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Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

May 3, 2010 by Captain Tom Leave a Comment

Just a quick note on the Gulf oil spill. The Deepwater Horizon site is located more 550 nautical miles from Boca Grande. The current predictions are that there is no immediate threat to the Gulf Coast this far south. At its current rate, the spill should have little to no impact on Boca Grande Tarpon fishing for 2010. Your emails and phone calls with concerns are appreciated, but please don’t despair. Unless things take a dramatic change for the worse we will be just fine. Right now the Tarpon are filtering in, we are catching some fish, and I am in the midst of looking for just the right giant hammerhead! We are seeing absolutely no sign, smell, sight, or anything. The seasonal southerly breezes are doing a good job of keeping us well out of harms way for now. It would be very unusual to have a shift back to NE winds for this time of year, so hopefully mother nature will spare some of us at least! My thoughts go out to those hard working men and women on the upper gulf coast, and though its comforting to be out of the cross hairs for now I feel deeply sorry for those that are in immediate danger. We are not out of the woods on this yet by any stretch of the imagination.

I will keep you all updated!

Take care, and be safe on the water!

Filed Under: Fishing Reports Tagged With: BP Oil Spill | Gulf of Mexico, Deep Sea Fishing, Inshore and Backcountry Fishing, Lemon Bay Fishing

USO’s in Lemon Bay and ‘herd’ of manatees

December 4, 2009 by Captain Tom Leave a Comment


UNIDENTIFIED SWIMMING OBJECT:

The first fishing day of December (12/1) was about as nice as it can be. 68 degrees at sun up to catch bait, 72 degrees while picking up a group of three great folks on Manasota Key at their dock. The funny part is that they stepped on the boat and instead of the usual “are we gonna catch lots of fish today?” Tom Loffton asked “Do you think we will see a Manatee today?”. I told him we had a pretty good chance as it is a common occurance, and if we didnt see one I would swing by my Marina on the way back and there would be at least one or two around there. Well we stopped at our first location about ten minutes from the dock and managed two nice slot reds, several over slot, a nice Snook and Tom did battle with a 40lb stingray just for the heck of it! They dont have any of those in Wyoming so it was a cool experience none-the-less.

We pulled out from that location and idled our way across some broken flats separated by deeper channels. As we came off one of the flats I could see a LOOOONNNNNG mud trail (think half a mile or more) in one of the deep sections and I immediately shut the motors and said “we are coming up on a few manatees”. I pointed out the three on the bottom just to our right, and as they came up to take a breath I noticed a few more just a few yards ahead….and a few more after that…..and a few more after that. As we drifted we saw more, and more, and more! I counted 20 pretty easily but I am sure there are more. Because of the recent winds, the water was a little bit silty so the murmaids (dont ask how they used to make that mistake!) would belnd it pretty good making it hard to get a good count. As we drifted I stopped the boat a few times with the powerpole to see if a couple of these gals would pose for a photo op. I left the PowerPole in the water just a bit as we drifted, it tends to get an interesting little wiggle when you do that. Well apparently at least one of the Manatees thought this made a great toy and followed us for most of the drift bumping, following, and staring at it!

We did end up catching several more nice redfish in a few different locations and had a great day taking is some spectacular scenery and bird life. Fishing Wednesday was a little tough mainly because of the wind, but the bite was good. The reds were stacked thick in some of the deeper holes on the low end of the tide, and tailers were EVERYWHERE as soon as the tide started to bump up a bit. Several trout over 5lbs were caught and released this week in the same areas, along with some now out of season Snook (mostly slot size fish of course!) that were released with care. Thursday (today) saw improving weather compared to yesterday, and the Redfish bite will remain strong throughout the winter. I am willing to bet the Pompano bite will be strong in the coming weeks, and with a day off planned this weekend on Sunday you can bet you will see me out for some rare alone fishing time working on a nice cooler full of the “fish of kings” near the pass!

