Fishing Report for Pine Island Sound to Sarasota Bay, Florida

Capt. Butch Rickey
April 19, 2002
Pine Island Sound - Saltwater Fishing Report

REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING 3/30/2002 by Capt. Butch Rickey

This was a busy week that included seven work days and mostly great fishing.

First up on Sunday were Nick Lowe and his lovely daughter Natalie, all the way from California. We had a cloudy, windy day with the average at 12 knots, and gusting to 21. We would see a high of 84. We caught bait at Picnic Island and were off in search of action.

But, the action was hard to come by, as the fish, even trout, didn't want to eat. We fished hard, and Nick and Natalie boated to trout to 5 pounds, and missed several others, along with 7 or 8 snook to 5 pounds. We had a good time in spite of the slow bite, and Nick said he liked my style of fishing, which he had not done before with other guides, here. He also paid me a very nice compliment in saying that he knew I knew my stuff, and would be back. Thanks, Nick.

What a difference a day can make!! Monday, the wind was down some and around to the southwest for my old friends Chip George and his son Ben, of Lake Forest, Illinois. Even bait was great. We had the boat loaded with shiners in three throws of the castnet, and were "gone fishin"!

Chip and I had a great trip last year, but this one was even better. We were in the fish from start to finish, and before the morning was over, in only two stops, Chip and Ben had boated some 50 odd trout to 4 pounds, 4 redfish, and around a dozen snook, including 2 nice keepers. Multiple Slams! I think Chip said it was his best trip ever, and we sure had a ball. How do you top a trip like that? With lunch at the Waterfront Restaurant, of course!!

Tuesday was a repeat of Monday for Dave Donahue and Dave Rigsby, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania. With conditions and tide about the same, the fishing was even better as we got into good redfish action. We started the day with trout action on the flats, and the Dave duo put 50 or so in the boat to 4 pounds. After a short move the boys got into the redfish, and were treated to about 15 of the bronze bulldogs weighing in to 9 pounds, topped off with a couple of nice snook. Dave and Dave said they felt like they had been on one of those fishing shows they watch all the time! What a nice compliment. We capped the day with lunch at the Waterfront, of course.

With the passage of a front, Wednesday was not such a pretty day for my old buddy Bill Chaney, and his friend Steve. Steve was new to fishing, and Pappy, is 74, but still out there. I decided immediately that this would be primarily a trout trip, thinking that trout would be the easiest fish for Steve and Pappy to negotiate, and the most likely to bite. We had a heck of a time getting bait, but finally got enough at Picnic Island.

We did get into the trout in a pothole, and Steve and Pappy were content to stay right there and catch them. They boated around 3 dozen of the specked critters, along with one 25 inch snook. With the wind a stead 15 out of the northwest, and gusting to 22, it wasn't a smooth ride home, but the plan had been a good one.

Thursday went down as the toughest day of the week, and Mike Girard and his ten year-old nephew, from Charlotte, North Carolina, were right in the middle of it! The weather was tough, bait was tough, fishing was tough, and a bolt fell out of my Power Pole which left me anchored at the bait stop on Chino Island wondering how to get the thing up. Once I did get it retracted, I tied if off to the poling platform for the rest of the day.

We really struggled trying to put fish into the boat. Mike's total for the day was 2 trout to 5 pounds, and 6 snook. We were also fighting the effect of the full moon, which tends to lockjaw the fish with full bellies. I was certainly reminded of how spoiled I have become in using the Power Pole. Man, anchors are the pits on the flats, once you've used one of these gadgets. I have to say it's worth every penny John Olivera gets for it. I'm seriously considering having a second Power Pole installed on the port side of the Talon just so I have a spare.

Friday was my first trip with Rich Schuen, of Powell, Ohio, along with his twelve year old son, John, and step-father Willie. We were fortunate to see the weather returning to normal, and were looking at a high of 88, and east/southeast winds of around ten. Beautiful! It was the day of the full moon, though, so who knows what would happen.

We caught beautiful bait at Chino Island, and found the fishing better than I expected. The boys managed to put 10 plus trout to 4 pound into the boat, along with about the same number of snook to 25 inches. That's not a bad day for a full moon.

Saturday, the last day of my work week, went to my old friend Dr. John Hitt, and Tom Yochum. We were still being plagued by he bright nights and full bellies syndrome, but the fishing surely busted loose for John and Tom. After netting shiners at Chino, we hit only two spots all morning long and boated countless trout to 5 pounds, missed at least 20 snook, and boated another 5 to 25 inches, and boated 5 beautiful redfish to 9 pounds. That's a great day in anyone's book, and a great way to end the week.

My regular readers know that I am several weeks behind in posting fishing reports, and for that I apologize. I have been working such a busy schedule, and answering so much email, that there is just not time to stay current. But, stay tuned. The coming reports will be good ones, as the fishing from the date of this report to the present has been great!!

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