FEBRUARY 26, 2007

Spring has come back to southwest Florida!

After nearly two weeks of frigid (well, by southwest Florida standards) weather that drove the water temperature down to 58 degrees, air temps at pushing 80 and the water in Gasparilla Bay was 67 on Sunday!

And it apparently is bringing the recently-departed Spanish mackerel and Little Tunny (Bonito) with it.

I guided Andy Houck and his good friend Mike Reid, both from Cincinnati, in Lemon Bay Saturday, and they told me they had watched gulls and terns dive-bombing the Gulf earlier in the morning.

Hmmm. Sounds like a Mack-Attack to me!

Jeff Saal and his son, Jeremy, along with his pal, Mike Kull, opted for Gasparilla instead of a nearshore ?maybe the Spanish will be here? Sunday morning and weren?t disappointed.

?I don?t have any idea of how many fish I?ve caught,? Jeff said at one point. Jeremy and Mike didn?t have the success Dad experienced, but everybody caught fish and were pretty exhausted by the time we headed for the Placida ramp.

Let?s see. What else has been going on lately?

Larry Warszalek was down for a couple of days and we chased Bonito (nope, didn?t get any to eat a fly?although we graphed THOUSANDS in 40 feet of water off the Venice Jetty). Also went looking for the Usual Suspects and Larry boated his Personal Best ladyfish.

That was in Little Sarasota Bay, and that ladyfish ate the fly the instant it touched the water. It was darn near like brown trout back in Michigan slurping a dry fly when the hatch is on.

And I mean to TELL you that ladyfish took off like a bonefish. In fact, when the reel started screeching Larry and I looked at each other in disbelief. ?Cobia?? I wondered aloud. It bulldogged around the boat for quite a few minutes before Larry slammed on the brakes and we got it into the net.

Nice fish!

I had an aborted night trip with Carol and Ed Ervin, when the snook seemed to have vanished from the ICW. In fact, I pulled the plug after two very uneventful hours. We still have to finish that trip.

Charlotte Harbor was holding a BUNCH of redfish while Larry was here, so I went in search of them a few days ago with two of The Delaney Brothers?Bill and Mike.

Bill has hunted with me (grouse and woodcock in Michigan, and quail down here) but this was our first time fishing together. Brother Number Three?Kevin?hunted quail with us a few weeks ago, but I still haven?t me the ?Baby Huey? of the family, Brother Vinny, who weighs in about 350.

Kate still can?t roll that one off her tongue. ?Michael, William Patrick, Kevin, and VINNY? Somehow that just doesn?t sound right,? she told them. ?I guess Bill cheated when he doubled-up with William Patrick!?

Mike nailed several fish, but Bill didn?t hook up. So, we?re going to Terra Ciea tomorrow to remedy that.

Ray Feher and Ron Landham, of Chattanooga, went night snooking with me and we had a bundle of fish to look at. They caught some, lost some and boated a few. In fact, Rob brought in a 3-pound bluefish on his second cast and I really thought we were off to the races.

Water was 62 in one spot, then we buzzed north to a pair of lights that held about 30 fish and the water was 65. The fish weren?t crazy about taking either a fly or jib, but the guys nailed a few and had a good time.

Ray wants to give it another try before heading home next month. Fish. You just can?t count on them to do the right thing! As my old Chilean friend Oscar Feliu once said, ?Damn fish are just like women. One night yes, next night no!?

Dave Reid had a great time this afternoon. It was blowing pretty hard when they met me at the Manasota Beach Road ramp, so I elected to run back into Forked Creek, where I?ve been finding baby tarpon. No luck on them, but Dave boated a small snook and a 4-pound jack crevalle that took him all over the water before we did the Kodak Thing.

He later boated a nice pompano when we were out in the Bay. ?My first-ever jack and my first pompano,? he said. ?That was great.?

A group of folks who regularly share information on the Fly Anglers On Line (FAOL) web site are coming down for a Fish-In. We?re kicking it off with a BBQ at my house on March 4?which happens to be Kate?s birthday. Can?t tell you which one. That?s a highly classified secret.

But y?all are welcome to join us for buffalo burgers and Italian sausage. And cold beer. YUM! You can help us sing ?Happy Birthday.?

Casey Key Anglers & Outfitters on Albee Road in Nokomis is Fish-In HQ. Give Kevin a call at 941-483-1115 for details??cause I?m booked solid for the next couple of weeks and can?t answer the phone!

I?ll keep you posted with updates?even if they?re short and sweet!

Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony