Well, it's 2017 so Happy New Year! Another year of resolutions that seem to fade after a few weeks, when you settle down past the holidays. So I want to encourage all the anglers out there to invest some time into a young angler or a military veteran this year. Let the young kids know that we care about them and the ones that risked there lives to keep Freedom Free that we care for them too. It is how we get to enjoy the great sport of fishing where and when we want according to the guide lines that have been set. This month offshore you may find the near shore reefs teaming with sheepshead and flounder. On the natural bottom ledges are lanes, grunts, porgies, and mangrove snapper. In these same areas using baits that have a crunch/crustations you may harvest some hogfish too. Yes - little crabs, sand fleas, and you guessed it shrimp too. The areas you may catch a trigger fish is a great start to find the hogs. The red grouper should be out in the deeper waters by now as the waters get cooler. Depending on the water temperature (68-72) the king mackerel may still be chasing baits close to shore. This is the time of season to watch the weather reports for the cold fronts that show up with lots of wind - that can be dangerous. So let's see what to look for on the inshore waters.  Trout - there several ways to harvest these toothy critters. I enjoy getting the fly rod out and using a top water popper to get these guys to bite. It is lots of fun too. You may find reds along the mangroves or in the mouths of the creeks. Most of your bait this time of year should be shrimp; this is the natural bite at this time. I buy my live shrimp from Fishin' Franks in Charlotte Harbor on 41. If you are out closer to the Gulf you may find sheepshead around the pilings of docks and trussles and in the sandy areas you may find some flounder too. So this year make some new rules in your fishing bag of tricks - take a kid fishing or a Veteran. Look for the positive things in life and show some grace to others. Capt Bart Marx can go with you on your boat to show you some things about our area and shorten the time of your learning curve. Or if you have guests coming from the cold north who want to fish, you may e-mail captbart@alphaomegacharters.com or cart Capt. Bart Marx at 941-979-6517. And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile.<*(((((>{

January 2017.  Wow, I have lived in Charlotte County for over 55 years. I have seen lots of changes from a 2 lane US 41, and a interstate that was not even here. In high school we would go to the bird section to dove hunt while it was under development and get oysters there too. Things have changed and some fishing tactics have too. It is still possible to catch reds on a Johnson sprite cast under the mangroves. You can still catch trout drifting the grass flats casting an artificial lure/love lure and a popping cork. And you can catch some nice sized cobia with live baits floating around the artificial reef by Alligator Creek. There are plenty of sheepshead around the docks and bridges, with a black drum mixed in once and a while. These things still happen but it is a bit more difficult to harvest the proper sizes to take home and eat, it is still possible to catch a few fish enough to have a fresh fish dinner or sometimes two. And this is the time of year that shrimp is the bait of choice. The shrimp come into the harbor to live and grow till March or April. I buy my shrimp from Fishin' Franks in Charlotte Harbor on US 41. Also this time of year the sheepshead and flounder start to show up on the close to  shore reefs like Helen’s and Mary’s reefs or the Power Poles.  If you don’t  have a boat or you have guests coming from out of town, I can help entertain them. I have the gear, the license and the local knowledge to find the fish. Or if you are new to the fishing scene here, I could go on your boat too. So call Capt. Bart Marx at 941-979-6517 or e-mail me at captbart@alphaomegacharters.com and always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{