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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice Kings, Bonito, Shark, Snapper & Trout
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1436
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Seasonal business is just beginning to pick up around here, though most of the recently reserved dates are for later this month and into next. I did get offshore Saturday, 10/10 with long-time customers Jerry and Barb Rudan, from Wisconsin. We headed out of NewPass to about 18 miles, but it was slow go...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Snapper, Sheeps, Hogs, Grouper & Trout Biting
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1613
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Tuesday morning, 2/16, after a gorgeous day offshore on Monday, seas were back to their usual for this winter—rough, with small craft advisories issued. Brad Urlaub and family traded their offshore fishing plans for a morning of bay fishing. We used live shrimp to catch lots of sheepshead, includi...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: 28-inch gag released, snapper, hogfish, sheepshead & trout
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1325
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Wednesday morning, 3/3, was chilly and windy but my brave party of three lady-anglers, Alene Haug, her mother, Carrie and friend, Connie, decided to give the backwaters a try anyway. We caught and released sheepshead until the ladies decided they'd had enough cold, then we headed back for shore. T...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good Action Inshore & Offshore
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1257
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Tuesday, 3/30, seas were rough offshore and I ended up re-booking my planned gulf trip with a trio of ladies who wanted to fish the bay. Karen Taylor, son Evan Taylor, and Evan’s grandmother, Kate Collins, fished with live shrimp and caught six keeper sheepshead to 18 inches and a keeper mangrove snap...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Inshore & Near-shore recent trips report
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1236
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Wednesday morning, 4/28, I fished Estero Bay with Paul Martz and Christian LeClerc. We caught a 23-inch Spanish mackerel, released short snapper, and were bemoaning the slow action when, all of a sudden, two lines began bending, and we reeled in two keeper redfish, at 18 1/2 and 19 inches--so we end...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Summer Fishing Heating Up-Kings Here!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1370
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First of all, our hearts go out to our fellow fisherman and all the residents of the Gulf coast who have been impacted by the BP oil spill. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you, and we feel fortunate to have escaped this crisis on our shores here in SW FL. We also want all our potential customers to kn...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Yellowtail, Grouper, Hogfish, Kings
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1321
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Pat Fitzgerald and his sons have fished with me for years. This year, the boys brought some friends along for a boat-load of six, including Pat, sons Jimmy and Tommy and friends, Matthew, Jacob, and Brandon. We headed out of New Pass Thursday morning, 7/1, to fish in 44 feet. The boys caught a mess of yel...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper, Snapper & Trout
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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1
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1391
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“No oil—No spoilOur Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Estero Bay was my fishing grounds on Tuesday morning, 7/27, when I fished with Chris Polumbo and his young daughter, Miranda, along with Miranda's two friends, Bridget and Rachel. We caught two 17-inch trout and two keeper mangrove snap...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper, Snapper, Hogfish, Trout & Goliath Fun
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1340
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“No oil—No spoilOur Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday morning, 9/20, I fished central Estero Bay with Joe & Donna Corso. The trout bite was active but most were short of keeper-size. We kept a 15-inch trout and released ten others. We also got two keeper-sized mangrove snapper, o...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: 11-Pound Red Grouper; 20 Pound 'Cuda
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1224
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Dave Flemming and friends and family were in town to attend his grandmother’s 85th birthday the weekend of 10/22, and Dave and five others, Rob, David, Tom, Brad and Al, decided to work in a catch-and-release fishing trip on Saturday, before catching their flights home. There was a small-craft-cau...
