Vortex Charters Fishing Report
02-18-2004
Captain Chuck MacIntyre
Vortex Charters of Tampa Bay
www.vortexcharters.com
Old Man Winter has not loosened his grip on Florida just yet. Cold Front after cold front has kept most boats from getting to the Grouper offshore. That does not mean that you should stay home and watch fishing on TV—just stick around the bay and intercoastal; there’s plenty of fish to bend a rod!
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of fishing with husband and wife team John and Salley Kurnu from Ohio. Using large shrimp as bait, we started the day fishing the flats for Trout. After landing a half-dozen, the wind picked up forcing us to the residential canals of Treasure Island. With a 20+ MPH wind howling, the first cast by John produced a nice 22 inch Seatrout. That commotion must have sent a signal to any fish within a 100 yard range as every cast that followed was consumed by a school of hungry Ladyfish.
Considered a trash fish, they delighted my clients with their strong runs and acrobatic leaps. When you are catching a fish on every cast—that’s just plain fun!
This should all change within the next few weeks, as St. Patrick’s Day is the official start of Kingfish season!
Good Fishin’ to ya!
Capt. Chuck MacIntyre
www.vortexcharters.com
