| “How do you get a job like Capt. Mel’s?” July marked my 25th anniversary with 970-WFLA. It all started in the 1980s when then sports talk host Tedd Webb asked me to do a weekly Friday evening fishing report for his popular “Sports Huddle.” Not only was it a blast teaming up with the zany Tedd, but it provided an opportunity for me to get back into my life-long profession of broadcasting. The Friday reports led to more appearances with Tedd on the “Sports Huddle” and three years later, Jed DuVall, 970-WFLA program director at that time, approached me to do a Saturday morning fishing show. |
| Redfish Cup tournament circuit is shut down The championship was held just weeks ago down in Florida, with all the hoopla and celebration afforded to top teams and champion anglers. Now, that event has become the swan song for the Redfish Cup inshore saltwater tournament circuit. Officials with Career Sports & Entertainment of Atlanta, parent company of the Redfish Cup circuit, confirmed to The Fishing Wire on Thursday that it will not continue the tournament trail in 2010. |
Edward Medard Reservoir: Bag and size limits suspended |
| Dock Lights Are Snook Magnets I will gladly admit my favorite fly rod quarry is a mean Old Snook. Daytime Snook fishing with a long rod is hard work. Yes, there are many areas where numbers of small Snook can be tempted during the day, especially during the first and last hours and under low light conditions. If you want to get really rattled and have your tackle tested, fish in the dark. One of my fishing buddies, Bob Finck, told me years ago, after a Snookin’ good trip, “Pat, they’re like largemouth bass on steroids.” If you’ve never pursued Snook at night, where do you begin? |
| A flats guy's return to grouper digging It's been more than a dozen years since I made the switch from offshore to back bay. But them, when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped aboard the luxurious 26-foot World-Cat, skippered by Capt. Sam Medigovich’s. And, just like riding a bike, I still had the touch! For those not familiar with the grouper, it’s a is a large member of sea bass family, an abundant and tasty tropical fish species found in waters throughout the Southeast U. S. and many areas of South and Central America. Without question it is Florida’s favorite seafood species. The fillets are firm and white, with a very mild flavor. |
| The Fishing Addiction "Drifting across the cobalt blue depth, we observe a everything right with the world...right? Well...er.. no! - Most of us fishing enthusiasts often give lip service to the idea that "catching fish is a bonus... it's just so wonderful to be here." To some extent that might be true. But I'll guarantee you that our fishing addiction is in direct correlation with how many of those all too rare "gangbuster trips"... occasions when the fish bite like crazy, nailing everything you'd throw at them. It's what keeps us hard core fishing junkies enduring those more common slow, boring trips... and plunking down hard earned cash for expensive accoutrements associated with our angling obsession |
| King mackerel fishing for landlubbers Great schools of hungry kings have shown up at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge these last few springs. And we’re not talking “dinks” here. Some of the largest of king mackerel of the year have set up housekeeping around the great span at the mouth of Tampa Bay. These are really impressive smokers, some well over 60-inches, hauled onto the adjacent Skyway fishing piers or from boats in the waters below. |
| Boating common sense There is absolutely nothing more frustrating than getting all psyched up for a fishing trip, only to find the boat's engine won't start. Invariably the engine cowling comes off. The innards of that complex power plant are inspected and, in most instances, an occasional boater hasn't a clue as to what they could be looking for or at! The old sparkplug wrench comes out. All the impatient anglers gather around as each plug is examined to see if they can somehow plumb a solution to this aggravation. |
| Canoe Snooking The strong breeze buffeted my pickup as we crossed the Skyway Bridge. "What a difference the canoe makes atop the truck." I said, trying to keep the vehicle in a straight line. "It acts like a sail." Mel stated. High above the eastern horizon the fingernail type moon and the planet Venus previewed the dawn. From all reports this is the time for snook to make their annual migration from the flats and mangroves to the comfort of the deeper canals. Every year at this time when the days get shorter and the water temperature drops below the magic seventy-degree mark great numbers of these sensitive creatures seek refuge in the back bays and residential canals. |
| A flats guy's return to grouper digging It's been more than a dozen years since I made the switch from offshore to back bay. But them, when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped aboard the luxurious 26-foot World-Cat, skippered by Capt. Sam Medigovich’s. And, just like riding a bike, I still had the touch! For those not familiar with the grouper, it’s a is a large member of sea bass family, an abundant and tasty tropical fish species found in waters throughout the Southeast U. S. and many areas of South and Central America. Without question it is Florida’s favorite seafood species. The fillets are firm and white, with a very mild flavor. |
| Any Luck? How many times has another fly fisher asked you this question? How do you answer? A short, yes, or no, is usually not in order. It can be one of those rare days when almost anything works, but more frequently an accurate answer would involve considerable detail. “Caught three browns on a size sixteen blue wing olive,” tells us something, and could be an acceptable response. In saltwater, “A size one deceiver in white over chartreuse is producing,” would sound typical. Is this enough information to help the other fisherman get a start on a day of success? Is more detail needed? |
| The Grouper Digging Rookie We all had to start somewhere, asking way too many questions, being a pest. Eager to learn every aspect of grouper digging, it is easy to become quite a pest following more seasoned anglers around on land and sea. "What's a matter -- Can't you find your own darn fishing spots?" This is approximately what we are inclined to shout at the offending boater. However, seasoned skippers might do well to remember the poor guy is probably just a "rookie," not sure he'll make the team. This isn't meant to excuse his behavior. As a matter of fact, there are jokers who make a career of following those whom they perceive to be successful grouper diggers. |
| The "Case" for hard tackle boxes Up front, you should know that I am a reformed soft tackle bag user. When those squishy canvas gems were introduced some years back, I lunged at them with the fervor of a first time Viagra user. In my brief flirtation with the soft-siders, I enjoyed flinging the bag over my back when hiking to and hopping into the boat. It was almost a feeling of liberation. Yet there loomed ahead problems that turned me completely around on these canvas contraptions. My first misgiving arose when, upon removing the inside plastic lure boxes, the whole case collapsed like a slit-open sack of potatoes. |
| What You Need to Know About Fishing Rods. Many think of the fishing rod as a relatively recent invention. But there is evidence that early fishermen as far back as 2 AD, fashioned their own rods from long sticks, made hooks of bone or wood, and even built primitive landing nets. Over those centuries, the fishing pole has evolved into a highly developed product, and today’s models provide the ultimate combination of strength and sensitivity. |
| Flats Lures That Work Most fishing enthusiasts are weird. They drag around gargantuan tackle boxes, packed so tightly with lures they can hardly get the darned thing closed. Yet, if subjected to a reality check, I could put our most used artificials in a tackle box small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. So why do I show up for fishing trips lugging a tackle box loaded with every possession I own that is related to our waterborne diversion? My theory is that anglers have an insecurity. . |
| The Observant Angler Contrary to what any non-fishermen says (no, really, they do exist, scary as that may sound they are out there. People that DON’T like to fish. But that is another story.) we fishermen have a very keen mind. Sharp as a tack. With a memory second to none. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. From the moment we get up on the appointed fishing day, our minds are working at a speed that would rival a rocket scientist. |
| Do Flies Always Work? When taking out clients, I often ask them about previous experience with guided trips. This information is very helpful and varies across the whole spectrum from very good, to poor. Recently, the answers were from clients telling me about two guided trips. In both cases they wanted to catch redfish on a fly. They started fishing with flies, but soon switched after being unsuccessful. One trip was in South Carolina, the other on Florida’s west coast. Instead, they ended up fishing with shrimp and whitebait, and caught some fish. Why the switch? |
| The "Double-300s" The fishing community has spoken. They have voted out of office larger, gas guzzling offshore vessels and given a resounding thumbs up to fuel sipping back-bay boats of every description. "Our biggest problem since the net ban is has been too many boats running around this year," groused one seasoned flats angler. It is indeed becoming crowded in our mangrove paradise. But while all this back-country commotion is building, because of ever-increasing fuel costs, offshore fishing has now reverted to the more tranquil days of yore. |
| The recession is over? Possibly? That's good for fishing... Industry folks are watching economic indicators and budget balances like a hawk eyeballing a fat rabbit in the short grass trying to decide whether to make a move or stay put for a bit longer. Unless you've been channeling Tom Hanks on a "Cast Away" island vacation or had your head in La-La Land sand for the last year, it's no surprise the economic recession has hit the fishing and boating industry hard. Boat sales fell in the Q2 reports. Sales, production and advertising are down, magazines have lost pages or folded, budgets have been slashed and whatever remains supposedly is treading water with weights tied to their ankles. |
| The Etiquette Of Catching Bait Each morning bait fishermen head for a popular place were locals gather to catch white bait. In some areas, such as those around Anclote Key on a weekend morning there will be as many as 30 boats packed into a small area. As more anglers hit the waters each year, these venues become more crowed, and with it elevated tensions and emotions. It’s really not very pretty. I have observed a lot of very unhappy, yelling and screaming anglers out there lately. |
