(24 posts) Raritan bay fishing report apr.27 The bite slowed down this weekend especially with respect to clamming which was made difficult by the strong northwest winds. Lots of smaller fish caught and many more missed. The trolling was better though and the bigger fish were hitting trolled plugs. Still not what it was a few days ago. Our biggest bass went around 15 lbs.
(9 posts) Yellowfin tuna fishing out of Grand Isle Louisiana The fishing has been incredible this year. We did 2 overnight trips and filled both fish boxes and had to use the customers drink cooler to get the last few fish iced down. There was a rip 100 yards wide with lots of chicken dolphin we only spent a few minutes there it was still forming up. It should be a great year. We only have a few days left in May and June on the catamaran. I'm headed to Destin Tomorrow to pick up a 60 Hatteras that I will be chartering this summer and a 60 Bertram. Both boats will be ready to fish in a week. I will post more pictures when we get back. I will be offering 12 hour trips up to 72 hour trips. Lunch and dinner will be provided. Give us a call for a trip of a lifetime.
(24 posts) Hot Bass fishing in Raritan Bay April 21. First trip of the season. Flat seas, warm and sunny and the fishing was fantastic. Started out clamming and had action all morning with fish from 12 inches to 20 + lbs. The bite slowed with the slack tide so I put out the trolling rods and had fish on right away including bass over 25 lbs. Great start to what looks like a very productive season. The bass are here now in good numbers.
April went all the way from Fools to Easter week with plenty of action and everything from flat to sporty seas.
The first two weeks of April were marked by great sea conditions and bird piles with respectable size Mahi Mahi. Brown Boobies running west with feeding Mahi Mahi. Every day averaging from 3 to 5 mahi Mahi (always one bull and few cows) all in the 25-50 pound range.
Third week of April the Sea conditions changed dramatically with winds of 20-25 knots and seas averaging 7-10 feet. Making conditions SPORTY. We stayed fishing Caribbean water with the protection of Culebra and Vieques, having tons of fun with the King Macks, Cero Macks, Cudas and Bonito.
This fourth week the Sea conditions settled down, with East Southeast winds and north long period swells. The whole picture changed with plenty of weed lines. Also the schools of skipjack, Bonito, Blackfin and yellow fin tuna are present in the trench.
It seems that the Marlin Candy arrived and the season starts now in May.
Lets get ready to have tons of Fun Under the Sun.
till next bite
Capt Luis Iglesias aka Church
(174 posts) Fishing Fort Lauderdale Happy Day Today Anna and Dan Grinder, along with their children, Courtlan, age 14, and Jackson, age 11, and Anna?s brother, Champ Delashmutt along with his son, Jacob, age 10, chartered the Happy Day Today along with the Topshotfishing team to do some deep sea sport fishing in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Winds were out of the east at 12 mph, seas running 3-4 ft. with blue skies.
It is always good to see old customers returning for another fishing charter, especially, when it?s the 4th generation fishing. I remember Anna and Champ going fishing with their father and grandfather aboard the Happy Day Today when they were kids, and now they are parents themselves taking their children fishing.
Fifteen minutes after leaving the dock, lines were in 120 ft. of water at the sea buoy in Fort Lauderdale. We put two #8 plainers down, one with a 3 ? blue reflector drone spoon and the other with a pink and blue sea witch in front of a double hook Bonito. For surface baits we had two Bonito strips with sea witches in front and two Ballyhoos.
While all three children were excited waiting for their first fish, the plainer rod bent over. Cartiam was our first angler as he reeled in a 10 lb. Bonito. From there the action started ? Jackson was the next angler on the plainer rod - we decided to leave the plainer rod in the covering board to make it easier for him to reel in. He was rewarded with a Black Fin Tuna. Next up was Jacob and we repeated the process of leaving the rod in the holder ? he caught another Bonito. Everybody took their turns including mom and dad and wound up with eight Bonitos, three Tunas and one Kingfish which will be served for dinner that night. I was pleased to have the fourth generation of this family fishing with me, and look forward to seeing them again soon.
All anglers retired into the a/c salon aboard the Happy Day Today for the trip back to the dock at Bahia Mar 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316.
For a successful and adventurous deep sea fishing charter Fort Lauderdale FL for Sailfish, Shark, Bonito, Mackerel, Swordfish, Snapper, Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Grouper contact Captain Zsak. - 954-309-7457 or email us at tzsak@bellshouth.net Website: www.topshotfishing.com.
