Tales of the West Wind Inn

I will be relating stories and adventures I've had over the years at the West Wind Inn on Sanibel Island (www.westwindinn.com/). For a South Florida flats and inshore angler, and their family, there can be no better second home than this destination. The flycasting or lure fishing right behind the West Wind is incredible, and has yielded yours truly loads of snook, pompano, seatrout, redfish, ladyfish, jacks and some big spanish mackeral. Add to that the world's best concentration of shelling, swimming, hiking, art galleries, and a full range of moderate to gourmet restaurants...it's easy to see why the West Wind Inn on Sanibel is my choice for fishing and family joy. I'll be wrtiting more about this marvelous destination soon.

P.S. Last year's 'canes are a thing of the past...come spring, I'll be there tossing a fly or bucktail behind the Inn into the warming surf of Spring.


Jan
www.flatsfishingonline.com

Marvelous Bonaire!

One of my fondest flats fishing experiences has been in Bonaire. This island is part of the Netherland Antilles -also including Aruba and Curacao- which lie not far off the coast of Venezuela. I had known that Bonaire is one of the top diving spots in the Caribbean, but was informed a number of years ago by another writer of some excellent saltpan (salina) flats on the South end of the island. Since I travelled frequently to Curacao at the time, I found out that all it took was a short flight on ALM airlines out of Hato airport in Curacao, and i'd be landing in neighboring Bonaire's airport within an hour's time. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO CHECK DUTCH ANTILLEAN FLIGHTS CAREFULLY FOR THESE ABC ISLANDS, AS THERE HAVE BEEN WHAT I SEE AS TOO MANY CHANGES IN THE AIRLINES THAT DO AN INTERISLAND BUSINESS.

My research at the time led me to book the island's most famous guide, Chris Morkos, well in advance of my arrival. His website is www.bonairefishing.com/piscatur. We arrived from Curacao some months later in the afternoon, and got in an afternoon of superb snorkelling. We had dinner at the Green Parrot, and fed bonefish with bread off their dock as the sun went down! This is all true, and the bonefish were 6 to 8 pounders that came up from the deep dropoff to eat the bread in the docklights. We retired that night sun-kissed and well-fed, knowing that Chris would be knocking on our door for a pickup the next morning at 8 a.m.

Morning came quickly, and we soon found ourselves heading south in his pickup. We passed the old slave huts, and stopped before we reached the lighthouse. Chris told us to hop out and headed to the rocks. " Let's get some bait", he said. We spent the next 30 minutes catching crafty calico-colored crabs for our bonefishing. When he was satisfied that we had enough, we drove another mile south. To our left lay miles of salt flats.

HOW WE DID-

It was not long before we spotted a group of five fish tailing in the moderate, but ever-present wind. A quick cast five feet upwind of the fish had the school cruise over to my bait, and one picked it up. I struck the fish smartly, and the run was on! I had to hold the rod high, as there were many stick-up rocks in the area. On our half-day charter, we released about five fish and had an excellent day. We saluted our trip later at Zee Zicht restaurant over fried fish, funchi, and cold Amstel beer.

This may be one of the best destinations that feature great fishing, snorkelling, and plenty to do for non-fishing companions.

Jan
www.flatsfishingonline.com

Upcoming Cruise Ship Destination Fishing Experiences

These are just a few of the cruise ship destinations I have fished at, be it by fly, plug, or spin tackle. Some were fantastically productive, some were modest, and some were unproductive. All of these places shared and provided the joy of plying new and exciting marine waters.

The pleasures of sailing to a new port of call, never knowing the adventures in fishing, boating, and hiking the next day will bring. It's the life!

Some reports will be here, but others may be committed to the excellent The Angling Report. Stay tuned for adventurous tales.....there is much in store!!

1.Moorea
2.Bora-Bora
3.Papaette
4.Playa Del Carmen
5.Kauai
6.Mauai
7.Hawaii-Hilo
8.Oahu
9.Istanbul
10.Salerno, Italy.
11.San Juan
12.Dominica
13.St. Lucia
14.St. Martin
15.St. Thomas
16.St.John
17.Jamaica
18.Antigua
19.Martinique
20.Curacao
21.Bonaire
22.Aruba
23.Grand Cayman
24.Belize
25.Cozumel
26.Roatan
27.Tortugero, Costa Rica
28.Sitka
29.Ketchikan
30.Juneau
31.Skagway
32.Jost van Dyke
33.Grand Bahama
34.Little San Salvador
35.Cabo San Lucas
36.Mazatlan
37.Puerto Vallarta

Jan
www.flatsfishingonline.com.

Fanning Island Beckons Me Back!

Cruise ships have brought many wonderful fishing destinations into my life. One of the best has been Fanning Island, an exquisitely exotic atoll midway between Tahiti and Hawaii. Fanning is about 160 miles northwest of Christmas island. It has no fishing pressure compared to Christmas Island. Fanning Island was to be a one-day stop aboard the excellent NCL (Norwegian Cruise Lines) Norwegian Wind.

