Capt. Rick Davidson (grassflats2@yahoo.com), Editor
While the wind continued to challenge the offshore anglers, there were some fine days and some fine fish caught in May. The waters warmed, the kingfish and Spanish mackerel came in good numbers, and there were some excellent grouper taken after releasing a large number of short fish. The amberjack fishery continues to be excellent, with some huge fish to 40 pounds taken. Inshore the redfish were found easily and had already begun their schooling behavior. The trout bite was frankly unusual. The very cold winter resulted in slow-growing turtle grass on the flats, and with fewer baitfish in close, many trout were found in much deeper water than is usual for this time of year. The guides were fishing in water from 4 to 8 feet, and even late in the month, Sea Hag regulars Alan and Julie Folsom found a number of over-20 inch trout in 12 feet, fishing with jigs and Gulp baits along the bottom. Very rarely were large trout found in the early mornings in shallow water, which is a usual pattern for this time of year. There also were some unusual growths of grass in some inshore areas. One area that is usually without much grass at all was overrun with widgeon grass, which suggests a lower salinity than normal. Later in the month, the pinfish began to move into the shallow flats, but most of the trout following them were small fish.
There were several big tournaments this month that produce some excellent fish. Notable catches included the winning fish in the Optimist Club tournament. T.J. Ellison weighed in a 5.95-pound trout winner, Drew Vickers' 15.15-pound grouper took first place and rounding out the first-place winners were Danny Read (7.9 redfish) and Glenn Wiggins (47.35 cobia.). I had the opportunity to fish the Doug Johnson/Donny Young Reeling for Kids tournament on two successive days. On the first day, I took Bill McQuillen and Chris Spann, who managed this chunky 7.25 redfish that ended up winning second place overall. For day 2, I took out former UF quarterback and Washington Redskins coach Noah Brindise and we found some excellent redfish as well. Both days the large trout avoided us like the plague, but it was a great tournament with some giant fish caught.
June Fishing Forecast
We expect the fishing to be excellent in June. All species will be available, and most importantly for our offshore anglers, the red snapper season opens June 1 and will be running this year until July 23, with a recreational limit of two fish per angler. The large pods of whitebait (pogies) have not arrived in the usual numbers yet, and that will happen this month, which will increase the kingfish and Spanish mackerel bite. Grouper may be found in slightly deeper water, with the best fish taken in depths of over 50 feet. Remember to throw out a live bait while bottom fishing to pick up the random kingfish. Inshore the trout will move into the 2-4 foot depths and there will be lots of anglers throwing Cajun Thunder/jig/shrimp rigs to find them. Use an 18 to 20 inch 20 pound fluorocarbon leader to connect the float to the ¼ ounce jig rigged with your shrimp, either live or artificial. Both Gulp and DOA shrimp,along with all your tackle needs, can be found at the Ship's Store, along with dead and live bait, chum, and end tackle. Closer to shore, fish gold spoons and crankbaits, or cut bait around rocks and oyster bars to find the redfish. It should be an excellent month as we prepare ourselves for July 1 and the opening date of SCALLOP SEASON.
And a few words from our guides:
Capt. Steve Rassell http://www.lastcastrass.com/ (352)359-5902
The last part of May was excellent for trout and reds. The trend should continue right through June. Large numbers of trout have moved into the shallows to spawn and quite a few big ones are being caught. There are also large numbers to be taken in deeper water as the sun gets overhead. Bass Assassin baits in the green and yellow colors are working well and also Gulp shrimp in white or pink. The trout are still feasting on the large number of shrimp on the flats. Redfish are becoming more abundant as more large schools are showing up especially in the Pepperfish area. They can be taken on almost any color grub fished straight lined or on top water plugs. A few keeper sea bass are starting to show up on the deeper rock piles and there are still quite a few Spanish in the area around the sand bars. Not too many cobia this year but as usual plenty of small sharks which can be found everywhere on the flats.
Capt. Tommy Thompson
(352) 284-1763
www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy
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May was a 'redfishy' month. And tha't not all bad, but I do miss those early morning topwater sea trout strikes on topwater lures! June will almost certainly be warmer and trout fishing should pick up and hopefully the reds will get schooling along the shallow shorelines. Now's the time to get on your push pole or trolling motor and spend early mornings easing along the shorelines, looking for mullet--and the predators that follow them. Congratulations go out this month to Mike Comer from Ocala and John Lovering, Jr. from Jacksonville for catching their first-ever redfish. I think they'll both be back!
If you're interested in a 'catch-and-release hunting for big fish' trip, please give me a call or check out my Web site, www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy And if you're interested in some more in-depth information about fishing Florida's Big Bend, take a look at my weekly Fishing4Cast on the Florida Sportsman Magazine Web site at http://www.floridasportsman.com/4cast/bb, the Florida Sportsman Big Bend Action Spotter column in each month's issue. July, and scallop season, is right around the corner. I don't do 'scallop trips' but there's some great half-day opportunities if we leave the Sea Hag at dawn and fish until the scallopers wake up and the craziness begins.