(174 posts) Fort Lauderdale Fishing Happy Day Today Judy and Carl Ods, along with their children, Liz and Carl, Jr., and friend, John, from Michigan were vacationing in Fort Lauderdale, FL and chartered the Happy Day Today along with the Topshotfishing team to do some deep sea sport fishing. The winds were out of the east at 7 mph, seas running 2-3 ft. with blue skies.
Mr. Ods told me that his son, Carl Jr., had been talking about catching a Shark for the past few weeks, so that was our target for this charter. For the past couple of weeks, large migrations of Sharks (Hammerhead, Mako, Bull, Lemon, Tiger and Thresher) have been passing by Fort Lauderdale in approximately 350 ft of water.
We left the dock and twenty minutes later lines were in the water at the Shark grounds that are in 350 ft. of water off of Fort Lauderdale, FL. We put out three Shark baits ? a surface, mid-range and bottom ? and waited for his arrival. Thirty minutes into it, we were hooked up on our mid-range bait as line peeled off of the 80 International Penn reel and then in a split second it went slack ? pulled hook!! We reset again and waited. Then the rod with the bottom Shark bait bent over and line screamed off the reel ? looks like a solid hook up!!!! Carl, Jr. hopped into the fighting chair to do battle, while we cleared the rest of the tackle. Even though he had youth on his side and was in excellent shape, the strength of the Shark and the fifty minute tug of war was whittling him down. He was ready to surrender, but, Mark, our mate and everyone else on board the boat gave him a pep talk on not quitting and it worked because twenty minutes later he brought the estimated 350 lb. Hammerhead Shark measuring 126? long to the side of the boat for picture taking and release. As well deserved, congratulations were given to Carl, Jr. by all!!!!! His family knew that his plans tonight would be staying in the hotel room resting and recharging his batteries.
Everyone retired into the a/c salon aboard the Happy Day Today for the trip back to the dock at Bahia Mar 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316.
For a successful and adventurous deep sea fishing charter Fort Lauderdale FL for Sailfish, Shark, Bonito, Mackerel, Swordfish, Snapper, Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Grouper contact Captain Zsak. - 954-309-7457 or email us at tzsak@bellshouth.net Website: www.topshotfishing.com.
(174 posts) Deep Se Fishing Fort lauderdale Happy Day Today A friend of mine from Round-Up Country Western dance club, Mark Lashua, and his brother, Mike, along with friends, Alex and Chris, all from Fort Lauderdale chartered the Happy Day Today along with the Topshotfishing team to do some deep sea sport fishing in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Winds were out of the north, northeast at 11 mph with seas running 3-4 ft. and blue skies this afternoon. The goal of this trip was to find a large Shark for Mark to do battle with.
Fifteen minutes after leaving the dock, we were in 120 ft. of water by the sea buoy in Fort Lauderdale. We started off trolling with two plainers down, one with a 3 ? blue reflector drone spoon and the other with a double hook Bonito strip with a pink and blue sea witch in front. For surface baits we went with two Bonito strips and two Ballyhoos. Everybody took turns catching fish (Tunas and Bonitos) before heading out to the Shark grounds which are located in 375 ft. of water off of Fort Lauderdale. In the past three charters we have caught three Sharks in this area ? hoping for number four. We put out Shark baits - one surface, one mid-range and one bottom - and one kite with two live Goggle Eyes. After a twenty-five minute wait, the bell went off and the fight began!!!! The surface bait screamed line off of the 80 International Pen Reel ? Mark?s request was being answered. He jumped into the fighting chair, strapped in to do battle. With a tug of war going on for fifty minutes, finally he was rewarded with a Hammerhead Shark in the 250 lb. class. Mark, our mate, grabbed the leader for picture taking and the Shark was released to fight again.
With a sore arm from his battle, Mark and the rest of the anglers retired into the a/c salon aboard the Happy Day Today for the trip back to the dock at Bahia Mar 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316.
For a successful and adventurous deep sea fishing charter Fort Lauderdale FL for Sailfish, Shark, Bonito, Mackerel, Swordfish, Snapper, Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Grouper contact Captain Zsak. - 954-309-7457 or email us at tzsak@bellshouth.net Website: www.topshotfishing.com.
