there continues to be good. the
Tarpon who may breath either under water or air form
above don’t care what the oxygen in the water is, and
are hanging out in the deep holes of the Harbor where
fish like whiting, cat fish and or thread fins are
hiding from the heat. and while seeing rolling tarpon is
always better I would say weather you see Tarpon rolling
or not. stop over the deep hole either the middle hole
or the 20 foot hole and on one rod put out a live thread
fin free line, and on the other rod a cut bait under a
float. The cut bait should be about 5 to 6 feet below
your bobber or float and the size of your fist,
now this is not written in stone you may place the live
thread fin under the float and let the cut bait free
line, if you do this I would take off the Fluorocarbon
leader and replace it with the AFW knot-able steel
leader. The new leader from AFW you do not need crimps
tools or a lighter to melt it. You just tie it the same
way you would tie on your fluorocarbon leader including
a line to line knot. then just tie on your hook. any
knot will hold but a Uni knot works best. keep in mind
when tying a uni to uni from your braid line to the
leader pull slowly and when tying on your hooks pull the
knot down to the hook not the leader through the eye of
the hook or the leader can get curly on you. This new
steel leader we have tested it on Tarpon, Sharks, Snook,
red fish, and you will get a few more hits while using
fluorocarbon leader, but if you are dragging a cut bait
free line while Tarpon fishing you will lose a lot of
leader to the sharks, and if you switch to the AFW
tie-able steel you will hook up and land not only the
Tarpon but the Sharks as well, and that is cool. The one
thing is if the water is very clear as it is along the
beach, the Tarpon will see that steel more so than in
the darker waters of the Harbor, and there is not the
shark problem along the beaches so there along the
beaches I would stay with the 60 pound Fluorocarbon
leader. but in the Harbor I would switch it when ever
you are free lining. after all a hook up with a Shark or
a hook up with a Tarpon both are fun.
Too sum this month up. Try every thing,
05/24/15
Picking the line to fish with,
This is a big question now, should I use braided line or Mono, Mono Filament line is a solid plastic line getting it's name from a single or {mono} filament invented in 1938, but was stiff and kinky and not until the mid 1960's was it really usable to fish with. Braided line is a type of cloth and from Kevlar, Yes bullet proof vest thread. While not exactly Kevlar close enough. Lets start with that, Braided line is amazing new line because it allows you fish fish with very heavy line, that is so small you can cast 20 pound test with the ease of 8 pound mono. Yes there is a difference between how thin a line is and the castiblity of the line, Take 30 pound braided line it is smaller than 12 pound mono, but when you throw it on a fishing rod it will cast the same distance as #12 mono , So 2o pound braid while the size of 4 pound mono will cast like 8 pound. Braid line is more resistant to scarping against barnacles so wears better than mono, Mono filament line tends to twist when used on s Spinning reel, and to get the twist our you would drag it behind the boat as very slow speed, When twisted mono looks a lot like wrought iron, and when pulled through the water the water would work out all of the twists in about 1 to 2 minutes. Braided line when it gets twisted just will not UN-twist when pulled through the water, some of the twist will come out but it takes 5 time longer to get the twist out. Braided line, being cloth material dose not hold the shape as will mono to help the water work the twist out. Good news is that it take 5 times longer to see the or have the twist in braided line become a problem.
Braid is stronger than mono line. That is what most people think and not really true. Braided line has no give or stretch, So on a flat dead pull with no jerking it is very strong, but if you pull then jerk on the braided line it will pop quite easy. This is the reason I use braided line when fishing against the mangroves or under docks, I use it because it breaks so easy, If you hang braided line in a tree branch a short sharp jerk of the line will pop the braid line easy, while mono fishing line stretches so much it is very hard to break and often sends high speed missiles back to the boat, the stretch acts like a sling shot. So contrary to people opinion I use braided so I can safety break it.
So if I am trolling or
really open water fishing I still prefer mono as it
gives/stretches when the fish hits making it hard to
break. A hint if you are going to troll with braided,
here is the equation. With mono line. The fish hits, the
line stretches, the rod bends the drag on the reel
gives. So when using braid to troll with. No stretch so
set your drag at least 1/3 looser than you would with
mono, so the fish will not break off.
Now mono line will get you more hits, the same way that
Fluorocarbon leader will get you more hits than steel
leader. So in open water I use mono to hook more fish,
more fish on the line means more fun,
Now What color line is the best, not too ay years ago it
was simple you had a choice of clear mono line or white
mono line. Now the are tons of colors and lines with
mixed colors, So which is best. that is easy they are
all the best, but not all year, I had 8 rods and reels
on the boat and each one had a different color line on
it, no one colors catches more fish than the other all
year, as the water colors changes and the conditions
change so will the color of your line, I watched one
color catch way more fish than the others only to fade
back down to normal, then another color would get way
more hits,
I fish every once in a while with white bait and white
bait swims around a lot, now with each rod a different
color I know which white bait is swimming behind the
boat, or is under the boat and All I have to say is hey
Yellow reel up, when the line were all one color
everyone had to reel to find out whose bait it was.
Tangles are easier to deal with when the lines are
different colors as well, much simpler to get Yellow
apart from green than green from green.
So there is no real down side to different colors other
than we are not used to it,
Just to wrap this
up as I could go on about a lot more issues, let me say,
What is the best brand of braided line. There is not a
best one. They are all good, the trick is to find which
is the best for you, which brand of line cast good for
you, with-out throwing wind knots, Some people will do
better with one brand and some with an other. So if a
line works for you, that’s means it is good. But it may
not be the one for your fishing partner, how you cast,
which rods and reel you put together. Whether you use
bait or lures. All will make a difference in which line
is the best for you. So when a line company says we are
the best. No that is impossible, It is only true it may
be the best for you.
Thanks I hope this helps
Fishin Frank
07/25/2015
31 years this
month I have been here at Fishin Franks, well then again
I am Fishin frank, So that stands to reason. July is the
beginning and the end of the tackle year and the ICAST
show or International; Convention of Allied Sport
fishing, the largest tackle show in the world was held
here in Florida, We walked for hours and had not seen
1/3 of the Show. After 2 days of walking we had at least
waked by every booth and tried to talk for a minute with
maufactures who had a different or new product.
Here is the old debate, Do I or should I buy lures that
catch fish or buy lures that catch fisherman? If a lure
would catch every fish that swims and one one bought it,
does it still catch fish? The simple truth is A lure has
to catch fisherman first. Most lures work, That said I
had a line of lures called killer baits, so life like,
and the swimming action seemed looked perfect to me. I
threw that lure on and off for 12 years until one day I
caught a bunch of fish with it, Then threw it as far as
I could out into the Harbor. For some one else to find
and try, So looking realistic is only half the battle,
but I was right, it caught a lot of fish, forgetting the
12 years it took to do it
I attended my first tackle
show in 1985 a dealer show who is long since out of
business in Jacksonville. In the days it was hit the
close out booth for deals and then on to the new. That
is one thing which has changed 99 percent of the close
out are there for a reason, and I have learned to go to
the new stuff, Unless it is a local favorite which did
not sell nationaly, which happens often sells like crazy
here, but not in the rest of the country. In that case I
buy all I can get. I had the same problems then with new
products as I do now. Where to start and what's the
difference between nuclear Chicken, Electric Chicken and
Texas chicken? No it is not a new trend in fast food, it
is color pattern names for lures, It is one of the many
reasons to go to buying shows so you can see what the
lures look like.
I am a hard body kind of guy, I can say with a grin I
guess which mean I prefer lures made of hard wood or
plastic, Top water style or diving crank baits I have
just done better with them. My Dad like spoons, and a
huge number of people are into Soft body baits or soft
plastics, thousands of colors and hundreds of body
styles I would need a store as big as Tampa it's self to
hold them all.
In-line spinners off set spinners, the list goes on. And
not to forget jigs, Jig heads with rattles or with out,
Circle hook or “J' hook weed less or standard. Stand up
or bonceing or swimming styles.
I am confused again, so many choices Sizes are easier, 3
to 3 ½ inch lures are the ones which catch the most
fish. Larger lures for big fish only as the smaller fish
can not get them into their mouths. Hard to say if a
lure can be too big. After all we have some monster Fish
here. I just bought some lures that are over 18 inches
long and must weigh a couple pounds.
Looking at lures to try and
picture what the action it has has gotten easier over
the years, I spend many hours in a swimming pool or in
the harbor under water watching lures fall towards the
bottom, or having some one retrieve them past me. If you
can figure out where the weight of the lure is. At the
top it will tip over, when falling. Weight at the bottom
it will drop, Round bodies will wobble going down.
One thing I did discover while under water looking at lures I found out why top water lures have different colors on the top or back of the lure than it odes on the bottom, A top water lure floats on the surface so I could not understand why the part not in the water would be a different color, when you are under water looking up you see three images of that one lure. In the middle you see the bottom of the lure on both side you see a mirror image of the back or top of the lure. So you really see more of the top color than you do the part actually in the water by refection.
So buying lures
can be over wheming, I bought 6 new lines of lures some
new ans a couple of classics
There is 60 million people going to fish here in the
U.S. This year I figure out of that some one will like
the new lures I bought.
08/26/15
Peace River We all know
the Peace river is here, but do you know how cool it is? Lets
start at the 41 bridges. Now the real mouth of the river is in a
line from Ponce DE Leon park in Punta Gorda across to Hog
Island. So the Gilchrist bridges or 41 bridges as we call them
are really a little over 4 miles up river.
To get to where the river is fresh all year is about 17 miles up
where Horse Creek enters the Peace river
or 22 from the mouth of the river. I thought I would throw that
in as I get this question a lot, most people do not under stand
the Peace river is 104 miles long and in the past a Major trade
route for goods, before stage coaches and wagons, I guess I
should say before roads, heavy goods were transported by barges.
Now we use interstate Hwy but back then a lot easier to put a
couple tons of stuff on a boat and push it.
Now lets get to the fishing, Snook
fishing can be done on most of the peace river, Zolfo Springs
and Wauchula have for part of the Year some very good Snook
fishing. Even Tarpon can be found up the River.
Back to a trip up the river, Starting at 41 you are in a full on
Salt water environment, as you pass the bridge for I-75 you are
into a Mangrove environment, still salt water now once you pass
Harbor heights you will see saw grass, This is where the
transition starts, this is a true brackish water environment.
Now watch the shoreline as you head up river at Harbor heights
take the right fork and you will see the plants are changing
more ferns, and the trees are different the Mangroves thin out
and the Cypress tress begin to be more common, Watch Island 33
you will know which one this is as the channel marks stop here,
you have been seeing the typical Red or green markers now in
front of you is a marker with red and green on it, half and
half. That is the Charlotte county line. And the channels
markers stop here this is also the first place with less than 4
feet of water, you have been over holes deeper than 20 foot on
your way here but in front of you is a shoal which extends all
the way across the main channel of the river and at high tides
there is 3 feet of water at lower tides less than 2. Now you can
take and go around the back side of island 33 and while there is
not much more water the bottom is soft and you will have no
trouble making it through. In front on the main channel the
bottom is much harder and may ding your prop. I always use the
main channel as I run a flats boat and only need a foot of water
to run comfortable. Once you are past island 33 hold to the out
side bends of the river and there is not really any shallow
places, until you get past the camp ground. And that is only
shallow if you are not thinking out side of the bends, which
means you must picture in your head an “S” follow the curves,
The fish will also hold on these out side bends. Near the
shoreline and You could cast a lure like a Rat-L-trap or a
Bomber at the shore or I prefer to troll these bends in the
River. These bends get deep quick and it is a good idea to idle
over a bend to see where the deep starts, Pick a tree on the
shore as your guide. When I troll I am less than 5 feet from the
bank so a certain tree is a good reference point to know where
the deep part of the hole is.
Now the only tricky turn is at the water treatment plant, you
will be running along and then find your self in a bay. The
river had just taken a hard right which you will not have seen
and now you are in the bay where we in Charlotte County get our
drinking water from. I would take a few minutes to fish here.
In the water treatment bay there are often tarpon, and the Snook
tend to lay up along the shore line on your right hand side, I
like to anchor out in the middle and try for some of the giant
Gar fish which live here not uncommon to find gar over 4 feet
long. A shiner under a bobber with a 4/0 wide gap/ Kahele hook
is the trick to fishing for them or catching them. If you are a
Fly person, use a 2/0 hook with a piece of red ribbon, I would
make the ribbon at least 4 inches long, I like 6 inches then I
shred the last 3 inches. This works the gar go to attack the
ribbon and their teeth get stuck in the shredded part.
Now lets get back to the river Now
the river tends to look like Jungle, think Tarzan movies, Johnny
Weissmuller filmed Tarzan movies here. It is the last transition
Until you get to the real world again up in Arcida.come out of
the bay and make a hard left and around the island you will see
the bridge for hwy 761 go under the bridge, and all the way to
the left hand shore line. There is a sand bar which comes off of
the main channel of the river, which is on your right, If you go
straight ahead the Snook fishing is great on the left hand bank
but it is a dead end. Wait to head up the river until to get
right in front of the main channel coming from the right, that
will take you to the Fort Ogden trestle, where it is deep and
the fishing is good right around the pilings. You may only get a
little ways farther up river from here, take this next ½ mile
slow there is no deeper section, and often fallen trees in the
water at or near the surface. You will make a left turn and
there is a nice beach and some bug round Piling maybe, I am sure
at some time long ago there was a bridge or something here this
is the mouth of Horse Creek ahead of you there is what we call
the narrows, great fishing for Snook, Bass, Blue gills, even
some times Red fish, the main channel of the river goes off to
your right but is really shallow less than a foot deep. This is
where I will stop as this is about where you need to stop, I
have not been up past this for a year so, I will make a run up
there and then I will continue our journey
to Arcadia and Points beyond as a last thought there is a great
park in Arcadia on Hwy 70 at the edge of town fishing is OK, for
Snook and or Bass, but a really nice park and a cool place to
just check out by Car.
08-27-2015
Spinner baits.
Come in many sizes types styles and There are in-line
Spinners, but today I would like to talk about the
safety pin type/style first commercial business to
manufacture this off set or as the were first called
safety pin started in 1951 in St Louis and it was Lloyd
Johnson and Henry Denison who introduced the safety pin
spinner bait with a clip on jig, who were later bought
out by Johnson & Johnson, Yes the baby powder people.
Johnson bought out by Johnson weird Yes but true, and to
this day it is the Johnson beetle Spin. First and I
would say still best of the beetle spins.
What was new and different was the sideways “V” shape of
the safety pin type spinner which allowed the Spinner to
be spinning right above the jig body. Spinner baits had
been in line before this and the blade spun around the
same line the hook was mounted to, Now the blade was
above the hook on a swivel with a round shaped blade, it
created a thumping noise in the water, the round shaped
blade was replaced by what we call now-a-days a Colorado
shaped blade which spins easier and if anything creates
a better noise than the first round ones. Toady you can
get off set spinner baits with Colorado, Willow leaf, or
Indiana blades each has it's own sound when pulled
through the water, and a huge variety of different
bodies and tails, later stinger hooks were added for
even better hook up to bite ratio.
What else was new? a brand
new invention in the 1950's soft plastic lure bodies.
Beetle pin choose a V tail which gave it such a new
action. The problem was the soft plastic body needed
replacing a lot. The fish tore up the plastic when
striking the lure, which ruined the body, but also made
it more profitable, selling replacement tails.
Fish did bite them and that led to another problem, fish much too large for the small jig hook hit the Beetle spin so the entire Jig head needed to be replaceable, which is what lead to and why to this day the same clip is used to hook on and quickly remove and replace the jig head. Come on that is really cool thinking. Sell replacement jig heads more money.
The basis of a Beetle Spin is the look of an open safety pin or for you younger people a sideways V shape..with the blade rotating on a swivel right over the top of the jig hook the thumping and flashing of the blade.
This leads me to how do you
fish a Beetle spin, Cast it out and let it sink for a
few seconds as the Blade spinning give the lure lift and
it will want to go close to the surface of the water so
I let it go almost to the bottom and when I start
reeling my rod is at 90 degrees to the lure holding the
rod sideways allows me to feel the thumping of the blade
in the water and when the lure is working perfect you
will feel it.
You rod will vibrate/pulse with the spinning of the
blade. When you feel that you know you have the right
speed of retrieve.
Old Stuff, dose not mean
bad stuff, I am old and still work, dose the same apply
to lures?
We get caught up in what's new, the latest and greatest.
But at one time all lures were the latest and greatest.
Let take the beetle spin. Spinner baits were started in
1951. In line spinner baits before that
more recent Strike king introduced the Red fish magic, a
slightly larger beetle Spin made for Red fish.
The Red fish magic comes with a paddle tail soft plastic
body n the Jig head, Which is there to catch fisherman.
As it really dose not work well with an off set spinner,
but people use them alone on a jig head and the Paddle
tail catches a lot of fish. So it is more of what
fisherman are used to. Back in the 1980's My late friend
David who owned a lure company and I did a lot of
research and found if a tube body was used on the off
set spinner Snook, Trout, and Yes mostly Red Fish loved
it. I think the thumping of the blade and the thumping
of the paddle tail is too much, the Tube jig body crates
a much more subtle sound and works great with the
thumping of the spinner blade. In the picture you can
see both.
I have caught fish in fresh water and Salt water with the small and larger versions of the beetle spin, The Small ones 1/8 and less are excellent for Silver and Spotted Sea Trout, Sand Bream, Mangrove Snappers. Blue runners and a host of other species.
Simple easy to use and what's great is that you feel the hit, the strike, the WHAM as a fish grabs the spinner and it will make you heat skip a beat. Almost literally
Good luck
try one of the old beetle pins you have sitting in the
bottom of your tackle box, I think the old guys will
surprise you.
Fishin Frank
09/27/2015
Spinner baits.
Come in many sizes types styles and There are in-line
Spinners, but today I would like to talk about the
safety pin type/style first commercial business to
manufacture this off set or as the were first called
safety pin started in 1951 in St Louis and it was Lloyd
Johnson and Henry Denison who introduced the safety pin
spinner bait with a clip on jig, who were later bought
out by Johnson & Johnson, Yes the baby powder people.
Johnson bought out by Johnson weird Yes but true, and to
this day it is the Johnson beetle Spin. First and I
would say still best of the beetle spins.
As a side note this is where the modern day Bass fishing
spinner bait came from. Which is now used in both fresh
and Slat water. I first used beetle spins in slat water
as when I started I did not know there was a difference
between fresh water lures and slat water lures. I still
do not know the difference. A good lure is a good lure,
I know someone told you there was a difference, but who
told the fish?
What was new and different
about the beetle spin was the sideways “V” shape of the
safety pin style spinner arm which allowed the Spinner
to be spinning right above the jig body. Spinner baits
had been in line, before this and the blade spun around
the same line the hook was mounted to, Now the blade was
above the hook on an arm with a swivel to allow the
round shaped blade, to spin, this created a thumping
noise in the water, the round shaped blade was replaced
by what we call now-a-days a Colorado shaped blade which
spins easier and if anything creates a better noise than
the first round ones. Toady you can get off set spinner
baits with Colorado, Willow leaf, or Indiana blades each
has it's own sound when pulled through the water, and a
huge variety of different bodies and tails, later
stinger hooks were added for even better hook up to bite
ratio.
What else was new? a brand
new invention in the 1950's soft plastic lure bodies.
Beetle pin choose a V tail which gave it such a new
action. The problem was the soft plastic body needed
replacing a lot. The fish tore up the plastic when
striking the lure, which ruined the body, but also made
it more profitable, selling replacement tails.
Fish did bite them and that led to another problem, fish much too large for the small jig hook hit the Beetle spin so the entire Jig head needed to be replaceable, which is what lead to and why to this day the same clip is used to hook on and quickly remove and replace the jig head. Come on that is really cool thinking. Sell replacement jig heads more money.
The basis of a Beetle Spin is the look of an open safety pin or for you younger people a sideways V shape..with the blade rotating on a swivel right over the top of the jig hook the thumping and flashing of the blade.
This leads me to how do you
fish a Beetle spin, Cast it out and let it sink for a
few seconds as the Blade spinning give the lure lift and
it will want to go close to the surface of the water so
I let it go almost to the bottom and when I start
reeling my rod is at 90 degrees to the lure holding the
rod sideways allows me to feel the thumping of the blade
in the water and when the lure is working perfect you
will feel it.
You rod will vibrate/pulse with the spinning of the
blade. When you feel that you know you have the right
speed of retrieve.
Old Stuff, dose not mean
bad stuff, I am old and still work, dose the same apply
to lures?
We get caught up in what's new, the latest and greatest.
But at one time all lures were the latest and greatest.
Let take the beetle spin. Spinner baits were started in
1951. In line spinner baits before that
more recent Strike king introduced the Red fish magic, a
slightly larger beetle Spin made for Red fish.
The Red fish magic comes with a paddle tail soft plastic
body n the Jig head, Which is there to catch fisherman.
As it really dose not work well with an off set spinner,
but people use them alone on a jig head and the Paddle
tail catches a lot of fish. So it is more of what
fisherman are used to. Back in the 1980's My late friend
David who owned a lure company and I did a lot of
research and found if a tube body was used on the off
set spinner Snook, Trout, and Yes mostly Red Fish loved
it. I think the thumping of the blade and the thumping
of the paddle tail is too much, the Tube jig body crates
a much more subtle sound and works great with the
thumping of the spinner blade. In the picture you can
see both.
I have caught fish in fresh water and Salt water with the small and larger versions of the beetle spin, The Small ones 1/8 and less are excellent for Silver and Spotted Sea Trout, Sand Bream, Mangrove Snappers. Blue runners and a host of other species.
Simple easy to use and what's great is that you feel the hit, the strike, the WHAM as a fish grabs the spinner and it will make you heat skip a beat. Almost literally
Good luck
try one of the old beetle pins you have sitting in the
bottom of your tackle box, I think the old guys will
surprise you.
Fishin Frank
12/22/15
My stinger list for 2016
In other years I have said I would join a gym, Lose weight, stop Smoking, Things like that, This year I am going to make resolutions which make sense, I do not think losing weight or starting to run or for goodness sake I am not joining another gym, these are normal New years resolutions, the reason we do not keep up on them is they only help with our body, It is my head which needs help. If you know me, well you understand that. So to get in shape this year I am going to go out and paddle a Kayak, row a boat, go wade fishing, take a walk on a sandbar, cast a lure. This will be good for the body and fore my peace of mind. I am going to get back to what makes life better. Being on or near the water. It really does not matter if it is a small fresh water stream, or the deep fathoms of the Gulf of Mexico.
I
resolve for 2016 to spend more time cast8ing top water lures,
The most exciting way to fish, You see the strike, feel the
strike, get all of the battle of the Pull and struggle. Way too
cool.
In fact 2016 is my year to fish. I am going to stop turn in a fish for no reason except the Gods have told me to stop, this is the best way to find new fishing spots.
I
am going to get out onto the beautiful waters of the gulf and
cruise the Stone crab Tarp buoys and find my huge Triple tail.
The other thing I really wish to do in 2016 is cruise along the
beach just off of Boca on top of the bar and skip some Pompano,
You can skip Pompano off the bar between Burnt store and two
pines quite often But I miss the green water and the Brighter
colors of the Pompano when they are in the gulf.
I will make it back into Trout Creek and fish the bends of that
creek free-lining a shrimp for huge Red fish.
I will get back to the inner Islands of the area between Bull
and Turtle Bay where the Snook stack up against the Islands, And
drift across the open Flat of Turtle bay casting / jigging a
Tandem Lure jig and catch 50 Trout on a drift.
I will be at Marker #2 and Jug Creek Shoals just as the sun comes up and see the white bait start dimpling the surface of the waters.
I will be on the Gaprilla tailing flats after the other boats have left, and things get very quiet just before dark and see the Red fish begin to tail as they push their faces into the grass for food.
I
just thought about it and it has been 2 years since I have been
Grouper Fishing, Be afraid Groupers I will be in your
neighbor-hood soon.
Another thing I will do in 2015 is troll the water of the Gulf
for King mackerel and anything else that will hit.
I really need to go over to Lake Okeechobee and do some proper
Bass Fishing, There are plenty of Bass to catch here in
Charlotte County But I would like to be there as the sun comes
up and the mist is still on the lake, If you ever fished fresh
water you understand there is a smell or taste to the air which
day break on a larger fresh water lake has that is like no where
else on earth.
I
will answer a question here, is which is better lures or Bait,
That is a good question and which one should you use?
Depends on your mood fist of all do you feel energetic? If so
cast a lure get with it, feel the strike of the fish. On my last
trip out I used Live Shrimp as all I wanted was to kick back
relax and enjoy sitting there watching the water and the clouds,
the every once in a while a pesky fish would add a bit of
excitement to the day.
Bait is better if you are fishing a spot, like a hole or little
cove on a mangrove shoreline, or under a dock, as you can cast
the bait there to that spot and the bait will help you find the
fish there.
Now if I was going to fish a shoreline looking for fish or
several docks along a canal, I would cast a lure, I can cover
more water keep the lure working and find where the fish are,
Often I will cast a lure until I hook a fish, then switch to
bait to see if there are more fish in that spot.
Stat thinking about you new years resolutions, Like maybe I will learn to use a bait cast reel & rod, Bait cast reels do not cast bait very good at all, But they are way better for top water lures or Soft plastic Jerk baits. And it is fun and challenging, I have been in the parking lot with several customers teaching them how to set up a bait cast reel. What the Magnetic and friction controls do. How not to back lash.
So many things to so and
2016 is my Year to do them, I am confident I am determined and I
will endeavor to persevere to make my goals. And unlike my
quitting nicotine and losing weight or working out. I think I
can do this, I thank I can
Happy New year Fishin Frank
2015
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
2014
02/20/2014
03/26/14
04/28/14
07/20/2014
08/20/2014
Nature is crazy and mix people with wild things and the weird is going to happen.
One night Larry who came in with friends who were going to Fish the Placida trestle, Larry bought a brand new rod and a bait runner type reel, this reel has 2 drags one to which is used for waiting for the fish, and the other for fighting the fish, the trick is to remember to set the waiting drag then click it on. Well it was his first time using it and his first time fishing in Florida. So like many people he laid the rod down while waiting for his fish, and did not thing about the bait runner, So you know what came next, all of a sudden rattle clunk splash the Rod and reel was pulled right of the pier and into the water. Larry spent the next half hour cussing and stomping around on the dock, he had not caught even one fish with his new set up and in the water it went, His friends did not want to leave, well they did not lose their Rods, and them a bite one of the guys had a hit and slowly started to reel in, It did not feel quite like a fish and it wasn’t it was a large Blue Crab which had his line in one of it's claws, and it appeared to be tangled up in line, So they netted the crab and found it had that line in it's right claw and another line in it's left claw, You guessed it the other line they pulled in hand over hand, and there was Larry’s new rod and reel, a little wet but no worse for the dunking and it had a 5 pound cat fish still on the hook so Lost and found with a little help from a Blue Crab which Larry let go back into the water, while his buddies fussed about wanting it for bait, No way Larry did not want that bad Karma. After all the crab gave him his tackle back.
Fishin Piers can be a great stress relief, One of our customers just got a new rod & reel, and was casting a lure and wham nice hit, Fish on & the fish was jumping and going crazy, and the Rod he said preformed excellent a Shimano C-I4 and a Star Seagis rod, it should be great, that is an expensive
set-up, But what a dream to fish with. Now he was breaking it in with a 4 pound Lady fish, after a good battle he landed the lady fish, letting the lady fish lay on the pier hook still in the fishes Jaw, he turned to get his pliers from his Tackle box and hear a noise behind him, quickly turning around he was just in time to see a large Osprey with the lady fish in it's talons flying off with his fish, Now keep in mind the lady fish still had the hook in it's jaw and his new rod and reel was hanging below the bird, the Osprey having a hard time with the weight of the fish and the rod & reel made it about 30 feet up and 50 feet away from the pier before letting go, and Splash went the fish, Rod, reel, and during this few seconds all the guy could do was stand there, mouth open and watch. He packed up came into the store and wonder. I have heard a lot of stories about losing rods but this one, Just plain weird. What was that osprey thinking?