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SWFL-BonitaBeach:Snapper fill the grouper void;Trout Inshore
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1295
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“No oil—No spoil Our Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday, 1/24, seas were calmer and I took advantage of those conditions to head out to two spots, one 28 miles west of New Pass and one 36 miles out, to fish in about 65 feet with long-time customer Barry Pflueger and his friends, Glen Ray, brot...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good Action--Lots of Hogfish!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1278
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“No oil—No spoil Our Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday, 2/21, Don Kennis, his dad, Doug, and his twelve-year-old son, Bradley, fished a catch-and-release trip with me about 18 miles west of New Pass. We released a hogfish, thirty mangrove snapper, red grouper, grunts, porkfish and sh...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Inshore & Near-Shore Report
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1283
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“No oil—No spoil Our Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday, 3/7, I fished with (I kid you not) Dave Hanson! After we laughed about captain and client having exactly the same name, Dave introduced me to the rest of his angling party, which included his son-in-law, Ryan Seipp and friend, Way...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper, Snapper, Shark, Kingfish & More
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1279
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“No oil—No spoilOur Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday morning, 4/4, I fished the near-shore reefs off Bonita Beach with Tim and Stephanie Cobb and their two children, Spencer and Sydney. We were fishing just ahead of a weather-front predicted to kick winds up to 25 knots by early afte...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: 8-lb. Red Grouper, Snapper & More
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1241
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“No oil—No spoilOur Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday, 4/18, I headed offshore with longtime customer, Peter Kenney, his son, David, and friends, Bernie and John. We fished about 22 miles west of New Pass with live shrimp. The catch of the morning was David’s 24 ½ inch, 8-pound red grou...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: 150 lb shark, keeper grouper, lanes, flounder
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1387
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“No oil—No spoilOur Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday, 5/2, was another one of those breezy day, but the wind direction made it possible to at least get my party of four out to the reefs. Long-time customers Dennis & Jamie Riddell brought Dennis' brother, Tom, and sister-in-law,...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: 30-pound Permit & Goliaths to 425 pounds!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1263
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After a few days off the water, with high winds and seas persisting into mid-week, I got back offshore on Friday morning, 5/20, with long-time customer Casey Miller. This time, Casey was in town for a wedding, and he invited the groom and friends to fish with us. The group, consisting of ( in addition to...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Goliath-Mania, Red Grouper, Kingfish, even a Mahi
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1154
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Monday, 6/20, was a perfect day for offshore fishing, and I spent the day in the good company of Jamie Long, Tom O’Donoghue, Rich Shamer and Matt Booth. We fished about 36 miles west of New Pass in 70 feet, using live shrimp and bait-fish. We made out great with red grouper, catching five keepers all 22 to...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Offshore Report & Goliath Videos
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1164
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Monday, 7/4, Tony Herring, son Jacob, friend, Josh Schneider, and Tony's two nephews celebrated the Fourth of July with a fishing trip offshore. We fished in 60 feet, using live shrimp and cut-bait. We caught a 13-inch keeper mangrove snapper at our first spot, but the dolphin showed up right after t...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good Variety and another goliath video
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1435
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Monday, the first day of August, I fished with Paul Fenwick, daughter Emma, son Spencer, along with John Priddy, his daughter, Jordyn, and her cousin, Susan Carlisle. The group wanted big fish, so we spent some time catching bait for goliath grouper. Using live shrimp, we caught ten grunts, nine por...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark, Goliaths, Bonito, Snapper & Reds-new videos
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1315
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After a long time off the water, nearly a month, due to our very slow slow-season, along with a couple weeks of consistent rains, I finally got out fishing again on Monday, September 12th. I fished with live shrimp in central Estero Bay with long-time customers Steve Spitzer and Jalissa Reeve...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good action inside and offshore
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1339
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Wednesday, 10/5, I had an offshore trip planned with Bryan Smith and friends, Tony and Kevin. There were small-craft-advisories in effect that morning, and seas were forecast to be two-to-four feet. The guys didn't want to fish inshore, preferring to go after some bigger game, so we decided to try s...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper Offshore; Redfish Inshore
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1222
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With rough seas persisting into the weekend, my Saturday charter was deferred to Monday, 11/14/11, when seas calmed to two-to-three feet. I headed about 22 miles offshore, out of New Pass, with Bob and Stephanie Rose. We caught a bunch of grouper, but no keepers. Using shrimp and pinfish, we caught...