Be safe on the water, and remember to respect other anglers!
Capt. Tom
PS
Yes that strange black creature is my dog! Sweetpea





Filed Under: Fishing Reports Tagged With: Inshore and Backcountry Fishing, Lemon Bay Fishing, Redfish Fishing, Snook Fishing, Speckled Seatrout Fishing

July Fishing Outlook for Southwest Florida

July 12, 2009 by Another Keeper Leave a Comment

June has come and gone, with well over 150 Tarpon landed in the 60 days ending on July 1. Not bad for a season that had some definite ups and downs. July brings a more quiet and slow approach to Tarpon fishing. Don’t be fooled by the hype put out by out-of-town guides. The out-of-towners are gone in July, but the fish remain well into August. The fishing is definitely a bit slower, more relaxed, and a little more weather dependent but you can expect good numbers and some very large fish to still be caught. Tarpon fishing in July focuses primarily on the beach in the early morning and evening so it combines great with other types of fishing around the middle of the day. A combo trip with Shark, Goliath Grouper, or even a near shore trip can make for an action packed long summer day. Already this month (I am writing this a bit late due to a packed fishing schedule) we have had 6 hour morning trips with 4 or more fish to the boat with even single anglers on board. That is a few minutes of fishing and several hours of CATCHING! As the month winds down, so will your chances of a getting a big Tarpon in this region of Florida until next spring.

Snook and Redfish have been lighting up great on moving tides in the morning and evening. Even mid-day Reds under the mangroves can keep things pretty exciting. You wont find the huge schools of Reds typical of Spring, Fall, and Winter but you will find an ample supply of hefty fish to about 15lbs. July can be one of the most exciting Snook fishing times of the year. The Snook are stacking up in huge numbers in the passes, on the beach, and in strategic staging or feeding locations around gateways to the back country. If you time your approach and don’t push the fish around too much with the boat before they turn on you are in for a big surprise when the tides hits the correct stage. I like to refer to these times as “fireworks” because the schools of big snook are popping so vigorously and loudly on the surface that it looks like someone throwing fireworks in the water. Its not unusual on an evening outgoing tide to have a school of fish feeding near the boat with 10-20 Snook attacking baits at the surface at the exact same time. Already this summer we have logged numerous Snook over 20lbs and as many as 60-70 fish over 25″ in a single afternoon. If you have enough time and the weather permits, you can target fish at each of the passes and around the beaches following the tide stage from Venice Inlet to Redfish and Captiva Pass. This is where having a top quality boat and an ample supply of varied baits, as well as the local knowledge of a top quality, busy guide will pay out in spades.

BEST BETS FOR JUNE

BACKCOUNTRY FISHING & SIGHT FISHING >

GOLIATH GROUPER FISHING >

NEAR-SHORE FISHING >

TARPON FISHING>

SHARK FISHING >

Near-shore action in July should follow a similar pattern to that of June. Good numbers of BIG Mangrove Snapper have been a reliable treat for both light a light tackle show down as well as offering some of the finest table fare offered in Florida. These mild, flaky fish will give just about any species a fish a run for their money when it goes to food quality. Days with average sizes for full limits of Snapper over 5-8lbs (with the big fish up to 15lbs) were common during June and should stay that way throughout July. Don’t be fooled by the size and weight of these fish, a 15lb Snapper will give you a serious run for your money on light tackle. These fish are some of the most cunning to be found anywhere, so be prepared for a sporty and frustrating times out on the reef. King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, Grouper, Cobia, Amberjack, big Jack Crevalle, Barracuda, and Sharks are all also welcome guests on near shore trips. Often times we will fish several different lines covering the water column to allow for the opportunity to catch multiple species all at once. Having more fish on that we have anglers to hold the rods is a welcome and common problem during July on near shore waters of the Gulf.

