Vortex Charters Fishing Report
10-06-2004
Captain Chuck MacIntyre
Vortex Charters of Tampa Bay
www.vortexcharters.com
With a bad year of hurricanes behind us, most anglers are getting ready to get back on the water for some relaxation!
If last week was any indication, the fish are there and ready to cooperate. During last Wednesday’s full moon, we opted to fish at night along the Treasure Island canals for some Snook and Trout. Using greenbacks and ‘select’ shrimp for bait, we caught a slew of Trout; mostly at lights with good water flow. The Snook seemed to liken the docks inside the canals, where water flow was minimal. Clients from Alabama who had never seen or hooked a Snook were caught off guard as of the 5 hooked; all found a way to escape back to the dock by cutting the line against the pilings.
We ventured offshore on Saturday afternoon looking to see if the water had cleared for Grouper. The first stop in 90 feet yielded not a single fish, so we decided to run further out to 100 feet. Once there, the Furuno showed a small smattering of fish, so we put the lines out. Fishing was slow for the first 20 minutes, with only 1 small Gag to show when all of the sudden, the machine lit up! Bait after bait was consumed by a plethora of species—Grouper, Kingfish, Mango Snapper, and finally Sharks! There’s something about catching a Shark that most anglers from the North just love!
As I looked down waiting for a fish to be reeled to the surface, I noticed a 40+ pound Kingfish lying just inches from the boat. I tickled him with the Gaff and watched him rocket away annoyed that I disturbed his resting spot!
Good Fishin’ to ya!
Capt. Chuck MacIntyre
www.vortexcharters.com