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SW FL-Bonita beach: Excellent Grouper Action; Hogs & Mangs Too
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1470
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Monday, 1/16, after a weekend of rough offshore conditions, seas were calming down, with a forecast for two-to-three foot seas out to twenty miles. It was rougher than that, but it was calm enough for my hardy anglers, Bud Glanzer, Lee Larsen, and Alan and Wendell Bronson, all long-time customers....
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark, Hogs, Mutton, Mangs & Mackerel
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1384
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The week of 1/30/12 began with a cold-front that brought high winds and seas and small-draft advisories, which forced me to cancel both offshore trips planned for those days.Wednesday morning, 2/1, began a little rough offshore, but quickly calmed down and was flat by afternoon. I fished about 20 m...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark-Battles, Snapper, Sheepshead, Hogs
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1468
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After a couple days off the water, due to a cold front that brought frigid temps, high winds, low tides and rough seas, I headed to the near-shore reefs Monday, 2/13/12, to fish a catch-and-release trip with Richard and Trish Burdow. Seas had calmed to two-to-three feet near-shore, and the sheepshea...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice Grouper & Snapper, Hogfish & Trout
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1426
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Although, after a windy, rough weekend, seas were calming to two-to-four feet on Monday, my planned gulf-trip canceled, as they thought seas would still be too rough. So I missed that day on the water. But, I got back offshore on Tuesday, 2/28, with Kari Vilamaa, George Dyer, Paul Kikendall, and Don H...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: 20lb. Kingfish, sheepies, mangs, hogs, shark, Spanish
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1208
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Monday, 3/12, after a windy weekend, winds were predicted to calm somewhat, and seas were forecast at two-to-three feet near-shore, and three-to-five feet beyond twenty miles. But, as I approached the near-shore reefs with Mark McCarthy, Mark and David Hatch, and Rich Jenkins (who was celebrati...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper are Back!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1376
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Monday morning, 3/26, I fished over hard bottom in 35 feet, with Chris Ernberger, his dad, Jerry, and Chris's son, Carter. There was about a 3-foot roller left over from the windy Sunday that preceded our trip, so we didn't venture too far offshore. The guys used live-shrimp to catch six keeper mangro...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Lane Snapper Plentiful. Red Grouper, Shark & Goliath Battles
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1368
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Monday, 4/9, seas had calmed at last, and I headed out to fish in spots between 22 and 28 miles west of New Pass with Bill Conklin, his son, Eric Conklin, and friend, Rick Weigand. Bill caught a keeper red grouper at 21 inches, and we released lots of red grouper just short of keeper size. The group also ca...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper, Snapper, Shark, and lots of rough seas
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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975
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After about six days off the water, due to high winds and seas offshore and shallow, muddy conditions in the bay, I finally got offshore with Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonse, Dick Arnett, Bob Mayer, and Matt Watson on Thursday, 4/26. We headed out of New Pass to 36 miles, where we fished with live shrimp and pi...
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SWFL-Bonita Beach: Cobia, Shark, Snapper, Goliaths & Grouper
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1398
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Monday, 5/7, I fished at the near-shore reefs with Joe and Donna Corso. The couple used live shrimp to catch a 14-inch keeper-pompano, two keeper flounders at 14 and 18 inches, a keeper mangrove snapper, a keeper sea trout at 20 inches, a half dozen Spanish mackerels in the 22-23-inch range, and three...
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SW FL-Bonita beach: Great Fishing Offshore & a 500-lb Goliath Battle!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1300
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Tuesday, 5/29, I spent the day fishing in 47 feet, using live shrimp, with Robert Pierce, Brian Clark, and Julie Meng. The trio hoped to catch some good table-fare, along with doing some sport-fishing for bigger fish. I had hoped to put them on some goliath grouper for the latter, but the goliaths wer...
