Fished with the Cox family on Monday and it certainly was an inspirational trip. Their 3 children are all suffering from a rare disease that the doctors say is terminal. I took them to a place where I knew there were some nice blackfish holding and as soon as the baits hit the water it was on. Their faces lit up and a smile came over their faces that was priceless. They caught a bunch of fish and had a great time. What made it so inspirational is to see these kids know they are going to die and just truly enjoy and make the most of every day. If your a Christian please pray for these kids! they need it!

On the 6th I fished with Cliff Parish inshore and the water was smoking fast. We did manage to land a couple of picture worthy reds and a few sheeps so it was still a good day.

On the 7th I went offshore with the Browns and what a beautiful day it was. The fish bit constantly and through it all we only caught 2 undersized pinks. Sue hooked into a monster red snapper and when we got it to the boat her eyes about popped out. The fish was so big it wouldn't fit in a 48 quart cooler without us breaking the tail. My boga reading put it at 27 pounds but we all know they aren't very accurate. Landed a bunch of vermillions, triggers, reds, pinks and a few undersized grouper. What a day!

Inshore - The reds are being caught in good numbers. Had a charter last weekend with Steve Cox and by 0930 they had 22 reds and wanted to go do something else. Took them Sheephead fishing and got 14 of those before the wind was just too much to handle. The trout seem to be in pockets. You catch them one right after another or not at all. The sheepshead have been biting pretty good but I still can't wait until the fall bite is on. Catching 10 or more in a trip is pretty common. I have been seing the flounder starting to show up! No doormats yet but it won't be long.

Offshore - When the wind lays down enough to get out there the fishing has been great. We are catching good numbers of vermillion snapper, triggerfish, pinks, seabass, and some grouper. Went to the SW banks yesterday and trolled out there with 15 other boats and landed a 50 plus pound wahoo. Lost a few other fish before we went bottom fishing and then managed a nice dolphin. This was the first dolphin I've seen and with the water warming up I only expect it to get better.

Just got back from a trip with Chris and his wife Brooke who were celebrating their 1st wedding anniversary. The day started somewhat slow with a bite here and there, but they weren't setting it on fire. Wind was a factor in where we could fish but as the water came in the fish turned on. In the span of an hour 9 more reds came in the boat. The biggest of the day was a 17 pounder and all the rest were slot fish. We did catch a small flounder, good to see them starting to show up. Took Howard out yesterday and basically did the same thing! 10 reds and 2 trout. I sure hope this wind is not a taste of things to come.

The last few times inshore have produced good fish but not great numbers. The reds were averaging around 30 inches and half the time would break us off on the heavy dock structure. When you did get them in they were all picture worthy, and that's a good thing. I changed up tactics a little yesterday and the game was on! We landed 9 reds and most of them were right at 15 inches. Caught 4 trout with 3 of them being between 19 amd 20 inches. All in all a good day especially considering the wind.

Went out to do some checking on some spots and was plesantly suprised. Went 4 for 5 on the redfish and all were over 30 inches. I also caught 3 black drum in the same spot. Went to look at some other places and no luck at all. As the wind picked up it made it so hard to fish i just thanked the good lord for a great day and went home.

Had a trip with Ben Hellwood on Friday and we headed out with the understanding it was going to be snotty in the morning and should lay down in the afternoon. Went out to 100 foot and started in on the seabass. This spot has always produced a wide variety of fish and today was no different. Even though seabass were caught in the greatest numbers, we did manage some vermillion snapper, pinks, triggerfish, and some undersized reds. The ride home was great! On 3-22 I had a trip with Tony Artagame, his father and brother. The order of the day was deepsea for big numbers. The weather allowed us to get to 130 feet and the fish were there. I guess the most disappointing fish was the red snapper that measured 19 3/4" , oh that elusive 1/4 of an inch. In any case we caught limits of vermillion, some nice triggers, pinks, and way too many sharks. Moved in closer for some seabass and there was too many, too fast, to try and keep count. A couple of great days with good people.

