Posts tagged ‘beach’
Fishing Boca Grande Pass
We traveled mid-morning Monday to Boca Grande Pass. This area is just south of Gasprilla Island on Florida’s Gulf Coast. We planned our day around catching Permit, pompano and whiting. But as things will happen, our best laid plans are not always best occurred.
Our plan was to fish the southernmost point of the pass. Along the main route to Boca Grande, there are several Gulf front parking and beach access areas in route to the southernmost point. Decisions had to be made without the benefit of other angler’s success. So we continued to our predetermined spot.
Unbeknown to us, the big fish were being caught on the western shore just north of the point. Big Redfish and whiting were caught on both live shrimp and sand feas.
We decided to continue our travel to the most southern point of the beach. This spot is where the Charlotte Harbor current exits into the Gulf of Mexico. In this narrow space, a significant current can be found traveling within several hundred feet from the shore. The water depth can change from several inches right on the beach to well over 50 feet just yards of the beach. The current is so quick, that it can sweep an unsuspecting swimmer out into the gulf within a matter of minutes.
This current is home to both huge tarpon all the way down to small pinfish and everything in between.
Although, we missed out on the big fish up the coast, we resigned ourselves of just catching some beautiful speckled trout. I hooked up with three real nice ones with the largest at seventeen inches. Using live shrimp and circle hooks almost guaranteed success.
Even though we were outside the main stream anglers and the big fish, we had a great time.
If you are traveling to southwest Florida, a stopover to wet a line on Gasprilla Island and the famous Boca Grande Pass is a must.
Until next time, Tightlines.
Happy New Year – What an Amazing Year It Has Been
It’s been quite a year!
I have had the opportunity to do things that most anglers only dream of.
It started in southwest Florida where I fished the Charlotte Harbor for redfish, trout and snook. We added a side trip to the 10000 Islands in the Everglades. Besides the outstanding angling, the scenery was amazing. Pictures can never begin to share the experience.
I had an opportunity to travel to Alaska for business and took a side trip to a fish for Artic Grayling on the Chena River just outside of Fairbanks.
My annual off shore out of Ocean City, Md. produced not only bull dolphin and yellow fin tuna but a beautiful catch and release sailfish.
The first mate and I also took a fishing charter just south of St Petersburg, Florida on the Tampa Bay for giant redfish. We hooked up twelve giants and landed six. The first mate’s catch exceeded 32 inches and sixteen pounds. It was such a catch that Mirrolure is using her catch for advertising.
Between all of this, I spent countless hours on my home surf and sounds, catching trout, spot, croaker, blues, drum and of course flounder.
I met several famous television fishing show hosts during my various outings and had the opportunity for casting and fishing lessons from a professional fishing guide.
I want to thank everyone for visiting and supporting my blog over the past year. My goal has always been to provide you with the best angling and safe boating techniques. And have a lot of fun doing it. I especially enjoy sharing with you my many fishing experiences from my trips around the various waterways. My hope is that my blog will exceed your expectations and help make you a better angler and boater.
As we close 2011 and ease into 2012, my wish for you is to have a safe and healthy new year.
Until next time, Tightlines
Meet “Henry The Fish”
I spent the last week in San Diego on a work conference and with the rough weather on the Outer Banks, I did not miss much. Water temps, now in the 50’s, have dropped significantly. With plenty of wind and grass, catching has been a challenge. But there still are plenty of opportunities to fish, so you might as well get off the couch before actual winter sets in.
While I was in San Diego I did the tourist thing in afternoon. One of the stops was a sea port museum. There I found “Henry the Fish”.
Henry is a collection of plastics, aluminum cans, dish soap bottles, lids, bottles, toys and many other trashy things found on a beach. These items may seem harmless but fish and birds are impacted from eating them or getting wrapped up.
Also, many of these plastics contain harmful chemicals and once eaten by fish, birds or other sealife, the cycle begins to enter the food chain. And unfortunately, this food chain leads up to us.
A group of concerned citizens assembled Henry to send a message. I think I got it.
When fishing on the surf, pier, bridge or other locations do your part by disposing your bait and gear wrappers, assorted debris and food trash in a proper receptacle.
Not only will it increase the health and mortality of our fish and wildlife, help to prevent a fouling of our waterways and recreation areas but it just looks good and makes sense.
So for a more pleasant experience, do your part. Pick it up.
Until next time, Tightlines
The Perfect Spot If You Know What to Look For
There are many ways to locate a perfect surf fishing spot. The old saying is, “you should fish where the fish are”. But without being facetious, that is not always easy. You can always call a local tackle shop or pier. They can only give you what other people have called in or what “has or is” happening at their location.
My plans don’t always allow me to fish at any optimum time or place. So I go when I can. My favorite spot is the surf. There are so many opportunities there. But you must know where there is a possibility of fish. Blind casting is fun but not very productive.
My first observation when surf fishing is to study the wave action and the beach configuration. I look for a steep drop off at the water line and the rip current. A good indication of a steep spot off is a gravel /shell pile.
Typically fish will be found in the sloughs. A slough is a channel of deeper water between the beach and the sand bar. The sloughs during incoming tides create a “river” of water traveling parallel with the beach. At the weak point in the bar, the water rushes out to sea. This is the rip current.
You should try to fish in this “river” just north or south of this rip. 
In this picture, you can see the beginning of a rip current being formed.
So next time you plan a trip on the surf, look for that tail tale sign. Now that’s where the fish are. Take it from me, this is where I have been most successful.
Until next time,
Tightlines
Isn’t It Time for Circle Hooks
Several years ago, here on the Outer Banks, I would watch dozens of fish get wasted – just left on the beach to die. At the time, many of the anglers would try to catch as many fish as possible. They never considered the impact of over fishing. And even less about returning this resource back into the water to be caught again. This resource was unlimited so they thought.
