February Fish Report

Fishing has been good overall with some nice catches of Snook, Redfish and Seatrout. Lower tides have revealed clear water flats that make sight fishing a challenge: but rewarding. Mark Makuchz had a great day catching seatrout, ladyfish and snook on his first visit to saltwater fly fishing. He caight a 25” seatrout and a 26” snook on fly. Dick Gigaget had a day to remember as he caught Ladyfish and too many seatrout to count and finally landed a snook…North wind to 25mph, left normal areas in the Mangroves that usually have 1 to 2 feet of water barren….Negative tides coupled with heavy North winds will test even the best fly-casters…The weather is projected to start a warming trend for the next few days, and will be well received after this cold front vanishes… Two weeks earlier there was SNOW in upper Florida! Some areas got 6-8 inches and water temp plummeted to 60 degrees, which slowed the action.

Looking forward to typical March days of light winds and higher daytime highs and seeing some early Tarpon arrive…

Stay well,

Capt. Al

December Fish Report

Backwater sight fishing with flies has been off the charts. With negative tides and extremely clear water many good shots everyday was common. Casting distances ranged from as close as 1o feet to sixty feet with good results. Fly patterns varied from Cuban Anchovy variations to weighted black and purple leggy type creations that had serious movement producing. Somedays we had limited access to total lack of water when low tides were negative .o8 and .09…but the outside bars produced some nice Redfish and snook. Seatrout were available most days with some that got to 20 inches. Fishing shallow grass flats in the morning seemed to provide the best action. Also showing up at random timees during the day were Jack Crevalle, a fish that never disappoints showing big runs and aptly named Bulldog of the Sea…Water temps ranged from a low of 61degrees to 72 degrees.

There were days that were blustery to say the least with winds to 25mph+. but fishing was challenging casting-wise but good casts still produced…

Tight lines and good fishing,

Capt. Al

November 2024 Fish report

After a few hurricanes and tropical storms and a little red tide, fishing has basically returned to normal. The water temperature has dropped to 75-77 degrees and fish have responded accordingly.

Backcountry fly fishing is rated good at present with some superb catches of Snook, Redfish and Seatrout with some Jacks, Ladyfish and Mackerel also making an appearance. Weather has stabilized with light morning winds from the East making sight fishing excellent. Fly patterns are size one mullet streamers, crease flies and Rubber legged redfish patterns in brown and black.

Spin fishing has produced well using artificials. Topwater has been exciting, never knowing what is waking behind a “Walk the dog” Presentation. Jigging with paddle tails and twitch baits have also tendered good results.

The prospects for future trips is rated excellent as fish seem to have returned from the turbulence of wind and high water temps, and have settled into their old patterns.

Let’s go fishing!

Stay well,

Capt. Al

August 2024

Fishing is on the upswing with some nice snook and reds being caught. The day begins early at 6:30 am and ends at about 11am, which is plenty of time to get to the backcountry and return…fishing spots in the mangroves and islands…

The weather plays a big part of how far to travel with many thunderstorms almost everyday, so caution and safety are paramount.

Fly fishing the islands we often get good shots at Tarpon in the early am and hook-ups are frequent but landings are minimal as they generally end up in the mangroves. We are fishing 8wts for snook and reds so when a unexpected Silver King slurps your fly, the fight is on and mostly favorable for the tarpon. These early morning fish have been between 30 and 80lbs….Naturally the first jump will make your day!!

Baitfish proliferate the back country at present with
Cuban anchovies and silver sides being predominate…so Beige and white patterns and all white baitfish patterns are producing the best.

Fish are holding in deeper shadows in the mangroves and well placed casts will catch fish. Don’t be worried about hanging a fly in the Mangroves…it is going to happen if you are throwing to small targets of points and back bays….

There have been nice catches of big snook on the Beach from Englewood to Manisota Key… Start fishing about 10am and stay back a good 10 yards from the water as the snook are in the trough which is about 2 feet deep and only 5 feet from the edge of the sand… If you see any baitfish pods throw into them, there is generally a snook or two beneath them waiting to attack the bait…

Offshore fishing has been excellent with catches of Mangrove snapper, Lane snapper,scamp,and mixes of other bottom fish…Water depth has been 40 to 165 feet for best results…Slow pitch jigging has produced the best.

Looking forward to September and cooler weather!!!

Stay safe and well,

Capt. Al

May-June Fish report

May and June fishing has been about Tarpon for the most part. We have hunted them from the Gulf of Mexico all the way down to Sanibel. Everyday having numerous shots at the Silver King. Wind has played a big part in where we travel at certain tides. The big migration was late in arriving so backcountry spots that were accessible were tried with mixed results.

Blake Osteen and Russell jumped a couple of absolute giants which broke off after the first jump…but still a marvel to witness a fish that big coming completely out of the water….

We are fishing them everyday on the beach of Boca Grande if winds allow us to access the Gulf of Mexico.

Backcountry fishing is rated good to excellent on the faster moving and higher tides…We have caught seatrout, redfish, snook and even Bluefish in the back.

