April 2013 Fishing Report

 

 April 2013 Fishing Report
Lanark Village, Fl.

Capt. Tucker Strickland 

     Spring is here, and so are the fish.  With water temps on the rise, you can expect to see more action in our area. Pinfish and other bait are showing back up on the flats, and soon we will be in full swing. Trout are scattered, but should be forming aggregations around the moons. A good trick for catching trout is to cover ground. Drift an area until you pick up a bite, then slip out the anchor. I have found that trout lay on the edges of sand holes watching for prey over the sand. Live bait is the golden ticket.
      Reds are around, though you may have to do a little poking about until you find them. Working the shoreline with artificial can bring in some really nice fish. Tide pools  can hold a pretty solid numbers of fish.  Start on a low tide and fish the incoming. Maybe it is the bone-fisher in me, but I actually like to anchor the boat and get out and wade, shuffling my feet and watching for rays while working the deeper water with twitch baits or jigs. Once the tide start rolling in, so should the bites.
      Pompano fishing is picking up and should be jammin' by the end of the month. The east end of St. George Island has traditionally been the spot, but anywhere with a little surf and some tidal rips can produce fish.  I like throwing small jigs tipped with sand fleas or shrimp, and I usually have a dropper rig out the back. Bi-catch of Pompano fishing can include, but is not limited to red and black drum, trout, whiting, flounder, bluefish and mackerel.
      Offshore the jacks have covered up many of the artificial reefs in out area and are all over the towers.  Large pinfish make for your best bet when targeting these gut-busters. Make sure you have a rod that can handle the brute force of these fish.  It is not uncommon to find big mature permit holding on structure this time of year. I try and looking for swimmer crabs on the surface when I approach my spots. A good day turns into a great day when you set the hook on a permit. A 20# spin rod with a light fluorocarbon leader, a light lead weight and a small circle hook help as permit are very particular about what they eat. Gag grouper on the other hand will eat just about anything you put in front of them. They are in shallow, about 30-50 feet of water which makes a quick trip. Just the other day we left the dock at 8:00 A.M. and returned at 9:30 A.M. with 12 nice gags. 

      Tarpon Fever has set in bad as I anxiously wait for these prehistoric kings of the sea to show up. It's not far off, with water temps already breaking 70, I have already had a few reports of sightings in the area. Get ready, because it’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on.  Sight fishing with a 10-12-wt fly rod is my favorite method, but that's just how I was brought up. Chunking plugs or soaking bait can sometimes be just as hot, but nothing comes close to watching these giants crush a hand-tied fly.

March 2013 Fishing Report

March 2013 Fishing Report

Capt. Tucker Strickland

  

     Warm water is on its way, and soon there will be fish 'o plenty.  Sixty-eight degrees seems to be the magic number that really gets things going; healthy schools of reds can be reported from flats. You can’t go wrong working the docks along HWY 98 on a high tide. The trout fishing hasn’t quite picked up yet, but as warmer weather sets in it’s only a matter of time. The bait fish should show up soon, and that’s when the action really heats up. Mackerel, following the bait, can really make your drag scream and are pretty tasty in a smoked dip.
      

     Pompano, one of my favorite fish to catch and eat, will be riding the waves in the surf looking for sand fleas, shrimp, and crabs. The best way to catch pompano is with a couple of dropper rigs out the back, while some prefer to pitch nyalure jigs tipped with sand fleas or shrimp pieces. Most of the time, pompano move in schools, so it helps to have as many hooks in the water as possible. A dropper knot helps when rigging leaders; I usually use 20# test with a pyramid lead and 3/0 circle hooks with about 15 inches between hooks. Also, I like to use a couple of large orange beads at the front of the hooks. Imitating crustacean roe glowing in the sunshine, fish come from afar in search of a tasty snack.
              

     This month, I have decided to include some facts that I found interesting, and that may also help you understand some of your target species:

• All Gag Grouper are female for the first five years of their life, or until they reach about 30 inches. After they reach this age, they change from female to mate and their growth rate begins to slow.

• When bringing red snappers up from deep water, their stomachs often extrude from their mouth. Many well-intending fishermen use a tool to puncture the fish’s stomach, making its easier for them to descend.  Studies show that when this tool is used, almost 100% of the fish die, while 70-80% survive when no tool is used.

• Cobia can reach lengths of 35 inches before their second year, and can live up to 11 years. A juvenile cobia's diet consists mainly of crabs, and as they get older, fish become their primary food.  During a study where 10,000 cobia where tagged and released, some swam as far as 1,200 nautical miles from Louisiana to South Carolina.

•  Male speckled trout gather in groups called drumming aggregations. Sometimes numbers can reach thousands, and in unison they vibrate their swim bladders to attract females ready to spawn. 

As springtime comes upon us, get outside enjoy some sunshine. 

