NAUTICAL MILE
P U B L I C A T I O N S
Capt. Joe Greco
Capt. Joe Greco
Capt. Joe Greco has been been a USCG licensed captain since 1991 and currently operates
a charter fishing business in upstate, New York and in southwest Florida. He operates
"Justy-Joe Charter s" on the pristine waters of Lake George -in New York's Adirondack
region- during the summer months, targeting salmon, native lake trout and bass. From
December through May, Capt. Joe operates "Fort Myers Fishing Adventures" out of Salty
Sam's Marina, in Fort Myers Beach. Capt. Joe conducts fishing seminars on a regular
basis and has been an avid outdoor writer for nearly two decades. He is a pro-staff
for several companies, including Shimano Reels and Cannon Downriggers. Family-oriented,
back-bay/ near shore fishing excursions are his specialty. He can be contacted by
calling toll free 1-877-249-7472 or via his website, www.FortMyersSportfishing.com
As a veteran charter fishing skipper for almost two decades, I will be the first
to tell you during the course of every season, I can count on a few “slow days” on
the water. I have said for years that when the fish are “on” anyone can catch them.
Unfortunately, the bite is not always the same as a result of a number of variables.
First and foremost we have to find fish-
Like many sports, fishing can certainly test ones patience, as regardless of where you fish, you are bound to have a few days on the water where the fish leave you scratching your head. Days like these are much easier to shake off when fishing recreationally, as opposed to when you have a paid crew aboard while running fishing charters. I always chuckle while out on a charter and a client says “ you have the best job in the world, being on the water and getting paid to fish”. We hear this frequently and almost always aboard a trip where we are into the fish pretty good. My usual response is “ this business is not as glorious as it appears, as some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you”.
To avoid being eaten by the proverbial “bear” I play very close attention to DETAILS, in an attempt to stack the deck in my favor as much as possible. The evening before a charter I spend about a half hour planning my trip for the following day (which will be covered in detail in a subsequent column). One of the most important tools in my planning arsenal are fishing logs from years past, especially during periods when the bite is tough.
I read a column touting the benefits of keeping a “detailed” fishing log many years
ago. The article really hit home and for about 15-
Starting from the left at the top of each page are several columns with various headings, which include; date, area fished, species targeted, species caught, length and weight, lure/bait used, creel or release, tide, moon, sky conditions, wind speed/ direction, air/surface temperature, water depth, water clarity, line test/color and miscellaneous notes. As noted above, there are a few periods throughout the season when we are dialed into the fish and upon leaving the dock we can almost guarantee that the bite will be on. While we may not spend a lot of time reviewing old log data prior to these trips, we religiously record the results of these trips after our clients have left for the day.
Conversely, I can’t tell you how may times I have had a few slow days in a row on the water and the first action that I take to remedy this situation is to examine my fishing logs from previous years. It is amazing how when you look back a few years it can jar your memory relative to a hot fishing area, lure or technique that just may get things happening again. The beauty of keeping logs for years is that you will eventually have an indispensable reference available, which contains loads of empirical data that could prove extremely useful while in the midst of a fishing slump.
I had a period in early September wherein I wasn’t happy with our catch rate, so I looked at several logs dating back about ten years. More specifically, I closely examined the conditions during the first couple of weeks in September and noticed that six years ago we had similar conditions. A closer look revealed that we eventually had a few awesome trips trolling a particular gold spoon (one that I haven’t fished in years) in an area I hadn’t fished in weeks. The following day I loaded up a few rods with the lure that we spanked them on six years ago, and met my regular clients at the dock at 7AM.
As we ran out to the area that I planned to fish, I told my clients that the fishing had been slow and explained that we were heading to an area where we did some good numbers six years ago, according to my fishing log. I explained that conditions were similar and that the lures that we would start our charter with were hot during that time frame. Within the first hour of that trip we had a half dozen fish in the boat and the action was fairly steady all morning. On the way back in one of my clients remarked “thank god you looked at your log last night cappy”, while at the same time I thought to myself, thanks to my fishing log’s the bear didn’t get us today.
If you haven’t been keeping a fishing log this may be an opportune time to start. I will assure that you won’t be disappointed, especially on days when the bear appears to be hungry. Good fishing!
The Bottom Line on Fishing Line
Along with using quality fishing hooks, selecting the best possible fishing line for a particular style of fishing should be at the top of every serious anglers list. With all of the different brands and types of lines on the shelves today, selecting the optimal line for your application can become rather confusing.
At the root of this decision making process are a few basic questions, such as what
would I like my fishing line to do for me. Are the species of fish that I am pursuing
known to be line shy? Is water clarity an issue where I fish? Am I fishing near structure
that may be abrasive to my line? Do I need a line that maximizes casting distance?
Do I need a line that has a “ stretch factor” or is little-
If fishing in gin-
We do a fair share of fishing in Southwest Florida, wherein we target the near shore
reefs, as well as Back Bay waters. Power Pro gets the nod on most of our saltwater
reels, especially when spooled in conjunction with a 3-
We are frequently asked about what color line we run. We have experimented with many different types and colors of lines over the years during the course of charters and we always seem to revert back to shades of green. However, as most are aware, shades of red are the first colors to disappear in the water column and the color red is the newest craze in fishing line sales. Many guides now run pink fluorocarbon leaders and several of the major fishing line manufacturers now market a red line. Maxima recently came out with Chameleon Red fishing line that they claim is virtually invisible underwater. Power Pro has a Phantom Red line and Stren’s Blood Red line supposedly disappears in three feet of water. I have read numerous articles touting the benefits of using red line and I plan to experiment with this line in the upcoming months.
Regardless of which line you opt to use, change your line frequently and keep it
out of the sun as much as possible. While fluorocarbon line is not very susceptible
to UV breakdown, monofilament degrades rather quickly when exposed to UV rays. We
usually buy bulk spools of monofilament line and ALWAYS store them out of direct
sunlight. Fluorocarbon is quite abrasion resistive, however, once it gets nicked
up, it will actually begin reflecting light rays and become quite visible to fish.
When the fish are in a finicky mood, it is imperative to change your fluorocarbon
leaders frequently. To avoid the above issues-
I was introduced to downrigger fishing in the early seventies, when we began fishing recreationally for King Salmon and trout on Lake Ontario, in New York State. I eventually became a USCG licensed captain and now operate a very busy charter fishing business, wherein we use downriggers on an almost daily basis. With over three decades of downrigger fishing experience, fishing for an array of fresh and saltwater species, I can’t imagine ever operating a boat that isn’t equipped with at least two downriggers.
Although downriggers are commonplace on most large freshwater fisheries, their use
has yet to have peaked in saltwater. Things have changed rather rapidly in recent
years, as the many benefits of running downriggers in saltwater are now being realized
by countless anglers. This is especially true on the kingfish-
In addition to using downriggers for years, I regularly conduct downrigger-
Another common question pertains to what brand of downrigger to purchase. While there are several good downriggers on the market, I have personally fished with Cannon downriggers for decades. Cannon now markets a downrigger that was specifically designed to withstand the elements of a harsh saltwater environment. The Mag 10DT Tournament Series downrigger is tough to beat, as it has a stainless steel spool that is capable of handling monofilament line or stainless steel cable. These downriggers are also
extremely fast, boasting a 250ft. per minute retrieval rate. In addition, they come standard with a rod holder, a swivel base and a stainless steel telescopic boom.
To get started with downriggers you will need a few other accessory items. A 10-
Once you begin fishing with downriggers you will be amazed at how diversified this method of fishing can be. They work great trolling with plugs and spoons, as well as with bait. Trolling with live mullet can be deadly, as can slow trolling with blue runners.
Some salt-
If you have contemplated purchasing a couple of downriggers, this may be the time to give them a try. Like anything else new, it will take you a few trips to learn how to use them. However, it won’t take long and once you are comfortable using them, I am confident you will soon be hooking up more often. Good fishing!
By the time this column appears we will have concluded our very busy charter-
We began our season in May, this year, and we had phenomenal action right out of
the gate. In fact, on my very first charter –which took place on May 2-
As noted our salmon fishing was mediocre at best during much of the season. The lake
has not been producing nearly the mature salmon as it has in years past, which has
led the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ( DEC) to explore
ways to improve the salmon fishery. The salmon are stocked fish and for years, the
state has used the same brood stock at the salmon hatchery, which could have resulted
in a genetically weakened strain of fish. In an effort to bolster our salmon brood
stock, DEC recently purchased some salmon eggs from the state of Maine, which will,
hopefully strengthen the gene pool. Ironically, there is a town boat launch on George,
located in the village of Hague, NY and in mid-
A highlight for our charter business this year was the addition of a new boat. We
added a 25ft. Parker center console, with a 9-
I fell in love the Fort Myers area of Florida approximately 15-
Interestingly, several months ago I began searching for a location to run my charter operation out of. We always loved dealing with the friendly, professional staff at Salty Sam’s, so I reached out to management at the marina to discuss my plans. I was very impressed with the prompt, courteous attention that I received and am proud to announce that effective December of this year, I will be running Fort Myers Fishing Adventures out of Salty Sam’s.
Incidentally, if you have never been to this terrific facility you owe it to yourself to stop by. In addition to the marina, they have a fabulous restaurant and bar on the premises (The Parrot Key Caribbean Grille) that is renowned for great entertainment, delectable food and excellent drinks. It should also be noted that the Parrot Key chef would be happy to prepare your catch for you if you stop in with a few fillets. My wife and I have taken advantage of this service on a few occasions and thoroughly enjoyed our meal each time. Amazing how good a meal tastes after a few margaritas. Good Fishing !