Went to check out some spots on 3-6 for a charter on 3-7. I was set up for some reds and was happy to see a couple of bruisers come and tag the line. After about the fourth fish one of my lighter rods got a bite and so I set the hook as always. Thought it was another big black drum but when it surfaced I saw it was an awesome sheepshead. I got him to the boat and it hit 15 pounds on the boga. Didn't know about the 16.6 that was weighed in the week before, so I was thinking record. The old record was 15.4 set in the 60's and I knew I had a good one. Stopped by Haddrels to get it weighed and the scale stopped at 14.0. What a great end to a great day.

The next day I took Tom Proud and his father-in-law out. The bite was right where it was the day before. They bit early and then slacked off big time. Moved to a couple of other spots and caught some more reds and then I suggested we take a look on a flat for some more. We could see the big V coming and they made the casts but no luck the school was real spooky but it made our day to see a 100 or so reds all packed together. Ended the day with 5 reds, 2 blacks, 1 trout and 1 nice sheepshead.

Went fishing with Barry Cunningham and Steve today. With the seas at 1 foot it was a no brainer where to go. Offshore we went to a spot I hadn't fished since last year. The fish were there in force. We ended up catching 32 Vermillion snapper, 3 true red snapper, 2 grouper, 25 trigger fish, 19 pinks, 9 porgy's and over 100 seabass. Reeling all these fish in from 130 feet using a 20 oz. sinker will test your resolve. Talk about a good pain that was it. What a great day that ended with a nice flat ride home.

2-20 Fished with a couple of guys from Canada and had a pretty good day. Started out in 100 feet of water and caught a few pinks, trigger, snapper and seabass but nothing to write home about. The sharks were certainly there in force so I deceided to move around a bit. Fished the balck banks for awhile and hit the seabass pretty good catching well over 100.

2-21 Today I fished with John and his family from Colorado. What started out to be a real promising day ended up with a bumpy ride. The ride out was as flat as could be. Got to the first stop and wore the seabass out. Every drop they were coming up 2 at a time and in no time at all we had over 150. Then we deceided to try the 60, still nice and flat mind you, and not much happened there. On my second peice of structure the wind came up. Knowing what the deal was we headed in with more than enough fish and a free disney ride (as John put it). All in all another great day with a 27 keeper bass to show for it.

Went about 25 miles offshore to check out some live bottom areas. On the way out I couldn't resist stopping at a sea bass hole and catching a bunch of nice keepers. I have to say the BSB's are one of my favorite table fare fish. Stayed there about an hour and then moved on to the original destination. The fish were there and turned on, vermillion snapper, pinks, porgy's, seabass, grunts, and more. The sharks were a little annoying but it was more than worth the trip. We ended the day with 22 vermillion, 20 pinks, 8 porgy's and well over 150 sea bass. It was sure nice to finally have the wind die down a bit.

Wow! What a great day on the water! Ventured about 12 miles offshore and hit the sea bass. No way to keep an accurate count but 150 would be a fair guess. Guy and Tony wanted to keep a few to take back to Minnesota so we caught our limit and started culling from there. We also caught 2 big reds fishing a jig in 60 foot of water. The reds were a pleasant surprise and a great way to cap a trip.

Finally got cleared by the doctor and I was off to see what was up!! Hit a couple of new spots with good success landing several nice 16" Seabass and lord only knows how many sharks. Then I deceided to hit an old spot of mine and the fish were in there pretty good. The wind came up as expected and made it a little snotty so we came in early just to be on the safe side. A good way to start the new year, we landed close to a hundred fish and brought 20 back for supper! I really do love my job! Take care and God bless...I look forward to seeing you all soon.....Capt. Rich

First let me say thank you for all the prayers I received while I was in the hospital. The surgery went well but it's time to get back in the water. I know many of you have called wanting to book charters and I couldn't take them because of my neck however we are back open for business. Thank you once again and we look forward to seeing you soon. Take care and God Bless....Capt. Rich