The warm summer waters of Summer indicate a congregation period for Goliath Grouper in and around Southwest Florida. What this means is that many of the giants that would be found spread out around areas of heavy structure will begin to congregate in just a few areas. This translates to a wide open bite on BIG fish if you hit the right spots on the right tide. Every year the largest concentrations of giant Goliaths found anywhere stack up within easy reach on just about any weather. If you are looking to challenge yourself against one of the toughest adversaries to be found, then the Goliath Grouper trip is for you. Few dedicated Goliath trips will see less than several big fish landed, and some half day trips see numbers as high as 20 fish. Growing to over 600lbs, the Goliath is the supreme king of near-shore structure and will be sure to provide you with a brawl you wont soon forget. We have been working on perfecting some new tackle and rigging techniques that we have developed from our Big Game experience that are proving to be the key to high levels of success on these Giants while also allowing us to run less drag pressure, making these Giants accessible to larger audience. Don’t be intimidated by what you see on Youtube and TV, you can handle these fish! Give it a shot and you are in for an action packed, knock-down, drag-out fight you wont forget. To quote many clients in the past: “Its the longest 5 minutes of your life!”

July continues to bring one last thing that I am always very excited for. More than I look forward to Tarpon, Kings, Cobia, or any of the other species in the summer I look forward to the drag screaming while a client is hooked up to a big…..scary……SHAAARRRKKKKKKKK! On a recent trip we landed a 300lb+ Bull Shark on 40lb spinning gear while jigging for Amberjack. The sharks are here, they are hungry, and they can’t seem to leave us alone when we can get out on the Gulf side. Nothing can compare to the battle you will have with one of the most magnificent creatures to grace the worlds oceans. Look for lots of action on varied species and sizes from 75-150lb Black tip and Spinner sharks to giant Hammerhead, Bulls, and Tigers. From just off the beach to distant offshore grounds we offer the most experienced and thorough shark charters to be found in the anywhere. Few captains specialize in this field, but I can say I not only specialize in it but that it is absolutely my favorite trip to run with clients of all ages, ability levels, and walks of life. Please remember that all Shark Charters with Another Keeper are 100% catch and release only. No shark will be killed on these trips for any reason unless it is deemed to be a new IGFA world record (the sole discretion of the captain). If you think you have experienced shark fishing before, think again. LIght Tackle, great action, and techniques such as live-baiting, Key West style chumming, and even Kite Fishing can make these trips more fun than one can imagine!

There is certainly no better way to spend time with family, friends, or just to relax away from it all than fishing the pristine waters of Englewood, Venice, Captiva, Boca Grande, Charlotte Harbor, and the Gulf of Mexico. If you are looking for fantastic inshore or offshore action, day or night, then you have come to the right place. Book your trip with Another Keeper Charters and you can rest assured that you will not only enjoy great fishing with Southwest Florida’s premier fishing guide and charter service, but you will also enjoy the company of arguably the friendliest Captain in the business!

Filed Under: Fishing Reports Tagged With: Deep Sea Fishing, Inshore and Backcountry Fishing, Lemon Bay Fishing, Nearshore Fishing, Redfish Fishing, Shark Fishing, Snook Fishing, Tarpon Fishing

Family Fishing Days!

April 17, 2009 by Another Keeper Leave a Comment

Some nice inshore Snook and Redfish action this week!

Filed Under: Fishing Reports Tagged With: Inshore and Backcountry Fishing, Lemon Bay Fishing

Redfishing with the Keidels

April 16, 2009 by Another Keeper Leave a Comment

On Monday, Dale and Vivian had great action from the start. They finished their morning half-day trip with 30 overslot Redfish and two slots for dinner. Thanks guys! Look forward to seeing you later this month when we go after some nice slot-size Snook before the close of the season! 

Dear Captain Tom;

Over the past thirty five years I’ve fished with Florida Guides from the Keys to Everglades City and numerous other locations up and down both the East and West Coasts. You rank with the very best. My wife and I caught thirty two Redfish in our four hour trip yesterday, only two of which were small enough to keep. By then we were both saying, “Uncle!”.
You are an excellent Guide and companion. You answer questions happily and have an abundance of knowledge. We have been looking for a Captain in your class for the six and a half years we’ve lived here and now that we’ve found you we don’t plan to let you go. You are an A+ Guide and Gentleman. 

Dale & Vivian Keidel 


 

 

Filed Under: Fishing Reports Tagged With: Inshore and Backcountry Fishing, Lemon Bay Fishing, Redfish Fishing

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