During a recent trip to the Ft. Myers area of Florida, I had the opportunity to meet and spend some time with two extremely interesting individuals who have a penchant for sport fishing. One of these individuals is Bob Sabatino, a legendary southwest Florida charter captain who authored the book, “Every day is a Saturday” and the other is a lady only known to me as “Princess”, who regularly runs her 34ft Contender sport fishing boat equipped with three 250hp Yamaha outboards up to 80 miles offshore.
Bob Sabatino has lived on Captiva and Sanibel islands-
After spending a few hours with Sabatino, I could see why he was so successful as a fishing guide in this absolutely beautiful part of the country. He is a quick witted, charismatic individual who you really enjoy being in the company of. Toward the end of our meeting, Sabatino went on to tell me about the above book that he recently authored, which is basically an autobiography containing interesting bits of historical information pertaining to Sanibel and Captiva islands.
Subsequent to our meeting, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Sabatino’s
book, as I just knew it would be great reading. Sabatino fished out of Jensen’s marina
on Captiva Island for decades and this is where I picked up a copy of his book. My
wife and I frequently fish out of Jensen’s (www.Jensen-
Without disclosing too much about the book, it was rather interesting to read about
a kid that grew up in the hustle and bustle world of New York City, who ends up living
all of his adult years on a laid-
Towards the end of my recent stay in Ft. Myers, I ran into my friend and fellow charter skipper, Chick Melfi, who runs “In Hot Pursuit” fishing charters. Chick is also an avid outdoor writer in Southwest Florida, writing a regular column for The Nautical Mile. Chick advised me that he was scheduled to go on an offshore trip in a few days with his friend “Princess” aboard her 34ft. Contender, and he invited me along.
I jumped at the opportunity, as I have read a lot about Princess in some of Chick’s articles and was really excited to have the opportunity to meet her. This lady lives and breathes fishing, and has logged some impressive catches over the years.
We left the dock shortly after 7AM and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico with three
250hp Yamaha outboards blasting through a 2-
There was only one slight problem, I forgot to tie the chum pot to the boat and our
chum block quickly sank to the bottom. Princess handled this a lot better than I
would have and after a brief moment of silence, we began working bottom with some
live bait that we caught on Sabiki rigs earlier in the day. We immediately began
catching fish, consisting of short grouper and a trigger fish. After placing a fresh
bait on my set-
At approximately 4PM we looked to the east and saw some clouds forming that were indicative of possible thunder storm activity. We had an exciting day and agreed that we should probably head back to the dock. We enjoyed some interesting conversation on the way back to Fort Myers, while simultaneously seeing some wonderful sights. We spotted several schools of baitfish, a few sea turtles, as well as numerous dolphins.
I have to admit that I have been on countless fishing excursions over the years and Princess is one of the most interesting individuals that I have ever fished with. While I enjoyed the camaraderie during our trip, it didn’t take me long to realize that this lady is all business once the fishing action begins. I was impressed with her level of intensity, as well has the vast amount of knowledge that she possesses regarding offshore fishing. I learned a lot that day and look forward to the possibility of fishing aboard her impressive sport fishing vessel in the future. However, before this happens, I have a feeling that I better go shopping for a new chum block holder. Good Fishing!
Pulling the Trigger on Inshore Reefs
One thing that attracted me to this area several years ago was the diversity of fishing
opportunities that exists in the Fort Myers area of Florida. From the world-
Prior to launching my charter fishing business
I had to decide which fishery I would market. One morning I would wake up and say
that the “back-
Despite a less than robust economy, we have been fairly busy and the fishing has
been quite good. Our back bay trips have yielded consistent mangrove and sheepshead
fishing, along with an occasional snook . Some pompano have been taken, along with
a few rat reds. In recent days the sea trout fishing has really picked up, with limit
catches being recorded on several trips.
The offshore scene has been fast and furious
with good numbers of big mangroves, lanes, grunts and grouper being boated on most
trips during the months of December and January. In addition, we had at least three
outings wherein we couldn’t keep the sharks from ripping line off our reels, which
was a blast for clients who have never caught a shark before. We have had plenty
of action on several of the near shore reefs, without having to make that 40-
One pleasant surprise this year has been the number of good size triggerfish that
we have landed on some of our near shore excursions. While it is not uncommon to
hook up with triggers in some of the deeper areas of the gulf, we have been slamming
these fish in 30-
Everything you read about the winter fishing is absolutely true. When surface temperatures
plummet the fishing can get tough. This is especially true in the shallow back-
Once March arrives, average daily temperatures begin to climb, usually resulting
in more consistent fishing patterns. In addition, higher tides are right around the
corner, too, making life on the water a little more pleasurable for all of us. After
whining to a few buddies of mine in upstate New York a few weeks ago about some of
the cold weather that we were experiencing, they quickly reminded me that they had
almost two-
Approximately twelve years ago I was in the market for a larger 25-
After a month-
I negotiated a deal with the broker on a Monday and arranged for the boat to be delivered
to Lake Champlain on the following Wednesday. I advised the dealer that I needed
the boat on a Wednesday, inasmuch as I had charters booked commencing the day after
delivery. When he heard this he asked “Aren’t you going to run the new boat for awhile
before you take it out on charters”? I advised him that I had been jockeying boats
around for over 20-
The boat arrived as scheduled and the dealer launched it about noon on the day of
delivery. I lake-
While the lake-
As much as I liked the boat, I began searching for another boat towards the end of
2007, as my charter fishing operation had expanded, and fishing in southwest Florida
during the winter months had finally become a reality. While the Penn Yan was definitely
large enough to take out into the Gulf safely, she was not very fast and drafted
too much water for back-
Again, the search was on, and I looked at countless makes and models of new boats.
Like some others, I was looking for the perfect “hybrid”, a boat that fished comfortably
offshore and was just as effective fishing in the skinny waters of Pine Island Sound.
After months of research and countless conversations with folks “in-
While I opted to transfer several items from the Penn Yan to the Parker-
The boat will be delivered any day now and although I am confident that I will absolutely
love the new Parker, it is a bittersweet time, indeed. It is tough to say goodbye
to an old craft that has sat at my dock for years, taking my charter-
Several years ago while operating my charter fishing business in upstate New York
I received a telephone call from a program in East Aurora, New York called People
and Places, inquiring about a charter for a group of physically challenged individuals.
At this juncture of my career as a charter skipper, I had never had any physically
challenged clients on my boat. The person on the phone explained that People and
Places was basically a not-
Despite my limited experience at the time taking physically challenged individuals
fishing, I was excited over the fact that this organization booked a day with us
to take eight of their clients out on a charter. While I would be lying if I told
you I wasn’t somewhat anxious about this trip initially-
We had such a good time that this group continues to fish with us on a regular basis.
When they caught wind of the fact that I now operate Fort Myers Fishing Adventures
out of Salty Sam’s Marina on Fort Myers Beach, People and Places e-
I can only take six on my boat and knew I needed to find another local captain to
take half of the group. In light of nature of this excursion I knew needed to find
the right captain, so I reached out to Capt. Ron Puder who operates “Fish-
Our group arrived at Salty Sam’s around 8AM and rushed down the dock to meet us.
To say that they were excited would be an understatement. Two members of the group
that fished Lake George with us several months ago immediately greeted me, both beaming
with big smiles. They told me how much they looked forward to this trip and commented
about how beautiful the marina was. One thing I absolutely love about these folks
is how much they appreciate the small things in life that many of us take for granted.
While they certainly enjoy catching fish, they thoroughly enjoy just being out on the water, taking in all that Mother Nature has given us. A shining example of this is the countless photos that they took on way out to our fishing destination of everything from the various wildlife that we encountered, to some of the beautiful homes that dot the Estero Island shoreline.
After a brief boat ride we arrived at our fishing destination, which was not too
far from the marina. We had been fishing this area quite a bit in recent days and
were in agreement that this would be a great place to start. Capt. Ron and I maintained
contact on our cell phones throughout the morning and, as luck would have it, we
were both into fish the entire trip. We boated good numbers of sheepshead, along
with several keeper-
We were initially going to catch-
The bite continued and we were fortunate enough to boat
a few more fish to go along with the ones Capt. Ron already had on ice.
We returned back at our dock around noon and after a brief photo session, we began filleting fish. The group then proceeded into the Parrot Key Grille with their fresh catch and enjoyed one of the most delicious blackened fish recipes on the beach. While the group was dining, Capt. Ron and I cleaned our boats, which were docked next to one another, and discussed the events of the morning.
Although we have both had a rather busy season thus far, we were in agreement that this was unquestionably our most rewarding trip of the season. We had a terrific time with our group and both admired their attitudes, especially coming from a group that has largely experienced an uphill battle their entire lives.
After they finished their delectable lunch, a few members of the group came back
down to our boats to say good-
As adults, looking back, some of our fondest childhood memories involve going fishing
with a friend or a relative. Fishing remains a terrific platform to connect with
a youngster. In our fast-
Aside from the obvious immediate benefits that are gained from a fishing excursion with a child, there can be some long term benefits as well.
This has certainly been the case with me, as I was introduced to fishing at the ripe old age of seven, while visiting with my grandparents in Ocala, Florida. I was born and raised in upstate, New York, however, no one in my immediate family fished. We traveled to Florida to visit relatives annually and my grandfather, John Hancock (yes this was his true name), always had time to take me fishing. On our first outing, we traveled to a nearby lake and proceeded to catch well over a dozen bass. I didn’t sleep for the next three nights I was so excited and from that day on, fishing has always played a major role in my life.