Well it's been awhile since I wrote anything and there have been many phone calls wondering why? First I want to thank all of you who took the time to call, e-mail and come by to see me while I was in the hospital. For those who didn't know what was up, I had to have emergency neck surgery for an abcess in the spinal area. A disk was removed and all is well. It's amazing how good I feel and how much pressure is releived off my neck. The doctor says it won't be long before I am back on the water, looks like 4-6 weeks. So I ask for your continued prayers and give all glory to God for blessing me once again. See You soon and I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. Capt. Rich

The Day after Thanksgiving is always a day sought after by would be customers because of the great fishing in the fall and the fact that people are in town for the holidays. This year I was dreading it somewhat because the tides were going to be really high which can make the river like soup. Booked it anyway with regular customers and told them my apprehensions but they wanted to go anyway. The weather report was showing a cold front moving in accompanied by high winds. It really got me thinking negatively! On 11-23 I had 2 party's booked and with bait in the wells and fiddlers in the bucket off we went. My prayers had been answered and the fish were everywhere. Between the two charters we caught 69 trout, 25 reds, 52 sheephead, and 1 small black drum. Incredible day of fishing with great people! On 11-24 Keith, another regular customer of mine, was taking out some people from out of town so expectations were high. Looking at the weather the night before with 15-25 mph winds expected I told him we could try and play "lets get out of the wind" but in any case it was going to be tough. He still wanted to go so off we went! The wind at the landing cut right through you so I knew it was going to be brutal. We were all Christians so we stopped for a moment of prayer before the trip which was going to be greatly needed. Went to the same starting point as the day before and nothing. Knew they should bite once the water starting receeding so we waited. Started floating a shrimp under a cork and it was game on. A 19 inch trout followed by red after red and the fish kept coming. Changed spots quite a bit to find the sheephead but mission accomplished. We ended the day with 16 red, 12 trout ( all over 17") 14 sheephead (2 10 pounders) and a 50 pound black drum. You will see pictures on the web site soon. All of us just couldn't beleive our good fortune considering we fought the wind all day long. Another great day!

11-20 Made a trip offshore with Kevin Reno, Curtis and Chavez. The first couple of stops were riddled with small fish however we were hooked up with something big that got into the rocks and won the battle. We went to another spot and it was on! big trigger lots of vermillion, reds, porgies and a few nice grouper. On the way in I stopped at another spot to see if the seabass were there and we noticed something slamming bait on top! So I hooked up a stretch 25 and a couple of topwater rigs and began trolling. It only took a few moments and the rods went screaming. To my suprise it was hugh amberjacks in simply awesome schools. Landed 3 all over 30 pounds and one may have went 40.

Today I took a friend and his 7 year old son with me to catch bait for the upcoming charters. Stopped at some sheephead spots and caught a few but they had slowed some since my last trip last weekend where we caught 34 nice keepers. I wanted try for some trout when the tide started coming in and it was one of those days where the cork barely hit the water and it was gone. Austin had such a blast catching all those trout but we had to go and left the fish biting. The smile on a childs face is priceless.

Have you ever been in a situation where you know the fish will bite at a certain time but your buddy is looking at you with a glimmer of doubt. Well today I had Kenny Oshields and his friend Darryl onboard and this very thing happened! I told them, after a 25 min. run in the bitter cold, that the fish were here but we had to wait until the tide started out. After 30 min of discouraging fishing with 1 trout to show for it, I got that look but in a nice way. You could start to see the look of doubt on their faces but I insisted that we had to wait just a couple of more min. It was like somebody turned on a light switch!!! bam, bam, bam fish on! Doubles and doubles again! Fish after fish just as the tide started to roll. We Stayed on that spot for an hour or so and put 49 trout in the boat. Then it was off to hunt sheephead and it was game on from the start. Landed 18 Sheeps with 4 in the 3 to 5 pound range and 3 in the 6 to 8 pound range. Had a couple more monsters break off but that's fishing!

