Hot summer fishing report.

    Well, it has been a very busy summer.  Fishing has been great.  This summer has been full of bad weather and lots of rain.  Many days on the water were spent dodging storms and watching the skies.  Fortunately, the fish really don't care what the weather is doing.  The Red Grouper bite has been very good this summer. Here are just a few of them.

These nice size grouper have been averaging around 23 inches.  With Gag Grouper now open, they have been doing their part in filling the fish box.

     If that wasn't good enough, there has been an unusual number of Yellowtail Snapper in the same area as the grouper.  Most of them are undersized but I've been able to get many keepers.  Most of the ledges I've been fishing have been holding Mangrove Snappers too.  

     With all the rain we have been having this year the inshore bite has been slow.  The bait fish showed up late and are just now starting to flood the grass flats.  This should really help bring the trout, redfish and snook out of their hiding spots and improve the fishing.  The Snook bite has been very good at night.  With all the bait around, the dock lights are holding lots of fish.  

   I'm really looking forward to the upcoming month.  August is a great time to be out in the Gulf.  The grouper bite will strong.  The swallow water (20 ft.) Gag grouper bite should be picking up.  Barracudas love the hot days of summer.  They can be found just laying under the boat enjoying the shade and happy to eat any fish too slow to make back to the bottom.  The inshore water should be warming up.  This pushes the fish under the docks and mangroves for shade.  Hunting the docks on a hot afternoon can be very productive.  Just make sure your drags are tight, big Snook and Redfish can wrap you around a piling in a flash.  

    Hope everyone has had a great summer so far.  If not, then it's time to Play Hookey and catch some fish.

    Thanks, Captain Pete  

Near shore fishing report for Venice FL

This week has been very active for anyone who has gone out into the gulf.  Schools of glass minnows followed by large schools of Spanish Mackerel and Bonito.  At times the water boils with the feeding frenzies.  Ladyfish and Jacks have been taking advantage of the buffet of fish swimming by.  I have seen lots of sharks hanging out under the Mackerel.  Look for the birds feeding and the mackerel jumping.  A fast moving jig or spoon will get a strike.  If you don’t like using artificial lures, you can net some bait and free line it for hard hitting strikes.  Put a short length of light wire on the line to keep those sharp teeth from cutting your line.  

    I haven’t heard any reports of King Mackerels yet.  They should be here anytime.  The bait is here and they always follow the food.  There have been reports of Cobia around.  Not enough to really target them yet but keep a pole ready to toss out if you see one.  

    Fall is a time when many different fish are moving around the gulf.  It’s not uncommon to see large schools of Jacks and Amberjack run past as you sit on a local reef.  Most the M reefs in 40 feet or more range, are great spots to run across many different migrating species.  When fishing for bottom species it is always a good idea to free line a bait out the back of the boat.  A large shrimp or bait fish to tempt any passing fish.  You never know what might bite.     

    Don’t miss out on the great fishing right now.  Take a day off and come Play Hookey with me.

    Captain Peter

    941-780-5237

North Venice Jetty Report

After stopping by the North Jetty on Tuesday and finding it empty of people and full of bait and hungry Snook, I decided I would stop by Wednesday armed with a cast net and pole.  There was about 15 fisherman with the same idea.  But the bait and the Snook were both still there.  With a strong outgoing tide of coffee colored water, I choose to start on the beach side of the jetty.  The bait was right along the beach, so with one throw of the cast net, I was ready to fish.  My favorite way to fish for snook is to free line a nose hooked bait about five feet from the rocks.  After watching several snook give my bait a look but not really chase it, I could tell it was not going to be easy.  Snook can be very stubborn.  Sometimes if you see a snook who is following the bait around you can throw your bait in its path and get a strike.  Most of the snook were staying low, not really chasing anything.  After 20 minutes, a small 15 in. snook was the first to give in to the temptation and swallow my bait.  That pattern continued  for the next hour and a half.  Three more small snook about 20 minutes apart.  No one else seemed to be catching much either.  Some small snappers and one flounder.  A school of Jacks showed up on the south jetty, crashing the bait as it worked its way along the rocks.  I hoped they would find their way to north side.  About 15 minutes later, they were crashing right in front of me.  I got one jack out of the feeding frenzy before they quickly moved on.  Around 1 o'clock, I moved out to the end of the jetty with some fresh baits.  There I was rewarded with four snook landed and three that self-released.  All within a hour.  The total for the day was 9 snook, up to 22 in. and one jack.  Not bad for 3 and 1/2 hours of basically free fishing.
     Take some time off and come Play Hookey with me.
     Captain Peter
     http://www.PlayinHookey.com
     941-780-5237