‘Follow the Fish’ Archives
Emergency Snook Fishing Closure temporarily extended
I remember it like it was yesterday. Ten days of freezing temperatures in January killed hundreds of thousands of Snook around the state. Down here in the Ten Thousand Islands and the Everglades National Park, I saw shallow backwater bays literally white in color from “belly-up” Snook. Since then, sure, we have been catching Snook again, but [...]
What’s biting right now . . .
The middle of August can be one of your most productive fishing periods of the year...if you plan your day correctly. Daytime air temperatures are now averaging around 92 degrees. Water temps are around 88 degees. Plan on getting an early start before the mid-day heat sets in. The daily thunder storms will drive you back to the dock just as the [...]
The heat is on and so is the shark bite!
Sharks have received a lot of bad rap, mostly from movies like Jaws, and media coverage of the occasional attack on humans. Yes, they are menacing and they do feed in shallow coastal waters where humans swim, but truth be told, you have a higher likelihood of being killed by a lightening strike than by a Shark attack. A search in Google revealed [...]
Keep your cool and beat the heat!
“It's like a heat wave, burnin' in my heart, I can't keep from cryin'. It's tearin' me apart.” …. That’s the song in my head as we are right now smack dab in the middle of our 90 hottest days of summer. We have to be smart and pay attention to what our bodies are telling us so we can douse the fire of the sun and help cool the lyrics of [...]
Father’s Day and great fishing are amongst us!
Father’s day is a great time and a perfect occasion to schedule a day of fishing and grilling out with dad! The latter half of June is here and the fish bite is on! Daytime air temperatures are now hovering around 92 degrees each day, bringing the water temperatures up over 86 degrees. Since the daily storms usually show up midday, you [...]
Nature at its best!
Being a fishing captain and backwater guide, I am fortunate to have a lifestyle and profession and be able to fish anytime during the course of the year. For those of you who do not have the opportunity to fish at will, the best time to fish, of course, is whenever you have the chance! If you do have a choice, though, you should always consider [...]
Mangrove Snapper – A Local Delicacy!
I often get asked by both boat and shoreline fisherman…. “What local fish can we catch fairly easily that we can cook and eat for dinner?” The answer here in Southwest Florida is quite simple…… Mangrove Snapper! Although Mangrove Snapper are generally a small fish, they rank right up at the top of the list for white, sweet, flaky [...]
Clues for fishing success in the backwaters
Reading signs are important in traveling from one place to another. To follow the fish, though, the signs fishermen read aren’t the kind you see along the road. The signs we use are the indications in nature that tell the story and point the way. If you are the kind of person who spends time outdoors, you probably are already aware of subtle and [...]
Cook mom a freshly caught Mother’s Day meal!
Let’s face it, sometimes we all need a good excuse to go fishing. With a little planning, you can get out on the water with a special purpose to provide, cook, and feed all of the wonderful moms out there. Right now we are smack dab in the middle of one of my two favorite fishing seasons in Southwest Florida. For those who know me, the [...]
Bountiful days ahead
The unpredictability and the hunt are the things that make it exciting for a charter captain. Because of the challenges this winter I’ve had about all of the excitement I can stand. To say that the fishing has not been up to southwest Florida’s usual standard would be an understatement. The uncharacteristic cold temperatures affected [...]
