Did you notice that foul odor of rotten fish as you opened this report? Well, that's the smell of this report! The week started off OK, but as the days passed the fishing deteriorated to the point where I did something I've never done in my career; I canceled my Friday trip because I felt sure it would be the worse trip of the week. I think I did the right thing.

First up on Monday was my friend Charles Ruston, who is a local boy who works and lives in the Czech Republic via Texas. Last year I fished several times with Charles and his lovely wife Deb and brother Don. This year, I got to meet his eleven year old son, Phillip, who is quite a nice young man.

I wanted to target redfish, and figured that if we could catch some ladyfish, we would surely be able to catch at least a few. Reds have a real hard time turning down a dinner invitation when ladyfish is the main course. So, Charles, Phil, and I headed to an area where ladyfish usually hang out in hopes of scoring some quick bait. I was really interested in quick, as there were storms lined up offshore, and I was worried that we may not get to fish the whole morning before having to run from them. The ladyfish were there, along with some jacks and trout, and the boys boated 4 of about 10 ladyfish, a couple of jacks, and 4 nice trout.

We headed right to the redfish. I used the heads and tails as chum, and steaked the ladyfish in sections about 3/4 inch thick. The advantage of steaked ladyfish are several. They are very desirable to the redfish (snook, too), the bait lasts a long time on the hook, and most importantly, they cast like a cannonball. That's a real advantage when you're trying to catch reds on a shallow flat. Those fish will only come so close to a boat. I have had occasions where there have been redfish all around my boat, and it's an incredible thing to see, but it's also very rare. They can feel the boat's presence with their lateral lines. They don't have to see it. They know we're there. So, a bait that gives the ability to cast 130 or 140 feet gives the angler a tremendous advantage. He can get the bait to the fish before the fish is aware of, or threatened by his presence.

Our smelly baits lured 9 redfish to our hooks, but the boys predictably had some problems getting the hang of setting the hook through such a long, light line. They boated three reds to seven pounds. Those steaks also attracted three big stingrays and a couple of catfish. At the end of the morning we switched gears and caught half dozen or so snook. We finished the day at the Waterfront Restaurant, and Charles told me the trip was exactly what he wanted for Phillip. In a couple of weeks Charles and I will be back out for a couple of days with Deb and Don.

My old friend Bo Mack was back in town with his son Ed, who is quite a baseball player, and here for playoffs. That means Dad gets to go fishing on Tuesday! My plan was the same, except that I opted to fish the full incoming tide. That meant starting at 8:30 AM. The ladyfish had other ideas. They wouldn't bite. I wasn't sure whether it was because we were there later in the morning, or if they just weren't there. The trout did bite, though, and Bo and I caught at least a dozen nice trout.

Finally, giving up on the ladies, we headed for Chino Island to get pinfish and shiners. Bo had them chummed up in no time, and soon we were chasing redfish. I did get a bite going, but not a great one. Bo had 8 or 9 reds on, but only got 3 to the boat. Bo is funny as hell, and always keeps me laughing. Every time he'd miss a fish he'd offer some words about why he missed it. He said he couldn't blame his son, wife, or friends, because it was just him and me. He was frustrated with himself, but funny. He didn't miss the two stingrays that bit, though! Once the reds quit biting, we switched our attentions to snook, and boated 6 or more small fish. Bo is always a blast to fish with, and this day was no different. We made plans to have dinner later in the week.

Wednesday was my first trip with Jack Crozier, and his father Dave in my boat. We had fished together back in 1998, when my good friend Capt. Mark Bess and I had a fabulous day of redfishing next to each other. Mark's customers were Jack, Dave, and one other angler, and our two boats together caught well over 100 redfish. It was the day the picture on the front page of my website was taken. What a contrast this trip would be to that one.

The tides had continued to get worse as the week wore on. We were looking at a weak outgoing tide for most of the morning. We're in the dog days of summer. It's nearly impossible to get the fish to eat in the heat of the day. Trying to fish the tide later in the day is probably still the best plan, but then the afternoon thunderstorms become a factor to finishing a trip and getting home safely. What to do?

We headed to the ladyfish grounds, and were once again disappointed. It certainly seems the ladies are a night time and early morning gig, only. We caught three trout there, along with a nice pompano, and probably should have stayed and fished. We were greeted with lockjawed fish on the flats. Oh, I saw the reds more than once, and knew they were there, but they weren't about to eat. Even the stingrays and catfish weren't interested. We finally managed a small snook before heading in to avoid the fast approaching storms. I had told Dave it would be a tough day, but I didn't envision the fishing being quite that poor.

I told my Thursday customer Dan Dalke of the clearly emerging pattern of no fish when I talked with him Wednesday night. He was pretty wired to go fishing with me, and still wanted to go. I had to pick up Dan and his brother-in-law, Tom, at North Captiva. It would be a long day, and I was worried about getting back to Punta Rassa before the storms came.

I was up at my usually time; early thirty o'clock, and gone ladyfishing. There was a good bite as the sun rose, and I missed leaping fish after leaping fish. I managed to get three into the well before they disappeared. There was a great early trout bite, and I caught six big, beautiful trout on the TerrorEyez that my friend Capt. Rick DePaiva turned me on to, before leaving to catch shiners. I was wishing that Dan and Tom had been able to meet me at Punta Rassa and been with me for that part of the trip.

I headed to Chino and got plenty of nice pinfish and shiners, and called Dan shortly after eight o'clock to tell him I was on the way. I was loaded with all the best baits, yet I was dreading the trip. I knew it was going to be a dreadfully slow bite. But, Dan and Tom were super nice guys, and a lot of fun. More important, as fishermen, they were understanding and patient with the situation. By quitting time, Dan and Tom had caught a whopping four catfish and one snook. They had missed the only two reds that struck, and missed one other snook. By the time I dropped them off at the North Captiva airstrip and got back to Punta Rassa, the storms were coming fast. I just made it.

When Dave Calverley, of Tampa, called I was in the middle of getting the boat in from the storm. I told him that I was seriously considering canceling our trip because the fishing was so poor. He had boys from Texas with him on North Captiva, and those boys are used to catching fish. I knew Friday would be a repeat of Thursday. The fact that they we on North Captiva limited my options. This was the first time I had ever canceled a trip on the promise of poor fishing, but that's what we ultimately decided upon. Dave and I will hopefully put another trip together, later.

Thursday night, Bo Mack and his lovely wife Susan joined me at the Seafood Center and Crab House for dinner. Bo was his usual crazy self, and Sue is lots of fun, too. I introduced Bo to Dungeness crabs. He said that he learned at the Waterfront to order whatever I ordered, cause I always ordered good stuff. He wasn't disappointed with the crabs. They came by to check out the fish camp after dinner. It was a great way to end what had been a very disappointing week. I needed my spirits lifted! Where in the world are the fish?

Note: Those of you who have trips booked in the future, or who may want to book, should note my new phone numbers. Home/office is 239-628-3522, and the new cell phone number is 239-633-5851.