“The canals are full of Snook and they are biting!” Says Fishin’ Frank

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Several people are saying thanks for the Snook fishing over the last few nights. Just when you think you know the rules about fishing, something new comes along. Did you know that right after a front, the bite should shut off for a while? This last front was a good one. I would have thought the fishing would have been slow for at least 2 days, however it was slow for about 5 hours and then the darkness came and the Snook bite was back on.

The canals are full of Snook and they are biting! I caught four on the light Pink Rock port head with a Crème tail White or Chartruse, 20 pound floro leader.

I hope you enjoyed the day with your family! A little exercise is good after a big meal, so hopefully you were able to walk the piers with your rod and catch a few Snook. This will help your heart rate, and then you can say ‘Honey, I am doing this for my health’!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Fishin Frank

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

“If you have a small boat or kayak, the Allapatchee Shores Park ramp located in Punta Gorda, is a great place for…” Says Fishin’ Frank

What to do? For starters, hide from the wind and rain. If you do venture out, there is some good fishing that can happen where it isn’t windy.

If you have a small boat or kayak, the Allapatchee Shores Park ramp located in Punta Gorda, is a great place for most boats under 20 feet with a shallow draft (flats boats). In order to be effective here, an electric trolling motor is key. Just put in at the ramp, and start working down stream towards the trestle. More information on this location and directions to the trestle can be found by visiting the following links:

http://www.fishinfranks.com/ramp_allapatchee.htm
http://www.fishinfranks.com/ali_tres.htm

There are Snook, and small Tarpon, that can be found here. The DOA TerrorEyz are good to use here – the small ones for the Tarpon and the larger ones for the Snook. A few other good lures that can be used are the Rat-L-Traps and Spoons.

This is a great getaway place that has some very shallow spots, but is definitely fun to explore. It is a salt water fishing area, that being said I have caught a few Bass here, which come down over the dam above this on Taylor Rd., so be ready for almost anything. I hope you enjoy this spot!

If you are a live bait person, shrimp will work fine here. Fresh water shiners can also be used, and are great bait for the Snook here. With Florida being the way that it is, in order to use fresh water shiners you might want to have a fresh water license. Even though you are fishing in salt water, it is part of the international zones. Why you ask? I don’t know, I’m just the messenger, not the law maker or the enforcer. A way to use the shiners and be ok is to make sure that if you are asked if you are doing, make sure that you say snook fishing. Do not just say ‘fishing’! There are bass in the area which would require that you have both a salt and fresh water license, so just make sure to say snook fishing to be safe.

Good luck and if this confuses you, Welcome to Florida!
Fishin Frank

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Fishin’ Frank says “ There are however a lot of Sheepshead in Alligator Creek and at El-Jo.”

Screen Shot 2014-11-24 at 11.03.08 AM

The weather is not what had been predicted, so chasing the Kings may not happen for a little while.

There are however a lot of Sheepshead in Alligator Creek and at El-Jo. Shrimp is the bait of choice right now for the Sheepshead. The larger shrimp should attract the larger fish. Many of the Sheepshead are close to the 20 inch mark. While fishing at El-Jo you should also be able to get your keeper Snook. Snook is better to catch on lures like the Storm 4 inch Shad. Also walking it is better than casting it.

On the flats it is again a shrimp bite right now, from Snook and Sheepshead to Trout. The Trout seem be be looking for the float rigs. If you are interested in using fake bait, a DOA deadly combo is the ticket.

Good luck and catch you again!
Fishin Frank

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Fishin’ Frank Says “Tom Adams Pier in Englewood is a very good day time spot for Mackerel and Snapper from land.”

10/6/14

By: Fishin’ Frank
Reds are still doing well at the 41 bridges, cast at the high line wires. Tom Adams Pier in Englewood is a very good day time spot for Mackerel and Snapper from land. For the Mackerel, use a poppin’ cork and shrimp (like you would for seatrout), pop it hard let them know your bait is there.

If you are using lures, a 1./2 once or 3/4 once Spoon is your best bet, or a 4 inch paddle tail jig. At the inter-coastal, I would use the Silver pepper with the Chartruse tail the paddle tail. It creates a lot of noise going through the water and noise will bring on the Spanish mackerel. Have fun out there!

Fishin’ frank

Posted by Scott Q Fishing Reports

“Redfish are at the 41 bridge” Says Fishin’ Franks

10/5/14

By: Fishin’ Frank

Well our new hoodies are a welcome addition this morning with the temps at 60 degrees. It really was not that cold, but when it was 90 yesterday, it takes a couple of days to get used to it.

Fishing side of the report: Redfish are at the 41 bridge, the north end near the high line wires. This is going to annoy Austin – he has had those Redfish to himself up to a couple of days ago when a group of guys found them and yesterday a tournament boat found the school. Storm swim baits 3 or 4 inches and dark color, brown or purple. Jig them with about a 12 inch lift to the tip of your rod. If you are a bait guy, shrimp tail hooked is your best bet. Use a Carolina style rig, hook a 24 inch leader and a swivel with a bullet weight in front of the swivel. Putting a bead between the weight and your swivel is a good idea. Let the shrimp sit for a minute, then give the rod a sharp jerk up again no more than a 1 foot lift to your rod tip. This will lightly crack the sinker into the bead into the swivel, making a light cracking sound. Let the Redfish know your bait is there.

