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tablets when they climb over, clutching a tube of SPF150 sunbeam annihilator cream and a ‘Minnie Pearl’ (price tag blowing in the wind) wide brimmed hat. There are party girls that pop a beer at seven in the morning. There are sun tan girls draped in loose T-shirts and cut-off jeans with bikinis’ underneath holding a gob of towels and smelling of coconut. There are teenage girls with little knapsacks loaded with God knows what and that go puppy love for the mate. There are rich girls whose facial expression is like they just stepped foot on a junk out of Hong Kong. “Captain, where is the restroom?” “I’ll show you once the lines are cast off.” There are country gals that are out to prove they are just as tough as any man who has ever walked. And then there are just the average ladies who wonder what the day will bring and if she can hold her bladder all day long so she won’t have to ride the five gallon bucket.
Most of the women have limited offshore experience, if any. They tend to be reserved. They notice where things like life jackets, fire extinguishers, coolers and food are located. They notice if the boat is clean, the towels are clean, the mate is
clean and if I’m clean. They wonder about all the fishing equipment. “How many poles do we need to catch a stupid fish in the first place?” “What are all these little plastic fish about?” “Will I be expected to bait my own hook?” They wonder about living condition over the next ten hours. “Will I get cold, hot, wet or feel in anyway icky?” They mostly ignore all the electronic ‘gizmos’ yet wonder about how experienced that doofy looking guy is behind the steering wheel. I’ve been asked “Are you the person who is going to drive the boat?” I guess I don’t look that bright. “How far out are we going?” “That far…?” “Can we catch fish closer to land?” “Don’t worry”, I reply “I make it back to Steinhatchee nine out of ten times on average.” The look is priceless.
When we approach the end of the no wake zone, I ask one or two of the most timid to come sit with me on the captain’s bench. “It’s the most comfortable seat on the boat…” As they come I tell them I’m flirtatious. The husbands or boyfriends laugh, sometimes the women do too but I always get the ‘look’. All women are born with the ‘look’. Not all looks are the same but every guy knows the look.
Within ten to twenty minutes of passing the last channel marker, we stop to pick up the bait traps. The majority of the ladies like this part. It must be a genetic draw to babies. The little fish flip about and they watch. Sometimes we do a brief show and tell, if they seem interested. From little girls to grandmothers, fish petting is a fun part of the morning. “This is a pinfish.” “This is a spot-tail pinfish.” “This is a black seabass.” “This is a squirrelfish.” We, one by one, go through the fish with the ladies. While we do that the guys play off like they know it, but when I glance past the ladies I see some guys taking notice. The girlfriends listen and learn.
“It’ll be about 45 minutes to get to the fishing grounds. It won’t be a bad ride out. Some of you can jump in the bean bags and take a nap.” And it’s off to the races. “So what’s the biggest fish you ever caught Wanda?” “Well, one time I caught a bass and…” In the meantime, the guys are talking about who is going to catch the big one. “Guys, I got five bucks on Wanda.” They smile it off. They forget whose driving the boat and baiting the hooks.
I might start off bottom fishing at a ‘warm up’ spot where there are a few keeper grouper and a nest of shorts. There Lil B and I show the ladies how to hold the pole, how to ‘feel’ the bite and what to do when the fish is on. While we do that the guys play off like they know it all, but when I glance past the ladies I see the some guys taking notice. The girlfriends listen and learn. It doesn’t take too many fish before the ladies are doing everything on their own. And they’re not going through some macho random electro-shock treatment therapy when they’re reeling up a fish. The ladies are smooth and mostly in control. When a good fish is on, they’re not too proud to ask for help either.
We move on from one spot to the next and after awhile one of the guys might notice that ‘Wanda’ is slightly ahead in the keeper category. The “grip and rip” technique is being out done by the “slow and steady” girly style.