Set out on Sunday to get some bait for the upcomming charters! Got to Bushy park and the water was higher than I expected so I thought "humm, why not get a line wet?" I really don't get to fun fish much anymore so this hour was a very welcomed change. First cast of the smoke jig color jig produced a nice 2 pound trout and it didn't stop there. Every other cast or so seemed to produce nice sized 15-20 inch trout. Well I did that for 40 min. and left the fish biting to get back to work. I caught over 20 trout and managed 2 reds in the mix. Now you know I couldn't stand to have fiddlers in the boat and not try one! After I finished catching bait I stopped at an old sheep spot and dropped one over! 5 sheephead later and I had to remind myself this was not a fishing trip. So I went home and took care of the bait for the next day.

11-5 I had Kerry Johnson and family today and after the previous days exploit I took them back to Bushy Park and the fish were right where I had left them with one exception. Kerry did manage to catch 3 flounder, 2 of which were keeper sized. They ended the day with 23 trout, 3 flounder and 7 sheeps. Great day on the water!

The fishing has been off the charts lately! We have been wearing the sheepshead out with daily catches numbering over 20. Had a trip today with Barry Cunningham, Luke, and Lee. First Sheep in the boat was a 8 pounder landed by Lee which was his first sheepshead. We proceeded to a trout spot and landed 14 nice trout! Everyone was big enough that you didn't have any question it was over 15". The reds have been on too with most being over the slot. The flounder have been a little slow but the ones we have caught have been nice. If you haven't been fishing your missing out on some great days!

Fished today with Adam Wilder and his wife Rebecca. What a beautiful day to be on the water and the fish were certainly biting!!! Landed 29 Sheephead, 9 reds, 1 trout, 1 flounder and 1 black drum. No monster sheeps today but we did loose a couple at the boat that would have been in the 5 pound range. Biggest red was 28" and 3 were in the slot. Not much I can tell you about the baits because they were hitting everything!

After a dismal day on Saturday with the wind 25 miles an hour and the tides being 7 foot on one side and 6'8" on the other, the water was completely muddy. Just a really tough day of fishing where we only managed to catch 7 trout and 3 lady-fish. Today (10/2) was a different story, waited until we got down to a 5'8" tide and even though the wind was still blowing and the water was a little bit muddy, we managed to change our tactics a bit and find the sheepshead. We ended the day with 29 sheepshead, 19 of which were keepers, 2 over 8 lbs, we got 2 reds, 2 flounder and 1 trout to complete the Super Grand Slam. From here on out through the end of the month, the fishing should just get better--the tides will ease up a bit. They will pick back up the beginning of November where we will get 7 foot tides again; so between now and then get out and get them because now is the best time of the year!

Off-shore: I had a gulf-stream trip with Wilt Jones and his friends from southern Georgia. The fish were biting right where we left them. The day was filled with non-stop action and the cooler had 23 trigger fish, 9 vermillion snapper, 1 three pound black sea-bass, 7 pink porgies and 1 four foot barracuda. We also had numerous other bites from grouper and undersized amberjacks.

Inshore: We have had numerous bookings with everyone seeming to want to catch sheepshead. Every day we have been out we have been able to fill the order and then some. We are averaging between 20-30 sheepshead everyday. We've also been catching plenty of red drum, some really nice flounder and we can't forget about the trout--they are biting just as well. This is by far my favorite time of year to fish, the creeks are full of bait and the fish are on a feeding frenzy.

Fished Monday with Toby and Mike from the upstate. The wind was up and the fishing was a little down. Not to say we didn't catch a good amount of sheepshead, but they really had to work for them. The NE wind had the ICW muddy but we did manage to catch 30 or so sheeps with 12 nice keepers. We also hit some reds but only got 5 to the boat. Had one hit and start ripping line! Toby said there's nothing I can do with him but hold on. That one is still probably heading for Florida.

Fished today with Chris Saunders and family. They too wanted Sheepshead but had never caught them. After a quick lesson (sheephead 101) they were on their way. The fish were a little more cooperative and we ended the day with 20-25 sheeps (13 keepers), 4 trout, 1 red and a nice 19" flounder. Great day!