In planning for the trip, I was able to contact a local American, Chuck Corbett, on the island to set me up with what I found out was incredible bone and trevally fishing. He can be contacted at chuck@fanning-island.com and www.Fanning-Island.com. The island is about 11 by 7 miles in size, and has a Polynesian name meaning sacred footprint.

We arrived a number of months later on a day that featured 30 mph winds. When our tender reached the dock, I was greeted by Chuck and Naan, my appointed guide. Though they said we might struggle to the flats in these "gale force" winds, they suggested the inlet would be quite productive for trevally and papio(skipjack).

Were they ever right! Using casting and spin tackle rigged with white bucktails, every cast was nailed by a gamefish. It was a giant trevally, bluefin trevally, and papio extravaganza! I easily forgot the bonefish since I was catching fish unavailable in my home waters of Florida and the Caribbean. Chuck told me that on calm days, the exact running time to catch big wahoo and tuna was 60 seconds from the dock! This destination now has me as a permanent captive and always tugs at me to return!

Jan
www.flatsfishingonline.com

The Return of Spring Bones to Biscayne Bay

Although a front was on its way, I did fish this Friday morning on the SE oceanside of Key Biscayne adjacent to a deep water channel. Although there was no overhead light, and murky water, a swift incoming tide brought in warmer water. I just soaked some shrimp in front of my chum tube, and had caught and released 2 bonefish to 7 pounds in the first half hour. Some explosions in the channel took me away from blind fishing. Out came the plug rod and Spro white bucktail tipped with shrimp...non-stop action on jack crevalles to 5 pounds for the next hour.

If the weather stays warm, there should be more bones on the inside flats, and they'll also forage into skinnier water. It was good to get this Spring flats preview this morning. Unlike fashionable flats fanatics, I'll fish bonefish almost anyway I can catch 'em. I do not want "shots"- I want successful hookups, catches and releases.

Jan
www.flatsfishingonline.com/

Gulf Coast Memories at Key Island Estate

Last summer included 2 memorable trips to Jim and Stacey Kanzler's Key Island Estate [www.keyislandestate.com/]. The quality of the sight fishing on this exotic island between Naples and Marco island is hard to describe except by numbers, just to get the flavor. In two days of night fishing there, I released 36 snook to twenty pounds. On the Gulf beach behind Key Island, I spotted hundreds of snook swimming the surf during a day's fishing. I caught countless jacks, ladyfish, and snapper. I also spotted loads of pompano tailing - YES, TAILING- in the surf sloughs one windy afternoon, and was finally able to catch some reverting to shrimp on ultralite spin.

This is a perfect high-end destination for angling groups, families, and wedding groups of up to 14 people to stay in the exquisitely appointed estate. The beaches are pristine, unpressured, and downright spiritual. I look forward to my return, and suggest you look into this marvelous destination.

Jan
www.flatsfishingonline.com

And the next record bone comes from.........

Goodbye Miami, Bimini, and Islamorada. Even the slightest investigation into New Caledonia shows some monsters from 15 to over 20 pounds. Why can you find them? Because the vast flats make shallow hunting fields quite accessible to ghost hunters. The flats are reportedly deep, but reports and pictures show absolute monsters caught. Typically, the fish are singles or doubles and require stealth, not because of pressure, but because the food availability makes flies and lures so rejectable.

This is a spot off NE Australia that emphasizes a few shots at monster bones, not big numbers. Bob Nauheim of Fishing International says 10 shots a day is a great day...but almost limitless trevally. Very close and cheap for Aussies..pretty far and costly for us Yanks. Put New Caledonia bonefish on google, find the images, and drool!

Jan
www.flatsfishingonline.com

More on Abaco: Green Turtle Cay to the Marls

Despite the claims of Andros Island as to having the biggest Bahamian bones, a record check will reveal that the Little Bahama Bank (GBI and Abaco) to some degree and the Biminis to the larger degree, sport the biggest bonefish. This may well be due to the proximity to deeper water- look at the huge bonefish from Miami to Islamorada and the Gulf Stream. It seems that oceanside bonefish -almost worldwide- are bigger. Enter Green Turtle Cay on Abaco's Northeast side. This oceanside area has yielded some of the largest bones on Abaco- look at the photos on Ronnie Sawyer's webpages. Bigger fish are rumoured around ManJack Key slightly to the North. I have seen some photos in the museum in New Plymouth of monster bonefish on Green Turtle Cay caught on the island. This is a smaller habitat with slightly deeper water..definitely a non-nursery with mostly larger fish. The Marls stand in contrast with loads of miles of ultrashallow water with loads of small nursery bones. What a marvelous Abaconian choice: loads of small fish or a few trophies? Which would you want?