At some time during the day I’ll slip in some trolling for grouper and kingfish. As I’ve written before, trolling is a great way to catch grouper, kingfish, as well as other fish. Trolling also levels the playing field in that the momentum on the boat sets the hook and pulls the grouper off the bottom. Guys tend to shy away from the trolling gig because they don’t have much experience doing it, they don’t believe it will catch grouper, and it’s not the “grip and rip” reel monkey thing they thought was going to occur all day long. Women tend to like trolling because it just nice to cruise around in the ocean. Well, once the four to six rod spread is set out properly,
then Wanda remembers one important thing the mate said…”all you have to do when the fish is on is reel steady.” “Fish on, fish on!!” The port stern rod is bucked flat. The guys that are watching are polite and usher Wanda to the pole. The guys that aren’t polite or interested are busy getting beer. Wanda reels steady. A fifteen pound gag hits the ice. The big one, so far. Once the first fish is put on board the rest of the guys want to participate more actively. It’s funny how things work like that.
Now the amberjack acid test. Amberjack hit, pull, yank, dive and make bruises as good as any fish in the Gulf. We get the boat anchored right and there she stands jazzed on what has happened so far but naïve as to what is about to happen. I’m concerned for her. I pitch a frisky live bait out and attempt to explain what to do but I’m interrupted when the pole doubles over. I’m still talking when I hand her the pole and dash off to get a fighting belt. “Oh, God” “Just be steady, let the drag and pole tire the fish” “Oh, my God!” I put the butt of the rod in the cup of the fighting belt. “You can do it, girlfriend!” “Oh, girls can say some different words when in shock so fill in the blank here.” While she’s dealing with her AJ, the guys are getting their fill of grip and rip warfare. She brings in a 15-20 pound fish after an eternal ten minute epic battle. We high five, hug and take a Kodak moment. And I stupidly think she needs a break. Oh no, silly boy. She needs another bait. Now! I’ve seen many a guy sit down after dealing with two good amberjacks. And I’ve seen tiny women to big women stand against the gunnel and battle jack after jack until I was tired just helping them. They keep going and going and going…
That reserved women who got on the boat a few hours ago is giving a seminar on grouper and amberjack fishing. Either the guys are so caught up in their own world that they don’t see it or are ignoring the obvious and trying to play catch up.
So why are women good so consistently? One, the women listen and pay attention. The mate and captain have been there before and aren’t going to pass out bad advice because the more fish you catch the better they look at the end of the day. Two, the women don’t try to over muscle the fish but let the tackle do the work. Believe it or not, women are better kingfish and cobia fishermen than men because they aren’t trying to rip the hook from the fish’s mouth during the course of battle. They slowly and steadily wear the fish down. Last year a lady brought a 68 pound cobia to the boat in less than five minutes. The fish didn’t even know it was engaged. The next week, a man took over 40 minutes to boat a 48 pound cobia that thought it was being yanked to the moon. And last but not least, women are there to have fun. They aren’t in a contest. Fishing is supposed to be fun. They get it.
I mentioned at the beginning that women come in all types of packages. From the smallest to the largest they have proven to be fun. Ladies don’t let the thought of a five gallon open potty deter you from a good time on the Gulf. Honestly, that bucket beats a cramped, smelly, dank head (boat restroom) any day. Furthermore, I’ve never seen a man, even the rough ones, not be a gentleman during your necessary time.
I’d like to see a few more of you ladies come offshore fishing. Let’s put the fun in dysfunctional together.
Thanks for taking the time to read. Take care of yourself and the tackle. Remember take no bananas on a fishing boat.
