Fishing in and around Charlotte Harbor (Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda) has been very good for quite a while, and night snook fishing in Venice has been superb. We've had 30-fish nights for the past 10 days. A cold front just moved in, but that's expected to blow through by Sunday.

I talked with some friends in Chicago a couple of days ago, and they have the mistaken impression that Florida's fishing has ceased to exist because of the hurricanes that came through here.

Sure, there was some damage--especially in the lower Keys. But the Venice/Sarasota area was spared the mass destruction that befell places such as New Orleans. I still can't believe the misery those folks have gone through all this time.

Bull Bay and Turtle Bay in Charlotte Harbor, and Pine Island Sound around Bokeelia and Sanibel, have been very good. Same for Lemon Bay (Englewood). We've been catching redfish, snook in the canals and backcountry, even some baby tarpon laid up way in the back.

Action at night under the lighted docks in Venice has been superb--even a bunch of
3-pound bluefish along with the snook.

Lower Tampa Bay around Miguel, Joe Bay and Terra Ceia also have been very good. For the latest info, pull up the Fishing Report on my web site [url=http://www.tightloopsflyfishing.com:2c63a]www.tightloopsflyfishing.com[/url:2c63a]

Happy New Year and Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony