SPRING BREAK

By: Capt. Bruce Andersen

Spring is here, families are pouring into the keys for their spring break vacations and there’s no better time for a family to get out on the water and experience the great fishing the keys have to offer. I have always felt that the best parts of life are the experiences and adventures. I know that for my family, some of my greatest memories, especially with my son Ian and daughter Abbie, are the many times out Fishing, and having fun on the water. I’ll bet that when your kids are all grown up they may not remember what they got for Christmas when they were 10 or what their birthday present was when they were 12, but there’s a very good chance they’ll remember their first Florida Keys fishing trip. We’ve got so many different types of fishing here in the keys that there’s something for everyone. If you have younger kids that are inexperienced or may lack a little patience we’ve got options like snapper fishing on the reef, bottom fishing offshore, or Spanish mackerel fishing in the gulf where there is fast action on light tackle to keep them busy and engaged. If your kids are a little more experienced and patient, we’ve got big game options like sailfish, tuna, dolphin, and wahoo, offshore to give them the thrill of a lifetime.

On my charters aboard the Captain Easy, we’ll usually do a quick interview to gauge your level of experience and everybody’s interests. Once we’ve got a good idea of that, I’ll look at the weather and fishing conditions, and come up with a game plan that works best for your family or group. We’ve got good enough fishing to show your family a great time even on a short trip like a half day and with so many different types of fishing available, we can usually try a couple of different things on longer trips like a three-quarter or full day.

Most of the guides, especially the ones that have been doing it for a long time like myself, are very experienced with families and very patient with kids and we take the time to show them the right way to use the equipment and answer all of the questions they can come up with. So, if you’re thinking about taking the family fishing this spring, I’d highly recommend it. Give me a call and let’s get out there!

— www.captaineasycharters.com

You can reach Captain Bruce Andersen at Capt. Easy Charters, MM 85, call 305.360.2120 or email at: captbrucekey@comcast.net

By: Caitlyn Gatrell

For a lot of inshore saltwater anglers, when you say the words “game fish”, a species that often comes to mind is the Common Snook. They are often found in varying areas, such as marinas, jetties, docks, backwaters, bays, near shore wrecks, flats, etc. We tend to do most of our fishing in the bays of the Ten Thousand Islands, often near mangroves, islands, and flats. There is usually a big population of snook amongst these areas ranging in all different sizes.

We have captured snook small enough to fit in the palm of our hands (caught in our cast net along with bait) up to around 40 inches, but there have been bigger ones caught by others. In my opinion, and I’m sure some may agree, snook can be tough to catch in the mangroves as they tend to move very fast and can maneuver all around the trees, branches, and structures. There have been quite a few times where we unfortunately broke off on a good sized snook, and other times we were lucky.

A few times we have actually managed to catch a snook that has tangled line all throughout the mangroves. This often calls for lots of patience and sometimes even having to get out of the boat and untangle the line little by little with your hands. The snook pictured here is actually from one of those instances. It was a fun and heart racing fight as I was nervous the line would fray too much and break off. But we managed to make it happen, even when we had to have someone get off the boat and go into the mangroves to free it out. I always prefer to try my best to get them out, not just to catch the fish, but also to ensure their safe release as well.

When we get them untangled, they are then able to swim away freely, especially not with a line or a hook attached to them. I will say, I have yet to join the 40-inch club, but I am hoping I will be able to soon! Snook are strong and hard fighting fish, and the big ones often seem to get away from me, but when I am able to capture one, no matter the size, it is still always great being able to see their strength and beauty up close. They truly are a representation of what a game fish is for inshore saltwater fishing.