| The Etiquette Of Catching Bait Each morning bait fishermen head for a popular place were locals gather to catch white bait. In some areas, such as those around Anclote Key on a weekend morning there will be as many as 30 boats packed into a small area. As more anglers hit the waters each year, these venues become more crowed, and with it elevated tensions and emotions. It’s really not very pretty. I have observed a lot of very unhappy, yelling and screaming anglers out there lately. |
See video: Whale shark spotted in the keys |
| Your Basic Fish Catcher, the Jig Most fishing enthusiasts are weird. They drag around gargantuan tackle boxes, packed so tightly with lures they can hardly get the darned thing closed. Yet, if subjected to a reality check, we all could put our most often used artificials in a tackle box small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. So why do most of us show up for fishing trips lugging a tackle box loaded with every possession we own that is related to our waterborne diversion? |
| A bolt from the sky, and a bolt back to safety Tuesday afternoon at the gas pump the first drops of rain hit the windshield, and then a bolt of lightning slithered from the black cloud that I'd somehow failed to notice back to the east. Turns out our little hamlet was assaulted by a late-afternoon summer thunderstorm that rolled in like a Mack truck with fury and speed. Ominous clouds built into a mass of hellish blackness and peppered parts of the city with hail, rain and lightning along with a chilly wind that eventually took it northeast. |
| Pompano: A Well-kept Secret Well, maybe they’re not such a secret anymore, but that’s how Frank Sargeant described Tampa Bay Pompano fishing in his landmark book Secret Spots in Tampa Bay. Although locals were somewhat peeved at the many “honey holes” that Frank revealed, to our knowledge, the chapter about catching pompano around the area’s bridges went unnoticed. Still, there are plenty of locals who consistently target and catch them. |
| NOAA Cracks Down on Illegal Charter Boat Companies Charter boat companies feeling the sting of unfair competition have looked to NOAA’s Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement for help. After receiving multiple complaints about allegedly illegal charter boat trips undercutting legal businesses, undercover agents with NOAA OLE’s southeast enforcement division and state special operations divisions |
| "I'm Happy -- I'm fishing!" The weather people gave us a reprieve from a predicted cold front and we took full advantage of the gift. Capt. Mel, "Fireman" John Litz and I had fully expected to be bundled up for the ride north from the Seminole Ramp in Clearwater. But much to our pleasure, the weather was mild and we enjoyed our trip to the fishing grounds. High tide was due at 10:45 AM and we had an overcast sky and a little front in the works. |
| Gas Problems Ahead A proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency has boating organizations up in arms. Those organizations are now asking individual boaters for help in letting the EPA know the idea of allowing introduction of a new fuel that has not been independently tested in marine engines isn't a good one. The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatU.S.) have taken serious exception with a proposal that would allow an increase in the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline to rise from ten to fifteen percent. |
| Fishing Awareness Last week, I had the occasion to be back on the beautiful coast of the Gulf of Mexico. While there, I once again confirmed my theory that fishing is more mental for me than physical. When I loaded up my gear, headed down to a nearby lake or to the surf for some "serious fishing" I wound up with repetitive motion soreness (casting and cranking), tangled line, and zero results. If, however, I took minimal gear (whatever fit in a shirt or cargo shorts pocket), it seemed I was landing fish with surprising frequency. Granted, they weren't the kind you see on the right-hand side of our daily editions, but I was landing fish. |
| CCA : “Largest Public Fishery Giveaway In Florida’s History” The Federal Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have expedited the implementation of an IFQ (Individual Fishing Quota) program for exclusive access privileges for Gulf grouper. The Gulf Council’s Grouper IFQ program will allocate and grant exclusive right of access to more than 65 percent of all the Gulf red and gag grouper to a limited number of commercial interests. “The magnitude of this giveaway is unprecedented,” said Ted Forsgren, CCA Florida Executive Director. “It is the largest public fishery giveaway in Florida’s history!” |
| Kick Starting the New Snook Season The anticipated moment is near. At the stroke of midnight August 31st, snook season officially reopens. Remember, there are rules with which west coast snookers should be acquainted. The bag limit is now one snook per day, Not less than 28” or more than 32”Atlantic -Not less than 28” or more than 33” Gulf of Mexico, Monroe County, Everglades Nat. Park. And don’t kid yourself, even the most ardent of catch and release proponents privately look forward to the day when they can again put a snook fillet on the grill. |
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