Again this week the open water areas were the place to look for fish feeding frenzies. Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande Pass were areas where a smorgasbord of predators and bait were found. The primary subjects were Spanish mackerel and bonito, but bluefish, jack crevalle, tarpon and shark were also tormenting fleeing bait schools. The days I was around Boca Grande Pass the activity was easy to locate, look for birds, often lots of birds. Once you spot them diving down and plucking scraps from the surface then you will notice the white froth from lots of small bait fish running for their lives with toothy critters right behind. We caught bonito (little tunny) up to twelve pounds with double hook-ups; it would be hard to convince me that pound for pound there is a harder fighting fish in the water. An absolute blast on light tackle!
This hard fighting twelve pound bonito was caught in Boca grande Pass .
We finished up trout season with good catches in southern Charlotte Harbor. Free-lining live shiners (pilchards) on the outgoing tide where bait schools where pushed against open water sand bars produced fat trout with the largest measuring twenty-three inches. Bluefish, large ladyfish, jack crevalle, cobia and tarpon were also hooked or caught with the trout. No, we did not boat the tarpon, but we did get a lengthy fight, four great jumps and her right up to the boat before the undersize hook pulled out. The angler was visiting Florida for the first time from Denmark and that first tarpon jump (very unexpected) was a thrill I don’t think he will forget anytime soon!
While visiting Florida for his first time, Taus came all the way from Denmark to land this cobia that intercepted a bait intended for a sea trout For charter information contact us at (239) 283-7960 or http://www.fishpineisland.com/.
“Catch The Action” with Captain Bill Russell