Thursday, March 20, 2003

The water has really warmed up. Snook catches are increasing and there are still plenty of redfish around. You can count on catching trout and mackerel most any day. The permit and cobia are rambling, but the main tarpon schools are still south of us. They should be here shortly … literally any day now!!!! They are likely here already, but it will take a break in the weather to find them. March is still raising its ugly, windy head!!

March 14 -- George Uding (Naples, Fl) and his partner Bill, from Bowling Green, Ky., caught the weather nice and had good day catching fish. We were live baiting and throwing jigs. We put about 100, five-inch threadfin herring in the well and fished them right where we netted them. There were few tarpon rolling in the area tarpon with no appetite as it turned out. We snook fished for about 45 minutes to no avail. The guys ended up catching several cobia and going one-for-one on the permit. Also in the creel, were speckled sea trout, some very nice Spanish mackerel, goliath groupers, kingfish, shark, jacks, ladyfish and blue runners. The permit, goliath and shark were Bill’s first.

March 15 – Ed Rumberger (Naples) and his son Ryan in from college inSt. Louis, Mo., along with the friend Frank Percotta (Naples) had a good day catching. Spanish Mackerel to five pounds were landed, as well as, numerous trout. Ryan caught and released his first permit today. (Welcome to the release club!!) He landed the 21+ pound fish on eight pound spinning gear after a 37 minute battle. Piles of ladyfish, jacks and blue runners rounded out the action for the day. (To you "cheese-balls” in the Pro-Line who stole my anchor and anchor ball while Ryan was fighting the permit, I have your boat numbers and so does the Sheriff! Hopefully, some other jailbird will make you his girl when you get to the hooscow! I have not toleration for liars and thieves!)

March 17 – Tom and Terri Scott (Long Island, NY) had an action pack morning. Braving the elements and fishing on a very rough day, we fished a small piece of structure in shallow water. Practically every cast produced a Spanish mackerel, a trout, a very large ladyfish or jack. What was likely a large cobia decisively whipped Terri’s lucky rod and another, even larger goliath grouper, twanged off at the boat. The 15-20 mph southwester had things churned up by mid-day, so we elected to split the day, take lunch and a nap and then snook and tarpon fish in the evening. Things had slowed down quite a bit by then. However, Terri did get to land her first snook. Certainly not a record breaker, but a definite icebreaker. We only could watch the tarpon roll before we were chased back to the dock right at dark by a thunder boomer.

March 18 - Fished again with Tom and Terri Scott (Long Island, NY) … this time we headed offshore in the March monsoons in search of cobia and permit. Unfortunately, we lost the only cobia that came to the boat. Several goliath groupers also handed us our lunch. The permit were around, but had lock jaw.

March 19 –John Ippolito (Iowa) and his buddy, Bob, from Nebraska, had quite a mixed bag. It was still blowing 15-20 from the South, but we ventured out after cobia and permit anyhow. South breezes are our worst. They really chop things up and muck up the water. Bob landed a nice 13 lb jack Crevalle on eight pound spinning gear. The highlight had to be feeding the goliath groupers four-pound jacks at the boat. All in all, the guys caught speckled trout, jacks, goliath groupers, gag grouper, snook, mackerel, blue runners, amongst others. However, both permit that ate were lost and the two cobia just looked at the bait.

If you would like more information or would like to book a charter, please contact The Captain @ (239) 695-9107;[email protected]; You can also get lots more information and archived fishing reports @www.ChokoloskeeCharters.com.