09/23/14
10/25/2014
Snook Fishin in November during
the day is best done on the flats,
if you can find quiet water, I mean
no boat traffic it helps the Snook
bite, But the quiet also brings on a
problem, a Snook has hundreds of ear
drums on each side of it’s body, Yes
each scale that touches the Black
lateral line has an tiny oil sack
under it which senses vibration in
the water the way our ear drum sense
vibrations in the air, So if it is
quiet you need to be quiet, Right
now the Snook are keyed in on white
bait during the day, So lures which
look like bait fish / White bait in
particular are better. Like the
storm twitch, or the Mirro-O-Lure
Mr-17 bright colors on the east side
like Pink or white and darker colors
on the west side where the fresh
water keeps the water a darker brown
color seem to work best, My advice
is to use an electric motor on as
slow as it will go and stay a decent
cast away from the mangroves, Then
casting side arm like you would if
you were skipping a stone across the
lake shore cast as far under the
mangroves as you can, Do not worry
about hanging up in the trees, if
you are not hung up in the mangrove
every once in a while you are not
trying, 3 feet from the branches
might as well be a 1/2 mile away.
and there is no reason to get in a
hurry about bring out the lure, you
did a perfect cast to get it up
under the branches so try to shake
the end of the rod, get as much
movement as possible, with as little
forward motion as possible. If I am
using a lure that floats then dives
I tend to use it as a top water
before I use it as a swimming lure,
I do this by letting the lure hit
the water then I just wait for about
3 seconds and start to shake the tip
of my rod.which makes the lure
shake, after another pause I then
give the rod tip a hard sharp jerk
making the lure go just under the
surface then the hard part wait for
it to float back to the surface,
doing this 2 or 3 times and if I
don’t get a strike I pull the rod
tip to get the lure under the
surface of the water then I start
reeling, To enhance my chances of
hooking up a Snook I stop/pause the
lure ever few feet while reeling,
That is when I get the most hits
when the lure is sitting still, not
always the case but more often than
not.
I hope this helps you in the Hunt
for November Snook. For the most
hits a 3 to 4 inch lure is best for
larger Snook switch to a 16 size
bomber about 6 inches long, a little
more or less.
Good luck have fun and a last
thought, If catch & release is what
you are doing pinch the barbs flat
on the treble hooks. It keeps you
safe and lets you remove the hooks
from the fish with little or no
damage
Thanks
Fishin Frank
2nd story
The
flats that mystical magical area of
the Harbor where nothing bad can
happen except maybe run aground.
Well I thought so, while running up
behind the bar on the west side the
scag on my 115 Yammy 4 stroke hit
something right in the middle of the
flat, It made a small dent in the
scag but snapped the mid section of
the motor completely in half, In my
years boating, professionally and
recreational I have never seen this,
So I took the boat to SOS marine,
Jerry has seen it all But never
this, Scags broken off. bullets
cracked and broken but this should
have torn the lower unit off, the
lower unit is the part from the scag
up to the cavitation plate, This is
a snapped off mid section, I don’t
under stand how this happened except
for that this boat did not have a
jack plate So the motor was lower
probably the scag was slicing the
bottom, and what ever it was was
right on the bottom and could not be
found after going back to see what
happened. Possible that a motor
which had fallen off a boat or a
palm tree trunk.
I just though you should know maybe
the flats are getting some sand
stone bottom feature, which is
possible, the only rock/stone I was
aware of was behind hobbs point, and
I am carful there, but I have always
just run the open flats,
I have replaced the motor and
installed had Jerry at SOS Marine
install a new Jack plate So when the
boat is running skinny this should
not happen again, The only other
obstacle I know of is in the Myakka
cut-off a small drug plane crashed
there years ago, thinking there was
more water, than there was when the
pontoons hit what was supposed to be
water it flipped over and just
stayed right there, that is located
if you are coming from the harbor
side the cut-off is fairly wide when
it starts to narrow through the S
bend the plane is just before you
get to the narrows on the right/east
side about 30 feet from shore and
maybe 6 inches below the mud, I hit
it a few years ago and bent a 4
blade stainless prop into modern
art. But there was no other damage
other than a long slow idle back
home. I continue to think Charlotte
Harbor is the or one of the safest
places to boat & fish, but Weather
junk on the bottom or natural sand
stone, It maybe we should start to
watch a little closer. When the tide
this winter is very low we plan to
walk that flat to find out what we
hit, but that will be a while from
now.
Fishin Frank
11/22/14
2014
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
2013
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
12/22/2014
07/28/2015
31 years this month I have been here at Fishin Franks,
well then again I am Fishin frank, So that stands to reason. July is the
beginning and the end of the tackle year and the ICAST show or
International; Convention of Allied Sport fishing, the largest tackle
show in the world was held here in Florida, We walked for hours and had
not seen 1/3 of the Show. After 2 days of walking we had at least waked
by every booth and tried to talk for a minute with manufactures who had
a different or new product.
Here is the old debate, Do I or should I buy lures that catch fish or
buy lures that catch fisherman? If a lure would catch every fish that
swims and one one bought it, does it still catch fish? The simple truth
is A lure has to catch fisherman first. Most lures work, That said I had
a line of lures called killer baits, so life like, and the swimming
action seemed looked perfect to me. I threw that lure on and off for 12
years until one day I caught a bunch of fish with it, Then threw it as
far as I could out into the Harbor. For some one else to find and try,
So looking realistic is only half the battle, but I was right, it caught
a lot of fish, forgetting the 12 years it took to do it
I
attended my first tackle show in 1985 a dealer long since out of
business in Jacksonville and I had the same problems as I do now. Where
to start and what's the difference between nuclear Chicken, Electric
Chicken and Texas chicken? No it is not a new trend in fast food, it is
color pattern names for lures, It is one of the many reasons to go to
buying shows so you can see what the lures look like.
I am a hard body kind of guy, I can say with a grin I guess which mean I
prefer lures made of hard wood or plastic, Top water style or diving
crank baits I have just done better with them. My Dad like spoons, and a
huge number of people are into Soft body baits or soft plastics,
thousands of colors and hundreds of body styles I would need a store as
big as Tampa it's self to hold them all.
In-line spinners off set spinners, the list goes on. And not to forget
jigs, Jig heads with rattles or with out, Circle hook or “J' hook weed
less or standard. Stand up or bouncing or swimming styles.
I am confused again, so many choices Sizes are easier, 3 to 3 ½ inch
lures are the ones which catch the most fish. Larger lures for big fish
only as the smaller fish can not get them into their mouths. Hard to say
if a lure can be too big. After all we have some monster Fish here. I
just bought some lures that are over 18 inches long and must weigh a
couple pounds.
We did make a Purchase of Livingston Lures, a Little on the pricey side but the lures do have a cool factor, they produce sounds, Yes they emit sounds to attach fish, pro shark anglers use under water Speakers to call the Sharks in, and these lures do the same thing. But a lures which makes it own sound to attract fish is cool.
Then we have Spool tech lures. Which has a built in leader So there is no heavy leader exposed, and replaceable tails, and is quickly becoming a Snook catching favorite. But the retractable leader is cool.
Baker lures this brand I picked for price pint and finish of the lures, the baker will give a mid point price and they have an interesting Holographic color patterns and action, which I think they are going to catch fish,
Which brings me to the Savage Lures, We bought some huge ones 16 inch long lures for Tarpon and Goliath grouper, Now this lure is almost perfectly life like, add a little scent to it and just let it swim in the tide, My advice Hang on to the rod, when a fish hits it it will be a monster. We also have the life like Soft Plastic fish from 6 inches to the monster 16 inch.
Looking
at lures to try and picture what the action it has has gotten easier
over the years, I spend many hours in a swimming pool or in the harbor
under water watching lures fall towards the bottom, or having some one
retrieve them past me. If you can figure out where the weight of the
lure is. At the top it will tip over, when falling. Weight at the bottom
it will drop, Round bodies will wobble going down.
One thing I did discover while under water
looking at lures I found out why top water lures have different colors
on the top or back of the lure than it odes on the bottom, A top water
lure floats on the surface so I could not understand why the part not in
the water would be a different color, when you are under water looking
up you see three images of that one lure. In the middle you see the
bottom of the lure on both side you see a mirror image of the back or
top of the lure. So you really see more of the top color than you do the
part actually in the water by refection.
So buying lures can be over whelming, There is 60 million people going to fish here in the U.S. This year I figure out of that some one will like the new lures I bought.
01/24/17
Fishing Tourist dos and why we do what we do.
I thought
about this as we begin to approach tourist season right now we are in
Show Bird season, and the Birds for the most part have figured out how
to cope with the changes in fishing styles,
How ever as a Tourist myself once working selling fishing tackle all
through out Europe and other places I found it too hard to learn new
waters, new fish, new lures, new styles, Over whelming is an
understatement,
So I started just doing what I knew how to
do.
I would get to a place put a jig on my rod and cast it out letting it go
to the bottom, watching to see how fast the line stopped moving giving
me an idea of how deep the water would be. If the water was 10 foot or
more I would use a Jig or rat-L-trap so I could get deeper maybe even
bounce the bottom for some fish. If that did not work I would then
changing to a crank bait. Floater diver style with a lip on it, I would
cast the middle column of the water maybe finding a different type of
fish. If it was slanting sun, like either morning or evening time, a top
water lure is always something I would try. And fresh or slat water I
would start with a jitter bug. OK very old school but very effective and
then switch to maybe a Zara spook or Skitter walk.
If the was structure like a bridge or a dam I would cast along the edges
of it or around each piling trying to find fish which would be living
there with the protection of the structure as a house.
Structure fishing fishing is looking for fish which might live there. Or at least hang out there, Open water fishing is hoping that you and fish fish are passing that spot at the same time. Well fish in open water are always moving, So you can watch for birds diving on them or splashing on the surface to find then or I like looking at a chart and trying to find bottom contours which would be used as a path way for fish. Like a deeper trough. Something which would bring fish to that spot. Another thought would be between two reefs, many fish will feed on one reef then go to the next reef to feed there. So find a place where they would pass by.
The color of the lure is about the color of
the water, dark colors for darker waters, Pink or chartreuse or slightly
stained water and brighter colors silvers for clear waters. Why do I
choose colors this way, well the water if dark will dye the color of the
bait to the same darker colors, shades of brown or gold. Clear water the
exact same bait fish or fish for that matter will be a much lighter
shade of colors instead of gold/brown maybe copper and bright white
belly. One other thing is that a dark color lure in dark water creates a
much more distinct shadow or presence, it is very hard to see silver
colors in dark water they are very hard to detect where as brown or gold
are more distinct.
So I would go to place and do what I thought would work to catch fish,
with my lures and my techniques, And to say with a bit of bragging I
quite often out fished the locals, If I did not catch anything then I
would check out what the locals were doing.
But you
say I have fresh water lures so they will not work when I get to
Florida, Horse hockey I say the phenomenon the Storm Twitch which out
sells and out catches any lure in the last few years, was never designed
for here, point of fact it was designed for the Canada bass fishing
market, But who told the fish. Snook love it, as do everything else. I
bring this up because we did not know it was such a great fish catching
lure here in Florida until we tried it. So maybe your favorite lure will
be the next big thing in catching fish. I should warn you if our
favorite lure is an Erie-dearie maybe not I have tried and tried to
catch a fish here on one and no luck, weird it works almost everywhere I
have ever been,
Well I know we humans understand fresh water and salt water did any one
remember tot tell the fish what they were? Think about it I can take a
worm on a hook here and a bass or blue gill will eat it, and a little
secret so will flounder and sheep head. But back to it. There are NO
worms here in south Florida we do not have dirt we have sand tiny rocks
and which worms can not eat so these fish grow up never seeing a worm
but they still eat one, And a Bass spinner bait looks way more like a
squid than anything I can think of in fresh water. So bring your
favorite lure and look at the water the way you would up home and do
what you know how to do. Not what you think you should do, because you
are in salt water now.
I would add that it might have been using
lures which were not popular in the place or country I was in and
sometimes a new lure or style of lure the fish have not seen, is the
best thing. Sometimes new color line or a new style of lure will come
out the fish have not seen and bam, bam, bam the fish just strike the
heck out of it and after a few months it slows down to just a good lure
but not the phenomenon it was the first few months.
Fishin License Yes you have to have one
every where any where you fish. There are a couple of exceptions if you
are a Florida resident, but someone from out of state needs one. Yes
even if you won a house here, Houses are part of your “Toys” it is where
YOU are registered that counts.
I hope this gives you a better understanding of how to travel and fish,
or maybe just confused you in which case stop by our store here or in
fort Myers and one of my Crew and explain and help guide you into the
wonderful fishing available here in South west Florida
Fishin Frank
01/25/2016
Shrimping this is the time and this is the place, or better put I will tell you the places.
Shrimp migrate out of the Harbor each year to go out and live in the deep waters of the gulf, and now is the peak of the shrimp migration. The Shrimp now average about 5 inches long as they head out of the passes. Each night yes night time if you were food for everything on the planet including us would you travel during the day? I wouldn’t I would do like a shrimp bury in the sand until the cover of darkness then move on. Funny thing about Shrimp is they know day light is dangerous but they are attracted to light. And a shrimp is not a very strong swimmer so they move out of the Harbor on the out going tide, So to catch your own fresh shrimp dinner you need a strong light, and a net. We on the west coast use dip nets. A car head light hooked to a battery, I would get a spare one for your car and an extra boat or car 12 volt battery. The battery is heavy so if you are going out on the pier like Plaicda I would bring a cart. Use a two line Electric wire and tie one end to your light, wrap it in black plastic tape so the ends are covered the an Aluminum Pizza pan or even a tin foil cover so the light shines down, Not up into your eyes. The wire will hold the light If your are on a boat, you need a stick to hold the light over the water and away from the boast a couple of feet. The light shinning down into the water will attract the Shrimp to it and then you will simply dip them up and put them on ice in an ice chest with ice Even if it is cold out use ice to keep the Shrimp fresh. Shrimp laying on top of each other insulates them and they get hot and will go bad, So spread them out over the ice or better yet mix them in with the ice.
Brown Shrimp is what you will be catching yes the same shrimp you use for bait, brown shrimp coming from the Harbor do not have the iodine that the Pink shrimp or ones caught in the gulf will have So they are sweeter tasting, Yes quite Yummy. The Shrimping stays pretty good until at least the end of March. Every Pass from Venice to Punta rassa has Shrimp moving out each night. The best passes are Captiva and Boca Grande. Keep in mind Boca is not a place to Anchor your boat, for Shrimping where you need to anchor do it behind the Phosphate docks or close to shore. Never anchor in the middle of Boca Pass.
you need
to be in a pass or very near a pass, on a out going tide, So plan to be
there just before high tide So you have time to get set up and find a
good spot.
For Pier fishing Placida being so close to gasprila pass is a good
place. Lots of water flowing out.
Now consider how high the pier is off the water. If the handle on your
net is 6 or 8 foot it might make it to the water if you lay on your
belly. For the piers I suggest an 18 foot net, Figure 8 feet to the
water four feet to where you hold the net and the extra is for you to
reach out, this will give you a good chance at catching the ones right
at the edge of the light. From a boat a six foot to 12 foot net is fine
keep the
light close to the boat and you don't have to reach so far.
It is not allowed to drag a net for shrimp any more with out a special license. And hanging a net is difficult to keep up right way easier to just use a long handle dip net.
05/24/16
Tarpon season or should I say lack of Tarpon season,
This year we have seen a rise in people who had dreamed of Catching a
Tarpon for years coming to Charlotte Harbor to catch Tarpon, and a big
decrease in People who came regular each year for them.
The tarpon are here and the Fishing is been OK this year, There are
always 2 things the fishing and the Bite its self, or if you prefer the
Fishing and the catching. The going fishing part has been hampered by
winds and some rainy days over the last month, better weather in much of
the north and windy rainy weather here. The good part of that there is
almost always some where to hide in the vastness of Charlotte Harbor.
The Tarpon bite has been and continues to be mixed, luck is a huge
factor this year and the tarpon gods are sending their blessing more to
the beginner. Hook up after hook up to people who just put on a bait,
toss it out and wham Tarpon on! For us veteran anglers it has been more
of a struggle, Lures which is my way of Tarpon fishing had an up-set
last year and this year, the Rapala Sub walk has beaten the D.O.A. Bait
buster for number one hook up lure with tarpon. 2016 is the weird year,
weather politics, you name it weird. The D.O.A. Bait buster is still
strong and I doubt the Rapala thing will last, but for right now it is
king. Here is the catch to that, Anyone can use a bait buster, even if
all you do is cast it out and reel it in, It will give you a great
chance at hooking up a Tarpon. OK proper use of the bait buster is to
Cast it out let it sink and then big lift to the rod, slowly reel in
when the line tightens, again big lift to your rod tip. It is a lot of
work. I some times will just put the bait buster 6 feet below a bobber
set it over the side as it is too long to cast and then drive away from
it and just let the waves bounce it. So how ever you decide to use your
bait buster simple and easy and not expensive most often about $5.oo
Now the Rapala, is much more difficult, it is like using a top water lure below the water, yes you walk the dog with it. Waling the dog with a lure is like tapping your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. You have to keep the tip of your rod working side ways creating a jerking action while reeling in the slack at the same time. What this is about is as you jerk your rod tip side ways to the lure away might better describe it. Them move the tip forward you create slack them sharply jerk the line causing the front of the lure to be thrown to the side the nest jerk throws the front of the lure to the opposite side, which give the lure a slashing action. This making slack and whipping the line tight is hard to master. But once you understand it and get good it produces great action and fish fish have a hard time resisting it. When done on the surface with a Zara Spook or Skitter walk the walk the dog action, makes a lot of noise, splashing and bring a lot of attention to its self. Under water the walk the dog action with either a MirrOlure catch 2000 or with a Rapala Sub walk is a very noisy lure. The side to side action creates a tremendous disturbance and really gets the fishes attention. The Rapala Sub walk is the only one which is big enough to get the Tarpon to bite. The idea big bait big fish, if you use a smaller lure you will catch more but while you are fighting a Mackerel or what ever that could have been when the Tarpon you were waiting for hit.
This month is going to be the
Month of Big tarpon sighting of 175 or Larger fish are common, not so
much the hook up on these big fish, but spawn is going to settle down
and then the Tarpon will be hungry. And Hello hook up time.
A last word about the Rapala sub walk, it comes with two treble hooks,
you will want to flatten the barbs on the front treble hook, Yes crush
them flat. Then replace the back treble hook with a VMC single hook made
to replace treble hooks. You can not replace the front treble hook and
get the proper action from the lure, the lure is designed to have the
weight and the drag of the treble hook on the front, the rear hook is
not a problem to replace with a single hook and the lure will retain the
proper action. But after you flatten the barbs on the front treble it is
safer to use and believe it or not you will bet a much improved hook up
ratio.
Have fun the tarpon are up in the holes on the Harbor, and working the
beaches, all worth it to see 6 feet of glimmering sliver trying to jump
to meet the sun.
08/25/2016
To Fish or not to fish that is the question, weather it is nobler to
wait for cooler weather or to brave the heat of the summer. Good
question it is a summer time thing out there. Good news is that we have
a couple of morning that are not excessively hot. Almost comfortable and
such is September. September is the month we hope brings a bit of cooler
morning and milder night time temperatures.
Here is a brain tease do tropical storms help. As I write this there is
a tropical disturbance in the gulf and by the time you read this it will
be hopefully a distant memory like Storm What storm, Tropical storm are
the fall signal which helps bring a balance tot he temps mixing the
atmosphere and helps get rid of the stored up heat in the ground and the
water. At least in my mind, Years when we have had a fall with tropical
storms the fishing has gotten way better, much sooner that years with
out.
Now I had a fall where all I lost was my house, my store, and my
belongings so I understand what a storm can do, But I am not talking
hurricanes just a few days of heavy cloud cover, rain and wind. This can
bring down the temperature faster and flush out of the harbor many of
the summer time algae growth and restore a new heath and balance to the
Eco system of Charlotte Harbor.
Now by all
indicators the fishing should be horrible and it is not. It is really
pretty good, not great mind you but good and this month of September is
going to be much better. The river has fallen a foot a day for the last
week and the storm could bring water levels up for a final big flush
out. September has some good over night out going tides which will help
clean out the waters. The gulf temp is running about 4 degrees over
normal but a tropical system could drop that temp below normal in a
matter of days. Sharks are thick in front of Cape haze over to Bull bay,
The Pompano are in Boca and Captiva Passes, trout are just in-side the
bar on the east side,, And the Cobia are back.
Red fish are making a splash on the east and west sides of the harbor
and Bonita chunks are the bait of choice, OK yes I just said Bonita
chunks. That is a line I have never said 2016 continues to be the year
of the weird. But I thought about it and Bonita chunks are stinky,
bloody, nasty everything a Red Fish would love. So there ya go.
Tropical storms are head line news
but not all bad, unless they turn into a major storm, so while we need
to be wary of storms, but not afraid. My storm kit for real people, Buy
an extra battery for your car, and then go to an Auto parts store and
buy a cheap LED light from the clearance rack, attach an alligator clip
to each end. A normal car battery will run the led light a at least a
month, providing light in your house, and you need a battery any way.
Water is a problem a person needs to drink a gallon of water a day, So 4
people 4 gallons a week. You can fill the bath tub with water and I
would buy a water filter with a 1 micron filter, you can get them cheap
on line. And a solar charger for your phone. NO the phone will not work
but they have flash light apps. That will work. Possibly a gps that may
work. Then buy a Radio, with a hand crank charger AM & FM . AM signal is
the key AM broadcast and you can get a signal for info. Digital signals
are Very short range. Food I am a Mountain house food dealer, and
Consider a family of 4 for a week 2 meals a day, 4x2=8 x7= 56 x4= 224
meals a month. So I bought the cans of food, 10 meals each and the cans
are safe to eat for 40 years, here is the rub you have to add water, So
again a water filter, most water sources may still run even at a
trickle. But really not that safe to drink, filter it boil it than you
can cool to drink. Stocking up on D batteries and fish lights is a good
idea but a car battery can do so much more, storing 40 gallons of water
is a lot of space, think before you react to what you hear on T.V. The
sky is falling, be prepared. Every day.
Now that I have talked about fishing storms and the good and the bad. I
reflect that in every day it is the extremes which makes things bad, too
hot or too cold, too windy, too much talking and yelling, and not enough
listening and forgiving, This time of year is the start of the Florida
Fishing season, and it is looking like a much better year than last
year. So all ahead full steam. The Cobia have come back into the Harbor
and near gulf what an exciting time to be fishin in Florida
10/23/16
Well another month and this time of year we see the Air temperatures
fall and think wow the crappie or if you fish Salt water the Sheep head
should be biting. It take 4 times longer for water to heat or cool than
it will land and water is many times slower to heat or cool than air.
But lets use 4 times as a basis.
So 4 hours of night time cooling only has a 1 hour of effect on the
water and that will only go down a foot or so. The deeper the water the
more dense it is and again takes longer to cool. Surface to 2 feet is
about the same by the time you get to 6 feet it is twice as long to cool
or heat than the surface water so 8 times longer. So what does this mean
and why is it important, Well it might not be important but to effect
the fishing it would take 4 days of cool weather to drop the water temp
two feet below the surface. When over night the air temp could change.
So one cool day OK but we need four days of cool weather to bring on the
sheep head or Crappie Bite to full effect.
So lets say it does get cool enough to bring on the bite. For Sheep head
that will mean finding a pier or bridge to fish, although many docks the
more piling the better are just right for holding Sheep head.
The piling
are loaded up with barnacles and the sheep head have teeth which can
crush the out side of the Barnacle funny but they don’t eat the shell or
hard part they want the soft worm inside the barnacle. Yes inside the
hard outer crusty very sharp exterior of a barnacle is a worm. And often
even though the Sheep head like to eat them it is not the barnacles they
are after.
Picture all of those barnacles one after the other growing on a piling.
In-between each of them is a space like an apartment building for tiny
fish, Crabs, even Shrimp, Yes a multitude of tiny creatures live in
between the growing barnacle and oysters. Fish like sheep head and many
others glide up and down looking for a snack when one of these little
creatures gets caught UN aware.
So Favorite foods for sheep head including Sand fleas, Fiddler crabs or any tiny crab for that matter. Barnacle in-sides, Clam and Oyster meat. Shrimp Funny with shrimp they like it better if you peel the shell off like you would if you were going to eat it. You would think with the way they like crabs and such with the hard shell, they would prefer Shrimp with the outer shell, but nope peel the shrimp tail and you will catch more sheep head. Last bit on sheep head is that they can be caught on the bottom but they are not a bottom feeder or a surface feeder for that matter they like to feed in the middle. So I use where ever possible a 3 way rig. The sinker on the bottom with the hook and bait off to the side, and if I cast the rig I place a tiny bobber or float at the top of the rig to keep it off of the bottom. If I am on a pier I let the rig down until the weight is on the bottom and the hook is a foot or so off the bottom right next to the piling.
Just a bit
here for you Fresh water people, A little know fact Crappie in Florida
like Pepper trees. I am not sure way but I think it is because the limbs
and the roots make a tangle mess under the water where ever a pepper
tree is hanging over the water. I sort of reminds me of what an old
Christmas tree after the needles had fallen off would look like. And
that is what Crappie like heavy or tangled cover to hide and or spawn
in, when fishing a pepper tree I use a bobber for the Crappie because of
I cast a free line minnow into the branches it will tangle up and no way
to land the fish. I can float a minnow right up to the branches under
water and when the float goes down set and pull hard to have to get that
fish out of all of the tangles or lose what truly is one of the best
meals ever. Tasty just plain tasty. And to that off with for their size
a Crappie is a great fighter. #6 hook with a live minnow hooked just in
front of the eyes, I use a very skinny or to be exact a Quill float,
Quill floats get their name from the first ones were made from porcupine
quills. Ever once in a while I can still get the real quill bobbers.
The skinny style is great for Crappie as the float is very easy to pull
down and shows every movement the bait makes. It pints at the bait.
OK so that is a bit about the
weather and as the cool weather and water approaches that will trigger a
spawning season for both fresh water Crappie and the slat water sheep
head,
Good luck on your hunting and Wow the cool morning are just heaven,
Enjoy the Florida winter to
08/26/2015
Peace River We all know the Peace river is here, but do you know how
cool it is? Lets start at the 41 bridges. Now the real mouth of the
river is in a line from Ponce DE Leon park in Punta Gorda across to Hog
Island. So the Gilchrist bridges or 41 bridges as we call them are
really a little over 4 miles up river.
To get to where the river is fresh all year is about 17 miles up where
Horse Creek enters the Peace river
or 22 from the mouth of the river. I thought I would throw that in as I
get this question a lot, most people do not under stand the Peace river
is 104 miles long and in the past a Major trade route for goods, before
stage coaches and wagons, I guess I should say before roads, heavy goods
were transported by barges. Now we use interstate Hwy but back then a
lot easier to put a couple tons of stuff on a boat and push it.
Now lets get to the fishing, Snook fishing
can be done on most of the peace river, Zolfo Springs and Wauchula have
for part of the Year some very good Snook fishing. Even Tarpon can be
found up the River.
Back to a trip up the river, Starting at 41 you are in a full on Salt
water environment, as you pass the bridge for I-75 you are into a
Mangrove environment, still salt water now once you pass Harbor heights
you will see saw grass, This is where the transition starts, this is a
true brackish water environment. Now watch the shoreline as you head up
river at Harbor heights take the right fork and you will see the plants
are changing more ferns, and the trees are different the Mangroves thin
out and the Cypress tress begin to be more common, Watch Island 33 you
will know which one this is as the channel marks stop here, you have
been seeing the typical Red or green markers now in front of you is a
marker with red and green on it, half and half. That is the Charlotte
county line. And the channels markers stop here this is also the first
place with less than 4 feet of water, you have been over holes deeper
than 20 foot on your way here but in front of you is a shoal which
extends all the way across the main channel of the river and at high
tides there is 3 feet of water at lower tides less than 2. Now you can
take and go around the back side of island 33 and while there is not
much more water the bottom is soft and you will have no trouble making
it through. In front on the main channel the bottom is much harder and
may ding your prop. I always use the main channel as I run a flats boat
and only need a foot of water to run comfortable. Once you are past
island 33 hold to the out side bends of the river and there is not
really any shallow places, until you get past the camp ground. And that
is only shallow if you are not thinking out side of the bends, which
means you must picture in your head an “S” follow the curves,
The fish will also hold on these out side bends. Near the shoreline and
You could cast a lure like a Rat-L-trap or a Bomber at the shore or I
prefer to troll these bends in the River. These bends get deep quick and
it is a good idea to idle over a bend to see where the deep starts, Pick
a tree on the shore as your guide. When I troll I am less than 5 feet
from the bank so a certain tree is a good reference point to know where
the deep part of the hole is.
Now the only tricky turn is at the water treatment plant, you will be
running along and then find your self in a bay. The river had just taken
a hard right which you will not have seen and now you are in the bay
where we in Charlotte County get our drinking water from. I would take a
few minutes to fish here.
In the water treatment bay there are often tarpon, and the Snook tend to
lay up along the shore line on your right hand side, I like to anchor
out in the middle and try for some of the giant Gar fish which live here
not uncommon to find gar over 4 feet long. A shiner under a bobber with
a 4/0 wide gap/ Kahele hook is the trick to fishing for them or catching
them. If you are a Fly person, use a 2/0 hook with a piece of red
ribbon, I would make the ribbon at least 4 inches long, I like 6 inches
then I shred the last 3 inches. This works the gar go to attack the
ribbon and their teeth get stuck in the shredded part.
