By Captain Terry Fisher
Prior to hurricane Irma, the fishing was fairly good if one could stand the hot, humid, mid-day temperatures. I always prefer the early morning hours during August and September so long as the tides are high. Once that temperatures top out above 95 Fahrenheit, the bite has a tendency to slow down.
OK, well the bad news is no one has time to fish. We are cleaning yards, helping friends, or just getting back in the swing of life. But if your family and property are OK and you can manage a trip down Harbor, there are fish to be caught.
We are getting reports of Sheepshead in the Canals around Cape Coral and in Punta Gorda Isles. Seems like winter time in some of the canals. Yes, Fourteen inch and larger fish. How strange is this?
Spanish mackerel are growing in numbers around Charlotte Harbor. We are seeing more and more from the reef off Alligator Creek to the passes and out into the near gulf waters.
By: Stokes Marine
If you are in the market for a new lift, or just curious about how they work, we have compiled some basic information to educate you on boat lifts.
Late summer in Florida brings warm ocean waters and frequent afternoon storms. Surrounded by conditions known for producing wild weather, most of the area’s experienced boat owners are ready to put their hurricane preparation plan into action at a moment’s notice. Whether you’ve recently become a boat owner, or if it’s simply been a while since you were on hurricane standby, check out these tips for prepping your boat to ride out a hurricane.
A new management boundary and several conservation measures for hogfish will go into effect in state and federal waters starting Aug. 24. State changes were approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at its November 2016 meeting.
Read more “Hogfish conservation measures and boundaries effective Aug. 24”
ON THE FLATS REPORT
Red Fish were hiding from me this weekend, but on the East side against the first row of Islands Snook, Snapper and Tarpon, all were pretty easy. The tarpon wanted top water plugs. The larger Heddon Torpedo or The Skitter Walk, and it was darker colors, like gold or bronze colors. The Trick to the hook up was starting and stopping the lure with a short hard pull. Then a complete stop for 2 seconds, and repeat.
Now that funding has been approved by the State of Florida to address Lake O, where do we go from here. Join us on August 15 for an evening discussion with Captain Daniel Andrews from Captains for Clean Water.
The inshore bite has been as good this year as any I recall. Snook are in the passes, under docks and in the back areas of Pine Island Sound. Plenty of white bait, Pinfish and other offerings will entice these fish. Snook season opens September 1st, so I suggest one takes the opportunity to practice up on angling skills so as to land and harvest a slot-size fish when the opportunity arrives next month.
Fishing should prove to be really good the first part of the month. The tides will be high, the water movement swift, creating a lot of oxygen and motivating the fish to eat. I predict that virtually all species will be active, especially after things settle from tropical storm Emily.