Posts filed under ‘Reel Job’
A Special Thanks for the Lesson
Happy Father’s Day, Dad. You always had time to take me fishing. It was a small gesture that turned into a lifelong passion for me.
You always pushed me when I thought I should stop; gave a comforting word when I needed support; a hand when I was searching; a smile when I was disappointed; and a friend to share good times.
One of my favorite life sayings applies here:
Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. (Ancient Proverb)
Pier pass – $10.00
Fishing equipment – $30.00
A day fishing with Dad – Priceless!!
Thanks for teaching me about fishing and life.
Fishin’ Great – No Reason Not to Go
Summer is here in the Outer Banks. There is no better activity than grabbing a fishing pole and heading out. One of my favorite spots is the Pirate’s Cove Pier. It can be found at the base of the Washington Baum Bridge. The pier is long and lined with a firm guardrail and plenty of benches (Very safe for young kids). You will find shady areas most of the day. It is also handicap accessible with plenty of parking.
I typically fish here with a double circle hook bottom rig with light tackle. The hooks should be No. 4 or greater. It seems that most species are looking for that small sample of bait. You should use “fresh shrimp”. I see plenty of frozen squid, blood worms and cut bait being used, but I have best luck with shrimp.
The pier travels east west so you are going to cast north into the sound or south under the bridge.
Casting north, try to reach the Pirates Cove channel. I have the best luck using a bank sinker and pulling it slowly toward me – keeps it away from the crabs.
You can also cast south under the bridge but watch the snags. Plenty of oyster beds to get hung up on. But flounder love to hang out on either sides of the piles. Keep the bait fresh and moving.
Before you go, always check with the local tackle shops and local guides for your best bet. Bring plenty of cold drinks, snacks, sun screen and bait. And don’t forget your fishing license. A cooler is a plus to keep your catch.
Feeding the crabs between catches can be expected. So plan accordingly.
Using the Right Chum Catches More Fish
I met up with Marty Brill, a former captain, entrepreneur and a local radio personality the other day and the topic of sea (motion) sickness came up. We talked about a friend of mine who was persistent at offshore fishing but could not seem to shake that sickness. He has created his own personal chum each trip for a least 10 years. He wants to fish but can’t solve the problem.
Capt. Marty’s recommendations are as follows:
1) Limit or no dinner the night before your trip
2) No alcohol the night before (Sorry “big” guys – I know it’s a right of passage when fishing but none at this time)
3) No milk, coffee or orange juice on the fishing day – bad on the stomach
4) Leave the dock with an empty stomach – be real hungry
5) Consume only ginger ale and dry crackers for the first several hours.
Once you gain your “sea legs” and you are hungry, the chance of sea sickness has diminished.
Not an official nor medical prescription, but it worked for his clients for many years. Hopefully, it will work for you.
Remember – using the right chum, catches more fish. Good luck!!
Toadfish a Plenty
We started our day at the Daniels Bridge (causeway). We used bloodworms and fresh shrimp with out luck.
The weather and tides were perfect for success – Wrong.
We then moved to the William Baum Bridge – (better known as the Pirates Cove Br.)
Armed with all the “standard fishing tools”, my Dad and I proceeded to the end of the dock. There we caught pinfish and some medium Spot. And to finish the day, I got hooked up into a school of Toadfish. Each cast brought a 3″ fish to the dock. 
I know he was just plan ugly. Ugly or not he was too valuable for me or anyone else to just catch him once.
Tonight, he (or she) is enjoying the freedom of the Albemarle Sound.
Godspeed until we meet again.
Wise Old Anglers
An Angler named Ernest Hemingway once said,
” In hunting you know what you are after”, then he added, “but who can say what you will hook when you fish the saltwater, because the ocean holds fish of the size no one may ever see”.
Kayaking in Heaven
Punta Gorda is an amazing place for kayaking. The Charlotte Harbor area has over 200 shoreline miles of canoe and kayak trails.
At 270 square miles, Charlotte Harbor is the second-largest aquatic preserve in Florida, where rivers meet the ocean and salt marshes, seagrass flats and dense mangrove beds provide nature’s nursery for hundreds of species of fish and shellfish. Birds, turtles and other wildlife feast on all this bounty.