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SW FL-Bonita beach: Recent trips, before the rains came
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1033
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We have had a lot of rain recently and, prior to that, I was off the water for a couple of weeks, due to a family reunion. So there isn’t a whole lot to report, but I did do a couple of trips inshore and near-shore. Last Monday morning, I headed to the near-shore reefs with Steve and Lori Greiner and their two y...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Abundant Hogfish, Mangs, Lanes, Grouper and more
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1061
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After several weeks off the water because of a family reunion trip, followed by lots of rainy days unsuitable for fishing, I finally got offshore on Friday, 7/20/12 with John Hamilton and friends. We fished 36 miles west of New Pass, where we got into some red grouper. We didn't get a keeper, though, o...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Goliaths, Gags & Snapper
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1240
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Monday, 8/6, I headed out to 35 feet to fish with Brian Woeste, Adam Bodkin and Tim Powers. The guys wanted to experience the thrill of big game, but also wanted some food fish. We started out catching blue runners and Spanish mackerel for goliath grouper bait. The guys caught and released a 70-pound go...
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SWFL-Bonita Beach:Nice Gag Grouper, Goliaths, Shark, Snapper
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1148
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Monday, 8/20, I fished with Steve Spitzer and Jalissa Reever again. They had fished with me the previous Wednesday and caught a couple of keeper gag grouper. But, Monday, conditions were different. Despite forecasts for one-to-two foot seas and 5-10 knot winds, we encountered steady 15-18 knot...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice variety--even caught a scamp!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1142
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Labor Day Monday, 9/3, I fished at the near-shore reefs with Brian Lucas and his two young sons, Grady and Grant, along with Cadrin Cojanu and his two young children, Ben and Emily. The group used live shrimp to catch four Spanish mackerel to 23 inches, five pompano, all around 14 inches, a keeper mang...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper & Snapper
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1088
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After some rainy days, one no-show customer (that makes twice within a month, and is oh-so annoying), and a few seasonally slow days, I finally got out fishing again on Tuesday, 10/9, when I fished 22 miles west of New Pass with Scott Severaid, Gregg Hass, Todd Vershaw, Jason White and Mike Wernsman. W...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Snapper, Grouper, Shark, Sheeps, Reds, Snook
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1067
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Saturday, 10/20, I fished with long-time customer Marshall Swain, along with his family and friends. We used live shrimp, about 22 miles west of New Pass, and the group caught twenty-five keeper lane snapper to 12 inches, along with one keeper mangrove snapper at 13 inches. They released a half doze...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach:Good Action and Variety Inshore& Offshore
(Preview)
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Florida SouthWest
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0
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1604
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Monday, 11/5, I fished about 22 miles west of New Pass with Mark Cavanaugh and friends. The four guys used live shrimp to land five gag grouper, three of which would have been keeper-size, to 23 inches, except for the fact that season closed for those five days ago. So we released all of those, along with...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach:Good Action and Variety Inshore& Offshore
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1109
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Monday, 11/5, I fished about 22 miles west of New Pass with Mark Cavanaugh and friends. The four guys used live shrimp to land five gag grouper, three of which would have been keeper-size, to 23 inches, except for the fact that season closed for those five days ago. So we released all of those, along wit...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper Gulfside; Big Sheepshead Inshore
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1263
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Tuesday, 11/20, I fished inshore in Estero Bay with Al Tooley and his thirteen-year-old son, Aiden. The guys caught a 20-inch, keeper redfish, along with five keeper sheepshead to 15 inches, all on shrimp. They released seven smaller sheepshead and two stingrays. Wednesday morning, I again fish...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Winter Sheepshead are Back...and Big!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1084
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The first week of December was kind of slow around here, which is typical for the few weeks between Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday rush. But I did get out fishing in Estero Bay, on a catch-and-release trip with Dave and Diane Carey on Friday, 12/7/12. The couple used live shrimp to catch t...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Winter Fishing Lookin' Good!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1326
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After Wednesday's trip on 12/19, our weather began deteriorating, with a very windy, cold front that arrived late Thursday into Friday and Saturday. I cancelled my offshore trip for Friday with the Graham family, but I was able to reschedule that for a bay trip with them the morning of Christmas Eve...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Lots of Action & a 20-inch Hogfish!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1121
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Tuesday, 1/8, I headed well offshore, 37 miles west of New Pass, with frequent customer Ron Musick and friends, Eddie Alfonso, Dick Arnett and Ralph Lussluer. We had a good day fishing with live shrimp, and the guys landed four keeper red grouper, 21 ½ inches, 22 ½ inches, 24 inches and the prize winner...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Plenty of Grouper in Closed Season!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1106
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After cancelling six consecutive fishing trips, due to weather conditions offshore and red tide in the bays, I finally got to fish again on Thursday, 1/24.I headed out about 18 miles from new Pass with Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonse and Jack Dee. Fishing was a little slow, perhaps due to the cold nights we e...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: If only the winds would stop...