Fished today with Danny Tran and he wanted to learn how to sheephead fish. Well it didn't take long before his new say was "Awe Man" as the convicts were robbing him blind. Shortly there after he got the first one hooked and it was game on. Went on to catch somewhere between 50 and 60 with 33 being really nice keeper size. Danny caught the biggest of the day at 8 pounds. You should have seen the look on his face it was priceless.

Fished today with Jake, Mike and Steve. They wanted Sheepshead and they once again were turned on. I also set some finger mullet out for the reds and had 2 big ones break us off and landed 1 slot red. Ended the day with 30-35 sheeps and the one red. Now I didn't mention their last names because Jake had an issue with the fiddlers crabs. He even renamed them the saber tooth fiddlers!!

Went fishing today with Curtis and Jay, Sheepshead was the target!! Every stop provided just about nonstop action. We didn't keep count but I am confident in saying we caught between 50 and 60 fish. Can't begin to tell you how many brusiers got the best of us by shredding 80 pound test braided line on the pilings. Most of the fish were average size with the largest being a nice 6 pounder. Today the big ones really did get away!! That's why they call it fishing. Good luck.

Offshore - Had a trip today and it certainly told the tail. Thomas hooked up with something he battled for 30 min. Then as we thought he was winning the battle the fish took off for the bottom and straightened the hook. Would liked to have seen that one. The vermillion snapper were some of the best I've seen this year. The trigger fish were making their presence known. We ended the day with 28 vermillion snapper, 2 red snapper, 1 keeper sized grouper, 14 trigger fish, and a bunch of others species.

Inshore - Fished yesterday and we nailed the trout putting 50 or so in the boat anchored by a nice 3 pounder. We also caught 14 reds, all were puppy's. A great day with good friends!

Had an offshore trip today and it was the first time the new boat had been to the stream. Wow were the fish there!! 17 vermillion snapper, 14 pink snapper, 3 true red snapper, 22 trigger fish, 4 amberjacks, 7 porgies and 9 big seabass. We also had numerous fish come up bit in half. The sharks were a pain in the butt however they provided an extra measure of excitement. Thank God for another great day on the water.

Everybody seems to be coming up to me and asking if everything is ok because they haven't seen a large number of posts. Well thank God for his blessings! we have been super busy.

As for the fishing! the trout bite this last week has been incredible. Shrimp under a cork is the preferred method with 50 plus fish being caught each time out. This afternoon was the exception due to a low tide and the water temp. reaching almost 90 degrees.

Flounder are still hitting good with finger mullet being my weapon of choice usually fished on a carolina rig.

Had a chance to take some clients Sheephead fishing and a young lady boated a 10 pounder and hooked some other real nice ones but lost them in the structure.

The puppy drum are up the wando in good numbers with an occassional big one mixed in. The Bulls are on the grillage and the Jetties. They are hitting the usual baits of crab and fish.

While your at the Jatties fishing for the big ones don't hesitate to put a shrimp on the bottom. We have been catching everything from blues to ladyfish. While not good table fare they can provide alot of action!!

Fished quite a bit last week with good success! The trout are hitting shrimp under a poppin cork with a vengence. Most of them are undersized but if you have the patience and are willing to fish a little deeper with a mullet you will be rewarded.

Good to see the puppy drum all over the place. We are catching reds from Yellowhouse to the ICW. The bulls are at the jetty's and other usual spots. Big bait BIG FISH!!!

The flounder bite is red hot with good numbers everytime we target them. Remember to let them have it for a count to 10 then "SET THE HOOK"

Sheephead size and number is increasing week by week. I live for the fall when they are stacked up in the creeks!!

I haven't been offshore since the Sea Pro was attacked by a vicious driver crossing the yellow line. This will rectified Wednesday when I pick up the new boat. If you have been waiting for the right time to book a charter now is the time!!!

Fished with Chris Swails and family today. We had to dodge the storms but still manage to put it on them. Caught 15 sheepshead, 12 Flounder, 2 trout and 2 black drum. Another good day with great people.

