Captain's Report - September/October, 2007

by Capt. Dave Mistretta

What’s hot: The weather is what is hot. Humid conditions have made fishing during the day a chore for all, especially people that are not used to the heat. We have been periodically jumping over to swim to cool down. Another measure we take to stay cool is to not fish one spot for a long period of time. About 15 minutes on one spot is good enough for me and my clients. The first 5 minutes seems to be when all the action occurs during this heated month.

Timing: Coordinate your schedule so that you’re fishing when the tides movement is ideal for a good bite. Carefully watching the major and minor moon phases can make you look like a hero when the fish turn on. More often than not you’ll get some kind of action during this time.

Grouper: We are still catching our fare share of red grouper about 25 miles from shore. Some of the fish have been heavy, weighing more than 14 pounds. Both dead and live baits are working, once you have located your targets.

Snapper: We have been catching a good deal of mangrove snapper this past week, but the action cannot be compared to last years bite at this time. The fish are usually quite aggressive during their spawn, which is supposed to be now. I have notices undeveloped roe in many fish. This tells me the fish are not on schedule, next month should be better. Sometimes this happens with fish. Paying close attention to their fatty content and roe development is the key to success in many cases.

Captain's Report - September/October, 2007

by Capt. Dave Mistretta

Past Captain's Reports