Now lets get back to the river come out of
the bay and make a hard left and around the island you will see the
bridge for hwy 761 go under the bridge and all the way to the left hand
shore line. There is a sand bar which comes off of the main channel of
the river, which is on your right, If you go straight ahead the Snook
fishing is great on the left hand bank but it is a dead end. Wait to
head up the river until to get right in front of the main channel coming
from the right, that will take you to the Fort Ogden trestle, where it
is deep and the fishing is good right around the pilings. You may only
get a little ways farther up river from here, take this next ½ mile slow
there is no deeper section, and often fallen trees in the water at or
near the surface. You will make a left turn and there is a nice beach
and some bug round Piling maybe, I am sure at some time long ago there
was a bridge or something here this is the mouth of Horse Creek ahead of
you there is what we call the narrows, great fishing for Snook, Bass,
Blue gills, even some times Red fish, the main channel of the river goes
off to your right but is really shallow less than a foot deep. This is
where I will stop as this is about where you need to stop, I have not
been up past this for a year so, I will make a run up there and then I
will continue our journey
to Arcadia and Points beyond as a last thought there is a great park in
Arcadia on Hwy 70 at the edge of town fishing is OK, for Snook and or
Bass, but a really nice park and a cool place to just check out by Car.
03/28/16
Tarpon the Silver King our Spring time visitors, Strange how we locals know when the Tarpon are here, the secret? Yellow butterflies, Yes the little white with a light bit of yellow color butterflies are the tell tale for Tarpon, and Guess what we see little Yellow butterflies now,
How can the tarpon react so fast? Be gone one day and here the next? Lets do some math, I know we told our teacher we would never use it but lets just try some basic math, The Keys where the tarpon “winter” are give or take 110 miles from Charlotte Harbor, so a Tarpon swimming at 5 m.p.h. Would be here in less than two days, 10 m.p.h. Same day. I get that question a lot how do the Tarpon know when to show up and how can they be here so fast or gone so quickly. Know you know and a Tarpon can swim much faster than 10 m.p.h.
In the 1980's until the late 1990's we could count on the Tarpon showing up by the 2nd week of May maybe before but for sure by then, Now it is not uncommon to have Tarpon in March. Dec of 2015 Boca Pass had a bunch of Tarpon in it. The water was 85 degrees. This brings us to how the Tarpon know when to show up. Believe it or not Tarpon do not carry smart phone with a calendar on it or appointment App. So it is the water temp which will send them traveling. Here to us or away,
Tarpon start showing up here, as the water reaches 73 degrees. The Harbor and passes are full of Tarpon by the time the water is 76 degrees. Now the is a caveat to this and that is will the tarpon stay here? This is the caveat, the deciding factor is there food here. Some times when the Tarpon show up it is before the bait fish, like Thread fin herring or white bait, Lady fish, Mackerel, Tarpon come for the water temp and the Harbor but they stay for the food. No food No Tarpon.
The is
another reason Tarpon show up here in Charlotte Harbor it is where they
like to spawn, Small Tarpon would not survive the open water of the Gulf
or Atlantic ocean. So until they get larger enough
they live here in our canals, creeks, rivers, where even a Small 2 foot
size tarpon is a big Fish already. That limits the fish which would
prey-upon them as Young fish.
The tarpon most of them come in from the South reaching Sanibel First while Some of the Tarpon come from the west or north the first ones here are from the keys. So the come in though Punta rassa Pass and head up the inter-coastal first major feed stop is Captiva Rocks. On the west side of the I.C.W. About mid way up pine island. Then it is into the Harbor, My favorite thing with tarpon is for a week they will stack up along the out side of the sand bar on the west side. Thousands of Tarpon all laying side by side in 6 feet of water. Slowing idling over those fish is an incredible sight, you just start to shake, something like buck fever takes a hold of you. Sadly they are almost impossible to get to bite.
Tarpon growing up here stay until they are almost 5 feet in length that is larger enough to travel the open waters of the gulf. What is weird is that every school of Small tarpon has a larger one 6 footer which stays with them all year, might be a baby sitter or maybe one too old to make the long journey from here to where ever. The tarpon here might be found in Mexico or in the northern Gulf states.
So getting to how to catch them, Live bait is the most common way to fish for tarpon Live bait fish like Thread fins or Greens backs free lined at the Tarpon, is always one of the most effective ways of hooking up. This requires casting a long way to get to the rolling fish. So most of us use an 8 foot heavy action Rod. Spinning tackle allows for more distance with the light weight bait fish. And the drags on the new spinning gears is more than equal to the task of stopping a 150 pound mad dashing, jumping fish.
Lures are
a must often for finding Tarpon and the D.O.A. Bait buster has been and
still is the king of tarpon hook ups, More fish are hooked up with a
bait buster than any other lure. A neat trick is on the choppy days
where it is hard to see the tarpon rolling Place a bait buster 5 feet
under a bobber and cast it out and the waves do the jigging for you.
Very very effective. Another new comer in the Tarpon lures but is a
rising star the Savage gear Trout 6 inch UN-real action weather you are
casting it or trolling it, It is called a Trout but looks way more like
a mullet than a Trout to me when it is in the water.
The Tarpon are here in the deep holes of the Harbor and in the passes
until may hits they will be moving from place to place a lot so you may
have to look for them but from now until September game on Tarpon wise.
Have fun
Fishin Frank
Each year we
have a Tent event sale, here at Fishin Franks were hundreds or thousands
of people come to meet the people who make the tackle and this event
draws some of the biggest names in the industry.
This year was no exception and it was a beautiful show. We try to make
this a learning experience for the beginner or average angler and
interesting enough for the professional, 2016 and El-nino tested the
metal of our guest customers and factory people alike at 1:pm it was
cloudy but the skies and the radar were angry that day, You all have
lived in Florida and know when a big front is coming right before the
rain hits the wind will blast down. And blast it did, the tents were
trying to fly and people grabbing the tents to hold them down and the
rain started coming down. I should have been paying attention to the guy
across the street building an Ark, My first clue over looked as the rain
continued many People headed in side the building, Mark Nichols the
owner/President of D.O.A. Lures went to get his rain gear, and Mark
found he had left it at home so grabbing a larger garbage bag cutting a
hole in the bottom put that on and while Mark was walking up the heavens
opened up. So here is Mark holding onto the tent leg so it would not fly
away wearing a plastic trash bag, grinning from ear to ear laughing
telling me this was the most fun tackle show he had ever been to. Class
act Mark Nichols, Eric of the President of MirrOlure is a bit better of
as his tent was against the building but the water was rising as it got
to his ankles he just smiled and shook his head like only you Frank.
The Prize for most understanding or maybe #1 nut goes to Patrick Sebile
whose tent collapsed just about 2 minutes after this picture was taken
and he was standing in almost knee deep water casting a lure across the
parking lot and just said this is cool I don’t have to use the casting
tank any more. Plenty of water here in the lot. Each company gets a
casting demo tank to show how the lures work so people who do not throw
lures can see it ion action. And Here is Patrick casting his Sebile
lures across the parking lot. By the way he sold a dozen or so of them
while casting them in the rain across the parking lot standing in knee
deep water during a thunder storm. Some time I think only at Fishin
Franks
Looking forward to the fishing this month with the water temps just a
little below average, the Fishing is going to be very good. For the past
couple months the fish seem to have been holding just out in the gulf.
Which is sort of weird with everything they should have been flooding
the Harbor, it could be the extra rain or the Lighting or just God of
the seas Poseidon messing with us.
This is not a bad thing as the fish are only 5 miles out you can still
see land and it is really no different than being in the middle of the
Harbor as far as distance from land. So even a Smaller boat can reach
the schools of Bonita, Black fin tuna, Spanish mackerel, Jacks, and a
host of other fish which are right out there for the catching. And the
big question how do you catch them. OK well I would consider trolling to
find the fish. Trolling a set of lures, can be the best way to find
fish. Most boats have 4 rod holders two on the stern and two more in
front of those. I have a couple of deep divers one that gose 20 feet
down and one that would go 15 feet down, these are not really to catch
fish more to attract fish, the ones I am going to use to catch are a
Storm twitch stik and a Rapala 08 X-rap,
these small lures will get hit by Kings up to 20 pounds and the Bonita
and black fin love them, another good bet is a skirted lure like a
Williamson, smaller versions with a skipping head or a popping head.
I will troll until I see fish Boiling.
Yes Often you can see the fish boiling the surface feeding, and go to
the school and cast the edge of the schools,, with small jigs or lures.
Small is the key thing to remember under 3 inches long like a Pompano
jig, or if I am casting spoons. I would switch from a sprite to a cast
master type. The Sprite style is great but the body of a ¾ once spoon is
too large, what the fish are feeding on are very small glass minnows and
you need to match that, The cast-Master type spoons are much smaller in
size and heavier. So a ¾ once is more the size of a ¼ once sprite, The
weight is key for getting the distance when casting, and the smaller
body style will sink a bit more. Letting you easy adjust the depth of
you lure. Good lures crank bait style or lures with a lip, would be the
X-rap 08 or 06. smaller but heavier for the size, I would also take a
Storm Twitch Stik, which would be the absolute largest lure I would
throw. Again it is about the lure looking like a glass minnow.
Never cast into the boiling fish, that would and could make them sound,
which means dive deep under water and they may not come up again, So
concentrate on picking off the ones on the out-side of the main school.
I would cast 3 feet or more to the side of the main school of fish
boiling and reel quickly, The fish are chasing frightened escaping prey.
Stopping or pausing for a second when retrieving then reeling quickly
again can be and often is key to getting the fish to hit. When a bait
fish is being chased they will stop for an instant to see where the fish
is that is chasing them and even if it still chasing them. Then dart off
in a new direction. Mimicking this make for more hook ups.
There is also a lot of bottom
fishing and you could drift or anchor up, so many choices. The one rule
when fishing off in the gulf be it far out or close in. Do not let a
storm get between you and the shore,
keep one eye on the weather, it is a simple rule, but harder to watch
for when you are fishing. And if you do get caught in a storm keep clam
and your bow up, Life jackets on. Better to be prepared, one weird wave
and I mean it is 1 in 100,000 that would cause a problem, But I hope for
the best and expect the worse.
Good luck out there have fun and be safe
02/10/2016
Snook or Snoek which is the Dutch word for Pike. From what I can find out. Who would have guessed there were that many of us Dutchmen here in South Florida to name a Fish?
Snook the trash fish which during the
depression were hooked by gaff and sold for Cat-food. And not until some
dumb Yankee filleted on removing the skin before cooking did anyone know
they were good eating.
Snook are only found in the warm waters and while they may be found
north of Tampa it is rare and a cold front could easily wipe them out. A
true Game fish in Florida and if you are convicted of a Snook crime it
is easier to get Murder off your record than a Snook crime.
How would you catch one, first thing I
would do is not think about the boat Snook are shore huggers until they
get to about 40 inches then many will cruise out to the reefs,
But for this we will think piers. Any pier that is in Salt water or
Brackish water. Snook are ambush feeder and like to lay around piling
waiting for food to come to them.
So Rod and reel for this I go Heavy 10 to 20 pound line class or better Yet a 12 to 15 pound class rod, 4000 or larger reel. I would like 30 pound braid or at least 20 pound mono line and for leader 40 pound test Fluorocarbon or more.
Rigging is simple I tie 3 feet of leader to my line and tie the jig head to the leader, the Jig head should be 3/8 once or heavier. I like Pink or bright Chartreuse colors. On the Jig head I hook a shrimp place the jig head in from the bottom of the head out the top So the hook is right above the horn on the shrimps head. The point of the hook pointing the same way as the horn o the Shrimps head. Then I break off the Horn from the Shrimps head. I do that because I have had a Snook on great fight then all of a sudden the fish got off and when I looked at the bait. The front of the Shrimps face was smashed and the horn was sticking out, I believe that the horn kept the point of the hook from going into the mouth of the Snook. So I break off the horn just to be sure.
Now how to use this rig is easy. Take your
bait bucket onto the pier maybe 10 feet set it down and put the shrimp
on the Jig head. Now you will want to start by going to the railing and
place your rod just over the side. Tipping in the direction you are
going to walk. So out towards the end of the pier. Now let the jig head
with the shrimp fall to the bottom by opening the Bail. When the jig is
on the bottom close the bail and slowly tighten the line by reeling in
the slack line. Now lift your rod tip 6 inches and start slowly walking
forward. By Slowly I mean if it is a wooden pier step on each board. If
you are on a concrete pier, I would take half steps. This is a quiet
thing walking a Shrimp for Snook so soft soled shoes are important, no
flip flops either.
If there is people on the pier walking it is not as important as the
fish are used to the noise already, But if there is no one on the pier
quiet is really, really important.
I start my walk when I get on the pier with 10 inches of water if the pier is in deeper water start right next to the pier. By walking with half steps and I bounce my rod tip every once in a while just to give it a little action and noise or ripple under water for attention. Now here is another important thing thing I stop very 15 feet or so and again open my bail to let the jig head with the shrimp hit the bottom take up the slack in the line and then once again l lift my rod tip 6 inches and star my walk again this keeps the Shrimp in the strike zone, as the water gets deeper out the pier and when walking back to shore keeps your Shrimp from dragging on the bottom.
The Snook will by laying right next to a piling and when they strike your bait will try to get right back to behind the piling so the fight will take place in a five foot circle. That is why the heavy action Rod. You lull the Snook pulls, whoever pulls the hardest wins. This is not a play the Snook situation, This is all about holding on and keeping the fish between the pilings.
Walk out on one side of the pier and back down on the other. If there is someone fishing, life your bait out go around them give them ten to fifteen feet of courtesy room. Hey they have the right to fish unmolested same as you.
From Fishin Franks in North fort Myers in the Ingman Marine Boat dealer
ship
Good luck
Fishin Frank
07/12/2016
I
cast is the national trade show of the fishing industry and a new line
of lures is out and in stock here at Fishin Franks. I am going to write
about this as I had a lot of input with Rapala on bring this lure to
market. It is time and I believe you will see many, many copies of this,
lure from Rapala as you might have guess and it is single hook lures,
The standard of fishing lures has been treble hooks, back in the 1950's
and 60's lures had from 2 to 9 treble hooks on them, five and six treble
hooks were common it got to the point that many states had lints on how
many treble hooks could be on a single fishing lure.
Now a days two or three treble hooks are common.
In the modern world of educated anglers, we have figure out that a
single rear hook gives you a better hook up ratio than all of those
treble hooks. Now these lure have been specially designed for a single
hook in the front and back of the lures. The black, white and orange
lure you see herein the picture is a remake of the Ralapa twitch lure,
they tried to just replace the trebles hook but when a lure is designed
it is made with the weight and the water resistance of the treble hook
figured into the action, So you can not just replace your treble hooks
on your lures and still have them work properly. You can replace just
the rear treble hook and the lure will work as well and you still get
the better hook up ratio of the single hook by removing the rear treble
hook and replacing it with a VMC “ILS” model in line hook. A normal hook
has the eye at a 90 degree to the shank and these VMC hook are made to
hang they way they should on a lure. Now I would flatten the barbs on
the front treble hook which you must leave on as you do not need the
barbs 95 % of the fish will be on the rear single hook, and it is safer
is there are no barbs on the front treble for your fingers.
Rapala did
an excellent job on these single hook lures and there are more style and
shapes than I took pictures of these are two I really wanted the twitch
lure is perfect for the flats or even schoolly bass,
It will work great in 2 feet of water or less on the flats for Snook,
Sea Trout or Red fish. But letting it sink a bit and holding your rod
tip low to the water you can get it much deeper.
The other is a “Sub-walk” you use it like a Zara-Spook but under the
water not on top. Just deadly.
Hats off to Rapala for a more fish and user friendly lure. Hummm I am
not sure of a lure that works this good and tricks so many fish into
biting it is fish friendly? But it is a much safer for the fish and
safer for my fingers lure and we have had. Oh and did I mention we have
them on the wall, for sale even.
well another month of strange goings on in the Harbor
The Thread fins seems to have left
the Harbor and not is not really unusual as the water is hot and fresh,
with the rain and the rivers running normal type thing what makes a
weird thing is the white bait has moved in, White bait is a hard scaled
sardine common name would be green backs.
OK I know both the thread fin herring which is a soft scale sardine and
the greens backs both have green backs. So how do you tell the
difference, well the Thread fin has a bright green back with little
black dots, and a long protrusion or I guess I should say the rear of
the dorsal fin extends with what looks like a long thread towards the
tail. And being a soft scale sardine when you pick up a Thread fin in
your hand, your hand is cover in tiny fish scales. Where as when you
pick up a real green back “Hard scale" sardine there is no scales
falling off. The with bait or green back is also much heavier twice the
weight of a Thread fin, and rounder of body. The back is a darker shade
of green almost black. That should give you an idea of why so many lures
are green back with a white belly.
Why would the green backs come into the Harbor if the Thread fins are
leaving? Well they do have different habits The Thread fins like to be
close to the surface, when you cross a bridge you may often see schools
of bait which looks like small spot of rain hitting the water right on
the surface. Green backs prefer to hug the bottom, I believe that is the
difference. The River has slowed down and is back to around 600 cubic
feet per second. So the water in the Harbor while still very dark brown
is not fresh all the way to the bottom.
10/09/2016
Fishin Frank – North Fort Myers. And Charlotte Harbor
This is a
tough one Red tides all through October and a Hurricane blew by. Add all
this up and you get. A November which could go either way. The west
winds of the bottom of Mathew blew the Red tide on to the beaches and
into the ICW along much of the shore lines. While the interior of
Charlotte Harbor remained unaffected by the Red tide as the Rivers were
pumping millions of gallons of fresh water into the Harbor and Red tide
needs salt water to live, the Red fish were one of the biggest losers of
the Red tide. The big adult breeders were heading into the Harbor just
as the Red tide was at it's worst. While I can tell you more survived
than were killed judging by the schools of monster red fish in the
Harbor along the bars on the east side and in front of Turtle Bay. Big
number of spawning fish did die.
What will that mean? Well we will find out in about two years. We had a
bad year last year with lower than normal numbers of Red fish, this year
right now we have a huge population of Reds in the Harbor.
So if the fishing for Red fish two years from now is not that great we will know than why.
Snook continue to be the game fish all over the Harbor even right now with massive numbers of Red fish, Snook dominate the catching in the canals and from the Piers. Tarpon are a common catch right now as well, thousands of the Silver kings are feeding in the canals. The cool thing about this is both tarpon and the Snook will eat lures or bait, Snook are by far the easier ones to catch. A storm twitch or a bomber lure long a 15, even the Paddle tail shads are making the Snook for get caution and strike the lures with a vengeance.
The difference between the Snook fishing and the Tarpon fishing is the Snook are right under the docks and within two feet of the sea wall. Where as the Tarpon are more of a middle of the canal fish. So cast the same lures under the docks and then right along the Sea wall. After a few cast if you do not get a strike. Cast out towards the middle of the canal. When I cast for the tarpon I try to get the lure lower in the water more towards the bottom. If I am casting a paddle tail or jig, I will let it sink for a 3 second count before I start reeling in, this allows the lure to get deeper in the water holding my rod tip close to the water so while I reel in, I am not reeling the lure up as well as in. For the Snook it does not seem to matter so I can stay a bit higher less chances of getting the lure stuck on debris. So I will start reeling as soon as the lure hits the water keeping my rod tip up 4 feet from the surface of the water. This makes the lure come in just under the surface, and Snook love to hit up. The Jaw of a Snook is designed better for striking at food while it is in front of its face or higher up. Same for a Tarpon both fish can and do feed off of the bottom, but the shape of their jaws and where their eyes are it is easier for them not to feed on the bottom. Much different than a Red Fish whose is built for bottom feeding.
November should be a good month for bottom
fishing in the gulf, after a storm the Grouper come in closer to shore
and the Snappers will be closer as well. The Bonita and King mackerel
are here for the month unless we get a major cold spell, which is
unlikely. Mahi and Wa-hoo have both been off our coast. Now will the Red
tide last and how can you avoid it, keep moving, and watch where the
wind is coming from a switch in the wind will move the Red Tide. Just a
week ago a guy asked me about the Red tide and it was very near shore
and did not go out more than a couple miles, the wind over night
switched from West to the coming out of the east and the red tide was
extended out to 15 miles over night. So winds out of the west blow to
the Red Tide to shore on this coast and easterly winds blow it out into
the gulf. Another thing to keep in mind is that Red tide may not go all
of the way to the bottom.
Often in more than 30 feet of water the surface or near surface water is
deadly to fish with high concentrations of the algae, But the fish on
the bottom are not effected at all.
Anyway best bets for this month is stay in the brown back waters of the
Harbor for some great action with Snook and Red fish or in the Canals
for Snook and Tarpon. If you are going out into the gulf you may have to
put some miles between you and shore to avoid the Red tides. But I pray
they are gone.
Fishin Frank
Fishin Franks
Bait
& tackle
4425-D Tamiami Trail Charlotte Harbor Fl. 33980
941-625-3888
Fishin Franks
Tackle
Shop
14531 N.
Cleveland Ave. Ft. Myers, 33903
239-634-1043
12/10/2016
OK lets talk where to go fishin I think as this is the first Month of
the year lets start off in the gulf.
Grouper and Snapper King mackerel and many more type of fish to be had
and here is a spot not too far off the coast. It is an old Barge that
sunk 10.3 miles from Boca pass really a bit closer to Captiva Pass.
I would take two different types of Rod and reel set ups the 1st
would be a 30 size two speed conventional with a 6 foot rod maybe a bit
shorter and stout, with 65 to 80 pound test braid and 6 once sinker with
a 60 pound floro carbon leader I tie on a 7/0 Circle hook VMC makes a
good one. From the hook to the swivel I like about 3 feet of leader more
or less is OK, I use a 150 pound test AFW Swivel I don't want shiny I
like the dull finish, if I use a shiny black or Silver colored Swivel
when I am fighting a fish other fish see the shiny thing and try to eat
it, which often means they will bite through my fishing line. So dull
finish is better for this. The swivel is used to keep the sinker and I
use an egg sinker 6 once slid on to my line before I tie on the swivel
Keeps the weight away from my hook.
For bait on this set up I like frozen Spanish sardines not too expensive
and they really catch fish. Why because they are stinky soft oily nasty
bait which everything likes to eat. One problem with Spanish sardines is
that they are difficult to keep on the hook and tend to fall off if you
are not really gentle, So I use a trick to keep them on the hook, I lay
a whole Squid on its side then slice a cross section of it maybe ½ inch.
The piece I cut when held up looks like a circle or thick rubber band.
Now I take that and put it over the head of the Sardine and put the hook
through the Squid and through the sardine coming out the other side and
through the squid again making a keeper for the bait the hook is through
both and the Squid is really tough and so the sardine stays on the hook.
And I catch fish.
Now for the snapper I tend to use spinning tackle A 50 or 60 size reel
with a 6 to 6'6” rod and 30 or 40 pounnd test braided line, with a 2
once sinker then tie the line to your swivel and again leave about 3
feet of 40 pound test floro leader to a 2/0 circle hook. This is my
Snapper rig and for bait I put on a chunk of Squid which does work well,
But I find that the fish prefer Shrimp Live shrimp have always seemed to
be the best bait for Snappers and grunts but the fish will steal them
right off your hook So again I go back to the Squid, Cut a thin slice of
Squid and put that on the hook then Put the live shrimp on hooked
through the head. The fish will whack the Shrimp and maybe get away with
it with out being hooked. So if you feel the bite and miss the fish let
it fall back down a bit and wait the fish will come back for the Squid
which is still on the hook and tap tap tap of the bite and start reeling
you got it, this time.
I
understand you can use the sardine with out the squid collar, or just
the shrimp with out the Squid back up or just a squid alone is very good
bait, and if I am going after big fish with squid I use it whole and put
the hook through the pointy end twice to keep it on and let the
tentacles hang, this is a very good way when I first drop a bait down I
like to use larger baits to see if the big fish will hit, once you get
things going the smaller fish are quicker and more aggressive So even
though the large fish are there they are not as quick as some of the
smaller one.
As a last thought when I come up to a place in the gulf to bottom fish I
get close to the mark and then stop the boat and turn the wheel hard to
the left and then put the boat back 9in gear and slowly circle watching
the bottom machine for signs of structure, as when a see something I
toss a buoy over the back of the boat so I have a point to reference, a
G.P.S. Is almost impossible to get right back on the spot a buoy gives
you something to see. I would say the only other thing not to do is fall
in love with where you drop the anchor. I try to anchor on my buoy and
if I miss I might try and fish for a while but in the gulf if you are
off a few feet you might as well be a mile away, So re-anchor to get on
the spot meaning on the fish, Good luck out there and I hope you enjoy
this spot
Barge wreck 10.3 miles off Boca on a heading of 226 degrees and it is in
48 feet of water,
for your G.P.S 26-26.755N and 082-22.755W
Fishin Frank
Fishin Franks
14531 N. Cleveland ave 33903 In North Fort Myers 239-634-1043
or the
Fishin Franks experience in Port Charlotte.
06/13/2016
Looking forward to the fishing this month with the water temps just a
little below average, the Fishing is going to be very good. For the past
couple months the fish seem to have been holding just out in the gulf.
Which is sort of weird with everything they should have been flooding
the Harbor, it could be the extra rain or the Lighting or just God of
the seas Poseidon messing with us.
This is not a bad thing as the fish are only 5 miles out you can still
see land and it is really no different than being in the middle of the
Harbor as far as distance from land. So even a Smaller boat can reach
the schools of Bonita, Black fin tuna, Spanish mackerel, Jacks, and a
host of other fish which are right out there for the catching. And the
big question how do you catch them. OK well I would consider trolling to
find the fish. Trolling a set of lures, can be the best way to find
fish. Most boats have 4 rod holders two on the stern and two more in
front of those. I have a couple of deep divers one that gose 20 feet
down and one that would go 15 feet down, these are not really to catch
fish more to attract fish, the ones I am going to use to catch are a
Storm twitch stik and a Rapala 08 X-rap,
these small lures will get hit by Kings up to 20 pounds and the Bonita
and black fin love them, another good bet is a skirted lure like a
Williamson, smaller versions with a skipping head or a popping head.
I will troll until I see fish Boiling.
Yes Often you can see the fish boiling the surface feeding, and go to
the school and cast the edge of the schools,, with small jigs or lures.
Small is the key thing to remember under 3 inches long like a Pompano
jig, or if I am casting spoons. I would switch from a sprite to a cast
master type. The Sprite style is great but the body of a ¾ once spoon is
too large, what the fish are feeding on are very small glass minnows and
you need to match that, The cast-Master type spoons are much smaller in
size and heavier. So a ¾ once is more the size of a ¼ once sprite, The
weight is key for getting the distance when casting, and the smaller
body style will sink a bit more. Letting you easy adjust the depth of
you lure. Good lures crank bait style or lures with a lip, would be the
X-rap 08 or 06. smaller but heavier for the size, I would also take a
Storm Twitch Stik, which would be the absolute largest lure I would
throw. Again it is about the lure looking like a glass minnow.
Never cast into the boiling fish, that would and could make them sound,
which means dive deep under water and they may not come up again, So
concentrate on picking off the ones on the out-side of the main school.
I would cast 3 feet or more to the side of the main school of fish
boiling and reel quickly, The fish are chasing frightened escaping prey.
Stopping or pausing for a second when retrieving then reeling quickly
again can be and often is key to getting the fish to hit. When a bait
fish is being chased they will stop for an instant to see where the fish
is that is chasing them and even if it still chasing them. Then dart off
in a new direction. Mimicking this make for more hook ups.
There is also a lot of bottom
fishing and you could drift or anchor up, so many choices. The one rule
when fishing off in the gulf be it far out or close in. Do not let a
storm get between you and the shore,
keep one eye on the weather, it is a simple rule, but harder to watch
for when you are fishing. And if you do get caught in a storm keep clam
and your bow up, Life jackets on. Better to be prepared, one weird wave
and I mean it is 1 in 100,000 that would cause a problem, But I hope for
the best and expect the worse.
Good luck out there have fun and be safe
09/16/2016
Just to get ahead Fishin Frank
The Most
famous Trash fish in Florida, The racing mullet, soap fish, Yes the
Robalo, Sargent fish, Snook Yes this was a trash fish which grew through
the ranks all because some dumb Yankee tourist decided one day the
fillet one. OK strange thought and not provable but up north people
fillet Walleye, and most fish where people in the south cooked them
whole and many countries still today gut the fish and cook them whole on
the skin, I was at a dinner in central America where the honored guest
was the lucky one who got to eat the eye balls, OK by U.S. Standards
gross, but to them it was real and offensive not to accept and I did
with the best fake smile I could muster, Snook has a strange thing
chemical or something between the skin and the meat so if cooked with
the skin on gives the meat the wonderful flavor of dish soap. Yes while
not exactly like taking a swig of the Dawn bottle on the sink pretty
close. Snook during the depression was sold as cat food and that was
kind of easy to catch, a stick with a gaff hook and stand by a culvert
pipe and snatch them out of the water. It was in the late 1940's 46 I
believe the first fishing laws were created and in1957 that the first
Snook laws were enacted, Florida after WWII became a tourist state South
Florida had something no one else had, A monster in shore Game fish that
Jumped, pulled and was excellent table fare “really taste good”. The
Snook could be caught from piers, bridges, or from a boat, the perfect
game fish.
