I had a couple of trips this week and Snook has been the dependable bite.  On Monday I had Gary and Carl along for a half day of snook action. The bite started a little slow with one hook up and a break off. After making a couple of moves and waiting for the tide to get just right it was all about catching. Gary and Carl hooked over 20 nice fish but due to break offs and hook pulls they boated seven nice snook.

Gary with a nice 29" Snook

Carl displaying one of the Snook he caught

In between charters I spent as much time on the water scouting. Getting the right bait is very important so time was spent looking for that as well as nice fish to catch. I found the bait now time to find more fish. I found an area holding some fat trout but also found a shoreline that had snook and redfish. I put this information in my mental locker to use on Friday when I had the pleasure of guiding Gary, B.J. and Nick for the Tamco Foundation Glad Slam tournament. For those not aware Tamco is a  non profit organization benefiting wounded vets. Gary and B.J (aka Stumps) were both wounded in attacks as they served in Iraq.

Gary and B.J. both informed me that they had fish this event twice before. When they told me the name of the Captains they had fished with I have to admit I was a bit nervous  as both of them are well seasoned anglers with reputations in the bay area that I now for the next six hours had to live up to.

Our first stop would be to try and knock the trout off of our species of fish to catch. It did not take long and Gary put two trout to the boat one being the a very fat 17 inch-er. We stayed on the spot a while longer trying to upgrade our catch but it was not to be.

The tiding was moving in now so it was time to work that shoreline I had found those snook and reds on earlier this week. It started out slow in this area with one hook up and a lose boat side. Fortunately these guys were patient and kept the mood light with there humor and stories. We continued to move from spot to spot until we got on a decent bite. We were able to get a couple of more snook in the boat with the largest at this point being 24″. I thought for sure we would get a Red in the mix but it just did not happen. Time was running out for this area so another move was to be made.  The next stop proved to be a good producing spot. We had some good solid hook ups and after losing some very big fish to there leader fraying tactics B.J. boated a nice 29″ fish.  We had one more hook up after that on a fish that would of easily exceeded 30″ but it was not to be.

It was time to head back in at this point. I was feeling a little down about the fact we did not get the redfish as that could of put the guys in the money so to speak. We got back to the dock and as we unloaded a gentleman came up and asked the guys how it went. The words out of there mouths made me feel very proud. They all exclaimed it was The best trip they had had yet!

I don’t have any pictures of there fish as they have not emailed them to me yet but I did get a group shot back at the dock.

B.J. with a solid 29 1/4" snook

Nick with a 24" snook

L to R Nick, B.J.(aka stumps) proud captain and Gary

If you have never caught Spanish Mackerel now is the time to give it a try. These toothy critters are a blast to catch on light spinning gear. You can expect a lot of cut offs as these mini torpedoes have razor sharp teethe.

The first order of business is to get the right bait. Sardines are perfect baits and can be found right now at some of the local bridges. If you can not get sardines you can slow troll some silver spoons.

I like to use anywhere from 40 to 60 pound test mono leader and a long shank  J -hook in the 1/0 size. Anchoring around the bridges and structure is a great place to start. I will chum a little with some of the baits and then free line some to get the bite.

We had our share of cut offs and losses but we did manage to put several to the boat. We also caught a few snapper but most were right around the 14″ range.

Spanish Mackerel

Toothy Critter

Mangrove Snapper

I know these are not the largest fish you have ever seen or maybe even caught but they put up a drag ripping fight on light tackle and make great table fare. There is a limit of 15 mackerel per person per day and they have to be at least 12 inches to the fork.

If you have children this is something sure to please them as these fish will keep the rods bent.

Thanks for checking in on the reports. I will be on the water this week and will keep you updated as to what kind of action Tampa Bay has to offer.

Capt. Steve Betz

My last trip out was a scouting mission. I have a Redfish tournament to fish a week from now so Redfish have been on my mind. I found some nice fish but not in the quantities I would like. Of course I did not make to far of a run from the tournament launch site so I did limit myself a bit. Not to worry my partner will also be out this coming week looking. We have a huge school we can fish tournament day we just like to have more than one option.

On our scouting mission I also found some good numbers of snook. This was an exciting thing to see as our snook suffered a big hit during this past winters freezing temps.

Snook

The big Black Drum I reported on a couple of weeks ago are also still in the area. I will be taking my wife this weekend for her chance to land one.

Big Black Drum

I have had several other captains give me some good reports of  Spanish Mackerel showing up. One of my sources told me his clients put six in the box and they were fishing in the very north end of Tampa Bay. This kind of news really gets me fired up!

