Capt. Terry updates the Sarasota Florida saltwater fishing reports approximately every two weeks
Past fishing reports for 2009 have been left to help folks plan for their Florida fishing charter vacation. You can see what may be biting at the time of your visit as well as fishing reports for 2010 Fishing Report 02/22/2010 – Capt. Terry Frankford Angler's aboard the Reelin & Chillin have caught mostly sheepshead with a couple days producing some nice redfish. It's not that the fish may not have been around or biting - it's being able to get around the windy weather. It really limits you when the winds are blowing upwards of 15 knots - we were able to keep dry, however it would limit us a little. Still fish were caught and angler's had fun. Fish Tails aboard the Reelin & Chillin Ray Ribaric, Charlie Martin and I headed out for a late morning trip playing the solunar feed times. Showing a major feed starting at 11:46 am we started around 9:30 am for our half day trip. We did hit a few locations that were a little slow then things picked up with some sheepshead around structure. Ten minutes here five minutes there and then we found two docks holding plenty of sheepies. After catching fourteen nice ones to four pounds we decided to look for some reds. We found some hungry big boys under a dock in north Sarasota Bay. First two were over the 27" slot and released. Several under the slot were also caught and released. We ended up with two in the slot out of I believe seven caught. Captain's Tip - Going for Sheepshead Go small on the bait when fishing for Sheepshead, they need to munch once or twice and then swallow. If the bait is to large they will only have part in their mouth, when you set the hook it just pulls the bait off the hook, you come up empty. Here are a couple options that work for me: If I'm specifically targeting sheepshead I will use an Arkie jig head - 1/8th ounce unpainted. I use twenty pound test mono leader tied to my ten pound test line from the reel. Take a regular to small size shrimp - pinch the tail off - thread the shrimp on starting at the tail - you want the jig head at the tail, and the hook coming out under the shrimps belly. They hook barb end should be hidden in the legs. The Arkie jib has a gold hook that matches the shrimps leg color. Many times I'm still targeting reds this time of year, my standard rig is ten pound test from the reel, twenty pound test mono leader about twenty-four inches in length, a #4 split shot eighteen inches from the hook on the leader, and a #4 MUTU Owner Circle hook. When I run into sheepies I don't want to take the time to re-rig, what I do is buy select shrimp for reds, and regular to small shrimp for the sheepshead. When I run into sheepshead I just use the smaller shrimp, run the hook through the head starting underneath and coming up through the top of the head. The hook point should be pointing the same direction as the barb on the shrimps head. This method works great fooling the sheepshead,the hook is buried in the head of the shrimp, just make sure the shrimp is small. You will be amazed at the size of fish you can catch on such a small bait. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 02/04/2010 – Capt. Terry Frankford Angler's aboard the Reelin & Chillin really worked for their catch with the cold January and February weather conditions. Normal for this time of year it's check out a spot and if nothing happens move on. Still redfish, black drum, and sea trout tightened lines for some good light tackle action. Fish Tails aboard the Reelin & Chillin On a couple trips this week Ray Ribaric and I braved the cool windy weather finding action mostly around structure. We fished docks and pilings in and around Sarasota Bay as well as Longboat Key. Moving from dock to dock we eventually got on some fish. Sheepshead, black drum, flounder and trout made it to the live well. One big red was caught and released after a photo that measured at 27.5 inches. Using light tackle and live shrimp for bait made for some great light tackle action. Captain Talk This time of year it's a good idea to keep moving to find the fish. That is, keep the boat moving from hole to hole, don't wast time staying in one spot to long. However, don't keep the bait moving to fast, this cold water slows the fish down a little so their not as aggressive. I believe it's a transition for the fish from the warmer weather to the cooler weather, almost like they have to get used to it. I expect the sheepshead and redfish to start picking up especially if we don't have freezing weather. We still have many beautiful sunny days here in Sarasota during the January and February months, so just keep an eye on the weather and get out there to enjoy a great day on the bay. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 01/20/2010 – Capt. Terry Frankford It was a really cold couple of weeks here in the Sarasota Florida area. With the water temperature dropping to 46 degrees at times the fish took a hard hit. For some it was to cold - snook, spadefish, small mullet, catfish and ladyfish were hit the hardest in this area. There was a fish kill for these and I'm sure other species, however it wasn't catastrophic. I have heard reports from other Captain's in areas on both coasts of Florida having larger fish kills, but I didn't see that here. Yesterday as the tide was changing I did see dead fish in the tide line, however it wasn't major. It was sad seeing some large snook along with the other species, however with the temperatures being in the 70's for the rest of the week hopefully they will bounce back. Fish Tails aboard the Reelin & Chillin The second day after the water started to warm up Andy Hale and son Hayden enjoyed some great action with black drum being the fish of the day. We found them around structure near the southern area of Longboat Key. Andy landed two, with young Hayden taking the award for catching nine. They Kept a couple for dinner and released