Just a word about casting in the wind….Practice, practice, practice!!! The wind is not your friend as some people say…..The further away the fly is presented to these fish, the better chance you have of hooking one. A casting distance of 70 feet is a good normal distance for presentation. A tarpon swims at about 12mph doing nothing..so, every backcast you make means the fish is ten feet closer to the boat.. the tarpon will bounce off the boat at 40-50 feet…Learn to make fewer backcasts,, preferably 2-3 false casts to present the fly….

June has just started and more pictures will be added.

About photos…. To get photos you need a cameraman…. Standing on a poling platform I really don’t get to take pictures especially when we have a hook-up.

There will be more reports this month….

Tight lines,

Capt Al

Fishing Charlotte Harbor, Backcountry, Boca Grande

We have been experiencing heavy winds during the day with wind gusts up to 30 mph but finding refuge around some of the abundant mangrove keys. Fishing 2-3 feet of water with baitfish patterns , kwans and Crease flies has been the answer .

We are getting some nice catches of Redfish, Snook and Seatrout with Jack Crevalle randomly showing up. as well as Ladyfish, Puffers and small Barracudas.

There are Tarpon here and have thrown flies at them which yielded a couple of spectacular jumps before breaking off… We found some tarpon yesterday on the beach staking out and playing the waiting game but only a few fish showed, and no shots. There are Tarpon in the passes at present but main migration hasn’t arrived yet, although there are tarpon showing around Sanibel Island as they make the journey north towards Boca Grande and beyond.

Good fishing in the backcountry with some really nice catches of reds and snook have made fighting the wind worth the effort to get there. Daytime temperatures are 75-80 degrees and water temp is 72 degrees at present.

Daily winds are normal and from any direction everyday….

Water clarity is good in the gulf and clear in the backcountry. Where we fish at present is dictated by where the wind will let us go, high winds blow water out of the backcountry, so discretion and knowledge are your best friends.

All in all, very pleasant conditions daily and good fishing…

Hope to see you soon,

Capt. Al

November Fish Report

The month was filled with good action on seatrout, snook, redfish and assorted species.Jeremy Spencer and son Cody had a “Bent rod Day” as they were hooked up for 4Hours straight catching Seatrout, Ladyfish, Puffers, Lizard fish and Jack Crevalle. Cody learned the Topwater walking the dog technique with artificial surface lures and caught his first seatrout on topwater….Jeremy was busy fishing DOA soft plastics and caught 30 seatrout plus puffers and ladyfish.Jeremy also landed his first Redfish…Cody’s seatrout were over 20”.

Natalie and Lindsay from Utah had a great day catching Seatrout and Ladyfish on fly. Both are accomplished casters and get the fly to the correct area We had shots at a good number of snook, but they were extremely spooky and even with terrific casting we didn’t hook up. Natalie is the woman standing on my poling platform…These two women have drift boats and fish the Green River lower section and are used to casting in less than desirable conditions. Mike and Jack Sheffar fishing in a 20mph wind ,with fly rods caught seatrout, ladyfish and snook ..Mike will hook his firstTarpon in May which is his quest……

Just about every dock in the area is loaded with Sheepshead and the Placida trestle is fishing well. There are a few Tarpon in Boca Grande pass and smaller tarpon out in Charlotte Harbor. I will be running flyfishing this year in my 1720 Action Craft for backcountry Tarpon and light offshore. I also will be running Boca Grande Pass tarpon trips for up to 4 people. and some offshore Reef and wreck fishing….in my 21ft cuddy walkaround boat….

HOpe to see you soon,

Capt. Al White

Boca on the Fly

Hamptons 1st snook

October fishing report

October fishing has been very good so far this month. With air temperatures falling to normal and water temps at 78 degrees, fish have become much more active and aggressive ….John Hoder had a good day catching snook and many seatrout. He also landed a big Spanish mackerel. Later in the day we jumped a Tarpon in the backcountry. HIgher daytime tides offer snook and redfish more opportunities to feed further back in the mangroves…and so target areas were in 2 to 3 foot of water. Poling the mangroves proves to offer the best means for success.

Tripletail and False Albacore are now showing offshore with Tripletail tipping into double digits. Winds and visibility dictate offshore fishing…Good days can be phenomenal!

Good Luck!

Capt Al

July Fish Report

July has started off well locating some backwater fish as most migratory fish have headed north. Rob Allen and son Jack had a great day casting to rolling tarpon and hooking and landing a 60lb poon fishing his 10 wt. He did a great job of strip striking and fishting the fish which we landed in 20 minutes. The tarpon jumped 5 times. The fish was released unharmed even after being chased by a 6 foot blacktip !

There are still a few tarpon here in the Boca Grande area with lots of fish hanging out in Charlotte Harbor in the deeper holes. Early morning being the best time of day to located them. High daily temperatures in the 90,s and water temp at 88 make them susceptible to exhaustion and possible death if not handled and fought correctly. Never lift them from the water to take a picture!!! Idle forward with the boat in gear and wait until fins move, they kick and pull themselves from your hands… Take time to release them properly and unharmed…they deserve it for giving you the fight of a lifetime….Respect the Fish!

