Saturday, December 31. 2011
With 2011 drawing to a close, what a year. Changes in fisheries, rebounds of fisheries just what an interesting year. The sea trout are doing exceptionally well with large catches coming in daily. Live baits are working great but the real deal is artificials. Whether it’s the Mirro Lure Mirro dine, little john, or my favorite Mirro Lure, The Paul Brown Original, or DOA’s CAL, or world renown shrimp. There are several other baits, The Berkley Gulp, Love Lures, you just have to find your personal favorite and run with it. One thing I am really glad to see is there are steady catches of Pompano around the mouth of the bay.
Talk about good eats, man they are hard to beat. Off shore the grouper bite remains on fire both red and gag. Gags are closed for some reason. It’s the same reason that our red fisheries opened and we receive a four fish limit, bad science, but I digress.
The kings are still around with surface water temps in the low 70’s high 60’s. The amberjack and snapper bites remain on fire around several of the near shore and off shore wrecks; there is no finer light tackle action on the planet. Remember those time on the water that made 2011 a remembered year for you and yours and keep those memories close, maybe call your friend and relive that special day, and let’s all work to make 2012 better
Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday. Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am. Also visit our website @ www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’."
Sunday, December 11. 2011
Did someone leave the freezer door open, it got cold this week, and I could swear I saw penguins swimming down around cockroach bay this week. With the weather changing ahead of the cold fronts you would expect the bite to be on fire…me too. Well on Wednesday morning I spoke with my client, Kevin, whose 40th birth day happened to be that day, and told we are going to slay them. Kevin wanted redfish and snook. The week prior we had slayed ‘em in the river, so ahead of the sever cold front should be on fire. Folks I have never been soooo wrong or worked so hard for fish. We’d pick at them one here one there but not on fire. Just ahead, I mean minutes ahead of the front double header redfish, and another, a snook, and then nothing. As fast as it started it was over. I told them my wife would tell me, “Well, that’s fishin’”. I HATE FISHIN’ I LOVE CATCHIN’!!! I can fish in my bath tub. Talk about a humbling experience. The bait is still in the bay and the day before we had a group that caught flounder, trout, and cobia. The day that should have been the day…not so much. Maybe I should take up golf.
Off shore the bite is still on fire, when you can get out. The snapper, red grouper, amberjack and the like are still going off. The trick is to be ready for anything. Carry various dead and live baits to be ready for all situations. Nothing is worse that to get on a certain bite and run out of that “magical” bait. Also carry various rods and reel setups for different species and techniques. But most important watch the weather and make sure all of your safety equipment is up to snuff, because when you need it it’s too late
Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday. Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am. Also visit our website @ www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’."
Sunday, December 11. 2011
Even before our late week cold front brought a chill to the air, the bay area rivers fired off. The Hillsborough, Palm, Alafia, Little Manatee and Manatee rivers all seemed to turn on this past week. Big Trout, Snook, and lower slot Redfish all seemed to strap on the feed bags in the rivers. Maybe they sensed this cold front or maybe they just got to they’re happy place. Live Sardines and Shrimp both produced well. On the artificial side DOA CAL shad tail jigs in pearl with a chartreuse ¼ ounce jig head worked very well, especially around the docks. Look for the oldest most dilapidated deep water docks you can find. The fish seem to congregate around these structures as they create great ambush points. Also work the points and areas of good moving water with depressions that give the fish some refuge from dropping water temps. On afternoon trips work the areas of dark bottom as the sun will heat these areas first. Offshore, the Amber Jack bite is really going crazy in as little as 50 feet of water. Several wrecks just off of Anna Maria Island are covered with 20 to 40 pound AJ’s. These pieces are also holding Snapper, Kingfish and Red Grouper. It can be hard to catch anything but Amber Jack at times as these feisty creatures devour just about every bait that hits the water. Catch Capt. Michael Anderson and Capt. Billy Nobles every Saturday morning on News CH8 at 6:30am and Sundays at 11:00am for the Reel Animals Fishing Show and Saturdays for Reel Animals Saturday on 970WFLA from 6:00am to 9:00am and Sunday mornings on AM620 for the TA Mahoney Co. Reel Animals Radio Show from 7am to 9am or to book a trip call 1-866-Gamefish.
Sunday, November 13. 2011
It looks like a cold weekend but don’t tell the fish. Earlier in the week Mike and I shot a show with Captain Jason Perito. Bait was a little tough but upon securing enough to fish with off we went. We hit some of Jason’s “Hot-Spots” up one of the area rivers. The snook, redfish, and one trout were very cooperative. The majority of the fish were just under the slot size, but we were fishing behind a cold front, and as many of you know that is the kiss of death. We had two snook well over the slot that made special guest appearances breaking both Mike and Jason’s hearts as the both spit the hook boat side. The good news is both fights were on camera with explosive headshakes and runs. On Thursday, I took some friends offshore, Captain Tim Snow, Captain Jason Perito, and Mike Browne. This time the bait was easy after we found it. Jason threw the net and it took both him and Tim to bring it in, blacking out both of the 55 gallon live wells on my boat. The offshore we went. First stop was for Amberjack, and we had jacks top water in the 35-40 pound class. We ran in to 45 feet which is where we wrecked them a week ago before the front and all we caught was world class grunts and short red grouper. Then out to 70 feet and we landed on a gold mine with keeper red grouper, gag grouper, and a school of black fin tuna in the 25-30 pound range. I had to cancel Friday’s trip and Saturday’s because of the front that passed on Thursday night. With rough seas and high winds it should shuffle the deck offshore, but when the seas lay down it promises to be world class fishing at its best. Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday. Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am. Also visit our website @ www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’."
Sunday, October 30. 2011
Unfortunately as you are reading this the weather isn’t the greatest. It’s another one of those fall cold fronts; however, between the fronts, hold on. There seems to be from what Capt. Mike and I have seen a bumper crop of large trout on Tampa bay. The key to getting these guys is low water with a top water plug over the grass flats and potholes. You can also work the edge of the flats on the drop off with jigs, plugs, live bait, what ever they will take it all.  Off shore is completely on fire, from the shore on out. There are reports of nice flounder being caught in the passes and along the beaches. Just off the beaches there are plenty of large Spanish mackerel and king mackerel to be had. The way to get these guys is anchor up on hard bottom. How do I find hard bottom? Simple, look for the stone crab traps. The crabbers set their pots on hard bottom. Be careful not to disturb the traps as that is someone’s lively hood as well as against the law. Set up a chum line with chum blocks and throw out live chummies as well. Use long shank hooks for the smaller fish as this eliminates the need for wire leader; you will have more cutoffs but will hook more fish. For the king mackerel use a standard stinger rig or king rig. You can make your own or buy them prettied. Further off shore from 35’ on out tons of red and gag grouper. They are everywhere along with king mackerel, bonita, sharks, cobia, and loads of amberjack. The key here is while bottom fishing for grouper set out your flat line with a live pilchard in the chum line, it won’t be quiet for long. Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday. Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am. Also visit our website @ www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’."
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