Side note it is harder to get a Snook violation removed from your record
than attempted murder, yes this fish was so prized by early fishing
guides, the laws are very strong. A Snook must bite the hook, you can
not reach into the water and pick one out to keep, Here is why, when the
water temps hits 60 degrees the Snook become lethargic, and stops
eating, Snook start to die if the water temp is below 54 degrees and is
deadly at 42 degrees, So Tampa is the far north of the Snook range, That
is why there is no Snook Tournament trail fishing. Red Fish are in all
of the Gulf states and up past the Carolina s.
Snook are a South Florida and there is no more until you get to south
Texas. Snook range from south Texas to Brazil after that it gets too
cold again, so a real temperate zone fish, Like Goldie locks not too hot
or too cold.
The other great thing about Snook
is that they hit lures or bait, and as a shore hugging fish may be
caught from land, Jigs, Spoon, crank baits, soft plastics, the only lure
I have not caught a Snook on is a Erie dearie. Jitter bugs to hula
poppers to Sabile lures old or new Snook like them all.
Snook are strange in that after the spawning season which for most Snook
on the west coast is May and June, but could start April and go on
through October, many of the males which are sexual active at around 18
inches might turn female, yes in the span of 90 days a male Snook could
turn female Not all Snook turn female which by reason not all big Snook
are female although most are, the problem is that there is no way to
tell the difference between male and female Snook they are
hermaphrodites all of their lives they are a bit of both ale and female,
How do they test which are which? Spawning season the females have eggs
and the males sperm. And they are different colors, So to test the
theory about the male to female they placed a bunch of fish in a test
tank and over the course of 90 days many of the males turned to female.
I would have thought it would take longer? Seems like a bigger deal than
a 90 day switch over but oh well,, Another cool thing if a bunch of
females get together and there are no males around several may turn
male. Sounds an awful lot like a San fransisco thing to me. Too much?
Any way A female Snook caries around a million and a half eggs and may
spawn with several males every few days. The Largest Snook was caught in
Costa Rica over 53 pounds, the Florida record I believe is 48 pound-ish
OK the BIG Final question why are they named Snook! And it is really
pronounced Sn-oook with an oouk after years of people coming down from
the land of Chinook the tone changed so why Snook from the Dutch name
for Pike Snoek miss spelled and there you have Snook my fore father or
mothers are responsible for the name. Hey with a last name Hommema I had
to be Dutch.
Thanks for your time have fun and go eat the best tasting in-shore game
fish of all a Snook or just catch and release and let your heart pound.
P.S. I am of the belief we should not be able to keep a Snook under 39
inches as a male Snook lives about 15 years and a female maybe 20 lets
not take the young and strong we should be taking the older ones. Just a
Thought, How cool would it be to be catching and releasing 38 ¾ inch
Snook all day rather than 25 inch Snook, let them all get through the
Slot.
Fishin Frank
01/11/2017
Boys and Girls of Fish world lots of great things happening Big, Yuge,
things. Goliath Grouper “Jew” Fish are biting in the canals and in the
passes, these monster fish which can reach 8 feet long and 700 to 800
pounds are cooperating well. Goliath Grouper are one of a couple types
of Grouper which grow up in the Shallow water of the mangrove trees than
as they get larger move out towards the gulf to live there.
It was not too many years ago we first started finding/catching in our
canals these small grouper looking fish, some less than 6 inches long,
these fish which were Brown and with or red, or maybe yellowish and dark
with spots, I took quite a while to figure out what type of Grouper they
were, this was just before the internet and back then you had to use
dial up. Let your parents explain that. Be, boop. whirl, had to throw
that in for us old timers. Finally a book and it was the round fins of
the Goliath which made the I.D. Possible. Males we would learn take 5
years or so to become able to spawn and Females about 6 years and maybe
Goliath turn male to female or maybe not. What I do know or think I know
is that they like to live once they are about 6 or so inches in the
canals. And they stay in the canals until they are about 50 pounds just
before they get 4 feet long these Grouper seem to move out of the canals
and out to the passes. Boca Grande Pass is the preferred pass as the old
Phosphate dock has lot of heavy cover for them and they like having a
home. Open sand bottom is not where they like to be.
The difference
between fishing for Snook and Goliath Grouper in the canals is the time
you spend waiting with your bait under the docks. Both fish like to live
under docks and If I am fishing in the canals I use a chunk of Mullet or
lady fish with a large enough hook to hook the bait and have the point
of the hook far enough out to hook the fish. If I am trying to catch a
fish like this I flatten the barb on the hook as I know it is catch and
release. Casting the chunk or bait under the dock as center as possible
then it is a waiting game. Studies have shown much to my surprise that
Goliath Grouper do not reduce the fish populations on the reefs like I
and many other people would have thought because they are lazy. Most of
their diet is crabs, shrimp things that they can just gulp down with out
a lot of chasing, I add this so you would under stand a Snook is a top
predator and will and does chase down it's food. Goliath will tend to
meander over to the food, not run over to get it. So the waiting game is
on.
Out by the Phosphate dock at Boca Pass the technique is a bit strange
You need a boat to get here on the out side of the piling is where we
look for these giant fish to play with or at the large round tie up
bumper. Either one How we do it is to use a 2 or 3 pound fish with a
13/0 hook or larger with 200 pound test leader, sometimes I use a 10
once sinker slid onto the line before the hook. Big rod I like the Bill
fisher 80 to 130 pound class and an International reel 50 with 100 pound
mono on it. The Angler / fisher person sits in the front of the boat and
the operator of the boat put the nose of the boat up bu the dock. Drop
the bait to the bottom and as soon as the rod person feels the fish bite
the boat is put in reverse and that helps pull the fish away from the
liking and into more open water, this has to happen before the fish
figures out what you are trying to do and decides to pull back. The
driver of the boat never leaves the helm. As that fish is going to try
and pull it back to the dock. So have back up people for the person on
the rod, a 300 pound fish mad at you is going to really fight. Now at
this point it is simple you pull the fish pulls who ever pulls the
hardest wins. If the person operating the boat and the person on the rod
work together you should be successful. Team work the Rod person gets
the glory and the boat operator gets yelled at if the fish gets back
into the pilings. Hummm So remember to congratulate the boat person as
well when the fish is landed and the pictures taken.
Just though I would share a little of the unusual things that are
possible here in Charlotte Harbor
From North fort Myers
Fishin Frank
01/05/11
Sunday we said a last good bye to
Angel during an on the water ceramony, It was very nice around 30 boats showed
up
The weather was cold & windy, Jeff was taking waves over the bow. So 30 somthing
boats was a lot.
Angels family all got to be together on the boats we rafted up, & Jeff dropped
flowers up currant from the family,
Then all the boats did a final pass by salute to Angel. A fitting tribute for a
good friend.
I spent the weekend at Arcidia
days, Got to ride an Elephant, and watch the Frisbe dogs perform.
Lot of good bands Dixie Highway was great, I over ate both days the food was
good. lots of work over 100
vendors and 6 bands, plus lots of other stuff, It was my Job to get everyone
where they were supposed to be and get them what they needed
So I was busy. Did I mention I rode an Elephant how cool was that.
Billy B. was out today said the
rat reds are all over the place. they caught a couple of Sheep head along the
mangroves
and had a good time with the trout on the open flat just north of Prirate
harbor.
01/05/11
Some of the better fishing right
now by reports is in gasprilla sound Catfish creek ,
whidden creek for big trout and bull & Turtle bay For Reds,
lots of small Reds but thats a good thing, means there is a real furture for
them.
remember the in-line cricle hooks for those little bait gulpers
01/02/11
Two guys just came in for thier
2nd 3 dozen shrimp, P.G.I. canals
Trout sre biting live shrimp with a very small split shot. or just freeline,
cast wait for it to sink stay sharp it is a lite bite you have to be ready
or the Trout get a free lunch.
Hot lures ,for a great day Trout
fishin
mirrorlure 17MR,
Love
lures tandum jigs Pink or white,
D.O.A.
terror eyes, Red head / white, or black back with belly,
Maverick golden eye 222 red /wth , This oldie but goodie making big comeback
this year, which is nice to see as they are made in The U.S.A. "I like
that".
Trout in front of bull small but
lots of them,
over by the three sisters flats and the back of devil fish cut bigger Trout but
not as many.
Sand fly has had trout around the I/C side ,
Nice Trout mixed sizes from alligator creek down to Pirate Harbor,
Inside Pirate Harbor lots of Small trout.
Redfish , Turtle bay back in the holes and out front by Gallergers lots of reports of 6 to 30 fish for the day ,
08/19/2011
Robert has actually taken the last couple of Fridays off for some well deserved
R & R and gone fishing. Today he is off to a reptile show. In his
words, "Theoretically he should be here next week." Time will tell.
7/29/2011
The summer sun is really heating things up out there. That along with all the
fresh water running out of the Peace and Myakka rivers is pushing the
fish down the harbor further where there's a better exchange with the saltier
and slightly cooler waters of the Gulf. If you really think you have to
fish the upper end of the harbor the best thing I can tell you is that its
pretty inconsistent unless you're fishing for tarpon. They're moving into the
holes and around the bridges at night and of course you have the juveniles up in
the PGI canals. Other than that your best fishing is going to be in
the ICW/Pine Island sound area, unless you're heading out for some off
shore fishing. Red grouper are on hard bottom and structure from 8 to about
15 miles. Lots are small but there are enough keepers there to make it
worthwhile. Take lots of bait, squid, sardines, shrimp, pinfish, and believe it
or not, night crawlers. They're eating just about anything you drop down. Some
chicken dolphin out there close, but you need to get out around the
50 mile plus mark to get on the bigger ones and the black fin tuna.
7/22/2011
Glass minnows and ladyfish, along with a few bluefish, have moved into the
harbor in really good numbers. That means the tarpon are with them,
but they're just not showing themselves a whole lot yet. They're scattered from
Cape Haze to the mouth of the Myakka. Threadfins, pin fish, and
ladyfish are your best baits. No, there's nothing you can do to avoid the
catfish that will eat those also, so be ready to get slimed. Have a pole rigged
for pitching to the cobia that will swim up to you. Offshore fishing has been
great. Dolphin up to 15 pounds, but mostly small, from 12 to 30 miles
and the further out you go the more consistent it gets. A few kings and black
fins at 30 to 50 miles. Grunts and mangrove snapper are doing well at
10 to 15 miles in 60 to 65 feet of water. Inshore, go early or stay home. Frozen
shrimp, cut bait up under the bushes and be ready to wait. And yes,
the live shrimp are still small.
7/15/2011
Lots of changes happening out there in the harbor now that both rivers have
water flowing out of them in more than a trickle. I'm not a big fan of
fishing around tides, but for the next 3 months, especially in the middle to
upper end of the harbor, the incoming tide is much better. That incoming
tide will bring in cooler, saltier water which is what the fish will be looking
for. Glass minnows, small greenbacks, and threadfins have been showing up
in good numbers the last couple of days which means the smorgasbord is open.
Lots of ladyfish, Spanish mackerel, occasional blue fish, small sharks,
and tarpon are starting to move into the harbor , mostly between marker 5 and
Boca Grande, and they're all chasing the bait. It should only get better
here over the next few weeks. Mangrove snapper have started showing up all over
the passes and inside too. Nothing huge but there are some nice ones
in the mix. The nice snapper are out on the near shore reefs along with the
grunts and Spanish mackerel. Small dolphin, sails, blackfins, and the occasional
wahoo are at about 30 miles. This is the primetime for offshore because the seas
are relatively calm except for the thunderstorms that roll through and stir
things up. The reds and snook are out there, but if you're not getting under the
bushes you're probably not going to do real well. The shrimp are tiny so
don't be afraid to use the frozen shrimp and cut baits. The main thing is slow
presentation. Too hot for those fish to get real excited about chasing food.
Again, make sure you stay well hydrated out there too. Heat stroke is not one of
those things that you want to get the t-shirt for.
7/08/2011
Well, it has been a rather wet and soggy week to sat the least. We needed the
rain to get things going on land and in the harbor, but enough is enough.
As usual, its the same old same old, your better fishing is going to be closer
to the intercoastal, and the shrimp are going to be small for the next 3 or
so months. Your bigger reds and snook are down in the Pine Island area and some
nice fish also around Whidden and Catfish Creeks. White bait is
the best way to go but frozen shrimp is a good second choice. Yes, the fish will
eat the frozen shrimp, so quit whining and try it, you might be surprised.
Snook are stacked out along the beaches, and since they're still closed,
we're not passing along any secret tricks for getting them. Tarpon are all over
the beaches and passes with a few fish up inside the harbor. The one good thing
about the rain is that it should start moving them up into the harbor.
We'll just have to wait and see. Offshore wasn't the best place to be this past
week, but there were a few brave souls that ventured out to the near shore
reefs. They were rewarded with some decent mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel,
and grunts. Also some fairly large flounder which is not all that
common in our area. We'll see how things go this next week with all this rain.
Its bound to change things up out there. Don't forget its hot out there
so make sure you stay well hydrated and Fido too if you take him along.
7/01/2011
As you can see I wasn't here last week. Actually took the day to try to go
tarpon fishing, but the weather didn't cooperate. Nice scenery from the
Placida wharfs at the Fishery restaurant though. Well its finally raining and
the water temps have actually dropped a full 2 or 3 degrees. This should
do a lot of good things for the bite out there. We should start seeing an influx
of fish into the harbor, such as Spanish mackerel, tarpon, cobia, and
bait fish. As far as right now is concerned, tarpon are stacked along the beach
and passes with a few in the intercoastal. Spanish mackerel and mangrove
snapper are on the near shore reefs. A few small sharks and Spanish mackerel on
the inside with a few cobia mixed in, mainly around the markers.
Look for the fishing to get better throughout the coming week with the rainfall
we've been getting. Everybody have a safe and happy Independence
Day week-end.
6/17/2011
Thank you everyone for making the 26th year of Fishin Franks shark, sail cat and
sting ray tournament a huge success. A good time was had
by all (especially the winners). A huge thank you to Frank and Terry for making
it all happen. Tarpon fishing should be improving this week
now that we've had a little bit of rain and the hill tide is over. Start looking
for a lot more fish to start moving up into the harbor and out onto
the beaches and into the passes. Crabs are still working better than the
threadfins and both are working better than any artificials right now.
Look and be ready for cobia while you're out there. They're showing up
everywhere out there right now, from the middle of the harbor all the
way up to the 41 bridges. Take some frozen sardines and shrimp with you to start
off with but try to get a live whiting for better results. Hogy
eels are a good choice for an artificial to throw at them. We need a little more
rain to get all the fish turned on out there. The full moon this month
and next month are going to be the best times for fishing the snapper on the
near shore reefs as they'll be out there spawning. The redfish bite has
been on and off but they are out there. There have been some decent reds taken
up close to the north end of the harbor but the big boys are further
down the harbor. They have been taking white bait pretty consistently but will
still eat a shrimp if you put it out there. Snook are just about any
and everywhere you fish out there except for maybe up the river. They're
wrecking the white bait if you can find it right now. That little bit of rain
we got the other night has murked up the water inside of the bars on both sides
of the harbor making it difficult to spot the bait. Don't forget its
still a catch and release for the snook and apparently is going to be for
another year on this coast. The FWC has decided to open the snook season
on the Atlantic side but not on the Gulf. What will be will be and we're going
to have to live with it whether we agree with it or not. Hopefully
this will turn out to be a good decision in the long run.
6/10/2011
This week-end is our annual shark, sail cat, and stingray tournament. Notice
annual, there's only one so don't miss it. Make sure you get
out there and enjoy the time with your family and friends. This past week has
been really screwed up for tarpon. There's plenty of fish out
there, but they just aren't cooperating as far as the bite goes. Doesn't seem to
be any rhyme or reason to when they're going to eat. I think
part of the reason for that is the low pressure system that's sitting over Cuba.
At least its there and not a hurricane, at least not yet anyway.
I had the opportunity to fish with Captain Jody from the boat The Ocean
yesterday (Thursday) and some guests of his. It was definitely a
thrill for me, and I wish I could tell you that I managed to get us on some nice
sharks, but that would be a lie. All we managed to do is get
some sun and burn a lot of fuel, but it was still a great day for me and I
enjoyed the experience immensely. They're extremely nice people and
I hope that if the opportunity arises to fish with them again that I can manage
to get us on some fish. Lots of small sharks scattered
throughout the entire upper harbor, with some mixed reports of bigger black tips
and bulls offshore chasing the schools of bonito and jacks.
Look for the frigate birds. Cobia are scattered all over the inner harbor with
reports from the bridges all the way south to the ICW. The
Spanish macks are moving back into the harbor and the spade fish have the
Alligator Creek reef about covered up. Snook are all over the
beaches, in the passes, and along the eastern edges of the ICW. Still a lot of
smaller fish inside too with some big girls thrown in as well. The reds
are playing a little hard to get, probably due to the tournament pressure and
the fact that the water is heating up pretty good. They are out there
though for the fisherman that has the patience to get out there and beat the
bushes. Reds will eat just about anything you put in front of them,
but they have been eating the 4" new penny Gulp shrimp pretty consistently.
There have been some nice mangroves being caught inside also,
but not a lot of big numbers. Hope you all get out for the tournament.
06/03/2011
Its June, the kids are out of school, and summer is all but here. The official
start of hurricane season happened a couple of days ago,
the water has warmed up nicely and hopefully won't get too hot too soon. For
now, we're still in one of our better times of the year for
fishing in Charlotte Harbor. The tarpon bite in the pass is still going on even
if the fish have been a bit finicky, but they are spread out
over the harbor and the beaches a bit more and eating crabs and DOA Baitbusters.
The bite would probably improve a bit if we'd ever get
some rain to flush the crabs down out of the rivers and on out through the pass.
Smaller sharks are everywhere in the harbor along with
a few bigger ones in the deeper holes. Cobia are being reported along most of
the upper harbor piers and the 41 bridges as well as out
on the flats off of Ponce and Colony Point. Snook are all over the place but
still closed. Hopefully that will change come September 1st.
The reds are out there to be had but only if you work at it. Between the water
temps and the pressure from the tournaments we've already
had, they're pretty spooky and doing their best to hide up in the bushes. You
can still get them out on the flats, but only if you go early.
The offshore bite has been good on the red and black grouper at 40 miles plus
along with the red snapper a bit further out at 55 miles.
Bonito and some kingfish are showing up at about 10 miles and there are some
larger sharks on the reefs. Remember that the state
joined in with the feds and closed gag grouper as of June 1st as well as the ajs.
Getting tougher out there. The last and best is just a
reminder that next Saturday June 11th is the annual Fishin' Franks shark, sail
cat, and stingray tournament, $30.00 per entry. Lots of
fun for a pretty reasonable price. There's only one tournament again this year,
so don't miss out.
05/27/2011
A few tarpon are scattered in the center of the harbor, but the majority of the
fish are still concentrated around the passes, ICW,
and beaches. Crabs, crabs, and more crabs are your choice for live bait and are
out fishing threadfins 20 to 1. Lots of small sharks
throughout the entire harbor and a few bigger ones toward the passes and
offshore reefs. Some cobia, bluefish and Spanish mackerel
have moved in around the bait balls in the harbor. Offshore there are some kings
around the nearshore reefs and some bonita.
Amberjack, grouper, and snapper get bigger the further out you go, but remember
that gags and ajs close on June 1st. Some big trout
scattered on the grass flats on the east wall and Pine Island Sound, not great
numbers but real quality fish. There have been lots of
snook down the east side eating white bait and some very large ones up in Turtle
Bay also eating white bait. Reds are scattered all over the
place but catchable if you go out and work at it. Would like to tell you that
the water has cleared up on the west wall, but that isn't the
case and whatever's causing it seems to have moved on down into Muddy Bay (Cape
Haze Bay on the charts) and on around the point
into the entry of Turtle Bay. Its crystal clear from there on out and the entire
east side is just beautiful. A big congratulations goes out
to Captain Dwayne French and Team Sea Hunt/Bomber for their win in the PTTS last
Sunday with a 205 pound fish. Not bad for an
old cracker. Its Memorial Day week-end, time to remember and thank those who
have served and made the sacrifices necessary so that the
rest of us can enjoy this great country. Like they say, freedom is not free.
Thank you each and everyone.
05/20/2011
The water is finally clearing up out there in the harbor. The higher tides and
the westerly afternoon sea breeze have probably
had a lot to do with that. As for fishing, its tarpon season. The fish are
stacked up in the pass and along the beaches, so are the
boats. The fishing should be getting even better here over the week-end and into
next week. Crabs and threadfins are the baits
of choice, and of course jigs in the pass. Lots of small sharks throughout the
harbor while the larger sharks have moved offshore.
Speaking of offshore, the red grouper and red snapper bite are excellent at the
40+ mile range along with the lanes and the
vermillion. Inshore the spanish macks and cobia have moved back inside. Look
primarily around the bait balls which you should
see by watching for the birds. Redfish are scattered but catchable if you work
at it. The upper east side has been fairly productive
early in the morning and late in the afternoon, while the west wall has been
spotty at best probably due to the murky water and low
oxygen levels over there. Its getting clearer but still isn't great. Hopefully
that'll change soon.
05/06/2011
The drastic tide changes this past week have made the fishing out there way
better. Threadfins have shown up from the middle
of the harbor all the way out to Boca, which has brought the spanish mackerel
back in, sharks of assorted sizes , and the tarpon.
Early morning and evening bite has been the best for the tarpon. There has been
an unbelievable amount of large bull sharks in
the pass and ICW. Makes for getting the tarpon to the boat pretty tough.
Kingfish, snapper, porgies, and grunts still good offshore,
but the wind this week has made it tough getting out for all but the heartiest
of souls. Redfish have been scattered and tough to
locate for even the best of them. A good case in point is the fact that the
Elite Flatsmasters series was won with a weight of under
14 pounds this past week-end. The water clarity has improved since last week so
maybe this bloom thing or whatever it was is
clearing up. Just have to wait and see.
04/29/2011
Sorry there was no report last week, but we had no internet service for 5 days.
Gotta love that. Been pretty breezy out there this
week but the few brave souls that did venture out have been reporting a huge
number of cats being caught, both hardheads and
sailcats. Seems that they're the replacement for the Spanish mackerel that came
in like a whirlwind a few weeks back and have
now all but disappeared. What's up with that? We also have some kind of weird
algae bloom out in the harbor that seems to have
its origins from somewhere around the I-75 bridges. Don't know if that's a
contributing factor or not, but the water has been
downright ugly. All of your best fishing for any species seems to be further
down the harbor around the ICW and Pine Island
Sound. That's also where you'll find the whitebait, because they're definitely
scarce up on this end. Again maybe from the algae bloom.
I say algae bloom, but don't know that its really that. Just something weird
going on out there.
04/15/2011
Robert is off today enjoying the company of his family and will be back next
week with his regular report. He did ask that
we tell you all that the tarpon are starting to be more plentiful and will
probably be moved into the pass in the next week
or so. The sharks are getting more plentiful too and have already gotten reports
of them being lined up for dinner in the pass.
There are some big hammers out there already.
04/08/2011
Whitebait starting to move in pretty well this past week, still spotty but
better. Tarpon becoming more consistent but
still scattered through the harbor, ICW, and the passes. More redfish moving
around on both sides of the harbor. Been
a little funky, we're thinking because of the rain, and that's pretty much
across the board on fishing in general. Kings are
becoming more consistent offshore and the pompano are biting pretty well along
the beaches. Still better things to come.
04/01/2011
A guy trolling for Spanish mackerel inside the pass yesterday hooked and landed
2 sailfish. The strong southwest
wind had apparently blown in a couple of huge bait balls that the sailfish
followed inside.......April Fools. Couldn't
pass that one up. On the serious side, fishing is getting a lot better. The rain
is pulling in more bait which in turn means
more fish. Reds are getting bigger and bigger and more abundant. King fish have
shown up all over just offshore
along with the good sheephead and snapper bite on the bottom. Shark and tarpon
are scattered all over but are still
mainly inconsistent. Be ready though, all of that's right around the corner.
Pompano numbers are good along the
I.C.W. and the beaches. Cobia moving around better on the east side and the near
shore reefs. Time to get out there
and hit the water.
3/25/2011
Still a little inconsistent out there, but kings and permit are starting to
show up offshore. Bottom fishing is
incredible, but be careful out there because of those March winds. Inshore has
been tough to figure out. There are
still a lot of Spanish mackerel scattered throughout the harbor and a lot of rat
reds just about everywhere. The
bigger reds are closer to the ICW although the keepers can be found up close if
you work hard at it. Lots of whiting
and sugar trout. Too bad snook is closed. Gonna get a whole lot better here
pretty soon so hang in there.
03/18/2011
Fishing is pretty inconsistent out there this week. For your best advice go read
our weekly updated fishing report.
Hopefully next week there'll be something worth hootin' and hollerin' about.
Good luck out there and let us know
if you do any good.
03/11/2011
Things aren't a whole different than they were last week. The temperatures have
been balmy, but the March
wind has definitely arrived, and as of this morning hopefully the last cold
front of the year. Things are going
to be inconsistent on the catching side of things, so make a guess and go for
it. Things should get a little
better once this front moves through and it warms back up. We should be able to
give you a better report by
the beginning of the week. Call the shop for some more up to date info then.
Don't forget about the big tent
sale next week-end. You don't want to miss out on the bargains.
03/04/2011
We lied in the last report. Life caught up to us and kept us off the page
obviously for a while. Sorry about that
and we promise to try to be here on a regular basis. On the fishing side of
things, its a hundred times better than
it was the last time around. The balloon is about ready to pop. We're about 4
weeks ahead of schedule on the
species of fish thanks mainly to the warmer than normal temps we've been
enjoying. Sure beats the hell out of last
winter. Some larger reds are starting to show up along the intercoastal in Pine
Island and Boca. Spanish macks are
all over the harbor but mainly down south. Pompano and cobia starting to make an
appearance on the east side
and in Pine Island. Tarpon in the river and canals staring to get anxious.
Sheephead, mangrove snapper, and porgy
at the near shore reefs. Bring the whole arsenal of tackle for all fish that
could show up.
01/20/2011
Sorry about missing last week and this week isn't really going to be a report.
Just a quick note to apologize to the
faithful readers that haven't found anything new here the last couple of weeks.
We're a little disorganized here the
last couple weeks with 4 of the guys in Seaschool for their captains license,
the boat show going on this week, and
Frank off to Gainesville for his daughters wedding. Congratulations Heather! We
will be back to normal next week
if you all think there's anything normal about what goes on around here. See you
then.
01/07/2011
If you read last weeks report, everything is still pretty much the same fishing
wise. Sheepshead have moved in on the
Alligator Creek Reef and El Jobean in really good numbers. There is so
much structure on the reef that if you're not
catching fish in one spot, just move to another. Be prepared to lose your anchor
occasionally, but its all part of the
cost of fishing. Rat reds are everywhere, but then its that time of year.
Finding the larger keeper reds is tough this time
of year, so don't get discouraged. You're not doing anything wrong. Its just a
typical January fishing pattern.
12/31/2010
Another year has gone by and time to get ready for what life throws at us in the
new one. Fishing has been a little
spotty with the crazy weather we've been having, but trout and sheepshead should
be the main attraction for the next
couple of months as long as the weather stays cool. If you're just looking to
bend the rod and don't care about the size,
shrimp under a poppin cork will work just fine. For those bigger trout though,
you want to change tactics a little. Drift
the flats or troll working an artificial slowly. Water conditions permitting,
topwaters work well for trout. Zara Spook Jrs,
or Zippin Ziggys are 2 good choices. If the water is a little to choppy to work
them well, time to use something that runs
under the surface. Of course there's always the old reliable Johnson Silver
Minnow, but plastics work well too. Try an
Exude Slug or a Gulp Ripple Mullet rigged on a Strike Zone jighead. The choices
are endless and a matter of personal
preference. Good luck out there. Everyone have a safe and Happy New Year!
12/24/2010
We lost a close personal friend this week, Captain Angel Torres, so my head
hasn't been exactly clear, but I have
managed to hear a few reports of people catching fish. Lots of rat reds out
there with the occasional legal and
oversized one mixed in. Look to the potholes in Bull and Turtle Bay for the best
action. Live or frozen shrimp worked
slowly should do the trick. Sheepshead are abundant around the docks, piers and
oyster bars. Pieces of shrimp
or sandfleas are your best bet since fiddler crabs are hard to come by. Will
have a better report for you next week when
our heads are a little clearer. Everyone have a Merry Christmas! Remember, its
all about spending the time with your
family. Enjoy it while you can.
12/16/10
With the temps dropping the
fishing is going to be inconsistent, so fishing is going to change from day to
day.
Sheephead, Black drum, and redfish are three species that are not bothered as
much by the cold. They will be
a little sluggish though, so work your lures and baits slowly. Its all going to
be hit or miss though until we start
getting more consistent temperatures. Hopefully warmer than they have been of
late. Call 941-625-3888 for
more up to date information.
12/03/2010
Look for the fishing to change dramatically all over the area with this cold
front that's moving through over the next week.
