News Section: Fishing
Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum Jan. 16, 2012
Your One-Stop Spot for Fishing in Manatee County
| Catch of the Week |
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| Brian Thomas of Terra Ceia Island caught and released this giant redfish in Tampa Bay. |
BRADENTON – Ever wish you could understand your GPS or read a chart? Well the Anna Maria Island Power Squadron is hosting a charting seminar on January 24 and a GPS seminar on January 31. Both Events will be open to the public. The Port Salerno Seafood Festival kicks off January 28. The mild weather conditions have allowed for some great offshore fishing and grouper have ben biting, but inshore many people are not having very good luck.
Fishing Updates
- The Anna Maria Island Power Squadron, located at 1200 71st St. NW Bradenton, will be hosting a charting seminar Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. Participants can learn how to read and use boating charts. The event is open to the public but guests are required to preregister.
- For more information contact Gloria at 941-795-0482.
- The Anna Maria Island Power Squadron, located at 1200 71st St. NW Bradenton, will be hosting a GPS seminar Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. Participants will receive a two-hour instructional of generic GPS functions and how to use them.The event is open to the public but guests are required to preregister.
- For more information contact Gloria at 941-795-0482.
- The sixth Port Salerno Seafood Festival is a one-day event on Jan. 28, 2012 in Port Salerno with seafood, music, arts and crafts and fun for everyone. The festival features delicious seafood, seafood-related events and entertainment from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will be held at the Port Salerno commercial fishing dock.
- For more information email jeanneinfl@bellsouth.net
Weekly Fishing Report by Captain Chad Gamble
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The beautiful turquoise waters off Sarasota have been producing some awesome catches the last couple of weeks. I have been targeting grouper and snapper nine to 18 miles out on nice days. Catches have been yielding snapper to three pounds, red grouper to seven pounds and a lot of out of season throwback gag grouper all the way to 10 pounds. Baits of choice have definitely been live pinfish and cut sardines with the cut sardines being a distant second choice. I always start out fishing with cut bait first, then if the bite is slow, I’ll switch over to the live stuff. I have been concentrating in 45 to 80 feet of water and bringing along a few dozen shrimp for the snapper bite. For the snapper, I have been using knocker rigs with 1-2 oz of lead.
On the inshore side, things are still pretty slow for my area and I won’t take clients inside the bays until the fishing turns over to winter mode.
Due to the slow fishing noted above, Hook and Ladder Charters took a well needed break from charter fishing last week and went “fun fishing.” I had the privilege of taking my dad out on an offshore trip where it was forecasted to be slick calm. We planned on going out 32 miles to an area I hadn’t fished in some time. Well, let’s just say the weather man was a little off that day and we got about 20 miles out when my dad was turning a slightly greener shade of that turquoise water I had mentioned earlier in this report. We made the best of it and caught some really nice fish before calling it a day due to “Mr. Mal de Mer.”
As I’m writing this, it reminds me of how important it is to take breaks from the norm sometimes. Its days like this, where it’s easy to just complain about the weather etc. When the truth is, I spent time with my dad, we caught fish, and we had a good time. As a bonus, it will make an awesome story for my kids one day, when I tell them about the fishing trip with “Papa the Human Chum Maker.”
USCG Captain Chad Gamble
Email at Hookandladdercharters@gmail.com
Call (941) 809-8922
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Fishing Forecast
High pressure will hold over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and strengthen tonight then shift east out into the Atlantic Ocean during Monday and Tuesday. Then a cold front is expected to move into the area during Wednesday and Wednesday night.
Monday
East winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Monday night will bring southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
2012/01/16 Mon 12:47 a.m. 0.03 L
2012/01/16 Mon 06:29 a.m. 0.91 H
2012/01/16 Mon 11:31 a.m. 0.55 L
2012/01/16 Mon 05:43 p.m. 1.87 H
Tuesday
Southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Tuesday night will bring south winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2012/01/17 Tue 02:15 a.m. -0.19 L
2012/01/17 Tue 09:00 a.m. 0.83 H
2012/01/17 Tue 12:03 p.m. 0.75 L
2012/01/17 Tue 06:38 p.m. 1.97 H
Wednesday
Northwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. There is a chance of showers. Wednesday night will bring north winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. There is a slight chance of showers.
2012/01/18 Wed 03:35 a.m. -0.42 L
2012/01/18 Wed 07:40 p.m. 2.06 H
Thursday
Northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring east winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2012/01/19 Thu 04:41 a.m. -0.61 L
2012/01/19 Thu 08:45 p.m. 2.13 H
Friday
South winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2012/01/20 Fri 05:36 a.m. -0.74 L
2012/01/20 Fri 09:46 p.m. 2.17 H
Solunar Forecast
Merab is a writer at the Bradenton Times. She can be reached at merab.favorite@thebradentontimes.com
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