North Pinellas- Capt Brian Report

2/9/2016

Hello everyone! Thank you for reading my fishing report. We are slowly but surely getting through the winter months here in Florida. We are in the typical roller coaster of weather patterns. High winds and cold days has kept us off of the water a bit, however the warmer days are productive and fish are being caught. The usual suspects are spotted sea trout and redfish. For fun, rodbending action, ladyfish and jacks are also getting hooked. Sheepshead are being targeted along the seawalls, docks and oyster bars in the backcountry areas offering a little more warmth. Live shrimp is the main bait we are using as well as jerkworms and paddle tail jigs while targeting the trout in St. Joseph Sound. The spring months are right around the corner and as usual I am getting flooded with calls for bookings. Don’t hesitate to get your special day booked. Call me at 727-365-7560 or e-mail me at brian@captbrian.com. I look forward to hearing from my regulars and new clients throughout the spring! Let’s go fishing!

Capt. Brian

My name is Brian Caudill and I am a Fishing Guide in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I provide guide services for West Central Florida including Tampa Bay and surrounding waters. It is my pleasure to work hard to put all of my clients in the right place for our targeted fish. I am very personable, patient, and easy going. I understand that the charter fishing experience on my boat is about the customer. I hope the following insight about me will help you learn more about my love for fishing.

Fishing for me began as a small child in the state of Kentucky. My earliest memories are of my father and I fishing streams, ponds, rivers and lakes for various species of small game fish such as Bluegill, Redeye (Rock bass), Crappie, Smallmouth and Largemouth bass, or anything else that would bite. Somehow though, Dad always seemed to catch more fish.

Upon moving to the Tampa Bay, Florida area in the late 80’s, my father, still living in Kentucky, would often encourage me to put my knowledge of fishing freshwater to use in the numerous lakes Florida has to offer. For some reason, I just couldn’t keep my mind off of the big fish swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and the backwater flats behind the barrier islands. So, with a few questions at the local bait shop, and the company of a couple local friends, I began to explore the inshore waters of West Central Florida.

As time past, and my success in locating fish grew, I began entering some local tournaments. Without a boat, and with limited ways of keeping bait alive, I would trudge for hundreds of yards to the fishing holes. To my surprise, my friend Jim and I won a few of those tournaments. Consequently, the organizers would no longer allow us to fish without a boat, fearing some unfair advantage I suppose. So, now armed with the know how to catch these inshore species, I bought a boat and began fishing tournaments around Tampa Bay and all over the state. Some of those included two years on the Mercury/Ranger Professional Redfish Tour, CCA’s Red/Snook Series in Punta Gorda, Florida, as well as the many local events from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs.

After a few years, some more successful than others, I decided to take the necessary steps required to receive a United States Coast Guard license to be a Charter Fishing Guide. Now, over a decade later, I still get a thrill from putting my customers where the fish are. It is a great joy to see the faces of children and adults alike experiencing what the Florida West Coast has to offer.