It was a very long winter on Charlotte Harbor and the surrounding areas. Most anglers couldn't wait for the warmer weather. And now it is upon us. The warm weather has brought "life" to the harbor, starting off the report with the famous silver king, or tarpon.

Tarpon schools are all over the harbor and are eating very well. The aerial jumps are just a small part of why anglers choose to target this species more than others.







The tarpon are following pods of bait in the open harbor, look for ripples on top of the waters surface like you see in the picture below...





Most of the bait are larger threadfin herring, but white bait schools are plenty as well. The baits can be freelined or put under a float. Remember to be respectful of other boats fishing tarpon pods and always be as quiet as possible. (push pole or trolling motor)

The Professional Tarpon Tournament Series kicked off on May 23rd. CHO guide Capt. Chuck Jenks finished 2nd in the first event with a 179 pound tarpon and his all lady angler team. (not fishing the women's series, fishing the regular series) Congrats Chuck and Team Les Femmes Fatale! Here are a few pictures of Capt. Chuck's team fighting the fish.





CHO guide Capt. Tim White's team (Reactor Watches) was able to secure 50 points for a released tarpon, and an extra 25 points for getting a DNA sample. Teams accumulate points over the series in hopes of making the championship. Keep checking back for updates as the series continues.

In redfish news, CHO guide Capt. Jason Dill guided his junior angler Matt Bunting to a 1st place finish in the Junior Flatsmasters tournament. Matt weighed in a redfish weighing 7.55 pounds in the prep division.





Friend and fellow angler Jason Reynoso guided his son Jordan to a 3rd place finish in the minnow division with a 7.17 pound redfish.







Congrats guys! In other redfish news, CHO guide Capt. Tim White and fellow guide and friend Capt. Larry Ross placed 19th in the CHS Redfish Roundup. It was tough fishing and they could only manage to weigh in one redfish weighing 5.34 pounds. Sight fished on a soft plastic lure in inches of water....



Redfish and snook are definitely chewing. Whether it be live bait or artificial, they are eating. Most areas on the east and west sides of the harbor have redfish right now. Higher tide stages are moving the fish to the bush line, low tides have them out in the open in pot holes. A new Exude bait on the market called the Cigar Minnow has proved to be working very well.







The weather is only getting warmer, so make sure to get out on the water and have some fun. Bring plenty of ice and water, sunscreen, and a hat. Revive fish quickly to be caught again another day.

The silver king has arrived in Boca Grande Pass, the harbor, and on the beaches, so get ready. Tight Lines from the CHO guides!

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It was a great 2009 on the water, and we hope that 2010 will be even better. Despite the most recent fish kill due to the cold temperatures, there are still some fish around roaming the harbor. Even with the colder days, there have been a few days in between with temps. pushing 79 degrees. Redfish and trout can still be caught as well as some inshore gag grouper. The bait situation is fickle, but this is a great tme of year to throw some artificial lures. Some smaller snook have shown themselves and made it through the cold snap.





If anything, it is a good time of year to get out on the boat and scout around. Take advantage of the extreme low tides to learn the bottom of the flats. Places to possibly fish in the summer, or areas that may be deeper if you need to get on plane or have a channel to run through. This time of year exposes these types of things and can be very beneficial.





On the freshwater side of things, CHO guides Capt. Tim White and Captain Jason Dill teamed up to fish the PRBS, also known as the Peace River Bass Series. Seventeen teams qualified for the championship that will be held in late February. Capt. Jason and Capt. Tim secured a 4th place finish in the first tournament back in November of 2009 bringing in a limit of five bass from the upper Peace River. They fished the rest of the series up to this point and had a strong enough showing to give Team of the Year a run for the series but ended up in 3rd overall.









Capt. Jason and Capt. Tim would like to think their sponsor for this series, Millennium Physician Group.

For those of you that love bass fishing with a passion as both of these CHO guides do, check out the PRBS.

That is it for now. More updates and reports should be coming in soon. Get out on the water and wet a line, despite the fish kill, there are fish to be caught. Practice catch and release. The CHO guides would like to thank you for visiting.

Tight Lines

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The summer heat has kept the fishing hot. As fall approaches the fishing will continue to produce a good bite. One sure fire fish this summer has been the snook. They have been eating just about anything an angler can throw at them all summer long. Snook of all sizes, small, medium, and big. The top water bite as well as a soft plastic jerk bait in the white color has been the ticket. For he live bait angler that can chum the water with a lot of pilchards, well lets just say you should have no problem. The east side of the harbor along with portions up river and on the west side of the harbor have been fantastic. Strong outgoing and incoming tides have these snook stacked on points and under shady mangroves. You find one and there are usually plenty more swimming with it.









White bait has been abundant on the flats. Both the outside and the inside of the main sand bars have been holding white bait. When they are thick, you can pole or troll and throw the cast net on various schools. If that doesn't seem to be working for you, anchor up or drop down the power pole and chum them to you. Most of the bait is of a very fishable size, not huge, but you will get some good bait mixed in.



Redfish redfish redfish. What more is there to say? Though the redfish has been fickle throughout the summer, the bite is turning on. They will start to school in large numbers over the next month or so. Open flats, sand bars, and on high water under the bushes will start to hold pods and schools of redfish ranging from 20-500 fish strong. You can't go wrong with live or cut dead bait. They will readily eat a top water lure or a jerkbait, hard or soft. The tide hasn't mattered lately as far as the bite, only where they are roaming.









The trout bite is gaining integrity. The bigger fish are starting to show on deeper grass flats with mixed bottom. Where you find the bait and the snapper on the flats, the bigger trout are following. The west wall, Pine Island, and the east wall are all good bets. Shrimp under a popping cork, a top water lure, spoons, soft plastics, they are all working. Of course it is hard to beat a top water strike. Small schoolie trout have been holding mixed in with ladyfish on the outside of sand bars. With the trout are bluefish which can always be fun to just bend a rod.





Tarpon are roaming in most of the deep holes in the harbor. They are also around the main bridges. Smaller tarpon will start to show on the flats near deeper mangrove shorelines on high water. Live threadies will do the trick but the artificial bite is going quite well. Large swim baits and DOAs are the ticket right now. One pod of tarpon in the 80-100 pound class recently would not stop crushing a top water lure. They were on the feed with a hard incoming tide and a light easterly wind.

The temperatures will soon start to drop little by little. Look for these pressure changes in the upcoming months to turn the fish on.

Tight Lines

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So far, the spring of 2009 has started off with a hot fish bite. Warmer weather will continue as a trend, along with higher water depths, and an influx of bait fish. This is usually the time of year that many anglers will hang up the artificial lures and start fishing with live or cut bait. Currently there are threadfins throughout Charlotte Harbor. Some schools have bait as big as 6 inches, other schools 2-4 inches big. Most are in the deeper water and can be found by finding the birds. On calmer days the showrs of ripples on top of the water will not be hard to miss. Pinfish and white bait are also showing up on area flats in Gasparilla Sound and Pine Island Sound. A lot of the bait is on the smaller side but there is large bait out there to be caught.



For those anglers sticking with artificial lures, the top water bite has been red hot. Mainly eary in the morning and late in the day, but on those variable cloud days the top water bite lasts the entire trip. Walk the dog type lures are working real well. Soft plastic jerk baits such as the Gulp jerkshad and the Exude RT Slug are working well on weedless weighted hooks.

This is also the time of year that tarpon finatics look forward to. Migratory pods of tarpon will start to show in Pine Island Sound as well as the middle harbor and Gasparilla Sound. Look for fish on the move on the outside of the bars as well. If you do not have live bait to fish with, a DOA baitbuster will work well. Local fish will also be moving out from up the river in search of bait. Bridges, deep holes, and canal mouths will be good areas to fish for these silver king.