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1115
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Monday, 2/4, I headed offshore with Barry Pflueger and friends. I hadn’t been offshore in nearly a week, due to rough conditions out there. Seas were still fairly choppy early on, but they calmed down by mid-morning. Fishing was kind of slow although, if it weren’t for grouper season closing, we migh...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Near-shore Reefs Productive
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1205
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03/04/13- SW FL-Bonita Beach: Near-shore Reefs ProductiveAfter a cancelled trip on Monday, I got out fishing Tuesday, 2/19, as winds and seas finally began to calm down from their week-long highs of 30 knot gusts and 4-12 foot seas. It was still a little sloppy so I stayed near-shore, about 12 miles o...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big Drum, Grouper, Plentiful Snapper
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1084
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Finally, a day with warmer temps, light winds and calm seas—That was just what frequent customers Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonso, and Dick Arnett were hoping for on Tuesday, 3/5, when we headed out to fish about twelve miles west of New Pass, with a bait-well full of live shrimp. And, what a glorious day it t...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Kingfish, Grouper, Snapper, Shark; Redfish, Black Drum, Sheepshead Inshore
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1168
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Monday, 5/13/13, I fished the backwaters of Estero Bay with David Bloomfield and David Price. Using live shrimp, the guys caught three redfish, two of which were keepers at 19 ½ and 20 inches. They also caught two 14-inch sheepshead and a 15-inch black drum. They released mangrove snapper shorts. T...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper, Snapper, Cobia, Shark, Redfish, Pompano
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1153
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I fished Saturday, 6/1, and I headed offshore about 36 miles west of New Pass to fish in 71 feet with Craig Daniels, Chip Lehman, and friends Bubba and Paul. We had a great day of fishing in good conditions. We used shrimp and squid to catch most everything, except the grouper, which bit grunts. The guys l...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Stormy Conditions 1st Day of Gag Season
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1064
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Well, anglers awaiting the re-opening of gag grouper season are disappointed here today, with 3-5 foot seas and stormy conditions…let’s hope weather improves quickly! Chris & Jenny Phillips and their three teen-aged children, Emily, Bradley and Ryan, fished 18 miles out of New Pass with me...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper & Yellowtail Bite Hot!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1077
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Paul McConnell and family had planned to fish offshore with me on both Tuesday, 7/2/13 and Friday 7/5. We nixed Tuesday’s trip, as our weather was stormy for four consecutive days, Sunday, 6/30 through Wednesday morning, 7/3. After that, the continual rains quit, but with numerous lingering thund...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice Hogfish, Red Grouper, Gag, Snapper, Redfish
(Preview)
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Florida SouthWest
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0
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1992
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Bob O’Hara and grandson, Kevin, who had fished offshore with me on Friday, 7/12, fished again with me on Monday, 7/15. We headed offshore again, twenty miles from New Pass and had a fun fishing adventure, as well as bringing home some nice fish. The guys battled and brought to the surface a 30-pound bar...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Fishing Awesome Offshore!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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965
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Tuesday morning, 7/30/13, I headed 22 miles off Naples with Brian Ritter and his daughter, Danni, joined by their friends Bill Sands and his daughter, Alissa. We used live shrimp to catch twenty keeper lane snapper along with one keeper yellowtail snapper at 14 inches. Danni used a pinfish to land a k...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Inshore & Near-shore Report-Reds!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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985
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Redfish have been the best bet around here lately, with trips scarce overall, and with favorable bay tides trumping some sloppy conditions offshore. Monday morning, 9/23/13, I fished the backwaters of Estero Bay with Doug Duncan, Eric Bastion, and Randy Cummings. The guys had originally planned...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: 22-inch Hogfish! Red Grouper, Snapper & Redfish
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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970
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Friday morning, 10/11, I fished 22 miles offshore with Roberto Russi, his father-in-law, John, and friend, Bill. We used a grunt to land a nice, 25 ½-inch red grouper, and we also had something big cut 100-pound, braided line, so that might have been a bigger grouper! The guys used live shrimp to catch...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red grouper, Hogfish, Shark, Redfish & Sheepshead
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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981
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Bob and Jo-Ellen Exby fished 18 miles offshore with me on Tuesday, 10/22, just ahead of a cool-front due in the next day. The day began calm, and seas of one-foot were predicted by NOAA, but we had two-to-three foot seas most of the morning, as winds picked up to 15 knots prematurely. The couple used live...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper, Snapper, Hogs, Shark, Drum-who could ask for more?