The water temps are going to drop significantly pushing some fish out of the
area completely, notably tarpon and sharks and
possibly kings, and push others further up into the harbor. Look for the
sheepshead, pompano, and snook to start coming in
closer and the reds to start moving up the rivers and into the deeper potholes.
Remember its rat red season so try using circle
hooks and Strike Zone circle hook jigheads to insure a safe release of these
future keepers. Anything we would put here is
going to change at any given moment with the weather the way it is, so good
luck.
11/25/2010
Happy Thanksgiving! Make sure you spend some quality time with your friends
whether you're fishing or not. Your best
bet for fishing is still out along the beaches or in the Gulf of Mexico. Kings,
Spanish, and amberjack are all over the near shore
reefs. The grouper and snapper is also still going strong. Pompano, sheepshead ,
and flounder are showing up in good numbers
along the beaches and passes. The inshore bite has been off and on, but they're
out there if you take the time to hunt for them.
Again, enjoy your holiday and don't eat too much turkey.
11/18/2010
As you can see, this is the first report in several weeks. We had computer
problems which are theoretically solved now....
until the next time. The marvels of modern technology. Fishing in the upper
harbor has been a little inconsistent. The water
is still a little too warm. Fishing is decent at the mouths of the canals, but
its going to get a lot better. Reds are scattered
all along the west wall, white bait and shrimp seem to be your best bet. The
spanish mackerel along with some bluefish and
a few kings are doing pretty well in the middle of the harbor. The gulf is on
fire and not because of the oil spill. Trolling
for grouper in 30 to 40 feet of water has been extremely productive. Also Gags
up to 15 pounds along with a few kings up to
30 pounds. Around the reefs, especially the boxcars, palm island, and Helens
reef, kingfish, bonito, aj's and barracuda are
eating everything in site. Grouper and snapper are doing very well along with a
few scamp, and lots of large sheepshead and
porgies. A few nice flounder also are being caught on the outside edges of the
reef. Try using shrimp for most of these bottom
fish right now.
10/22/2010
Offshore fishing is totally off the hook. If its a gulf species, they're eating
and you will be too if you go out. Trolling or
bottom fishing starting at 2 miles out and as far as you care to venture will
get you on the fish. Tarpon are still here
eating ladyfish. Whatever species you want to catch, you can be pretty sure
you're going to get it if you go after it. Take the
time to spend with friends and family and make a day of it on the water.
10/14/2010
Tarpon are still everywhere, but you're bored. Pompano, snook, and flounder are
doing really well along the edges of
the passes and just inside them. Live shrimp and small bucktails are your best
bets for bait. The bull reds are
showing up along the beaches along with a lot of decent reds along both sides of
the harbor. They're primarily under the
bushes, not out on the flats. Lots of small trout all over the place, but still
waiting for the big ones to show up in
better numbers. Spanish and small kings are offshore. The gag and red grouper
bite has been unbelievable from 7 to
16 miles out.
10/08/2010
In case you're not bored with tarpon yet, they're from the 20 foot hole up into
the Myakka and to the 41 bridges.
Ladyfish or threadfins are your best bait. Under normal weather patterns , about
two more weeks of great
fishing is what you can expect and then they'll be gone. Red fish are becoming
more abundant under the
bushes and sand holes on both sides of the harbor. Their feeding habits have
been varying so try everything
for baits or lures. Pompano, whiting, and flounder are getting real good out
along the beaches.
10/01/2010
Just in case you didn't notice, the morning temps and humidity have started
dropping off. Like May this is
a phenomenal month in general. Fishing is good, the weather makes you want to be
out there with nature.
Life is good. Be prepared for just about every species of fish from Tarpon,
reds, flounder, pompano, spanish
mackerel, snapper, sheepshead, trout, along with just about everything else you
can imagine. Its going to be
like this for the next several weeks. Live bait will work well, but now is also
a good time to dust off the
artificials and start using them.
9/24/2010
Tarpon have finally started feeding on ladyfish in the center of the harbor, but
these "March" winds have been
making it tough to spot them. The redfish bite has started to get better with
the rain slacking off the last week
or so. They're starting to move back up the harbor, but the bigger schools are
still down towards the southern end.
Things should only get better from here. There are plenty of reports of snook,
but unfortunately you can't keep
them. Makes it better for next year.
9/17/2010
Tarpon are everywhere but still being a pain in the butt getting them to eat.
The bite should start improving with
this "cooler" weather and lack of rain over the past few days. Redfish have been
pretty spotty in the upper harbor,
primarily due to all the rain we had the last couple of weeks. There have
been some good reports of schooling
fish further down the harbor and particularly along the ICW, Pine Island and
Gasparilla Sound areas. Whidden
creek and Useppa Island would be a couple of good places to start your hunt.
Live shrimp, white bait and cut
ladyfish are all good choices for bait. Start looking for flounder along the
beaches and near shore reefs.
9/10/2010
With all the rain this past week,
fishing has been spotty at best. Tarpon are still all over the upper end of the
harbor, but with all the food out there, they've been very difficult to pinpoint
and catch. There's acres of bait
all over the harbor including greenbacks, threadfins, glass minnows, spanish
sardines, ladyfish, catfish and
crabs. So for a tarpon to find your one bait in that mix, good luck with that.
Also with all the rain, reports on
redfish have been scattered, but look for fish along the ICW where the water is
cleaner and less freshwater
flowing. The incoming tides should be your best bet. Try under the docks in
Lemon Bay and along the edges
of the channels. Live or frozen shrimp are still your best bet for bait.
9/3/2010
Tarpon bite is staring to get
better, Ladyfish and DOA Baitbusters are the baits of choice. The fish are
moving around a lot, so no one spot is better than another. Redfish are starting
to school up primarily
around the ICW. Places like outside of Whidden Creek, Sandfly, and Pine Island
Sound in general are good
places to start your search. Live shrimp and pinfish are doing well for live
baits, and 3" new penny gulp shrimp
and the bone sl spook junior are working well for artificials. The mangrove bite
on and offshore is getting
better but reports are still scattered. Have a good Labor Day week-end.
8/27/2010
Due to all the rain this past week, fishing is going to be unpredictable. Tarpon
have slowed down on their
slurping and are focusing more on ladyfish. You'll have to look for rolling or
free jumping fish with your best
bet being from the mouth of the Myakka to the middle of the harbor. Redfish are
starting to show up in better
numbers but scattered locations, here today there tomorrow. Live shrimp is
outperforming all baits significantly.
Snook are still abundant on the beaches and along the ICW with some fish moving
in closer on the barrier
islands. To get a more accurate report on what's going on out there, stop by or
call the shop.
8/20/2010
I'm glad I can't hear fish scream. There are millions of glass minnows from the
41 bridge to the middle of the harbor
being destroyed by tarpon, ladyfish, spanish, sharks. and terns. Tarpon are all
over out there but not being very cooperative
about getting on the hook. This slurping pattern will last another week or so.
Ladyfish (live or dead) will be your
best choice for bait. Shrimp are getting a little bigger and so are the redfish.
The quantity and quality of these
fish is getting better throughout the harbor. The early morning bite has been
the best before the sun gets up high
enough to boil the water and the fish.
8/13/2010
Robert is on vacation this week, visiting mom and probably chasing snakes and
lizards around in the desert.
Really not a lot to report on this week anyway with all the rain we had the
first three days. He'll return next week.
8/06/2010
Tarpon are still doing great. In case you're bored with this, they'll be gone in
another 5 to 6 weeks. Redfish are starting to pick up
both in numbers and size. Cut sardines and ladyfish, along with small pinfish
are doing very well for bait. Pine Island around Rat Key
and Lemon Bay docks are some of your most consistent spots. Trout are still
slow, but getting some good reports on early morning
topwaters in Lemon Bay. Look for 4 to 5 feet of water and work it slow. Some big
spanish and an odd king at the offshore reefs. Fishing
overall should start getting better from day to day, so be patient. We're on the
upward curve of the flats fishing and its only going
to get better from here.
7/31/2010
Tarpon fishing is absolutely
incredible. Fish are on the beaches, the passes, and all over the harbor.
There's
no reason to crowd anyone. There are plenty of fish and plenty of room. DOA
baitbusters, ladyfish, and pinfish are
your best baits. Redfish are doing much better, but they are lethargic because
of the extremely high water temps.
Early morning is the best time to fish for them. Try cut ladyfish, frozen
shrimp or sardines, along with live
pinfish, for baits. Its really hot out there right now, so keep yourself cool
and hydrated. The fish are hot too, so take
your time reviving them after the fight if you are releasing them.
7/23/2010
Red snapper is closed. Mini lobster season opens this week. Watch your limits
and be safe. Tarpon are all over in the
center of the harbor. Threadfins and DOA baitbusters working the best. Quite a
few small sharks between Cape Haze
and the intercoastal. Snapper bite inside has slowed down, but offshore at the
reefs is doing very well. Redfish are
picking up, but if you're looking for bait, get your quarter inch mesh net out.
7/16/2010
Tarpon are all over the harbor from the 41 bridge and the Myakka all the way to
Boca. Live threadfins and DOA
baitbusters working very well. Work your baits slowly as the
tarpon have been a little on the picky side. The dog
days of summer are here and fishing overall has been slow, but remember the
early bird gets the worm. If you're
looking for bait, there's plenty of small stuff out there, but let it grow up.
Try using frozen or cut baits and artificials.
7/09/2010
Fishing has been a little slow this past week due to the weather. Tarpon are
scattered all over from the beaches
to the harbor. This week-end will be the last decent hill tide of the
season and the tarpon will move into the
harbor after that. The offshore snapper bite has been incredible and should
continue the rest of this month.
Still plenty of small sharks, with the occasional large shark in the lower end
of the harbor. Catch and release
snook action along the beaches is incredible.
7/02/2010
In case you haven't noticed, it has been raining. That has helped
drop the harbor water temps from 91-92
degrees to about 88. Doesn't sound like much, but it should make fishing in
general a little more productive.
Due to the weather, fishing has been pretty tough this week. Tarpon have been
staying offshore but should
move back in. Crabs and threadfins are your best bait. Offshore fishing has
still been great for those brave
souls that went out. Lots of nice snapper and grouper being brought in. Trout
have all but disappeared, but
the
snook bite has been good pretty much everywhere along the east side and out
along the beaches.
Remember, catch and release only. Start looking for the reds at the mouths of the creeks
and cuts dumping
into the
harbor with all the rain washing the bait and other goodies out.
6/25/2010
Tarpon are still incredible. The offshore fishing from 10 to 50 miles out is
absolutely wonderful
as it usually is this time of year. Bottom fish such as grouper, mangroves,
lanes, yellowtail, and red
snapper have been doing exceptionally well. Good to great action on
pelagics, tuna, kings, dolphin
sailfish, and wahoo. Remember the thunderstorms can be wicked and your cell
phone does not work
offshore. Be safe and be prepared.
6/18/2010
Do I need to say that the tarpon fishing is still great? Pass is full of them
and they're all over the
harbor again after cramming the pass over the week-end for the hill tides. Lots
of blacktips and
bonnetheads scattered around the harbor, and some big sharks moved into the
pass. Big spanish
out along the intercoastal and the beaches, with some big trout running Pine
Island Sound and
up around Devilfish and Three Sisters.
6/11/2010
Another phenomenal week of tarpon fishing, and it should continue to be great
with the hill tides
running over the week-end. We expect the tarpon season to last into July out
along the beaches
and the passses. The snapper bite on and offshore is getting better every day,
but the full moon of
June and July will put the fish into spawn and full feeding mode, with
plenty of quality fish. Permit
still doing well on the nearshore reefs with the evening bite doing better.
6/04/10
June is the transition month for most of the flats fishing species, snook, reds,
trout, etc...Look for
these fish along the intercoastal and passes. Couple key places will be the
bushes and docks in
Lemon Bay and and down around Captiva and Pine Island. Tarpon fishing in
general has been off
the hook this past week. Jig fishing in the pass has been consistent throughout
mid morning into the
afternoon, but also plenty of small schools from the 41 bridge to Boca and the
beaches. Concentrate
your efforts around the schools of threadfins and look for rolling or free
jumping fish. Threadfins, crabs,
and DOA baitbusters are your best choices for bait. Also lots of small sharks
around these schools. Try
to use barbless or circle hooks for catch and release of these little guys.
5/21/10
This past week has been an incredible fishing week. Did a new personal best on
what I call a big
fish slam, Tarpon, shark, and Jewfish in the same day. Bull was 9' about 300
lbs., jewfish was about
300 lbs., and the tarpon was 100 lbs. Tarpon fishing in the harbor has been very
good from the pass
all the way to marker 6. Has also been fish in the upper harbor by Ponce and the
mouth of the Myakka.
Lot of good flats fishing for snook and redfish due to the decreased pressure on
them because of all the
tarpon fishing. Spanish mackerel and kings doing lots better offshore around the
boxcars and the
school bus reef.
5/14/10
Tarpon are moving to the Pass for Friday and Saturday nights hill tides.
Usually when they leave they bring
back a lot more friends. In addition to the tarpon, the larger sharks should be
right behind them. There are plenty
of spanish mackerel, blacktips, and blacknose sharks in the lower end of the
harbor. Look for schools of bait
from marker 5 to Boca. There will be tarpon and cobia in addition to the
mackerel and small sharks around the
bait balls. Mangrove snapper bite has really started to pick up all over.
5/08/10
Tarpon are finally here. Getting a lot of
reports and pictures of fish being caught
around the 20 foot holes in the middle of the Harbor and the inster-coastal
around captiva pass.
Fish are starting to show up in Boca Grande Pass.
The pass itself should get better and better over the next week.
There are a lot of small sharks moving around the entire harbour.
A couple of key places are cape haze bar, Pirate Harbour flat,
and the flat around devil fish key. Spanish Mackerel are scattered throughout
the harbour,
around the tire reef and marker one. Cobia are starting to move around a
little bit more too,
getting some good reports around the 41 bridge, the mouth of the Myakka.
The Fishin Reports
4/29/10
Inter-coastal and beach fishing
have been a lot more productive than the upper harbor.
Schools of threadfins and glass minnows are in the southern part of the harbor,
along with some whitebait around Cape Haze and Devilfish.
There have been a few tarpon mixed in feeding on the bait schools,
along with spanish mackerel, bluefish and a few black tips showing up.
There are still a few pompano on the beach, but they are starting to thin out
but there are still a lot of nice whiting.
Night fishing off of Placida and Tom Adams bridge have been producing
nice oversized redfish, along with some blacktips, and Bonnet-heads
with some scattered pompano.
4/22/10
All along the beaches right now,
there are schools of lady-fish, blue-fish, &
Spanish Mackerel. larger numbers of the can be found in Little Gasparilla pass,
and Captiva pass.
Feeding on these schooling fish
are good size Spinner, and Black-tip sharks.
The Macs and Lady-fish fish are pretty tasty to them, Just keep in mind.
It is against the law to cut up Spanish Mackerel for bait, no problem on the
Ladys.
Red-fish are really moving around,
there are lots of very good reports From
Pine Island sound up to Bokeelia and over to Usseppa. To the north Whidden
Creek.
These are the main Fish People are talking about,
The Tarpon are going to light up just out of no where.
There is a huge, cold water
up-welling, Extending from Destin down as far south as Captiva
Which is holding down the water Temp. making the water cooler than it should be
at this time of year. This is slowing the Tarpon bite. The up-welling could be
because of the cool fronts blowing in from the west.
The Tarpon bite around St James city is good and even better around Sanibel.
The cobia just showed up in Destin
a few days ago. About a month late.
So It is still a go for tarpon fishing here.
It just is going to take a little longer for the sliver king, bite to Happen.
04/15/2010
Fishing has been good despite the
wind. With all the rain, fishing has been much better down
towards the inter-coastal. Shore fisherman have been whacking the pompano from
Venice to Sanibel. Small sharks and cobia moving along the near-shore reefs,
along with Spanish mackerel and some kings. Tarpon are moving around down by
Sanibel
and Pine Island, but aren't consistent yet. If you really want to try catching
one,
go around the power lines in Pine Island or Captiva Rocks.
Larger sharks are moving around Captiva pass and following the schools of
Spanish mackerel.
A couple more weeks of sheepshead around the phosphate docks, Tremblay reef
,Novak reef
and the 7 mile ledge, before they move off.
Trout are doing well on the grass flats in Lemon Bay at Stump Pass.
Good luck fishing out there.
Feel free to call or stop in at the shop for more up to date fishing
reports.
04/08/2010
Fishing has been unbelievably good this week. The water temperature has risen almost 10 degrees over the last two weeks. Spring happened last Thursday between 2 and 3 in the afternoon. Welcome to summer…
Baitfish is starting to move in from the Gulf into the Harbor. Spanish and King mackerel are doing very well. Spoons, Gotcha lures and live baitfish are your best bet to target the Spanish and King mackerel.
Along the beaches from Stump Pass to Captiva whiting, pompano and sheephead are doing extremely well. There have been some very large sheephead on the near shore reefs and passes. Getting reports of fish up to 8 lbs. They won’t be here much longer as the water temperatures increase.
Cobia are starting to show up at the offshore reefs along with some shark and scattered permit which should get better towards the end of the month.
Redfish are doing very well. Mostly around Pine Island, Bull Bay and Whidden
Creek. Shrimp and crabs are the productive baits but they are starting to
feed on white bait if you can locate it. The white bait is still small and
hard to find right now.
1-1-11
Billy just got back from
turtle bay he would not exzactly where ,
all he said was 30 red fish from 1 deep hole , live shrimp on a strike zone jig
head.
The entrance to brunt store has
lots of smaller trout, same thing inside Prirate Harbor,
some of the biggest Trout are coming from the n.e. end of pine island,
I-75 has lots of silver Trout with some smaller spotted mixed in .
lots of Trout just inside alligator creek but deep and slow is the key to
finding keepers.
Love Lures selling like crazy today
Ok all you crappie people can get
your minnow rigs together this stable weather with no fronts
has turned the crappie bite on. the canals around the peachland loveland area
are produceing
some nice size fish, Up- in north port there are lots of crappie biting no
as many reports of
bigger fish but lots of them. The spi...ll way on the coco plum just north
of toledo blade doing
I was just talking to a
young man, about 12 years old He got up this moring walked over to a canal ,
he said I pitched a DOA shrimp up under the mangrove bush et it sit for a
mnute then twitch it,
thought it was stuck lerked a little hard and the red fish fight was on. Thats a
great way to start a New year,
Well I guess I am a lousy store
owner ,
I do not have any big specials, or really any promotions to entice your
business,
But if you are going Fishing today I hope it is with frineds or family,
I wish all of you, a Very Happy new year, with money & the time to enjoy it.
It's quiet now after a crazy day, I was thinking about friends here and gone, And the one thing, I can say, is they enjoy life, I have been and still am surounded by the best people. I last year there were good and real bad times, But this is not a practise round this is life, Be happy, enjoy your job, your hobbies , f...rineds and family, I am so lucky this is what I already have. A real good life. Happy new year.
12/26/10
Fishin can be tough in this weather on my
into the store this morning, I watched a couple of guys
standing and casting lures in a canal, a strong gust a icy cold wind hit
and they doubled time it to the car.
I did not see them catch anything, but a valiant effort was made.
Fronts can really mess up the catching of fish, but this cold weather makes the
going to fish tuff.
Now like my dad said says just put on another jacket it beats sitting around the
house.
On these windy days even fishing the canals & rivers can be challenging almost
impossible
to keep the boat in position. If I was going to try for a saltwater day of
fishing it would be with a bag of frozen
shrimp #4 gold hooks , 3 way swivels and some 1 oz sinkers, the tresses and
piers at Placida should be loaded with sheep head
Tie the 3 way to your line , then tie the hook off the 2nd eye of the 3-way. at
he bottom eye I tie the sinker about 30 inches below
the swivel. attach the hook with a 10 inch leader, cover the hook entirely with
the shrimp so it can not be seen, I will usually peel
the shrimp and thread the meat over the hook. drop the rig on the side of the
pier, facing the tide. let the sinker sit on the bottom
and keep the rig tight so your bait will be suspended 2 1/2 feet off the bottom,
set the hook just before the sheep head bites.
"just a joke" but if you feel the slightest bump set the hook Sheep head are
some of the most educated bait stealers there is,
I like to say start setting the hook before you leave the house and you stand a
better chance of hooking up.
Last of all bundle up, try think warm thoughts.
Proud to say I am a
PETA person
Person Eating
Tasty Animals.
You didn't think I was becoming a wack
job, didya?
12/18/2010
This is not about fishin But as we are all friends Capt. Angel is in getting
surgey as I write, My thoughts
are with him and as I find out more I will post it.
12/17/10
Hey every one, I think it is morning ? I might have indulged a little last
night at the F.F. Christmas get-together
Food , friends, and My sister brought Egg-Nog, I had Capt Jerry's Rum.
WELL I guess the out-come was inevitable.
We had a great time, It is hard for all
of us to be in one place at the same time, Between People who work at the store,
friends who help -out, guides who work out of the store, and other who are
part of Fishin Franks, one way or another
there is over 50 of us not including Wives,
So once a year we try to all get together. good times, maybe the best of times
Watch it Daffy they are out in force.
Woke up this morning to gun shots, We are just off the peace river & it is duck
season,
For all of the anti hunters, keep in mind by the 1970's ducks were all but
extinct.
The feds started the Duck stamp and the money was used to buy & maintain
wetlands and the ducks came back 100 fold,
If you like ducks, buy the lisc & go hunting , You do not have to take a gun a
camera will do.
I am going
to take a minute to talk about Got-cha lures.
this type of lure was originally called a jerk jigger,
they were used to catch fish suspended in deep water,
you would find the fish on the depth finder,
then meter out the lure to the correct depth
Working the jerk jigger with a light jigging motion,
up & down not reeling in just bonycing it in the school,
intill one got mad enough to bite.
Today we use the got-cha lures for casting,
I have not seen a lure out fish the got cha for Spanish Mackerel,
or lady fish or even trout.
25 years of selling Got-cha under different names it is still one of the
best.
Cast the
Got-cha plug out when it hits the water it will fall about 2 feet per second in
salt water so if you are in the gulf,
you can time it to reach the school of fish suspended in the water,
that you saw on the fish finder.
If the fish are surface feeding start to reel just before the Got-cha lure
hits the water when you cast.
Then give it a lifting jigging motion as you reel in at medium speed.
The only time I use a side sweeping retrieve with the Got cha is when I am
fishing Spanish mackerel.
then the darting action of the side sweep motion makes it hard for the
Spanish to resist the Got-cha.
click this picture to see the got-cha lure we have in stock.
I was just asked why there are so many dead lady fish this year. The
ones which died are the smaller ones,
just not big enough to make it. If you were to look close you would see
lots of dead pin fish , white bait & many other smaller fish.
If their body is too thin the cold penetrates to their organs quicker.
The thicker the body of a fish the more protected it is. also the deeper the
water the fish is in the more insulated from the cold.
& Lady fish like being at the surface a bad habit in cold weather
Many of the Snook killed in last years cold was because they were too lazy to
leave the flats
as the water went down with the tide and the wind blew it out they tried
to stay in the shallow pockets of water near the mangroves,
and the water went to 28 degrees.
There were lots of dead lady fish, and millions of other smaller fish last year,
but because the cold was so extreme for so long
they mostly went un noticed because of all the bigger fish, they just did
not get the attention. millions of pin fish died also,
but it is harder to notice a 1/4 oz fish with a 10 pounder laying there.
12/14/10
Getting reports of dead lady fish in the canals, not many reports of Snook
floating,
But tonight will be the night to watch, one cold night is bad but too many in a
row is real bad.
Weird how Red fish are not effectuated by the colder temps,
It is easy to forget we live in a tropical paradise, "Key word tropical . it
just should not be cold here.
SIDE NOTE---> "Best way to hear god laugh" tell him your plans or how you
think things should be.
12/13/10
Crappie guys are fishing and a few brave hearted, sheep head guys,, fishing
at Placida
and they are catching fish not just colds.
Trout have been getting more regular at P.C. beach & lashley pier, a late day
bite off bay shore pier
fishing with poppin corks & shrimp is doing good.
Canals are the biggest story with Black drum, red fish, Snook, all huddling up
in the canals
getting the afternoon warm up from the sun,
Best bet if you want to use your boat try trolling in the canals, or just anchor
up and fish under some of the bridges
there are fish to be caught, maybe just not where we thought we be going, change
your plans change your tactics
you will preserver.
12/11/10
There are three really cool jobs to have where
you can tell people anything
and it really dose not matter if you are correct
1 weather man,- self explanatory on this one.
2, politician or any government job, again
pretty much self explanatory. although here
there screw up cost us lots of money. then they get a pay raise?
3 give fishing advice, the fish did not
cooperate, you were not holding your tongue
in the right place in your mouth, and the lunar activity in relationship to
Jupiter,
caused a gravitational shift in the tides, of course this is why the double
hooked swimming,
sinkin wap-belted-jigger did not catch fish.
The main thing we have in common, we do not have to be right and we still get paid
Hey you can not predict the weather, the fish
did not cooperate, As for the politicians
well you just cant fix stupid. I guess that really make them not quite qualified
for this category,
lets just add instead Doctors lots of
money to guess give you pills cut you up, and charge you lots of money
to be wrong.
My only complaint is that I picked the lowest paying one.
Damn I should have been a weather man.
12/10/10 Brenda F. wrote me with this. Josh and Tank caught 6 sheephead, 2
speckled sea trout, a flounder and
a Red Drum in the back yard today (and a couple of pin fish) Sweet!
Released all but the sheephead...which will be dinner very soon
Gulf of Mexico near shore reefs within 15 miles Have grouper , snapper, amber
Jacks and a bunch of other fish
Capt. Angel called in to check the limits on a couple of fish it is hot &
heavy now.
PC canals have a lot of out of season Snook under the docks ,
free line a tail hooked live Shrimp count to 20 reel it in cast again,
three cast under the dock then move to the next one.
If they were in season many of the fish have been in the slot
Crappie fishing is great, terrific, NOW, the canals by Peach land are full of
big Crappie Minnows
under bobbers are the bait of choice.
Catfish creek today has produced some 4 to 7 pound redfish. I do not
know what bait they used.
We are going through a lot of mirror lure 17 but I can say for sure
PGI canals are loaded with red fish Shrimp with a #7 slit shot watch for
corners where canals meet
or holes Capt Andy M. on a charter today stopped counting at 50 Redfish,
Alligator Creek reef Mangrove snapper if you anchor up and bottom fish
with squid, or shrimp,
Gag grouper either bottom fishing chunks of fish or frozen sardines, 2 guys
called they caught them trolling the stretch 6 along the edge of the reef.
12/09/10
it is rainy and cold even the
crappie guys are not showing up this morning,
As bad as this weather is we do need the rain. I am not talking about the plants
or
grass or even the flowers,
Rain is an important part of the oxygen levels of the water ways,
the simple action of rain drops hitting the surface of the water
raises the level of oxygen, and with the cooler to cold temps the water can
absorb huge amounts,
this helps as the water warms and starts to lose oxygen to the heat.
the other source of oxygen is waves,
the wind blows across the surface of the water as the wave break it adds oxygen
to the water, weather it is the gulf , Harbor , or a pond this is necessary for
life in the water.
Take heart soon the weather will be nice again & the Fish will have lots of
oxygen and ready to eat,
while this is uncomfortable For us.
it is a necessary part of nature, and I promise the fishing is going to be
unbelievable very soon.
Get your gear ready
It is almost time for some of the best fishing Florida has to offer.
12/07/10
I have not much to talk about salt
water wise. but the crappie guys are loving this.
How long has it been since you went Crappie fishin, No not fishing a bad day
just
heading out to a canal or lake and do some speckled Perch fishin, a couple of
dozen minnows is
about $2.00 and if you are fishing in your home county with a cane pole, line
hook bobber, you do not need a freshwater
license if you are fishing from land. So go get a stick put some line and a hook
on it and have some fun,
and get dinner at the same time. I would not suggest the old tie the string to
your toe trick right now as
you toe would freeze.
Here it is the new "BP Toxic Mullet" color, badonk-a-donk from Bomber lures
12/01/2010
Welcome to the holiday season I woke up this morning with every thing blowing
off of the decks.
the crappie fishermen & the Sheephead anglers are happy as this cold weather
turns on both species,
that statement works on a couple of different levels, as it triggers their
instinct to spawn, which makes them want to eat.
So yup they are turned on.
11/27/10
Big Spanish right of the beach as
well as whiting
Pompano along the coast. lots of out of season Trout
Up here from the piers, Reds doing well from the north end of the 41 bridges
11/26/10
Lots of whiting along the gulf
beaches, Pompano
hitting pink & white jigs, with or without the shrimp tippet.
Red fish in Turtle bay along the mangroves, and on the barrier bars.
11/25/2010
Accord to
Capt Dwayne
French
Red fish in the deeper pot holes of the flats, Shrimp on a
Strike zone jig head worked slow
through the pot holes, Dwayne says the holes in front of the eagles nest are
a best bet.
