Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2018 i Florida Sportsman

Last month my youngest son, Drew, brought me pan-fried snook, one of my favorites. I’d been dry-docked for a while, recovering from the consequences of a fall. The fish was white as snow and couldn’t have been more delicious. Drew and his friend, Tom, have been into some of the best snook fishing I’ve heard of in more than 40 years. Man do they catch them—fishing at night, pulling these jigs about a foot under the water, really slow. I remember years when snook were not that common. Back in the 1950s, Florida took snook off the market. The story is, they traded with the commercial fishermen to allow market mullet fishing during roe season. It was sort of a ruse, because snook were not that desirable by netters, because…

SPORTSMAN’S REGIONAL EXPERTS GUIDE YOU TO THE HOTSPOTS MAY SPOTLIGHT Offshore Game On Statewide Pelagics are the surface game, especially dolphin, wahoo and sailfish, and on the bottom snapper and grouper are big draws for anglers, both night and day. There are some spectacular late day and night bites in the summer, including yellowtail, mangrove and cubera snapper regionally. What’s also great about the season is that the big billfish, swordfish and blue marlin, are more accessible for recreational anglers with the longer days and calmer seas. SEND US YOUR PHOTOS We welcome your fishing and hunting photos for publication in the Action Spotter and in our online community galleries at www.floridasportsman.com. Send digital pictures, 600 KB to 1 MB in jpeg format. For smartphone photos, email the Actual Size—highest…

One fish that has gained much notoriety over the years in our region is the permit. The permit that inhabit the 10,000 Islands are unlike their cousins in Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys as they don’t stake up residency on our area flats, but on our nearshore reefs and offshore structure. Permit can be caught as close as six miles from shore in our area, but the single most important element in searching for permit is finding those wrecks and reefs with high relief. This means structures that sit high off the bottom, as permit simply love such habitat. Doing some homework with your chart, online mapping and simple networking with other cooperative anglers will help you find these key areas. Once found, the angling aspect is actually quite…

Over the years I have noticed that when I smell orange blossoms, snook fishing explodes, and when I see a pale yellow butterfly on the water, there will be tarpon rolling in the area and along the beaches. The time for these is now. This is also a great time of year to head offshore for some bottom fishing. Water temperatures are moderate. Hurricane season hasn’t started and foul weather is rare, with winds and seas usually calm. So the big question is which species are tops to target? Scouting for big gag grouper, which open next month, can be accomplished while bottom dropping for snapper. Some larger mangrove snapper will be available generally from depths of 100 feet and greater. A few mutton snapper were caught earlier this year…

The only problem with May is that it only lasts thirty-one days, and there’s a lot fishing to get done. Working our way from freshwater out, only the speckled perch aren’t at their peak in May. Bass have wrapped up their spawn, and they’re hungry. Being a parent is tough duty, and they’re looking for a surface chugger or rubber worm to take their frustrations out on. Bream are poised to become parents during the full moon cycle on May 29. The more time I spend around fresh water the more I learn there are far more dedicated catfish fishermen than most people think. I’ve done a little catfish experimenting, and I’ve got a theory. It has been my experience that an old piece of shrimp fished near shallow trees…

Being a dedicated snook guy, it was exciting for me to hear that a lunker-sized linesider was recently awarded IGFA status. The 58-pound, 9-ounce Pacific snook was landed and verified by Manual Zambrano, who happens to have a few line-class snook world records. Kudos to Manual, who caught the beast with an artificial lure (made in Florida by Spooltek, no less). We ran the picture here last month. Now let’s look at some of the snook fisheries in the tropical Americas. Puerto Rico: The U.S. territory has claim to one Atlantic snook line-class record, the “smallfry junior” category held by Ariana Alejandra Cruz Mattei, since 2004. I am not one to pick on the smallfries, but her home estuaries near San Juan might be a great spot to target the…

May is an exciting month to be a Florida grouper fisherman. Also a little bit confusing, depending on where you plan to launch your boat. Grouper limits differ on Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coastlines. This is due to the fact that there are two interstate federal management councils—one representing Gulf of Mexico states; the other, Atlantic—which vote on fish seasons and limits based on regional stock assessments and priorities. When it comes to migratory or deepwater fishes such as groupers, the state of Florida, which manages adjacent waters out to 9 miles on the Gulf and 3 miles on the Atlantic, generally adopts rules identical or at least very close to those issued by the feds. But not always: For example, Florida implemented a special gag season on the Gulf…

Want to see what great Florida bass fishing is all about? Get yourself out of bed before 4 a.m. If your air conditioner is running at that hour, and there’s condensation on your windows, it’s on. Make a quick mug of coffee. Eat an egg sandwich. Get yourself to the launch. Don’t worry about provisions, don’t worry about a rain jacket, for heaven’s sake don’t worry about live bait. If you’ve got the right gameplan this morning, by the time your stomach growls, you’ll be done fishing, heading for the hill. Afternoon storms, the bane of summer fishing, will be hours away. The cash you saved on shiners, you can spend on a bacon cheeseburger for lunch. Tie on something that will float, push a little water, deflect weeds and…