Jan
www.flatsfishingonline.com

Sandy Point, Abaco

Ever since I fished Abaco's Sandy Point, I became satisfied it was all I needed. Hard wadeable bottoms with tan-colored sand, and great visibility. I have stayed at Rickmon Lodge and fished many times with Captain Ricardo Burrows. The closest flats are sixty seconds by boat right from the Lodge, and I have seen schools of tailing fish numbering in the hundreds within sight of the Lodge. For those that like remote spots, Ricardo can run you to Gorda Cay or Mores Island, weather permitting, in his new ActionCraft. Getting to Abaco keeps you flying on the more relable American Eagle and Gulfstream/Continental flights.

The food and beverages at the Lodge are great and you will not be disappointed. There are also lots of sharks to catch on ultralight gear, as well as muttonfish to be jigged out of the channels. Ricardo is a classic Abaconian: friendly, reliable, and well-bred. Rickmon Bonefish Lodge is on my list of permanent bonefish destinations.

Jan Maizler
www.flatsfishingonline.com/

Wading the Wild Flats of Abaco-Sandy Point

I'll soon be discussing my experiences on Abaco Island, from Treasure Cay all the way down to the wonderful Rickmon Lodge at Sandy Point.
Jan

Off to Cabo!

I'd always wanted to leave my native South Florida flats and fish under the majestic Arcos off Cabo San Lucas. I did this successfully in 2004 by pairing a stop from my cruise ship, the Carnival Pride, with a charter with the excellent Baja Anglers Guide Service. Under Grant Hartman's crisp, efficient management, we left the marina with Captain Juan and Mate Miguel on a beautifully equipped 25 foot Glacier Bay skiff. The vessel had every necessary feature, and we sported a livewell full of baitfish. Life was good!

We passed under Los Arcos and watched the early morning sun paint the adobe-colored mountains with a lemon tint. Juan idled his skiff for about a mile, and stopped alongside a rocky outcropping just outside of the huge emerald and white crashing surf. We got out casting tackle that sported white poppers and worked the rock edges. The sierra (mackeral) were plentiful, and there were strikes on every cast! We kept a half dozen for a fish fry feast late that afternoon.

Back on our vessel, the morning passed quickly. Though a pesky seal dogged our vessel, we caught spotted jack crevalles (toro to Mexicans and trevally to Pacificans). A half hour later, lifetime dreams were realized as we boated and released 3 roosterfish to 20 pounds. High fives went off around the boat like salsa-flavored firecrackers! I had a story back in the port to cover, so it was time to turn around, and head for this Nice-in-the-desert. On our way in, we passed over a hundred yard long school of jack-like looking fish. I asked Juan what they were, and he said, " 2 and 3 pound pompano." It seemed the operant word that memorable day was "WOW."

Jan

Flats Wading Article Put on the 'Net

Low Tide Striding

One way of reading nature's book.

By Jan Stephen Maizler

Flats fishermen are by nature hunters. That's why they pick a form of angling where searching and hunting are core parts of the game plan. One way to improve angling results in shallow water is to put down the rod for a bit and study the characteristics-composition, layout, and currents-of the flats you like to fish. And by far the best way to really study a flat is to get down there in the water on low tide.

You'll be most effective doing this when spring low tides-the lowest lows of each month, around the new and full moons-occur at midday. The overhead sun provides the best lighting for visibility and the extreme lows of the spring tide will bring up more bottom features for discovery. Keep an eye out for winds that will help things along-a strong northeast wind will make the low tides far lower than normal on the west coast, while a strong northwester will push water out along the east coast, so try to go on one of these days if possible. (Of course, you have to take the exceptionally low water into account when you run your boat over areas that will float it easily on a "normal" low tide.)

The first step (pun intended) is to determine whether the bottom will support your weight. "Walking the walk" will give you the best results. Ideal flats for low tide striding are the hard sand, shell or rocky flats associated with ocean shorelines and some flats fronting on large open bays. On many smaller bays or backcountry flats, the bottom is marl or mud, and is too soft for wading. Here, low tide explorations may be limited to poling your skiff as far into the flat as possible (without grounding) and then scanning the features.


Shuffle your feet as you wade, even in the shallowest water. The shuffling will flush buried critters like stingrays or crabs. Stepping on one of these spiky creatures can cut short your exploration. A glide to your stride will keep you out of harm's way-usually.
Footwear is important. By far the best are dedicated wading shoes, usually made of neoprene, with hard rubber bottoms and Velcro closures or corrosion-proof zippers. These are ankle high or higher, and they keep out sand and weeds, and also prevent your feet from being nicked by shells. Some are very expensive, but if you shop carefully at the mail-order discount stores, you can find them for around $30, and with minimal care, a pair may last for years. Sandals are no good as wading shoes because they let in all the stuff you want to keep out, and also tend to get stuck in the mud. In a pinch, high-top tennis shoes are OK, but soft-soled diving boots are not-they get chopped up on oysters. Wear a hat and polarized glasses with side screens to help your vision, too.