Rig the shrimp by removing the flipper from the very back of the tail and
threading the
Shrimp onto the hook of the
Strike zone jig head a 1/4 oz chartreuse. is his favorite right now.
11/18/10
Wind and water temps are changing
every other day it seems like.
It is hard to predict what is going on.
The best bet still seems to be trolling, whether you are in the Harbor or
the gulf,
trolling is the best way to find, the fish, once I have located them.
you can switch to baits or start casting at the fish. Pompano, and Spanish
Are both around, more reports of big kings and grouper in the near shore
3 to 15 miles out.
11/07/10
Trolling is still going great,
inshore in the gulf,
But with the winds this last couple of days, I have had a lot of reports
from
west spring lake trolling Bomber
14's sipk and the Si colors another
one I had been hearing is the Yo-zuri
F-7c24 the lip is small so you
need to let out more line to keep it in the water but it is catching fish.
If you need to be closer to the boat try a
F-8
X-rap lures are the king of the
Peace river, more fish than any other lures,
at this time the
SXR-8 in the BBS on one side and the
SXR-10
BNK on the other,
this is a two lure trolling, about 900 rpm's along the out side bends of the
river
has been catching every thing from Blue fish, Tarpon, Snook, Jacks, Lots of
reports
lots of fun. When it is too windy to fish the harbor we hear a lot about
people trolling
and fishing the rivers, I find it strange that when the weather gets better,
they go back to the Harbor when they caught so many in the river.
Another mystery of life as a fishier man.
10/*31/10
I guess I have to keep writing,
there is so much fishing going on right now.
Trolling for grouper by the near shore reefs, by this I mean any reef
within,
10 Miles of the coast. reefs in 30 to 40 feet of water, Helen's, Mary's,
Tremblay,
Novak, pulling Rapala
XRMAG-30 about 1500 rpms
on the other side pull a
XRMAG20
My best selling colors are the S, & the GGM, 8 different guys bought them
all
were doing the same thing coincidence, conspiracy, maybe ?
well what ever sounds like a good bet to me. 34 inch grouper, Kings in
the 50 inch range
what are you waiting for
10/30/10
Here is a weird one for you. I
have been fishin here quite a while and have seen
big schools of blue fish out at Captive Pass , I have caught one or two here
and there in the
Manchester waterway and over in P.G.I. but i have never seen hundreds or
thousands
like are here this year. whats up with this, I just got a call from P.G.I.
he thought it was a school of jacks
bustin in the canal all blue fish. Up the peace river huge schools of blue
fish. All you Jersey & Mass,
people if you want a taste of home now is the time the BLUES are here.
10/29/10
Red fish in lemon bay, & a big
school of 20 to 40 pounds reds just off shore of Boca,
stretch 20 , 25 or 30, are the lures of choice right now they are a blast,
yes way to big to be Florida legal but fun , fun, fun,
Mackerel kings, that is trolling
for these big kings using a spread of stretches.
Lady fish and Spanish are in the Harbor now,
Tarpon are still doing great D.O.A. bait buster continue to dominate the
hook ups.
from I - 75 to the holes in the Harbor the "Cold" cool front may start to
push some of the Silver kings
south so get them while you can.
10 / 10/10
Fishing is great all over right
now, the best fishing is in the near gulf. I believe the oil spill
has killed most or all of the bait/food for the fish and they are moving
closer to the shore-
where they would normally be much deep at this time they are having to come
closer in to find food.
Mahi, amber jacks, King mackerel, grouper, snappers, sail fish, permit,
The oil spill combined with the Global warming, where there is not as much
water
tempeture difference between here and the Pan handle fish are not migrating
the way they should.
In Charlotte harbor the fishing is great, Lady fish all over with Tarpon
chasing them.
Red fish on the east, & west sides, Turtle bay and Bull bay, both have good
schools of reds right now.
Fishing in Lemon bay has been
very steady, small Snook, lots of trout, and enough Reds
To fill a day, Here in Charlotte Harbor Reds on the east side are mostly out
by the bar,
Trout have moved into the flats by Pirate Harbor.
A lot of small sharks still in the area, along the gulf beaches.
Gag Grouper have been biting at
both reefs in the harbor, Trolling a Rapala
you need to be down at least 6 feet, or more. Chum bags and sardines with a
bottom rig.
Pompano in front of bull bay hitting good on small jigs, or bait 3 feet
under a bobber.
Red fish on the east side have been in large schools cursing the length of
the flats,
Where you find them one day, they will be a mile away the next, Keep looking
they are there.
09/16/10
Much to my surprise there is a
lot of Shark activity in the Harbor.
and near shore reefs, Black tip, black nose, Bonnets, bulls,
all are still here plus many other species.
A bobber with a chunk of sardine or free line a chunk of fish,
and my crystal ball say "outlook good" for having fun catching Sharks.
Just One thing NO barbs on the hook, flatten the barb with you pliers and
file it.
I like the bump from the barb but not the barb. You should only use a barbed
hook.
if you want dinner. It is too hard on the fish to catch and release with a
barbed hook.
It only takes a minute, and you will be able to preserve this terrific
activity for generations
to come.
Ok I am done preaching .
09/09/2010
Another great week
in Charlotte Harbor The upper Harbor
seems to be teeming with little runt
reds, Yup they are too small to be called
Rat reds in you find yourself
in a school of these little guys, try switching to
inline circle hooks
with a piece of shrimp meat. For some reason these runt reds
really
inhale the bait, We caught about a dozen and gut hook 2 of the 12 I did not
have any
circle hooks with me. of the 2 one I do not think will make it.
the other I am sure was fine.
I was fishing with family
yesterday, There were schools of fish hitting the surface
all over the Harbor, There was even catfish, hitting the bait on the
surface, along with Lady fish
Trout, and what I think was Mackerel, how weird is that.
In the creeks, we caught mangrove Snappers, Sheep head, and small Reds,
the trick was to use a slip sinker. free line would not catch anything.
Live shrimp, dead shrimp, rotten shrimp, even some old freezer brunt shrimp.
worked fine.
Circle Hook Jig heads are the only legal jig heads you can
use for Grouper and Snappers.
The state of Florida has determined you must use Circle Hooks,
when ever you are fishing with live or dead bait, for Snapper and or
Grouper,
So if you tip your Jig heads with squid or any other type of bait you by law
,have to use a circle hook.
Circle hook Jig head are the way to stay legal. This law is for anywhere you
would catch Snapper or Grouper.
If you are in two feet of water in a canal, you must use Circle hook jig heads,
or in hundreds of feet of water, again you must have circle hook jig heads.
This is a little crazy, but the law is you must have circle hooks, So now Jig
heads with circle hooks are a must Have.
Get your Florida legal circle hook Jig heads at our on-line
store.
or stop by Fishin Franks and see them for your self.
08/28/2015
Peace
River We all know the Peace river is here, but do you know how cool it is? Lets
start at the 41 bridges. Now the real mouth of the river is in a line from Ponce
DE Leon park in Punta Gorda across to Hog Island. So the Gilchrist bridges or 41
bridges as we call them are really a little over 4 miles up river.
To get to where the river is fresh all year is about 17 miles up where Horse
Creek enters the Peace river
or 22 from the mouth of the river. I thought I would throw that in as I get this
question a lot, most people do not under stand the Peace river is 104 miles long
and in the past a Major trade route for goods, before stage coaches and wagons,
I guess I should say before roads, heavy goods were transported by barges. Now
we use interstate Hwy but back then a lot easier to put a couple tons of stuff
on a boat and push it.
Now
lets get to the fishing, Snook fishing can be done on most of the peace river,
Zolfo Springs and Wauchula have for part of the Year some very good Snook
fishing. Even Tarpon can be found up the River.
Back to a trip up the river, Starting at 41 you are in a full on Salt water
environment, as you pass the bridge for I-75 you are into a Mangrove
environment, still salt water now once you pass Harbor heights you will see saw
grass, This is where the transition starts, this is a true brackish water
environment. Now watch the shoreline as you head up river at Harbor heights take
the right fork and you will see the plants are changing more ferns, and the
trees are different the Mangroves thin out and the Cypress tress begin to be
more common, Watch Island 33 you will know which one this is as the channel
marks stop here, you have been seeing the typical Red or green markers now in
front of you is a marker with red and green on it, half and half. That is the
Charlotte county line. And the channels markers stop here this is also the first
place with less than 4 feet of water, you have been over holes deeper than 20
foot on your way here but in front of you is a shoal which extends all the way
across the main channel of the river and at high tides there is 3 feet of water
at lower tides less than 2. Now you can take and go around the back side of
island 33 and while there is not much more water the bottom is soft and you will
have no trouble making it through. In front on the main channel the bottom is
much harder and may ding your prop. I always use the main channel as I run a
flats boat and only need a foot of water to run comfortable. Once you are past
island 33 hold to the out side bends of the river and there is not really any
shallow places, until you get past the camp ground. And that is only shallow if
you are not thinking out side of the bends, which means you must picture in your
head an “S” follow the curves,
The fish will also hold on these out side bends. Near the shoreline and You
could cast a lure like a Rat-L-trap or a Bomber at the shore or I prefer to
troll these bends in the River. These bends get deep quick and it is a good idea
to idle over a bend to see where the deep starts, Pick a tree on the shore as
your guide. When I troll I am less than 5 feet from the bank so a certain tree
is a good reference point to know where the deep part of the hole is.
Now the only tricky turn is at the water treatment plant, you will be running
along and then find your self in a bay. The river had just taken a hard right
which you will not have seen and now you are in the bay where we in Charlotte
County get our drinking water from. I would take a few minutes to fish here.
In the water treatment bay there are often tarpon, and the Snook tend to lay up
along the shore line on your right hand side, I like to anchor out in the middle
and try for some of the giant Gar fish which live here not uncommon to find gar
over 4 feet long. A shiner under a bobber with a 4/0 wide gap/ Kahele hook is
the trick to fishing for them or catching them. If you are a Fly person, use a
2/0 hook with a piece of red ribbon, I would make the ribbon at least 4 inches
long, I like 6 inches then I shred the last 3 inches. This works the gar go to
attack the ribbon and their teeth get stuck in the shredded part.
Now
lets get back to the river Now the river tends to look like Jungle, think Tarzan
movies, Johnny Weissmuller filmed Tarzan movies here. It is the last transition
Until you get to the real world again up in Arcida. come out of the bay and make
a hard left and around the island you will see the bridge for hwy 761 go under
the bridge, and all the way to the left hand shore line. There is a sand bar
which comes off of the main channel of the river, which is on your right, If you
go straight ahead the Snook fishing is great on the left hand bank but it is a
dead end. Wait to head up the river until to get right in front of the main
channel coming from the right, that will take you to the Fort Ogden trestle,
where it is deep and the fishing is good right around the pilings. You may only
get a little ways farther up river from here, take this next ½ mile slow there
is no deeper section, and often fallen trees in the water at or near the
surface. You will make a left turn and there is a nice beach and some bug round
Piling maybe, I am sure at some time long ago there was a bridge or something
here this is the mouth of Horse Creek ahead of you there is what we call the
narrows, great fishing for Snook, Bass, Blue gills, even some times Red fish,
the main channel of the river goes off to your right but is really shallow less
than a foot deep. This is where I will stop as this is about where you need to
stop, I have not been up past this for a year so, I will make a run up there and
then I will continue our journey
to Arcadia and Points beyond as a last thought there is a great park in Arcadia
on Hwy 70 at the edge of town fishing is OK, for Snook and or Bass, but a really
nice park and a cool place to just check out by Car.
08/02/15
Hey Boys & Girls out there
in the land of fish, The weather has not been great for going fishing
but the fishing has gotten a lot better over the last couple weeks as we
stay ashore and prep our gear for nicer days. The heavy cloud cover and
rain has dropped the water temp as much as 20 degrees in Charlotte
Harbor allowing for the oxygen levels to come up, and the Red Fish and
Snook are liking it. Fishing on the east and west sides of the Harbor Is
good to better than good, with the fish hanging out by the sand bars
early in the day then as the sun rises higher heading to their favorite
shade tree. Kinda like me I guess. In South west Florida there can be an
easy 13 degree difference between being in the direct sun and being in
the shade. We don't think of it as we think of water always being cool
but it is the same thing. Shady water is cooler. The mangrove islands on
the east side have quite a bit of shade, green means go, when it come to
fishing on the east side during the mid day, Branches with lots of green
leaves provide the shade and that is where you will find your red fish
and Snook.
Shrimp is a good bait while the water is on the Hot side or cold side
for that matter, both will slow down the fish and that makes Shrimp a
good bet, as it is slower moving than a bait fish. Easier for the fish
to catch and eat. Another bait which works great this time of year is
cut bait. Pieces of fish. I had a customer who told me dead bait will
not work in a canal. That statement kind of caught me off guard as dead
bait works pretty much any time, or any place, but right now with the
water temp 80 or more and all of the fresh water we have Cut bait or
dead bait is a staple of serious Anglers. Think of it this way the water
is very dark, from so much rain water run off. The brown colored water
coming down river, makes it very hard for fish to see. So Fish hunt for
food by sound or scent. And most fish have a better nose for food than
dogs. If you are reading this in a room with other people in it. Take a
second and do you smell the other people in the room? Ow wait let part
part go and just say no you can' smell them which should true most of
the time. Now the demented part. What of one of the people in the room
had been dead a while?
Yes a live shrimp smells like a shrimp but not nearly as much as a dead
one does. So it is easier for a fish to find dead bait with darker murky
water than it is for that fish to find a live bait. Very true around
bridges during the day time hours as most bridges have a lot more
traffic on them during the day, at night it is quiet and the Fish can
hear or I should say feel vibrations in the water, during the day the
cars make so much noise the fish ca not hear. But they can smell, So
dead bait during the day and live kicking bait at night.
My Job title is many things and one of the cooler aspects of being Fishin Frank is I get to /have to find new lures to sell each year. I like the classic's but newer lures with different sounds or body shapes can be just as good or even better. If the best lure in the world was made and no one bought it, would it still catch fish. I have to say NO. So the reality is a lure must catch fisherman before it can ever catch a fish. And one part of my job is to find new baits. The hard part can be find new lures, not just the same thing in a different package. Which is so common, Soft plastic baits are the worst, if you look close past the colorful package, you will find most are the same baits in a different package, and I mean the same. This year I went with Livingston a hard body lure which emits a sound. Yes it is a lure with a battery which when it is in the water produces noise a tone which by all accounts attracts fish. Using sound to attract fish is not new, Professional Shark Tournament anglers use under water speakers to make the sound of fish in distress to attract Sharks in. So I am trying Livingston lures.
Savage Lures have come out with a Soft plastic fish lures 16 inches long. And look very very real when puled through the water, I believe the tarpon and or Goliath Grouper are not going to be able to resist them. I do not think you would even have to reel them. If you have a bit of currant, the action is so good you should be able to just hold them in a currant like at the Phosphate docks or around the bridges and let the lure do it work which would be a great thing as they weigh at least a pound. Heavy buggers to cast, But that is the price of a monster fish. We did also buy them all the way down to a more standard 6 inch version. But that just does not seem as much fun, as the massive lure, and the massive hit.
Vudo has a cool Shrimp Lures different than the ones we carry now and I have ordered those. The weight in the front of the lures has a lip so it may be just reeled in or jigged, But they do have an action on their own, which really helps when some one is just getting started casting lures.
Spool
tec is another lure we are getting in, this lure has a leader inside the
lure, Yes a hard plastic head with a small spool in it which holds
leader material and the hook, when a fish hits the lure the hook pulls
out on the leader. The hard plastic head hold a soft plastic tail, a
paddle tail to be correct which is the fish attractor part. Makes a good
thumping noise as you reel it in. A bit pricey but it does catch Snook.
We have Baker
Lures, and more new stuff coming but too much for one story, I will not
go on about it. I will close up and shut up, so you can get on with your
day. The fishing is good the sharks, Spanish, Pompano, Red Fish, Snook,
Sea Trout are all in good numbers, Even some Triple Tail in the Harbor,
So If you can get out one day early in the am. This month will provide
you with some great fishing opportunity.
Be safe have fun
Fishin Frank
07/28/2015
31 years this month I have
been here at Fishin Franks, well then again I am Fishin frank, So that
stands to reason. July is the beginning and the end of the tackle year
and the ICAST show or International; Convention of Allied Sport fishing,
the largest tackle show in the world was held here in Florida, We walked
for hours and had not seen 1/3 of the Show. After 2 days of walking we
had at least waked by every booth and tried to talk for a minute with
manufactures who had a different or new product.
Here is the old debate, Do I or should I buy lures that catch fish or
buy lures that catch fisherman? If a lure would catch every fish that
swims and one one bought it, does it still catch fish? The simple truth
is A lure has to catch fisherman first. Most lures work, That said I had
a line of lures called killer baits, so life like, and the swimming
action seemed looked perfect to me. I threw that lure on and off for 12
years until one day I caught a bunch of fish with it, Then threw it as
far as I could out into the Harbor. For some one else to find and try,
So looking realistic is only half the battle, but I was right, it caught
a lot of fish, forgetting the 12 years it took to do it
I
attended my first tackle show in 1985 a dealer long since out of
business in Jacksonville and I had the same problems as I do now. Where
to start and what's the difference between nuclear Chicken, Electric
Chicken and Texas chicken? No it is not a new trend in fast food, it is
color pattern names for lures, It is one of the many reasons to go to
buying shows so you can see what the lures look like.
I am a hard body kind of guy, I can say with a grin I guess which mean I
prefer lures made of hard wood or plastic, Top water style or diving
crank baits I have just done better with them. My Dad like spoons, and a
huge number of people are into Soft body baits or soft plastics,
thousands of colors and hundreds of body styles I would need a store as
big as Tampa it's self to hold them all.
In-line spinners off set spinners, the list goes on. And not to forget
jigs, Jig heads with rattles or with out, Circle hook or “J' hook weed
less or standard. Stand up or bouncing or swimming styles.
I am confused again, so many choices Sizes are easier, 3 to 3 ½ inch
lures are the ones which catch the most fish. Larger lures for big fish
only as the smaller fish can not get them into their mouths. Hard to say
if a lure can be too big. After all we have some monster Fish here. I
just bought some lures that are over 18 inches long and must weigh a
couple pounds.
We did make a Purchase of Livingston Lures, a Little on the pricey side but the lures do have a cool factor, they produce sounds, Yes they emit sounds to attach fish, pro shark anglers use under water Speakers to call the Sharks in, and these lures do the same thing. But a lures which makes it own sound to attract fish is cool.
Then we have Spool tech lures. Which has a built in leader So there is no heavy leader exposed, and replaceable tails, and is quickly becoming a Snook catching favorite. But the retractable leader is cool.
Baker lures this brand I picked for price pint and finish of the lures, the baker will give a mid point price and they have an interesting Holographic color patterns and action, which I think they are going to catch fish,
Which brings me to the Savage Lures, We bought some huge ones 16 inch long lures for Tarpon and Goliath grouper, Now this lure is almost perfectly life like, add a little scent to it and just let it swim in the tide, My advice Hang on to the rod, when a fish hits it it will be a monster. We also have the life like Soft Plastic fish from 6 inches to the monster 16 inch.
Looking at lures to try and picture what the action it has has gotten
easier over the years, I spend many hours in a swimming pool or in the
harbor under water watching lures fall towards the bottom, or having
some one retrieve them past me. If you can figure out where the weight
of the lure is. At the top it will tip over, when falling. Weight at the
bottom it will drop, Round bodies will wobble going down.
One thing I did discover while under water looking at lures I found out
why top water lures have different colors on the top or back of the lure
than it odes on the bottom, A top water lure floats on the surface so I
could not understand why the part not in the water would be a different
color, when you are under water looking up you see three images of that
one lure. In the middle you see the bottom of the lure on both side you
see a mirror image of the back or top of the lure. So you really see
more of the top color than you do the part actually in the water by
refection.
So buying lures can be over whelming, There is 60 million people going to fish here in the U.S. This year I figure out of that some one will like the new lures I bought.
07/18/2015
August storms and hot
weather go hand in hand, The thing is this year the Red fish are just
plain wacky, By August the Reds are out towards the gulf or at least
hanging out in deeper cooler waters, This year the Reds have moved into
the canals, What is strange about this is that the water in the canals
is fresh and hot. As you know hot water will not hold oxygen. And the
fresh water comes with the brown of Tannin acid, the leaves from the
trees dye the water drown. In slow moving rivers as the leaves and
vegetation decays tannins are released and the water turns brown, which
makes it look more like a cup of coffee or Tea This tannin Acid it is
not acid, like battery acid, just
a Brown color in the water from trees leaves which have a high acidity
level. It does not mean the water is dirty it means it is brown, and the
brown color is the problem, dark color absorb heat from the sun much
more so than light colors, So the brown water gets hot. Not uncommon to
see water temps in the 100 degree levels and if you have been in 1000
degree heat you do not feel like doing much. Or eating for that matter,
Same with the fish.
So why have the Reds com into this type of water this year instead of
being on the clear cooler water of the flats? No idea I wish I did, But
the Reds are back in the canals and eating cut bait, Chopped pieces of
Lady fish, Shrimp tails, Yes dead shrimp is working better than live
ones, Pin fish cut in half is a very good Red fish bait for August. The
dead Bait stinks more and is easy to catch, Dead things are not as fast
moving as live things. The one thing is the Reds are liking the shade,
So under boats and under docks is where you will find some great fishing
for Red Fish
Spanish Mackerel are thick out by the straights easy lace to find them is at the Cape Haze reef. If you can find white bait that will work or the small got-cha lures, even Silver spoons ¼ once or 1.8 once seems to be the best sizes and silver is the color. As far as a lure I would stay with the Storm Twitch stik, White with gray back. Reel in med to fast retrieve, This is one fish where if the water is hot or not reel fast they like it moving. I love eating Spanish Mackerel, the is a catch, I only eat them the same day I catch them. They lose a lot after freezing or just sitting in the fridge. Fillet them and take extra special care to get all of the bones out the ones by the belly are really tricky to find. I close my eyes and run my fingers lightly up and down the fillet to feel any bones which might be left in the meat, Wash and dry them put a light coat of butter on one side, lightly sprinkle with Lemon / Herb seasoning I like the McCormick brand I get at Public’s for this, And place buttered side down on the grill, wait about 3 to five minutes depending. The butter the other side add Lemon / herb and flip. Brown on both side and they are done. Wonderful. I figure 3 mackerel for two people, You know you will have hush puppies , Cole slaw So 1 ½ per person is about right. If you freeze them or try to keep them for later you will think I am crazy for saying how good they are. Fresh caught is Wow. So keep what you need for dinner that night and let the rest go.
Here
at Fishin Franks went to I-cast the national Fishin show. After the
first day of walking up and down row after row of fishing tackle we had
not made it half way through, Some cool new stuff from Savage Lures we
are going to try the 18 inch Trout meant for Musky fishing on Tarpon
this year, or maybe even Goliath Grouper at the phosphate dock. In the
currant there I am hoping to just let it hang in the tide and let the
tide make it swim. That should just make the fish crazy down there
watching it.
Lew's Reels is another line we picked up and maybe Ducket rods. We have
pretty much every other brand as it is. The Lumkerhunt frogs are cool we
have them coming. As well as every Bubba blade made. Great old fashion
carbon steel knifes. I could tattle on about it but as the lures and
tackle com in I will post how they work the good and the bad about them.
I am on the fence about the new Penn Clash spinning reel. I know it will
work and all that, The big Question is not is it a good reel, But is it
worth spending $50.oo more for it, or should you just buy a Battle or
Conflict? I think the coolest thing I saw was a take apart Crab lure
made in Australia, But they will not be here until maybe December.
For now that is about it,
Have a good safe month, Watch for storms which try to get between you
and the dock, Don't let them do it. Have fun
Thanks Fishin Frank
06/24/2015
Summer time, summer time, sum, sum, summer time, Yes the wonderful time of year when the weather forecast is, Hot with beautiful mornings and a chance of rain in the afternoon. The weather people could just do a loop recording. The Tarpon are moving back into the Harbor and the feed is switching from crabs to fish, be it lady fish or thread fins, In the next 2 weeks it will be time to get out the D.O.A. Bait buster and swimming mullet lures, As the Thread fins and white bait get hard to find. The Trick right now is the Bait is following the tides. Yes the Bait is more susceptible to the salinity, So when the tides comes in the Bait moves up as the tides falls the bait will move towards the gulf. The hunt for bait is trying at best right now, My advice is to start looking at different places, Every one tries Marker #2 or #1. These are good places to find bait as both markers have 4 pilings which provides the bait with more shelter from predators. But many of the single piling markers will hold bait. The only way to know if these is bait is to try one. With bait getting harder to find Lure fishing will get to be more the normal way to hook up your Tarpon, Don't forget the hitch-hiker rig for rigged your bait buster below a bobber. As casting for hours can be tough. Put the bait buster below a float about 5 feet and let the bobber do the jigging work for you.
Another Question is why are there the king Mackerel here in the gulf? They should be far north by now, following the cooler waters. This started just a few Years ago, The kings will go past us in the Spring following the perfect water temperature 68 to 72 degrees, Which the Kings like best. Then all of a sudden a month later the Kings are back scattered all along the coast. I started watching the gulf water temps on the weather and tides pages on my website and right now it is 87.8 degrees off Naples. 89.2 off St. Pete and 86.7 off Pensacola. So about 1 degree difference from North Florida to us, The kings once they get to the Panhandle and the water warms up start heading back south stopping where ever they find good feeding. It is no longer a temperature thing as it was in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. In the 2000's the weather has changed So there is little to no difference so now it is just about where the easiest meal is. We will see a run with a lot of Kings this fall as the water temps drop. The kings will all start moving South if the Gulf gets cold enough. And again in the Spring as the water warms. So there is still 2 King Mackerel “runs” But once it is warms they scatter out looking for food.
Now this is just a Frank-isum, and may not be a true-isum but it explains why the Kings have migrated north then returned to hang out here all summer long for the last few year.\
2015 continues to be the weird Year with another run of Spanish mackerel for July which is very cool as they are one of my favorite eating fish, But only if caught that day, kept on ice all day. Taken home fillet, wash, put on a grill with a heavy coat of butter on one side which is placed butter side down on the grill. Once that side is brown Butter add lemon herb seasoning, And in a few minutes brown on both side done. And wow what a meal. Only good the day you catch them not too bad the next day and not worth a darn once frozen. So if you want a Spanish mack meal, keep three mackerel for each 2 people, that will do it let the rest go. Waste not, want not,
I
am going to I-cast the national fishing trade show and this year I am
looking to add 3 new lines of lures. We will be added more colors and
style to the ones we have, But trying to find what will be the next
Storm twitch, The number one fish catcher, best selling lure of the last
3 Years. If you have a lure or brand of lure, you think I should be
looking at let me know. How do I choose what will be the next great
lure, I never could. It all comes down to one person catching a fish
with it, then telling a friend, who tells another, and if each of them
catches a fish with it, it will be a hit. But if it only works for the
first person, and not the 2nd or 3rd. Which does
happen a lot, and I am not sure why. My best guess is that lures which
work really well for a few people and not other is that they need to be
worked in a very certain way. And that can be a make it or break it
point.
Last of all watch the heat, This time of year try to get out while it is
still dark, Just as the sun starts to show it's self, the fishing will
be at it's best until 10:am then slow down By 2 in the afternoon it will
be at it's slowest, right as the sea breeze makes it uncomfortable to be
out. So try to be back in by 2 and then think about going out after the
threat of storms is past. Night fishing in July is excellent and it is
cooler and the Big fish are here to play with. So think about vampire
fishing. This is the time. And no sunburn.
Have fun, be safe,
Fishin frank
06/15/2015
05/24/2015
Picking the line to fish with,
This is a big question now, should I use braided line or Mono, Mono Filament line is a solid plastic line getting it's name from a single or {mono} filament invented in 1938, but was stiff and kinky and not until the mid 1960's was it really usable to fish with. Braided line is a type of cloth and from Kevlar, Yes bullet proof vest thread. While not exactly Kevlar close enough. Lets start with that, Braided line is amazing new line because it allows you fish fish with very heavy line, that is so small you can cast 20 pound test with the ease of 8 pound mono. Yes there is a difference between how thin a line is and the castiblity of the line, Take 30 pound braided line it is smaller than 12 pound mono, but when you throw it on a fishing rod it will cast the same distance as #12 mono , So 2o pound braid while the size of 4 pound mono will cast like 8 pound. Braid line is more resistant to scarping against barnacles so wears better than mono, Mono filament line tends to twist when used on s Spinning reel, and to get the twist our you would drag it behind the boat as very slow speed, When twisted mono looks a lot like wrought iron, and when pulled through the water the water would work out all of the twists in about 1 to 2 minutes. Braided line when it gets twisted just will not UN-twist when pulled through the water, some of the twist will come out but it takes 5 time longer to get the twist out. Braided line, being cloth material dose not hold the shape as will mono to help the water work the twist out. Good news is that it take 5 times longer to see the or have the twist in braided line become a problem.
