Here we are closing in on May and we are covered up in all kinds of great fishing action and opportunities for adventure. Not sure where to start, so let’s begin with the weather. Ultimately, the weather decides what we can and will do! Last week we transitioned into a summer-like pattern and the heat is here with rainy season about to kick in any time now. Making the appropriate preparations for changes in the weather is more critical to the success of our trips this next month or two. I have shade and rain protection on the boat, but it is always possible to get caught in a shower, which will become a daily occurrence. Beating the heat is also another challenge that can be overcome with the right planning. I understand you are here on vacation from somewhere else. It’s easy to party the night before and show up in the clothes you wear back home in Michigan. Your nice black concert tank top is a death sentence of sunburn here. If you want to have a comfortable day, get to bed at a reasonable time not drunk or sunburned from the day before. Dress in a locally available (at Captain Hooks Marina) lightweight dry fast SPF rated long sleeve shirt and a “Buff” to wear around your neck and face to keep the sun off of you. Sure, it is expensive, but losing a day or several days of your vacation to a painful sunburn is way more costly. I wouldn’t waste my time writing this if it wasn’t the best advice I could give you to prepare for that is very often overlooked.
So fishing has been nothing short of excellent. Too many options to go into great detail, but here is what’s hot. Grouper season is a few days away(May 1st) and there will be a big push of anglers eager to get what has been plentiful and off limits for 4 months now. Get while the getting is good, because they hit the road when their buddies start disappearing around them real quick! The reef bite in general has been as good as it gets. Quality sized Yellowtail Snapper have been the norm, with jumbo mangrove and mutton showing up here and there. Going deeper on the wrecks, we should see the big big mutton snapper gathering for the spawn. May/June produces my biggest catches of the year on deep wrecks along with Amberjacks and a few other odd balls. Offshore the Dolphin have shown up in reliable numbers. Put in a full day of fishing and the fish have been there for those focusing on it. Tuna are still good on the Marathon Hump. To add some diversity, my electric reels should be back very soon from the factory service, so deep dropping in +600′ for the deep grouper and tiles is another good option. My shallow catch and release shark trips have all been excellent. Nothing more exciting than watching a group of hungry sharks in the clear shallow waters closing in on your bait. In addition to inshore big game fishing for sharks, the tarpon fishing this month is at it’s peak. I currently have 0 trips on the books for tarpon fishing, but typically have 10-20 trips a season for these bridge bullies. So, let’s get that going!! I love tarpon fishing!
In the water activities ramp up now to help my guests beat the heat. Snorkeling, sandbar and spearfishing become more popular. Once that sun gets high, the fishing slows way down and getting in the water is a great option. Don’t forget lobstering is just a few months away and my dates are filling up. Mini season is booked and usually books up a year in advance for all of the right reasons.
That’s the bast I can do for now. Give me a call if you have any questions, but all of my information and bookings can be done right here through my website. If you are not sure, check out my TripAdvisor ratings or look for a video on my YouTube channel by clicking on the buttons on my home page! Thanks everybody!!
Kevin

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