My love for fishing was so strong that I eventually obtained a U.S. Coast Guard Captains
license in 1991, and launched “Justy-
My wife, Bonnie, and I have a small condo in Ft. Myers and I have been fishing in
that area of Florida for well over a decade. I have enjoyed many back-
My penchant for fishing has also opened several other doors for me in the past. I
routinely give fishing-
As you can see, you never know what effect that first fishing trip will have on a child. I think of my grandfather frequently, because thanks to him, fishing has led to a lot of great things happening in my life. Take a kid fishing !
At trolling seminars that I conduct over the winter months, the topic of trolling speed is always part of my presentation. In fact, in my opinion, not paying strict attention to trolling speed is probably the biggest mistake novice anglers make while trolling for their favorite game fish. Simply put, if your lure or bait is not running at the optimal speed, it isn’t going to attract the attention that it should
Whether chasing trout and salmon in freshwater or trolling for a variety of saltwater
species, such as kingfish, dolphin or billfish, if you want to consistently put fish
in the boat, you better have the “tools” that will allow you to properly control
your trolling speed. It never made sense to me how someone could spend fifty-
A quality trolling speed indicator should be at the root of your program. I currently
run a 26ft. inboard Penn Yan sport-
We are usually looking back while trolling, therefore, I have installed an inexpensive
Moor trolling speed indicator on my transom. This nifty little unit is self-
Now that we have a tool that tells us just how fast our lure is running, we need
additional tools to assist in controlling boat speed. Even on a calm day, my Penn
Yan will not troll slower that 3.5 MPH. Consequently, I have two large trolling bags
that I put out on each side of my boat to slow me down. With two large bags out,
I can slow down to about 1.5 MPH, while trolling with my main engine. While we do
troll with our main engine under certain conditions-
I currently run a 9.9hp Yamaha High Thrust 4-
Once we arrive at our destination, we begin trolling at our desired speed and we then place a lure in the water to see how it is running. We ALWAYS do this before sending it down, just to be sure it appears to be running optimally. The vast majority of the time we run several of the same lures, in an attempt to depict a school of bait. If we run different lures, it is imperative that they are speed compatible. If not, one or more of your presentations will not be running correctly and will basically be unproductive.
Wind conditions usually dictate what type of presentation we will offer on a particular day. If it is quite windy and we cannot slow our boat down as much as we would like to, we often run a spoon program or stick baits that are designed to troll fast. If the winds are not too severe, we frequently run a live bait program, which works great at moderate trolling speeds.
We have all heard the expression, “speed kills” and nothing could be further from
the truth when pursuing game fish. While there are days that it seems as though the
fish hit no matter what you put down, this is generally not the norm. More often
than not, if your presentation isn’t precise, there is a very good chance that you
will come back to the dock with an empty cooler. Give speed control a little more
thought and I am confident that you will experience more frequent hook-
During the Christmas holiday my daughter, Justine, traveled to Fort Myers to spend a week with my wife and me. Justine is a first grade teacher in upstate New York and has a passion for fishing. As a youngster growing up in the Lake George area of New York State, she particularly enjoyed smallmouth bass fishing and on occasion, filled in as a mate aboard my charter boat.
We picked Justine up at the Southwest International Airport on December 22, at which
time we talked about some of the things she wanted to do while visiting. At the top
of her list was to go back-
The Back Bay and near shore fishing has been excellent, so I was confident that we
would have a few fun-
After filleting a few fish for clients that booked a morning trip during Christmas week, I was greeted at the dock by my wife Bonnie (who also loves to back bay fish) and my daughter. We left Salty Sam’s marina shortly after noon and headed for a few nearby docks where the bite has been on in recent days. Upon arriving at our first stop, I rigged a live shrimp on a #2 circle hook, and instructed Justine to cast just under the dock. Within seconds she boated a nice mangrove, which we photographed and released. We proceeded to catch at least two dozen more mangroves at this location.
We fished a few more docks as the tide was coming in and we then proceeded to an
area of mangroves where we have been catching a variety of fish, including a few
snook. The mangrove edge was teeming with life, once again, as on the very first
cast a fish slammed Justine’s line. The fish put up a quite a battle and as she reeled
it closer to the boat, I saw that it had stripes. Seconds later, we netted a huge
sheepshead. We caught several mangrove snapper in the same spot along with a big
catfish. While fishing in the vicinity of mangroves I routinely throw out a “bonus
rig” which is basically a large handpicked shrimp under a cork. We boated two nice
sea trout on this offering. In years past we have taken a variety of fish on the
bonus rig, including nice redfish and big snook. We then decided to hit another favorite
spot and finish the day trolling a grass flat area with stick baits. We trolled for
a few hours and boated a few nice trout and well over a dozen ladyfish.
My boat is specially rigged for trolling, inasmuch as I also use the boat in upstate
New York during the summer months where I run salmon and trout charters. The boat
is equipped with a 9.9hp Yamaha high-
All totaled, we fished three times while Justine was in town and had action on all
three outings. In addition to some excellent fishing, we had a few drinks and a bite
to eat at the Parrot Key after all our trips. The Parrot Key is an award-
While the week that Justine visited went by fast, I have to admit that spending a
few afternoons on the water with her was the best Christmas gift that a dad could
receive. We caught up on conversation and, once again spent a good deal of quality
time together. She sent us a thank-
Although the third Saturday of June marks the season opener for bass fishing in the
Empire State, the best fishing of the year usually takes place during the months
of August and September. This is especially true on Lake George-
We see a big demand for bass fishing charters at this time of year and, despite the
state of our economy, we have had one of our busiest seasons. As indicated, the fishing
has been excellent, with big numbers of bass being caught on most outings. In fact,
the action has been so good that we have had a couple of recent trips wherein close
to one hundred bass have been boated in a single charter. Most of our big-
The bass fishing action has been so incredibly fast that we began seeing too many bass deeply hooked, especially when caught by younger, inexperienced anglers who are not accustomed to setting a hook. Inexperienced anglers are generally slow at setting a hook, oftentimes leading to the hook being swallowed by a bass. Consequently, I switched back to exclusively fishing with circle hooks aboard all of our bass charters, in an attempt to reduce bass mortality rates. Subsequent to this timely switch, we have seen a much lower mortality rate due to fish swallowing hooks.
Unlike conventional hooks, circle hooks are self-
The benefits of circle hooks are widely recognized by state and federal fisheries
managers across the nation. In fact, as a result several studies that prove fish
caught on circle hooks have a much lower mortality rate, effective June1, 2008 there
are new regulations on the Gulf of Mexico. Effective the above date, new state and
federal regulations will require commercial and recreational fishermen angling for
reef species in the Gulf of Mexico to carry and use non-
In addition to the new circle hook requirement, effective June 1, 2008 commercial
and recreational fishermen angling for reef species in the Gulf of Mexico must carry
and use a de-
While chasing smallmouth bass on Lake George we use Gamakatsu Octopus Circle hooks
(size-
Keep in mind that the first time that you experiment with these hooks it may feel
awkward, as it will take a little time to discipline yourself to simply begin reeling
when you first feel a bite. However, once you begin catching fish on these awesome
hooks and you begin seeing first-
With gas prices at record highs, many of us are continuously looking for ways to conserve fuel while enjoying the fabulous sport of fishing. While filling up a boat has never been an inexpensive undertaking, with today’s fuel prices, a trip to the pump can put a dent in anyone’s wallet.
As a charter skipper, I am constantly looking at ways to trim my budget and with
soaring fuel prices, I have taken a hard look at ways that I can conserve fuel. I
recently purchased a new boat and out-
I looked at twin engines and immediately ruled this option out as I decided a single
engine would get me to where I wanted to fish almost as fast, while consuming much
less fuel. We fish back-
Hull design is another huge factor when discussing fuel consumption. Simply put,
the more boat you have in the water, the more power it takes to put it up on plane.
A semi-
Aside from choosing a hull design that results in better fuel economy, there are
other steps we can all take to optimize fuel consumption. Keeping hulls as clean
as possible reduces drag in the water and increases fuel efficiency. Have your hull
cleaned regularly and make sure your anti-
Boat speed plays one of the biggest roles of all, with regard to how much fuel your
engine is consuming. Until you see the actual statistics, you wouldn’t believe how
much fuel you can save by cutting back on the throttle. While cruising to and from
your destination, keep your throttle well below the wide-
As an example, my 250hp Yamaha burns approximately 21-
A final area that cannot be overlooked is keeping your boat tuned up. I spoke with a mechanic about this subject a few months ago and he advised that a poorly tuned engine could cause you to burn up to 10 percent more fuel. If you do the math real quick, for every three hundred dollars of fuel you burn, you could have saved thirty dollars, if your engine was running properly. In addition to better gas mileage, a properly tuned engine will run smother and last longer. With the price of new motors today, an annual tune up is money well spent.
If we all do our share to burn less gas, many are hoping that in the long run, supply may increase. If we get lucky enough and supply increases, as a general rule prices at the pump should begin dropping. It may be wishful thinking, however, in the interim, conserving fuel will surely help your wallet. Good Fishing!
As an avid angler and professional charter-
Despite being fully aware of the above, I have to share an embarrassing e-
Stupid me, e-
I don’t know why I just assumed that Chris was a guy, as many of my most memorable
and exciting fishing excursions involved female anglers. We presently offer fishing
charters on Lake George in upstate NY. To date, the Lake George charter boat record
lake trout was taken aboard my boat by, you guessed it, a female angler. I will never
forget the day that 7-
I have been a charter skipper since 1991 and, since that date, less than a dozen
20lb.-
I have several other regular father/daughter teams that regularly fish with me, including
Lou and Alex Tomaso, from Albany, NY. Alex and her dad usually book a lake trout
trip and a bass charter each summer. Alex usually out fishes her dad and I, while
out chasing smallmouth bass, resulting in her earning the nickname “ The Bass Assassin”.