the rest for others to enjoy. We moved to another location and had some fun ladyfish action before calling it a day. Darren and Jayne Jones had a fair day also catching black drum and sheepshead. Again the location was south Longboat Key around some docks. We didn't catch as many as Andy and Hayden, however Darren did land one that was around four pounds making for great light tackle action. He was only using ten pound test line when he pulled this fish away from the structure before fighting it in open water. Captain Talk Leftover shrimp - seems like a waste to toss them over the side after paying up to $4.00 a dozen. And we all know what it's like trying to use a shrimp after it's been frozen, they end up soft and won't stay on the hook. Here is something to try if your going fishing within a day or two after you have these leftovers. Salt them down, I mean really pour on the salt - make it look like their almost buried in snow. Set them in the frig to keep them cool. The salt will harden them up helping them to stay on the hook better. This is a good tactic for winter fishing because fish are not as active when the water is cool - they don't have to work for their dinner chasing a free lined shrimp around. Also, after hooking a shrimp it usually dies pretty quick - don't throw these guys over they harden up just fine in the salt. Just so you know I did test this. On Andy and Haydens trip mentioned above Hayden caught 50% of his black drum on shrimp I had from a trip two days before that I salted and put in the frig. It does work so try it if you like, you may save a few bucks and still put dinner on the table. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 01/01/2010 – Capt. Terry Frankford
The name of my charter service Reelin & Chillin was to mean fishing like crazy, or just relaxing like "chillin out". However, the Chillin for the last week was more like cold, cold, and more cold. I guess it just depends on where you come from because while I had layered clothing on folks coming from 17 degree weather didn't mind our weather at all. The fish were in an up and down mood along with the fronts, however angler's still managed to catch many species including snook, redfish, trout, sheepshead, pompano, and bluefish to name a few. Fish Tails aboard the Reelin & Chillin Well the kids were here for Christmas break, and what a blast we all had. Matt DeLuca and family had a blast catching several species - Kate who I believe is 7 years old caught sheepshead, redfish, and trout. I think Grandma Terry & Grandpa Wayne, along with Dad had more fun watching Kate than catching fish themselves. After a couple hours we dropped off Grandma & Grandpa so they could warm up a little and changed out with Mom (Chris) & Joey. Joey who my guess would be 4 years old showed off for Mom and caught a nice little redfish with four spots on one side. John-Michael Albrecht brought four of his kids on a trip looking for dinner and dinner they found. All the kids caught fish including black drum, sheepshead, and pompano for dinner. As luck would have it we did get just enough for this crew to have a nice fish fry. Well it wasn't all younger folks - Val & Adam Bilesky headed out for some light tackle action and they found it with big reds. Adam broke the ice with a nice little snook before we moved to a spot where some over sized reds were stacked up. We caught several to large to keep - a blast on 10lb test line. Also, a couple were in the slot for a nice blackened redfish dinner. Captain Talk I had some tough days on the water - cold fronts, wind and extreme low winter tides all affected the bite. I new the fish wouldn't be super active with the 58 degree water temperature, but I new they would have to eat sooner or later. I just kept moving, spending no more than 10 minutes at one location - no bite - I was outta there. It sometimes took awhile but we always seemed to find fish somewhere. Pompano were found on the grass flats, in passes and a few around docks. Small hook, small shrimp and a split shot jigged slowly triggered some nice bites. Same outcome with small buck tail jigs tipped with shrimp. The redfish, black drum and sheepshead were found around areas with structure. Docks and oyster beds were prime locations to snag a few hungry fish. With the exception of the redfish small shrimp work better - I do like to have some nice select shrimp on hand for the big reds. It's time to start the new year right - get out there and get fishin... Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Fishing Report 12/03/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford Angler's aboard the Reelin & Chillin experienced some diverse weather conditions the last couple of weeks. A few trips had to be canceled due to severe weather with a couple others enduring tough conditions. Angler's still managed to enjoy a tight line with several species including Redfish, King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, Mangrove Snapper, and Grouper to name a few. A Fish Tail aboard the Reelin & Chillin On a morning trip with Peter Paris of the Lakewood Ranch Angler's Club we headed straight to the beaches in hopes of finding some Spanish Mackerel, and Little Tunny. We did find a few diving birds, however no fish. We then moved inside checking several spots until we found fish. When we did it was plenty of action - chumming white bait we enjoyed crazy action with ladyfish, and jacks. A couple of trout went for the bait along with a couple undersized grouper. Then Peter decided to get serious hooking something big - at first I thought it may be a red - then it took off like a snook, but didn't break the surface - ended up being a twenty-three inch grouper - what a great battle on light tackle. Then another surprise - a door mat sized twenty-four inch flounder. Peter ended the day with a twenty-seven inch redfish - another great fight on light tackle. Heading offshore with Capt. Scott Green we did a little "research and development" - that's right angler's - that's what us Captain's do on our days off. We tested a couple artificial reefs off Sarasota up to six miles out. Using live shrimp, and white bait we brought to the boat king mackerel, spanish mackerel, little tunny, and mangrove snapper. We did loose what we believe were a couple nice grouper. We also kept a line out with a blue runner for bait, however after the third goliath grouper broke us off we decided to give that idea up. Lot's of fun, and a few fish for the smoker. Captain's Tip - Winter forecast Redfish should be on or near the flats and schooling. These guys may stay in the same area for a couple weeks, and may be over the twenty-seven inch limit. Trout will also be on the flats until the water cools, then you may find them in deeper water with dark bottom - creeks and locations where water doesn't flow as much may be a good area to target. Keep in mind that in our area trout are not in season November, and December. Mangrove Snapper should be near structure - small live shrimp would be a sure bet. Sheepshead may not be plentiful, however they should be moving in as the water cools. Last December I had one of my best days offshore with my client's catching so many king mackerel that we lost count. We were trolling Rapala CD-11 MAG lures on an offshore reef - after a couple hours and complaints of sore wrists we tried bottom fishing with live shrimp - problem was the shrimp never made it to the bottom before a king would nail it. We ended up heading inshore for some redfish action. Hope this helps you enjoy a great day on the water, Capt. Terry Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 11/09/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford Windy conditions made for some tough fishing, however with so many barrier islands in the Sarasota area I was able to find cover, and fish. Around northern areas of Siesta Key - south to middle Longboat Key were best during the North West blows. The shores of Sarasota's mainland from south Sarasota to south Bradenton we found calmer waters during the east blows, as well as near shore along the beaches. Snook, redfish, trout, flounder, shark, and spanish mackerel topped the list. A Fish Tail aboard the Reelin & Chillin With a low tide, and an easterly wind anglers of the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club and I headed out Sarasota's Big Pass south to Point of Rocks looking for Spanish Mackerel. Peter Paris, Joe Dovener, and Dick Barrett didn't waste any time getting into the mackerel. Non-stop action for two hours ended with the bite slowing down a little, and the last of twelve wire leaders biting the dust between sharks and mackerel. These anglers caught over thirty-five mackerel, Joe even picked up a nice King Mackerel. A few blacknosed sharks made it to the boat for release as well as several that just couldn't be stopped on light tackle. Joe had some additional luck after moving inshore landing a nice sixteen inch flounder. Another windy day Alan, Debbie, and Brooke Riggs headed out for an afternoon trip. We hit several locations around Siesta Key finding some small redfish, and snapper. A couple nice trout were landed, however the trout are now out of season, and we did want a little dinner. With the winds gusting at 25mph, and the low tide, things didn't look to good for dinner. I decided to head for a deeper hole adjacent to a large flats area to see if maybe some reds were hanging around. Geez, I'm sorry, I just can't remember exactly were. Anyhow, first Brooke nailed a twenty-six inch red - then another - then another. Alan then landed a few with these two anglers ending up with around a dozen nice reds. They ranged from a couple undersized reds to a couple over sized reds with the rest in the slot. The law says one per person, that's all we kept of course - the rest were safely released. Captain's Tip - Spanish Mackerel Gear & Rigs I'm going to give you a run down of how I set up for a mackerel trip. I set up this way for the Spanish mackerel, and any by-catch that might be around like king mackerel, and sharks. You may have different brands, that's fine, I'm just letting you know what I use and why, you can of course adjust any way you wish. Rod - Okuma Guide Select, 7'x 6" medium/heavy rod. Provides great light tackle action with enough strength for larger fish if necessary. Reel - Okuma Inspira IA 45. Provides a larger spool to hold 150yds of 15lb test line, and still light enough to cast for long lengths of time. Mono Leader - from the 15lb test line on the reel I tie using the surgeons knot a 4' piece of Berkly Big Game 40lb test mono. Wire Leader - I make my own wire leader, here's how: The bait of choice is the scaled sardine - I have been able to net plenty along the beaches close to shore - just look for birds feeding. Live shrimp works also as a second choice. Now I'm ready for almost anything - plenty of line on the reel for long runs from a surprise king mackerel, little tunny, or small shark. Forty pound test mono to prevent chaffing from the tail and body of these larger fish. A wire leader, and long shanked hook to get past the sharp teeth on these critters. Notice I said "ready for almost anything" this is because often something very large picks up your bait, maybe a blacktip shark or a 40lb smoker king mackerel. This is where you have an anchor with a fender buoy on the end that you can untie quickly and throw over and start chasing the fish all over the Gulf of Mexico. Trust me - it happens - it's a blast - plan for it. Hope this helps you enjoy a great day on the water, Capt. Terry Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 10/27/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford A Fish Tail aboard the Reelin & Chillin It was a windy morning when Michael Green, Alie Thompson, Alex Green, and Katrina Lathrop of Anna Maria Island jumped on the boat. I really thought we may not go, however this was a