As you wade along, the soles of your feet will come to the aid of your eyes. Although you may be wading in what looks like a uniform 10 inches of water, your "foot sonar" could pick up a subtle drop or depression in the bottom. This could be an important detail your eyes may have missed. If the drop continues, it might turn into a channel that runs across the flat. This could be a fish highway that bonefish or redfish use to access the flat in the rising waters of a new incoming tide. It could also serve as a low-water escape route. And your feet may also help you note when the bottom changes from firm sand to softer, darker mud-spots where reds might go to warm up on a chilly winter day, if you get lucky. Or you might notice a little oyster bar that's usually completely underwater.


For these reasons, you want to make a mental note of what you find on your low-tide explorations. Better yet, carry a waterproof pen and small pad in a plastic sandwich bag in your shirt pocket. You can then make a map of the small channels, grass and mud patches and other important features right on the spot. You now have a record you can refer to time and again. It will help you to understand why flats fish take the paths they do.
It is also important to note that the paths that fish are forced to take on the lowest tides may evolve into their preferred path during the higher tidal periods. On the outside of Long Key Point, south of Islamorada, the low tide highlights certain sandy "runs" not far from the shoreline. These spots are a few feet deep at low tide, and the tarpon and permit can squeeze through this edge. On the high tide, although the water is several feet deeper, the fish will continue to travel over these same spots, even though the water depth would allow them to swim far inside. A low-tide discovery like this will help you in revealing that flats fish consider bottom features in their movements, not just depth.


Potholes are always worth checking out and recording. Generally, the shapes of these depressions are vaguely circular, and have a different color than the surrounding bottom. Potholes are important to you because they frequently serve as low-tide holding areas for flats fish. The fish know instinctively that they can wait out the low tide in these holes rather than drop off the flats into an adjacent channel. As the tide floods in, flats fish may use a pothole as a feeding station. They'll often lie in wait for any forage fish to wander into the hole, then rush out of the grass along the edge or the deepest part of the hole to pounce on their prey. The potholes you discover on low tide may provide extraordinary fishing at any tidal phase.
Extreme low tides also reveal fish-attracting structure not always obvious on the higher tides. Snook that fan out over the grassflats often hold near submerged trees, wrecks and rubble. The structure eases the force of the current they must cope with. In addition, it gives them a place to hide and pounce on any unsuspecting forage fish-and something they can put between themselves and any porpoise that comes riding in on a high tide.


Low tides also reveal some of the best structure on the west coast and in the Panhandle, the oyster bar. This living structure is often home to sheepshead, redfish, mangrove snapper, jewfish and many other species. Again, the best way for you to learn the oyster bars and adjacent flats is to explore them on the lowest tides. If you attempt wading along these bars, absolute caution is a must. Wear your most protective footwear and step as carefully as you can. Oyster bars can be razor sharp. You should fish the oyster bars as fish-attracting structure much like anglers in the Keys fish the patch reefs. As the water rises, redfish may root for crabs along the bars. Trout and snook may hold near the bars, using them as structure. Often, there's a deep cut around the tips of bars that sit across the tide, and these usually produce fish when the tide is moving through them.


Also, be on constant alert for "fertile flat" signs as you wade. The presence of scurrying crabs, worms or worm and crab holes, egg casings, mullet, minnows and other signs of forage indicate that gamefish will likely prowl this area as the water rises. You'll also want to note the presence of other flats feeders such as small sharks, barracuda, stingrays, needlefish and puffers-where these guys show up, snook, reds and other species are likely at some point in the tide.
Although your low-tide striding only starts with exploration, don't be surprised if you spot a tailing redfish or bonefish now and then. These fish will be in water far too shallow for boating anglers to get at, and just might be in an eating mood. Make a careful presentation and you might find that your scouting expedition pays off quicker than you had hoped.

Quicky Report for my Readers from Abaco in December

Bonefish Bonanza at Abaco Beach Resort- I returned from fishing out of Abaco Beach Resort two weeks ago. It is located about an hour east of West Palm Beach by plane. There are daily flights to Marsh Harbour, Abaco Island where Abaco Beach is located.

The resort (www.abacobeachresort.com) has every amenity for the fisherman and his (or her) family. Everything- from the food, tours, beach, marina, fitness room, boutique- is excellent and will suit every family member.It only takes 15 minutes from the Resort to the launch ramp, and another 15 minutes to have your guide pole you into the fabulous Marls. Since the weather was fair, the fish showed up immediately, and I released 9 bonefish to 6 lbs. in three hours.The Resort can set you up with a friendly, proficient guide. My guide was Danny Sawyer. This is the perfect setting to experience close-by fishing that is unpressured, yet return to a resort that is pure excellence.

