Tarpon Fishing has been on now for about the past 3 weeks in the Boca Grande area. Although the weather has been less than cooperative to say the least. I have fished further up Charlotte Harbor over the past few weeks than at any time in my career. With several days spent about 15 miles up river. The technique has been to locate free jumping tarpon and set up long drifts in the area. Typically finding the bait pods and birds and putting that together with a free jumper would result in a couple of bites per day. Believe me when I tell you it takes a lot of mental fortitude to fish all day for 1 or 2 bites. There has been a big school of tarpon numbering about 5000 that have been moving in and out of the pass. A combination of factors including bull sharks, gin clear water, low water temps and untypical weather, have contributed to these tarpon not holding long in the Boca Grande Pass. However like magic these fish will get in there and stay and that could happen any day including tomorrow.


I have a couple of openings left in May and a Couple left in June so if you want to go tarpon fishing call me, and I will give you the short list of available dates.

Snook fishing this spring from Fort Myers, Pine Island, and into Charlotte Harbor was off the charts. This was the best fishing I have seen in at least 7 years. I had several days that felt like I was in a time warp and fishing back in the 80’s. There was one day particularly where I spent a good 2 hours with a couple of clients who stayed doubled up on snook. We caught 12 fish over 10 pounds and another 20 or so inside the slot, with not one undersized fish. The best thing about that day was fishing a spot I had never fished in my life because of all the boats in the area and the late start I got with my clients. Moral to the story sometimes you should take the blinders off and take a look around instead of just running straight to your favorite fishing spot. These snook where obviously migrating to the passes and we chanced up on them in a pot on an island.

Look for me to be tarpon fishing only for the next 3-4 months, and for everyone who is interested tarpon fishing continues well into the summer months when the tarpon move back into the harbor and feed until the first hint of winter. Some of the best tarpon fishing of the year is July-September

Capt Andy Boyette
1-888-880-0006
www.gofishcharters.com
www.tarponcharters.com

Spring may have finally arrived. With the weather patten improving daily the fishing has steadily improved the only variable was the cold mornings scattered throughout March that made fishing conditions tough. These mornings made for some seriously tough fishing and on some of my trips we sat on several schools of red fish with lock jaw. On the other end of the spectrum was the nearly 90 degree days where I experienced red fish catches up to 6 lbs with the majority being cookie cutter 22 inch red fish. These red fish where hungry and scattered all in the Pine Island Sound area. Mixed in where some very nice trout and my clients caught numerous trout over the 5lb mark.

The bait population is beginning to show up and can be caught in various places bring a 1/4 inch mesh net since it is on the small side and gilling will occur. But with the bait the snook fishing has been turning on and great action can be had for those who spend the time it takes to net bait.

Tarpon fishing is already beginning I personally seen free jumpers in the lower Pine Island Sound and Ft Myers Area. The major tarpon season runs April-July and these dates are beginning to fill up. The economic turn down in the area is more like a correction in the market place as far as rentals are concerned. This is a windfall for visitors who are finding the rental market more in line with reality, with rentals at 1/2 or in some cases a 1/3 of the cost than in the previous 3-4 years. This has been a plus to my booking with most of my clients delighted that they are no longer having to overpay for a place to stay.

My rates have remained the same for the past 6 years and I credit that to good management and my continued search for unconventional ways to cut my cost and pass these savings on to my clients in the form of no rate hikes, even when the cost of fuel surged to over $4. Last week I added a second boat to my business a light shallow running skiff capable of carrying the same four passengers I carry on my bigger boat. The Shallow Sport with a 150hp four stoke is 2 feet shorter and 100hp less than the Ranger Boat. I should once again be able to save fuel dollars and be able to maintain. As a promise to all of my annual clients who fish with me every year and to those looking for a guide, I will continue to search to for ways to keep my cost at minimum and balance that out with a fair cost of a fishing charter to insure the future of my success as I celebrate my 11th year as a fishing guide.

I have some dates still available in April as well as May and June, however I have a lot of days that are unavailable so give me call and lets go catch some Tarpon, I expect another great season.