Redfish had been acting rather fickle over the last month, but the bite has turned around. On higher water stages fish can be found under the bushes. Cut bait and white bait has been working well along with top water plugs and soft plastic jerk baits. On the open flats around oyster bars and sand bars, redfish schools are in full force throughout the harbor. Some schools contain as many as a couple hundred fish, mostly over slot. Other areas on the east and west side of the harbor have several pods of fish ranging from 20-30 redfish.





Large trout are roaming and are hungry as ever. Matlacha, Pine Island, east and west wall, and Gasparilla Sound are all holding large trout in the 3-6 pound range. They have been striking top water lures at all times of the day. Find a flat 2-4 feet deep with good thick grass and sandy pot holes and you will find your trout. Remember when big trout fishing and using braided line to set your drag loose. Anglers can lose that monster trout on the hook set when using braid due to the softness in a trouts mouth and the hole it may create. Trout will also be swimming in the same areas snook and redfish are found and will readily eat a white bait under a popping cork.



Snook start to get very aggressive this time of year. Most fish will be in the 24-28 inch range but fish in the upper slot and over slot are there to be caught. Top water lures and Sebile stick shads have been producing well. But you can't beat live bait right now for snook. Creek mouths with current, shady shorelines, and structure such as docks and sea walls are holding fish. There are some fish near and on the beaches but not yet in full force as we will see in the future.





For the freshwater angler, bass have turned on as well. They are chasing small shad schools in deeper parts of the lakes. Days that the wind blows are the days that the bass will school and feed. Small rattle traps will mimick the bait fish along with soft plastic jerk baits without a weight. Mid day the bass will drop to deeper depths, fish a 7-8 inch worm weighted. On a recent trip, 38 bass were caught between two anglers. The top water bite under low light conditions has been really good.







This is the time of year that the water will start to heat up, fight your fish quick and get them to the boat as soon as possible. Make sure to revive the fish well so it can swim off healthy to be fought again another day. That's it for now.

Tight Lines from the CHO guides!

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Goodbye 2008 and welcome 2009! The past year was an outstanding year on the water. The guides of CHO look forward to another great year in 2009. The winter pattern on Charlotte Harbor has definitely settled in. With the recent record low temperatures, and some of the lowest tides in years, the fish can be found grouped tight together. This time of year usually substitutes the use of a trolling motor for the use of a push pole while stalking the flats. Clear water, shallow depths, and high blue skies have to be dealt with using as much stealth as possible.


A lot of anglers don't like to do it, and it may take a lot of time and patience, but it can be a key advantage to catching fish this time of year.

Redfishing generally thrives in the winter. No matter how cold it may get, there are always redfish willing to move around and eat. For the live bait anglers, a nice sized hand picked shrimp will do the trick. Whether it be free lined and casted to sight fished reds, or dropped on the bottom using a small weight in the middle of a sand hole, you can't go wrong. For the arti anglers, this is the time of year to break out the plastics, whether it be hard or soft.

Believe it or not, even during the coldest of days, redfish are very willing to nail a top water plug. For the sight fisherman and their poling skiffs targeting tailing redfish and sight fishing to solo fish, a soft plastic DOA shrimp, 5 inch Gulp jerkshad, or a 3 inch Gulp shrimp can get the job done. Usually the best time to hit these shallow depths for feeding tailing redfish is the beginning of an incoming tide right after a really low slack tide.





On days that it seems there is no water left in the harbor, this can be some of the easiest times to find fish. On a recent outing, a school of redfish ranging from 6-15 pounds numbered in the hundreds as they took up an area of water the size of half a football field. They had no where else to go on their usual haunts in the flats. They all dropped off the edge of the flat into the only water there was left for them. Every cast produced a fish for as long as the anglers wanted to fish.

Oyster bars and sand bars can be good protected areas for trout and redfish when getting out of the more windy days. Cut bait, artificial lures, and live shrimp will get the job done for both species.