Jan Maizler
www.flatsfishingonline.com

Report From My Recent Mexican Riviera Trip

Fishing the Magic Waters of Puerto Vallarta Mexico

by JAN STEPHEN MAIZLER


Puerto Vallarta has always been on my list of mandatory exotic destinations, because of its great fishing, beautiful environs, and excellent accessibility. Long ago, this city gained notoriety for the film Night of the Iguana . Its exquisite mountains, jungles, and waters in recent times once again lured the film Predator to be shot there. So Puerto Vallarta, (or PV) has long had a draw and mystique for me.
All of the right conditions enabled me to make the trip on March 30, 2004, and am I glad I did!


RESEARCHING THE TRIP
The short time I had to make arrangements led me to an online search of PV, and Phil in PV kept coming up. I contacted him at ectm@pvnet.com.mx, and got an immediate response. I was impressed with his enthusiasm for fishing, and informed him that I would shortly be visiting PV as the first leg of a trip that would also include Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. He said there were basically four fisheries in PV that were viable at any point in the year.
*Surf casting the beaches for roosterfish, jack crevalles, and big snook.*Inshore skiff (panga) fishing for mackerel (sierra), jacks, snappers, and roosterfish.*Big game fishing about 20 miles offshore for blue and black marlin, tuna, and dorado (dolphin).*Bass fishing in the inland lakes.
After pointing these out, he said that he was sure that one of these fisheries would be active upon my arrival, with help from the Big Guy upstairs. I booked a panga through Phil with Captain Miguel and first mate Tony, since some kind of coastal fishing would be my first choice.
The next step was for us to rendezvous, and Phil was happy to meet me at the gangway when my ship, the Carnival Pride, docked in the Puerto Vallarta harbor. He said we would recognize him by the gray beard and the Gray Taxidermy shirt. Like clockwork, when my wife, Shermin, and I disembarked the ship with an arsenal of fishing tackle, there he was.


The drive to Las Penas Marina where the panga was berthed would only take five minutes, but it would give us all a chance to establish our relationship: Phil would accompany us on our charter.

As we drove and talked, I was impressed with Phil s colorful intensity, love of fishing, and total lack of pretense. It became clear that his target is the everyday angler searching for a simply good time. Phil promised not only a day of fun on the water casting to breaking game fish and watching rolling whales, and diving boobies. He made it clear he could provide for any visiting angler prior to arrival, advice on lodgings, and personality and skill match-up between angler, captain, and vessel. Upon arrival, he provides transfers to and from your hotel or cruise ship to your charter vessel. After a day of probable success off PV, Phil can arrange for your catch to be mounted without killing it - he just measures it! - or if edible like dorado, Phil will arrange for a local restaurant to build a feast with your catch as center dish. All these features were a nice prelude to boarding our charter panga, the Sol .


OUR DAY S FISHING OFF PV


We arrived at Las Penas Marina and could see Captain Miguel and mate Tony waving salutations at us. When we got aboard the Sol, we were reassured by the full electronic array of depth recorders, VHF radio, and cell phones.

Captain Miguel smiled and said, you brought warm spring weather with you, and now, there s lots of bait just a couple miles off the beach. Based on my stated desire for light tackle inshore fishing, he said we could try for roosterfish about 10 miles away to the North, or the baitfish balls just a short run from us. Because I had an afternoon story to do on the exotic Las Caletas sanctuary show, and another boat to catch in the opposite direction, we chose the latter. This, I might add, without the least amount of frustration, since we could see clouds off birds diving not a mile straight off our bow.

The Captain gunned the twin engines towards the melee to get us to the action as quickly as possible. About a hundred yards away, he dropped the vessel to creeping pace so as to not spook the fish. My heart was pounding and it seemed like the football field distance was taking forever to cross. Miguel looked at me and laughingly said, we ll be there soon. The baitfish didn t have a prayer: from above, clouds of boobies dove into them like feathered missiles, and from below, yard-wide explosive strikes from huge jack crevalles. Although, I saw some mackerel skyrocketing with bait in their mouths, I was tackling up for the jacks, or toros (bulls) as they re called in PV.

Phil was rigging a white and blue spoon on a short surf rod to do battle. I wanted my tackle light and my strikes and battles fierce, so I used a light Diawa popping rod, Ambassador casting reel with 12-pound line, 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, and a blue Yo-Zuri pencil popper plug.


Miguel slipped the gears into neutral, cut the engines, and slid the vessel right into the action. With watery explosions surrounding us, Phil and I cast in opposite directions. The first pop of my Yo-Zuri drew two huge jacks. The second pop caused one of the fish to leap halfway out of the water and crash my plug. No more plug, just a foamy crater as line poured off my trusty bait caster at an alarming pace. Cheers went up from the crew as Miguel turned the boat in pursuit of the giant predator to regain precious line. The fight would take about a half hour, highlighted by NasCar runs that would almost spool me all over again. As I put enormous pressure on the giant jack, I heard a sickening crack, and my rod was transformed into a 3-foot stand-up model! Thank goodness the line held, and I got the leader into my shorty rod. Underneath us a huge jack of 25 pounds thrashed; a pull on the leader affected his release.


