January and February are the coldest months here, as is pretty much true everywhere.  While the Everglades National Park has, arguably, the best winter fishery in North America, spring is still very much welcomed. The winter produces some excellent fishing, but in comparison to the warmer months, the fish are much smaller. However, March and April are typically the months where we step-up our tackle and come off the lightweight winter gear. The water will still be relatively cool and clear, so sight fishing the shallows is still very good during these months—particularly with a fly. 

Snook The freeze of 2010 will remain in the memories of snook anglers for years to come. Here in the Park, we were told this was the hardest cold snap since 1927. Like the rest of the state, the snook here took a beating with a massive January fish kill. As such, the harvest season will not open again until September 1st.
Most of the bigger fish will still be offshore until the water warms. So, expect more of the big she-snook in April than in March. The largest fish are usually sight fished in the shallows with fly or very light spinning tackle. Stealth, stealth, stealth!

Redfish are still plentiful, being more tolerant to the cold, although not in the numbers that you will find in the fall. Redfish prefer something stinky, as they seem to have more “nose” than “eyes.” With fewer snook around, expect a lot more trout.

Tarpon Simply put, March and April are primetime! Book early! The tarpon youngsters move out of the “corn” so we can finally get to them. The big fish lie up in the shallows but eagerly wake up for well-placed bait. Schools of fish move along the coast and in the backcountry—you’ll find them where you expect them. It’s Poon Time!

Permit move back in massive schools. They are big, dumb and hungry. The best fish for me! Believe it or not, a pink Borski slider fly stripped as fast as you can works well, but not as good as a live crab.

Speckled trout are still here in numbers. A rising tide with jigs and Clouser minnows works. Catch all you can stand.

Cobia The migration is on! The cobia are here and will stay until mid-June. The fish start off big but seem to get smaller as time goes on.

Black drum schools are still in the backcountry. Finding them is the key. Once you find them they’ll likely be in the same place for a while. Fish slow. When you think you are fishing slow enough, slow it up more! However, by summer, kiss them goodbye. Count on lots of small fish on the outside.

Snappers Plenty. Live shrimp under the mangroves.

Gag grouper While not known as a grouper fishery, they are here until the water really begins to warm at the end of April. Moving water, big baits and patience. Find one and you’ll have a spot for two months (if you aren’t too greedy). Rattle-traps work great.

Sheepshead Still on every oyster bar.

Action fish Jacks, ladyfish, Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Catch them until you are tired—once you locate them


Call us to Plan Your Next Adventure!

Capt. Charles Wright
www.ChokoloskeeCharters.com
www.EvergladesKayakFishing.com
239-695-9107

Twenty-ten couldn’t have greeted us sportsman any better.  As fisherman we’ve had some of the most fantastic fishing of our lives.  This isn’t just coming from a young guide of only 11 years here in Sanibel, but also from some of the most notable and legendary fisherman in our area. 

The last 12 months have seen a heavenly supply of bait pour through our area. Everything from shiners to ballyhoo to pinfish and shrimp are making our bays as healthy as we’ve ever seen. All of the baitfish food is producing some extremely healthy fish populations. Throughout all of Pine Island Sound and Estero Bay, giant sea trout have been swimming in thick numbers. Sea trout can be caught on nearly every flat that has diving birds and 3-5 feet of turtle grass. These fish are full of roe, which is evident by there gigantic bellies. Our closed trout seasons have really benefited our trout populations overall and proved to be a real success story.

On recent charters, Capt. Lacey has also been whacking nice oversize snook by fishing deeper water in the Caloosahatchee River on the harder outgoing tides. With water temps creeping above 65 degrees, these fish will continue to bite throughout the harsh winter we are having in southwest Florida. If our wintertime fishery is any indication as to what’s to come this spring, hang on for some seriously killer flats fishing this year!

Venturing offshore, our fishing just can’t get any better… can it? This year has really been sweet for us here at Rushcharters. With the addition of our federal fisheries permits we have been able to take our clients out to some of the more untouched spots past 9 miles. These areas have been just overloaded with giant mangrove snapper up to 8 pounds. These fish have been gorging on the plentiful bait supplies, and getting fat as butterballs.

The most notable fish this month has got to be the gag grouper. The gags are really growing in numbers this year—numbers unseen by even the old-timers around here. Most any ledge in 25 to 45 feet of water has just been covered up with fat gag and red grouper. Dropping a pinfish down with an ounce of lead has been lights out. One thing I like to do while dropping down a pinfish is to stop it occasionally on the way down. Cobia love to hang above the structure and this gives them time to take the bait before it hits the bottom, crawling with hungry groupers.

On the way to and from our numbers, stopping to throw plugs at the many schools of bonita and big king mackerel has been a ball. We use the Yo-Zuri Sashimi Bull SW in the sardine color and it has been awesome seeing these powerful fish bust it on the surface. From big kingfish to giant groupers, book a trip with us and get ready to get whipped!
 