Snook can be found at ease in canal systems, mangrove creeks, and flats basins further into the harbor. They will follow the warmer water. Some days may be fickle at best when snook fishing, other days they will chew the bottom out of the boat. For anglers wanting to have a lot of action there are ladyfish on the outside of most large sand bars. They will be following the minnows and smaller bait fish schools. These are easily found by finding the hoards of diving pelicans.

Cobia are making a showing throughout the harbor. Look for them on markers, pilings, and outside edges of sand bars. The snapper bite is on as well as the inshore gag grouper fishing.

It won't be too long before our SW FL warm weather paradise arrives again. Enjoy the winter time fishing, it s a great way to learn a lot about the surrounding flats as you scout areas uncovered by the low tides that you rarely see in the summer months with the higher water.

Tight Lines from the guides at CHO

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Hello again to all of the CHO readers. We were again experiencing some technical difficulties this past summer with the reports section of the website. This is why you will not see a summer fishing report. Although the summer was red hot for tarpon, inshore species, and offshore species, the fall has proven to be fantastic as well. This time of year fish are on the move as part of their transition in the fall, gearing up for the winter. Charlotte Harbor starts to experience higher winds, and lower tides. The water will start to clear up, the temperature will drop, and for the duration of the fall season, this will turn the fish on as they follow the many schools of baitfish.

Redfish and snook will be found in the same areas. High tide they will be tight to the mangroves, low tide they will be roaming the flats or very near to the shorelines. Live and cut bait will work, but the artificial bite really turns on this time of year.







Redfish will also be schooling in large numbers on sand bars and grass flats. Pods of redfish can be found near the mangroves between 15-40 fish. With a good moving tide, these fish will be very aggressive.







Just about anything will work for bait. Snook and redfish will be on the feed for top water lures such as the Super Spook Jr. Early in the morning will be your best bite on top water. On days that the temperature is lower, or overcast skies, a top water bite can last the entire trip on the water.

Places like Englewood, Placida, and Pine Island are all areas fish will be on the feed. The inner parts of Charlotte Harbor will start to hold numbers of fish as well and they will be roaming around near pot holes. Right now is the best time to catch a big snook. These big girls tend to feed better at this time of year, the water is cooler, and they are very active before the strong cold fronts arrive. They don't want to work too much for a meal, but will readily gulp a piece of cut mullet.



Look for deeper water near mangrove points with a lot of good current, and clean water to boot!

Trout are on the rise and showing in better numbers on the east and west walls of the harbor. Also in the mix are cobia on the same flats as well as markers in the deeper parts of the harbor. Big black drum can be found at structure type areas such as bridges, docks, and rocky walls. Some tarpon are around, ranging from 10 pounds to 100 pounds. Look for the large bait schools in the open harbor where the birds are diving.

That wraps it up for now. Winter is almost here, an awesome time for tailing redfish. But get out and get in on this great action going on in the harbor this fall.

Tight Lines from the CHO guides!!!

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Hello all. The guides at Charlotte Harbor Outfitters would like to apologize for the reports section not being up to date since 2008 started. The reports section was experiencing technical difficulties but is now up and running. Instead of filing reports and pictures for the last four months, here is a recap and the spring report thus far. Thanks again to our readers for being patient. Now on to the report!

This time of year on Charlotte Harbor brings warm weather, higher water, and a red hot bite. Tarpon have been showing in great numbers so far throughout the open harbor, beaches, and even Boca Grande Pass. Bait of choice has been large threadfins which can be found anywhere in the open harbor under pelicans diving, which by the way are everywhere. Fish are really good size as well, a lot of 150 pound class and bigger fish. Look for them to continue their haunts in the deep holes in the harbor, as well as the big bridges, and to start showing in good numbers in the pass.

Snook will be on the flats in force. Solo fish and schooled fish will be roaming and hugry, ready to eat on any hard outgoing or incoming tide. They can be caught on top water lures early on, or soft plastics later in the day. Their candy will be a frisky live white bait or cut bait will work as well.