The magic waters of PV continued to offer up this frothy bounty, until we could take no more. The day was saluted with freshly opened sodas, and Phil from PV hoisted his pop bottle skyward and said," thanks, big guy."

Sanibel Sampler

THE SPECTACULAR SNOOK OF SANIBEL ISLAND
By Jan Stephen Maizler

Early summer had begun to warm the waters of Sanibel and Captiva Islands off Fort Myers, Florida. It had only begun two weeks ago in early May. I d called snook expert Captain Mike Smith (239-573-FISH) of Sanibel to confirm my hunches. Mike was quick to affirm that the snook (or, alternatively, linesiders) indeed were on the feed in the area s waters from Punta Rassa up to Boca Grande. Mike encouraged me to get there A.S.A.P., but he qualified it by saying, be sure you make it here on a moon. When I inquired what that meant, he replied, A moon means a new or full moon, when the tidal heights and velocity are bigger and stronger.. That s when the snook are feeding more aggressively. We quickly chose the upcoming new May moon in a couple of weeks, and maximized our chances by choosing a weekday. Less boats, more fish , as Captain Mike put it. The time passed so quickly that it seemed like a few days as I met him at the Punta Rassa docks just after the Sanibel Causeway tollbooth. His Lake and Bay skiff was spotless and gleaming as it sat alongside the dock. As I climbed aboard, Mike opened one of the livewells to reveal a huge number of lively pilchards, and smiled. He said the snook were really on the feed and we d be bringing them the perfect groceries! The explorations of Mike s charters the last few days revealed that the snook were feeding most actively in The Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve on the bayside of Sanibel island. No one knows the Ding like Captain Mike: he has fished it ever since he was a young boy. He fired up his motor, and idled into open water one hundred yards away. Once his rig was in the clear, he pushed down the throttle to rocket speed, and it was only minutes until we were back at idle speed, easing through a small opening into the jungle-like Ding.


HOW WE DID

Captain Mike s method was fascinating. He would only use his bow-mounted electric motor to get to his honey holes hiding in the maze of creeks, bays, and islands. Once the boat was about forty feet from his favorite spot, he d let down the anchor to keep his skiff stationary. Then, he would net a few frisky pilchards from his livewell, and hand-toss them into the mangrove treetops. Moments later, pilchards from the sky would rain down on the snook hiding a few feet into the mangroves, and all hell would break loose! Mike smiled at all the pops, and said, I guess they re hungry. As a few pilchard survivors tore out of the mangroves and hid in the shadow of his skiff, Mike told me to pull one of the spinning outfits out of the rod holders. The rigs were well thought through: stiff long graphite rods with fast retrieve spinners. Each reel was filled to the brim with braided line to maximize two tackle qualities : sensitivity and low stretch, fish-pulling power. He baited me up on a 1/0 hook tied to a two-foot length of fluorocarbon leader. He told me to toss the bait into the shadowy mangrove pocket that had the most recent pop. I made a good cast, and the strike was instantaneous! The snook and I did a seesaw battle, but good technique and tackle had him to the boat side in about a minute. We admired the six-pound fish for a moment and then released it. Suffice it to say that every new stop we made, I hooked up with a nice snook, redfish, or jack crevalle. The technique was the same: a pinpoint cast into shadowy pockets and a keep-him-coming fighting technique. Mike s spots were as endless as his knowledge of the Ding , but by midday, I was exhausted. It was time for a break. As we idled back out of the Preserve, Captain Mike encouraged me to return very soon when the fishing was really good. I laughed, and responded that I was thinking just the same thing: you know, the full moon is only two weeks away

Jan Stephen Maizler is a veteran outdoor writer specializing in exciting shallow water destinations. He can be reached at www.flatsfishingonline.com/

Sanibel Sampler

SPECTACULAR SNOOK OF SANIBEL ISLAND By Jan Stephen Maizler


Early summer had begun to warm the waters of Sanibel and Captiva Islands off Fort Myers, Florida. It had only begun two weeks ago in early May. I 'd called snook expert Captain Mike Smith (239-573-FISH) of Sanibel to confirm my hunches. Mike was quick to affirm that the snook (or, alternatively, linesiders) indeed were on the feed in the area s waters from Punta Rassa up to Boca Grande. Mike encouraged me to get there A.S.A.P., but he qualified it by saying, be sure you make it here on a moon. When I inquired what that meant, he replied, A moon means a new or full moon, when the tidal heights and velocity are bigger and stronger..



That s when the snook are feeding more aggressively. We quickly chose the upcoming new May moon in a couple of weeks, and maximized our chances by choosing a weekday. Less boats, more fish , as Captain Mike put it. The time passed so quickly that it seemed like a few days as I met him at the Punta Rassa docks just after the Sanibel Causeway tollbooth. His Lake and Bay skiff was spotless and gleaming as it sat alongside the dock. As I climbed aboard, Mike opened one of the livewells to reveal a huge number of lively pilchards, and smiled. He said the snook were really on the feed and we d be bringing them the perfect groceries! The explorations of Mike' s charters the last few days revealed that the snook were feeding most actively in The Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve on the bayside of Sanibel island. No one knows the Ding like Captain Mike: he has fished it ever since he was a young boy. He fired up his motor, and idled into open water one hundred yards away. Once his rig was in the clear, he pushed down the throttle to rocket speed, and it was only minutes until we were back at idle speed, easing through a small opening into the jungle-like Ding.


