The slight change in weather accompanied by the front this past weekend was just enough to create a little spark in snook action. New moon tides made for some good moving water, turning on the bite by the first part of the week. Anglers throwing topwater baits like the Rapala Skitterwalk and MirrOlure She Dog found snook blasting baits. Over the next several weeks, snook fishing should get nothing but better.

Redfish action improved. Schooling activity along the Gulf barrier islands has brought some breeder-sized fish closer to shore. Reds pushing 15 to 25 pounds were reported from South Tampa Bay and areas near Egmont Key to Dunedin. Gold spoons like the Johnson Sprite or Nemire Red Ripper are working well. Some of these schools of fish are very wary, with even the slightest noises spooking fish of the flats. In that situation, Berkley Gulp Peeler Crabs are working well. A “dead stick” presentation with the Gulp is producing best around skittish fish. Fish it like you would dead bait rigged on a circle hook. Chuck it out and let it sit with minimal movement.

Speckled trout fishing in the southern portion of the West Central region has been slow, or hit and miss. While fish are being caught, the percentage of legal size fish is low. The DOA Shrimp has been very productive along with the clacking float, such as the one that comes with the DOA Deadly Combo.

Got one good day of fishing in do to a cold my new husband got Salmon fishing up north but we made Sunday a great day, We maxed out on Mackerel. A large school of mackerel have been chewing up the bait 2 to 4 miles off shore. We used silver and gold spoons rigged with 2 to 3 foot of steel wire. The water was boiling with Mackerel all over the place. had a good friend with us who has never seen a mackerel run befor and he was overwhelmed with excitement. The schools have been targeting glass minnows. After a few hours of mackeral fun moved onto the flats for some trout action but only caught some shorties. Did manage to get some juvie Grouper on the deeper flats of St Josephs Sound though. If you have nothing to do and want some action I suggest load up on spoons and head out 2 to 4 miles off of Honeymoon and look for the birds. You can catch some video action of me on U-Tube.com and plug in luckyAngler for the movies.

Good Luck and Keep Fishing

Keeping your marine outboard engine in tip-top shape can be done even if you’re not a accomplished mechanic. There is nothing worse than taking your boss or client off shore and hearing that all-too-familiar cough and sputter from the outboard. More often than not, just a little TLC and preventative maintenance could have prevented the fact that you are now bobbing around like a cork and calling sea tow or boat us to come out and tow your but in at 100.00 dollars an hr at 4 knots.

If you are not a mechanic, get a reliable one and start every season with a professional tune-up. You should have the mechanic test the spark, run a compression test, pressure test the lower unit, check the seals and water pump, test the warning alarms and, in general, go over the motor in such a manner as to eliminate most causes of breakdown. After you have had your annual check-up there are many things that you can do to help assure that you make it through the season without being towed home.

After every outing, flush out the engine. This doesn’t just apply to salt water outings but to fresh water as well. If the lake or river you operate on isn’t as clear as the water from your garden hose you need to flush. If you ran aground and kicked up some sand, you need to flush. It won’t take long, ten to fifteen minutes, and during that time you can check out some other items.

To flush the engine you will need a set of “rabbit ears” (two flexible rubber seals connected with a metal clamp). Simply slip this apparatus onto the lower unit where the water is picked up and attach a garden hose. Start up the engine and let the water pump do the rest. (Be sure to stay clear of the prop and make sure no one tries to shift into gear)

While the motor is being flushed, check the water pump to make sure you have good water flow. Carefully put your finger through the stream of water. It may be warm, but it shouldn’t be hot. If the output is not strong, you may have some debris stuck in the outflow tube. You should immediately shut down the engine to prevent overheating and damage. A small piece of wire or similar object can be inserted up into the flow tube and worked back and forth. Start the engine again and check the output. If that doesn’t solve the problem you may need a new water pump.

After flushing the engine you should disconnect the fuel line and allow the engine to burn all the fuel in the carburetor. By the way, make sure you always use fresh fuel. You should not use fuel that has been sitting around for over 60 days. That means; at the end of your season take the fuel in your tanks to the proper recycling authority. Don’t save it up for next year. That’s an invitation for disaster. Other fuel related items you should check are:

•        Check the fuel line for cracks and worn spots

•        Make sure the fuel primer bulb is not cracked and is pliable

•        Make sure the fuel line fittings seat properly and don’t leak

•        Check the clamps on the fuel line for rust or corrosion

•        Check the fuel tanks for damage and corrosion

•        Check the tank vent to make sure it aspirates properly (many a mechanic has handed a boater a bill for services after he simply opened the tank vent)

•        Check for water in the fuel

These simple things work for all brands of 2 stroke outboard engines and all makes.

Mercury, Yamaha, Nisson, Force, Evenrude doesn’t matter the brand the treatment is the same.

Took a long weekend and went up to visit my best friends up in Muskegon Michigan. We had some drinks and some good times and took the opportunity to experience what they have been talkng about for the past 5 weeks. Let me tell you, trolling for Salmon is a rush a pure adrenaline rush to say the leist. The town is a quaint small northern town. Just like the ones we all lived in when we were young. Everyone there has one thing on there minds at the moment. ” Salmon “. They troll for salmon at 2 miles an hour, rigged with down riggers and large glow in the dark spoons with medium tackle. With this type of gear you get a good fight every time. The first day out the lake was almost glass, something they both say never happens. Fine with me though I really didn’t want to get beaten up and wet in 70 degree weather. We hit our first Salmon with in 15 mins in 135 foot of water, a nice one I thoughtuntil they said it was a keeper but a small one. The second Salmon came 30 mins after the first salmon and this one was a little larger. We wound up with 3 nice ones with in a 4 hour period. We probably would have done better but we were having a few beers and enjoying old time conversations. The rest of Salmon weekend went the same way. My advice to everyone is if you have a chance go salmon fishing, its not like trolling here in Florida . Salmon fishing in the great lakes is a thrill all to its own.

A trotline is a very long line which is anchored with heavy weights on each end ,I have seen Chains used as weights here in Florida. The line is baited every 12 to 15 feet and is allowed to sink to the bottom. The crabber will start at one end of the line by pulling it up and draping it over a roller attached to the side of the boat This can be fabricated by using 3inch PVC pipe. As the boat moves slowly down the line, the line, bait, and hopefully crab, are slowly raised towards the surface where the watchful crabber (meaning you with a dip net) will scoop up the crab with the dip net. Now you ask yourself how much rope do you need? At leist 2 to 3 hundred feet and a lot of chain looped every 15 feet to weigh it down. You check your line by running slowly up the line with your boat and the trotline running on top of your pvc arm. Its simple just scoop the crabs up from the bait before they let go of the bait.   

Crabbing methods can range from simple and inexpensive to an elaborate investment of time and hard earned cash. A dip net is the primary catching device that also serves to transport the crab to the container. What happens if the crab gets loose? Crabs are fast and can pinch or bite with their claws. They seldom do more than draw a little blood, the bite can be painful. It is a good idea to learn how to handle a live hard-shelled crab with your bare hands. A crab must be held from the back, away from the snapping claws. In order to get hold of the back, you must first find a way to keep the angry snapping crab still. Press lightly on the top shell with your shoe “not recommended if wearing flip flops”, or any other device. Don’t press to hard too much pressure will crack the shell. 

The thumb(s) should then be placed on top of the swimming paddle where it meets the body (shell) and the forefinger(s) are placed underneath where the same swimming paddle meets the underbody. All of the other fingers are closed into the palm of the hand. Keep a firm grip on the crab. When it is held tightly, you can then pick it up without being bitten or pinched. It is not possible for the crab to reach back and bite the fingers if done properly. If you are a little nervous, or the crab seems rather large and strong, use both hands…one on each swimming paddle to pick it up!