Most fish will be under the slot, but fish within the slot are on the rise. Be sure to revive them good before releasing them, especially as the water temp. heats up. The east and west wall are holding great numbers of fish and will be mixed with redfish and trout.

Redfish.....what else is there to say about the spring time. Massive schools won't be seen as much this time of year, but can be found in Pine Island and parts of the western harbor. Look for solo fish under mangroves on high tide, or pods of 5-20 fish on the open grass flats near pot holes. Cut bait and live bait will work, but the Sebile blood series has proven to work quite well. Don't be afraid to fish stained water, during the spring with some rain the water will not be as clear, redfish like this kind of water this time of year. Matlacha, Bull Bay, and Pine Island are all good areas to look for these bronze beauties.






The last of the inshore species is the speckled trout. This is a transition time of year for the trout. The really big trout that have been around for the winter time start to fade but will still be caught with regularity. A lot of smaller trout will start to show and can be caught on every cast in the right area. They like deep grass flats on the east wall as well as Gasparilla Sound and Pine Island Sound. Soft plastic jigs or live shrimp under a cork works very well. Kids can have fun catching the smaller size fish but catching a lot, or grown ups can have fun catching the bigger fish while stalking them shallow. Below Capt. Tim White poses with a few youngsters, Capt. Jason Dill holds a hefty arti caught trout, and Capt. Jay Withers holds a big trout caught on the Sebile blood series....





In other news, Capt. Jason Dill of CHO and his fishing partner Jason Reynoso took 2nd place in the IFA Redfish Tour event in Punta Gorda, congrats guys.


Also, The Professional Tarpon Tournament Series team consisting of Capt. Jay Withers, Capt. Tim White of CHO, Lee Crosby, and Jon Hoke picked up a new sponsor for the PTTS series in 2008. Reactor Watch will be the official time of the PTTS in 2008 as well as the title sponsor for the above mentioned team members. They look forward to fishing the series which starts mid May and will be every Sunday for five weeks, look for Team Reactor Watch in Boca Grande Pass during the series and check out their watches which each team member will be sporting in each event, visit www.reactorwatch.com and read up on their new sponsorship with the PTTS.


That's it for now, the guides of CHO are glad to have the reports section back up and running. Keep checking back for month to month reports and news and updates starting in May. Tight Lines from the CHO guides!

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With snook season opening, a wide array of anglers will be in search on that perfect slot limit fish. The new regulations to keep a snook are 28-33 inches. For those anglers that just enjoy catching the fish and releasing to swim again another day, take extra care in hook removal and revival of the fish. Snook are showing up all over the harbor. Big snook catches are coming from mangrove islands with deeper water, local canal docks, and beaches.



These snook will readily eat live baitfish on a strong moving tide but will also start to eat artificial lures with regularity. An early morning top water bite is hard to beat.


Redfish schools are still on the rise. Approach the schools with as much stealth as possible. Live or cut bait will do the trick when presented ahead of the school, but artificial lures will work just as good.


On lower stages of the tide in Pine Island and Matlacha, the wide open flats with mixed sandy bottom and grass is where these fish will lurk. A soft finessed plastic bait or early morning top water lure will trigger a strike. Most fish will be over the slot with some measuring within.


Trout are making a showing as well. The east and west wall flats are providing decent numbers of small trout. A few catches over 20 inch plus fish have been made and these fish will eat live shrimp under popping corks or top water plugs.

Big jacks are hanging around the flats as well as local canal basins and mouths. Tarpon are everywhere, the beaches, passes, flats, harbor, and canals. Best bet is to fish them first thing in the morning or late in the day. Live baitfish will be best but hard suspending baits and soft plastic jerk baits will do the trick.

