Reel Anglers Fishing Club
It’s big fish time! The water is warm and the fishing is HOT! By now the inshore water temperature are already in the mid 80s.
This is Tarpon time! I don’t just mean the big girls. Many of us inshore anglers either don’t have the equipment or to be honest the stamina to deal with Tarpon over a hundred pounds. June gives us the opportunity to fish for juvenile tarpon from 10 to 50 pounds.
These fish are hard, acrobatic fighters that we can handle with our existing inshore tackle. They can be caught on the same lures we use for Snook and Redfish. I am not a Tarpon expert but many of the guides we have had speaking at the Reel Anglers Fishing Club this past Winter and Spring know where these fish are and how to catch them. I urge anyone that wants to target these hard fighting fish to hire these hard-working fishing experts.
The summer can be a slow time of the year for our local guides. Booking a local guide is a win/win. We get to experience the best fishing in the area, and they put bread on the table. Contributing writers in the Nautical Mile has some of the best guides in the area writing monthly articles, give them a try!
June fishing for me is either early or late in the day or at night. There is nothing better than the top-water bite at first light or at dusk. The wind is often non-existent at first and last light. Almost any gamefish will hit a properly presented top water bait.
My “go-to” top water is the Zara Spook but there are many other options. Rapala, Yozuri and Mirrolure all make great top water baits. Walking the dog is not the only presentation that works. Often a chugger or popper will get bites when the standards aren’t working. Topwater baits are a great fish finder even if you don’t get hooked up.
Have another rod rigged with a subsurface bait. Immediately cast to the area where you missed the topwater bite. You know the fish is there!
Ice, ice baby! These hot days can ruin an otherwise tasty fish if they are not kept cold. I would suggest for the best tasting fish that you keep your catch in a slurry of ice and saltwater or put the fish you want to keep on TOP of the ice. Being exposed to cold freshwater can make your catch soft and mushy.
Another tip is to bleed the fish to ensure the filets are nice and white and it improves the taste. Please be extremely careful if trying to bleed any fish over the side of the boat. We are in peak shark season, and they are everywhere from two feet of water to hundreds of feet. I have heard of several very close calls when anglers have their hand swishing about the water next to the boat.
Remember that Snook season is closed May 1st until fall. A lot of Snook have moved to the passes and beaches to spawn. In this warm water they can be very aggressive, especially at night and early in the morning. With this warm water please release them quickly so they can spawn throughout the summer.
This is not the time to sleep in! Get your butt in your boat or on the shore before the sun comes up. The best fishing will be over by noon most days.
If you look at both Tarpon and Snook eyes they are made for night feeding. This means night fishing can be the best fishing! A word to the wise do not fish at night if you have not fished there during the day!
Make sure you have all the proper safety equipment and take your time. Keep your multi-function display light as dim as possible. Let your eyes adjust to the dark. Crab traps are a real hazard. You do not want to try and cut a rope off your prop in the dark.
If you are looking to gain some local knowledge and current fishing information, please join the Reel Anglers Fishing Club the second Wednesday of every month at the Cape Coral Power Squadron. The meetings start at 6 P.M. The June speaker is Debbie Hansen of She Fishes 2 Charters. Debbie is an extraordinary angler. If the woman in your life wants to learn more about fishing, please make sure she attends the June meeting!
I hope to see you on the water.
Dan Carney
President
Reel Anglers Fishing Club
www.reelanglersfishingclub.com