Braid is stronger than mono line. That is what most people think and not really true. Braided line has no give or stretch, So on a flat dead pull with no jerking it is very strong, but if you pull then jerk on the braided line it will pop quite easy. This is the reason I use braided line when fishing against the mangroves or under docks, I use it because it breaks so easy, If you hang braided line in a tree branch a short sharp jerk of the line will pop the braid line easy, while mono fishing line stretches so much it is very hard to break and often sends high speed missiles back to the boat, the stretch acts like a sling shot. So contrary to people opinion I use braided so I can safety break it.
So if
I am trolling or really open water fishing I still prefer mono as it
gives/stretches when the fish hits making it hard to break. A hint if
you are going to troll with braided, here is the equation. With mono
line. The fish hits, the line stretches, the rod bends the drag on the
reel gives. So when using braid to troll with. No stretch so set your
drag at least 1/3 looser than you would with mono, so the fish will not
break off.
Now mono line will get you more hits, the same way that Fluorocarbon
leader will get you more hits than steel leader. So in open water I use
mono to hook more fish, more fish on the line means more fun,
Now What color line is the best, not too ay years ago it was simple you
had a choice of clear mono line or white mono line. Now the are tons of
colors and lines with mixed colors, So which is best. that is easy they
are all the best, but not all year, I had 8 rods and reels on the boat
and each one had a different color line on it, no one colors catches
more fish than the other all year, as the water colors changes and the
conditions change so will the color of your line, I watched one color
catch way more fish than the others only to fade back down to normal,
then another color would get way more hits,
I fish every once in a while with white bait and white bait swims around
a lot, now with each rod a different color I know which white bait is
swimming behind the boat, or is under the boat and All I have to say is
hey Yellow reel up, when the line were all one color everyone had to
reel to find out whose bait it was. Tangles are easier to deal with when
the lines are different colors as well, much simpler to get Yellow apart
from green than green from green.
So there is no real down side to different colors other than we are not
used to it,
Just to wrap this up as I
could go on about a lot more issues, let me say, What is the best brand
of braided line. There is not a best one. They are all good, the trick
is to find which is the best for you, which brand of line cast good for
you, with-out throwing wind knots, Some people will do better with one
brand and some with an other. So if a line works for you, that’s means
it is good. But it may not be the one for your fishing partner, how you
cast, which rods and reel you put together. Whether you use bait or
lures. All will make a difference in which line is the best for you. So
when a line company says we are the best. No that is impossible, It is
only true it may be the best for you.
Thanks I hope this helps
Fishin Frank
05/13/2015
As I sit here at my
computer writing about fishing I can only think of how great it would be
to be out on the Harbor or in the gulf right now, With tremendous school
of Tarpon cruising the Beaches in Gin clear blue water where you can
watch the fish hit your bait or fly. Just as Wow as you can get, The
only draw back to that is quite often if you can see them they can see
you, which will slow the bite down, Good things to remember are do not
move your arms much, keeping your arms close to your side is key to not
spooking fish, Think of it this way when a bird is diving down it; s
wings are out stretched, and even when a bird gets up-set it's wings
flap way out from it's body, why would that scare a 1000 pound tarpon,
Reason is that Tarpon was not always 100 pounds at one time it was very,
very tiny and for the first years of it's life birds were a huge threat,
they would come swooping down taking away other Tarpon. So anything with
the look of out stretched wings like you with your arms out mean be
afraid, run away, By standing still or at least keeping your movements
small and close to your body you have a much better chance of hooking up
fish, any species. And with Tarpon on the beach often you will see the
Tarpon swimming along and then gun the boat to get a head of the school
of fish stop shut down the motor and try to be a hole in the water, here
come the Tarpon, if you were smart you already had your lines out in the
water and even if you have a lure on I do not start to retrieve it until
I see the Tarpon, then the chances of spooking the fish are much less.
When using thread fins or crabs I will always try to get the bait out
before the Tarpon get to me One under a float. My choice of floats are
the clear casting bubble, not often but every once in a while the
colored bobber or floats will, I wont say spook the fish but maybe they
are looking at the pretty color bobber and forget to eat, or yes maybe
it just spooks them. The clear see through bubbles are a better bet for
Beach fishing tarpon, I use 60 pound fluorocarbon leader not the colored
stuff, the only benefit of using fluorocarbon is that the fluorocarbon
will bend light the same as water, and if it has a color in it, is it
still fluorocarbon?
For Crabs I use a 6/0 hook, either “J” or circle, depends who you are, I
set a hook, I have to grew up fishing fresh water before circle hook
were being used and I don’t gut hook fish, If you are going to us a “J”
style hook remember set it three times, as soon as I feel the bite and
once the Tarpon start to move I set again them once more just to be
sure. With a circle hook reel, get pressure to the Tarpon that boney
mouth is very hard to get a hook in, and with circle hooks it must sort
of sang the fishes mouth as the fish turns then direct steady pressure
to get it set.
I am not one to use anything smaller than a 6/0 circle as there is not
enough room between the point of the hook and the shank to warp around
the Tarpons jaw. With a “J” hook I will go down to a 5/0 for crabs or
thread fins, Now if I am going to use lady fish or mullet for Tarpon
bait I go to an 8/0 or 9/0 hook, you have to have enough hook left over
after you go through the bait to get into the fish. With a little hook
the fish will grab the bait then you try to keep the fish and the bait
pulls right out of it's mouth.
So
many thing to consider when you are trying to catch a dream. The big
thing about fishing for Tarpon is not to think of Tarpon as the Sliver
King, think of it as a big junk fish with no real value, you would not
want to eat one, nasty red bloody meat not good for any thing, and a
trash can which will eat any thing from a cat-fish to a crab. Now you
have the truth, A Tarpon is only the silver King when it is on your line
and jumping through the air, before that junk fish. Now I say this
because many people get all screwed up when it comes to Tarpon, you have
to have the perfect bait the perfect that, Norm before he passed away
used to hate Tarpon he would be trying to catch a cat-fish in our
tournament and have to go through 8 Tarpon that night. So toss a chunk
of dead bait out, or cast a perfect thread fin, I guess the thing to
remember is that it is obly a fish until you hook it up, Then Silver
king is not enough to say how cool this fish is.
I hope you catch your dream fish and have fun.
Fishin Frank
04/25/2015
Ahh the cool weather of Spring time. what wait a minute you are not in South west Florida. Here it we went from a beautiful warm winter right into Summer. one day I walk out of the house at 5:am and it was chilly and the next day it was hot and humid. wow what a change. The water temps are that of what should be June, the gulf is on the mid 80’s and parts of the Harbor are reaching 90 degrees. So what's all this mean well good news Shark and Tarpon even Cobia are all here and biting in full out eat something mode. But the flats is a different story as the water warms up you will need to start slowing down, much the same as when the water gets below 70 degrees in the winter, the main difference is the lack of oxygen, Hot water will not hold oxygen so the fish slow down just as you do when it is hot. a neat trick I use in the winter and summer months is to use a very small reel, instead of using a 4000 or 40 size reel I switch to a 1 or 2000 size, even though when you turn the handle it spins at the same speed like 50 to 1 ratio, the spool size is much smaller so you bring in less line per turn of the handle when retrieving a lure, allowing the fish time to see it, hear it and make up it’s mind to eat it.
Now the middle of the Harbor
is deeper and deeper water takes longer to heat up, and the
fishing there continues to be good. the Tarpon who may breath
either under water or air form above don’t care what the oxygen
in the water is, and are hanging out in the deep holes of the
Harbor where fish like whiting, cat fish and or thread fins are
hiding from the heat. and while seeing rolling tarpon is always
better I would say weather you see Tarpon rolling or not. stop
over the deep hole either the middle hole or the 20 foot hole
and on one rod put out a live thread fin free line, and on the
other rod a cut bait under a float. The cut bait should be about
5 to 6 feet below your bobber or float and the size of your
fist,
now this is not written in stone you may place the live thread
fin under the float and let the cut bait free line, if you do
this I would take off the Fluorocarbon leader and replace it
with the AFW knot-able steel leader. The new leader from AFW you
do not need crimps tools or a lighter to melt it. You just tie
it the same way you would tie on your fluorocarbon leader
including a line to line knot. then just tie on your hook. any
knot will hold but a Uni knot works best. keep in mind when
tying a uni to uni from your braid line to the leader pull
slowly and when tying on your hooks pull the knot down to the
hook not the leader through the eye of the hook or the leader
can get curly on you. This new steel leader we have tested it on
Tarpon, Sharks, Snook, red fish, and you will get a few more
hits while using fluorocarbon leader, but if you are dragging a
cut bait free line while Tarpon fishing you will lose a lot of
leader to the sharks, and if you switch to the AFW tie-able
steel you will hook up and land not only the Tarpon but the
Sharks as well, and that is cool. The one thing is if the water
is very clear as it is along the beach, the Tarpon will see that
steel more so than in the darker waters of the Harbor, and there
is not the shark problem along the beaches so there along the
beaches I would stay with the 60 pound Fluorocarbon leader. but
in the Harbor I would switch it when ever you are free lining.
after all a hook up with a Shark or a hook up with a Tarpon both
are fun.
Too sum this month up. Try every thing,
04/13/2015
Every once in a while the
stars and moons and water temps tides all come together to make fishing
good really good. that is what’s happening in the Harbor right now. The
Black tip, Black nose, Atlantic sharp nose, Bonnet sharks, lemon Sharks
let me stop before I do a whole Forest gump thing on this, But you get
the idea. Sharks are not all that is in, A huge school of black drum are
spawning here in the Harbor, thousands of 40 pound plus fish boiling the
water. Cobia are swimming the surface or cruising the shallow flats on
the bars of the east and west side. Tarpon have showed up and they mean
business, eating and cruising like a bunch of Spring break kids. I love
this time of year when you can be just cruising your boat across the
Harbor and have a 150 pound bright silver giant butt fish jump
completely out of the water and crash land back into the waves like a
magnificent ghost> was that real ? did you see that? Holy cow! Yes
Charlotte Harbor can take your breath away when the monster fish are
here. Start watching for the giant Spotted eagle rays to show up. Wow a
cross between a submarine and an alien space craft just g;gliding right
under the surface of the water than exploding in a free jump complete
with back flip.
The flats here in the harbor as well as Bull 7 turtle bay are doing well
on Red fish, But I would have to say the Snook fishing is by far the
better option. and the flats are full of them. Now over the next month
the Snook are going to start heading out to the barrier islands for the
baby making dance. and it is well under way now. So a storm twitch or a
old fashion 52 MR 18 cast close to the Shore and slow twitch it back
with a moderate retrieve will make your Snook dreams come true. Speaking
of walking the beaches the flounder even dare I say it the King Mackerel
have been very close to shore, I know one has nothng to do iwht the
other but that is how my brain works. Anyway the King mackerel have been
caught and I mean 20 pounders or better right from the beach in
Englewood all the way down to Boca. Most common way they have been
caught is by the Peole fishing for small sharks, yes a chunk of dead
bait or maybe a live thread fin, This contiues to be a weird year. But
the bait is back and the Harbor is full of Thread fins and green backs.
The thread fins you can see, they are the ones which look like rain on
the water. The Green backs are thick aorund Devil fish Key and Jug creek
shoals. There have been some caught at pirate Harbor and up by the marks
#1 & #2 but more plentiful down harbor a ways.
Here a an E-mail I received about their big day. I though I would share with you. If you work in a bait shop you might not think you can make a differeance in people lives, But the dream of catching that big fish. and the memories and storis which follow that fish, stay with people their whole lives. I
Once upon a fish, I decided not to let him go. (Te-he, this is going to be fun.) A melancholy kind of day, fishing, following along and blending in lay ahead of me. I had recently heard about Drum Fish, the booming beat they make in mating calls is famous in Southwestern Florida. The boom is said to reverberate thru the water in channels and up into foundations causing nightly havoc for homeowners. It literally sounds like a tiakado drum, beat once...then another, and pretty soon you think the dripping water in the sink is a booming waterfall one drop at a time. Little did I know a special guy had his drum on for me. It was like he knew I was coming, waiting in the depths for an interesting ride to the brightness I had above.
Fishing the bridges is what locals call it. We were going for King Mackerel, Snook, Tarpon, the popular seasonal fish. The first up was a Ladyfish caught by the only lady on the boat, a foretelling of the sea's talent. She got off quickly, freeing up the line for friends waiting below. Another pass revealed a deep hook, and something big. "Snag," they said. "NO; my line is swimming," I said. The big guy pulled the line out hard, we heard the drag releasing. A lot of line was running out fast, but it was just a tease because he knew he was hooked. Heading out to the channel we followed along, not letting up the tension. It was a strong relationship. Back to the home grounds and not ready to see the light yet, deep he went. Another run, feeling like space was needed I am sure. It gave me a bit of a rest to gather the strength needed for the remaining challenge. He was ready, briefly cresting. I actually swore. He was by far the largest catch I had ever seen. In the murky water, his wildness was awesome. We understood each other by now, he was not ready. Large and purposeful, I was excited to greet him. Still, I was persistent but gentle coaxing him up. He was a bit shy so it took awhile. His last energy spent he surfaced in all his splendor. Surprisingly earthy, his size foretelling his experience and wisdom. No sudden movements, no jumping just a gentle giant. Maybe not the biggest, but just right for me. I got the feeling he had been here before, and I was meant to catch him this time. He was gentile in nature once landed, and drummed for me quite a bit. I thought, I am stunned and in love with a fish! It was an awesome experience to have met him. His release was really only a passing of friends. We will surely share more experiences together in this salty life.
60# 40" Black Drum 4/10/15 on 10# test with a simple shrimp on a hook (hung the wrong way,) sliding weight. Peace River, FL under I-75 Bridge. 17' Carolina Skiff "Fat Point", guide Daryl assisted by Bob.
03/22/2015
Spanish Mackerel are not a fish to catch and
freeze for later, The meat is not tasty after
being frozen. So
I only keep them if I am going to have
time to clean and cook them that night. If I am
going to have time I will keep 3 for two people,
The seem like more than you would want but if
you have a grill some butter, and McCormick
brand lemon herb Spice. It may not be enough. I
butter one side of the Fillet, then sprinkle
some of the lemon Herb on it and place that side
down on the hot grill. Oh yes when you fillet a
Spanish watch for bones by the belly, Spanish
are tricky to fillet properly and get out all of
the bones. after removing the skin rub your
fingers up and down the meat. Your finger can
feel bones way better than your eyes can see
them. When the side facing down on the grill is
brown I butter the top side add some seasoning
and fill it over. brown on both side is done.
Serve with your choice of side dish as you will
only be thinking about eating more of the
mackerel any way.
Good luck out there, have fin and be safe
Fishin Frank
02/24/2015
1/26/2015
12/22/2014
11/22/2014
09/23/2014
08/25/2014
Nature is crazy and mix people with wild things and the weird is going to happen.
One night Larry who came in with friends who were going to Fish the Placida trestle, Larry bought a brand new rod and a bait runner type reel, this reel has 2 drags one to which is used for waiting for the fish, and the other for fighting the fish, the trick is to remember to set the waiting drag then click it on. Well it was his first time using it and his first time fishing in Florida. So like many people he laid the rod down while waiting for his fish, and did not thing about the bait runner, So you know what came next, all of a sudden rattle clunk splash the Rod and reel was pulled right of the pier and into the water. Larry spent the next half hour cussing and stomping around on the dock, he had not caught even one fish with his new set up and in the water it went, His friends did not want to leave, well they did not lose their Rods, and them a bite one of the guys had a hit and slowly started to reel in, It did not feel quite like a fish and it wasn’t it was a large Blue Crab which had his line in one of it's claws, and it appeared to be tangled up in line, So they netted the crab and found it had that line in it's right claw and another line in it's left claw, You guessed it the other line they pulled in hand over hand, and there was Larry’s new rod and reel, a little wet but no worse for the dunking and it had a 5 pound cat fish still on the hook so Lost and found with a little help from a Blue Crab which Larry let go back into the water, while his buddies fussed about wanting it for bait, No way Larry did not want that bad Karma. After all the crab gave him his tackle back.
Fishin Piers can be a great stress relief, One of our customers just got a new rod & reel, and was casting a lure and wham nice hit, Fish on & the fish was jumping and going crazy, and the Rod he said preformed excellent a Shimano C-I4 and a Star Seagis rod, it should be great, that is an expensive
set-up, But what a dream to fish with. Now he was breaking it in with a 4 pound Lady fish, after a good battle he landed the lady fish, letting the lady fish lay on the pier hook still in the fishes Jaw, he turned to get his pliers from his Tackle box and hear a noise behind him, quickly turning around he was just in time to see a large Osprey with the lady fish in it's talons flying off with his fish, Now keep in mind the lady fish still had the hook in it's jaw and his new rod and reel was hanging below the bird, the Osprey having a hard time with the weight of the fish and the rod & reel made it about 30 feet up and 50 feet away from the pier before letting go, and Splash went the fish, Rod, reel, and during this few seconds all the guy could do was stand there, mouth open and watch. He packed up came into the store and wonder. I have heard a lot of stories about losing rods but this one, Just plain weird. What was that osprey thinking?
07/29/2014
04/28/2014
03/26/2015
02/25/2015
Stories I wrote.
Here
are some of the monthly Fishing up-dates, I have written, going back in time
I wish I could blame someone
else, for writing these But it was Me Fishin Frank. I did use spell check, but
that dose not always work.
08/28/2015
Peace
River We all know the Peace river is here, but do you know how cool it is? Lets
start at the 41 bridges. Now the real mouth of the river is in a line from Ponce
DE Leon park in Punta Gorda across to Hog Island. So the Gilchrist bridges or 41
bridges as we call them are really a little over 4 miles up river.
To get to where the river is fresh all year is about 17 miles up where Horse
Creek enters the Peace river
or 22 from the mouth of the river. I thought I would throw that in as I get this
question a lot, most people do not under stand the Peace river is 104 miles long
and in the past a Major trade route for goods, before stage coaches and wagons,
I guess I should say before roads, heavy goods were transported by barges. Now
we use interstate Hwy but back then a lot easier to put a couple tons of stuff
on a boat and push it.
Now
lets get to the fishing, Snook fishing can be done on most of the peace river,
Zolfo Springs and Wauchula have for part of the Year some very good Snook
fishing. Even Tarpon can be found up the River.
Back to a trip up the river, Starting at 41 you are in a full on Salt water
environment, as you pass the bridge for I-75 you are into a Mangrove
environment, still salt water now once you pass Harbor heights you will see saw
grass, This is where the transition starts, this is a true brackish water
environment. Now watch the shoreline as you head up river at Harbor heights take
the right fork and you will see the plants are changing more ferns, and the
trees are different the Mangroves thin out and the Cypress tress begin to be
more common, Watch Island 33 you will know which one this is as the channel
marks stop here, you have been seeing the typical Red or green markers now in
front of you is a marker with red and green on it, half and half. That is the
Charlotte county line. And the channels markers stop here this is also the first
place with less than 4 feet of water, you have been over holes deeper than 20
foot on your way here but in front of you is a shoal which extends all the way
across the main channel of the river and at high tides there is 3 feet of water
at lower tides less than 2. Now you can take and go around the back side of
island 33 and while there is not much more water the bottom is soft and you will
have no trouble making it through. In front on the main channel the bottom is
much harder and may ding your prop. I always use the main channel as I run a
flats boat and only need a foot of water to run comfortable. Once you are past
island 33 hold to the out side bends of the river and there is not really any
shallow places, until you get past the camp ground. And that is only shallow if
you are not thinking out side of the bends, which means you must picture in your
head an “S” follow the curves,
The fish will also hold on these out side bends. Near the shoreline and You
could cast a lure like a Rat-L-trap or a Bomber at the shore or I prefer to
troll these bends in the River. These bends get deep quick and it is a good idea
to idle over a bend to see where the deep starts, Pick a tree on the shore as
your guide. When I troll I am less than 5 feet from the bank so a certain tree
is a good reference point to know where the deep part of the hole is.
Now the only tricky turn is at the water treatment plant, you will be running
along and then find your self in a bay. The river had just taken a hard right
which you will not have seen and now you are in the bay where we in Charlotte
County get our drinking water from. I would take a few minutes to fish here.
In the water treatment bay there are often tarpon, and the Snook tend to lay up
along the shore line on your right hand side, I like to anchor out in the middle
and try for some of the giant Gar fish which live here not uncommon to find gar
over 4 feet long. A shiner under a bobber with a 4/0 wide gap/ Kahele hook is
the trick to fishing for them or catching them. If you are a Fly person, use a
2/0 hook with a piece of red ribbon, I would make the ribbon at least 4 inches
long, I like 6 inches then I shred the last 3 inches. This works the gar go to
attack the ribbon and their teeth get stuck in the shredded part.
Now
lets get back to the river Now the river tends to look like Jungle, think Tarzan
movies, Johnny Weissmuller filmed Tarzan movies here. It is the last transition
Until you get to the real world again up in Arcida. come out of the bay and make
a hard left and around the island you will see the bridge for hwy 761 go under
the bridge, and all the way to the left hand shore line. There is a sand bar
which comes off of the main channel of the river, which is on your right, If you
go straight ahead the Snook fishing is great on the left hand bank but it is a
dead end. Wait to head up the river until to get right in front of the main
channel coming from the right, that will take you to the Fort Ogden trestle,
where it is deep and the fishing is good right around the pilings. You may only
get a little ways farther up river from here, take this next ½ mile slow there
is no deeper section, and often fallen trees in the water at or near the
surface. You will make a left turn and there is a nice beach and some bug round
Piling maybe, I am sure at some time long ago there was a bridge or something
here this is the mouth of Horse Creek ahead of you there is what we call the
narrows, great fishing for Snook, Bass, Blue gills, even some times Red fish,
the main channel of the river goes off to your right but is really shallow less
than a foot deep. This is where I will stop as this is about where you need to
stop, I have not been up past this for a year so, I will make a run up there and
then I will continue our journey
to Arcadia and Points beyond as a last thought there is a great park in Arcadia
on Hwy 70 at the edge of town fishing is OK, for Snook and or Bass, but a really
nice park and a cool place to just check out by Car.
08/02/15
Hey Boys & Girls out there
in the land of fish, The weather has not been great for going fishing
but the fishing has gotten a lot better over the last couple weeks as we
stay ashore and prep our gear for nicer days. The heavy cloud cover and
rain has dropped the water temp as much as 20 degrees in Charlotte
Harbor allowing for the oxygen levels to come up, and the Red Fish and
Snook are liking it. Fishing on the east and west sides of the Harbor Is
good to better than good, with the fish hanging out by the sand bars
early in the day then as the sun rises higher heading to their favorite
shade tree. Kinda like me I guess. In South west Florida there can be an
easy 13 degree difference between being in the direct sun and being in
the shade. We don't think of it as we think of water always being cool
but it is the same thing. Shady water is cooler. The mangrove islands on
the east side have quite a bit of shade, green means go, when it come to
fishing on the east side during the mid day, Branches with lots of green
leaves provide the shade and that is where you will find your red fish
and Snook.
Shrimp is a good bait while the water is on the Hot side or cold side
for that matter, both will slow down the fish and that makes Shrimp a
good bet, as it is slower moving than a bait fish. Easier for the fish
to catch and eat. Another bait which works great this time of year is
cut bait. Pieces of fish. I had a customer who told me dead bait will
not work in a canal. That statement kind of caught me off guard as dead
bait works pretty much any time, or any place, but right now with the
water temp 80 or more and all of the fresh water we have Cut bait or
dead bait is a staple of serious Anglers. Think of it this way the water
is very dark, from so much rain water run off. The brown colored water
coming down river, makes it very hard for fish to see. So Fish hunt for
food by sound or scent. And most fish have a better nose for food than
dogs. If you are reading this in a room with other people in it. Take a
second and do you smell the other people in the room? Ow wait let part
part go and just say no you can' smell them which should true most of
the time. Now the demented part. What of one of the people in the room
had been dead a while?
Yes a live shrimp smells like a shrimp but not nearly as much as a dead
one does. So it is easier for a fish to find dead bait with darker murky
water than it is for that fish to find a live bait. Very true around
bridges during the day time hours as most bridges have a lot more
traffic on them during the day, at night it is quiet and the Fish can
hear or I should say feel vibrations in the water, during the day the
cars make so much noise the fish ca not hear. But they can smell, So
dead bait during the day and live kicking bait at night.
My Job title is many things and one of the cooler aspects of being Fishin Frank is I get to /have to find new lures to sell each year. I like the classic's but newer lures with different sounds or body shapes can be just as good or even better. If the best lure in the world was made and no one bought it, would it still catch fish. I have to say NO. So the reality is a lure must catch fisherman before it can ever catch a fish. And one part of my job is to find new baits. The hard part can be find new lures, not just the same thing in a different package. Which is so common, Soft plastic baits are the worst, if you look close past the colorful package, you will find most are the same baits in a different package, and I mean the same. This year I went with Livingston a hard body lure which emits a sound. Yes it is a lure with a battery which when it is in the water produces noise a tone which by all accounts attracts fish. Using sound to attract fish is not new, Professional Shark Tournament anglers use under water speakers to make the sound of fish in distress to attract Sharks in. So I am trying Livingston lures.
Savage Lures have come out with a Soft plastic fish lures 16 inches long. And look very very real when puled through the water, I believe the tarpon and or Goliath Grouper are not going to be able to resist them. I do not think you would even have to reel them. If you have a bit of currant, the action is so good you should be able to just hold them in a currant like at the Phosphate docks or around the bridges and let the lure do it work which would be a great thing as they weigh at least a pound. Heavy buggers to cast, But that is the price of a monster fish. We did also buy them all the way down to a more standard 6 inch version. But that just does not seem as much fun, as the massive lure, and the massive hit.
Vudo has a cool Shrimp Lures different than the ones we carry now and I have ordered those. The weight in the front of the lures has a lip so it may be just reeled in or jigged, But they do have an action on their own, which really helps when some one is just getting started casting lures.
Spool
tec is another lure we are getting in, this lure has a leader inside the
lure, Yes a hard plastic head with a small spool in it which holds
leader material and the hook, when a fish hits the lure the hook pulls
out on the leader. The hard plastic head hold a soft plastic tail, a
paddle tail to be correct which is the fish attractor part. Makes a good
thumping noise as you reel it in. A bit pricey but it does catch Snook.
We have Baker
Lures, and more new stuff coming but too much for one story, I will not
go on about it. I will close up and shut up, so you can get on with your
day. The fishing is good the sharks, Spanish, Pompano, Red Fish, Snook,
Sea Trout are all in good numbers, Even some Triple Tail in the Harbor,
So If you can get out one day early in the am. This month will provide
you with some great fishing opportunity.
Be safe have fun
Fishin Frank
07/28/2015
31 years this month I have
been here at Fishin Franks, well then again I am Fishin frank, So that
stands to reason. July is the beginning and the end of the tackle year
and the ICAST show or International; Convention of Allied Sport fishing,
the largest tackle show in the world was held here in Florida, We walked
for hours and had not seen 1/3 of the Show. After 2 days of walking we
had at least waked by every booth and tried to talk for a minute with
manufactures who had a different or new product.
Here is the old debate, Do I or should I buy lures that catch fish or
buy lures that catch fisherman? If a lure would catch every fish that
swims and one one bought it, does it still catch fish? The simple truth
is A lure has to catch fisherman first. Most lures work, That said I had
a line of lures called killer baits, so life like, and the swimming
action seemed looked perfect to me. I threw that lure on and off for 12
years until one day I caught a bunch of fish with it, Then threw it as
far as I could out into the Harbor. For some one else to find and try,
So looking realistic is only half the battle, but I was right, it caught
a lot of fish, forgetting the 12 years it took to do it
I
attended my first tackle show in 1985 a dealer long since out of
business in Jacksonville and I had the same problems as I do now. Where
to start and what's the difference between nuclear Chicken, Electric
Chicken and Texas chicken? No it is not a new trend in fast food, it is
color pattern names for lures, It is one of the many reasons to go to
buying shows so you can see what the lures look like.
I am a hard body kind of guy, I can say with a grin I guess which mean I
prefer lures made of hard wood or plastic, Top water style or diving
crank baits I have just done better with them. My Dad like spoons, and a
huge number of people are into Soft body baits or soft plastics,
thousands of colors and hundreds of body styles I would need a store as
big as Tampa it's self to hold them all.
In-line spinners off set spinners, the list goes on. And not to forget
jigs, Jig heads with rattles or with out, Circle hook or “J' hook weed
less or standard. Stand up or bouncing or swimming styles.
I am confused again, so many choices Sizes are easier, 3 to 3 ½ inch
lures are the ones which catch the most fish. Larger lures for big fish
only as the smaller fish can not get them into their mouths. Hard to say
if a lure can be too big. After all we have some monster Fish here. I
just bought some lures that are over 18 inches long and must weigh a
couple pounds.
We did make a Purchase of Livingston Lures, a Little on the pricey side but the lures do have a cool factor, they produce sounds, Yes they emit sounds to attach fish, pro shark anglers use under water Speakers to call the Sharks in, and these lures do the same thing. But a lures which makes it own sound to attract fish is cool.
