What a week this has been for inshore anglers. Everything from snook, trout, redfish, Spanish mackerel, and grouper, to tarpon, cobia, and mangrove snapper have been biting in Tampa Bay and surrounding waters. Strong tides have been the key to successful trips, for anglers looking for a good bite on everything but the grouper.

Snook action has been on the upswing around known spawning areas like the passes and barrier islands of the Gulf. Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands, Three Rooker Bar, and the Port Manatee spoil island are some of these prime areas for good snookin’. Inside the passes, concentrate on mangrove islands and points with good water flow and bait-holding capacity. Swash channels around oyster bars are holding plenty of snook and reds on the higher tides and the turn of the tide.

Trout fishing has steadily improved. Better numbers and sizes of fish from Tampa Bay south have been seen over the course of the past couple of weeks. Areas with good tidal flow, patchy grass, and a combination of hard bottom and sand in depths ranging from 3-to 7-feet have been the best.

Cobia have been cruising the flats from Green Key to Anclote and around the range markers in Tampa Bay. Anglers fishing from the Skyway Fishing Piers are also catching them. Live pinfish or crabs are prime baits.

The availability of live shrimp is improving. Most of the shrimp are still on the small side, but over the next few weeks, expect to see larger shrimp and bait shop supplies restored.

HAMILTON, Bermuda - A fisherman was recovering from surgery after he was speared in the chest and knocked into the Atlantic Ocean by a blue marlin during a fishing competition off Bermuda’s coast.

Ian Card, 32, was in stable condition at King Edward VII Hospital in the British Island territory from a wound that his doctor said could have been fatal.

“He was very lucky,” said Dr. Christian Wilmsmeier. “It was a very serious injury.”

Card and his father, Alan, both operators of a charter fishing boat and experienced marlin fishermen, had just hooked the fish Saturday when it suddenly leapt out of the water, impaled Ian Card just below his collar bone and knocked him into the ocean.

“The fish all of a sudden changed direction and jumped. The fish made a leap and Ian just happened to be in the way,” Alan Card said.

The younger fisherman managed to struggle free while his father cut the line and helped his son get back into their boat, the Challenger.

They managed to make it back to shore in about 40 minutes for emergency medical treatment.

The fishermen estimated the marlin at about 800 pounds (363 kilograms) and about 14 feet (4.3 meters) in length.

published by CNN

Pinfish are great bait for a wide variety of species; they are easy to catch and are found all over the shallow waters of Florida. Put a little bit of bait (squid works very well) on about a #1 or #2 hook and toss it over some grassy bottom - it won’t be long before the well is full of ‘pins. You can also chum them up with catfood and bread and throw a cast net over the whole lot - ‘pins are fast though, and often can run faster than the net can sink. Sabiki rigs work well for catching pins, but sometimes you need to add a tiny bit of squid to each hook to make it more effective.

Pinfish are very hardy as baitfish go, often outliving everything else in your baitwell. When handling them, watch out for the very sharp dorsal spines - they can really stick you good (that’s how they get their name). Hook them just under this fin and fish them with little or no weight inshore. Offshore, a live pinfish will often get grouper to bite when nothing else will. This is a great baitfish that will also give beginning fishermen a very nice tussle on super-light tackle (nice way to entertain the kids on a windy day).

Having Aluminium Pontoons on our boat and having it moored in a saltwater slip only means one thing, heavy maintenance. After this Jan.’s over haul and scraping the hulls clean for days to a baby’s butt finish. We do not want to do this again for a while. With 2 coats of $80.00 a quart primer and 2 coats anti-foulent paint at an equal price we tend to do some cleaning everytime we get out on the water. We use a soft plastic dish scrubber to go over the bottom of the pontoons to whipe clean any growth that may have thought it has a new home. This thirty min. process will help keep the bottom smooth for as long as possible.

SCALLOP LIMITS:

Whole Scallops: 2 gallons per day per person,
or 10 gallons per boat

Cleaned Scallops: If you decide to clean your scallops while out
on the water, the limit is 1 pint of scallop meat per person
per day, or 1/2 gallon per boat

In Florida, Scallop season is open from July first to Sept. 10^th. Homosassa and Crystal river generally offers some of the best scalloping around. You have a have saltwater fishing license to catch scallops. Just one license per boat won’t do; everyone on board needs to have one. Scallops are fairly easy to catch! The only equipment you need is a mask, snorkel, fins, and a mesh bag to hold the scallops. Scallops move by snapping their shells together and ’spitting’ water out! They propel themselves rapidly in a zigzag direction. Most kinds have a series of brightly colored eyes along the edge of the mantle.

The only trick to catching scallops is finding them. They are usually found hiding in or around bladed sea grass. Because of the coloration of the shells, they blend in easy in the surrounding area. If you’re in a boat, a pair of polarized sunglasses really helps to scan the water in search of the scallops. When you get into an area of bladed grass, get into the water and take a closer look. If you find a one, you’ll usually find a lot more!

Offshore

Fishing offshore has been most productive well offshore now. With water temperatures in the 80’s, fish have been in deeper waters. Many numbers of kingfish are still being caught. Plenty of smaller ones are there but Large smokers are still out there in the 40-pound range. Most fish are around structure, such as wrecks, and both natural and artificial reefs.

Inshore

Anglers fishing the beaches and lower Tampa Bay for tarpon were reporting banner catches of fish reports around Safety Harbor have been good with large schools of tarpon. Most being caught of off landed on crabs, threadfin herring, D.O.A. trolling model Baitbusters.

North Pinellas and Pasco waters have seen some great action on some large gator trout. LuckyAnglers fishing Luv lures and Mirror lures. Tarpon Springs anglers working grass flats in 5- to 7- feet of water are catching speckled trout up to 4 pounds. Tossing Jigs and Tsunami Trout Maulers are having similar action. The live baiters have had the same luck with shrimp and smaller pinfish

The decision to purchase an outboard engine is getting more selective as technology improves. As of now the majority of consumers are faced with several options when deciding upon what kind of outboards will best suite them. The number one factor lately is whether to purchase a new or used two stroke or four stroke engine.

When faced with this decision you must prioritize several features that are prevalent in each motor. For example, two-stroke motors are lighter, faster (in most cases) and less expensive. Four-stroke motors are cleaner, smoother, and more economical. Many people who run in lakes and rivers prefer 4 stroke boat motors because they make great trolling motors and meet the 2006 EPA mandated requirements. Others prefer 2 stroke engines when the need for top end performance and acceleration takes precedence. This is not to say that two-stroke engines cannot troll or four stroke motors are not fast. It’s just a matter of preferences, features, and benefits that attract customers. Regardless of what you choose to purchase, if you use due diligence and do your research you cannot go wrong, Below is a table of pros and cons for both motors

2 Stroke Pro’s

Lighter

Accelerate Fast, In some Cases More Top End

Purchase Price Less Expensive

Easier to Repair

Have Been Around For Almost 80 Years

Very Strong Used Market

Parts Availability

High Resale Value, High Demand

Simple Design Meaning Less Things To Go Wrong

2 Stroke Cons

More Pollution

Must Mix Gas with Oil (Non Oil Injection Models)

Rougher Idle than 4 strokes

Noiser than Four Stroke Outboards

Harder to Start (in some cases)

Carburetors gum up if not used often

Spark Plug Fouling

4 Stroke Pro’s

Quiet and Smooth

Good Fuel Economy

Great Trolling Motors

No Oil/Gas Mixture

Smooth Idle

Less Pollution

Accepted at Any Body of Water

Future Production will Be all 4-Stroke or Similar

Very Reliable

4 Stroke Con’s

Heavy

Often Expensive to Repair

Not As Many Trained Mechanics Yet (Growing Rapidly)

Often Expensive to Purchase

Technology Still Being Improved

Very Limited Used Market (Although Growing Rapidly)

More Parts to Malfunction (Technology Improving)*

Most Not as Powerful as 2-Stroke Rated At Same HP*

Harder to transport or position in storage w/o a stand

You really cannot go wrong with either choice. Both motors have their advantages and limitations. Right now you are safe to purchase a 2-stroke motor in most places and not have to worry about being excluded from boating. There are some lakes that require 4-stroke motors but the majority have not adapted these mandates yet. We suggest that you review some of the information on this page as a source of knowledge when it comes time to purchase an outboard motor.

Outboard brands

Mercury
Mariner
Nissan
Suzuki
Yamaha
Chrysler
Evinrude
Sears Gamefisher
Honda
Johnson

Rolling Tarpon sited in St Josephs sound , The school was of 5 to 7 Tarpon that didn’t seem be to to spooked by our presence. We came across them in between storms . A little rain didn’t bother us though. What did bother us was the stingrays and small shark that kept us busy while we watched the Tarpon swim up and down the channel . We even rigged a large Penn reel with a large pinfish about the size of your hand but again a Black tip shark took us for a 30 min battle . After a while and all the comotion the tarpon seemed to have slipped thru with out a bite for us. This coming weekend will do some fishing from another boat. My Mercury outboard seems to have a small problem and will come out of the water for maintence. For a Mercury outboard I have ran for 6 years with a problem , just skd mtc. We cant complain to much.

Went out last evening with one of my best friends . Took in the sites of the 4th of July and then set out for some Mango’s. Went out to 27 feet and anchored, waited for the anchor to grasp on and dropped a line. It took 20 seconds before the first shark was brought in and then one after another after that. We used just about all baits we had on hand. Squid, pinfish, Grunts and jigs. We just could not get any bait to get to the bottom. After some battery issues and a couple beers wound up at the docks again at 4am. A nice evening saltwater fishing if I dont say so my self. My new bride asked me the next morning why we had no fish to bring home and I had to re-explaine the best buddy saltwater fishing situation again. I dont blame her though being married for only 4 days and I dont come home until 4ish in the morning stinking of fish and bait……good thing she is a avid fishergirl or she would have never believed us.