Now and then a 3- or 4-pound bass or a big bullhead might strike. Florida woodlands are laced with small creeks that meander through the trees and palms. Most often the waters are clear, but dark, colored like tea. Many fish abound in the creeks and offer anglers nearly non-stop action in an idyllic setting. Now and then a 3- or 4-pound bass or a big bullhead might strike, but overall, expectations and gear should be tailored toward very small fish, some as little as two inches! While this may not sound especially spectacular, what is spectacular is that youngsters can be brought to the creeks with confidence that they will hook fish, grin, and squeal with excitement for hours. Open or closed faced spinning reels with light line (maybe…

May offers the most variety and highest quality fish the Florida Keys has to offer. One of the many highlights in May is the congregation of permit around the local reefs and wrecks. This happens both in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic in the Keys. The gathering is due to their annual spawn, and it makes for an incredibly target rich environment. In most of these spots you will be able to see the large schools swim around the structure. Permit are incredibly strong fish. Pair that with their unmatched cleverness and you have one of the most sought after inshore species. Most of the year the flats guides get to play with them but in the spring, us light tackle guides get a go at them. Fishing…

May is the month for big dolphin throughout the Southeast region. Captain George LaBonte, of Edge Sportfishing out of Jupiter, harped on the topic. “When a client calls me and asks when they should come down to catch a trophy sized dolphin, May is the first and best choice I tell them,” he said. These large fish are migrating through the region and are generally found between 120 and 300 feet deep. “In the summertime it’s not a bad idea to run out deep and look for debris or a rip first thing in the morning, but these fish are running the edge on their way through this month.” George expressed that the old theory about “big bait, big fish” is indeed true when targeting big dolphin. One of George’s…

It’s anyone’s guess why Cedar Key’s Jug Bar is so named. Mine is that, at some time in the area’s fishing history, someone marked a favorite deep trench south of Snake Key and the name stuck. There are plenty of fishing opportunities nearer the boat ramp in Cedar Key, but the Jug Bar area is a unique place, where waters from moderately shallow Waccasassa Bay and the deep Gulf of Mexico meet. Getting to the Jug Bar isn’t difficult. Just follow the main ship channel south past Atsena Otie Key and Seahorse Key to marker No. 4 and turn east-northeast, passing south of the shallow East Bank Bar. Within a mile so, you’ll start to see the Jug Bar’s signature trenches through the grassflats, and you’ll know it’s time to…

May is the perfect month to think about fishing small. Small as in panfish size. There are numerous options in Northwest Florida for targeting a variety of good eating members of the sunfish family. Most of the pan-fish that we fish for are members of this family, including largemouth bass and crappie. Bluegills, shellcrackers, stumpknockers, redbreasts and warmouth are also included in this group. Many anglers in the South keep it simple and call them all “bream.” No matter what you call them, they are numerous and there are plenty of places to catch them. Lake Jackson has a history of producing trophy largemouth bass and this throws some shade on some of the other excellent fishing in the lake. It has a healthy population of redeared sunfish, or shellcrackers,…

Florida’s Lake Okeechobee region is legendary for producing largemouth bass. Another well-known product: professional football players. As one might expect, there are lines which often connect these two. Travis Benjamin has played wide receiver in the NFL for six years: four with the Cleveland Browns, two most recently with the L.A. Chargers. Before that, at the U. of Miami, he was a Hurricane of, well, Cat 5 status: a four-season football player and a nationally ranked sprinter on the track team. When guys like Travis talk to the press, often it’s about the highlights of a season, the demands of a position, goals for the future. A recent vacation, possibly to somewhere exotic, might come up. Or, you’ll hear a Florida native reflect on humble childhood fishing memories. FS: Tell…

No question that redfish are one of the most frequently sought inshore fish in the state. Florida is truly the sportfishing capital of the world. The state is blessed with an abundance of gamefish inshore, nearshore and offshore that provide residents and visitors from around the world with near boundless opportunities to pursue the fish of their piscatorial dreams along our Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Recent reports from the National Marine Fisheries Service show that 24 percent of all Atlantic recreational fishing in the United States takes place in Florida with North Carolina coming in second with only 15 percent. Likewise, 64 percent of all recreational fishing on the Gulf Coast happens in Florida (Alabama’s not even a close second at 12 percent). And, while anglers target a range of…

Mercury Marine 3.4L V-6 Four Stroke New for 2018 from Mercury, this lineup of V-6 four stroke engines (175, 200, 225 hp) represents the company’s largest displacement motors in this class. At 475 pounds, it’s also the lightest in its class (including two strokes and four cylinders). A performance inspired four valve, DOHC quad cam design reaches higher speeds, faster, while maintaining RPM regardless of load or condition change. Advanced Range Optimization (ARO) and Closed-Loop Fuel Control technology working together adjust fuel mixture delivering peak efficiency. A top cowl “service door” makes oil check and fills simple without removing the cowling. An idle speed charger produces 20 amps of output at 650 RPM keeping batteries topped off while operating electron-ics and bait pumps at idle/slow speed all day. A unique,…

