By: Captain Dave Hanson

With gusty winds and high seas Sunday morning, 3/22, Stuart Norris and Mike Holers took my recommendation to fish the backwaters. We fished central Estero Bay with live shrimp, where we caught a 23 inch black drum (see photo) and five keeper sheepshead. We released lots of smaller sheepshead and crevalle jack.

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By: Captain Dave Hanson

Fishing with Lynn and Margie Harned and friends Dave and Jeannie Jenkins on Monday, 3/16, we had a productive morning in 45 feet out of New Pass, using live shrimp. We caught six keeper mangrove snapper between 15 and 17 inches, a dozen whitebone porgies to 15 inches and a 14 inch sheepshead. We released lots of smaller snapper, gag grouper shorts and a small hogfish, along with one unusual catch that Margie hooked—a “rock beauty,” which is a beautiful, ornamental fish that takes its name from its habitat in the rocks.

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By: Miami Herald

• NOAA Fisheries plans to hold six public hearings, including one in Miami, on measures to deal with illegal fishing in United States and international waters. A proposed rule would identify which nations are poaching fish and protected species, such as marine mammals and sea turtles. The Miami meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 12 at the Miami Airport Marriott, 1201 N.W. LeJeune Rd. in the Caribbean room. For more information, visit noaa.gov.

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By: Capt. Alan Sherman

Captain Dave Kostyo of Knot Nancy Fishing Charters out of Miami reported that tarpon fishing in Miami has been outstanding. The last cold front got the shrimp running, and the tarpon are feasting on them after sunset in the Government Cut area. . . . Captain Alan Zaremba reported that falling water levels in the Glades has largemouth bass concentrated in the canal systems, and his clients have been catching huge amounts of bass on Rapala surface plugs and poppers and Clouser Minnows on fly tackle.

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By: Capt. Dave Hanson

What a treat Monday, 3/9 was offshore! For the first time in a very long time, seas were dead-calm and the fishing was good at the same time. I fished in 46 feet out of New Pass with brothers Mike & Paul Conneally and their friends, Rodney & Kass Bromm. Using live shrimp, we caught five nice mangrove snapper to 20 inches, none of them less than 15 inches. We also kept five of eight sheepshead we caught, to 19 inches, and a 15 inch whitebone porgie. We released silver porgies, porkfish, grunts, Spanish mackerel, red grouper shorts and gag grouper shorts to 21 inches. We had a big shark eat one of our fish and run off before I could identify what type of shark it was.

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By: Captain George Landrum

February 23 – March 1, 2009

WEATHER: A sunny week in Cabo this last seven days as there were only a few clouds that traveled through. Our nighttime lows were in the mid 60’s while the daytime highs managed to get into the mid 90’s a few days. Overall it was a bit warmer than last week, reminding us that summer will be here soon, but there was not the humidity that we see in the middle of the year.

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By: Captain Dave Hanson

March definitely charged in like a lion on my first scheduled day of the month. Monday, 3/2, brought extremely rough conditions offshore with seas to fifteen feet. The tide in the backwaters was low, and it was cold and windy. I cancelled my fishing trip. Conditions were somewhat better Tuesday but still not good enough, with seas of three to five feet predicted, so I spent a second consecutive day in port.
Wednesday, the tide was a little better in the bay and I fished there on a catch-and-release trip with Chuck Nebes and his son, Steve. We released a dozen sheepshead to 15 inches, a small snook and an 18 inch trout, all on live shrimp.

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By: Captain Dave Hanson

Monday, 2/23 brought yet another windy start to this week. I headed out of new Pass with Jim Sistek, his son, Jim Jr., grandson and friend, Frank, in what was predicted to be two-to-three foot seas. We were barely out of the pass before we were contemplating turning back because of strong northerly winds and rough seas. But the wind calmed a little bit and allowed us to get to some live bottom in about 30 feet. We used live shrimp and caught eight keeper mangrove snapper, nine sheepshead to 20 inches, and some grunts.

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By: Capt. Alan Sherman

BEST BET

Candice Molitor on the Juno Fishing Pier reported lots of pompano being caught in the surf, along with Spanish mackerel and bluefish that are eating spoons and Gotcha’s. . . . Tom Argue from the Anglin’s Fishing Pier off of Commercial Boulevard reported that they had a good shrimp run on the Southeast winds at night, plus snook action. . . . Madeline Ript from the Dania Beach Fishing Pier reported snook, king and Spanish mackerel, cobia and bluefish were being caught, and that lots of ballyhoo was available for bait.

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By: Capt Richard Martinez

• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reminds anglers that the recreational harvest season for red and black grouper in Gulf federal waters closes Sunday and reopens March 15. Federal waters extend beyond nine nautical miles offshore. Reds and blacks still may be taken in Gulf state waters during the federal closure. The recreational harvest season for gag grouper in all Gulf waters closed Feb. 1 and will reopen April 1.

-Capt. Richard

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By: Capt. Dave Hanson

Monday, 2/2/09, I fished near-shore at the six-mile reefs off Bonita Beach with Larry Dahlstrom and friends. We debated a while over whether to go or not, with rain predicted to usher in our next cold front and with rough conditions to follow. But it looked as though we’d have a only a light drizzle at worst in the morning and that the worst weather would hold off until afternoon.

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By: Capt. Keith

‘Lil John and I pulled out of the slip this morning at 4:15 Am for our last day of fishing as the season closes tomorrow at midnight and we decided earlier in the week that this would be our last day. We left the slip saying “Just one more!“ so we set up where the bite was yesterday outside the Big 10.

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By: Capt. Alan Sherman

BEST BET

Captain Gil Gutierrez, of Lucky Fishing Charters out of Keystone Marina, reported excellent sailfish action between the Twin Towers south to Key Biscayne in depths from 100 feet out to 200 feet of water. Dolphins also have been caught by his clients. . . .

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By: Capt. Dave Hanson

Monday, 1/12/09, I fished offshore in 43 feet with Ed & Margie Bock, who fish with me several times each winter. We departed in a dense morning fog, with visibility of about 200 feet (thank goodness for radar) and in very low tide conditions. We headed out of New Pass to 43 feet, where we used live shrimp to catch eight keeper mangrove snapper, all about 15 inches, and a 14 inch yellowtail snapper. We also kept six whitebone porgies that were all about 14 inches. We released smaller snapper, porgies, grunts, triggerfish and grouper shorts. We had one large grouper hooked, but not well enough—he got down in the rocks on bottom and came off.

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By: Capt. Richard Martinez

January 26, 2009, Miami, Florida - When most anglers think of double-digit billfish fishing they think of foreign destinations like Guatemala and Panama; each famous for their high catch and release counts.  But this past weekend demonstrated that Miami sailfish action is as hot as anywhere in the world as the Sea Vee Mercury Mayor’s Cup broke several records.

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