Whew! It’s been way too long since I’ve posted – I guess you can say that I am just that dang busy (not a bad problem to have – good weather and great fishing). These photos are all from the last couple of weeks or so- and I apologize to those of you who I haven’t gotten around to putting on the ‘net yet!

[b]OPEN DAYS – August 26, 27, 29 and [b]various labor day weekend openings[/b] and plenty of September dates for our awesome backwater fishing (bait busting reds & TAILING reds, among every thing else!) and wreck fishing…and start thinking about your fall, october/november dates![/b]

Overall – this summer has been a great one and there is little sign of it slowing down anytime soon. The bait has been plentiful on the wrecks and live-bottoms and there have been plenty of fishing to play with! This is definitely the summer of the amberjack though as the jack fishing has been the best that most of use have ever experienced. However, I have had so many great days this summer that it’s really difficult to remember the slow days…there’s simply been that much going on and I’ve had that many options available to me.

[b]BACKWATERS – [/b] While the shallow water drum fishing was a wee bit slow in july (we had some really good days and a few slow ones)…the bait and jig fishing around the docks, channels and deep hard-structure was hot. Finger mullet produced a lot of reds in the 12-33″ range and enough keeper flounder to keep us very entertained. Also, very productive was the sheepshead and black drum fishing on shrimp and crabs. There are tons of those guys around the docks and what not and they pull like beasts and are great on the table.

NOW, however, the puppy drum fishing is picking up very very fast as the shrimp are starting to move with the tides. Expect to see plenty of “bait busting drum” very, very soon!

[b]NEARSHORE – [/b] – There are a few flounder on the wrecks and we’ve been able to hammer out a few decent catches BUT The big story is all the BIG to GIANT spanish mackerel and small kings that are all over the nearshore structure. We chum these guys up with live finger mullet and it’s HOT & EXPLOSIVE action as the mackerel slash at the baits on the surface. We’ve had lots of citations in the 6-7lb range and lost a few bigger fish to some cudas.

[b]WRECKS AND REEFS – [/b] – This summer has been a great one to live-bait troll in the 8-20+ mile range. June was covered up with dolphin and july and august has been ALIVE with Amberjacks, king mackerel and just about everything else you find out there. The AJ fishing is really the highlight though – it’s all you want on bait and breathtaking on topwater, butterfly jigs and the fly rod. Most days we fish for them until everyone’s arms are so tired that we need to do something else. Other highlights have been great king mackerel – including a 45-50lb fish we released and my wife’s most recent sailfish!

The typical day is a random assortment – as many AJs as you want, a good number of kings (all sizes – from 12″ to 50lbs depending on the day), a few big spanish, mahimahi on some days…and throw in cudas, false albacore and sharks and you have about all the action you can handle. You also have a decent chance at a sailfish – I’ve had about 5 in the baits or hooked up briefly during the month of august.

[b]Katie gets another nearshore sailfish. [/b]

My wife, Katie, and I decided to take a day and do a little fishing since she hardly ever gets to go out.
Fishing within 10 miles, we played with amberjacks for a while and after I jigged up a few baits, we decided to do some live-bait trolling. First line in at 10:28, 2nd at 10:30…while putting the DR out…the port rod starts to bounce and i tell katie that something small has taken the bait. She sets the drag….and then I see the bill come out of the water. This guy was a great fighter – lots of jumps and he dumped the reel three seperate times before diving. Even boat-side, after 30 minutes, he was extremely frisky and me after i grabbed the bill. It took Katie, who fought him extremely well, 35 minutes to get him gunnel side…and the best part? My good friend Capt. Scott came over and took photos of us holding it together! Whelp – that’s going to be screensaver photo for life (plus, it’s already on the mantle!). She catches on about 50% of the time we go live-bait trolling….that’s hard to beat.

Fish was out of the water for 1 minute and revived strong.

Not bad for 8-10 miles out!!!

[b]WRECK AND REEF PHOTOS:[/b]

A few of my favorite photos from this summer…

45-50lb King (59 inches long with 23.5″ girth) – *RELEASED*

Amazing AJs and mixed bags:

This Fish is HUGE. Glenn is 5’11”, Dan is 6’8″ and Anthony ia 6’4″…does that put it in perspective? It took 75 minutes to bring to the boat and two of us to lift it out of the water.

This brand new Trevela F Rod exploded.

My wife getting her butt kicked by a big AJ on a butterfly jig…

We ARE NOT members of the CUDA FAN CLUB.

24.5lb False Albacore

AJs on FLY:

[b]NEARSHORE – Flounder and EXCELLENT BIG SPANISH[/b]
[b]*CITATION* 7lb Spanish[/b]

Lincoln Crew with one of their very nice spaniards

[b]*CITATION* 6lb Spanish[/b]

The Pulley crew KILLED ’em today with a bonus cuda (what little boy doesnt like to catch a cuda???)

*CITATION* 6.1lb Spanish for this GOOF BALL 😆

A few flatties mixed in…

It took two of these guys to land an oyster toad….but three to get about 25 flatties.

[b]BACKWATER MIXED BAG FISHING[/b]

Captain Lee Sykes and myself with two *Citation* 10lb sheepshead

Regulars Anthony and Angela had an awesome backwater day – first a bunch of nice black drum and sheepshead…and then flounder, reds and trout from the docks!

JD caught a few reds in the shallows and finished off the day with several big flounder from the docks (all of which he released!).

LOTS of Specks around this summer – the FALL should be AWESOME – call for details!