Tight lines and good times,
 
Capt Chris & Capt. Lacey Rush
WWW.RUSHCHARTERS.COM
Visit us on the web for online charter reservations!
239-482-0193 Office
239-980-1436 Lacey
239-229-5388 Chris

Well, spring is upon us and fishing in the west central is as good as it gets. Cold fronts really start to become less frequent and weak. Longer days help heat up the cold waters on the backcountry and flats, and the fish just seem to be sick of winter. This time of year they come out of their cold-weather haunts making up for lost meals during the winter and eating everything in sight!

One species that is great in the wintertime and continues to be a fun target through early summer is trout. Trout are one of the easiest fish to catch, not to mention, great table fair. There are some basic techniques that will put a fish in the boat on every cast. One is a popping cork with a shrimp or soft plastic of your choice. The trick is to simply pop the cork every few seconds. The popping sound is something a trout just has to investigate and you can use this technique with both live and artificial bait. While the water is still very clear, I like to downsize my leader to 20-pounds to reduce its visibility. I also like to go with ultra-light braided line. My preferred line is 4-pound Fins Smooth Cast.

Another species, which is by far the most targeted this time of year, is snook! This is my favorite species to target, especially in the spring. Live bait (Greenbacks) is the trick, as these fish have been in hibernation for a couple of months and they haven’t eaten much. The trick to figuring out when they will make their way out of the rivers, from under the docks and all of their other winter homes is water temperature. Sixty-eight degrees is my favorite number. This will be the ticket to a successful snook trip. Twenty-five-pound Ohero Fluorocarbon leader, matched with a 1/0 Daiichi bleeding circle hook, will give you the edge when targeting these linesiders. IMPORTANT REMINDER: SNOOK SEASON IS SHUT DOWN THIS YEAR UNTIL SEPTEMBER due to the freeze earlier this year. We still have plenty of healthy snook in the west central area and catch and release is fine—just handle all fish with care so their numbers will rebound and there will be plenty for our kids to catch!

Redfish are another species that really take off towards the later part of spring. Mid April we start to see big schools of up to 400 fish milling around the shallow flats in search of crabs, shrimp, and other types of bait. One of my favorite baits for redfish is cut pinfish or greenbacks.  Free lined or with just a split-shot, makes a great rig. Again, like with trout, I like to use 20 or even 15-pound fluorocarbon leader, as these fish are very spooky. When targeting redfish you need to have a good, quiet trolling motor, or even a push pole, as most schools will be spooked from the slightest sound. Master all mentioned above and you will enjoy some great inshore fishing.

There are plenty of other species to target in the area. We have big schools of mackerel and grouper stacked up on the ledges in the Gulf of Mexico. Tarpon are also making their journey up the coast along with many others. The only way to catch them is to get out on the water.


See you out there—tight lines!

Capt. Jason Prieto

Many angling opportunities arise as spring migration patterns are in full swing. I must declare, with so many species available, it’s hard to stay off of the water, even on my few days off. Techniques like topwater, subsurface and live bait will all produce exciting battles of epic stature this month.

Snook are by far my favorite species to target. After a long, colder than normal winter, these fish have been feeding like it’s their last meal. Pick your tides and lean toward fast moving water to find the best snook feeding situation. Live bait is not required this time of year when stalking snook, allowing maximum usage of artificial lures. My go-to artificial bait for a myriad of species is Bomber’s Saltwater Grade Badonk-A-Donk topwater lure. The lure is perfect considering it comes in three sizes from 3.5 to 4.5 inches, enabling anglers to “match the hatch” with their particular situation. The rugged design and quality finish will attract and withstand the most aggressive saltwater predators.

Keep your eyes open for big mature redfish. The local passes are home to plenty of big red drum in search of food and action, mainly in deeper water during the spring months. You will also find redfish in the 16- to 32-inch category schooling throughout our shallow water flats. Artificials like Bomber’s Saltwater Grade Redfish Flasher or Extreme Popping Cork rigged with soft plastics are deadly. As we approach the hot summer months, your odds early and late in the day are best with this species. Pay special attention to mangrove-lined shorelines, especially as the day warms and fish seek shade, food and cooler water.

Tarpon season is right around the corner here in the “Tarpon Capital of the World.” By the time you get the next issue of GAFF, things will be popping with upwards of 100,000 migrating tarpon in our backyard of Boca Grande Pass. Guides from all over the state, as well as angling clients from around the world, descend on our fishery to get the unique opportunity to hook and release the giant Silver King. Myself, I can’t wait for these amazing fish to arrive. Soon I’ll be starting my mornings off jig fishing Boca Grande Pass, having lunch with clients, and then heading out to the beaches for world-class sight fishing opportunities on the Gulf of Mexico. WOW!

I am fortunate to live and fish in one of the best fishing “holes” in the world. I invite you to visit and experience what “Old Florida” is all about. Englewood is every vacationer’s dream, offering wonderful beaches, great atmosphere and a slow pace to relax with family and friends. For anglers, nothing beats a great day on the water with a professional fishing guide that will put you on the fish, clean your catch, and then send you and the family home with memories of a lifetime—along with fresh fish for the grill!

Let’s go fishing… and don’t forget to bring the kids!


Capt. Chris O’Neill