HOW WE DID
Captain Mike s method was fascinating. He would only use his bow-mounted electric motor to get to his honey holes hiding in the maze of creeks, bays, and islands. Once the boat was about forty feet from his favorite spot, he d let down the anchor to keep his skiff stationary. Then, he would net a few frisky pilchards from his livewell, and hand-toss them into the mangrove treetops. Moments later, pilchards from the sky would rain down on the snook hiding a few feet into the mangroves, and all hell would break loose! Mike smiled at all the pops, and said, I guess they re hungry. As a few pilchard survivors tore out of the mangroves and hid in the shadow of his skiff, Mike told me to pull one of the spinning outfits out of the rod holders. The rigs were well thought through: stiff long graphite rods with fast retrieve spinners. Each reel was filled to the brim with braided line to maximize two tackle qualities : sensitivity and low stretch, fish-pulling power. He baited me up on a 1/0 hook tied to a two-foot length of fluorocarbon leader. He told me to toss the bait into the shadowy mangrove pocket that had the most recent pop. I made a good cast, and the strike was instantaneous! The snook and I did a seesaw battle, but good technique and tackle had him to the boat side in about a minute. We admired the six-pound fish for a moment and then released it. Suffice it to say that every new stop we made, I hooked up with a nice snook, redfish, or jack crevalle. The technique was the same: a pinpoint cast into shadowy pockets and a keep-him-coming fighting technique. Mike s spots were as endless as his knowledge of the Ding , but by midday, I was exhausted. It was time for a break. As we idled back out of the Preserve, Captain Mike encouraged me to return very soon when the fishing was really good. I laughed, and responded that I was thinking just the same thing: you know, the full moon is only two weeks away


.. Jan Stephen Maizler is a veteran outdoor writer specializing in exciting shallow water destinations. He can be reached at www.flatsfishingonline.com/

More on Roatan Fishing

Roatan: A Triple-Win for Anglers by Jan Stephen Maizler
Though I've flats fished from Abaco to Tahiti, I was always curious about Roatan as a unique, exotic, yet economically do-able destination for most flats fishermen. My research indicated that it had three major features, which made it a one-of-a-kind island.

Before discussing these, let's back up to the basics. Many of you may not have heard much about Roatan. This island and a few others comprise the Bay Islands that lie about forty miles north of the Caribbean coast of Honduras. If you traced a southward-moving line through the more famous islands off Belize, then traced that line eastward by following the perpendicular shift of the landmass, you'd find Roatan.

The three characteristics that almost compelled me to visit Roatan were the following: Firstly, unlike most other Mexican and Belizean islands, Roatan's environment was lush, mountainous, and undeveloped. A friend told me that you could sleep on the beaches next to the mountains under brilliant starry skies and wake up to little clouds of hummingbirds as a prelude to your day of fishing. Secondly, the waters of Roatan boasted coral reefs second to none in the Caribbean, and the best thing was that this treasure was a mere 50 yards offshore! Imagine what a nice snorkel break this could provide during a day of flats fishing. Because Roatan has a diver's emphasis, it has fishing habitat that is relatively unpressured: this is the third big feature. My research yielded stories about flats that offered plenty of tailing permit, bonefish, and ocean tally. Its mangrove-lined bights were said to house plenty of small snook and tarpon. Last but not least, Roatan's drop-off is so quick, you'd be hooking tuna and wahoo five minutes from the shoreline.

In my research, I made a decision to stay away from the more touristy west side of the island that was so frequented by divers. I decided on the Tropical Beach Resort for many reasons. It was located on Calabash Bight, which offered tarpon fishing not 5 minutes from the lodge, and the most substantial flats were only 30 minutes away. The reef was only a minutes swim from the shoreline, and I learned that the beachside resort was covered with palm, pecan, and noni trees. This would be a great place to kick back when not fishing.

The owners, Rod and Jean Christensen, had done an excellent job with amenities at Tropical Beach Resort. Each cabana had air conditioning, cable T.V., hot showers, and comfortable beds. The meals were first class with plenty of meat, seafood, and vegetables, and could be cooked American or Honduran style. The resort has two excellent pangas: one for the flats, and one for the reefs, with dependable Yamaha motors. I was sold on this perfect combination, and promptly made my reservations.

The airline arrangements were simple with plenty of choices. Solair flies direct from Miami on a weekly basis. Taca Airlines and its partners access Roatan from Houston, New Orleans, and Miami through San Pedro Sula on the Honduran mainland, then to Roatan via twin-engine plane.