Although, many times anglers did try to practice conservation and consider releasing them only to find that the gear they were using caused deep gut hooking. This gut hooking caused significant damage to internal organs and would cause them to bleed out quickly. With a reduced survivability, these fish were just left on the beach to either be eaten by the birds or rot in the sun.
The culprit was “J Hooks”. These hooks were designed to increase the hook ups. Once you feel the bite, the angler sets the hooks and bingo, you are successful. But they decreased the survivability rate.
Recently, there has been a movement to change to less damaging gear. The circle hooks meets that goal.
I have begun to use circle hooks on almost every gear set up. And guess what? I haven’t reduced my catches at all. In fact, I am catching more fish and releasing most to be caught again. You will find that most of my catches are with circle hooks. Check out the Black Drum I caught the other day using circle hooks. See how it just grabs the corner of their mouth?
Is there a place still in fishing for “J hooks” – sure but careful selection and use is imparative. Common sense plays a major role with their use,
Isn’t it time you jumped on the conservation fix? Our fisheries are not unlimited, and if you are not harvesting one to eat, release it to be caught another day. I think that is a pretty neat concept. How about jumping on that bandwagon with me? Future anglers will thank us for our commitment to this fishery.
Until next time,
Tightlines
Black Drum in the Surf
I spent several evenings over the past week trying my luck at surf fishing. It seems that this was my lucky week. I hooked up with a smorgasbord of bottom fish. I caught Black Drum, flounder, spot, croaker, bluefish, sea mullet and blow toads.
I selected the best times where the incoming tides hit the beach at the early evening. Two to three foot waves struck the beach causing a slight chop. Water temps were still in the low 70’s.
Once on the sand, I searched for the break on the bar where the weakest point of the slough pushed water back off the beach. This is where the chaos begins and weak fish tumble in the waves being tossed around in a confused state.
I found this spot easily and proceeded to cast into the wash – just inside the breakers. Bingo – fish after fish. I used my 7’ Falcon Medium Gulf Spin rod with just enough backbone and a light tip – great for felling those tender nibbles. My Daiwa Coastal 3000 reel gave me the ability to retrieve the fish before, they could spit the hook. Fresh shrimp was bait of choice and definitely small pieces on the #4 circle hooks.
There were times I was catching two at a time. What a day!
They say October is for playoff baseball but this week it was for great bottom fishing on the Outer Banks surf.
Until next time,
Tightlines
Trying Something New
I wanted to veer away from my standard fishing technique here is Florida.
My neighborhood lakes just off the Charlotte Harbor hold dozens of landlocked snook, tarpon and variety of other species. I typically use a search method to find the fish. I cast in a fan style cast pattern – start casting to the left and moving right to eight o’clock then ten, then 12 and so on until you have made the half circle. If no hits, move down the bank several feet and cast again. This technique has always been somewhat successful. This techniques takes many of blind casts to finally hook up.
This time I wanted see if I could cast directly into the path of a moving snook and have him hit it. I used a 1/4 oz. Rapala swimming plug with “pro-cure” scent. I waited until I saw the v-path of moving water and casted about ten yards ahead. And it seemed that with every other cast, I was hooking up.
Not as much action fishing this way, but the hookups were consistent. I think the key was matching the other bait fish in the lake and putting the artificial right in front of the fish.
I am heading to Longboat Key today to try my luck.
Until next time, Tightlines.
An Angry Lady is Heading North
As I write this blog, Hurricane Irene is just around the corner. In the past several minutes, she leaped over my barrier island into the Atlantic. Now heading for the Tidewater area and the northeast. The storm had a significant impact on my region and our property. Huge trees and limbs were no match to the intense wind gusts. Be prepared should be your main focus.
We had a huge tree fall directly in the driveway on the smaller boat and the car. Our road is also blocked in both directions, so we are “land locked”‘. We have many other trees and limbs about the yard but I don’t plan to evaluate until the weather passes. Probably in the morning.
There are many reports that Hatteras Island and the southern Outer Banks took a terrible beating. Many homes and stores were damaged. Many beach areas sustained severe erosion. Even though we live in a low area, flooding is a major concern. The entire Dare County is under a strict curfew until further notice.
For those who are yet to experience this ladies’ fury, don’t take her lightly. She is an angry storm looking to spread more wind and rain.
Heed those warnings, “Hunker Down” and watch the storm from the comfort of your living room. Don’t take her lightly!!
Tightlines
A Little Humor – Thanks to Irene
Gotta love those natives. They know how to get their point across.
Tightlines.
The Word for Today is Evacuation
The word of the day is “evacuation”.
Ocracoke Island was evacuated yesterday. Today, all non-residents in Dare County are required to leave and just a short time ago, the order came out that all Dare County residents must evacuate by 0800 hrs on Friday.
Currituck County also gave the order – everyone must leave. This takes effect on Friday.
Eariler this morning, Governor Perdue has issued a state of emergency in North Carolina. With this order and the evacuation directive, it means after the designated time, no fire police or rescue personnel will be available to help in an emergency. You are basically on your own. Also, many of the medical centers are closing through Sunday. So if you plan to stay, be prepared to wing it.
I traveled various county roads today and the visitors are heeding the order. At certain times, it appears this is a major check out day after a week vacation. The roads are really crowded. As are the hardware stores.
Each news agency has their own version of the direction, speed and damage Irene will cause.
One thing is for sure, the “landscape of the Outer Banks” will look different on Sunday morning if just some of the predictions are correct.
I plan to spend the rest of the day “batting down the hatches”. Wish us luck and godspeed.
Tightlines
NCsaltaire 