World-class angling has put this area on the map for kayak fishing.
Here, beginners and experts can find the pristine and quiet commune with nature that kayaking offers. Down the hidden coves of Coral, and Shell Creeks, the Peace and Myakka Rivers, around Don Pedro Island State Park, Gasparilla Sound or along the Intracoastal Waterways, up-close wildlife encounters are likely to include swallow-tailed kites, eagles, herons, ibis, ospreys, Roseate Spoonbills, thousands of migratory white pelicans as well as dolphins and manatees. Out on the Gulf, experienced sea kayakers can explore deserted barrier islands with challenging forays into the wind and surf.
Just a little peace of heaven.
Neighborhood Lakes
The weather has been unusually cooler this year in SW Florida.
One way to overcome the cold water and north winds is to find a nice interior lake. Our community has many lakes which are fed from the Charlotte Harbor.
Fish enter these saltwater lakes during a flood tide or tropical storm through a drainage and leveling system.
The tide inlets that feed the lakes have large inlets but very small outlets. Once in, the diameter of the outlets prevents the fish from returning to the harbor. This creates a great opportunity to fish the many types of saltwater fish right in your back yard.
Snook, trout, tilapia, redfish and tarpon as well as many other saltwater species are all familiar targets in these lakes.
Some of these fish can grow to 36″ or larger and they can definitely grow to trophy size.
I had the oppportunity to catch four nice snook.
This is a catch and release fishery. And the only predator to this stock are aligators. But don’t worry, unless it’s mating season, the “gators” are just afraid of you as you are of them.
Live Baiting on Charlotte Harbor
We finally got out on Sunday morning on the Charlotte Harbor. We anticipated a slow day and we got one. Just one day after a large Redfish Tournament, we figured it would be hard to find them.
We loaded Fantasea II with an assortment of gear and headed out in the Peace River.
The Peace River originates in central Florida and feeds the Charlotte Harbor in Southwest Florida. The “harbor is just minutes from the Gulf of Mexico”.
This river and harbor is home to trout, snook, redfish and many of the typical saltwater species.
Our gear and bait of choice would be popping corks, circle hooks with live shrimp.
On past fishing trips to the “Harbor” we were very successful catching nice trout using this same technique.
We fished the Rt. 41 and Rt 75 bridges without any luck. Water temps were in the lower 60s. You would think this water temp is prefect for catching, but actually it’s a little cold for this area.
We tried many pilings and shallow areas. We were looking for any small hole or structure along the bottom that may hold fish. After two hours of fishing, we decided to do a short sightseeing tour, trying to locate a manatee laying up in the warm shallow waters of the Peace River.
It turned out we missed the manatees too but it was just a delightful day on the water.
Slow day fishing only increases your anticipation for your next trip.
More Tournament News
More Tournament photos.
In this picture, we see the team members bringing the catch in from the docks.
Holding tanks used to keep fish alive while they wait to be measured.
Weigh Station – The Redfish must be between 18 and 27 inches. Any fish over 27 in. is disqualified.
The weigh station – all teams are entered in the computer and weight totals are recorded. In this tournament, the average ranged between 5 and 8 lbs.
Winning team with 15.25 lbs.
One exciting part of this tournament is that all fish are released after weighing.
The Redfish Fishery in Punta Gorda/Charlotte Harbor is too valuable to catch them just once. What a great concept.
Tournament Time
We spent the first part of the weekend scoping out the “lay of the land”. Had to find a boat ramp, live bait and places to fish. Over the past month, SW Florida had a severe cold snap which killed hundreds of thousands of fish. So finding a place that held fish would not be easy.
Then we ran into a good and bad situation. We found ourselves right in the middle of the first leg of the 1st Annual Fishmasters Redfish Tournament.
The plus: We know that there are Redfish in Charlotte Harbor. The negative: the redfish will be skittish to any bait after spending time in someone’s fish well.
But this experience was just phenomenal. Crowds, excitement and big Redfish.
Flat boats were everywhere – 54 teams fished this day. What a great day – not to be on the water.
NCsaltaire 
