Off shore Boca snapper line stretchers
Capt. Darel Carter
September 14, 2015
Boca Grande - Saltwater Fishing Report
8-26-15
Our plan was to fish for big off shore mangrove snapper today. My long time fishing buddy John was going out with me on my flats boat. The trip would be over 15 miles off shore so the weather had a big factor in the decision for an off shore trip. As usual, our day started out with catching bait. There was plenty of bait everywhere if you wanted two-inch greenies. I moved to an old area that produced some nice greenbacks and pinfish. It was hard to find the grass edge with the water looking like iced tea from the rain run off.
We were headed offshore at 0745 hours with live bait and a great day ahead of us. The gulf was flat the whole trip out. There were large bait pods out to eight mile and a few flying fish here and there. I never saw the gulf ice tea color out past 15 miles before. I marked the spot so I could do a few drifts around and see which way the current was flowing. The first drift produced one Amber Jack on pinfish and I jigged a keeper mangrove snapper. We made a few more drifts around and lost some big fish. I lost a jig to a Cuda.
I decided to anchor the boat and fish the bottom with live bait. We caught 20 keeper snapper to 17.5 inches long. One 16.5 inch scamp grouper made it to the boat with out getting ate by a Goliath grouper. John caught a goliath that was about 35lbs. I caught one that was about 5', which pulled the boat closer to the structure. This position the boat at a better angle and the catching picked up.
Our next move was for red grouper. My first spot produced all of the red grouper by using jigs.
If you want a guided fishing trip contact Me Capt. Darel Carter at 941-456-0415.
Boca Grande Fishing Forecast:
More fish in the boat with Capt. Carter at 941-456-0415
Target Species:
snook, redfish,trout,shark,snapper,tarpon.
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