INGREDIENTS “Mahi eat anything; the only thing we’ll pay attention too is thesizeofthebaitwearethrowing.”—David Collier Jr. “Lures? Some people think the really loud color get them. I think it’s whatever is natural. I’m not a fan of bright pinks and yellows. I like white, silver, black, and blue. Purple is traditionally a good wahoo color.”—Doc “Bonito strips work great for wahoo and kings; dolphin will even hit them. The strips will get you a good quantity but not the quality that a kite with a live bait will.”—Mike Calabrese SEASONING “Spring brings the best fishing; they are all heading north, it’s just good fishing in general. August is probably one of the worsttimestofish;justtoohot.”—David Collier Jr. “You can also fish the wahoo bite in the winter on the kites; you just need…

Fishing the clear, shallow flats from Key Biscayne south to Ocean Reef will get your heart pounding and your hands trembling when you see that bonefish or permit tail above the surface as the fish tries its best to root a worm, crab or shrimp out of the bottom. Cast your bait too close to the fish and you will send that fish away but make the perfect cast and presentation and a solid hook up is almost certain. It’s the season for shallow water sight fishing. While you’re stalking those bonefish and permit, large lemon sharks and smaller bonnethead sharks can be targeted. Often you may come up to what looks like a log on the bottom only to see that log bolt off at warp speed. You just…

May might just be the best snook month of the year for SW Florida anglers, as long as they’re content to catch-and-release during this closed season. The only real problem: There are so many ways to target snook this month that it’s tough to decide which way to go. Starting on the outside, there are snook, and some really big snook, stacked around the rubble piles on the nearshore artificial reefs including Helen’s Reef off Cayo Costa, Mary’s Reef off Boca Grande and the Novak Reef off Gasparilla Pass. You can see the beach from any of these reefs, and the beach is also home to many, many snook this month. You might find cruising singles or small schools anywhere along the strand, but for large numbers of stacked-up fish…

Surprisingly good numbers of 10- to 20-pound kingfish can be caught within a stone’s throw of the beach for anglers running out of Sebastian Inlet starting in May and continuing through the summer. You’ll find the smaller kings around pods of Atlantic thread herring, commonly called “greenies,” in 18 to 40 feet of water. These are the depths for a series of rocky limestone reefs that parallel the beaches from several miles north of the inlet south toward Wabasso Beach and Vero Beach. It’s the same structure of inshore reef that accounts for larger kingfish out of Fort Pierce Inlet. Charlie Fornabio and Glyn Austin are Sebastian-area guides who target the smaller kings for their clients, who obviously are pleased with the hard-striking fish. Occasionally, a big smoker is in…

The Panhandle in May can offer some outstanding inshore fishing and when the water is right, world class offshore fishing. Some of my personal favorite days and best catches have been in May. Inshore, the trout have made their way onto the flats, redfish to the docks. Along the beaches Spanish and king mackerel have followed the bait to the bars, shallow wrecks and buoys. Offshore takes the cake and the real fun will come from the pelagics. The largest mahi we have ever caught on my boat came May 15 and less than 20 NM from shore. The potential of fishing in May is only limited by the quality of the water. Even when everything doesn’t work out perfectly, May still can mean king mackerel and blackfin tuna. With…

The good thing about spotted seatrout is that you can find them just about anywhere along the Florida coast. The challenging part about spotted seatrout is that you can find them just about anywhere along the Florida coast. The key to unlocking this riddle box is realizing that, while these fish may be broadly dispersed, their preferences are well-defined. Common is the case, particularly along the Gulf Coast, where anglers survey a flat the size of three football fields with the head-scratching realization that it all looks fishy. The strategy here involves calculating measurable factors. For starters, depth often defines a trout’s feeding lanes. Captain Ron Hueston offers some insight. “You drift until you find the right depth and once you find it, they’ll be in that depth all the…

Pogonias cromis Largest of Florida’s drum species, potentially reaching over 100 pounds. State record 96 pounds, from Fernandina Beach. Inhabits bays and estuaries and nearshore salt waters statewide. Gravitates toward shell beds and shell-encrusted bridges, docks and other structure. Spawns winter and spring—and the aggregations, usually in passes and along certain beaches, are seasonal angling hotspots. Why chase ’em? Small drum, under 24 inches, are excellent to eat, with firm, white flesh suitable for grilling or searing. Large ones, 40 to 60 pounds, are exciting to catch, due in equal parts to their outsize stature and unyielding spirit. Seldom strikes artificial baits, never jumps, but always memorable. Regulations: Minimum size 14 inches; maximum 24 inches total length. Bag limit 5 per person. One fish over 24 inches may be taken…

A 29.5-inch snook—caught on the lure that came out of her hand a few days before. That weekend I was working and my wife was taking care of the children at home. I got a text and saw a small snapshot of my wife holding something. My heart sank; was she holding a pregnancy test? Maybe. We are extremely happy with our two children, but do not desire any others. Upon opening the text, I was unnerved to see it was a treble hook stuck in her thumb. So I immediately called her. “Hello?” “Hey honey, are you okay?” “Yes,” she replied. “I am fine. I just put both the kids down for a nap, and I thought, should I clean? Nah…I’ll just go off the dock and cast in…