Grouper season just opened up and on the first day a good friend of mine made it a point to get out and get a couple for dinner in the shallow waters of the bay.

Tarpon have been sighted already. I am really liking this! If you have never done battle with the Silver King you may want to think about booking a Tarpon Charter.

Spring is here according to my wife and the fish. So get out and get after them. I know I will.

Gag Grouper

Mackerel

Thanks for stopping by and keep checking back as I keep my reports up to date.

Capt. Steve Betz

Today my guest were Ted and Charlie from Michigan. These guys had me excited before we ever left the dock. They had been fishing the day before from some docks on Tampa Bay. They were telling me of their catch and what it included. One of the fish they caught was a Spanish Mackerel. That got me all fired up! These fish are a pelagic species and just hear of one caught told me the spring run is near. Trust me when they show up in force I will be one of the first to have a report up. I love these fish. Not just because they can make some good table fare,but they can also test out some light tackle with some drag ripping runs. Stay tuned for that report.

Ted and Charlie did not care to tangle with the Black Drum I had been catching but wanted a drum of a different kind. We went to an area that I knew was holding fish and after making a few adjustments Charlie got hooked up with a nice fish. Unfortunately the fish came unglued! We waited it out but a Kayaker and a couple of other boats created some unwanted pressure and the fish shut down. I made a run to try and put them on some trout and they did catch a few but not really the amount I would of like to see. A few more move produced nothing. I really thought the bite would of been a little better but hey,its fishing. I can find them but can not always make them eat.

Time was slipping away and I knew Ted had a schedule. I asked him he he could spend a little extra time out so I could try and get them the redfish they wanted. He agreed they could stay a little longer.

To make along story short I found the fish again. After setting up Charlie was first to hook up. He got a nice 25″ redfish,then Ted hooked up. He had a real bulldog on and once landed it measured just under 27″. We tried for a little while longer but the guy in the Kayak came back and with his extra pressure it drove the reds deep under the bushes.

Ted and Charlie display their Tampa Bay Redfish

If you have been reading my reports you know that just recently the Black Drum have showed up in our area. I have been very excited about this as it has seemed like an eternity that I have caught anything besides Trout,Lady fish and Sheepshead.

It was a game of patience when we got to our destination as the tide had not started moving in and the drum had not showed. I did not want to waste the guys time so I asked a friend who was in the area to give me a call when they showed as I was going to drift some flats for trout for a while. Well no sooner than we had caught one trout on a short drift my phone rang with good news. We made a bee line back to the area and it was not long before the fun began.

We had a couple of hook ups but the huge drum came unbuttoned. Thats OK it gave the guys a little feel for what they were going to have to deal with on 15 pound test line and light spinning tackle.

First with a solid hook up was Tom. I maneuvered the boat and we broke away from the pack so Tom could do battle with his beast. I think Tom has spent a little time fishing as he seemed to handle the fish well. After a 15 to 20 minute tug of war Tom landed a nice one.

Tom and a nice drum looking happy

Another shot to get the idea of size

After some high fives and congratulations it was time to catch up with the pack. As we eased in the guys presented there baits and it seemed almost like an instant double hook up! In the back of my mind I was thinking this could go bad real fast. With two fish over 30 pounds on and a pack of boats surrounding them anything can happen! Fortunatly John and Jommie handled the situation well as there fish started ripping off drag and running around and under another boat. After some jokeying for position and some slick manuvers we were able to clear the pack and get into open water to fight the fish.

I do not think Jommie had ever caught anything this large and he was having a blast.With just a little coaching he handled it like a pro.

Double hook up!

The battle between man and monster seemed to go on forever. I was getting tired just watching,but both fish came boat side and were landed for a few quick pictures and then released.

Jommie excited to land such a monster!

John with his catch of the day!

I asked the guys if they wanted to give it another go and they were all in agreement to take another shot. Again it was a quick hook up and Jommie was on! I simply told him to do the same thing as last time and that what he did,all though he put some heat on this fish and landed it in what seemed like record time. He already had his picture with one so we revived the fish and released it.

The guys had enough fun with the drum so we set out for a drum of another kind. Red drum. Even though we found them we did not get a hook up. The guys did not catch huge numbers but they caught quality fish.

Keep checking back as I keep updating my reports.

Capt. Steve

Black Drum

Big Black Drum are invading Tampa Bay. When I say big I mean in the 30 to 40 pound class. When this happens I know things are going to change for the good. Not far behind them will be the Tarpon,Sharks ,Spanish mackerel and other spring and summer species.

