Here in the human world, everything is weird. Stores are counting how many people can be allowed in at once. Everybody’s wearing masks. Saturday Night Live was basically a bunch of home movies. We’re all waiting for our virus bonus checks from the IRS. It seems like everything else that mattered to us just a few weeks ago doesn’t matter anymore and we’re only focused on COVID-19.
But out on the water, it’s not like that at all. Things are continuing in exactly the way we would expect them to based on the weather. The sheepshead have all vanished to whatever dimension the spend the summer in. Fat mackerel and bluefish have showed up. The reefs have permit and barracuda on them. Snook are headed to the beaches. Tarpon are (literally) starting to pop up all over.
If you need to get away from the crazy, Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico are the perfect escape plan.
Of course, to get there most of us have to run the gauntlet of human activity: We need gas for the boat, ice for the cooler, drinks and sandwiches to keep us from dehydrating or starving out there, and of course we have to get the boat in the water.
While doing all this, we need to be safe and use our newly acquired social distancing skills. Being able to go out is the only thing keeping a lot of us sane. We don’t want to lose that, so let’s not give the authorities any reason to think about shutting down the ramps or trying to keep us off the water.
Once you get underway, you might notice that the water is pretty clear right now (unless it’s been windy, then we get some murkiness from the silt). Fishing is always a little more frustrating in clear water. While it’s great to be able to see the fish, they’re looking right back at us. To turn casting into catching, there are a couple things to pay attention to.
First, if you’re not already using fluorocarbon leader, now is a great time to try it. Fluorocarbon is less visible in the water than monofilament and a whole lot less visible than braid. Right now, I’m using about 4 to 6 feet of leader, connected with a line-to-line knot instead of a very visible swivel. You need to do whatever you can to avoid tipping off the fish that something isn’t right.
That also means a change in hooks. Specifically, look at smaller ones that can be hidden in your bait. That’s also important if you’re using shrimp, because most of what the tackle shops have been getting are little ones. One exception: If you’re using colored hooks to change the look of your bait, larger hooks might be better.
Making long casts is also important in clear conditions. The farther away you are, the less likely you are to spook the fish. Capt. Josh wrote a column a couple weeks back about using hula hoops as targets to improve your casting accuracy. It’s a good plan. You may also want to make some tackle changes to get more casting distance, such as using 10- or 15-pound test braided line.
In addition to fishing, this is also a great time to go on a Lewis and Clark expedition. Exploring the areas that you fish — and areas that you want to fish in the future — is much more informative when you can actually see the bottom. If you’ve ever wondered why a particular stretch of mangrove shoreline or area of a flat is more fishy, now is the time to take a look.
Even just sightseeing is a lot of fun. Cruising over grass in 3 to 5 feet of water and looking for sea urchins and horse conchs, or watching the cormorants hunting pinfish, is a great time. I love every chance I have to get closer to nature, and it’s all out there right now.
Still, no matter what I’m doing on the water, I’m bringing a rod. Actually, considering all that’s being seen and caught lately, I’m bringing several. If you have the opportunity to get out on the Harbor or Gulf, take it. Make a plan, but have a fallback position (and a fallback for your fallback, just in case). Remember that almost anything can happen out there right now and plan accordingly — it’s definitely not a bad thing.
Robert Lugiewicz is the manager of Fishin’ Frank’s Bait & Tackle, located at 4425-D Tamiami Trail in Charlotte Harbor, and a co-host of Radio WaterLine every Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m. on KIX 92.9 FM. Call 941-625-3888 for more information about the shop or for local fishing tips, or visit them online at FishinFranks.com.
Robert Lugiewicz is the manager of Fishin’ Frank’s Bait & Tackle, located at 4425-D Tamiami Trail in Charlotte Harbor, and a co-host of Radio WaterLine every Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m. on KIX 92.9 FM. Call 941-625-3888 for more information about the shop or for local fishing tips, or visit them online at FishinFranks.com.