During a trip last summer, we had a little competition going wherein her dad and
I were a team competing against her. At the end of the trip, whoever caught the most
bass would be declared the winner. At the end of the trip the final score was, Alex-
My favorite female angler of all times is, Justine, my 22 yr old daughter. Justine,
who is affectionately referred to as “J-
We would usually go out for a few hours of bass fishing, as this was a great platform to catch a few fish, as well as catch up on conversation. I have to admit that some of the best times that I have ever had with my daughter over the years were when we both had a fishing rod in our hands. For the girls in the world that love to fish, I would like to close with just two words. FISH ON!
As I am writing this column at the Southwest Florida International Airport-
If you have never explored the boat rental option, it can be a very fun and rewarding
experience, especially if you do your homework ahead of time. I invested in three
or four fishing-
A handheld GPS is a must on these trips, along with a quality handheld VHF radio. We also make sure we bring along a fully charged cell phone, just in case assistance is needed. Salty Sam’s is home to the Parrot Key Grill, which is a terrific place to grab a bite to eat after spending a day on the water.
Another favorite spot of ours to rent boats is Jensen’s Marina and Cottages, on Captiva
Island (www.gocaptiva.com). We rented boats at Jensen’s a couple of times recently,
as the fishing in this area is awesome. We had a couple of action-
On three other occasions, we rented a boat at the Sanibel Island Marina. They have a few 21ft center consoles rigged with 150hp. Yamaha outboards, that are a pleasure to fish out of. The boats are big enough to handle just about any type of chop that you will encounter in Pine Island Sound and they are relatively fast boats. They are shallow drafters, allowing you to fish in some pretty skinny water. The fish gods were smiling on us this year, as the trips that we took out of Sanibel were incredible. I had five dozen live shrimp on our first outing, which only lasted about two hours.
In addition to catching and releasing well over a dozen spotted sea trout, we caught many other species, including a few mangrove snapper, ladyfish, pompano, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on our first trip. The other two days were just as productive, as we usually ran out of bait within a few hours. Once out of bait, we threw artificials, having best luck on chartreuse and white bucktail jigs. Jigs were especially productive while fishing under the bridges, where we hooked up with numerous Spanish mackerel and juvenile grouper.
While we have fished in this manner for several years, we both agreed that the fishing
this year was the best that we have seen in quite a while. Our three most exciting
hook-
I was determined to do battle with a similar fish the following day, so we left the
dock rigged with 30lb test leader. After jigging up some bait on a favorite Sabiki
rig, we headed back to the spot where we had an encounter with “Moby-
If you haven’t fished much this year, you owe it to yourself to get out and give
it a try. While many folks opt to hire one of the many very talented local guides
in the area, the do-
I attended the World Fishing and Outdoor Exposition at the Rockland Community College in New York State last weekend and saw, first handed, just why this show receives so much attention. Many factory representatives were on hand at the expo, showcasing their latest products. The Shimano American Corporation had several booths, which were loaded with their latest line of fishing related products. Shimano manufactures one of the finest fishing reel lines in the world, as well as an array of precision made rods. This company spends big money on research and development, as evidenced by a huge selection of products that are designed for a specific angling application.
The new line of Cannon downriggers were also on display and I have to admit that
I was impressed with the improvements that have occurred with the Cannon downrigger
line since the company was purchased by Johnson Outdoors. Electrical components have
been beefed up and they now have an impressive “Tournament Series” of downriggers,
which have a stainless steel spool, capable of supporting either monofilament or
any of the new super lines. Most downriggers are spooled with a stainless steel cable,
which creates a humming noise when traveling through the water. This noise is eliminated
when monofilament or a braided-
The “Humminbird” line of fish finders was on display, too, and it is amazing to see
what these units are now capable of doing. In addition to displaying an extremely
detailed picture regarding what lies directly below your boat, this company now markets
a unit that offers side imaging. Thanks to technological advancements, some Humminbird
models now offer up to 480ft. of side-
Johnson Outdoors owns Humminbird and Cannon. As a result, the company markets a downrigger (MAG 20DT series) that works in conjunction with Humminbird fishfinders. The “Cannon Link Fishing System” option lets anglers operate up to six Mag 20DT downriggers from a Humminbird Fishfinder. With Cannon Link, anglers now have the ability to cycle downriggers up and down, bottom track, monitor boat speed and perform other downrigger functions while sitting in front of their Humminbird fishfinder.
While downriggers have been extremely popular for decades in most freshwater areas, they continue to gain in popularity in saltwater circles. Saltwater market downrigger sales are on the rise, as it is becoming increasingly clear that if used properly, they definitely put more fish in the boat.
I spent some time with Brian Wagenhoffer, from Anglers Select Custom Baits and am
anxious to try some of their rubber baits while chasing bass on Lake George in upstate
New York, this summer. They have a tremendous selection of baits and I have been
told by many that, at times, they are more effective than Yamamoto baits, on area
lakes. My partner and I picked up a few packages of our favorite colors at the show.
I spoke with Jeff Goldberg, proprietor of Fish307.com about these baits and he indicated
that they were a huge seller in his shop this past summer. Fish307.com is a very
large-
Another product that caught my eye was a fishhook puller manufactured by a company out of Willard, Ohio. This nifty product works great on deeply hooked fish and it appears to be very user friendly. I picked one of these units up at the show, as we sometimes have a difficult time removing hooks from fish that we catch on our charters during the summer months. This tool expedites the hook removal process, resulting in more quickly released fish and lower mortality rates. Further information on this device can be found at www.safedehooker.com.
I had the pleasure of spending some time with Joseph Bielawski who owns Ancient Mariner’s Saltwater Tackle and Tips. He is very interesting guy who is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to chasing a multitude of saltwater species. He was a commercial fisherman for years and now markets some rather unique saltwater fishing products. He gave me few items to try the next time I am in Southwest Florida fishing and after spending some time with him, I am anxious to try some of his products. For more information regarding some of his offerings check out www.ancientmarinertackle.com.
If you haven’t been to an outdoors show in recent years you may wish to pencil in the next one in your immediate area. Some folks feel that when you have been to one show, you have basically “seen them all”. While this may be true to some degree, I usually leave these shows with some new product or a bit of information that ultimately puts me on to more fish. Good Fishing !
When most of us hear the term running of the bulls, we immediately think about the
annual event in Pamplona Spain, wherein a bunch of seemingly insane folks run through
the middle of town while being chased by a herd of Bulls. In southwest Florida, however,
anglers do battle with another form of bull on near shore reefs during the winter
months. If you have never experienced the tenacious battle of a 25-
At Fort Myers Fishing Adventures we spend a good deal of time on several of Lee County’s
artificial reefs all winter. In addition to hooking up with good numbers of grouper,
we have terrific luck not too far from the beach with several other species. This
year many of the reefs have been loaded with nice size mangrove snapper, sheepshead,
triggerfish, lane snapper and countless numbers of white grunts. As an added bonus,
we have hooked up with a few slammer redfish in recent months, with two tipping the
scales at over 25lbs.
One of my most exciting near shore trips this year took place several weeks ago with Wayne and Trish Geer from Sarnia, Ontario. Wayne and Trish were visiting the Fort Myers area on a vacation and booked a charter with us, requesting some Gulf of Mexico action.
As I arrived at my boat at around 6AM the national weather service was calling for
East winds at around 10-
This was music to my ears as within minutes of dropping our first line, Trish was
hooked up with a 20-
Knowing this, I went out on the limb and told Wayne that he either had a red or a
cobia at the other end of his line.
I knew Wayne was in for quite a fight as he was fishing with a light tackle set-
After re-
Although the majority of our clients opt to target lake trout and salmon, we do a
fair number of bass charters on beautiful Lake George, which is located in the Adirondack
Mountain region of New York State. As we pulled away from the dock a few weeks ago,
the two youngest members of our party, six-
Not long after we left the dock, the arrow on my Lowrance chart plotter indicated
that we had arrived at our fishing destination. After setting anchor in about 40
feet of water, I placed a rod in the hands of my excited young anglers. Both girls
were fishing with a 3-
Within minutes both girls were catching fish, as were the other members of the party,
which consisted of an aunt, uncle and grandmother. While our trout and salmon charters
usually run five hours, the majority of our bass outings are three hours. During
the months of August and September it is not uncommon to boat well over 50 smallmouth
bass in a three-
While we have taken countless families out on fishing charters over the years, we
have seen more and more young ladies loving this fabulous sport. We currently have
several father/daughter teams that fish with us annually and I have to admit that
the young ladies usually out-
As indicated, we have had tremendous luck in recent years fishing with Yamamoto plastics.
Our top two producers are 3-
If you are relatively new to bass fishing and are not familiar with the above rigging
methods, I strongly suggest stopping by a local tackle shop, as most shops will be
glad to explain the set-
As a fishing-
Right from the start I had an absolutely fabulous time with my crew, inasmuch as while we were leaving the dock the group began singing the song “ Oh What a Beautiful Morning”. It was a beautiful day indeed, as we enjoyed great weather, interesting conversation and shared many laughs. As an aside, the fishing wasn’t too bad either.
The organization that booked the trip is called “People and Places”, from East Astoria,
New York. People and Places is a not-
We had such a fabulous time last year that I received another call a few months ago
from People and Places, indicating that they wished to book another trip. I canvassed
my schedule and penciled the group in for August 24. The group arrived right on time
and after loading, we headed out to our fishing destination at approximately 7AM.
