November once again - the month of Thanksgiving . Take a moment and make a short list of things you are thankful for. I am thankful that I am able to take anglers and show them what our local fishery has to offer. Also for my family that are still with us and the opportunity to share in this article some of the things that I have learned in the last forty years of fishing S.W. Florida. It is common knowledge that there is red tide that is always in the waters in S.W. Florida and occasionally the conditions become just right and it blooms more than usual. Last year was one of those years. About ten years ago it happened too. So it has been around for a long time in the Gulf. It happens and we rebound from it, until the media get some information and blows it out of proportion and it affects all of S.W. Florida businesses from tackle shops, guides, restaurants, hotels, motels and on and on. This gets picked up by the national news and it is all over the country. Because of this, Alpha & Omega charters has added to the fleet a thirty foot SCARAB to go into the Gulf where the red tide is very minimal if existent. This allows us to go and bottom fish for grouper and snapper. Also the stone crab traps are out and this helps to target triple tail fish that are great eating. The boat is also set up for trolling for cobia, mackerel, dolphin, and tuna. The boat is set up for all these types of fishing so if we see some birds we can stop and investigate. On a normal eight hour trip we can reach thirty miles offshore. This is about eighty feet of water and some good bottom that holds good fish. Also it is the beginning of the holiday season where we have northern visitors coming. We have gift certificates that might be a great gift for those that like to fish and boat while they are visiting Florida. Plus they could bring home some fresh fish to feed the family. Our thirty foot boat has a porta-potty for the ladies so they can spend the day on the boat. We supply bottled water to our anglers and all your fishing tackle too. If you would like to purchase a gift certificate or book a trip call or e-mail Capt Bart Marx 941-979-6517 or captbart@alphaomegacharters.com

And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{

Turkey month once again - can you believe it? It is the beginning of our tourist season and relatives that come to visit Florida. And this is the time of year that the weather is changing and the waters are getting cooler. This has triggered the migration from north to south in the fish community. This is good for the offshore anglers. The State of Florida has the Reds, Snook and Trout on catch and release till May of 2020. This means no harvesting of these species which are all great table fare. If you like fresh fish for a meal, it is slim pickings inshore. Offshore you can harvest several species that also are pretty tasty to eat. The two most popular are the snappers and grouper. And just to name a few of the snapper yellow tail, lane, and mangrove. Then you have your grouper gag, red, and scamp. Last year Alpha & Omega Fishing Charters purchased the proper permits and boat to venture out into the Federal waters of the Gulf. This is where we can target grouper and snapper, and as the migration gets into progress there will be possible catches of king mackerel, triple tail, and cobia. The boat is a thirty foot Wellcraft SCARAB that is powered with twin Yamaha four strokes. We are able to take up to six anglers for hire with a minimum of four anglers to do a trip. The trips to harvest snapper and grouper are eight hours and usually reach thirty miles depending on the weather. This is close to one hundred feet of water where most charter boats have to do an extended trip of ten hours or so to reach these depths. Capt. Bart has been fishing these waters for the last forty years. I have done a fair amount of SCUBA diving and hunting with a spear gun. This is an advantage as to understand what the structures are like down there which in turn helps as how to fish the structure. I have been down one hundred forty eight feet in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of S.W. Florida. Mostly to harvest grouper and snapper with a spear gun. Also our addition to the fleet has a porta-potty so female customers have a place to go on a eight hour trip. We have plenty of tackle for bottom fishing and artificial lures to troll for some of the migratory species too. With all the closures on the reds, snook, and trout, we can go into the Gulf and target other good eating fish. With this being the month of Thanksgiving some people have out of state guests that might enjoy a offshore fishing trip. If you contact Capt Bart he has gift certificates that would be a great gift for a family to enjoy a Florida fishing adventure. We have several anglers that use us to go offshore to harvest the snapper and grouper for a family outing and for a fresh fish cookout too. They wait till they have enough friends and family to have the boat for their guests, some once a year some two of three times a season. If you would like to have a gift certificate for a gift or a Christmas present, contact Capt. Bart Marx 941-979-6517 or e-mail me for pricing or availability, a phone call will be you quickest response. Or e-mail captbart@alphaomegacharters.com And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{