Capt BJan. 28 Florida Redfish Series Tournament
Feb. 11 Santa Fe High School Baseball Tournament
Feb. 18 Fiddler Crab Festival Fishing Tournament
Feb. 25 Salty Gators Inshore Classic Tournament
Mar. 4 Professional Redfish League Tournament
Mar. 11 Power-Pole Pro Redfish Tour
Mar. 18 Steinhatchee Community Fishing Tournament (Weigh-in at Community Center)
Mar. 25 Cray Cray Festival Fishing Tournament (Weigh-in at Fiddler’s Restaurant)
Mar. 30 & 31 Professional Redfish League Tournament, 2 Day
Apr. 15 Josh’s Place Fundraising Fishing Tournament
Apr. 29 Shands Fishing for Kids Fishing Tournament
May. 6 Optimist Club Fishing Tournament*
May. 6 Florida Lure Anglers Private Tournament
May. 20 Fishing For Vision Fishing Tournament
May 29-Sept. 4 CCA Star Tournament (Ruler Pick Up Location SEA HAG MARINA)
Jun. 3 Steinhatchee Nauti-Girls Fishing Tournament (Weigh-in at Community Center)
Jun. 9 & 10 Reeling For Kids Fishing Tournament, 2 Day (Weigh-in at Good Times)
Jun. 15 Opening Day of Scallop Season for Big Bend Area
Sep. 9 Lady Raiders Inshore Slam Fishing Tournament
Sep. 16 Sea Hag Marina Trash Tournament- World Clean-Up Day
Sep. 23 Casting for Christ Fishing Tournament, Aucilla Christian Academy
Sep. 29 & 30 Florida Redfish Series Championship, 2 Day
Oct. 14 Elite Baseball Fishing Tournament
Oct. 21 Fear the Spear, Spear Fishing Tournament (Weigh-in at Fiddler’s Restaurant)
Nov. 4 Salty Gators Club Private Fishing Tournament
Nov. 4 Sips & Sunsets Food, Wine, Live Music Festival
Dec. 9 Eggnog Open a CCA Stars Event Fishing Tournament
UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, ALL TOURNAMENTS WEIGH IN AT
I hope everybody had a good July 4th. This heat has been something serious to say the least. But we’ve been able to catch some fish especially when a little bit of nasty weather comes through. That rain helps cool the water temps dramatically. But when we for a week or so without rain I’ve seen the water temperature get as high as 95 in some areas.
Scallops are jumbos right now if you can get out and get some before the season ends I would suggest you do so. Even if you don’t get a limit with the size of them you almost get as much meat as you did at the beginning of the season with a limit.
Redfish are still hit and miss but when I do catch them it’s banner days with big thick redfish. I think the moon contributes to the miss days more then anything. For the reds I’ve been throwing live finger mullet that I cast net every morning. You can free line when it’s shallow with no current and add a half ounce egg when it’s deep and currents heavy.
Trout have been either really deep or pretty shallow especially for this time of the year. I know that doesn’t help you a whole lot but just know if your not catching them in that 6-10ft range then shoot up and try that 1-3. Regardless you wasn’t catching them right.
Well everybody I hope y’all can get out and see us before scallop season ends or to get out and get some fishing. Until next time Keep it Reel Native!!
Hey anglers, I do hope y’all have been enjoying this summer. Here in Cedar Key we have staying busy as ever and the fishing has been solid enough to keep a lot of people happy.
Here lately the redfish and snook bite has been absolutely amazing. It’s been as simple as chunking cut bait out around the bars and waiting on the big girls to swim on by.
They’ve been so active here lately that tides haven’t made to much of a difference either. My clients have been catching them on all tide swings and that’s made for some great trips.
Our go-to baits for the last month has been cut mullet, spoons, and variety on c&m custom bait paddle tails. So get out here and start your day off around any of these amazing keys and get ready for an amazing time.
Until next month. Stay safe out there.
Capt. Jason ClarkIn The Slot Fishing Charters
352-639-3209
www.intheslotfishing.com
“Here lately the redfish and snook bite has been absolutely amazing. It’s been as simple as chunking cut bait out around the bars and waiting on the big girls to swim on by.”
North Florida Gulf Fishing Club July Angler Points Update... The leaderboard is making some moves!
As of now it looks like the leading lady angler is Julie Happersett w/477 pts, the youth angler as of now is Matt Lewis w/ 474 pts, biggest red is Barney Johnson w/ a 6.58lb redfish and big trout measuring at 25½ inches is Kevin Hough... NEXT TOURNAMENT September 9, 2023 - OPEN (5 SLOT TROUT, 1 over 19” (PHOTO ONLY!!), 1 Legal Redfish per team (DOUBLE POT), and Mystery Fish) – Launch OPEN Weigh-in © Woodville ACE Hardware © 3:30PM
352.362.0656
I wanted to change it up this week and talk specifically about fishing topwater. I don’t pretend to know everything there is to know about it, but I know I love the explosive bites you can get on topwater.