Once again, the weather was outstanding as we headed to a spot that we had been catching
some nice lake trout in the preceding days. The plan of the day was to try our luck
at catching a few lake trout and around mid-
After setting our lines out a member of our group asked how long it would take to catch our first fish. Shortly after explaining why this was a difficult question to answer, he smiled and stated, “ even if I don’t catch anything. I just like being on your boat”. It would be great if more charter clients had the same attitude. Within minutes we had our fist fish on and after a short battle the lake trout was photographed and released. The crew really enjoyed watching the 7lb. lake trout swim back to the depths of Lake George, yet another commendable characteristic of this terrific group.
After catching and releasing a few more lake trout, we decided to head to a nearby bass spot.
As I approached a favorite bass fishing area, our Lowrance electronics revealed that
the location was loaded with fish. I quickly set anchor and handed each angler one
of my ultra-
We had such a wonderful time that – just like last year’s trip-
I have learned a great deal from this wonderful group over the past couple of years, as they certainly “don’t sweat the small stuff”. These guys enjoyed simply being on the water and gave me the distinct impression that catching fish was a very small part of the overall experience. They enjoyed the lake, enjoyed each other’s company and were an absolute pleasure to have aboard my charter boat. I admired their attitudes, especially coming from a group that has largely experienced an uphill battle their entire lives.
As I am writing this column, I am looking out my window at approximately five inches of fresh snow that we received from a recent storm. My busy charter fishing season is over for the year in NY State, and my wife and I are excited about leaving for Ft. Myers in a few days, for a couple of weeks of saltwater fishing. I have fished in this part of Florida for over a decade and plan to move my charter fishing operation to the “sunshine state” during the winter months, next year.
Prior to this year’s trip, however, I am putting the finishing touches on doing scheduled
maintenance on much of my fishing equipment, including all of my fishing reels. At
the end of each season, all of my reels are stripped of line, cleaned and lubricated.
The drags are backed off completely and they are then stored in a cool, dry part
of our home until they are re-
I have always tried to purchase the best fishing equipment that I could afford for my charter fishing business, as I feel you get what you pay for when it comes to fishing equipment. This is especially true when it comes to fishing reels. After deciding what style of reel is best suited for your style of fishing, there are a few components of a reel that should be looked at closely.
One of the most important features on a quality reel is a smooth, consistent and
reliable drag system. When you pull on your line at different drag settings, insure
that the pressure remains consistent. In addition, make sure that the drag can be
tightened in small increments. A proper drag setting is generally 25-
The number of ball bearings a real contains is another important consideration when
purchasing a quality reel. Again, when it comes to smoothness and stability, sealed,
stainless-
Take a look at the reel housing material, as die-
A final consideration when purchasing a reel is the composition of the reel spool.
Many manufactures offer either aluminum or graphite reel spools, while some offer
chromed, bronze or stainless steel spools. Chrome, bronze and stainless spools are
generally the strongest and least corrosive, making them great choices when fishing
with some of the newer “super-
While there are many terrific brands of reels available today, we have opted to run
Shimano reels on our charter boats. I am impressed with the silky-
I am also impressed with Shimano Thunnus spinning reels, which have several nice
features. They have an all aluminum body and a unique “bait-
Regardless of what brand of reel you choose, like most equipment, routine maintenance
is key to getting the most life out of a fishing reel. Regular cleaning and proper
lubrication are at the top of the maintenance list. In addition, when not in use,
we always back off our drags as a means of prolonging drag-
Despite the fact that I-
As a captain in the Ft. Myers area of SW Florida, chunk bait continues to be a primary
offering when pursuing big fish. After looking at my fishing log recently it became
glaringly obvious that some of my most exciting days on the water involved fishing
with some form of chunk bait.
On of my hottest shark trips took place in January, while fishing on a near shore
reef in about 40-
While fishing inshore waters, especially when the “silver kings” are in town, I absolutely
love to throw a chunk bait out. During a trip in early April, we had a 40-
Countess columns have been written about the effectiveness of fishing chunk baits
in back-
If you are out fishing again soon and things are slow, forget about reaching for
another fancy lure, reach for your fillet knife instead and prepare a chunk. I don’t
think you will be disappointed. Fish On!
Although I operate a charter fishing operation out of Salty Sam’s Marina in Ft. Myers,
Florida all winter, I continue to run charters in upstate New York on the pristine
waters of Lake George during the summer months. Lake George, AKA “The Queen of American
Lakes” is a 32-
While we anchor up to catch bass on occasion, while targeting lake trout and salmon we are trolling. Downrigger fishing is the norm in this part of the country, a fishing technique that I have utilized for nearly three decades.
My usual “spread” while trolling for trout and salmon consists of running three downriggers,
two outriggers and a flat-
I was one of the first freshwater charter skippers in my area to incorporate the
use of outriggers in my trolling program. While I will admit the majority of my fish
come off the downriggers each season, several slammer fish are taken off the outriggers
each year. A good case-
I mentioned that we also run a “flat line” close to the boat, as part of our normal spread. We have taken countless salmon on this rig over the years. While we may have a few trips with no strikes on the flat line rod, it seems as though when we least expect it a fish will crush a lure dancing in the prop wash.
My decades of trolling experience definitely paid off this past winter while charter
fishing in Southwest Florida. I had several trips wherein the fishing was slow and
I had young anglers on board. I have found that kids are not too concerned about
what kind of fish they catch, they simply want to CATCH FISH! On more than one occasion
I fired up my kicker trolling motor when the action was slow and began trolling for
a variety of fish such as sea trout, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel. Believe it or
not, one of my biggest grouper of the season was taken in about 6-
I had a few other big days last winter in Pine Island Sound trolling exclusively
for sea trout, when the drifting and casting game was not on. One day in particular
stands out when I had a family of four on my boat from Ontario Canada. They specifically
requested a sea trout outing, as they were down the year before and caught a few,
which they enjoyed for dinner. I proceeded to the sound and planned to fish a few
of my hot spots with jigs and live shrimp. As luck would have it we couldn’t buy
a bite so-
In addition to this trip, we had a few other trips where ladyfish saved the day.
I said repeatedly that as charter skippers we have to focus on putting our expectations
aside at times and think more about the enjoyment of our clients. I have found this
to be especially true with children. I can’t tell you how many times I have trolled
for ladyfish (which were all over the place last winter) when I had kids on the boat
and after the charter have been told “ this was the best fishing trip they have ever
had”. Many of these kids have never even caught a fish, so to see a rod bent over
and a silver-
While we would all love to hook up with snook, reds or trout on every trip, the reality of it is this doesn’t always happen. I don’t care how skilled an angler is, we all have a few slow days on the water each season. The next time the fish gods don’t seem to want to cooperate and your have thrown everything at them but the proverbial “kitchen sink”, try trolling. I don’t think you will be disappointed. FISH ON!
If I had to make a guess, I would bet that over ninety-
While visiting my uncle one summer evening we proceeded down to the river to try
our luck at some smallmouth bass fishing. Upon arriving at a popular fishing hole
we began casting “secret’ night crawlers at bass and immediately began hooking up
with some slammer bass. What made them secret was the fact that we dipped our crawler
into a jar of vanilla extract before each cast. I was a skeptic at an early age and
insisted on trying a few crawlers right out of the package without dipping them into
the magic potion. I quickly became a believer, as my uncle was out fishing me about
6-
As a charter skipper I remain a HUGE fan of fish attractants and religiously use
them on just about every charter that I take out. It is a well-
Fresh water lake trout, for example, have very pronounced nares, as they spend most of their adult lives in very deep, dark water. Visibility is poor in this deep water; therefore, these fish have to rely heavily upon their sense of smell while searching for their next meal.
Saltwater fish have a keen sense of smell, too, which they regularly utilize when
searching for food in stained or murky water. They also continuously use their sense
of smell while working tides and currents, in search of their next meal. In fact
some salt-
While freshwater fishing for lake trout and salmon I routinely put a few drops of
Dr. Juice on my lures. I have experimented with this attractant over the years and
am totally convinced that it helps improve my catch rate. While fishing saltwater
with artificial presentations, I religiously use menhaden oil, shrimp oil and/or
sardine oil on my lures. I was trolling stick-
We had a similar scenario while fishing near the Sanibel Causeway one morning while
chasing fish with white curly tail grubs. On that day we slammed several nice fish
on grubs that were dipped in shrimp oil. The bite was 2-
I am also a firm believer that foreign scents on you hands-
If you haven’t experimented much with fish attracting scents, you will be amazed at how many different products are on the market. My suggestion is to pick up a few different brands and play around with these scents until you find one that seems to trigger some action in your particular area. Once you find a formula that seems to work, I will almost guarantee that these products will become a regular part of your program. FISH ON!
We have all heard the old cliché, “ 10-
1) HOOKS: Replace stock hooks with a quality hook such as a Gamakatsu or a VMC. These
are the only two hooks we use on our charter boats and they definitely lead to better
hook-
2) FISHING LINE: As is the case with hooks, the same applies to the type fishing line you are using. Use a quality line and change it often. We are big fans of Maxima line (made in Germany) as well as Yozuri fluorocarbon pink leader. In our braided applications we use Power Pro. Nicked or frayed fluorocarbon line is no longer invisible to fish and, in fact, some studies have shown that once this line gets nicked, it becomes quite visible underwater. As long as it is in great shape, it remains the best way to fool wary fish.
3) SCENTS: Fish have a great sense of smell and using the proper scent will put more
fish in your boat. Watch any professional bass tournament and you will be hard-
4) READ MORE: Read as many articles as you can about the type fishing that you enjoy.
I continue to subscribe to several magazines, including, Salt Water Sportsman, Florida
Sportsman and Salt Water Angler. You can always pick up a tip-
5) ATTEND SEMINARS: Look for fishing seminars in your area and attend all that you can. Seminars are offered at many consumer shows that are regularly scheduled in your area and listening to the pros for a few minutes can be very enlightening. Most seminar speakers love to share with the audience and you will be amazed at what you will pick up once you attend a few.
6) TAKE A CHARTER: There is no better way to learn more about an area that you plan to fish than taking a charter with a reputable guide. Most guides have years of experience under their belts and most are willing to share some of their knowledge of local waters with their clients.
7) WATCH THOSE BIRDS: While a $2,000 fish finder will certainly show you fish below your boat, it will not find the fish for you. Diving birds are a sure sign that there is bait in the area and game fish are most likely not far away. Work these areas.
8) GET RID OF THE WEIGHT: We are creatures of habit and many of us routinely fish with a sinker or split above our presentation simply because we have done this for years. Try casting natural bait in a current with no weight attached to your line and you just might score when the fishing is slow. It may take a bit longer to get your bait into the “zone”, but it may just pay off. We had some big days on nice mangrove snapper this past season, fishing a live shrimp with no weight on our lines.
9) CHUM IT UP: Many do not want to spend the money on chum and then complain that the fishing is slow. Most fish are predators and they rely heavily upon their sense of smell to locate their next meal. If you are not chumming regularly, your success rate is not nearly as good as it could be.
10) HAVE A PLAN: The night before your next fishing trip, take a few minutes to carefully plan how you are going to approach your fishery the following day. Will wind direction and speed be a factor? What will the tides be doing? Take a long look at a chart of the area that you will be fishing and come up with a plan for the following day. I do this before every single charter and usually have a list of several spots I plan to fish the following day. These spots are picked very carefully and a good deal of thought goes into the order in which I approach each spot.
Good Fishing !
With well over one hundred charter-
While down in Fort Myers in April, I had four wonderful individuals on my boat and
Capt. Ron Puder, who operates “Fish-
The group penciled in August 28th and requested to do a little lake trout fishing as well as some smallmouth bass fishing. When they booked the charter they asked what the odds were of catching both species in one charter and I told them that with the luck that these guys have had in the past, I would have to say the odds were in their favor.
The anxious group met us at our dock at 7AM and, upon arrival, everyone in the group was bubbling with enthusiasm. Four anglers and one counselor boarded my boat and the rest of the group subsequently climbed aboard my partners boat. Although a cold front was upon us, overall conditions were conducive to a terrific morning of fishing. We planned to troll for lake trout for three hours and then spend two hours bass fishing.
We had our final line in our trolling spread set at around 7:30AM and within ten minutes one of the individuals in our party asked me how long it would be until we caught our first lake trout. After explaining how this was a difficult question to answer, we continued trolling. The bite was rather slow initially and as I was hoping for a release, one of the guys began belting out the first verse of several Medonna songs. He was so funny that two of the guys in the boat were laughing so hard that they had tears in their eyes. As much as I hate to admit to it, yours truly was one of the aforementioned guys.
We eventually boated two nice lake trout around mid-
We pulled in our trolling lines and proceeded to one of my favorite bass spots. As
we approached our spot, the guys got a kick out of seeing our position on the GPS
plotter. They were even more amazed at the amount of bass that appeared to be near
bottom of this particular fishing spot. I gave each of the guys a spinning outfit
and placed a Gary Yamamoto 3-
I was once again amazed at just how well this group got along with one another and was more impressed with the fact that they, once again, booked a trip not expecting miracles. Catching lots of fish was secondary to this awesome group, as it was clear that their primary focus was just to spend a fun filled day on the water with one another, taking in all that mother nature has blessed us with. They took many photos of our magnificent mountains, as well as several shots of one another enjoying a day on the lake. Boy do I wish more of my clients had the same attitude.
Before we knew it, we were out of time and we had to head back to our dock. I filleted the group’s catch and we said our good buys. As they drove away in their van, I was thankful that I was able to put these guys on to a few fish and give them another memorable trip. Just before they departed, they advised that they were going to try to put together another Fort Myers fishing excursion in April 2010. I am really hoping that these plans become a reality; as I can’t think of another group of individuals that I enjoy fishing with more. FISH ON!
Having over thirty years of combined experience fishing in both fresh and salt water, it seems like regardless of where I have fished over the years, the subject of lure color is a commonly discussed topic. Isn’t it amazing how a certain color lure will annihilate fish on a given day and under a different set of conditions, fish will not take a look at that particular lure. How many times have you fished a favorite type of lure and kept changing colors until you found the magic pill? When a buddy tells you how he slammed fish this past weekend on a particular lure, what is one of the first questions that usually follows? WHAT COLOR WERE THEY HITTING?
It is a known fact that fish do see colors and their color vision helps them see prey against a variety of backgrounds. Like humans, the retina in the eye of a fish contains receptor cells called rods and cones and the cones play a major role in color differentiation. While I do not propose to be a fisheries biologist, with over three decades on the water chasing a multitude of fish species, I will be the first to tell you that choosing the right color can translate to coming back to the dock with some fish in the cooler.
While there are certainly exceptions to every rule, there does appear to be some constants with regard to picking the right color. Water clarity plays a major role in color selection, as does overall light conditions. If you were fishing extremely murky water, such as a shallow water shoreline that has been pounded by incoming waves for a few days, a natural looking presentation would not be my first choice. These water conditions are not conducive to good visibility; therefore, my first choice while fishing these conditions would be white and chartreuse. Hot pink tones can be a winner in dingy water, too.
While fishing in upstate New York all summer we are primarily chasing lake trout
and salmon in gin-
We troll for sea trout on occasion while running charters in the vicinity of Pine Island Sound and have had outstanding luck on Yozuri stick baits in a variety of colors. Interestingly, when the wind is blowing and the waters are murky, it is tough to beat a silver/chartreuse pattern or patterns containing a good deal of white. I have also had terrific luck in southwest Florida using chartreuse and white buck tail jigs, when the water is murky. When the wind hasn’t blown for a few days, our more natural presentations are our first choices and we generally start the day with darker lures and lighten up as the sun begins to rise. The opposite is true when fishing from afternoon to dusk.
Water depth is another factor that comes into play when choosing that winning lure.
The color red is the first color to disappear, as you get deeper into the water column
and blue is the most visible color at deeper depths. While targeting lake trout at
depths as deep as 160ft., we frequently use lures that are either all blue or contain
some shade of blue. I have also trolled up some nice grouper last year pulling stick
baits containing shades of blue and purple. We boated a few nice shallow water grouper
last season trolling red/gold sticks, which is a winning color combination in water
30-
While conditions are seldom the same, the more time you spend on the water you will definitely begin seeing similar conditions. This is why keeping a fishing log is so critical, if you want to be a consistent producer. A detailed log will serve as an excellent reference to turn to when the fishing gets tough under certain conditions. With all the years I have on the water, I routinely glance through my log books to get a few color combination ideas, especially during those occasional periods when the fish aren’t exactly jumping in the boat. Fish On!
Overall, we had a very productive summer on Lake George, in upstate, NY-
Despite all of the doom and gloom about our economy, we had our busiest season in
19-
If you do the math, with these kinds of numbers, we are handling thousands of fish
during the course of a season. I am from the old school with many of my fishing techniques
and HABITS, some of which are good and some of which are not so good. For almost
20-
During a September smallmouth trip I was taking a very small bass off the hook for
a client and, as the fish began flailing about, I was stuck in the palm of the left
hand with one of dorsal spikes. I have been stuck hundreds of times and although
it is never a pleasant feeling, it was never very painful and was basically a non-
When I woke up the next morning, my hand was a little red in the area of the puncture
and like a dummy, I put some antibiotic ointment on the area and covered it up with
a band-
During my follow-
The above episode has taught me a lot in the past several weeks. Number one, I will now wear a glove on my left hand while removing hooks from fish. If I do incur a puncture wound to a hand again, I will wash the wound thoroughly with soap/water and I will not put antibiotic ointment on the puncture wound prior to covering it. As horrible as my experience was, it could have been worse. Bacterial infections are no longer what they use to be several years ago. Many infections are difficult to get under control with available antibiotics, as many strains of bacterial infections have mutated and are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. This is scary stuff, as something as simple as being pricked by a fish can realistically turn into a potentially life threatening situation, if the infection cannot be stopped. My suggestion to all: PRACTICE SAFE FISHING! Wear a glove while handling fish from now on.
On a much more positive note, my hand is slowly getting back to normal and I am getting excited about starting my season in Florida during the month of December. Hoping that the weather remains decent and the fish remain cooperative! Good Fishing!
Gentle Giants or Out-
Talk to anyone who regularly fishes our wonderful near shore reef system in southwest Florida and almost invariably the goliath grouper dilemma enters the conversation. While goliaths were on the brink of extinction in the 1970’s and 80’s, few would argue that goliath numbers have bounced back radically in recent years, especially in our immediate area. This rebound is largely due to the fact that the species has been protected since 1990.
Goliath grouper are at the top of the food chain, once they establish residence on
one of our reefs. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine the outcome when
a 100 pound plus fish establishes residence on a near shore reef. These fish are
eating machines and absolutely love to dine on species such as snapper, grouper,
lobster, and other small fish. I read one report that indicated that larger goliaths
even eat snook and cobia if the opportunity presents itself.