I use to hold certain species that exact same way years ago, but I've come to find you can seriously injure a large fish when held like that. You guys might be able to keep those down there, so it might be a different ball game. In SC, the numbers are low and the regs require the release of the larger fish; in state and federal waters. We have a very strict slot for redfish, as most people just release them. SC DNR biologist worked with some of our fellow captains in regards to good handling practices. This is a good read for the conservation minded, and clearly notes gill grabbing a fish as a bad practice, unless it's going in the fryer later.
http://www.southcarolinasportsman.com/details.php?id=518
I didn't mean to get into a battle of semantics with you. As a fellow captain, I respect your opinion.
I also have over 20 years experience myself. 
Bryan Draper
Your Saltwater and South Carolina Moderator
The Everglades ecosystem is home to at least 22 non-native freshwater fish species. These non-native fish may be causing detrimental changes to our native fish communities, particularly as the number of new species continues to increase. All but two of these fish were introduced illegally as the result of releases of unwanted pets and food fish, or due to the flooding of aquaculture ponds.
The Everglades CISMA is hosting the Everglades Non-native Fish Round Up to raise public awareness about the potential negative impacts of releasing non-native fish into Florida waters, and to encourage anglers to target these nonnative species for consumption. The Round Up will also gather data into non-native fish distribution and abundance that can assist in their management.
The Round Up will be a one day event open to all anglers (shore or boat) fishing in the Everglades area. PRIZES will be awarded for largest fish (not including Snakehead), largest Snakehead, largest aggregate catch (not including Snakehead), largest aggregate catch of Snakehead only, and will include a junior division. We also will award a ?Slam? prize to the angler that catches the greatest number of non-native species. Details of prizes and locations can be found on our website.
For registration and full event rules visit:
www.EvergladesCISMA.org/roundup
At the request of my roommate, I have just finished developing a free app (No ads either!) that gives you quick access to NOAA River Gauges all over the country. You can use the gauges to view river levels and flow to help find your daily fishing spot. You can also save your favorite gauges for quick access later. I'll be adding in sunrise/sunset soon, as well as tides.
I'd love any feedback you can offer both in terms of new features, and any bugs you may experience.
If you're interested in the App, you can find it in the Google Play store by searching "HydroGauges" or by copying the link below:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bemoreapps.HydroGauges.app
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-WhNLn7VEI
Freshwater Aquarium Fish Gone Wild
Thanks for visiting Bassmaster Magazine's Day around the Lake! This month, it’s Brandon Card’s turn to defend myself against a little lake he’s never witnessed before he’ll make an effort to catch bass for seven hrs in the end document his every move. The 26-year-old Caryville, Tenn., angler was the 2012 Bassmaster Rookie of the season and qualified for that 2013 Classic. Here’s what went down April 12, 2013, when Card required on Lake X, a little reservoir. If cold fronts have ever adversely influenced your spring bass excursions, you’ll wish to stay updated for which follows.
7:24 a.m. Brandon Card makes his first casts during the day having a swimbait within the upper finish of Lake X.
‘Tis the growing season when seafood get wary.
They’re breeding in certain southern states and can be also within the postspawn mode on others. Up north, the ice is departing and bass are beginning to nose around within the shallows.
In many of these situations, the seafood are extremely conscious of their surroundings and fishermen have to step-up their stealth tactics. You need to think just like a hunter and set the advantage.
No matter whether you’re fishing obvious or stained water, limit the sounds you are making, the oscillations you develop and also the shadows you cast within the water.
The trolling motor will help you to sneak on seafood, but only when you're doing so very carefully. I run my motor in a slow speed and steer clear of turning it on / off. Sudden changes create underwater power that may spook a bass.
I additionally start the growing season with a brand new trolling motor prop. A worn prop can trash it of balance. Just a little filing on rough edges can deal with that. Also, make certain no fishing lines are trapped around the shaft that may create oscillations, too.
Tighten all knobs and screws around the bracket to lessen any unnecessary noise or movement. Set the shaft in a height in which the prop isn’t banging bottom or churning at first glance. Otherwise, bass will hear you originating from several ft away.
I can’t stress enough how valuable Energy-Rods are in this kind of fishing. I love to make use of the wind whenever possible, moving a couple of ft before shedding the rods for any couple of minutes as i scan the shallows. That reduces noise and allows you to obtain a good close look at what’s ahead.
I keep your sun inside my back as well as in the fishes’ eyes whatsoever occasions, but particularly in obvious water. If your bass sees you before you decide to see him, likelihood of getting him to strike will disappear.