Snook are doing well here also. Again the Storm or the Berkley swim bait 4 inch for the Snook (any color as long as it is dark). Use an upward jigging motion, but you need to be very close to the pilings of the bridge.

Well I have a mountain of work to catch up on, I will give more reports as they happen. Check out our new on-line store. That is what I hope to help pay for the internet reports and Radio Fishin. Yes I do have to make money as bad as it sounds.

Thank you all have fun and be safe.

Fishin’ Frank

Posted by Scott Q Fishing Reports Uncategorized

Fishin’ Frank says “Living in Paradise”

Every once in a while I think about the bait shops in the north. Last night I was talking to my elder daughter, who happens to live in north Wisconsin. I am sitting on the back porch T-shirt (no sleeves of course) and shorts, 77.6 degrees when she happens to mention it is 2 degrees with a wind chill of 10 below zero. I could not hold back a chuckle, I hear from her during storm season about how can I live here. Well they had tornados and now blizzard+ conditions 10 to 20 degrees below zero the snow plows clearing the roads keep filling the drive way so they have to clear it at least twice a day. What you ask does this have to do with my thoughts, well here in Southwest Florida, we are a year round store, this year August was better business wise than January. I have a much larger pay roll the bills are higher than ever, and the store keeps growing, while on the other hand my counter parts from the north are down here in full swing. Each year we get a bunch of regulars who come down for a fish in holiday, bait shop owners from all over the northern states. It is great catching up with them hearing about what happened over the year.

Image 3I think it must be kind of great to be able to just close down and take off. No one would notice, as they are huddled up around the fire place. Ahhh Wait, what, the heck am I thinking! It is going to be 80 degrees out today, I should have a great day at the store. Rouse me, and click the magic shoes and there’s no place like home.
Yes I am happy right here. I would just rather live in paradise.

Speaking of great fishin, the Spanish have moved all the way up to Marker #2 and the 41 bridges. Better with a maverick than a spoon, or a Storm twichin shad.

Good luck,

Frank

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

“Trout seem to be everywhere right about now,” says Fishin’ Frank

Trout. They seem to be everywhere right about now. We’re getting reports from Boca to the 41 bridges.

trout2Personally, I’ve been doing the best on trout on the east side of the harbor. If you’re looking for quality then head inside the bar from Two Tits (Cormorant Key) and work the trough against the mangroves. Moving out into the flats will bring on the little guys, but most of the big trout are hanging out in that trough.

If you’re looking for quantity then you really can’t beat Burnt Store channel. There are a kabillion little trout inside the channel. The nice thing is, if you stay at it, you will catch legal trout mixed in with them. You’re not going to shatter any records, but you will catch a nice dinner. I’ve been free-lining shrimp into the channel on the faster tides. On the slower tides, I’ve been putting a small split shot just above the shrimp and jigging it across the bottom. Another option is trolling small X-raps or Storm lipped lures through the channel. It took us almost 30 minutes to get into Burnt Store today because every time we threw a Storm into the channel it would get whacked.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Fishin’ Frank says “Spanish Mackeral are thick off Alligator Creek to Cape Haze.”

Grouper in Captiva Pass, this one is just short of keeper size, for bait, Shrimp, Squid, Bait fish-Live or dead all seem to be working well.

SONY DSC

The Spanish Mackerel are thick by the Artificial reef off Alligator Creek all the way down to Cape haze. To catch yourself some, troll a Black & Silver or White lure, about 2 to 3 miles per hour. When you get a hit, stop and fish. Often you will see the Mackerel or Lady fish, maybe even Cat fish. Busting the surface of the water, they are feeding and this make them almost Guaranteed catch-able.

 john mackerel 4 x 6

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

“More good news… big huge giant Redfish” says Fishin’ Frank

7/29/13 

New from Charlotte Harbor fishing trip yesterday.

Hobbs Point, inside the bar – snook on top water lure at first light Pirate Harbor, east side keys – small mangrove snappers on live shrimp, with a split shot Pirate Harbor canals – snook trolling rapala XR8, silver belly, black/green body Myakka cutoff Hog Island side – 2 keeper red fish on cut frozen lady fish during rising tide in 1′ of water.

 

7/27/13

Good news… even with all the rain, red tide is not showing up. A concern every summer, but this is the current up date. Present Status; Southwest coast: Karenia Brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was detected in background concentrations in one sample collected alongshore of Pinellas County and in one sample collected inshore of Sarasota County. Other samples collected in southwest Florida this week did not contain K. brevis.

0045 bridge red Bryan

More good news… big huge giant red fish still at the 41 bridges, live shrimp or dead. Fish the bottom, don’t know whats up, just know they are there. Keeper sizes as well as the over size ones. I would not expect to catch a lot just when you do they should be BIG. That is cool enough.

Fishin’ Frank

 

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports