Fishing Report for Week Ending 5/10/97
by Capt. Butch Rickey
The first trip of the week started out great, but was cut short by weather. Bob Widner and Don Treibic, who were part of a large group involving several guide boats, were doing well on the beach snook. We fished under threatening skies all morning, with the distant rumble of thunder coming across the gulf. Around mid-morning, as the skies took on a real angry look, and the thunder got much closer, we took a vote, and decided to head for the docks. We were on the snook, and left them biting. Bob and Don had caught around a dozen when we left at 10:30.
Of course, once back at the ramp, the weather quickly cleared up. We were supposed to be back at noon, anyway, and had no regrets.
It was great to see John "Swizzlestick" Streczywilk again this year. He was here from Kansas City, Missouri, for a couple of quick days of R & R with his lovely girls, wife Melissa, and daughter Andrea.
The first day out the beach was pretty bouncy, and it only took Andrea about an hour to cry "Uncle". Yep, she was getting seasick, and there's nothing worse. I quickly took us inside to calm waters where I hoped we could find some snook around the oyster bars. We'd left them biting like hell on the beach.
We found more fish inside, and Melissa and Andrea, surprisingly good anglers, finished up the morning with 5 redfish to 29 1/2", 4 trout, and 12 nice snook. John got a beautiful 8 pounder, that made him happy. They took home 4 reds and 2 snook.
The next morning John showed up without the girls. He said they had just worn themselves out the day before. John had another pretty good morning, catching 2 reds and 12 snook. He kept 11 and 8 pounders for the trip home.
The following day, the snook were really turned on for Steve Simpson, Brian Debruier, and Jeff mann, from Apex, North Carolina. These boys had wanted to go tarpon fishing in the worse way, and had, in fact, booked a full day tarpon trip. But the night before the trip, I strongly urged and advised them to make it a snook trip because our tarpon season was getting off to a very slow start.
They decided that my promise of heavy snook action sounded better than a slow day of tarpon, and the following morning they kicked some snook butt. The Tarheel Trio bagged 2 redfish, and 38 snook, the largest at 29 inches. I couldn't begin to tell you how many got away. Suffice it to say, it was the best fishing they had ever experienced!
Out for their second trip with me, Don and Michelle Cigletti brought Michelle's parents, Ray and Donna along for some snook fun. Don and Michelle are recent transplants to Sarasota, and Don says that what I have taught him has been invaluable. Those northern ways just don't work down here. Don is the fish finatic of the group. They had a great morning of fishing, with lots of get-aways, but still boated a redfish, a big trout, and 20+ snook to 28 inches. To top things off we worked on improving Don's casting technique.
Now that we are in the summer snook pattern, the action should continue hot and heavy right on through September. Tarpon action is still reported as slow.
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