Backcountry snook is heating up with early morning action being best. Leave dock at 6:30 and back in at 11am is best. Staying out longer is possible and more comfortable under my bimini top sipping a cool drink while your partner fishes off the front deck….Your comfort and safety are a priority…getting heat stroke is not!

Looking forward to rest of July

Stay well,

Capt. Al

February Fish Report

Fishing the Backcountry in February was good eventhough we had many days of negative tides and access was limited due to higher than normal North winds.

Indiana George caught his first seatrout and snook on fly while casting in high wind conditions. He caught 25 plus seatrout, ladyfish and Jack Crevalle and of course his first Snook…good job George.

Billy and Lee traveled from Virginia and had a couple of good days catching seatrout and ladyfish and snook on fly. For lunch, I crossed Boca Grande Pass in heavy winds and we ate “Cheeseburgers in Paradise” at Cabbage Key…always good food, service and great views. On the way back to Boca we made one last stop at a Mangrove Island and Billy hooked a big snook after a great cast..After the initial hookup the fly rod parted in two pieces, and the snook headed for the Mangroves…With Lee’s help grabbing the tip section and me lipping the snook, all ended well with big smiles!

Chad and Scott Whitlock from Mass. had a good day, eventhough windy, catching seatrout, ladyfish and a few Burr fish. We had non-stop action for a couple of hours on Seatrout and ladies… We then poled the shoreline flats in search of snook and Redfish…. High winds made casting difficult but Chad was up to the challenge and connected with a large snook and fought it for a few minutes and finally brought it boat side where I missed the lip and unbuttoned about a 30” snook!! He proclaimed that everything was okay…..but all of us know the feeling of missing the Big One!….. As a Guide.. the feeling is much worse…..

Scott along with grand daughters Piper and Pierce had a spectacular day spinfishing for seatrout and ladyfish while grandpa Scott fly fished….The girls put on a show with each of them managing double digits. Not bad for a half-day trip.

Spotted a couple of Tarpon in transit to
Cabbage Key….Waiting to see the Backcountry white Butterflies soon which are a harbinger to the arrival of the Silver King…..

Tight lines,

Capt. Al

January 2023 fish report

January was a challenging month with cold daytime temps and water temp in low 60’s some days. North winds at 20-25 added to difficult conditions. We did manage some warmer temps and water clarity was excellent for sightfishing and…add good fly casting…and Voila!! Because we had “Negative tides” it was pretty easy to find tailing reds in less than a foot of water while poling slowly…

Dick G. got a 30” red sight fishing in the rain and 62 degree water. The cast was excellent…. as the fly landed and fell to the bottom the Big Red dashed 25 feet to grab the offering.. and , game on!

Buck P. from Texas had the same experience…well placed cast, soft landing and the eat was imminent….

Greg from Oregon left the cold river waters fishing for steelhead and had a great day catching big snook and Redfish. Tide was outgoing and fish couldn’t ignore big Shrimp pattern….Seems most steelheaders are very good casters!

We did see many Snook over 40 inches but never got a really good shot at them, they don’t get that big being stupid…

We did some searching for Triple Tail outside but they just weren’t around and conditions on the outside were much rougher than the calm bays of the mangroves in the backcountry.

Looking forward to February fishing around Pine Island, Boca Grande and Cayo Costa….Also, did spot a couple of big Tarpon rolling…but no shots at them…

Weather is just going to get better and better and so if fishing.

Tight Lines

Capt. Al

December Fish Report

After the effects of Hurricane Ian in October and November, there wasn’t much fishing done as the rebuilding of property became the most important aspect of life. Eventhough I did venture out to look and prospect for fish, dirty water and floating debris made it impossible…

December fishing was descent with catches of trout and some redfish.

Al Jaeger and his son Wayne had a great day of catching 55 trout on spin gear.

Weather was perfect and obviously fish were eating. We fished DOA shrimp under a splasher and it was game on all day.

John Fosholt enjoyed two days of good fishing catching seatrout, mackerel and ladyfish. He is an accomplished fly fisher who travels the world in search of game fish.

FLy fishing was excellent for seatrout and redfish with many great days in the backcountry. The water is gin clear and sightfishing is the best approach for success. Brush flies in yellow and white, chartreuse and beige produced the most strikes. Water was low, never getting above a foot in depth most days which made poling the skiff essential.

The water post-Ian is pretty much back to normal but the landscape shows the signs of major wind damage. The Red Mangroves are starting to turn green once again and all should be well in the coming months.

The one lesson we all learned is that Mother Nature is THE supreme force .

January has already started out great sightfishing with flies. Presentation is key!!!

Look forward to fishing with you..

Stay well,

Capt. Al

Keith with a nice Jack

Buck makes great presentation and gets the eat