With calm winds fishing has been off the chart.

Large schools of Tarpon have been moving in from the Gulf of Mexico this past week. Everthing has been biting this week and my guests have all had a great time. 

On March 12th I had the a family from New York. Craig and son , Wil and mom , Jodi...... They had a great time catching a variety of fish on the Rage rods including Sea trout, Lady fish, Crevalle Jacks, Pompano and Mangrove Snapper. We moved over to a nearby channel and Jodi hooked up to a big Tarpon, her first one, what a battle. Son Wil did the wiring and release...

On March 13 my longtime friend and fishing client since the mid 70's joined me for a day along with his granddaughter Kim . It was not our day for Tarpon but Kim did catch some large Lemon sharks and lots of Snapper, Pompano.

The next couple days we were able to take advantage of the calm weather and fish the wrecks out in the gulf of Mexico.

Hugh Miller and his son Barr and friend Jake got their arms stretched out by Goliath Grouper, Bull sharks Cobia and Permit and Crevalle Jacks. We used Fox 4 piece Trek Boatrods XT. What an unbelievable rod. Using a top shot of 100lb test line we have not broken this rod yet.

On the 17th I had Dick Alt and son Ken out. We were on our way to a wreck in the gulf when I spotted free jumping Tarpons. We positioned ourselves up current and cast black worm lures on Permit Trek rods and Diablo 550 spin reels. The boys hooked and landed 3 Tarpon and jumped 8. We finished with some Bull sharks at the wreck and Ken released a nice Permit .

18th I had Jeff Henry and sons. Back out in the gulf it was Sharknado. Tarpon were jumping everywhere but we only hooked one. Big Bull sharks wore the boys out. We finished with a big Goliath Grouper.

Finally on the 19th I did a special canoe trip deep into the Everglades with my good friend Doctor Hugh Dennis. Solitude, no boats and lots of fish and just a few bugs. Crocodiles were plentiful Dr. Hugh had great day. Using Rage spin tackle and Diablo 350 spin reel he released 13 Snook and 3 Tarpon.

Fishing is pretty darn good lately.


Captain Skip Nielsen

smaller Tarpon on Rage ultralight rod and Diablo 350

ken and dick alt hooked 8 tarpon and landed 3 all over 100 lbs
 using Permit Trek rods and Diablo 550 spin reels

Kim at Sandy Key fighting big Lemon Shark

look at the bend in that rod. Dr. Hugh Dennis caught 13  snook and 3 tarpon

Dick Alt with a Redfish

Jodi's son, Will, wires her Tarpon, while Craig videos the   action

Silver King at the boat

George Witts has fished with me since the mid 70's. that  was my offshore boat

Billy Kilgore caught this Gag Grouper
using Diablo 350  spin reel and Rage rods.

this oversize Pompano was a great fighter on the Rage  Diablo 350 combo

Bull Shark cried Uncle. The Trek Boatrod XT
and EOS 30  Trolling reel did the job

Hugh Miller caught this Cobia, It was following a Bull  Shark. light tackle

Bar Miller with his Permit on the Permit Trek rod and  Diablo 550

lots and lots of Bull Sharks in the Gulf now

double header of Goliath Grouper for Jake and Bar  Miller.  
4 piece Boat Rods XT can  handle it all

Hugh Miller with his Goliath.

Dick Alt is hooked up to a sightfished
Tarpon using the  Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Ken Alt freelined a shrimp back to this Permit. and he
used the Permit Trek Diablo 550 for the catch and release

one of many jumping Tarpon

here is young Jeff Henry doing battle with
a Bull Shark  while Dad keeps ahold of him

Jeff got a release on a big Bull

It's Tarpon Time Again!

Its Springtime in the Keys and Tarpon are beginning to show. Plenty of windy weather is holding them back a little but if you put your time in you will get a shot or two.

This past week we have hooked Tarpon on every trip...

Yesterday I had Dick Alt and he made me proud. At 77 years old Dick is in great shape and fought a huge Tarpon for over 2 hours.We had the leader many times but Dick wanted to get it alongside the boat for a pic. After an hour the big fish started grey hounding like the battle had just begun. Dick is a very experienced angler and has caught many Tarpon and big sharks with me in the past. He knows how to cup the spool for added drag. Finally at the 2 hour mark the fish surged one more time and went thru the leader.

We used Fox Diablo 750 spinning reels for all of our Tarpon and Sharks.  When I first get a new Diablo spinning reel I take the spool off and unscrew the back plate and totally lube all the drag washers with super lube and the roller on the bail and for good measure some oil in the reel when I unscrew the handle. Once this preventative maintenance is done the reel is good for a season. These are the toughest reels around. I have never had a gear get stripped, had a handle break. Pretty amazing. I have been a charter skipper for over 40 years now and have used my share of spinning tackle.

Well here are some pictures of my guests and their fish.

Captain Skip Nielsen

up close

action

at the boat

Caroline & tarpon

Caroline's Tarpon

Dick Alt had a great day Tarpon fishing

Dick Alt had the battle of his life with this huge Tarpon

Dick Alt is a young 77 years old.
12 shark releases and a 2 hour battle with an estimated 150lb plus Tarpon

Dick Alts monster grey hounding after an hour

earlier 7 year old Austin lost a huge Tarpon
but then caught a big Lemon Shark.

Frank,Adam and Austin Eismont fighting a triple of Sharks

Joe and Caroline Millican will be back

lots of shark action in between Tarpon

Pat Quarranta had a very exciting day. first big Tarpon and a Sawfish

teeth

Pat Quarranta's Tarpon put on a show

Pat's Tarpon

Randy Soth with a big Mangrove Snapper