THE FISHING OUTLOOK

What's biting and what to expect on
your next fishing excursion.

From Captain Tom McLaughlin

Before we get too far into the fishing, take a minute to check out our new deep sea fishing boat--the newest edition to Another Keeper--the 32 foot custom built Redemption Song. She was built in St. Petersberg, FL from the finest materials on the market and is a one-of-a-kind sportfishing boat designed specifically for fishing the Gulf of Mexico!

Well, its mid way through January and the Sarasota, Venice, and Boca Grande areas have managed to dodge all but ONE cold front. Its hard to believe folks have been fishing in bathing suits and cranking in fish without shirts and actually breaking a heavy sweat! The waters are finally starting to cool and fish are beginning to settle into a more Winter-like pattern. Though we will have plenty of warm days to come, the temporary drop in water temperatures we saw during the first week of January helped to get the fish moving.

Big yellowtail snapper immediately lit up after the first big front of the year pushed the last of the big Barracuda off. From here on out expect schools of "Flag" yellowtail to be prevalent in waters of about one hundred feet and deeper over significant structure. The biggest of these will be found on wrecks and springs; areas that offer the most drastic change in relief. Also found in these areas of giant Mangrove Snapper, Vermillion Snapper (a smaller variety, that definitely rivals their cousins in flavor!), and plenty of Amberjack and Gag Grouper (the gags of course will be let go to fight again another day).

Safety has always been paramount at Another Keeper, and Redemption Song is no exception. She is equipped with two USCG self inflating life rafts, EPIRB, VHF and Single Sideband radios, as well as a satellite tracking/e-mail/and distress system that is monitored 24 hours a day! She carries Federal fishing permits for both Charter and Commercial fisheries in both the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic.

These same structures are also holding good numbers of Amberjack from thirty to well over one hundred pounds. Ocean Tackle International produces Capt. Tom's weapon of choice: The high speed vertical Jig. No other single fishing style can match the effectiveness and excitement of this hands-on, active technique. Once you try it, you will be hooked! The bite on the big boys will just keep getting better as water temperatures stabilize and the big bruisers settle into their winter haunts. Amberjack are not the only fish that these jigs will fool, one of the fun parts of this fishery is that you really never know what's going to end up on the other end of the line. African Pompano, Almaco jacks, all species of Grouper, Bonita, Blackfin Tuna, and even Wahoo have been caught with these jigs recently.

The Near shore wrecks, reefs, and natural bottom structures are afire with Mangrove Snapper, Porgies, and the occasional Flounder and Cobia. With short boat rides, lots of action, and fine dining you cant lose! Plenty of Healthy Gag Grouper are being caught and released as well. The lack of large predators like Barracuda and King Mackerel may cut back a little bit on the big-fish excitement, but it also makes the "Mangos" a little less weary and little more agreeable. As they rise up in the chum line we use extremely light tackle to free line back baits and fool the biggest of the school! Seasons are open and bag limits are liberal with these guys. While your filling your cooler with tasty snapper, you should also keep an eye out for cruising sharks, a very occasional Cobia and the might Goliath Grouper!

While there is plenty of time to catch some bucket-mouthed Red Grouper, taking full advantage of the increase in bag limit from two per person to four per person, time will soon run out. With the first significant cold front of the eye, the good sized fish have started to move a little deeper and just out of reach of our near shore trips. There are still some keepers around, but Look for a deep sea trip to target quality Reds this time of year, but don't dedicate all your time to them with so many other fishing options around! It usually doesn't take long to catch plenty of grouper to feed the family and friends, leaving plenty of time for some great sport fishing!

Above: High speed vertical jigging is one of the most exciting and action packed styles of fishing to anywhere. This video shows just a small snap shot of the action on a trip in late December 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. Amberjack, Grouper, Tuna, Wahoo, King Mackerel, Snapper, and more all fall prey to anglers wielding specially designed rods, reels, line, and jigs. This is a great light tackle, artificial lure fishery available year round that seldom disappoints.

Above: The "Bama Boys" sure put on a show when they went out in search of Goliath Grouper in August 2010. Fishing approximately three miles off shore they tackled numerous Goliath Grouper from just under 100lbs to well over 450lbs. Goliath Grouper fishing is one of the most unique and exciting fisheries that can be found anywhere. Capt. Tom is considered by many to be one of the best and most consistent captains in this specialty fishing realm.

Speaking of Grouper, February will bring the first of two closed months for all shallow water species of Grouper. This will include Red, Gag, and true Black (aka Carbo or Carborita) varieties. However, if you just cant drop the notion of a Grouper fix, you can always brave the elements, pony up and head way offshore to the little-pressured deepwater springs and ledges and work for Scamp (the best eating of all grouper by far!), Yellowedge, Snowy, and Warsaw Groupers. The limit will remain at 4 person all year for these species. Combine this with prehistoric sized Snappers (Vermillion, Mutton, Queen, and American Red) and its easy to see why we have such a hard time fitting all the fish in the boat! The Red Snapper will of course have to go back this time of year, but they do offer awesome catch and release action on lighter gear! These areas are well guarded secrets within the commercial fishing community, and few people outside of those circles EVER get to experience the action they can produce. These same areas also hold Pelagic fish such as Blackfin Tuna and Wahoo.

The greatest new addition to our lineup of Family focused fishing trips is what First Mate Mason Mclaughlin likes to call the "little-bit-big-boy shark fishing". Its unclear if every single boy on earth is fascinated with sharks, but its safe to say that MOST of them are! Its also safe to say that so are at least half of the little girls too! It doesn't take long to hook the little guys on fishing while targeting these toothy "little-bit-big" fellas. With about twelve species of active sharks that average two to three feet, action is the name of the game. Using light tackle, often fishing inside Charlotte Harbor or just offshore well within sight of land, this is a dream trip for the active family. On most trips we have been able to put together great numbers, and even catch a few "big boy" sharks for Mom and Dad! While we work on a write up for this trip, just drop Capt. Tom a line and just ask for the little-bit-big-boy special. Capt. Tom can usually make this one happen year round.

The full days leading up to and immediately following the full moons will still offer fantastic night fishing through Winter. Most of these trips will be focused on offshore structure in deeper water where we will find giant Mangrove and Yellowtail Snapper, Cobia, grouper, and as always SHARKS. We even manage to catch a few Blackfin Tuna on these trips every now and again. Shark fishing is a brilliant pastime, but it really comes into its own after dark. The gentle slap of the waves against the hull, a nice breeze, and pleasant temperatures will gently lull you to sleep only to be jolted back awake by a screaming drag, followed by an hour arm burning workout. The feeling of seeing these toothed hulks gently sweeping their tails in the glow of the deck lights is truly a sight to behold.

There is certainly no better way to spend time with family, friends, or just to relax away from it all than fishing the pristine waters of Englewood, Venice, Captiva, Boca Grande, Charlotte Harbor, and the Gulf of Mexico. If you are looking for fantastic inshore or offshore action, day or night, then you have come to the right place. Book your trip with Another Keeper Charters and you can rest assured that you will not only enjoy great fishing with Southwest Florida's premier fishing guide and charter service, but you will also enjoy the company of arguably the friendliest Captain in the business!

See you soon,

Captain Tom McLaughlin