Fishing shades are another must. I carry a number of different Oakley lens colors to support a number of light and water conditions. Oakley’s “shallow blue” is a great all-round color for seeing seafood, but any light amber base lens is preferable to dark eco-friendly or smoke. My personal favorite frames would be the “Bat Wolf” model that cover my face and peripheral light out.
Hats with brims and hoodies also help stop the side light which hampers how well you see. Remember, you rarely begin to see the entire seafood you have to have the ability to identify a fish’s fin, tail or perhaps eyeball in addition to any brown spots or scattered cover that may hold a bass.
Choose your clothing carefully, too. Avoid vibrant colors and stay with drab t shirts, jackets and hats that match the setting. Avoid sudden actions within the boat and as low of the profile as possible.
Also, if you notice skittish seafood cruising the financial institution, try casting natural-searching finesse baits well in front of the seafood and allow the lure sit. Don’t move it before the seafood approaches and just shake the bait slightly. Lower your line size whenever possible and employ fluorocarbon line anytime you’re fishing obvious, shallow water.
That’s a tactic I did previously win at Cruz Mountain Lake a couple of years back. Some bass were breeding yet others just beginning to maneuver up. I put singleOr16-ounce Shaky Mind having a Strike King 3x Finesse earthworm and allow it to sit motionless until I figured the bass were in visual selection of the bait. After I did move it, all Used to do was jiggle the earthworm slightly and they’d eat it.
If your bass is sitting stationary, cast from it therefore the splash doesn’t draw attention away from the seafood. Gradually slowly move the bait within six to eight ft after which lightly ease it into his zone.
Not every the wary seafood the thing is will to bite, but when you utilize the correct stealth tactics, you’ll catch those that will.
Remember, it’s by pointing out attitude!
Kevin VanDam's column seems weekly on Bassmaster.com. There are also him on Facebook and Twitter.
I throw my crankbaits with an All Star medium action, moderate tip 7-feet fishing rod. My reel is definitely an Abu Garcia Revo Winch, 5.4:1 gear ratio.
That fishing rod provides me with the opportunity to cast a large quantity of weights and dimensions and contains enough give to obtain a good hookset. (You shouldn't set a crankbait hook hard as if you do when you are flipping or pitching.) It has enough backbone to deal with large seafood and also to pull them from heavy cover at the appropriate interval. The Revo Winch allows me move my fishing lures along without lots of work.
When I stated a week ago, my lines are generally Stren 10- or 12-pound-test fluorocarbon. There's one exception, however. When I’m fishing with square bills, I’ll change to a heavier test weight of Stren monofilament. It appears like I recieve better performance by using it, and I am not worried about the larger diameter because I am not attempting to go real deep anyway.
So far as specific types of crankbaits are worried, you will find some industry standards that many leisure fishermen understand. They range from the Baby 1-Minus for ultra-shallow work Ron Clunn’s square bill series the Series 5 created by Kevin VanDam and also the Free Of Fat Shad when you wish to visit real deep.
That’s all fine and dandy however i think you receive some advantages from selecting all your crankbaits in one manufacturer or maker. You receive consistency of performance and you may usually get an accumulation of in the same way finished baits that’ll cover every depth and each fishing situation.
Knowing that, I make our options in the Luck “E” Strike selection. They've something for each situation which i encounter, they’re strong and endure well under brutal conditions plus they include super good hooks. I personally use many of them as they are without touching anything in it. So far as I’m concerned, you cannot inflict much better than what they've to provide.
No matter which bait, or baits, you utilize it’s vital that you browse the directions and speak with other fishermen. Make certain you take a look at stuff on the web, too. Individuals resources could keep you up to date if this involves what you’re getting and just how it’ll perform under different conditions with different tackle.
Such things as actual running depth and gratifaction qualities at different retrieve speeds are important to crankbait success. I stated in early stages a week ago that you could usually catch a couple of bass on crankbaits wherever or whenever you seafood. That’s only true, however, if guess what happens you’re doing and when you’re doing the best things.
These latter posts are things i think matters whenever you crankbait seafood for bass. That does not imply that there aren’t other ideas or ideas which are equally valid because you will find. The most crucial factor to bear in mind about all of this would be to stick to the fundamentals and also to trust what you’re doing. Don’t make fishing into something that’s excessively complicated. It’s said to be fun.
Chris Lane’s column seems weekly on Bassmaster.com. There are also him on Facebook or visit his website, world wide web.chrislanefishing.com.