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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954
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Tuesday, 11/12/13, I fished offshore with long-time customers Kari Vilamaa, George Dyer, and Paul Kikendall. We were one day ahead of a cold front that was predicted to bring strong winds and seas of six to eight feet offshore, but we had calm conditions all day, and we were able to fish in various spot...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: So now that gag season closed...
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1053
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Tuesday, 11/26/13, I fished on a very windy morning in Estero Bay with Al Tooley and his two sons, Jeff and Aiden. The tide was up, making for favorable conditions in the bay, and the guys did well, fishing with live shrimp. Catches included a 25-inch keeper redfish, an 18-inch keeper black drum, and fi...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Pomopano, Sheepshead, Drum
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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934
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Saturday morning, 12/21/13, the winds, which had been pretty much steady all week, were still blowing hard, and seas were predicted to be three-to-four feet offshore. But, with dead-low tides in the bay, Butch Haggin, his son-in-law, John Sims, and grandson, John Sims, Jr. decided they’d have a be...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Inshore the only place to be
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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908
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The week of January 5th, 2014, was pretty much a loss for fishing. We had near-freezing temps for a couple of days, thanks to a strong cold front that made it this far south, which is unusual. That front also brought high winds and rough seas, and the wind direction was such that it sucked most of the water...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper & Hogs, Sheepshead & Drum
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1373
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Monday, 1/20/14, was the first day in about two weeks that was suitable for offshore fishing. Successive, relentless weather fronts had forced me off the water for about a week, then into the backwaters for the next week or so. Another front, predicted to bring high winds and seas again was on the hori...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big Sheepies, Bull-Red & 8-foot Shark
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1124
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Tuesday, 2/4/14, I headed out 35 miles from New Pass to fish with frequent customers, Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonso, and Dick Arnett. We used live shrimp to catch four snapper—one huge lane snapper at 19 inches and three mangrove snapper all 15 to 16 inches—along with a keeper hogfish at 14 inches, and fif...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Great Grouper Action! Shark & more!
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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801
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I spent about a week off the water, as I only had a couple of fishing trips scheduled and they were both offshore trips that were made impossible by the winds and rough seas, which were relentless for days on end. I finally got back out fishing on Monday, 5/19 and, even then, winds were still blowing about...
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SW FL-Bonita beach: Excellent Action Offshore & Inshore
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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934
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Monday, 12/22/14, there was a weather front approaching our area, and winds, though calm in the early morning, were predicted to pick up, with seas rising as well. Bradley Miller had a choice between trying to beat the worst of the wind and fish offshore, or playing it safe in the backwaters. He decide...
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SW FL-Bonita Beach: Bottom Fishing Yields Good Variety
(Preview)
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Florida West Coast
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0
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1017
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Monday, 4/13/15, seas were predicted to be two feet or less, but NOAA definitely underestimated those. I fished with long-time customers Clement and Evelyn Wong, along with their son, Nathan and daughter-in-law, Joy. Seas were three feet or more, about 18 miles west of New Pass, and we actually cut...
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