Fishing in Rainy Season

By: Capt. Dave Stephens

It appears our rainy season has made it to Southwest Florida, so get used to the normal afternoon thunderstorms. Normally this changes our harbor in a major way. Our clear water that we got used to fishing during the spring months begins to darken. However, this is not pollution and is simply rain runoff that contains tannic acids. These acids are like tea leaves that stain the water brown. Mangrove snapper have great eyesight and can be hard to catch at times, but with the daily rains it can make it a little easier. Also, you might want to drop down your tackle size. Try using a 20lb fluorocarbon leader and a small #1 circle hook. Most small baits will get the job done, shrimp, small pilchards and even cut baits. Most of our snook population has spawned and the beaches will still be holding large numbers of fish for the next couple months. The flats and mangroves are also still holding good numbers of fish. Tarpon should start pushing into the harbor after leaving the pass. When the water is calm rolling tarpon can be spotted from a great distance. Remember to keep an eye in the sky. This time of year thunderstorms form very quickly and can create dangerous conditions.

If you would like to experience some Charlotte Harbors finest fishing give us a call or send an email. All our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs.

By: Capt. Bart Marx

Hello fellow anglers, I have been contributing to this magazine for over ten years. I started with the founder of Coastal Angler Magazine. Rodney Smith started it on the East Coast of Florida. Then it grew to S.W. Florida and beyond. I have worked with several editors over the years. At one point I was even distributing them in our local area. I have to thank Robert Lugiewicz for introducing me to Rodney. And that is the short version how I got this opportunity to share my fishing knowledge. I also taught a local fishing class to seventh graders for ten years. It was named after a local man Don Ball, it was called the Don Ball School of Fishing. It was great for me to share my local knowledge. My family brought me here from Iowa in 1959, I was 9mos. old at the time. I grew up in Punta Gorda where I went to school al within 3 blocks of each other. We lived in Charlotte Harbor and my mom worked in Punta Gorda and that's how I spent time on both sides of the bridge. My Grandparents lived in Port Charlotte where all the grand kids took turns spending the weekends with Grandma and Pop's. Pop's was the one that taught me to fish for shiners with a cane pole and dough balls. As I got older, he taught me to drive the boat. Back in those days there were big islands of freshwater Hiaasen's in the harbor. They came from the Shell Creek when it would rain and send them over the dam. The only time I did not live in Charlotte County I went to St. Croix to work after Hugo in 1989. I have seen lots of changes on the harbor over the years. but I do not remember sharing this information in the past. July in S.W. Florida inshore look for the snook on the move looking for a place to spawn. Tarpon from the beach to the bridge on the Peace River and Myakka River. Sharks are in the feeding mode always looking for a chunk of meat to chow down on and snook, reds, and trout scattered around the harbor. Offshore, red grouper and snapper from 65 feet out to 100 feet. In the 100-foot range some of the wrecks should be holding some nice yellowtail snapper, and barracudas. If you spend a good amount of time, you could find some black fin tuna and amber jacks too. If you would like to come along with Capt. Bart Marx to learn some of these tactics give me a call at 941-979-6517 or e-mail me at captbart@alphaomegacharters.com or if you would like me to come on your boat for a training session, please contact me and we can set a date to go. So always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile!