Hello Fellow anglers. Summertime is here again and this is the time of year that the fishing is HOT. There are many choices as the waters warm up and the bait fish come back. This is also great for offshore fishing where you can find king and Spanish mackerel around the big schools of bait . The bait comes all the way up to the 41 bridge on the Peace River and up to the 776 bridge on the Myakka River. Some use a cast net to catch these baits some use a sabiki. This is a great time to keep your eyes open for the Silver King / Tarpon. These tackle testers migrate to our area to feed in preparation to spawn out in the Gulf. So get out your tarpon gear and make sure all is in battle-ready condition. On the beaches and inside the pass and in the deep holes in the harbor are great places to spot these high flying acrobatic fish. There are several ways to target these guys. 99% of these fish are released, and most people just want a photo of one on the end of their leader. May it be on a fly rod, spinning rod, or boat rod, there is no shortage of excitement when they are on the line. Out on the beaches there are the sharks that have learned that when these fish give a distress signal, it is like a dinner bell going off. Fish can't scream but they do send some type of signal that attract predators - sharks - where they have found that these fish are tired and are easy prey. Early this month, the tarpon will appear from the south. Naples, Bonita, Ft. Myers Beach, Sanibel, Cayo Costa, and world-famous Boca Grande Pass billed as the best Tarpon fishing in the World - yes #1 in our back yard. There are three areas to fish for these once in a lifetime fish. On the beaches by boat searching for the pods and casting baits to them showing respect for other anglers that may have found the pod first. Spinning gear works well. 30/40 lb. class or 10/12 weight fly rod. Or in the passes using boat rods or big spinning rigs presenting live baits or artificial. Then there is the harbor. As time passes, these fish tend to move up into the lower harbor near Pine Island and Cape Haze, and back to Burnt Store and Two Pines areas. These areas are where using fly, or spinning gear can be a great choice to hook-up to do battle. Live and artificial bait can both can be presented. Check with your local tackle shop as to what are the hottest baits to use because as the weather changes, so do the baits. This could be live crabs, pin fish, mutton minnows, squirrel fish, thread fin, herring and even BIG shrimp just to name a few. Fishin' Franks is my choice for bait shops. I have known Frank Sr. and Jr. over 30 years. The staff there have been very good to me over the years. So if you have limited knowledge of tarpon fishing and would like to learn by hands on with private instruction call Capt. Bart Marx at 941-979-6517 or e-mail captbart@alphaomegacharters.com  And always remember, singing drags and tight lines make me smile.3

May and it is summer like weather already. This means it is time to look and listen for Tarpon. Yes the Silver King / Tarpon are sneaking into our area to feed on the baits of Charlotte Harbor. The harbor is a great source of food - it is about 18 miles North to South and 10 miles East and West. There are several square miles of grass flats and mangroves with roots that are a nursery for all kinds of baits. To the West side of Charlotte Harbor is Boca Grande pass, which is a mile wide. This creates a natural funnel if you will, for these baits when the tides move in and out. And this is why Boca Grande is a feeding stop for the Tarpon as they fatten up for the journey into the Gulf to spawn. This is also why it is billed as the best Tarpon fishing in the World, yes #1 Tarpon fishing in our own back yard. It is a great time to get your tarpon gear out and make sure it is in full battle condition, fresh line or just dusting and oiling is all it may need. Just so you are prepared to take on one of these high flying acrobats. It could be a fish of a life time for some, or another photo for the brag book for others. Whatever it may be, there is lots of excitement when you are hooked up to one of these bad boys. Some anglers choose to use fly rods and lures to do battle with one. Then there are those that choose to use spinning gear and live or artificial baits. This is a great way on the beaches or from a boat, or in the harbor to spot them and toss a bait live/artificial to them. Some like Boca Grande Pass to fish with live and artificial baits too. This can be using large spinning reels or boat rods. Just a few years ago I had the chance to ask a long time tarpon guide from Boca Grande what was the most consistent thing about tarpon fishing? He had a great answer.  He said "they are inconsistent". So I was on the proper learning curve. I just could not find a pattern in these fish. And I have learned that you have to pay your dues by time on the water. This is my 10^th year as a for hire fishing guide. I still get excited when it is time to go fishing. Yes it is a sickness that a few of us have. And I know a few other Guides that are this way. Oh what does a fishing guide do on his day off? Go fishing. Yup - we are messed up in that manner - just cant get enough. So if you would like to see a real life die hard, call Capt. Bart Marx at 941-979-6517 or E-mail at captbart@alphaomegacharters.com And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*((((()>{