tough crew that hung in there for a great four hours of fishing. We hit several locations catching an unbelievable number of different species - crazy thing is, it was only one of each with the exception of thirteen mangrove snapper. Here is what we caught one each of that were in the slot: Permit, Trout, Redfish, Black Drum, Sheepshead, and Flounder. What a crazy fish fry this crew is going to have. Michael's permit was a rare surprise to catch inshore, and Alex's redfish was a great battle on 10lb test line at twenty-seven inches. Captain's Tip - Fishing the Solunar times It's pretty simple really, just take a look at when the minor or major feeding period is and start fishing one hour before, and fish until one hour after. My understanding is that minor means the fish feed for one hour and major they feed for two hours. Minor is when the sun and moon line up on the horizon, and major the sun and moon are above and below. Anyhow, why get all scientific about it, keep it simple. I order twelve months worth of tables each year. This way I can plan trips for clients who have the flexibility time wise. You can also find them by the month on some websites for free, or at local tackle shops like Hart's Landing here in Sarasota that gives them away. Or, you can do what I do ordering a twelve month supply. If you can fish them - they do work - most of the time, nothing is for certain. They can be affected by cold fronts, high winds, freshwater intrusion caused by rain, or even a dolphin swimming through your favorite fishing hole an hour before you arrive. The thing is most anglers go to lots of expense getting ready for a trip with the right rod, line, leader, hooks, and bait, why not go at the best possible time. I know what many anglers say - hey I just go when I can, and I understand that, however you want to be "at the right place - at the right time" so why not be on your favorite fishing hole at the right time. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 09/30/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford Snook, redfish, seatrout, mangrove snapper - a few species caught aboard the Reelin & Chillin this past month. Bait used was mostly green backs caught in the surf just off North Lido Beach. Chumming the green backs brought great results on several trips with snook and redfish topping the list. A Fish Tail aboard the Reelin & Chillin With out a doubt I did have a few really great trips, however on a six hour trip with Peter Paris, and Joe Dovener the three of us had a bang up time. Things started a little slow until I cast a green back to a sandy white spot near Long Bar. The bait was out for only a couple of seconds before a nice twenty-nine inch snook picked it up. A fantastic fight considering I had only eight pound test line. Then things slowed a little until we went to a location south of the Siesta Key Bridge. We started chumming green backs and bam another snook just at twenty-nine inches hit my bait again. It's very rare for this Captain to catch two slot snook on the same day. I can catch plenty of snook, however the five inch slot limit really makes it hard to put one on the table. Well it seemed as the fishing was over for me, however Peter and Joe tore into the jack crevalle and redfish. All the reds were in the slot, and I believe these two anglers caught around six or eight. For some reason I couldn't get on a red, but hey - it's just as much fun for me seeing these two anglers having a blast as it is to catch them myself (almost). I did a few trips to the near-shore reefs for mangrove snapper. We had no problem catching our limit of five per person. The first couple trips I used green backs for bait and the snapper loved them. Strange thing is on the last trip a few days ago they wouldn't touch a green back. Lucky for me I had several dozen live shrimp that produced our limit of snapper. These offshore mangrove snapper are a blast to catch on light tackle. They range anywhere from two to four pounds on the average, and are tasty on the table. Chumming Live Bait - Wake em Up First let me explain the bait: Scaled sardine: Silver body with darker back gray, blue, or green. Body is thicker/heaver than the thread thin, making for better casting distance. The eye is twice the size as the thread thins. Scales do not easily fall off, and with a good running live well they will last all day. Easy to keep on the hook, and stays alive for quite awhile. Thread Thin: At first glance it looks like the scaled sardine, however when compared it's easy to tell the difference. They have the silver body, however it's much thinner. It's belly is deeply curved compared to the scaled sardine. Part of the dorsal fin has what looks like a long piece of thread towards the rear, hence the name. The scales shed easily, and despite a good running live well they don't last long especially in the warmer months. Easy to throw off the hook, and dies fairly quick. Crazy thing about these two types of bait fish is they have several names like whitebait, greenies, greenbacks - I'm not sure why, I think it's just the neighborhood you come from. After netting a few times and comparing the two you will soon know the difference, and just give them any name you come up with. Chumming: The reason for chumming: Fish are lazy - one bait cast close to a lazy fish may not do much, however if there are a dozen or so baits flopping around the surface the fish are likely to get excited and start feeding. Chumming live baits can be against a mangrove shoreline, into a hole, or even on your favorite grass flat. What to use: My preferred chumming tool is a hollow whiffle ball bat that has the top cut off at an angle. A wood or rubber stopper stuffed inside towards the handle will keep bait from getting stuck down inside the handle. I grab five or ten green backs - give them a little squeeze - put them in the bat and throw them into the fishing hole. If it happens the way you want, it won't be long before you see fish snapping the surface munching down on these baits. As a norm you have to keep chumming every few minutes or so to keep the action going. It seems that you throw a few out, you get a fish - throw a few more out you get another fish. Just keep the chumming going and you'll keep the fish active. Give it a try - you'll be glad you did. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 08/20/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford Anglers aboard the Reelin & Chillin have caught several species including mangrove snapper, redfish, trout, and black drum to name a few. We had to travel from spot to spot before finding fish, however we hung in there and enjoyed a tight line, and dinner on the plate. A Fish Tail aboard the Reelin & Chillin Light Tackle - More Hookups Using light tackle makes for great action when catching inshore species. Hooking a fish in open water you still have to take your time - let it run - tiring it out - then bring it in for the catch or release. When fishing structure like docks it even gets wilder - you need to horse the fish out from the piles before you can wear him out. The exciting part is just when you think you have him close to the boat he ends up running back to the piles. The thing about light tackle is your bait has more action, and doesn't wear out as fast - using 10lb test on the reel, 20lb test mono leader, and a #4 Owner MUTU circle hook, (a very small thin wire hook) keeps the bait moving. Think about it this way: Take 100' of close line, tie it around your waist and take a swim - most likely you could swim a good distance with no problem. Now replace the close line with 100' of large rope you would use to dock a cruise ship and try swimming - most likely you would go about two feet, and fall to the bottom worn out. Same thing with a live shrimp or live shiner. You may loose a few fish, however you will get way more strikes. The difference would be like: Heavy tackle, 5 strikes 4 fish - light tackle, 10 strikes 7 fish, take you pick... Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford WOW!!! What a week for redfish. Anglers aboard the Reelin & Chillin tore up the reds this week. Around mangroves, in holes, and around structure we found plenty of slot sized fish, and several over the 27" slot limit. Tight lines and great table fair - what a blast. Also in the live well were mangrove snapper, sheepshead, and pompano. A Fish Tail aboard the Reelin & Chillin I had one of the best redfish days ever with Roger Crask, and family. Paul & John his two sons, and grandson Lou caught 27 slot sized redfish in one spot along a mangrove shoreline. Things slowed down a little so we moved to some grass flats and picked up three trout around 18 inches. The winds kicked up the water a little so we moved to another mangrove shoreline hoping to get on more redfish action. Only one more red was landed by grandson Lou, however what a way to end the trip. Using only 10lb test line Lou fought and landed a 37" redfish weighing in at 15lbs. After a quick photo, the fish was safely released - great job Lou. Tiny Shrimp - No White Bait - What to Do? On the morning of Roger and his family's trip I arrived at the bait stand only to find pee-wee shrimp for bait. I had already searched for white bait in several locations finding none. Calling a couple other captains on the water I found that they to couldn't find bait. So off I went with six dozen pee-wee shrimp and four anglers hoping for the best. I did have a plan - I knew I could catch trout under a cork using #4 or #6 hooks, however reds - no way. I knew that we would be catching pinfish on the shrimp and that a hungry red couldn't resist a nice fresh chunk of Pin. Arriving at the mangroves where the reds were all four anglers cast a small shrimp at the mangroves - soon enough we had a pinfish in the boat. I chunked it up into one or two inch pieces and BAM the reds started feeding. Out of the twenty seven fish caught in this spot only one hit the small shrimp. Easy lesson learned. Don't give up if you can't buy or catch the bait you want, improvise - pinfish, grunts, and ladyfish are excellent baits for reds - just ask Roger and his crew. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 07/02/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford Redfish, trout, mangrove snapper, and a few pompano have tightened lines aboard the Reelin & Chillin. It has been hot, however with the sea breeze it's been bearable on morning trips. Afternoon trips aren't to bad, however the rains can run you off the water. There have been a few exceptions with the rain, with it being warm I had a trip where the folks welcomed the rain as it cooled them off. This is fine unless there is lightning along with the rain - then it's off the water in a hurry. I have had several great trips this past week including a trip with Alan Riggs from Tennessee. We headed out early one morning with redfish being the target. First cast Alan picked up a slot sized red using a large live shrimp for bait. Soon after he was battling a second redfish from the same mangrove shoreline. Things slowed, so after a few minutes of being robbed by pinfish we moved to the next mangrove, and picked up another red. We must have hit this area just at the end of the feed because we couldn't by a bite after the third redfish. We headed to a deep water grass flat in north Sarasota Bay finding plenty of trout. Alan was using a Billy Bay Halo Shrimp - Penny Root beer, under a Billy Bay popping cork. I was using the same shrimp only the Glow color, and free lining. We both couldn't stop catching trout for an hour. With our limit of four per person we headed to some structure looking for a big red to end the day. With two in the box already I told Alan it would be nice if he could catch one to big to keep - over 27 inches. As his luck was holding out he battled a 29 inch redfish using only 10lb test line. After a quick photo and release we