As a charter skipper out of the Fort Myers area during the winter months, I target
both inshore species as well as fish the near shore reefs regularly. Based upon my
experience off the shores of Fort Myers , Sanibel and Captiva Islands, I feel that
it is definitely time for fisheries managers to implement some form of a” limited
catch” program for goliath grouper. Last winter we had multiple hook-
At the FWC’s September meeting in Central Florida, the goliath issue was allegedly
briefly tabled. FWC chairman, Rodney Barreto, was at the meeting and basically indicated
that studies of the goliath grouper are far from completion. He also allegedly indicated
that “we are caught in the dark hole of the federal government, who are our partners
in fisheries management”, according to a recent article that I read on this topic.
He went on to say that he “wants them to get the science so that we can make the
decision”. As is always the case, fisheries managers WILL NOT implement regulation
changes until exhaustive studies are completed. Historically, regulation changes
are based on scientific data and not the opinions of anglers like myself and others,
who spend countless hours on these reefs.
Rest assured that despite a ray of hope that fishery managers are finally looking
closer at the goliath issue, there will be groups opposed to a goliath harvest. While
I disagree, some feel that is premature to declare the goliath grouper as a recovered
species. A member of the Reef Fish Ecology Group at the Florida State Costal and
Marine Lab in St. Teresa Beach allegedly recently stated “ it definitely seems anti-
Here we go again… despite the fact that we clearly have a problem with goliaths on
many of our near shore reefs, with both state and federal government agencies involved-
Politics play a major role in most regulatory changes, therefore, if you feel a limited
harvest of goliaths should take place it never hurts to contact your elected officials.
There is also an online petition that you can sign ( I recently signed it) at www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/394165446
. Many, including myself, feel adamant that a quota or lottery approach would insure
that goliaths would not be over fished and ultimately lead to a healthier balance
between these monsters of the deep and other reef species that they continue to prey
upon. FISH ON!
If you are looking for something to do in the Fort Myers Beach area, look no further,
as Salty Sam’s Marina is home to a vast array of fun filled, water-
At the top of the “must-
Salty Sam’s is also home to a few Sailing Charters. If you have never experienced
the thrill that sailing has to offer, you can sign up for an excursion with one of
several experienced captains that will take you on a sailing adventure that you will
not soon forget. Most sailing excursions depart daily from the marina and venture
out into the near shore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Once again, I have personally
met the sailing skippers, all of whom are the friendliest guys you will ever meet.
If you have a penchant for fishing, there are several fully licensed fishing guides
–including yours truly-
Kayak Rentals have also become a popular activity at Salty Sam’s. In addition to
very reasonable rental rates, the marina is located in a very tranquil setting, which
is just what kayakers are looking for. Within minutes of paddling away from the marina
you will encounter breathtaking mangrove shorelines that are teeming with the many
sights and sounds that Mother Nature has to offer. Be sure to bring a camera along,
as dolphin and tropical bird sightings are common.
Salty Sam’s can also assist you
if you plan to spend some time in Key West in the not too distant future. The Key
West Express high speed catamarans-
If all of the aforementioned activities are not enough, there are two excellent dining
establishments on the premises that are sure to please the most discriminating palate.
The Parrot Key Caribbean Grill has a fine selection of entrees and offers live entertainment
most evenings. Right next door is the recently opened Big Game Bar and Grill, which
has more of a sports bar flair, with a magnificent waterfront view. My wife and I
have sampled a few menu items at the Big Game Bar and Grill and were impressed with
the food quality. I am sure this new restaurant is going to be a hit with tourists
and locals alike, as it has all of the necessary ingredients to become a winner.
While on the subject of food, it should be noted that there is also an ice cream
stand on the marina premises. No wonder Salty Sam’s has won the News Press’s “Best
Marina” and “Best Waterfront Restaurant” award every year since 2004.
While visiting Salty Sam’s you have to stop in and say hello to the friendly staff
at renowned ship’s-
After returning to the dock at Salty Sam’s Marina from a recent charter I had a very interesting conversation with Capt. Denny Pellicci, of Capt. Denny’s Gulf Coast Boat Sales and Yacht Management, who has a full service yacht brokerage office at Salty Sam’s. Denny was telling me about a yacht that he was in the process of marketing in a rather unique fashion. He went on to say that the yacht would soon be part of his fractional yachting program and he went on to explain this interesting concept to me.
Fractional ownership and fractional leasing through a professional management company
gives boaters an opportunity to own or lease a yacht at a fraction of the cost of
“solo” ownership. The actual amount of time a boater spends on his or her boat is
the key in making the fractional scenario a true value proposition. Capt. Denny is
part of the Signature Yacht Shares network, founded by Capt. Matt Condon in Destin,
FL. www.signatureshares.com.
There are numerous “Boat Clubs” which offer a form of fractional use but are generally
limited to smaller boats. The boat club concept has proven successful and satisfies
the needs of many participants. The Signature Share concept offers the next level
of boating for those who desire a larger vessel, complete with available Captain
services and in some cases, crew members.
While fractional yacht ownership was not an entirely new concept to me, fractional
leasing was. Basically, yacht leasing is like a car lease and at the end of a term,
usually three years, the lessee walks away and has paid for the time period in which
he was a lease shareholder. Again, because of the amortized capital costs and expense
being spread over shareholders-
With fractional yacht leasing, participants incur a one-
The fractional ownership (equity) program works in similar fashion, with the exception
that the shareholders will receive their share of the residual value when the term
ends-
If you are a current owner of a late model yacht and you want or need relief from
“solo” ownership, Gulf Coast Boat Sales and Yacht Management offers a possible solution
that can be rather appealing. These opportunities can be tailored to an individual’s
particular needs. As an example, if you own a vessel that has become increasingly
expensive to own individually, if the vessel meets certain criteria, your vessel
can be put into an “equity share” fractional program, which allows you to get out
from under very expensive capitol costs and ongoing maintenance expense. With an
arrangement such as this, fractional shares are sold and at the end of a set term
shareholders will receive a portion of the vessels residual value.
I have seen literature on a gorgeous 39-
The aforementioned yacht is just one fractional opportunity that Gulf Coast Boat
Sales and Yacht Management has to offer, so if you would like to learn more about
other exciting opportunities that exist, stop by Salty Sam’s Dockside Sales Office
(239-
If you are an offshore fishing enthusiast, I am confident that at one time or another,
you have heard of Pursuit boats. Pursuit boats, which are manufactured right here
in the state of Florida, are without question one of the finest built offshore boats
available in today’s market. I was first exposed to these awesome boats a few years
ago, when I was invited to fish aboard fellow charter skipper and friend, Capt. Chick
Melfi’s 28-
Pursuit center console. We ran out approximately 30-
I had the pleasure of speaking with James Walker recently about the Pursuit boat
line, as he is the proprietor of Walker’s Marine in southwest Florida. Walker has
been the largest Pursuit dealer in the entire world, 18 out of the last 22 years.
He owns dealerships in Fort Myers, Marco Island and Goodland, Florida. When asked
why he sells Pursuits, he replied “they are the Mercedes or BMW of sport fishing
boats”. In addition to selling boats, Walker owns one of the biggest mobile marine
service businesses in southwest Florida, servicing boats from Sarasota to points
south.
After talking with Walker about his business, it didn’t take me long to realize why
he has such a strong conviction when it comes to the Pursuit boat line and why he
is so successful at what he does. There are a lot of parallels between the ways Pursuit
has operated their business over the years and how James Walker has operated Walker
Yacht Sales. Walker claims “good solid customer service” is at the root of his business,
wherein friendly service and catering to the customer is the norm. He continues to
be impressed with Pursuit boats as they are always on the cutting edge of marine
design. Pursuit is one of the very few remaining boat manufacturers that don’t sub-
An example of the aforementioned
cutting edge technology is Pursuits new Offshore 375, which Walker currently has
on display at his Marco Island facility. If you have a penchant of offshore fishing,
you owe it to yourself to take a look at the largest outboard model boat Pursuit
has ever built, the new OS 375. This gorgeous vessel measures 39’ 2” L.O.A, boasts
a 13ft. beam and tips the scales at approximately 18,000lbs, with triple 350 four
strokes. Thanks to such an impressive beam, the OS 375 has an expansive cockpit and
extremely roomy accommodations below deck.
While the OS 375 was built to handle the
most demanding offshore fishing conditions, it is also loaded with endless creature
comforts; including beefy grab rails, a bow thruster, a Corian-
comfortable double berth with sitting headroom and reading lights. The forward berth provides additional space and comes equipped with a pullout drawer to maximize sleeping accommodations, when necessary. After taking a look at the new Pursuit “Flagship” it won’t take long to see that countless hours of engineering work went into this incredibly well designed vessel.
Walker marine stocks most current Pursuit Models, so if you are looking for something
a bit smaller, they can certainly help you find the boat that best fits your current
needs. After speaking with Jim Walker and taking a look at the quality that goes
into the Pursuit boat line, if you are looking for a terrific offshore fishing boat,
Pursuit deserves a hard look. Pursuit is a family owned company that appears to be
in excellent financial shape, despite our current sluggish economy. Walker marine
is a company that has been around for years and prides itself in offering top-
I have personally dealt with the parts department, along with the service crew at
the Fort Myers location and cannot say enough about the quality of service I have
received. Aside from being an extremely friendly bunch, they really know their stuff
with regard to marine related service work. In light of the aforementioned, if you
are in the market for a new offshore boat, it makes a lot of sense to stop by and
see the friendly staff at one of the Walker Marine locations. Additional information
on their operation can be found on their website www.walkersmarine.com.
After picking my daughter, Justine and her boyfriend Mike up at Southwest International
airport one evening in April, we began discussing our plans for Easter Sunday. After
kicking a few ideas around, it didn’t take them long to advise the old man that they
wanted to go on a near-
I woke the crew up at around 5:30AM and shortly thereafter we headed down to the
Salt Water Sportsman bait shop on San Carlos Blvd. to pick up some pinfish and several
dozen shrimp. I have dealt with Steve and the gang at Salt Water Sportsman all season
and they have always taken good care of me with regard to insuring I always have
ample bait for my fishing charters. We arrived at my boat around 6:30AM and within
minutes we were motoring out into the Gulf of Mexico in search of some grouper and
snapper.
I proceeded to a destination about 15 miles offshore and upon arriving my screen
immediately lit up with some bottom activity. The activity turned out to be a bunch
of small grunts, so we began looking around the immediate area for better action.
The spot proved to be rather disappointing, resulting in my looking at my “book of
numbers” for a back-
As is usually the case when you hook on to a good spot, almost immediately both of
the kids were hooked up. Justine had a nice mangrove snapper on and Mike followed
suit with an even bigger one. The fish slammed a medium sized shrimp rigged on a
small circle hook. After placing these two beauties on ice, both rods went back to
the bottom and we doubled-
On the way in I called my wife and told her that we had a cooler full of fish and
asked her what she thought about having the Parrot Key Caribbean Grill at Salty Sam’s
Marina cook up our fresh catch for our Easter Sunday meal. We usually do the perennial
Easter Ham dinner, but we all agreed that nothing would be tastier than a freshly
prepared fish dinner. After filleting our catch we had the chef at the Parrot Key
blacken half our catch and fry the remaining half. In addition to our catch we had
a few excellent side dishes, consisting of a vegetable medley and mashed sweet potatoes.
Interestingly, when the fish came out it looked as if we had enough to feed a small
army. More interestingly, when or check arrived at the end of our meal, there wasn’t
a piece of fish left on the table.
Our daughter was also down during the Christmas holiday and guess what we did Christmas
Day…You guessed it, our family went fishing and we had a fantastic time on the water
together. While every family has their own holiday traditions, it appears as though
going on a family fishing trip will remain on our holiday agenda for years to come.
This is absolutely fine by me as since my kids were in diapers, some of the best
conversations we have had with one another is when we have had fishing rods in our
hands. We all read about the importance of “ quality time” and I can’t think of another
activity that helps families bond better than spending a few hours on the water with
one another.
In closing, as noted that the Parrot Key is known for cooking up anglers catches
and they do a fabulous job.
However, if you are not a fisherman and are merely looking for a great fish dinner, they always have a few nice fresh fish entrees on their menu that are sure to please. In addition to an some fine fried entrees, their blackened fish recipe is tough to beat anywhere! Fish on !
While cleaning up my boat after charters at Salty Sam’s Marina in Fort Myers Beach, I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has walked up to my Parker center console and started talking to me about the two motors I have hanging on the transom.
My boat looks a little different than most charter boats in the area inasmuch as
while I have two motors, they are not the ever-
Countless folks have stopped by my boat asking the same question “ why do you run
a kicker motor and not twins?” There are several reasons that I have opted for this
set-
With my current boat-
I also do a fair share of trolling and using a high-
I am confident that we will see more and more similar set-
With the price of fuel these days, it makes sense to take a hard look at a single
screw set-
The above set-
I cannot speak for other charter skippers, but after being in the business for nearly two decades, I can attest to the fact that clients who board my boat expecting very little usually enjoy some of the most productive outings. Call it a karma thing, but it seems that almost invariably, when someone climbs aboard my boat and tells me that they hope they catch tons of fish, the fish gods seldom cooperate.
A good example of this took place a few weeks ago when I had a husband and wife team
aboard for a morning of lake trout fishing on the pristine waters of Lake George
in the Adirondack region of New York State. I met Marge and Howie Messler, from Milford
New Jersey, at our dock at 7 AM and we headed out on a 5-
The lake is 32 miles long and we operate a 2-
I told them that we were heading to a spot that I fished the day before and advised them that the area held good numbers of fish. Their response was music to the ears of any veteran charter captain, as they stated that they were simply looking forward to a nice day on the water enjoying the spectacular scenery and if they caught a few fish it would be a bonus.
Upon arriving at our destination I set out a 3-
After resetting our lines it didn’t take long and we slammed another lake trout even bigger than the first. Although we only had two fish in the boat, my clients were ecstatic, indicating that these were two of the biggest fish they had ever caught. They also indicated that if they didn’t catch another fish that day, it still would be one of the best fishing trips they were ever on. Wow, talk about two of the easiest going folks in the world and I was lucky enough to have them on my boat that day. As luck would have it the fish bit all morning and when it was time to head back to the dock we had boated 19 big lake trout, which turned out to be one of my best trips of the year thus far.
Conversely, a few days later I had a group out that had fished our lake with another
captain last year. Within minutes they told me how they slammed the fish with “the
other guy” last year but opted to fish with me this year as they heard great things
about our service from a friend that fished with us a few years back. On the way
to our spot they jokingly advised me “ I better not make a liar out of their buddy”.
Shortly after this comment one of the guys asked me how we have been doing and stated
that he hoped we “bang them” today as he wanted to take some fish home for dinner.
Again I cannot speak for other charter captains, but whenever I hear this I tend
to get a knot in my stomach, sensing an expectation level that is sky-
Although we didn’t have a terrible morning with the latter group, we didn’t set the world on fire, only boating five fish. Was it because the fish simply were not biting or did other factors come into play on that particular day? After dropping the group off at the dock at the end of the charter, I went over the day in my head and without question I feel their intensity played a role in our marginal success.
With a “high expectation” group I tend to try too hard and this is generally not
a good thing while fishing. I am a bit too quick to change out a lure and probably
a bit too impatient with regard to giving an area a shot. On this particular day
I moved four times in search of more fish, even though we were marking a few on our
fish-
Another observation that I have made over the years is that anglers that have to catch 100 fish every time they go fishing never seem to relax and fully enjoy the day. Because their entire focus is on numbers, they tend to miss out on all of the other benefits that go along with spending a nice day on the water with friends and relatives, taking in all that Mother Nature has to offer. While I like catching fish as much as the next guy, I have came to the conclusion long ago, that a cooler full of fish is not necessarily indicative of a truly “successful” trip. FISH ON!
We have been fishing with downriggers on our charters for over two decades in upstate New York, while in pursuit for trophy lake trout and salmon. While we do not use them quite as much when we move our charter operation to southwest Florida each winter, we do have days when we troll with downriggers while chasing a few Gulf of Mexico species, such as kingfish and grouper.
Although the majority of the time we run one line off one downrigger, there are times when we have tremendous success running multiple lines off a downrigger. There are a number of ways that this can be done. A very common practice among downrigger fishing enthusiasts is to run two lures off a downrigger by using two fishing rods. After the first lure is sent down, a second lure is “stacked” above the first line at a desired depth on a separate rod. The second line is attached to the downrigger cable by using one of the many stacking releases that are available on the market.
A second way to get two lures down in the water column using one downrigger and only one rod is to use what is commonly referred to as a “ cheater” rig. There are two types of cheater rigs that we use on a regular basis that allows us to run two lures at different depths off of a single rod. One is referred to as a “ slider” and one is a “fixed cheater”.
With a slider, after sending our first lure down to its desired depth (let’s say
100 feet down as an example), we then place a lure on a 5-
The leader will not go further down the main line, as there will be a natural belly
in your main line while trolling. The slider rig you just sent down will settle in
the approximate area of this belly, which will give you an additional lure down about
half way. When a fish hits the slider, the swivel simply slides down your main line,
activates the release and stops at the lure attached to your main line. We use 5-
If you want to run a second lure at a more precise depth above your main lure you
can use the same leader that you just made up and attach it to your main line with
a rubber band. This is called a “fixed cheater”. A rubber band holds the swivel in
place as it is half-
We commonly use these techniques on Lake George in upstate New York during the summer
months, as our lake trout are down around 100-
We were catching lake trout at around 100-
I am looking forward to experimenting with cheater rigs more this coming season while
fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, as I can already think of scenarios wherein this could
prove to be a deadly approach wile trolling in the salt. Can you imagine trolling
deep for grouper with downriggers –which has proven deadly for us on a few trips
in recent years-
If you are a downrigger-
If you are serious about fishing the waters of southwest Florida you are probably
well aware of the fact that we have one of the most diverse fisheries found anywhere.
Our region boasts world-
If you are in the market for a new boat, the all-
I had the pleasure of speaking with salesman Ron Groeneveld at Ft. Myers Marine about
the new Pathfinder 23HPS, as Ft. Myers Marine was lucky enough to receive the third
boat out of the new mold in recent weeks. Shortly into our conversation, it didn’t
take me long to realize that Ron is extremely impressed with Pathfinders newest addition.
The new HPS hull design is impressive to say the least, offering anglers a boat that
shines in back-
The boat that Ft. Myers Marine currently has in inventory comes equipped with the
NEW Yamaha VF250 SHO 4-
I have read a good deal about the relatively new 250SHO in recent weeks. The 250SHO
replaces the 2-
When buying a Pathfinder you are also buying peace of mind. This is largely due
to the fact that the Maverick boat company builds Pathfinders. Maverick has built
boats for around three decades and is one of the most respected names in the marine
industry. All of their hulls are built of high-
For more information on Pathfinder boats check out their website at www.pathfinderboats.com.
For further information on the awesome new Pathfinder 23HPS check out the Fort Myers
Marine website at www.ftmyersmarine.com or stop by their facility which is located
at 2137 Fowler St., Ft. Myers Florida. If you simply have a few questions about Pathfinder
boats feel free to contact Ron Groeneveld of Fort Myers Marine at 239-
Capt. Joe Greco