Then we have Spool tech lures. Which has a built in leader So there is no heavy leader exposed, and replaceable tails, and is quickly becoming a Snook catching favorite. But the retractable leader is cool.
Baker lures this brand I picked for price pint and finish of the lures, the baker will give a mid point price and they have an interesting Holographic color patterns and action, which I think they are going to catch fish,
Which brings me to the Savage Lures, We bought some huge ones 16 inch long lures for Tarpon and Goliath grouper, Now this lure is almost perfectly life like, add a little scent to it and just let it swim in the tide, My advice Hang on to the rod, when a fish hits it it will be a monster. We also have the life like Soft Plastic fish from 6 inches to the monster 16 inch.
Looking at lures to try and picture what the action it has has gotten
easier over the years, I spend many hours in a swimming pool or in the
harbor under water watching lures fall towards the bottom, or having
some one retrieve them past me. If you can figure out where the weight
of the lure is. At the top it will tip over, when falling. Weight at the
bottom it will drop, Round bodies will wobble going down.
One thing I did discover while under water looking at lures I found out
why top water lures have different colors on the top or back of the lure
than it odes on the bottom, A top water lure floats on the surface so I
could not understand why the part not in the water would be a different
color, when you are under water looking up you see three images of that
one lure. In the middle you see the bottom of the lure on both side you
see a mirror image of the back or top of the lure. So you really see
more of the top color than you do the part actually in the water by
refection.
So buying lures can be over whelming, There is 60 million people going to fish here in the U.S. This year I figure out of that some one will like the new lures I bought.
07/18/2015
August storms and hot
weather go hand in hand, The thing is this year the Red fish are just
plain wacky, By August the Reds are out towards the gulf or at least
hanging out in deeper cooler waters, This year the Reds have moved into
the canals, What is strange about this is that the water in the canals
is fresh and hot. As you know hot water will not hold oxygen. And the
fresh water comes with the brown of Tannin acid, the leaves from the
trees dye the water drown. In slow moving rivers as the leaves and
vegetation decays tannins are released and the water turns brown, which
makes it look more like a cup of coffee or Tea This tannin Acid it is
not acid, like battery acid, just
a Brown color in the water from trees leaves which have a high acidity
level. It does not mean the water is dirty it means it is brown, and the
brown color is the problem, dark color absorb heat from the sun much
more so than light colors, So the brown water gets hot. Not uncommon to
see water temps in the 100 degree levels and if you have been in 1000
degree heat you do not feel like doing much. Or eating for that matter,
Same with the fish.
So why have the Reds com into this type of water this year instead of
being on the clear cooler water of the flats? No idea I wish I did, But
the Reds are back in the canals and eating cut bait, Chopped pieces of
Lady fish, Shrimp tails, Yes dead shrimp is working better than live
ones, Pin fish cut in half is a very good Red fish bait for August. The
dead Bait stinks more and is easy to catch, Dead things are not as fast
moving as live things. The one thing is the Reds are liking the shade,
So under boats and under docks is where you will find some great fishing
for Red Fish
Spanish Mackerel are thick out by the straights easy lace to find them is at the Cape Haze reef. If you can find white bait that will work or the small got-cha lures, even Silver spoons ¼ once or 1.8 once seems to be the best sizes and silver is the color. As far as a lure I would stay with the Storm Twitch stik, White with gray back. Reel in med to fast retrieve, This is one fish where if the water is hot or not reel fast they like it moving. I love eating Spanish Mackerel, the is a catch, I only eat them the same day I catch them. They lose a lot after freezing or just sitting in the fridge. Fillet them and take extra special care to get all of the bones out the ones by the belly are really tricky to find. I close my eyes and run my fingers lightly up and down the fillet to feel any bones which might be left in the meat, Wash and dry them put a light coat of butter on one side, lightly sprinkle with Lemon / Herb seasoning I like the McCormick brand I get at Public’s for this, And place buttered side down on the grill, wait about 3 to five minutes depending. The butter the other side add Lemon / herb and flip. Brown on both side and they are done. Wonderful. I figure 3 mackerel for two people, You know you will have hush puppies , Cole slaw So 1 ½ per person is about right. If you freeze them or try to keep them for later you will think I am crazy for saying how good they are. Fresh caught is Wow. So keep what you need for dinner that night and let the rest go.
Here
at Fishin Franks went to I-cast the national Fishin show. After the
first day of walking up and down row after row of fishing tackle we had
not made it half way through, Some cool new stuff from Savage Lures we
are going to try the 18 inch Trout meant for Musky fishing on Tarpon
this year, or maybe even Goliath Grouper at the phosphate dock. In the
currant there I am hoping to just let it hang in the tide and let the
tide make it swim. That should just make the fish crazy down there
watching it.
Lew's Reels is another line we picked up and maybe Ducket rods. We have
pretty much every other brand as it is. The Lumkerhunt frogs are cool we
have them coming. As well as every Bubba blade made. Great old fashion
carbon steel knifes. I could tattle on about it but as the lures and
tackle com in I will post how they work the good and the bad about them.
I am on the fence about the new Penn Clash spinning reel. I know it will
work and all that, The big Question is not is it a good reel, But is it
worth spending $50.oo more for it, or should you just buy a Battle or
Conflict? I think the coolest thing I saw was a take apart Crab lure
made in Australia, But they will not be here until maybe December.
For now that is about it,
Have a good safe month, Watch for storms which try to get between you
and the dock, Don't let them do it. Have fun
Thanks Fishin Frank
06/24/2015
Summer time, summer time, sum, sum, summer time, Yes the wonderful time of year when the weather forecast is, Hot with beautiful mornings and a chance of rain in the afternoon. The weather people could just do a loop recording. The Tarpon are moving back into the Harbor and the feed is switching from crabs to fish, be it lady fish or thread fins, In the next 2 weeks it will be time to get out the D.O.A. Bait buster and swimming mullet lures, As the Thread fins and white bait get hard to find. The Trick right now is the Bait is following the tides. Yes the Bait is more susceptible to the salinity, So when the tides comes in the Bait moves up as the tides falls the bait will move towards the gulf. The hunt for bait is trying at best right now, My advice is to start looking at different places, Every one tries Marker #2 or #1. These are good places to find bait as both markers have 4 pilings which provides the bait with more shelter from predators. But many of the single piling markers will hold bait. The only way to know if these is bait is to try one. With bait getting harder to find Lure fishing will get to be more the normal way to hook up your Tarpon, Don't forget the hitch-hiker rig for rigged your bait buster below a bobber. As casting for hours can be tough. Put the bait buster below a float about 5 feet and let the bobber do the jigging work for you.
Another Question is why are there the king Mackerel here in the gulf? They should be far north by now, following the cooler waters. This started just a few Years ago, The kings will go past us in the Spring following the perfect water temperature 68 to 72 degrees, Which the Kings like best. Then all of a sudden a month later the Kings are back scattered all along the coast. I started watching the gulf water temps on the weather and tides pages on my website and right now it is 87.8 degrees off Naples. 89.2 off St. Pete and 86.7 off Pensacola. So about 1 degree difference from North Florida to us, The kings once they get to the Panhandle and the water warms up start heading back south stopping where ever they find good feeding. It is no longer a temperature thing as it was in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. In the 2000's the weather has changed So there is little to no difference so now it is just about where the easiest meal is. We will see a run with a lot of Kings this fall as the water temps drop. The kings will all start moving South if the Gulf gets cold enough. And again in the Spring as the water warms. So there is still 2 King Mackerel “runs” But once it is warms they scatter out looking for food.
Now this is just a Frank-isum, and may not be a true-isum but it explains why the Kings have migrated north then returned to hang out here all summer long for the last few year.\
2015 continues to be the weird Year with another run of Spanish mackerel for July which is very cool as they are one of my favorite eating fish, But only if caught that day, kept on ice all day. Taken home fillet, wash, put on a grill with a heavy coat of butter on one side which is placed butter side down on the grill. Once that side is brown Butter add lemon herb seasoning, And in a few minutes brown on both side done. And wow what a meal. Only good the day you catch them not too bad the next day and not worth a darn once frozen. So if you want a Spanish mack meal, keep three mackerel for each 2 people, that will do it let the rest go. Waste not, want not,
I
am going to I-cast the national fishing trade show and this year I am
looking to add 3 new lines of lures. We will be added more colors and
style to the ones we have, But trying to find what will be the next
Storm twitch, The number one fish catcher, best selling lure of the last
3 Years. If you have a lure or brand of lure, you think I should be
looking at let me know. How do I choose what will be the next great
lure, I never could. It all comes down to one person catching a fish
with it, then telling a friend, who tells another, and if each of them
catches a fish with it, it will be a hit. But if it only works for the
first person, and not the 2nd or 3rd. Which does
happen a lot, and I am not sure why. My best guess is that lures which
work really well for a few people and not other is that they need to be
worked in a very certain way. And that can be a make it or break it
point.
Last of all watch the heat, This time of year try to get out while it is
still dark, Just as the sun starts to show it's self, the fishing will
be at it's best until 10:am then slow down By 2 in the afternoon it will
be at it's slowest, right as the sea breeze makes it uncomfortable to be
out. So try to be back in by 2 and then think about going out after the
threat of storms is past. Night fishing in July is excellent and it is
cooler and the Big fish are here to play with. So think about vampire
fishing. This is the time. And no sunburn.
Have fun, be safe,
Fishin frank
06/15/2015
05/24/2015
Picking the line to fish with,
This is a big question now, should I use braided line or Mono, Mono Filament line is a solid plastic line getting it's name from a single or {mono} filament invented in 1938, but was stiff and kinky and not until the mid 1960's was it really usable to fish with. Braided line is a type of cloth and from Kevlar, Yes bullet proof vest thread. While not exactly Kevlar close enough. Lets start with that, Braided line is amazing new line because it allows you fish fish with very heavy line, that is so small you can cast 20 pound test with the ease of 8 pound mono. Yes there is a difference between how thin a line is and the castiblity of the line, Take 30 pound braided line it is smaller than 12 pound mono, but when you throw it on a fishing rod it will cast the same distance as #12 mono , So 2o pound braid while the size of 4 pound mono will cast like 8 pound. Braid line is more resistant to scarping against barnacles so wears better than mono, Mono filament line tends to twist when used on s Spinning reel, and to get the twist our you would drag it behind the boat as very slow speed, When twisted mono looks a lot like wrought iron, and when pulled through the water the water would work out all of the twists in about 1 to 2 minutes. Braided line when it gets twisted just will not UN-twist when pulled through the water, some of the twist will come out but it takes 5 time longer to get the twist out. Braided line, being cloth material dose not hold the shape as will mono to help the water work the twist out. Good news is that it take 5 times longer to see the or have the twist in braided line become a problem.
Braid is stronger than mono line. That is what most people think and not really true. Braided line has no give or stretch, So on a flat dead pull with no jerking it is very strong, but if you pull then jerk on the braided line it will pop quite easy. This is the reason I use braided line when fishing against the mangroves or under docks, I use it because it breaks so easy, If you hang braided line in a tree branch a short sharp jerk of the line will pop the braid line easy, while mono fishing line stretches so much it is very hard to break and often sends high speed missiles back to the boat, the stretch acts like a sling shot. So contrary to people opinion I use braided so I can safety break it.
So if
I am trolling or really open water fishing I still prefer mono as it
gives/stretches when the fish hits making it hard to break. A hint if
you are going to troll with braided, here is the equation. With mono
line. The fish hits, the line stretches, the rod bends the drag on the
reel gives. So when using braid to troll with. No stretch so set your
drag at least 1/3 looser than you would with mono, so the fish will not
break off.
Now mono line will get you more hits, the same way that Fluorocarbon
leader will get you more hits than steel leader. So in open water I use
mono to hook more fish, more fish on the line means more fun,
Now What color line is the best, not too ay years ago it was simple you
had a choice of clear mono line or white mono line. Now the are tons of
colors and lines with mixed colors, So which is best. that is easy they
are all the best, but not all year, I had 8 rods and reels on the boat
and each one had a different color line on it, no one colors catches
more fish than the other all year, as the water colors changes and the
conditions change so will the color of your line, I watched one color
catch way more fish than the others only to fade back down to normal,
then another color would get way more hits,
I fish every once in a while with white bait and white bait swims around
a lot, now with each rod a different color I know which white bait is
swimming behind the boat, or is under the boat and All I have to say is
hey Yellow reel up, when the line were all one color everyone had to
reel to find out whose bait it was. Tangles are easier to deal with when
the lines are different colors as well, much simpler to get Yellow apart
from green than green from green.
So there is no real down side to different colors other than we are not
used to it,
Just to wrap this up as I
could go on about a lot more issues, let me say, What is the best brand
of braided line. There is not a best one. They are all good, the trick
is to find which is the best for you, which brand of line cast good for
you, with-out throwing wind knots, Some people will do better with one
brand and some with an other. So if a line works for you, that’s means
it is good. But it may not be the one for your fishing partner, how you
cast, which rods and reel you put together. Whether you use bait or
lures. All will make a difference in which line is the best for you. So
when a line company says we are the best. No that is impossible, It is
only true it may be the best for you.
Thanks I hope this helps
Fishin Frank
05/13/2015
As I sit here at my
computer writing about fishing I can only think of how great it would be
to be out on the Harbor or in the gulf right now, With tremendous school
of Tarpon cruising the Beaches in Gin clear blue water where you can
watch the fish hit your bait or fly. Just as Wow as you can get, The
only draw back to that is quite often if you can see them they can see
you, which will slow the bite down, Good things to remember are do not
move your arms much, keeping your arms close to your side is key to not
spooking fish, Think of it this way when a bird is diving down it; s
wings are out stretched, and even when a bird gets up-set it's wings
flap way out from it's body, why would that scare a 1000 pound tarpon,
Reason is that Tarpon was not always 100 pounds at one time it was very,
very tiny and for the first years of it's life birds were a huge threat,
they would come swooping down taking away other Tarpon. So anything with
the look of out stretched wings like you with your arms out mean be
afraid, run away, By standing still or at least keeping your movements
small and close to your body you have a much better chance of hooking up
fish, any species. And with Tarpon on the beach often you will see the
Tarpon swimming along and then gun the boat to get a head of the school
of fish stop shut down the motor and try to be a hole in the water, here
come the Tarpon, if you were smart you already had your lines out in the
water and even if you have a lure on I do not start to retrieve it until
I see the Tarpon, then the chances of spooking the fish are much less.
When using thread fins or crabs I will always try to get the bait out
before the Tarpon get to me One under a float. My choice of floats are
the clear casting bubble, not often but every once in a while the
colored bobber or floats will, I wont say spook the fish but maybe they
are looking at the pretty color bobber and forget to eat, or yes maybe
it just spooks them. The clear see through bubbles are a better bet for
Beach fishing tarpon, I use 60 pound fluorocarbon leader not the colored
stuff, the only benefit of using fluorocarbon is that the fluorocarbon
will bend light the same as water, and if it has a color in it, is it
still fluorocarbon?
For Crabs I use a 6/0 hook, either “J” or circle, depends who you are, I
set a hook, I have to grew up fishing fresh water before circle hook
were being used and I don’t gut hook fish, If you are going to us a “J”
style hook remember set it three times, as soon as I feel the bite and
once the Tarpon start to move I set again them once more just to be
sure. With a circle hook reel, get pressure to the Tarpon that boney
mouth is very hard to get a hook in, and with circle hooks it must sort
of sang the fishes mouth as the fish turns then direct steady pressure
to get it set.
I am not one to use anything smaller than a 6/0 circle as there is not
enough room between the point of the hook and the shank to warp around
the Tarpons jaw. With a “J” hook I will go down to a 5/0 for crabs or
thread fins, Now if I am going to use lady fish or mullet for Tarpon
bait I go to an 8/0 or 9/0 hook, you have to have enough hook left over
after you go through the bait to get into the fish. With a little hook
the fish will grab the bait then you try to keep the fish and the bait
pulls right out of it's mouth.
So
many thing to consider when you are trying to catch a dream. The big
thing about fishing for Tarpon is not to think of Tarpon as the Sliver
King, think of it as a big junk fish with no real value, you would not
want to eat one, nasty red bloody meat not good for any thing, and a
trash can which will eat any thing from a cat-fish to a crab. Now you
have the truth, A Tarpon is only the silver King when it is on your line
and jumping through the air, before that junk fish. Now I say this
because many people get all screwed up when it comes to Tarpon, you have
to have the perfect bait the perfect that, Norm before he passed away
used to hate Tarpon he would be trying to catch a cat-fish in our
tournament and have to go through 8 Tarpon that night. So toss a chunk
of dead bait out, or cast a perfect thread fin, I guess the thing to
remember is that it is obly a fish until you hook it up, Then Silver
king is not enough to say how cool this fish is.
I hope you catch your dream fish and have fun.
Fishin Frank
04/25/2015
Ahh the cool weather of Spring time. what wait a minute you are not in South west Florida. Here it we went from a beautiful warm winter right into Summer. one day I walk out of the house at 5:am and it was chilly and the next day it was hot and humid. wow what a change. The water temps are that of what should be June, the gulf is on the mid 80’s and parts of the Harbor are reaching 90 degrees. So what's all this mean well good news Shark and Tarpon even Cobia are all here and biting in full out eat something mode. But the flats is a different story as the water warms up you will need to start slowing down, much the same as when the water gets below 70 degrees in the winter, the main difference is the lack of oxygen, Hot water will not hold oxygen so the fish slow down just as you do when it is hot. a neat trick I use in the winter and summer months is to use a very small reel, instead of using a 4000 or 40 size reel I switch to a 1 or 2000 size, even though when you turn the handle it spins at the same speed like 50 to 1 ratio, the spool size is much smaller so you bring in less line per turn of the handle when retrieving a lure, allowing the fish time to see it, hear it and make up it’s mind to eat it.
Now the middle of the Harbor
is deeper and deeper water takes longer to heat up, and the
fishing there continues to be good. the Tarpon who may breath
either under water or air form above don’t care what the oxygen
in the water is, and are hanging out in the deep holes of the
Harbor where fish like whiting, cat fish and or thread fins are
hiding from the heat. and while seeing rolling tarpon is always
better I would say weather you see Tarpon rolling or not. stop
over the deep hole either the middle hole or the 20 foot hole
and on one rod put out a live thread fin free line, and on the
other rod a cut bait under a float. The cut bait should be about
5 to 6 feet below your bobber or float and the size of your
fist,
now this is not written in stone you may place the live thread
fin under the float and let the cut bait free line, if you do
this I would take off the Fluorocarbon leader and replace it
with the AFW knot-able steel leader. The new leader from AFW you
do not need crimps tools or a lighter to melt it. You just tie
it the same way you would tie on your fluorocarbon leader
including a line to line knot. then just tie on your hook. any
knot will hold but a Uni knot works best. keep in mind when
tying a uni to uni from your braid line to the leader pull
slowly and when tying on your hooks pull the knot down to the
hook not the leader through the eye of the hook or the leader
can get curly on you. This new steel leader we have tested it on
Tarpon, Sharks, Snook, red fish, and you will get a few more
hits while using fluorocarbon leader, but if you are dragging a
cut bait free line while Tarpon fishing you will lose a lot of
leader to the sharks, and if you switch to the AFW tie-able
steel you will hook up and land not only the Tarpon but the
Sharks as well, and that is cool. The one thing is if the water
is very clear as it is along the beach, the Tarpon will see that
steel more so than in the darker waters of the Harbor, and there
is not the shark problem along the beaches so there along the
beaches I would stay with the 60 pound Fluorocarbon leader. but
in the Harbor I would switch it when ever you are free lining.
after all a hook up with a Shark or a hook up with a Tarpon both
are fun.
Too sum this month up. Try every thing,
04/13/2015
Every once in a while the
stars and moons and water temps tides all come together to make fishing
good really good. that is what’s happening in the Harbor right now. The
Black tip, Black nose, Atlantic sharp nose, Bonnet sharks, lemon Sharks
let me stop before I do a whole Forest gump thing on this, But you get
the idea. Sharks are not all that is in, A huge school of black drum are
spawning here in the Harbor, thousands of 40 pound plus fish boiling the
water. Cobia are swimming the surface or cruising the shallow flats on
the bars of the east and west side. Tarpon have showed up and they mean
business, eating and cruising like a bunch of Spring break kids. I love
this time of year when you can be just cruising your boat across the
Harbor and have a 150 pound bright silver giant butt fish jump
completely out of the water and crash land back into the waves like a
magnificent ghost> was that real ? did you see that? Holy cow! Yes
Charlotte Harbor can take your breath away when the monster fish are
here. Start watching for the giant Spotted eagle rays to show up. Wow a
cross between a submarine and an alien space craft just g;gliding right
under the surface of the water than exploding in a free jump complete
with back flip.
The flats here in the harbor as well as Bull 7 turtle bay are doing well
on Red fish, But I would have to say the Snook fishing is by far the
better option. and the flats are full of them. Now over the next month
the Snook are going to start heading out to the barrier islands for the
baby making dance. and it is well under way now. So a storm twitch or a
old fashion 52 MR 18 cast close to the Shore and slow twitch it back
with a moderate retrieve will make your Snook dreams come true. Speaking
of walking the beaches the flounder even dare I say it the King Mackerel
have been very close to shore, I know one has nothng to do iwht the
other but that is how my brain works. Anyway the King mackerel have been
caught and I mean 20 pounders or better right from the beach in
Englewood all the way down to Boca. Most common way they have been
caught is by the Peole fishing for small sharks, yes a chunk of dead
bait or maybe a live thread fin, This contiues to be a weird year. But
the bait is back and the Harbor is full of Thread fins and green backs.
The thread fins you can see, they are the ones which look like rain on
the water. The Green backs are thick aorund Devil fish Key and Jug creek
shoals. There have been some caught at pirate Harbor and up by the marks
#1 & #2 but more plentiful down harbor a ways.
Here a an E-mail I received about their big day. I though I would share with you. If you work in a bait shop you might not think you can make a differeance in people lives, But the dream of catching that big fish. and the memories and storis which follow that fish, stay with people their whole lives. I
Once upon a fish, I decided not to let him go. (Te-he, this is going to be fun.) A melancholy kind of day, fishing, following along and blending in lay ahead of me. I had recently heard about Drum Fish, the booming beat they make in mating calls is famous in Southwestern Florida. The boom is said to reverberate thru the water in channels and up into foundations causing nightly havoc for homeowners. It literally sounds like a tiakado drum, beat once...then another, and pretty soon you think the dripping water in the sink is a booming waterfall one drop at a time. Little did I know a special guy had his drum on for me. It was like he knew I was coming, waiting in the depths for an interesting ride to the brightness I had above.
Fishing the bridges is what locals call it. We were going for King Mackerel, Snook, Tarpon, the popular seasonal fish. The first up was a Ladyfish caught by the only lady on the boat, a foretelling of the sea's talent. She got off quickly, freeing up the line for friends waiting below. Another pass revealed a deep hook, and something big. "Snag," they said. "NO; my line is swimming," I said. The big guy pulled the line out hard, we heard the drag releasing. A lot of line was running out fast, but it was just a tease because he knew he was hooked. Heading out to the channel we followed along, not letting up the tension. It was a strong relationship. Back to the home grounds and not ready to see the light yet, deep he went. Another run, feeling like space was needed I am sure. It gave me a bit of a rest to gather the strength needed for the remaining challenge. He was ready, briefly cresting. I actually swore. He was by far the largest catch I had ever seen. In the murky water, his wildness was awesome. We understood each other by now, he was not ready. Large and purposeful, I was excited to greet him. Still, I was persistent but gentle coaxing him up. He was a bit shy so it took awhile. His last energy spent he surfaced in all his splendor. Surprisingly earthy, his size foretelling his experience and wisdom. No sudden movements, no jumping just a gentle giant. Maybe not the biggest, but just right for me. I got the feeling he had been here before, and I was meant to catch him this time. He was gentile in nature once landed, and drummed for me quite a bit. I thought, I am stunned and in love with a fish! It was an awesome experience to have met him. His release was really only a passing of friends. We will surely share more experiences together in this salty life.
60# 40" Black Drum 4/10/15 on 10# test with a simple shrimp on a hook (hung the wrong way,) sliding weight. Peace River, FL under I-75 Bridge. 17' Carolina Skiff "Fat Point", guide Daryl assisted by Bob.
03/22/2015
Spanish Mackerel are not a fish to catch and
freeze for later, The meat is not tasty after
being frozen. So
I only keep them if I am going to have
time to clean and cook them that night. If I am
going to have time I will keep 3 for two people,
The seem like more than you would want but if
you have a grill some butter, and McCormick
brand lemon herb Spice. It may not be enough. I
butter one side of the Fillet, then sprinkle
some of the lemon Herb on it and place that side
down on the hot grill. Oh yes when you fillet a
Spanish watch for bones by the belly, Spanish
are tricky to fillet properly and get out all of
the bones. after removing the skin rub your
fingers up and down the meat. Your finger can
feel bones way better than your eyes can see
them. When the side facing down on the grill is
brown I butter the top side add some seasoning
and fill it over. brown on both side is done.
Serve with your choice of side dish as you will
only be thinking about eating more of the
mackerel any way.
Good luck out there, have fin and be safe
Fishin Frank
02/24/2015
1/26/2015
12/22/2014
11/22/2014
09/23/2014
08/25/2014
Nature is crazy and mix people with wild things and the weird is going to happen.
One night Larry who came in with friends who were going to Fish the Placida trestle, Larry bought a brand new rod and a bait runner type reel, this reel has 2 drags one to which is used for waiting for the fish, and the other for fighting the fish, the trick is to remember to set the waiting drag then click it on. Well it was his first time using it and his first time fishing in Florida. So like many people he laid the rod down while waiting for his fish, and did not thing about the bait runner, So you know what came next, all of a sudden rattle clunk splash the Rod and reel was pulled right of the pier and into the water. Larry spent the next half hour cussing and stomping around on the dock, he had not caught even one fish with his new set up and in the water it went, His friends did not want to leave, well they did not lose their Rods, and them a bite one of the guys had a hit and slowly started to reel in, It did not feel quite like a fish and it wasn’t it was a large Blue Crab which had his line in one of it's claws, and it appeared to be tangled up in line, So they netted the crab and found it had that line in it's right claw and another line in it's left claw, You guessed it the other line they pulled in hand over hand, and there was Larry’s new rod and reel, a little wet but no worse for the dunking and it had a 5 pound cat fish still on the hook so Lost and found with a little help from a Blue Crab which Larry let go back into the water, while his buddies fussed about wanting it for bait, No way Larry did not want that bad Karma. After all the crab gave him his tackle back.
Fishin Piers can be a great stress relief, One of our customers just got a new rod & reel, and was casting a lure and wham nice hit, Fish on & the fish was jumping and going crazy, and the Rod he said preformed excellent a Shimano C-I4 and a Star Seagis rod, it should be great, that is an expensive
set-up, But what a dream to fish with. Now he was breaking it in with a 4 pound Lady fish, after a good battle he landed the lady fish, letting the lady fish lay on the pier hook still in the fishes Jaw, he turned to get his pliers from his Tackle box and hear a noise behind him, quickly turning around he was just in time to see a large Osprey with the lady fish in it's talons flying off with his fish, Now keep in mind the lady fish still had the hook in it's jaw and his new rod and reel was hanging below the bird, the Osprey having a hard time with the weight of the fish and the rod & reel made it about 30 feet up and 50 feet away from the pier before letting go, and Splash went the fish, Rod, reel, and during this few seconds all the guy could do was stand there, mouth open and watch. He packed up came into the store and wonder. I have heard a lot of stories about losing rods but this one, Just plain weird. What was that osprey thinking?
07/29/2014
04/28/2014
03/26/2015
02/25/2015
So I ripped the shrimp into two pieces tossed it back up under
there, Bam! ka-bam even, a 16 inch Red fish was fighting mad and
trying it’s best to pull me out of the boat instead of me pulling
him in, Ok not really fair I am 185 pounds he was 3, pounds. I kicked his
little butt. But it did confirm my suspicion that it was small Red
fish trying to eat the shrimp but it’s mouth just was not as big as
needed, So it was trying to tear off pieces from my shrimp. Oh and I
had switched to a circle hook, the only fish in the world where
using a circle hook is better than a “J” hook is Rat reds, as If it
fits into it’s mouth it will bite, swallow, & start to poop it out,
all in a matter of seconds. well bite and swallow in one movement
anyway.
So Terry and I caught a Few Reds and then 2 cat-fish and it was time
to move we stopped at another spot fished a little while and them
called it quits. I always find it funny when people come in and want
to catch Reds, and have to have live shrimp when I have caught more
reds on dead shrimp then I have on live, Now Snook is another story
that is opening this month, and I have caught thousands of Snook on
Live Shrimp and only a few on dead shrimp, when it comes to Snook
though I am a lure guy, Snook is the best fish for people who like
lures, trying to fool it into thinking it is a real bait. Snook will
hit top water. sub surface, jigs off the bottom pretty much any lure
or style of lure you can think .