I am going to break it down over the next few articles so stay tuned over the next several weeks.
For this article, let’s talk basics, then in a few weeks we will get more detailed.
When it comes to bass fishing, I like throwing topwater pretty much year round. It will definitely slow down certain times of the year but it is still exciting. Early morning and late evening are usually great times but sometimes the topwater bite can work all day (in the right conditions).
For saltwater, trout, redfish and snook will all eat topwater….and it can be quite the rush. Usually early morning, late evening can be good but I have seen good topwater action later in the day in saltwater.
Let’s talk conditions. I like calmer water. When the wind gets up too much, the fish will lay off the topwater bite. I think it is mostly because they can’t hear or see it due to the rough water.
I also like cloud cover. If I can have a day with calmer water and clouds, I will be throwing top water a lot.
Now for baits. For bass, I like to throw a topwater prop bait early and late (Devil’s Horse, Lane Changer, buzz bait, etc). For anyone that knows me or has fished with me, I also almost always have a toad tied on. I like the Watermelon Seed Buzz Toad from Producto Lure.
For saltwater, I like a walk the dog style bait. I am partial to the Skitterwalk from Rapala. It seems to work great, has great action and makes some noise due to the rattle. However, there are several options out there from different manufacturers.
Let me encourage you to pick up some of the baits mentioned above.
Be on the look out for my next article and we will talk technique, where to throw it, what to look for, etc.
Get out on the water and have some fun with friends and family. Great friendships, connections and memories are made on the water.
Follow me on social media...Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Stay safe and be blessed!
Captain Jason Lowe 352-362-0656www.jlowesguideservice.com
“For saltwater, trout, redfish and snook will all eat topwater….and it can be quite the rush. Usually early morning, late evening can be good but I have seen good topwater action later in the day in saltwater.”
Hey everybody, welcome to the month of August. August is sort of a transition time for many of the anglers here along the Hidden Coast of Florida. The kids are starting back to school and after some great fishing action the last couple of months many angler’s thoughts tend to shift to the woods! Thoughts of misty mornings in the tree stand waiting for that “bigun” to come slipping by. This means for the non hunter there is less pressure on the fish and it’s a great time to hit the water!
Yes it will still be hot! In fact it’s during the month of August that we will see the hottest water temps of the year. Just like you, the fish will seek the places that are cooler and have a good food source close by. The deeper channels that run up into the grass flats are a good example of cooler water with a food source close by. As are the deep rocky holes in the Creeks and Rivers.
This time of the year the afternoon storms can dump a lot of cold water into the headwaters of the tidal creeks. This creates a flow of much cooler water into the lower portions of the creek and adjacent waters of the Bay. These can be great places to start early in the morning. Try throwing topwater plugs or a popping cork just depending on the conditions, as the sun gets up I like to switch to a gold spoon.
If River fishing is your thing then you are really glad to see the summer traffic winding down! That combined with the shorter days and cooler mornings just seems to say “come on down”! Come on down and relax while you catch yourself a mess of delicious “river bream”. The river bream spends its life in swift, clean waters and in my opinion has a different taste than a lot of bream caught out of lakes and ponds.
At this time of the year the Bream are big and hungry! The best bait really just depends on the Angler. You can choose to soak a red wiggler worm on a hook on the bottom or opt for Beetle Spin on a light spinning rod, or maybe a popping bug on a fly rod for a real challenge?
It’s hard to beat a worm or a cricket this time of the year! You can fish either one under a cork or on the bottom. You will find the Bream on high tide hanging out along the flooded banks of the River and Creeks. Adjust the depth of your cork to match the water depth as you fish between the trees and bonnets.
