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More Fishing and Boating

• Farmworkers’ children get chance to tackle new skill — fishing
• Farmworkers’ children get chance to tackle new skill -- fishing
• Romp in Swamp pays dividends

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Gusty winds hampered anglers Saturday, but fishing was good earlier in the week, with catches of mackerel, grouper, kingfish and sheepshead reported.

Fishbuster Charters' Capt. Dave Hanson fished last Monday with Lee Larsen, Bud Glancer, and friend Mary, about five miles out of New Pass. They used live shrimp, and chummed with some pre-mixed chum, as well as some blue runners. They caught four king mackerel to 30 inches, and had two big ones pull off the line on their rapid run back to toward the boat. They also caught a keeper tripletail, keeper sheepshead, porkfish and grunts, and released short gag and red grouper.

Fishing with Craig and Jan Royal, son Dan, daughter Kerri, and friend Jeff on Tuesday, the king mackerel bite was hot. They caught 20 of them to 38 inches, kept their limit of 10, and released the rest. They were fishing in 35 feet over live bottom that included sea fans, coral and sponge.

Nick Novosel, his parents, and a friend drove all the way from Lakeland to fish with Hanson on Wednesday. They caught three kings in the 25-to 28-inch range, and released some smaller ones, along with short gag and red grouper, triggerfish and porgies. They also caught keeper sheepshead to 15 inches, in 35 feet out of New Pass, with live shrimp.

Dan and Linda Papol and friend, John, fished Estero Bay oyster bars and potholes with Hanson on a catch and release trip Thursday. They caught two redfish (one keeper-sized and one short), an 18-inch flounder, and 14 sheepshead, five of which were keeper-sized to 16 inches.

Friday, John Grieger fished with Hanson in Estero Bay. They caught eight sheepshead to 14 inches, two of which were keepers, and two keeper mangrove snappers. They saw a school of about 200 jacks, but they would not bite.

Mike Cronin and friends, Richard, Dick and George, fished Estero Bay with Hanson Saturday.

"We caught a keeper sheepshead, and released several smaller ones, along with mangrove snapper, a stingray, and a 4 pound crevalle jack, using live shrimp around the oyster bars," Hanson said.

Capt. Ron Kowalyk said wind was a factor last week, but you could overcome it if worked the leeward sides of the mangrove islands and passes. There was a good redfish bite throughout the area. The Ding Darling held mixed-size spot tails, as did the upper reaches of Pine Island Sound and much of Estero Bay. There were numbers of slot and oversized fish hooked; all in all, a good redfish fishery seems to be holding up. Whitebaits were the top producers, shrimp and cork rigs, cut baits and scented soft plastics also took their share.

"Snook were active under the bushes and fair bites are beginning to develop in the passes and on the Gulf beaches," said Kowalyk. "There was a good trout bite in Pine Island Sound and San Carlos Bay, with some upper slot fish eating Gulp and DOA Shrimp and other soft plastics, the standard shrimp tipped jig rig held its own, but shrimp were a bit tough to come by at times as the wind kept bait shrimpers in port much of the week."

Kowalyk said there was a good Spanish mackerel bite on the nearshore Gulf and the bite moves into the passes with the rising tide. Silver spoons, nylon jigs, and whitebait all scored; fly action was a bit rough in all the wind. Cobia, kings and sharks were actively feeding around the schools of mackerel. Tarpon action remains very slow and the wind didn't help out in the hunt on the nearshore Gulf.

Visit Kowalyk's Web site at www.fishswfla.com.

• From Kowalyk's Captain's Corner: Reading and fighting the wind can be the only way at times to get out and "getter done!" Experienced diehard anglers will usually be able to formulate a safe reasonable plan to overcome the prevailing wind. Safety is the key word here. When in doubt, don't go out! Small craft warnings should be heeded at all times! The downside to most strong but safe wind conditions is just plain old discomfort and inconvenience. With proper planning and a few simple tools, one can overcome these conditions. Sea anchors can save a day of driftfishing, a simple, sturdy 2-gallon bucket attached to four or five yards of line will slow your drift and help steady the set of your drift. An anchor with several feet of chain is the right tool for anchor in windy conditions. In the backbay 3-4 feet of anchor line per foot of depth will suffice for standard practice. Under windy conditions, you may have to increase the road or length of your anchor line to 6 feet or more per foot of water depth. At times, two anchors or a stakeout pole will help to keep your craft in the desired attitude to a favored shoreline, channel or other feature. When using an additional anchor, always consider the danger from possible large wakes generated by boat traffic and don't obstruct navigation channels. At times, however, there is an upside to reasonably windy conditions. Wind-driven currents can save the day on sluggish one tide days. Wind can strengthen sluggish incoming tide phases and help set in motion in more than the predicted amount of water movement. Even modest wind can help turn on the bite when observed at points, bottlenecks and other features. At times the slightest enhanced water movement can provide a feeding bunk or ambush point for otherwise neutral fish as it carries along forage. Look for drifting flotsam and wind eddies and you'll usually find a bite!

Submissions to Fish Tales should be made by noon each Monday. Contact Cathy Cottrill at 213-6031 or by e-mail at cccottrill@bonitanews.com. Her fax number is 213-6099.