My award-winning fishing guidebook, The Saltwater Angler's Guide To Florida's Big Bend and Emerald Coast, might be a help to you if you spend lots of time at Steinhatchee (or anywhere from Chassahowitzka to Pensacola). It's got LOTS of secrets, tips and tricks, so don't forget to pick up a copy at the Sea Hag Ship's Store the next time you're at the marina. You can learn more about the book at www.saltwateranglersguide.com
Also, my book, The Inshore Advantage, Aerial Photos of the Shallow Waters near Steinhatchee, Florida is again available ONLY at the Sea Hag's Ships' Store. Although pricey ($75), the hardbound book with its 26 high-resolution color photos, taken at very low tide will give you a decided advantage in that you'll get a close-up look at the details of the shoreline from Pepperfish Keys to Sponge Point. The photos are also overlaid with GPS numbers and place names to help you better understand the shoreline. Also included are two articles, Steinhatchee Inshore Waters and Navigating Steinhatchee's Rocky Shoreline.
Capt. Scott Peters, Jr. http://www.captscottjr.com/ ( 352)356-7502
May was a great month! Had some really nice catches; back in April I took 1st place redfish in the Mel Tillis fishing tournament, and also placed 1st in the Extreme Redfish series event in Steinhatchee. For the month of June as things start to heat up (both the water temperature and the heat index), look for the trout to find refuge on the deeper grass flats, and also in 'hump areas' surrounded by deep water. You can locate some of these humps on your GPS or paper charts if you know what to look for. South of the river, areas like the 'one way bank' outside of Bull Cove, and the stretch of flats south of there, out from the Pepperfish Keys will continue to hold trout for the month. North of the river look for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and ladyfish to hold around the Little Banks, and also near the Nine Mile Bank area in 6 to 10 feet of water. I like to straight line jig the deeper areas with a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jig head with a 3'' Berkeley Gulp shrimp or a Bass Assassin 5'' jerk shad. Also don't be surprised if you have an encounter with a cobia this month, so it's worthwhile keeping a big rod rigged just in case. As far as the redfishing goes, some will continue to stay in the large schools, and some will single out. I have been seeing several scattered out over several rocky areas; try around in close between Rocky Creek to Tater Island. There are a lot of scattered rock piles in that area. Try using topwater plugs early and switching to a Johnson Gold spoon later in the day; the spoon will let you cover a lot of ground and keep you from getting hung up in the rocks. By the way, I have spent a lot of time on the water the last few months, and the scallops are looking very good; I have seen several areas that are loaded up already!!! Don't forget your sunscreen, as things are about to heat up!!
Captain Brian Smith, www.bigbendcharters.com (877) 852-FISH
Summer weather is here and the 'Heat Monkey' is dancing; bring extra water and drink it (a word to the wise). Florida snapper are running large in the 40 to 50 foot depths. It is worth an hour of fishing time to pick up some of these tasty fish, especially on light tackle. While doing that, have a flat-line out for kingfish and let someone drop down grouper bait. The old adage 'where there's grunts there's grouper' still applies. The best depth for grouper seems to be 55 to 65 feet, although grouper have been caught in 30 and out past 80 feet. Live bait has worked very well, but do bring frozen 'fish sticks' they work as well. I haven't done much trolling, so I can't say if plugs would prove successful. It never hurts to try; besides a breeze feels great during the heat of the day. Plan to have a great day on the water!
Captain Steve Hart, www.legallimitscharters.com (352) 498-0299
Capt. Gene Frazier http://nevamisscharters.com/ ( 352)498-9242
We've been catching a variety of fine offshore fish in 50 to 80 feet of water, including a number of excellent grouper limits earlier in the month. Our most interesting catch this month was this 22lb Blackfin Tuna was caught on Friday May 15th 2010. Shea Rees, an 11 year old angler from Williston, was the lucky angler. This tuna was caught on a flat line king rig in 62 feet of water. We're looking forward to seeing you on the Neva Miss.
SCALLOP SEASON TO OPEN EARLY! NO OIL HERE!
Scallop season will open 12 days early this year, thanks to an Executive Order from Governor Crist. This should help us get things going, and to take our minds off the 'oil crisis' in the Gulf. Saturday, June 19, marks the opening of the season, so be sure to get rooms reserved, boats rented and get your dive and snorkeling gear in shape. Scallops have already been spotted, and we'll have exact spots outlined for you when you get here!
THERE IS NO OIL AT STEINHATCHEE OR ANYWHERE ALONG FLORIDA'S BIG BEND. WE EXPECT OUR WATERS TO STAY CLEAN AND CLEAR. OUR SHALLOW CONTINENTAL SHELF WILL LIKELY PROTECT US FROM ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE OIL.