Rod was there at the airport to meet my friend Art and myself. An hour later, we hit the sack at the resort in air-conditioned comfort. The next morning we would be fishing crunchy reef flats with Kevin for three days. We would also fish the Roatan bights with Perry for tarpon and snook for the remainder of our time, approximately two days.

How We Did
Since our trip was during the rainy season, which corresponds to Florida's winter season, we encountered showers about half of the time. There was rarely much thunder and the fish seemed not in the least bothered by the rain. I spent three days fishing, and the other two sightseeing in the mountains, shooting film, and snorkeling. Those three days of fishing provided more than enough action.

I cannot recall seeing more tailing permit anywhere, Belize included. Sometimes I would see six schools of a dozen fish each inside a football-sized field of flats. A properly cast crab style fly or hermit crab was grabbed about half of the time. The flat calm waters of the rainy season made our challenge greater. My biggest permit that I hooked was over 20 pounds and was lost when the fish frizbeed itself up and over the reef and down the drop-off. The same for an ocean tally of the same size hooked on light spin.

In between the tailing permit were schools of bonefish to 6 pounds, and small pods of tailing ocean tallies to 20 pounds. I caught and released more than enough bonefish and permit on those flats. All three species of tailing fish were numerous. In the remaining days we explored the mangrove-lined bights, bays, and creeks for snook and tarpon. The fish were there, but were especially receptive to bonefish sized bucktails tipped with shrimp fished on a 30 pound fluorocarbon leader.

While Art fished, Rod and I took the big panga out over the reefs for some snorkeling. These reefs are clearly some of the best in the entire Caribbean, and offered an incredible diversity of fish and different corals. It was clear why Rod and Jean opened Tropical Beach Resort: they were living the good life! I plan to rejoin them soon, and live some good Roatan life myself.

Understanding a Fish

Like all forms of wisdom, the best way to comprehend something is insight into the essential nature of what you are focusing on. This is true of fish, and to comprehend well is to simply look at your species and say, " why do they look this way", while at the same time remembering your fish has become what it is BECAUSE IT NEEDED TO.

The protractile mouth of the bonefish, mojarra or the golden trevally exists because of the evolutionary needs of bottom rooting and grazing. The bonefish's double anal fin helps not just steer it, but it makes on ongoing shallow depth sensor. The black drum's poorer vision- smaller eyes-is helped by chin barbels that help sense the bottom. Why do pelagics like all the billfish, tunas, dolphin have forked tails or bills? Simple..they need to traverse longer feeding distances in the seemingly endless blue water. Billfish herd baitfish into balls when they are able, and whack their quarry with their bills.This saves lots of pursuit time and energy.

When you use lures for a species, do 3 things
1.Match the hatch
2.Make your lure behave like the real thing
3.Be sure your lure action matches the feeding style of your target species, as well as THEIR
CURRENT FEEDING MOOD.

Jan

Winter Thaw

It was good to be back in my skiff Friday morning. Two Miami months of chilly weather and my Hewes stayed on the trailer. A small cold front passed overhead as the sun rose yesterday. My engine took a good five minutes to cold-start. My quest was backwater tarpon in the creeks and canals of extreme North Biscayne bay. My plan was to deep-drop lures and mullet. I also wanted to test out the Bass Pro Shop Offshore Angler 12 pound spinning reels. The vapor lifted off the water as the sun rose cold. I tried 6 different spots, and not one fish rolled. I cruised up the Oleta River to cast for snook, but the water was the clear, cold, falling tide stuff that turned off the fish. I found myself dreaming about the warming springtime flats of the North Bahamas in windy March and Water Cay Bonefish Club on GBI. Likewise, dreams of the Salina on Rum Cay and unpressured bonefish. On the outside, slim pickings, but a mind full of fishy dreams, and gratitude about being back in my skiff.
Jan

Forget Belize!

Delicious permit flats await further down permit alley at the island of Roatan, Bay Islands Honduras. I never knew permit could congregate in such large numbers, as they fed off reefy crunchy flats filled with crabs. No lie, but I actually saw almost 8 groups of permit simultaneously on a 100 yard long flat, along with feeding bones and triggerfish. I fished out of Tropical Beach Resort with Capatain Kevin Bodden out of Calabash bite. There are daily flights from Miami and Houston.

Jan

Learning about Winter Bonefish in Florida

It is very important to remember that as cold fronts hit, remember that our silvery flats grazers drop off to warm water refuges. This could be a channel or the deeper flats of 6 feet deep. It takes time for the cold to penetrate the marine waters. Think of warming incoming tides that warm the flats. The afternoon sun has warmed the water for the better part of the day, and coupled oceanside flats, say, off Elliot Key, a cold morning is terrible....but the late afternoon of a few higher degrees will bring in large packs of schooling bones. These fish group together more readily in the cold on the Keys oceanside: perhaps the numbers generate collective warmth. Who knows why, but in the winter modify your tactics for bonefish.

Jan