Baitfish are around and can be caught. Most anglers can chum them to the boat on local flats in 3-4 feet of water. Most of the whitebait is on the smaller side with some schools pushing 4-6 inches, it can be hit or miss. Pinfish are in full force though and not too many redfish or snook will turn their head to a pinfish. For a long day of fishing with live bait, most anglers will want to pack their livewell full of these little swimmers.


Look in the rest of the month for the snook bite to get better. Temperatures will start to cool a bit and the fishing will turn on. Bait also has a good possibility of getting thicker and bigger. Big tarpon will soon be in the upper reaches of the habor.

Tight Lines from the CHO Guides

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It's that time of year for anglers to hit the water and be ready to endure beads of sweat rolling down their face. This month brings afternoon thunderstorms, sweltering hot weather, and hot fishing. The big tarpon are in somewhat of a transitional mode. Various pods of fish will be in the upper reaches of the harbor and can also be found on the beaches and in and around Boca Grande Pass.




Riley pictured above with Capt. Jason poses with a nice tarpon. During the same outing, his dad Kevin got in on the action.



Find deep holes that stand out from the rest of the bottom throughout the harbor to look around for the silverking. Canals, bridges, and beaches will also show off some tarpon. Large swim baits, DOA baitbusters, and live blue crab and threadfins will also do the trick. Get the fish to the boat as quick as possible with the water temperature being so high, and make sure the fish is revived before release. A hotter bite can usually be found when it is raining or just after, but pick your days carefully and make sure there is no lightning present.

Snook, snook, and more snook. They are everywhere. They will readily eat live bait or artificial lures. Find areas with a swift current, shady points, deep mangroves, structure such as docks, sand bars, just about anything is holding snook right now.


Come prepared with tackle that can handle decent size snook or when fishing thick cover. Same applies with the tarpon, get the fish released quickly and revived well. David caught his first nice keeper snook while fishing with Capt. Tim.


Redfish will start to school and can be found in many places. East wall, west wall, Pine Island, and Gasparilla Sound. A lot of fish will be over the slot limit with an equal amount within the slot range. Soft plastic lures can entice a bite as well as shrimp, live baitfish, and cut bait. Early in the morning they are willing to hit a top water plug. Find thick grass bordered by sandy bottom, mixed sand or potholes it doesn't matter. Some tides this month will reach extreme lows, others will be flood tides. Move near the mangroves on higher tides, and on extreme lows venture to shallow grass flats where redfish will tail and feed.

Fellow friend and angler Chris Rudl captured a few shots showing just how shallow redfish will go. With his new camera, he has taken some amazing shots.....



There isn't a whole lot more that can make your blood rush than seeing the sites in the above pictures. Stealth is a key factor when redfish are that shallow.

That's it for the month of August. Get out on the water, bring a lot of fluids to drink, and be safe with all of the storms and lightning. Oh and catch ya some fish!

Tight Lines from the CHO Guides

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What a red hot month for fishing. Whether it be tarpon, snook, or redfish, fishing is at its best. Higer water and warmer days, have fish of all kinds on the move and on the feed. With the influx of baitfish throughout the harbor, there are numerous applications of fishing to take place. One of the hot bites this month will be redfish, big redfish. They can be caught under the mangroves using cut or live bait in the upper slot range, as well as finding them in large schools on the flats. A lot of these fish will be over the slot limit. It doesn't really matter what time of day as long as the tide is moving. On a recent charter, Capt. Jason Dill guided this lady angler to a monster redfish.........


If you want numbers, go for the linesiders. Snook are very prevelant right now. With enough live bait, they can be caught left and right. They can also be caught using cut dead bait, particularly cut chunks of threadfins. A hard moving outgoing tide, or the last of an incoming will be your best bet. On a recent trip with Capt. Tim White, Boston Ken caught 32 snook in a few hours of fishing with cut bait.





A lot of the snook are in the 21-27 inch range, but a few fish have been caught mixed in at 12 pounds and 34 inches long.

Cobia are roaming the upper reaches of the harbor. Find the big schools of threadfins with diving birds, and there will be cobia near. Also check out random markers throughout the harbor, you never know when one of these brown race machines will be lurking.