Fished today with Mitch Bavard and his wife Candice who were celebrating their second wedding anniversary. An awesome day on the water with fish at every stop. They completed the "super slam" ending the day with 11 trout, 6 sheepshead, 2 reds, 2 bonnetheads and last but not least 1 flounder. At the end of the day we left the fish biting. Congrats to the happy couple and may God continue to bless them in the future!

I have to change my last Captains report!? Allen Timmons, not Scott Timmons, Fished with me on Monday and caught a bunch of bonnethead sharks, 7 I beleive was the final count. Scott Johnson Fished with me on Tuesday and caught what was reported. I apoligize for the confusion at Mr. Timmons place of work where his co-workers were amazed at the fish he had caught, when really it was a mistake on my part.

Today I fished with Jon Brett and a day that started slow, ended with a bang! Only caught 3 trout this morning but once the tide turned it was game on! Ended the day with 9 trout, 6 flounder and 2 reds. Had 2 more reds break us off on pilings.

First I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this time of turmoil. For those who don't know what I am talking about?? I was hit by a woman doing 55 mph that came across the double yellow line and took out the Sea Pro. Looks like we will salvage it but the message was clear that we need to expand and get another boat so it has been ordered and the 2008 SeaKing is on the way!!

Took Scott Timmons and family out today for what turned out to be a great day of fishing. Started the day out for some trout and it was kind of slow in comparison to what it has been lately. Hit another spot and caught 3 trout, 5 Reds (4 Puppydrum), and a flounder. Turned the attention to Sheephead and after some coaching we did manage to catch 9 with 7 keepers. Then headed to the jetty's for some shark and put 9 in the boat. So as you cas see it was a great day! Everything is biting!

Went out today with my daughter to catch bait for the upcomming charters. Stopped at one spot on the way back to see if the reds were there?? fished for 1 hour and went 3 for 5 on the reds with the smallest one being 29". The other 2 wrapped her around structure and shredded the 40 lb leader. She had a blast and so did I just watching her face light up.

Haven't had a trip offshore in the last week but the last time I was out there the Seabass were still tearing it up and it seemed the summer bite was in full swing!!

Inshore has been exciting to say the least. The bonnetheads are hitting just about nonstop and on light tackle that can be some big fun. I had Arnold Confati and his sons on the boat Sunday morning and shark was the order of the day! I usually fish 4 rods and had all intentions of doing just that. Had the first 3 baited up when the first rod went off. Almost immediatly the second one took off and it was a scramble to get the third one in before we had a mess on our hands! Not to be! You guessed it! before I could get to the third it went screaming out. That's right a triple right off the bat and the fish kept on biting. We have been catching good numbers of sheepshead and posting awesome numbers of trout. One day it's 44 the next 37, 29, 21 and have been catching some real nice sized ones. Had a client land a 4 pounder on Friday. Flounder are picking up but no real monsters to report.

6-9 Fished today with Anthony Dunbar and had a pretty good day, despite the heat and boat traffic. He caught 8 sheephead, 1 red, 1 trout and 2 bonnetheads. Missed the flounder for the super slam but we will get it next time!

6-10 Fished today with David Martin who was celebrating his birthday. Too windy for the Jetty's so I went to plan B and caught some Sheephead. The morning produced 16 nice sheeps but once the tide quit so did the bite. Then we went to a couple of other spots but the wind was kicking, and made it hard to use the trolling motor. Went to the Cooper and had a blast catching trout. They caught 47 using shrimp, however the majority were small. Still a great day on the water!

Fished with Curtis Calder today and what a great day it was. Had some nice shrimp so stopped at an old trout spot and they turned on right away. Landed 22 nice trout before we went to go in search of some big reds. Using crabs and mullet for bait seemed to be the ticket. Went 6 for 8 on the big guys with one break off on structure and the other is probably on it's way to Miami. The last one spooled 35o yards of line and stopping him was not an option. Personally I think it may have been a ray but I didn't want to pop Curtis's bubble. Next I thought sheephaed might be a good thing and even thought they wern't stacked up we did manage 6, anchored by a 10 pounder. Great day!

Fished today with Barry Hudson and his family. First thing out of the box the trout were tearing it up! They put 27 in the boat with 17 being good keeper size all in about an hour. Went and set up for reds and went 2 for 4 with both of them being over 30". The bite was restricted to about 20 min and then nothing???? A great day with good people!!

I fished alot this last week with good results. Here are the trends I've seen!

Gulf Stream - Took a trip 44 miles offshore on Saturday and wore em out! 27 trigger fish, 15 keepersized vermillion snapper, 32 porgies, 9 sea bass and 1 dolphin all caught in a 3 hour period. It was non-stop action using squid for everything but the dolphin.

Nearshore - Took a trip to the 60 with seabass being the target. Limited out in about 3 hours and probably released 100 or more.

Inshore - Really starting to pick-up with trout tearing it up on live shrimp. Reds are coming in greater numbers with 90% of them being way over the slot. Flounder is getting hotter as everyday goes by. More and more are being caught and the sizes are getting larger. Sharks are biting well at the shark hole and I will be taking a trip to the jetties this week to see if the bonnetheads are in. Sheephead are gatting bigger and better everyday!

I Thank God for giving me the strength to do the job i love!

I fished everyday this past week with mixed results to say the least. On Monday I went out with John Waddill and friends with reds in mind but that was not to be the case. The tides were smoking and we couldn't even anchor where we wanted. Plan B, try for some sheepheads. Pulled up to a spot and missed some but did manage to put 2 in the boat with one being a 3 pounder. We had a couple more get off that were obiously really nice fish but thats fishing. Set back up for the reds and had one break us off and caught 2 big rays. Not what I would call a stellar day but the water conditions really stunk.

Tuesday I fished Sherwood Mckinsey who wanted flounder and was used to fish a set style and wanted to see something different. You know there is always that time where you get people on the boat, especially older folks, that have fished alot longer than you! I love those days because you always learn something new and today was no exception. Awesome guys to fish with and talk to but once again the muddy water conditions hampered the day. We did manage 3 flounder and 2 trout so considewring not a bad day.

Wednesday I went to yellowhouse to catch bait for the upcoming days and if you were wondering where the bait is?? It's there!

Thursday I went with Wayne Joiner, his son and grandson with a combo day in order. Hit the offshore reefs first and after filling the quota of nice seabass we headed in. That's not fishing. It should be called catching!! With a couple of hours left I went to the same spot as Monday and the water had cleared up some and guess what?? You got it! the reds were there and hungry. We had several break offs and some nice other hits with 2 really nice reds getting their picture taken measuring 31 & 32 inches. Great day!

With the flood tides starting to subside I really expect the fishing to explode in the nest 2 weeks. Lets see!

Since the wind stopped I've finally been able to get out and do some hard fishing. The offshore bite is still hot and large numbers of Black Sea Bass are still hitting. The action is virtually nonstop and alot of fun to go out and do some "catching"!

The inshore bite is beginning to warm up with the weather patterns starting to keep the water temps on the climb. Reds have been hitting good on a varitey of baits on either tide. Big trout are here but they are being really pickey. The secret is out though and the game is on!!! Fiddler crabs are everywhere and the sheepshead are too. We have not been posting any great numbers but they are on the rise and so is the size! I have been getting flounder as far up as Bushey Park. Grubs have been the bait of choice but thats probably because I use most of the minnows for the reds. ha, ha. It only gets better from here!

5-6 Fished today with Drew Anderson and his wife. The weather was tough which in turn made the fishing tough. The first fish we hooked up with was a hugh 35" red that took Drew all over the boat. He said that was the biggest fish he'd ever caught! Finished the day with 3 trout, 2 reds, and a flounder but we had to work hard for them in less than desirable weather conditions! A great day inspite of the wind!

Went out with my wife today to try and put her on some big reds for a photo op. They were hitting pretty much nonstop for 2 hours. We went 9 for 12 with only 1 being less than 30 inches. Stopped at a sheephead spot and caught 8 but none were of any mentionable size. A great day and some quality time on the water!!