It has been a long cold winter and this is a welcome change. To welcome the change I invited a couple of good fishing buddies of mine to come along today and scout it out for some of these large drum I had been hearing about. It was almost a no go trip as the weather man was making some predictions I did not feel good about. I went with my gut and proved the weather man to be wrong. The 12 mile run to the area I was told they may be was flat and smooth. Myself ,Jay and Loren could actually have a conversation and enjoy the ride. I love these days.

We arrived in the area and started searching. It did not take long and Loren was hooked up with the first Drum of the morning. After a battle that lasted about 15 minutes Loren landed one that was right around 30 pounds.

I revived and released the fish and it was time to get back to business. I was next up with a nice one on. These fish will really test your equipment. This battle seemed to go on forever but I eventually landed the beast! He was somewhere in the 40 pound class.

Another Black Drum

We worked the area for a time and put a couple of more drum to the boat. These fish are a blast to catch on flats gear. We are talking spinning reels and rods I would use for Reds ,snook and trout on the flats. Most of those don’t go over 10 pounds. With these drum showing up I know it is only a prelude of how good the fishing is going to get.

Thanks for stopping by to read the reports.

Capt. Steve Betz

This Black Drum was over 40 pounds!

Canals were the main target area this past week. The fishing was slow with mainly sheepshead and lady fish being caught. The sheepshead make great table fair and the lady’s they make for some fun rod bending action.

The sheeps head were caught around the dock pilings in the canals using small live shrimp on a 1/0 circle hood weighted with a small split shot. The lady’s on the other hand were eager to eat our artificial baits. Just about any soft plastic on a 1/8 oz jig head would do the trick. Letting the bait hit the bottom of the canal and then bouncing it back along the bottom would entice the strike.

The trout bite was totally off and I think this had to do with this latest front coming thru. Sometimes the fish just get lock jaw and there is nothing you can do about it. The fishing so far this year has been very unpredictable. I know I am not the only one that hopes the weather soon breaks and we get some warm temps.

Keep checking back for more reports. Spring is just around the corner, I hope.

I changed it up a bit this past week and ran my trips using mostly artificial baits. For some reason the trout seem to be responding better to artificial lures. The lures I have been using have varied depending on the water clarity. The water clarity was not very good in the Tampa bay areas I  fished this past week so the best results I got were by using a 1/4oz DOA Glow Shrimp. This is a slow moving bait and crawling it slowly along the bottom or drifting it in the current produced the most bites.

DOA GLOW SHRIMP

Winter time fishing is a totally different ball game than spring or fall when the water temp hovers in the mid 70s and the fish seem to want to chew the bottom out of the boat. Patience is the name of the game and working your baits slowly and methodically will produce the best action.

On one of my trips this week I made a move further west and fished in the Clearwater area. I love this area and I just don’t get the time to fish it as much as I would like. Small  islands dot the area and huge expanses of grass flats never seem to end.

This is a great area to set up a drift and toss soft plastic jigs bouncing them slowly along the bottom to entice the trout into biting. The DOA Shad Tail in Rootbeer with chart tail or the Pearl with Chart tail rigged on a 1/8 oz jig head seemed to do the trick.

DOA SHAD TAIL

I picked up some live shrimp for this trip and after the guys had some fun with the trout I moved and set up on a hole around 25′ deep. This turned out to be a good move. Live shrimp on a 1/0 circle hook and a split shot produce several nice sized whiting. Another move and it was sheepshead and small black drum.

The Guys with some of thier catch

This past week was a productive one and I only expect it to get better. I will be back on the water next week and I will be sure to give a report.

When it gets cold beyond comfortable I have found other fishing related options to keep me busy. I spend some time on the phone talking to other fishing guides and recreational fishermen alike. I even head down to the tackle shop to spend some time talking with the fellows. Of course there are other things to do like preparing for the ever dreaded trip to the accountant to have the yearly taxes done. But that is no fun so I usually opt to go through my fishing gear and organize things.

There may be a reel or two that need some TLC so I will take the time to service them. This is a good time to go over some things on the boat. Tampa Bay’s salt water conditions can take its toll on the boat so I will go over checking for loose screws,wiring connections,ect. Its also a good time to check the trailer over. Air pressure for the tires,lubing the axle bearings,checking the winch strap ect. There is nothing worse than breaking down on the way to the boat ramp because of something a little maintenance could of avoided.

With all that being said I like the cold for some reasons. If the weather did not turn sour once in a while I would probably never get anything done other than fishing.

I thought it might be a good idea to include a video in this report. Not to long ago a friend of mine (Neal Cline) and I put together a video on fishing reel maintenance. I hope you enjoy and find it useful.