On a bigger note, the summer has proven to be an outstanding tarpon bite as usual. Big fish entered Boca Grande Pass late and were caught with ease. Pods of tarpon are in the harbor as well as the beaches. Capt. Tim caught his biggest tarpon to date at 190 pounds while fishing with fellow guide and friend Capt. Jay Withers. The fish broke the reel almost breaking Capt. Tim's wrist as you can see in the photos below.....



A hammerhead shark was lingering by the boat, so the fish was gaffed to ensure there wasn't a premature release before the big girl was revived and ready to go and it was far away from the shark.

In tournament news, the 2007 Professional Tarpon Tournament Series has come to an end. Capt. Tim of CHO and Team Maverick(Jon Hoke, Capt. Jay Withers, and Lee Crosby) placed in the top five again in the last tournament of the series with a 144 pound fish......


Another CHO guide who faired well was Capt. Chuck. He and Team Sign Zoo captained by Capt. Rob McCue won the 2007 PTTS championship.....




Congrats guys on a great year! Well, that about sums it up for July. The fishing is outstanding. Be careful with the weather patterns this time of year, don't stay out if lightning is present. Be safe and have fun.

Tight Lines from the CHO Guides

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This tarpon season has been very busy to say the least. The silver kings are thick in Boca Grande Pass and willing to eat. The flats fishing is still up to par, but usually more times than not tarpon is the target fish for the months of May/June/July. Some trips have seen double digit numbers of tarpon jumped and anglers are cashing in on landing that dream of a lifetime.



Some tarpon can still be found in local canals, bridges, and open harbor.....but your best bet to do battle with this mighty fish is none other than Boca Grande Pass.




For those familiar with the Professional Tarpon Tournament Series, CHO guide Capt. Tim White, Lee Crosby, Jon Hoke, and captain of the boat Jay Withers all of Team Maverick-Ingman Marine finished 2nd in the week two series of the PTTS.



Dates are booking up fast, if you are interested in the superbowl of fishing, and want to do battle with a Boca Grande silverking, contact one of our guides for more information!

Tight Lines

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It's that time of year on Charlotte Harbor for warmer days and hot fishing. One of the factors this time of year that yields better fishing is that the live bait is abundant. White bait, threadfins, and pinfish can all be caught on the flats right now.....


Recent trips have boated many snook and redfish by way of live bait. Higher water on incoming tides, fish can be caught under mangroves and in deeper creeks and cuts. These guys had a blast on an outing while fishing with Capt. Jason Dill.....




Fish can also be caught in local canals as well. Schools of big jacks will be roaming as well as snook.....




Some situations call for fishing live bait under a small popping cork. It not only keeps the bait fish from getting in the grass, but the popping noise it makes can attract hungry fish. Such was the case on a recent trip for young anglers Scott and Cameron while fishing with Capt. Tim White.....




They weren't the only ones catching fish using a popping cork. Their dad Gregg got to tango with a 100+ pound tarpon roaming in 4-5 feet of water on the flats as Scott and Cameron looked on with excitement. The tarpon towed us a half mile out into the deep harbor and 57 minutes later we had the fish boatside......






The only difference in the rig he was using was that instead of live bait under the cork, the tarpon ate a 3 inch Gulp shrimp. Here is the rig pictured below.....


Another fish found on the flats right now in numbers is the speckled trout. They can be found in deeper grass flats in 3-5 feet of water. Plastic jerk baits are working well and you can't go wrong with live white bait.

Redfish are schooling in parts of the harbor. Most fish are just over the slot limit when fishing these schools. Beating the bushes with live bait can give way to various solo redfish in the mid to upper slot. As the water warms, release these fish as quick as possible for a healthy release.

The season is just about upon us, tarpon season that is. As you can see, big tarpon are already starting to show in many places. Soon enough, May-June-July will be your best bet to tango with a tarpon in famous Boca Grande Pass. Book your trip soon if you want to dance with the mighty silverking!

