Strong Winter - Winds and Bite
Have had some really memorable trips with great customers this winter. Although El Nino weather blew in numerous fronts and unfortunately cancelled trips due to high seas, on the
good days I had the pleasure of guiding some great families and people. Heard stories from all over - Chicago, New York, Canada, St. Louis, Mississippi and several tough Michigan moms who I believe have skinned more deer than most men I know.
They all had fun and usually caught more fish and/or the biggest they have ever caught. GOOD TIMES.
Jonathan, a manager of a popular Paris restaurants, called the evening prior and wanted to go fishing by himself. We were disconnected twice and also had a little trouble understanding each other’s way of speech on the phone. I was honestly a little skeptical if I was going to be stood up. I texted him in the morning, and he was all pumped up and almost there! So much for my sense of judgment!
I picked him up and the 2 of us headed out late morning on a perfect day for a 6-hr trip. I quickly learned as he showed me his big carp pics on his phone he had never been offshore, but he "aime pêcher" and has several park lakes and rivers outside Paris dialed in. He told something to the effect that his "dream was to try catch and fight the best Florida fish." His skill and technique h
elped him fight and landed several large gag grouper on light tackle that most anyone else would have lost to the rocks.
Feeling like he had mastered that, I pulled anchor and changed techniques and depths where he was able to land a really nice cobia.
On the way in he also sight casted a nice tripletail and said "fishing with you was the best part of my Florida trip - thank you captain for letting me live my dream." ... I appreciate his thank you and the compliment meant alot since I had been enjoying his stories from his past 10 day - - he was just completely an epic Florida vacation. . . . fly to Miami, 1-2 nights on South Beach, 1 day snorkleing in Key Largo, several nights in Isalmaroda (where he was unable to fish due to weather), 2 nights in Key West, Everglades airboating and a night in Everglades City, 1 nights on Marco Island (where he a bad charter experience), 2 nights on Ft. Myers beach, and 2 nights in Sarasota.
That is a Nice Trip!
I love getting calls from last year's visitors or their friends who want to book a trip this year. Look Foward to Fishing with You!
With the strong bite that is being found on most trips and the schools of bait that is still around, I am highly optomistic about catching quality fish and a great fishing run this Spring.