headed back to the dock having a great day on the bay. A couple more trips produced similar results: Tom Longwell with his three sons, and grandson picked up three redfish, two nice trout around 18 inches, and a pompano. Steve Dabek and son Josh had a great day of action with Josh catching twenty fish altogether if I remember correctly. The start of the day was fantastic with Josh catching five redfish. He was just on them, Steve would cast perfectly and couldn't keep the pinfish away, however no matter where Josh cast he seemed to get the reds. He did a great job for a young man using only 8lb test line and catching fish between six and eight pounds. The day ended with three reds in the box, making for a great dinner for the family. Fishing Mangroves for Redfish Just a few simple tactics used can produce some great redfish results. First - approach as quite as possible. We were fishing for reds this week in an area where there is boat traffic, so engine noise doesn't bother them. However, if you stop, throw an anchor out, and drop things on the bottom of the boat your going to spook the fish for sure. So keep the noise to a minimum. Second, casting very close to the mangrove is very important. If you don't get within a few inches you can bet your going to get robbed by small snapper or pinfish. Keep the slack out of your line without pulling the bait away from the mangroves. Be ready to reel, these reds can pick up a shrimp and move back under the mangroves before you know it. If this happens most likely your line will be cut off on barnacles attached to the mangrove roots hanging in the water. Once you hook the red and horse him out from the mangroves you can then play him out. I go light on terminal tackle even though a little horsing is necessary. I have 10lb test on the reel, 20lb test mono for leader, a #4 split shot sinker 18 inches up from the #4 Owner Circle MUTU hook. This light set-up keeps your bait lively, and makes for great light tackle action. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 06/16/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford Summer time fishing is here with trout being the most active species aboard the Reelin & Chillin. Redfish, gray snapper, and believe it or not a few sheepshead have been found in the Sarasota area also. One client picked up a red weighing in at 16lbs, measured at 36 inches, great catch on only 10lb test line. The largest trout measured in at 26 inches, a tie breaker aboard the Reelin & Chillin. How's It Done Just before picking up the client's I head out to the beaches of North Lido, or South Longboat Key to catch bait. Netting close the the beach I try to pick up a few hundred green backs. Then I head to Hart's Landing and buy a few dozen hand-picked shrimp - these are for the redfish. I have several grassy areas I like to fish for trout in - all ranging from three feet to seven feet deep. Drift fishing is great, if you only have a couple angler's. However, I normally have around four angler's so I use the PowerPole to keep lines from getting tangled. I fish a spot for a few minutes, or until the fish stop biting - then lift the PowerPole - drift about as far as you can cast, and stick it again. This method is great for finding where the fish are. It's surprising how just a couple hundred feet on the same flat can all of a sudden produce fish. Just something a little different like depth, or where the grass meets the sand can make all the difference in the catch of the day. Terminal Tackle Light tackle, with small hooks works best for me. I put 10lb test on the reel, a twenty pound test shock leader maybe three feet long (line to line knot - no swivel). And the most important - a #4 MUTU-Owner Circle hook. This set-up gives your green back or live shrimp plenty of action, and life to attract fish. I hope this information helps you catch more fish - have a great day on the bay. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Angler's aboard the Reelin & Chillin have enjoyed great light tackle action with trout, and gray snapper (mangrove snapper) being the most productive. Also, several redfish have tightened lines along with a few small but scrappy snook. Trout have been on the open water grass flats in three to six feet of water. Snapper, and redfish have been hanging around structure, with the snook in holes close to grass and mangrove shorelines. Baits: Scaled Sardine - trout, and a couple redfish A little info about those baits you catch in your cast net: If your new the the area, or just started cast netting for bait, it can be confusing knowing just what your catching. So many names for the same two baits, whitebait, greenback, pilchard, horse minnow, shiners, thread-thins. I guess it just depends on the neighborhood your from. Here is the scoop on these local baits: The two most common baits are the Scaled Sardine, and the Thread Herring. Scaled sardine: Silver body with darker back gray, blue, or green. Body is thicker/heaver than the thread thin, making for better casting distance. The eye is twice the size as the thread thins. Scales do not easily fall off, and with a good running live well they will last all day. Easy to keep on the hook, and stays alive for quite awhile. Thread Thin: At first glance it looks like the scaled sardine, however when compared it's easy to tell the difference. They have the silver body, however it's much thinner. It's belly is deeply curved compared to the scaled sardine. Part of the dorsal fin has what looks like a long piece of thread towards the rear, hence the name. The scales shed easily, and despite a good running live well they don't last long especially in the warmer months. Easy to throw off the hook, and dies fairly quick. A fish tail aboard the Reelin & Chillin On a six hour trip with Erich Ritzhoupt, wife Sara, and father in law David we started out with trout. Using scaled sardines Sara put four nice trout in the live well with the largest being twenty inches. Erich, and David also put a couple in the live to help out with dinner. Erich on the fly caught two trout using a white clouser fly. The trout bite slowed, so off to a dock for some mangrove snapper. I believe we picked up around five keepers before heading out to the next spot. We headed to a hole near some mangroves looking for snook. After chumming sardines for awhile and seeing a couple snook hit the surface Erich caught a twenty inch redfish, however no snook. The sky was turning black and lightning was in the air so we headed to the cleaning board just in time to end the day - a great trip with three great angler's. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 04/30/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford Angler's aboard the Reelin & Chillin have cleaned up on trout this past couple of weeks. Redfish have also been around, however a few trips we couldn't find them, thank goodness for the trout. A flounder or two have showed up to tighten a line or two as well. A few mackerel are in the bay, and are showing up along the beaches if you can get past the windy conditions. We found the trout on open grass flats in water depth between three and six feet deep. The water surface temperature was between seventy, and seventy-five degrees. I noticed that due to windy conditions we didn't catch in low visibility waters - I had to get several miles away from the passes to get on the fish. I used seven and a half foot, medium action St.Croix rods, Okuma Inspira reels spooled with ten pound test line. An eighteen inch - twenty pound test mono leader (Big Game) with a #4 Owner circle hook. Three tactics worked at different times: Free line the shrimp, no cork - no weight. Hook the shrimp at the tail end coming up from the bottom first. This will give you more casting distance having the head forward. Set up with the wind behind you, and cast the shrimp high to catch the wind. The farther away from the boat the better. Add a popping cork - about three feet up from the shrimp. I prefer the Billy Bay Pop N' Gurgle style, it's set up for distance casting. Pop the cork every ten seconds or so to mimic another fish or bird hitting bait on the surface. Add a split shot #4 a couple feet up from the hook (no cork) twitching it every now and then. There is nothing wrong with using live sardines if you can net them. Also, artificials work great. My favorite is the Halo Shrimp also made by Billy Bay. On one trip I had four angler's with two on live shrimp, and two on Halo artificials. The trout caught were even between the two baits with a few mackerel caught on the artificials only. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 03/29/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford Angler's aboard the Reelin & Chillin cleaned up on Red Drum during several trips the last couple of weeks. Most were over the slot limit of twenty-seven inches, and caught on light tackle. Using the St. Croix Tidemaster medium action rod, an Okuma IA-30 reel spooled with ten pound test line made for fantastic action. Some of the reds reached up to twelve pounds, measuring up to thirty-two inches. Trout also entered the picture on several trips reaching up to twenty-two inches on a couple trips. Finding some green backs off North Lido Key I was able to put one trip on several Snook - no big ones, however a twenty five inch snook on ten pound test is still a great fight. A fish tail enjoyed aboard the Reelin & Chillin: March is a very busy month, I have so many trips that it's impossible to share all, however this one I have to tell. A group of four angler's from the Encore RV park in Bradenton tore up the big reds on a morning trip. Al Gardner, Terry Applebee, Terry Martin, and Bob Reynolds hit several locations with not much luck until I went to an old redfish spot. I hadn't done much on this spot for awhile, however a few days before I did pick up two reds, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was just around ten a.m. and the according to the Solunar times it was a peak activity major feed at 11:10 a.m. To make a long story short we ended up with two reds in the slot, and twelve more that were over the twenty-seven inch limit that we released. This was one fantastic hour and a half of steady action. But here is the story of the day. Terry Martin set his rod down' on the front deck of the boat to take a photo of Terry Applebee holding an over-sized red. No sooner was the photo taken when Bob yelled YOUR POLE as it went bouncing across the deck and into the water. Needless to say Terry felt really bad and was offering to pay for the rod when Al reeled in and hooked the tip of the pole and started to reel it in, but it fell off. Then Bob reeled his line in and also hooked the pole tip, but again it fell off. By this time I had tied a heavy jig to a spare rod and casted out hooking the line. Slowly I reeled in until Terry was able to grab his rod. We untangle my line and as Terry reeled in he noticed the fish was still on. Five minutes later we were taking another photo of an oversize red. Terry and I were both relieved, I would have not charged Terry for the rod & reel, however I don't think he would have let that happen, so it's the end to a great trip and a fish story to embellish on. Captain's Tip - Solunar Tables Solunar tables can be a great tool, and should be a part of every serious angler's plan. Do they always work, and produce a feeding frenzy at your favorite fishing hole? The answer is no, reason is there are other factors involved that can also affect the feeding. A few examples: A front moving in can shut down feeding quick. Winding or rainy weather churning up the water or fresh water intrusion could affect feeding. Maybe even a bottle nosed dolphin minutes before you arrived ran through your spot and spooked everything that you weren't aware of. Things like this can affect the tables, however they are still a great tool when conditions are correct. Pick them up at your local tackle shop, or order a year supply off the Internet, it's cheap, and can improve your odds. Of course it goes without saying any experienced angler would rather have luck than skill any day. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford Fishing Report 03/09/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford Inshore fishing has been a little tough the last couple of weeks mostly do to cold fronts, and windy conditions. Anglers aboard the Reelin & Chillin worked hard, and did manage redfish, pompano, sheepshead, and trout - great for the table. Ladyfish, bluefish, and spanish mackerel also tightened lines for some great light tackle action. The big catches happened on the morning offshore trips when the winds were low. Anglers put big spawning sheepshead, mangrove snapper, and white grunts in the live well. A few fish tail enjoyed aboard the Reelin & Chillin: Inshore Jon McCubbin with daughters Allison, Emmy, and girlfriend Suzi Gamage had a great inshore trip catching six trout in the slot along with Suzi adding a nice pompano to the box. Jon had a great battle with an over the limit redfish at twenty-eight inches. A windy day just after a cold front seemed like doom and gloom for anglers from the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club. Joe Dovener, Peter Paris, Yohan Gastaldi, and Rick Freyman headed out on this cold morning. Most likely thinking it was going to be not much more than a boat ride. Well as luck would have it we did find a couple spots that produced fish. Ending up with three trout, and eight pompano in the box - under these conditions this made for a great day. Offshore Bob, Linda, Kevin dombrowski, and Jessica Ferris on an offshore trip put five sheepshead to 6lbs, six white grunts, and twenty-five mangrove snapper in the live well. We were fishing structure on an artificial reef around seven miles out of New Pass. There were several trips that pretty much matched the above trip - Jon McCubbin, Suzi Gamage, and Jon's brother Bill did about the same as above. A little less on the mangrove snapper do to the bag limit. Greg, and Stacy Hammer with friend Dick Trowsdale picked up five sheepshead, ten white grunts, and twenty mangrove snapper with one or two snapper in the three pound range. Captain's Tip - Keep it Simple Anglers can really get critical with terminal tackle especially when fishing offshore - I'm guilty myself. I remember sitting at home making leaders that included two swivels, a sinker, a few feet on fluorocarbon, and then the big hook. Well, I'm out one day catching mangrove snapper (grey snapper) and wasn't really cleaning up on them. I didn't think I was really heavy on the tackle, fifteen pound test on the reel, thirty pound test big game mono leader, and a 1/0 hook. Then for some reason I picked up one of my inshore outfits that had ten pound test on the reel - twenty pound test mono leader, and a number four Owner Circle hook. All I added was a small number four split shot sinker, and BAM - I started catching snapper, and grunts left and right. Soooo - here is how I now fish for spawning sheepshead, snapper, and grunts on the artificial reefs. A number four Owner Circle hook tied to the fifteen pound test line coming from the reel. I add a number four split shot sinker about two feet up from the hook. That's right - NO leader. If I notice nicks in the line I just cut off the bad part and retie the hook on - no time wasted messing with leaders. I can guarantee you will get more bites, and more fish - Keeping it Simple. Tight Lines & Good Times, Capt. Terry Frankford
If keeping the kids happy is your goal on your Florida vacation then Sarasota Fishing Charters is one great way to go
I start with a package of thin wire leader around 39lb test (yes 39 don't ask me why it's not 40). This wire found in your local tackle shop comes in a 200' length. The first thing I do is take the wire out of the package that is coiled up in a ring and cut through it at one spot. Now instead of having one two hundred foot single piece of wire I have a bunch of 20" pieces to make leader with. Saves a lot of time pulling the wire through two or three tie wraps and cutting each one individually. Using the "haywire twist" shown on the back of the package I wrap on a "size five" Fisher 90lb test barrel swivel on one end. On the other end an Eagle Claw 1/0 2X LONG hook. This leader of course gets tied to the 40lb test mono coming from the reel using a uni-knot.
Dave Mathias and I headed out one morning for a near-shore trip. We had all the bait we needed picking up six dozen handpicks, and a dozen pinfish at Hart's Landing. Then on the way out we netted a hundred or so shiners just off Lido Beach. The plan was fish a few reefs eight to ten miles out, however the weather offshore looked threating - lots of lightning. We decided to try a little inshore fishing before making the decision on going out. We headed to a grass flat in north Sarasota Bay on the east side - five to seven feet deep. I started chumming the white bait, maybe six or eight at a time, and the fish turned on. It took Dave and I about an hour to put eight trout in the live well - our limit, along with three bluefish. The weather offshore was getting worse so we called off going offshore and decided to try for reds - one of Dave's wifes favorite inshore fish. We bounced around from dock to dock, flat to flat, bay to bay, and never did find a red. However, we each caught a black drum, and a bucket full of mangrove snapper. All in all it was a great day with plenty of fish on the line, and in the box. I also found out the next day that Sue, Dave's wife, really enjoyed the black drum. She blackened it just like she does the reds, and loved it.
Fishing Report 07/14/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford
Fishing Report 05/18/2009 – Capt. Terry Frankford
Live hand picked shrimp - redfish, and snapper
Billy Bay Halo shrimp (artificial) - trout