The fishing is really starting to pick up! Most of the reds we are catching are way out of the slot with the average being over 30 inches. The bite hasn't been constant but when they do hit look out! Starting to see a few more trout in the creeks and they seem to be increasing in size. They aren't what I would call tearing it up though. Starting to pick up a few flounder inshore with most of them being around a pound or so. The sheephead have been biting better inshore. Went yesterday evening and caught 13 in no time. Love to catch the convict fish!!!

The seabass offshore are still biting great with catches over 100 not uncommon. We have also been catching some nice snapper but weather is the factor as 40 miles is a long way!

4-9 Headed off shore with Jay Devrise and his friend Craig. Blackfish are still tearing it up with well over 100 fish caught in 2 hours. Went to the jetties next with only a bluefish to show for it. Next we headed inshore and caught 1 black drum, 1 red and 2 sheephead. A great day on the water despite the cold.

4-10 Fished today with Mike Martin and his son Jonathan. Started up the cooper looking for trout but they were pretty tight lipped. We did manage to catch a couple but they were small. Ran up to the harbor to set up for some reds and the big boys were hungry. We went 5 for 8 with all of them measuring from 29 to 33 inches and 1 with a tag in it. Good day!!!

I fished just about everyday this past week and here are the latest trends. Menhaden are here, and even as far up as Yellowhouse Creek. Mullet are showing up in better numbers but most are big.

The Offshore fishing for Black Sea Bass has been great with most trips averaging well over 100 fish per day. The little tunny's stopped by for some great action but the last time I was out I didn't see any.

The inshore fishing has been a little hit and miss. Trout are in a spot one day and the next they are gone. The Reds have hitting pretty good. I had a party out yesterday and they caught 5 reds and 1 black drum in a matter of an hour. Had another one break us off but thats fishing. We are also pulling up the occasional flounder but nothing really to speak of. Sheephead are here but obviously not in the numbers we catch in the fall.

Went freshwater fishing towards the beginning of the week with not much success. Went out yesterday with Andrew Ra and his parents. They were here from Missouri for Andrews graduation and I beleive this was thier fist time on the ocean. Headed out to some live bottom areas and the Seabass were very hungry. They must have caught well over 200 and easily got a limit to take back with them. One time I looked back at Andrew and he was grunting with the rod bent in half. His eyes got big and yelled it's a hugh flounder. Got the doormat onboard and it weighed out at 4.5 pounds. What a great first flounder of the year. Then I took them trolling to see what was hitting the water and within no time we hooked up with 2 little tunnys. Not good to eat but they do smoke up pretty good. What an awesome day that I am sure will be etched in their minds forever.

I had 2 charters Sunday and Monday that wanted to go offshore and do some reef fishing. Both days were about the same with over 100 seabass being caught. Both days I stopped by the CHS 60 and it was loaded pinfish, grunts, and pigfish. They were so thick it was hard to catch a nice seabass because they got to the bait first. I always bring al least 1 rod ready with a casting plug in case I see stuff hitting the top of the water. The birds in the area were so active I deceided to troll that plug around for a bit and withing 5 min. it was fish on!! They were little tunny's both days and provided unbeleivable action on light tackle. Tons of fun and what a great fight! Tuesday I stayed inshore looking for trout and sheepshead. Not the best day I've ever had but we did manage 3 trout and 3 sheeps before the wind blew us off the water. I do look forward to warmer weather!

I haven't posted in a while mainly because the patterns haven't started changing until now. Yes, we are still catching great numbers of seabass offshore at some livebottom spots, which makes for great fun, weather permitting. Today Buster and I went looking inshore and managed a good day for this time of the year. We hit a sheephead spot and caught 4 nice ones all around a pound or so. Then we went looking for bait and it was sparse at best but did catch a few mullet on some blind casts. Broke out the jigs and grubs and stopped at a deepwater trout spot. Caught 7 nice trout and 1 redfish that was in the slot but released it and all the fish to fight another day. I do look forward to the warmer weather.