Tight Lines,
Capt. Tucker Strickland  

February 2013 Fishing Report

February 2013 Fishing Report

Capt. Tucker Strickland

     With hunting season coming to a close, you’ll have no excuse not to hit the Gulf for a little lip-jerking. February may be cold, but the Redfishing in Lanark is red hot this time of year.  High numbers of big fish were reported last month. When the moon is right, schools of 40+ fish can be spotted when you know where to look.  Most of the fish, ranging from 25-35 inches, have no problem munching on flies, except maybe for the sore lip.  Just about any lure will work when the fish are eating. I prefer a jig, gold or shrimp color, but sometimes they just don't bite; that’s when I switch to a live hopper shrimp. If you're having a tough time finding the fish, my tip for you is to hire a guide, namely me. Part of my job is to know where the fish are and to hook you up on a big one.

      Now is always a good time to check your safety equipment. Check dates on flares and pressure in your fire extinguisher; its real easy to forget when those things expire. Make sure you have a PFD that you would want to wear it you ever had to use it. Not long ago I became engulfed in heavy fog, and my GPS was out being serviced. Without a compass, we would've been headed to the Yucatan for sure. Luckily for me, I have grown up on these waters and hit the heading right on the money. A good first aid kit is worth its weight in gold after your hand gets caught on a treble hook attached to a 40lb green cobia at 20 miles out.

    Most of the Redfish caught off my boat in January where just over the slot. So if you're in it for meat, I would suggest a light tackle trip to some of the many artificial reefs in our area. 10-20lb spin rods and a box of frozen squid can fill up an ice chest with rock bass or flounder real quick. It’s always a hoot when you get a hit from a 10lb gag on really light tackle. Make sure to bring an extra box of hooks, because the big one is always getting away.  But isn’t that the best excuse to come back? The Organization for Artificial Reefs has over a dozen sites in our area, including one named after Robby Redding; all are listed at oarreefs.org. Filling up an ice chest makes me happy, but nothing puts a smile on my face like giving fresh seafood to someone that might not be able to catch their own. There are plenty of people who don't fish, but would love to share in a fresh catch.

January 2013 Fishing Report

     January 2013 Fishing Report

Capt. Tucker Strickland

      Stealthily poling through morning fog and bundled from head to toe, I enjoy crisp January mornings for the chance to lay flies ahead of  swarming Redfish tails.  Chasing bear paw-sized Redfish tails rivals the daybreak duck hunts or deer stand stake-outs any winter day. With a large amount of fatties cruising our area, bringing a stronger rod is not a bad idea. Larger fish can be found in deep channels or passes. Traveling in large schools close to the bottom, these 15-30 lb fish can be caught sought through several methods. 

     Trolling is a good way to cover area; watch your bottom machine. Hook ups seem to be contagious; as one rod goes, so does another, then another until all the poles are doubled over.  Big bull reds fight like few fish.  I once had a 20lb spin rod break in the butt when it took a hit in the rod holder.  Another strategy would be live, dead, or cut bait, weighted with a 18-24'' leader; 40# test should be suffice.  When fishing on the bottom, rays, shark, and catfish can be annoying, but a good pull is always invited. If its sight fishing that gets you going, I would point you toward the flats.  Stealth and sight become vital when chasing reds in the shallows.  Although many of the fish are a bit smaller on the flats time of year, you can still bring in generous numbers and the occasional bigger fish. North winds allow ideal conditions for creeping down Florida's forgotten coastline, dutifully scouring for tips of tails, pushes or boils.

      

     If you are at it for meat, you can sink your boat with rock bass this January. You just have to fish through the grouper and snapper that have returned to replenish our seas after the big boys in the commercial boats have taken their quotas. Catch and release should be something for everyone to practice, after all, why are we all out on the ocean anyway? Two Dog, 3 Mile, or any of the the artificial reefs hold lots of fish this time of year; you just have to watch out for goliaths. Some of the sweetest whitest meat comes from the rock bass. Mercury levels of most fish under 5lbs are very low, also they are tasty when gutted, gilled, scaled and fried whole.

     

     Flounder will also be present this month, congregating offshore around structure or live bottom.  Fishing for these unique flat fish can be very exciting on light takle. Jigs and cut bait on a 20# leader can be gently bumped up and down with a few seconds of pause in between. Braided line can give you a slight advantage in feeling the bite. Fishing in the waxing phase of the moon seems to be the trick when targeting flounder. A few flat boys can be picked off the oyster bars in January but the majority will be held out in 30-40 feet of water.

      

     Black Drum and Sheepshead (AKA convict fish) are all over the beaches right now and are great practice to get on your A-game with a fly rod. However, convicts can be picky; having a few flies to switch from is key. Its all about numbers and angles when going after black drum. It may take five or even ten shots to get an eat but believe me,  there are plenty out there.