Capt Andy Boyette
Tarpon Fishing
1-888-880-0006

With the new fishing regulations coming into effect for grouper, I decided to take a quick fun trip offshore over the holidays. I accompanied Dr Dan Moenning and his father and father-in-law in search of dinner. we traveled west for over 12 miles before we ever found bait a stark contrast to my last offshore trip when bait was thick as molasses. After a few stops we had a couple of dozen squirrel fish and about a dozen hand size blue runners. On the first grouper hole we managed 1nice keeper red grouper, we moved to another and picked some under size gag grouper. On the third and final stop of the day 2 more short gag's and 3 nice keeper red grouper. We also caught around 15 nice lane snapper up to about 2 pounds.

On a side note to any on out there with some old TD numbers they have held on to, Dan had acquired a new program to convert TD numbers , having tried this on a number of occasions, without success, we reluctantly fished some spots we converted with the new program. This new program converted our numbers dead on the money. At the moment the program is unavailable to the public, but will be coming as an update to certain manufactures GPS systems in the first part of 2009. I will report the names after the release, so anyone looking for it will know how to get it.

Also tarpon season is around the corner I have been booking trips already, but have a lot of availability. Give me a call to discuss any dates the end of May is already pretty jammed up. But the beginning of May and June is mostly open.

Hope Every One Had A Great Christmas And Looking Forward to A Prosperous New Year

Capt Andy Boyette
1-888-880-0006

Every year at this time, after spending some great fishing days inside the backcountry flats and tarpon filled holes of Charlotte Harbor, I take a annual trek offshore. With a break in charter action and the right weather conditions Capt Scot Hughes and myself took a break and headed offshore in search of the annual kingfish action. With light winds and warm air temps and water temps in the low 70s we headed about 12 miles west of Boca Grande to an undisclosed wreck. With no bait in sight in the harbor we figured we could sabiki some bait offshore and slow troll it near the wreck and pickup some Kingfish. About halfway we found a nice pod of threadfins about the size of two football fields and proceeded to fill the live well. Once on the wreck we immediately marked plenty of suspend fish on the color machine and deployed some frisky baits behind the boat. First fish to the boat was a small king about 7 lbs. Not exactly the kingfish we where hoping for but kingfish none the less. Next couple of drifts bring the same size king fish, when suddenly another hookup looks to be much bigger fish. Not running like a kingfish, after about a 20-minute, fight and some imaginative guesses about what could be on the end of the line, we boat a 25lb Amberjack Really great action on the light tackle we where using with multiple fish landed over the next hour, the largest about 40lbs

Kingfish should hold in the area for another few weeks and the Amberjack we encountered will stay on these near shore wrecks until the warm weather returns in the spring. The grouper bite has been fair close to shore along with the snapper and like the amberjack should stay close as long as the weather stays cool.

Inshore fishing will be in a transition until water temps stabilize. With the bait supply drying up your favorite plastic and jig combination should bring plenty of trout action. Big redfish should start showing in the potholes where chumming with cut bait like ladyfish will pay off. Snook fishing in the canals and in the rivers should be good. After cold mornings warming afternoons will be the best time to be on the water.

A short video of our amberjack action can be seen at http://flixoutdoors.com/play.php?vid=194 Look in the members section under captandy

Capt Andy Boyette
1-888-880-0006

Prior to the cold front that past by first of the week where temps dropped into the 40s Pine Island Sound was stating to show some decent action with Snook and Trout with the occasional Redfish. Bait fish was making a good showing but unlike the past few years it is not in the usual spots. Tarpon began showing in small numbers on the beaches and I have heard from other guides they have been catching a couple a week. I went in to the big Pass today and marked a handful of tarpon and there where several boats drifting live bait.

Bull and Turtle Bay have been fairly reliable with a mixed bag, but I struggled to put fish in the boat today. Several of the trout we caught did not even fight, indicating that the cold must have affected them more than I thought.

Upper Charlotte Harbor has a steady supply of bait in and around the two bridges. Snook fishing continues to be good in the rivers and canals, and I expect until we get a week or longer of warm days they will be in no hurry to leave.

I have been steady booking tarpon trips and have very limited availability for May. I stll have openings in June so if you are planning a tarpon trip this year you should be getting your plans together. I expect another phenomenal season