Tight Lines from the CHO Guides

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Though some cold days still linger around, the weather is heating up, and that isn't the only thing! The fishing has been red hot. Most mornings start out a bit on the cold side, but by mid day you are in shorts and a t-shirt. There have been a lot of pressure systems on the move and this has proven to directly effect the bite in a good way.

All sorts and sizes of redfish have been caught. Monster fish in the 40 inch range to nice slot size 7 pounders. A lot of these fish have came by way of a top water lure or soft plastic bait, when it is tougher, live shrimp or cut bait will do the job. Incoming or outgoing tide haven't really mattered, but the slack periods yield no bite at all. Here Capt. Jason holds up a 46 inch monster one of his clients caught.....


Usually this time of year brings out the rat reds, but so far the opposite has happened with their bigger counter parts showing.....






There have been schools up to hundreds of fish all the way to many solo fish roaming the flats and some pods of 10-15 fish here and there. PI Sound, Charlotte Harbor, and Matlacha have all produced. Here an angler from up north holds up his first ever redfish caught while fishing with Capt. Tim.....



As usual, the same areas that are holding redfish tend to have big trout with them as well this time of year. Trout are hitting very bright colors lately, and top water lures is almost a sure thing. The shallower sandy flats will have the bigger trout in the 3-5 pound range. The deeper grass flats in 4-6 feet of water should produce smaller trout but in more numbers. Right now there really isn't anything a trout won't eat......







Be sure to handle these fish carefully and get them back in the water quick to fight again another day.

On to the snook. They are really making a showing on the flats. A lot of fish can be found but sometimes hard to get to eat. Fish have been caught early in the morning on overcast days with a strong tide. Under slot fish, slot fish, and a few overslot fish. Live pilchards is a sure thing for snook and the bait is starting to show in northern PI Sound. A few snook have came by way of top water lure and soft plastic white colored baits. They are also hanging around canal systems, creeks, and sea walls. Big snook like the one Capt. Jason is holding below will eagerly take a big white bait.....



Cobia for the past month have been holding heavily off the east and west walls. They can be found roaming with stingrays over sandy bottom. Most anglers will choose to sight fish them with live shrimp or crab. For the artificial lovers, the cobia have came on white color soft plastics worked very fast. Days can be hit or miss with finding them un numbers, but if you are lucky enough, you can tango with these brown race machines.....



That's it for now. Tarpon season will be here before we know it!

Tight Lines

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So far 2007 has started off right for all of the CHO guides. Although snook are being caught in pot holes on the flats and around docks in local canal systems, the targeted species and the hot bite has come from big redfish and big trout stalking the shallow flats of PI Sound and Gasparilla Sound.



The best time to go for tailing redfish is usually at the start of an incoming low tide. Lately, the bite has been good at the last of the outgoing tide early in the morning.




A lot of the redfish are over the slot, but there is a good amount of big upper slot fish willing to eat. Redfish and trout are biting artificial lures with force. Soft plastics, hard plastics, jigs, and even top water lures. The cold weather may be hard to deal with, but when it comes to redfish and trout, they really turn it on.





Fish are really exploding on top water lures. Look for clear water in the shallows that have a mixture of birds and crabs on the flat. A good scattered sandy bottom can be the ticket and distinct pot holes on super low tides will be a sure thing.



Remember, when you see that redfish tail flagging you down, don't jump the gun in excitement. That is usually most anglers mistake when they miss a fish. Pole yourself into position to where you can reach the tailing fish at your maximum casting distance. Figure out which direction the fish is facing, and make a cast beyond the fish, reeling your bait on the surface quickly to get the fishes attention, then drop the bait within a few feet of the fish and start working the lure. Stealth is the key, and eventhough wading to tailers can have success, you are better off poling quietly up to the fish. Better vantage point, and less friction in the water.

Tight Lines from the CHO Guides!

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