Many anglers have been on the search for Snook and Redfish. Never heard of them? They are a common saltwater species and a popular inshore catch in Florida waters. These fish are a tough fight on light tackle. You can increase your hook ups by appealing to their senses. Snook are an opportunistic feeder, chasing down your pinfish or lure. While redfish (red drum) feed similar to a carp, as they are in the drum family. They enjoy crustaceans ( shrimp and crab ) as well as cut and live bait. During my charters we use a little bit of everything, until we see what they are eating that day. I've been working with Penn Fishing to product test some up coming reels! Ladies aboard have enjoyed fishing with the Penn Passion Combo for the last month. Don't let the pink color fool you. These reels have a full metal body, 5+1 sealed stainless steel ball bearing system, HT-100™ carbon fiber drag washers and stand up to some tough fish! Sizes range from **hidden content**. Look for them online in stores Fall 2017 Nearshore the snapper bite has been very productive. These trips are weather dependent ( seas 2 feet or less in the NOAA forecast) They are priced the same as inshore. Mangrove, lane and vermillion are the most common species. Depending on water clarity you can get these fish so charged up they will come up to the surface in your chum slick by the hundreds. I use a chum called "snapper up" for this exact reason. Chumming them to the surface increases your chances to get your fish to the boat. Snapper are notorious for breaking you off in reef structure once hooked. A delicious catch to bring back to the dock. Fish them on live bait or artificial. Other fun summer nearshore catches biting this week are spanish mackerel and barracuda. Last but not least the Goliath Grouper! We fish this species year round but find they are most active during summer months as they enter their spawning season. Dan ( pictured ) had a blast nearshore hooking into his first reef monster. These gentle giants are a fun catch for any angler who wants to feel a serious PULL! Talk about heavy line, I use 600lb Bullbuster Line to catch these. Contact me today to set up your fishing charter. Select days available thought the end of August and September.

The Vestal family joined us for a day of fun in the sun! Goliath grouper was the goal of the day and these fish made it look easy at first. Hooking up right away ( with in the first 10 mins) to a 300lb+ fish. Better than coffee to wake you up in the morning. After that the bite slowed as the tide slacked and we decided to switch things up and move into the Gulf of Mexico. A bit wavy out there but everyone toughed it out for some BIG fish! Catching three more Goliath Grouper while nearshore. There were other catches too, Jack Crevelle, Barracuda and Spanish mackerel were swarming this reef. Just as we called 20 mins left in the trip I heard a commotion behind the boat. A giant hammerhead was eating our shark bait! While this was happening the kids hooked up to a goliath grouper and barracuda! Craziest triple hook up to date. As we cleared the lines one by one we moved Dad up to the fight chair. Just in time too, there was about 3 wraps left on the reel before this shark would of spooled us. Thats how fast a hammerhead swims. We were able to get this fish boat side after about 45 mins, de-hooked and swam off strong. Check out the video clip of this incredible ocean predator!

Near shore fishing has been pretty exciting lately. Large bait schools are roaming around a few miles out along our Gulf beaches. These large schools of fish attract all kinds of hungry fish from Bonito tuna, spanish mackerel and king fish to sharks. We fish these schools using artificial weighted jigs and top water plugs.

Inshore fishing is HOT around Boca Grande and Charlotte Harbor. Temperatures pass 90 degrees by lunch time, but I know just where these inshore fish are cooling off and searching for an easy meal. On recent charters this week, guests have hooked into plenty of snook and redfish. These fish are devouring live bait and are keeping cool underneath the bushes. School starts up again before you know it! Plan a fishing trip today and get the kids out for some fun on the water.

In my line of work, you fish will all kinds of people. I can truly say the Fleming family was a blast to fish with. They were vacationing here for the holiday weekend. We had a trip set up but they were eager to get out a day early. I picked them up after my morning trip and ran them a few miles out to hook into some goliath grouper. There had been big jacks out here earlier in the day, our plan was to hook up on a few using artificial baits ( metal jigs and a popper ) and turn them into something bigger! Dad and Swope hooked up on some huge jack crevalle. The perfect bait for giant grouper down below! The guys really gave it their all, hooking and catching multiple goliath grouper. Swope even jumped IN the water with his catch for a memorable photo! ( click on photos to enlarge ) These guys also help me wrap up the first set of fin clippings for FWC. They have a study going on using this species dna Day two we were on the search for tarpon. We cruised the beach until we found a pod of fish. Every spring/ summer these migrating fish begin to flood our beaches. This is my favorite place to fish tarpon. Its quiet, not as chaotic as fishing in the pass. Anglers seem to enjoy it as well, there is thrill in the hunt. Tarpon fishing is sight casting on a whole other level. The guys were true fishermen and hung in there during a slow morning bite. We must of fished this school for about an hour before they finally began to eat. Their patience paid off, and they were rewarded. Mac landed a nice tarpon, it put on a show. Getting in plenty of jumps making for a memorable catch. James (dad) captured these incredible photos of his fish. We sent him home with a scale, hook and leader he used in landing his tarpon. Theres nothing like catching your first tarpon, especially in Boca Grande.

My guests today were excited to hook into their very first tarpon. We had a morning of fishing a few different schools along our beaches. It was a tough bite, their persistence paid off! Poncho hooked into a tarpon as they were crossing the sandbar. In about 5 feet of water he got to watch his fish "slurp" his bait off the top of the crystal clear water. What a rush! I always cast a rod but it makes the catch even better when the angler gets the bite and hook up all on their own. It came together for him today and he landed his very first tarpon in about 30 mins. With tarpon season slowing down in July, anglers are trying to figure out what to hook up to next! The heat of summer is here. Temperatures in Florida soar to over 90 degrees in the summer months. Although water temperatures are on the rise, we know just where the fish like to hang out during our warmer months. Like any species they move and change with the seasons. Some species following their food sources and a few cooling off in deeper holes. Inshore snook are prevalent and a fun catch on live bait. Season is closed but they are an exciting catch and release. We actually just had a recapture on a snook we tagged in April of this year. All anglers have the options of tagging their catches. Redfish are hanging around the mangroves and begin to move around in smaller schools. Grocery shopping? We can help with that. Fish our natural and artificial wreck sites along our gulf beaches. Snapper ( Mangrove and Lane ), Cobia, King Mackerel and the occasional Grouper. A large cooler and ice is provided to keep your catch fresh. Captain also cleans your catch dockside. These trips are weather dependent with seas two feet or less. Looking for something bigger? Goliath Grouper spawn during the warmest months of the year. These XL fish hang out on our nearshore wrecks. Common size range is 80-500lbs. These fish pull some serious drag. If you can get one boat side, we send you home with the 20/0 hook you used to catch it. Are you strong enough?!