Boca Grande and Charlotte Harbor

Capt. Van Hubbard
June 18, 2006
Boca Grande - Saltwater Fishing Report

What are you waiting for? the fish are bitting.

The rain seams to have helped our fishing.

We finally got some much needed rain. While some areas got a lot we got just enough to really help push fish and food down the creeks and rivers into the bay. Our tarpon went off shore and we had the best fishing off the season so far, working them over. This was almost heaven on earth as we had em to our selves. Catch and release snook is awesome and reds and trout are available for dinner. We even had a good catch of pompano just ahead of the big storm.

The rain has greened up the lawns and helped our fishing. The waters were so clear the fish could see us. It was neat to see so much and observe the fish but they were had to catch. Now we have enough clarity but not crystal clear, just perfect. The fish and especially the crabs are more active. Crabs are top food for tarpon plus snook and redfish. Bait fish are also still abundant. It’s been slightly cooler than normal so very comfortable. The shade from my t-top is nice on the bright sunny days.

Tarpon fishing is peaking any time. We have thousands of big fish in the area. Some are moving both north and south on local beaches for our angling enjoyment. We can expect good action for at least a month and steady fish till September. We have had some dandies boat side and hooked a monster yesterday with Harry Perau Jr. of Syracuse, NY. Look at photos on web page for new shots. Harry boated a 140 pounder and Merry Beth helped shoot some awesome shots. Jim Hennessey of Dallas Tx. had seven tarpon on Thursday afternoon. We had to ride around to locate the traveling schools of tarpon but we found the pods of silver at the end of Alberto’s rainbow. We found Captain Robby surrounded by pods of happy tarpon off shore of Boca Grande and played with big silver kings until Jim was satisfied. He boated some and several jumped off. The biggest one was close enough for a leader touch catch and release but we could not get her to pose for good photos. It’s difficult to get a really big fish like this 160 – 170 pound giant to let you grab her and get the trophy photo. Harry was lucky to get a slightly smaller and more co-operating fish. If you want a big game fish tarpon offer your best chance. We usually see at least hundreds everyday and frequently thousands. That gives you great odds at catching the silver king.

Snook are abundant. It’s strictly catch and release right now but that’s why it’s so good. We do not want to spend the day targeting these spawning fish but enjoy catching a few to let you see why we protect them so much. We had several last week between 30 and 35 inches, about 10 pounds each. Lots of fun on the 40 Quantum Cabo reels and 14 pound FireLine. We use Daiichi “Bleeding Bait” circle hooks for snook. These are best because they are so sharp and hook the fish in the lips not deep. This is great for fly anglers if you like fly fishing.

We had a good redfish bite just before Alberto and expect to see even more now. Trout have begun to move out side not also. We had several last week while catching pompano. Many of both were small but enough keepers for a fresh fish dinner. We have stumbled into some nice trout too. Lots of Spanish Mackerel if your interested. Fun and exciting table fare.

Fishing is magnificent. It can get hot later in the day but we start early and enjoy the shade when we need to. The evenings are usually wet but mornings are great. It’s good to share time with friends and family on the water. Enjoy your summer together son. Let’s Go Fishin’. Captain Van Hubbard

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