Howdy wanna-be-pirates & fellow pirates ! If you have reservations for the Veranda Inn you’re in luck, if not; they have booked the rest of the rooms for a wedding thru March 13. The Venice Holiday Inn 941-485-5411 on N Tamiami Trail is where the latecomers will have to check into. You must SAY that you get " Captain Tony Petrellas discounted rate for Tight Loops Fly Fishing ". Capt. Tony is on FAOL & has offered this to the attendees, which is fantastic considering the wedding party ! In a few weeks there will be a schedule of events emailed, or posted on this forum depending on which is more feasible. There is a very interesting type of fly fishing that occurs on the Inter Coastal Waterway that meanders thru Venice and this is night snookin’. Here’s a thread to read to see if there are enough interest to have an outing, as it’s all a slow speed & wake zone. [url=http://heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060205/SPORTS/602050898/1134/SPORTS08:d7d56]http://heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060205/SPORTS/602050898/1134/SPORTS08[/url:d7d56]
Thank you! Got our reservation, no problem!!!
Snook at night…great fun! Did our first snook trip last February in the Canals at Cape Coral. What a hoot…million $$$ homes, yachts, and us…fly fishing for snook. Didn’t leave the water until around 2:00 AM. So tired (I don’t think I cast again if I had to) but, with a very big smile for the night’s work. 
Capt. Rick Grassett’s brother is our local Capt. Kirk Grassett!
Yo Dave…
Ed Mercado and I have reservations at the Veranda and will be there sometime around noon on Thursday. We will head out in the afternoon on Saturday.
I can bring a canoe if you think it’s a good idea. If not, we’ll hit some of the areas along the park roads or where ever you suggest. I haven’t been down there in quite a few years.
Michele and I are bringing a yak and a canoe, any suggestions would be appreciated also.
The Geez
Excus my spelling and gramma, I hooked Mondays and Fridays so I could Hunt or fish.
Bring your canoe as it will fit in with the kayaks & give you access to some flats that are across some deep channels that hold fish around Lemon Bay or especially if you end up with the group that wants to fish at Placida to go to Catfish, Coral & Whidden Creeks or the Bull / Turtle Bay area west of Boca Grande. According to the midnight snookers, who tend to fish from smaller boats & kayaks in addition to flats boats that are a better or more expensive fishing platform; are safe on the waters after dark with nav lights, as the ICW is a no wake zone that provides little problem for kayakers. There will be nautical maps ( about 40 from Englewood to Ft. Myers )& tomorrow I’m to obtain Sarasota County Boating & Angling Guides in addition to Blueways Trails Guides( the kayakers map to waters from Ft. Myers thru Venice / new edition ) & put in a request for the Charlotte Harbor Boating & Fishing Guide that was to be updated on waterproof paper & be available this week or next. Glad the reservations at the Holiday Inn were no problem. As with the tradition of a meet & greet for breakfast, then decide where everyone wants to fish after some local fishing reports…we’ll leave instructions as to where we’ll be so no one has to miss the beating of the waters to a froth with fly rod in hand ! As for posting all this on the board, it might be easier if the events list were emailed amongst the pirate apprentices ! Send me an email ( check the FL 2006 I’m Going list )or I’ll get yours off the forum & add it to the Fish-In update mailing when it’s more than just a rough draft.
We are flying so will be reduced to wade fishing…unless there is reasonable boat rentals locally.
SW Ladyfish wrote
…will be reduced to wade fishing
I don’t think reduced is the right word. That entire area is know for it’s great wade fishing. Considering our lack of experience in that area wading may be the best, safest bet.
Ed Mercado
[url=http://www.mercconsulting.com:89676]http://www.mercconsulting.com[/url:89676]
Web Design for the Treasure Coast.
There are rental power boats & kayaks for rent at various businesses around the area. Just need to make the arrangements & probably a days notice; but they almost all agree to deliver kayaks for a group outing on the water !
Dave,
I’ve been looking at the rental places and I’m thinking more like an 18-20 center console
Never been on a kayak.
SWL, I am bringing my virgin Yak and I will be more than happy to share. It will be my maden voyage in a yak also. Michele will have a canoe with outriggers either will be availablre for you for a day of fun.
The Geezer
Excus my spelling and gramma, I hooked Mondays and Fridays so I could Hunt or fish.
Geezer, that’s a very nice offer and we may just have to give it a try to see how it all works!
Folks, forgive me if I ask what seems like 6 billion questions; but, it is a new area for us!
How cold is the water at this time of year? What do you wear on your feet when wading? I have a pair of Men’s Flats Sneakers that I wear with my waders in the NE Salt…the water’s a lot colder here! I can wear these with neoprene socks and I’ll be fine. However; Ken has “duck feet” and can’t get into Flats sneakers or booties. Is the water warm enough and safe enough for sandals? Any other suggestions?
Do you use stripping baskets when you wade the flats? We use them in the Atlantic surf.
thanks in advance…
Dianne
SW Ladyfish,
A good friend of mine said the water temps were at 68? last Saturday but what a difference a week can make. We are experiencing sustainted freezing temperatures for 2-6 hours tonight which will no doubt drop the water temp. Wouldn’t surprize me to see them drop to below 60?. The flats, especially with a sea grass bottom, will warm up nicely though once this cold front passes through.
Overnight forecast low for where I live (just north of Tampa) is 26?. Just a bit chilly but I will not complain seeing what’s been going on up in the NE.
A lot of people do but I don’t wear sandals while wading even in the summertime.
Hopefully it’ll warm up a little for us by early March.
Gil
[This message has been edited by FL_SKIBUM (edited 13 February 2006).]
Hoping the water temps will be in the 70’s at Fish-In time, & the shallow water warms up fast. Some of the elderly wear waders, mostly for protection from stingrays & jellyfish, or when the water temps are in the 60’s. Usually don’t wear sandals because of the oyster bars, which will shred sandal feet like getting cut by a knife with just one missed step. Had this happen retreiving a fly in the mangroves after going over the side of the boat & the band aids were of little use. Usually wear Orvis low top flats booties & with the high tops use a neoprene liner for warmth. If the wind is strong & the current ripping, a stripping basket comes in handy to control the flyline & keep it from dragging in the sand on the beach or in the weeds or magroves - oyster bars on the flats. It was 39 this morning, but the harbor waters are still in the mid 60’s, so the darker flats are warmer & where the fish are, even though they won’t bite until they warm up!