 |
Southwest Florida - Naples, Marco, 10,000 Islands
Capt. Jeff Legutki
January 25, 2006
Ten Thousand Islands - Saltwater Fishing Report
Gangin" up on the back water Gags
Jan. 25,2006 Naples- 10,000 Islands
After my last report, we havn't been hit by another strong front yet! Could it almost be over.......God I hope so! If this keeps up like this the tarpon are going to be here before you know it!
Yesterday, I was fishing in coves reading 74 - 75 degrees,........ in the end of January. We caught atleast a dozen snook with two ranging from 29 - 33 inches. All fell for a shrimp colored jig.
Trout are every where as long as the water is 5 ft or deeper, schools of large healthy fish.
There are reds on the out side flats and coves doing their thing. Sight fishing has been good with low water days. Fly rod has been taking the bigger fish, where there are numerous rat reds on the current swept points.
On the cleanest of days, the grass flats of Naples are teaming with fish right now. Everything from pompano, sea trout, blue fish, etc.are on the flats feeding on glass minnows and shrimp. Fishing the channels are holding lots of fish on the negative tide days. Jigs and live shrimp is the most reliable method this time of year.
After all that I need to tell you about the back water fishing for Gag grouper. This time of big keeper size gag grouper flood the Islands to wait out the winter months.
Look for deep holes and rough bottoms with either coral or rock. Jig as light as a 1/4 oz. has taken its fare share of keepers. Rig heavily, for these fish will down right KICK your butt! I was using a St. Croix Tidemaster Med action rod with a Quantum Catalyst 40 spooled with 30 lb. braid. If the water is clean I use 40lb. leader, if its dirty ,I'll go as far as I can get away with!
Last weekend, a friend and fellow capt. Mr Dan Fabian and Mike Savalitis and I went out for a little grouper R&R. We were in about 10 ft. of water hitting an undercut bank with Jigs and Storms Swimming Shad. I made a cast by an old fallin tree and ..WHAM.. I got hammered and cut off before I knew what happened!
So I retie and throw in the same spot.... And wouldn't you know it.. WHAM..., only this time I'm ready...or so I thought? I get him probably 30 feet from the bank thinking I got this one..(now rember, I'm using a strong, stiff rod and 30 lb.braid on a silky smoothe Locked Down drag) Just when he gave me a look at his size, He turns around and blisters his way back to the same very tree and cuts me off again!........I got Schooled not once, but twice with in three minutes time.
Five minutes goes by and Mr Mike Savalitis hits a different tree about 15 feet away anf gets absolutly hammered. Only this time he is using a tarpon alphet with 50 lb braid and subdues a beautiful 28" gag grouper. Right into the live well!
Throughout that day we caught several keeper grouper ranging from 22 -28 inches. And saw one over 30 inches attempting to eat another smaller gag that fell for the jig.
Here is where this long story comes to an amazing end. Danny opens the live well after the first to see if the grouper was still swimming. He noticed there were two lures on the floor of the live well!.. he asked if one of use forgotthem in there? As I look over, I realize that the two lures in the well were the ones I lost to the fish......Thats right, that same very fish ate two artificial lures... got away with it and tried for a third. Unreel!!!! I wouldn't beleive it if I didn't see it with my own eyes! I always thought If a fishgot away, he wouldn't feed again until later! I guess you never stop learning!
Fishing has been consistent to say the least. Call soon for a day on the water and experience a memory of a life time!
Capt. Jeff Legutki
Anglers Addiction Guide Service
More Fishing Reports:
|
|
|
|
