The Near shore reef fishing has been awesome; we are still catching stringers of nice Red Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Amberjack and King Mackerel. All the fishing I do is in State waters less than and up to nine miles out. Some of the reefs are in 85 feet of water but most are 65 to 75 foot deep. To consistently catch good fish on these reefs you have be stealthy, anchor the boat, if you don’t think a Red Snapper can’t see or hear the outboard running and see that boat driving around on top of them, well what can I say. I can’t tell you how many times I have had the fish in a feeding frenzy and then here comes another boat that don’t or can’t anchor and drives back and forth across the top of the reef never shutting of the engines, well you had just as well stop fishing and take a break cause the feeding stops!
Most of the time it doesn’t last long they make a few drifts and don’t catch anything then there off to another place, the worst thing that can happen is for them to be determined to catch at that spot, they just keep driving around and around our boat till sometimes I just throw in the towel and pull the anchor and go to another spot. many times I’ve had boats think that I’m sitting right on top of the spot and literally run into my boat trying to get as close to me as they can. I don’t sit on top of the spot!!!! If you see me anchored on a public reef you can bet that I’m at least fifty to eighty feet up current of the spot and sometimes father. The bigger snapper will not be tight to the cover, the small ones will be all in the structure, they are vulnerable to other predators, and they will get eaten if they venture too far away from their home. But to catch the bigger fish on light tackle you have to get them away from the structure, get the fish coming to you and you will stand a lot better chance of stopping him before he gets back into the reef.
INSHORE is about the same and will be for the next two months, Red Fish and a few Specks, Sharks and tons of Blue Fish and Lady Fish; Spanish and King mackerel, are at the top of the list also. I’m catching big Kings around the sea buoys slow trolling big live Cigar Minnows.
It’s all good and the weather has been perfect, if you have any questions about the upcoming fall fishing, let me know, it’s just around the corner and I’m already starting to book up for the more popular weekends and holidays. It just doesn’t get any better than living in Paradise!
No Fisherman ever fishes as much as he wants to!
I know one thing for sure - You ain’t going to catch’em sittin’ on the couch!!
So get out there, take a kid fishing and have a Blessed Day!
Capt. Eddie