2011-4-2 Venice Florida fishing report by Captain Van Hubbard

 Weather messes with us but still catching fish.

 We were lucky to get some needed rain Thursday night; but we also got a lot of West wind which stirred up Gulf waters. The seas have calmed down but waters near the passes are still stirred up. Things are looking good thru Monday AM but going to blow again Tuesday. We’ll just have to see how soon Gulf waters clear up to get back out for some kingfish action. Tarpon were here but I only saw one on Saturday’s trip.  Great news we do have some minnows but the ride is long. Snook are biting; it is catch and release but fun fishing. We are still getting trout if we fish for them. The Spanish are harder to find until we get some clean waters, maybe tomorrow? Grouper are open in state waters and we will get a few fishing for kings and cobia when we can get out. This coming week is already booked up but I do have openings starting the thirteenth of April.  The fish are already showing up and will light up dramatically as soon as the weather and winds allow us to get at em! Please don’t miss this great Spring fishing because you waited too long to set up your reservations!

 Everything was hopping just before the hard South West winds blew on Wednesday, ahead cold front blew thru Thursday evening.  Tarpon schools were surprising me and every time I looked for kings I found silver kings instead. Of course the tarpon were hiding when I had folks that wanted to play with the big ones. It’s impossible to know when the big tarpon will turn on but it could be sooner than usual. Looks like we will have good tarpon fishing this month if the winds let us! It may require some longer, costly boat rides but we do already have fish.

 Some big kings dropped in and almost let us get too em last Tuesday. The weather report was lousy so we missed out because my folks listened to the weather man and not their guide. I do not play in lightening but the only way you can accurately see what the weather is going to do is get up early and look outside and at several weather forecasters. Note, I said look because the trick is to study their information not be locked in on their chatter and XX percent chance of rain talk!  A friend did get out for a few hours Wednesday, in his sixty-four footer, and hooked several huge king mackerel. I saw a blue runner they trolled with over a five inch wide bite mark in it’s back! The schoolies were off shore in about fifty feet of water. Now let’s see where they drop in next.

 Tarpon have teased us several times. I saw at least three schools of big tarpon last week ahead of the blow. Of course they run off when it blows. I do anticipate good catching before the end of April if we can afford to track em down.

 White bait has come into Charlotte Harbor but not Lemon Bay yet.  The snook bite is starting. We did well Friday and Sunday; caught about a dozen each trip and most were nice twenty- five to Thirty plus inchers.

Terry's Sunday snook 35 inches on whitebait

 Lots of fun and other fish mixed in also. Fish are still not working out yet. Most were way back in the woods so far. Slower tides slowed our bite Saturday but we did get a few fish. Expect snook to light up as soon as it straightens up next week.

 Trout are still available but we are fishing for bigger fish when we can. Some fine trout are due to enhance of flats fishing now. Big specks are heading towards the Gulf for their spring spawn. Will can stumble into red hot bites of big gators while snook fishing now.

 Spanish are hiding in this stirred up water. As soon as the Passes clear up they will turn on big time! This offers lots of catching action and great eating.

 If we can get to the near shore reefs you can expect great action on Spanish and king mackerel plus a shot at cudas and cobia. If you are quicker than the gags we get lots of bites while mackerel fishing. Update note, Sunday we got several reminders by eating sized gags while snook fishing. The grouper won every time! Derek and Terry did all they could but our gear was for snook not ten pound gags! This can add some tasty treats to our catch; if we can hold on.

 Pompano are passing by currently, we just have this messed up water right now. As it clears we will enjoy more action with pompano also! I do anticipate good action whenever waters calm down here also.

 Simply put: it’s Spring and the fish turn on every time the waters calm down and clear up! Don’t procrastinate; Let’s Go Fishin’ now! Captain Van Hubbard <www.captvan.com>