Today we kick of hurricane/rainy season with a gentile reminder of reality named TD #2. Something we can never escape from entirely. Part of life in the tropics. June is an important weather month and how we plan for trips of any kind on the water affects the outcomes and likely hood of greater successes. Fortunately, the beautiful days make up for the rainy days and June is an excellent month for adventures on the water!

My most popular trip is a 4 hour reef fishing trip. I only want to fish the morning due to how the fish feed on a schedule and to beat the summer daytime heat. Yes, our fish are on a schedule and I can tell you most of the time withing 30 minutes of when they are done eating. A morning reef trip is ideal for all groups and experience levels. It’s a short ride from the dock and usually produces plenty of fish for a dinner or two. What is great about this trip is when the reef bite fades, we still have choices. We can target other fisheries deeper or do a little snorkeling to take advantage of the high angle of sun later in the morning. That is the best option in my opinion because it offers you the most diversity in the shortest amount of time. Of course, weather and conditions play a major role and dictate what is our best option on each trip.

Offshore fishing for dolphin and tuna are a prime target this time of year. The past several weeks have been on the slow side with inconsistent catches from waaaaay out(over 30 miles) from other boats fishing offshore. Hopefully this tropical weather should move fish, bait and debris around that hold the fish and make them easier to find. We have entered an unusual overgrowth of weed situation for 2023 and fishing has been different. We have had to modify our tactics a little because too much weed out there prevents us from properly trolling for these fish. It’s a little more work to do shorter, quicker sets and clean lines, but it is still the same fishing. Just a reminder, offshore trips are not the right fit for every group. General knowledge of the proper use of fishing equipment, tackle, setting lines, baiting hooks and the flow of operation is critical to our success. The appeal of my business is you are my crew. On my offshore trips, you are actively working and participating in your success or failure. I am the ring leader of the circus and you are the performers. These trips are operated on many levels relative to the guests I have on board, but the outcomes and experiences are generally pretty good.

Electric deep dropping has filled in some of the gaps in the offshore fishing scene. Some days fishing is slow or the fish just are not there. A great way to make something happen is fishing the bottom in 600-1000 feet of water. By using an electric reel and very heavy weight we can effectively target and fish for some deep water fish that are excellent eating. Not the most exciting fishing, but very rewarding when we have relatively calm conditions and light current. It is a science and art to produce results. It is just another tool to help us make the most of our time offshore.

Snorkeling has been awesome the past month and is very popular going into the summer family travel season. Water temps are in the low 80’s and we have had 70 foot visibility days leading into our current tropical weather. It is common for the large volume of fresh water from our daily rain showers to produce algae blooms that turn our blue water different shades of green. While gatorade blue is preferred, clear green water is a small trade off to experience some of the finest snorkeling in the continental United States. As with most things on the water, conditions change day to day and tide to tide. I will always give you the best up to date information and take you the best places to have the greatest visibility.

 

Lobster season is coming up. Operating lobster trips are a ton of extra work and require you, the customer, to perform and manage underwater tasks successfully. It also requires very nice in the water conditions and a healthy lobster population. All things outside my control or what can be counted on. Not many charters offer lobster trips for many more reasons than I’ve mentioned elsewhere on my lobster info. Lobster trips can be fun and productive trips. It’s heck of an adventure and you are going to see some cool stuff along the way. If your skill sets are in par with my basic entry level requirements we will catch lobster. I suggest trips beyond Mid August. Most of the lobster get wiped out for weeks leading into the season opener. It takes some time and bad weather to move them around again in reasonable numbers. Please make this reasonably painless for me. I’ve been threatening to no longer offer these trips anymore. This might be my last year offering these trips. Booking lobster trips are 400% more nonsense than I ever wish upon myself. I don’t sell you these trips. I offer them to qualified participants. You must self evaluate and make sure this it a proper trip for your group. I will take full payment before we leave the dock.

I want to close in talking about preparing for your trip. It makes or breaks your trip. There is no way I know how to convey this message more than I do. 13 years doing this nearly every day I see my guests work against themselves. This link, Trip Tips is how to do it right. I want this to be easy for us. You are stepping into my world for 4 hours or more. You need to be prepared. Within 5 minutes of meeting you at the dock I have an idea how your trip is going to go. Not being prepared makes you your own worst enemy and you work against my plan. It’s all just basic stuff, nothing complicated. We don’t have much time together. With a little planning, we can make it awesome A-Z and hopefully you will have every reason to come back and do it again.

One final thing, pictures, social media and reviews. I get it. I go out of town infrequently, which puts me in unfamiliar places where I choose where I eat and spend money based on reviews. I haven’t checked my business reviews in a while. I know I have not had a customer send me any pics from a trip in quite a long time. I spend extra time creating your shots and photo opportunities properly while the action continues. I don’t stop everything to get a picture for myself to share on here to show what my business does. What we catch, what we do, what it looks like is all on your cameras. As hard as I work for you, please take a minute to send me a few trip pictures. I have a million dead fish dock pictures that show how successful your trip was. I would love some pictures of your smiling face holding a beautiful fish in the moment. That is worth so much more to me. Maybe while I’m cleaning your catch you could send me a few pics of your time on the boat or write a short review. I would appreciate that so much!

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