Around low tide I like to target the deeper holes of the River, especially the area where a creek flows into the River. This is a great place to anchor up and fish on the bottom for the last part of the outgoing tide. You can expect to catch a variety of fish, like bream, channel catfish and if fishing the Lower Suwannee River a keeper Redfish is a real possibility!
Until next time, y’all come on down and enjoy the wild beauty of Old Florida on the Lower Suwannee River!
Captain Tony Johns
352-221-2510
captaintonyjohns@gmail.com
www.lowersuwanneriverfishing.com
Instagram- captaintonyjohns
FB- Lower Suwannee River Outdoor Adventures
“Yes it will still be hot! In fact it’s during the month of August that we will see the hottest water temps of the year.”By: Captain Frank Taylor,
August is here. The kids will be going back to school and scallop season is in full swing. The scallops are still plentiful, and they are bigger now. When it comes to cleaning the scallops, it is a whole lot easier to clean a limit of big scallops than the little ones you get at the beginning of the season, and the meat is twice the size. There are a million different ways to cook those magnificent mollusk so it never hurts to try some new recipes. If you can get a chance to go scalloping in August, you should take full advantage of it. You never know when a tropical storm or hurricane will come along and stir the water up and put an end to the season. The water temperatures are in the upper 80s close to 90° It might feel like bathwater, but it’s still fun to scallop. Every scallop season is different and is often dictated by Mother Nature. This has been a great season and will come to an end of Labor Day weekend. There’s still time for you to get out there and book a charter. If you were going to try your hand at fishing in August, you will need to go out much deeper for the trout, about 6 to 8 feet of water. The Reds will be up in the creeks in the deeper holes. I would suggest early in the morning before the heat of the day. I am personally looking forward to the upcoming months for that great fall fishing!
Jr.
If you can get a chance to go scalloping in August, you should take full advantage of it.
Most of us engaged in this periodical are always working to grow our assets and generate future wealth. Some folks work extremely hard to generate wealth and riches and never get to enjoy their hard work and dedication. What if the asset conversation was way more than money and gold? What if our assets included everything else important in our lives other than the dollar. You must be thinking right about now, “what is this dude talking about?”
Everyone can find a profitable investment these days, especially in Steinhatchee and along the Hidden Coast. But it’s important to pour our time and energy into our children, spouse, grandchildren and into the lives of other family members and friends. The Hidden Coast will never be a profitable investment until the community is cohesive and loving and a true representation of the ‘Real’ Florida. Once people see how amazing and resilient our coastal communities are on a regular basis, they will want to emulate these special places and will want to join our Hidden Coast.
In order to be profitable in these endeavors, we have to start with each of our own foundations. First we have to begin with ourselves, focusing on the Mental, Physical, Intellectual, and Spiritual Health of our lives. Once we have covered love for ourselves then we pour loving energy and kindness into our families. Then keep pouring that energy into the peripherals of our lives. Once we start this reconstruction within, then it will come back to us ten-fold and our assets across the board will start to increase.
We can invest into these assets everyday. Spending time with the people in our lives will help spread our love and energy outward. Taking our kids fishing is also a great example of this type of investment which will contribute to the growth of our asset portfolios. This is a great investment for our children as well because it helps build a real life education, addresses solving real life problems, builds confidence in children, and most importantly our kids get to have quality time with us.
Another great investment we can contribute to teaching and promoting politeness and respect for ourselves and each other. There is so much tension and strife in bigger cities and far off places that feed into a culture of unhappiness and discontent and those attitudes spread like a wildfire through communities. If we emulate respect and politeness then we can really hold the Hidden Coast up to the reputation of the ‘Real Florida’ and ‘South’ that its known to be, a place where people truly feel at home.
The Hidden Coast holds so much potential for overall capital gain. Aside from the fisheries and activities, our coastal communities are amazing places to rebuild familiar communities and educate children and even adults. Our community is a place to plant roots and grow a younger generation into ‘Real Florida’ living. Once we start down this path, the return on investment (ROI) will surpass any of our initial investment potential and it all starts with US!
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