Charlotte County Fishing Report with Frank

Saturday was a great day if you were fishing the inside of the East Keys.   Captain Cayle wacked the Mangrove Snappers and Red fish.  Cayle said he had other fish, but it was unreal how big and steady the Snapper bite was.

Capt., Greg had a different kind of day.  Greg & Chris headed to the east side. Found a pothole against the side of an island. They started fishing then proceeded to catch every conceivable fish you could fish for in Charlotte harbor; grouper, lady fish, trout, redfish, snook, snappers.  Everything except flounder and sheeps-head.  The even ended up catching one catfish on what was to be his last cast.  After the cat-fish they decided they had had enough.

It was a great trip. End this one on a high note. Putting in the trolling motor, they headed out from the keys, to more open, deeper water. After reaching water deep enough to use the out board Chris went to hit the key nothing, dead battery.   Luckily there was a guy fishing on an aluminum boat not far away.  They trolling motored up to the guy.  Due to a little bit a bad financial luck he had to sell his flats boat and here he was fishing in an aluminum boat, but at least he finally got out on the water.   And all he wanted was to catch dinner for that night, but he had not caught a thing.

“Idea!!”  How about a trade?  A nice 24 inch six and three-quarter pound red fish for a jumpstart.   I know you’re not supposed to trade redfish for a jumpstart but this was an emergency.  He was able to have fish for dinner, and they were able to start the engine.   As it turned out, their lucky day, turned into his lucky day.   Not a bad way to and a fishing trip.  They did not have a fish dinner but they did not have to push the boat back to the ramp!

Charlotte County Fishing Report with Frank

Let’ s talk freshwater.

Blue gill is the fish of choice, Lake betty or the Coco-Plum water way or 9-mile canal system is slap full of hungry blue gills.  All this rain from the tropical systems has provided lots of fresh, cooler waters and the Blue gill are responding.  #8 thin wire hook on 6 pound test mono line, 2 to 3 feet under a thin style bobber.  Red wiggler worms are the bait of choice.  For those of you who like to use lures a beetle spin 1/8 ounce with light browns.

Just as a thought, a nice place to launch a boat for blue gill is in South Gulf Cove.  Launch the boat, put down the trolling motor and start fishing to the west, Watch for culvert pipes draining into the canal.  The blue gills have been bunched around those pipes.