Hello fellow anglers! September is here and we are two thirds of the way to a New Year.  It has been really hot in our area and the rains have been minimal so the Gulf waters have been very warm.  The fish seem to move slower like we do when it is hot. There is a way to avoid the heat and that would be to do some night fishing. Yes there are some of us that will go out into the dark just to catch some fish. Depending on the phase of the moon, there could be plenty of light. Some like to venture out on the full moon. I don’t mind going when the moon is growing towards full. There is some light and of course you do need lights on the boat and some like to have them for the water as well. This may seem like a lot of work but it is cooler at night so it makes it worth it. Get your plans together and target some of the snappers, mangroves, yellow tails and lanes to harvest for great table fare.  At night the grouper will feed also, but we have mostly targeted snapper at night.  When targeting the snapper it is good practice to down size on your tackle. I like a 4000 to 6000 size reel with a smooth drag and fill the spool with 20 or 30 pound braid. And I like to use a 20 pound leader with circle hooks starting with a 1/0. Depending on your style, some would use a fish finder rig, chicken rig, or a knocker rig. If you believe in one of these, you will fish it and catch fish. There are different methods - some like to chum, using ground up fish parts.  Others use macaroni noodles soaked in menhaden oil, oatmeal, and sand and chum mixed. I have an old school Chum-Churn. I fill it with small fish and slam it up and down in the water where it chops up the fish. Then they float out of the tool while hanging in the water. Keeping an eye on it, you slam it every 10 to 15 minutes to keep the flow going, and refill when needed. It seems like a lot to prepare for night fishing, but when you have it all in place and your efforts bring a harvest of some fine snappers, it is worth it. Also offshore this month you may encounter some of the Bull Reds that are coming to feed on the many baits that are along the beach and in the bays. They are there to fatten up for there swim out into the Gulf for spawning. You may find a school along the coast and have a blast as those Bull Reds really can test your tackle. Red grouper can be found starting at 70  feet and some AJ’s out deeper on some kind of structure. During your day trips, always try and put a flat line out away from your rods with a sardine or some type of live bait with a little wire for the toothy critters, cuda’s or king’s. Doing this while you are bottom fishing can be productive. So while you are reeling up fish from the depths they purge there stomach which creates its own natural underwater slick that attracts kings etc. If you would like to experience a night trip or day trip with Capt. Bart Marx, call and schedule your offshore experience. 941-979-6517 or e-mail me at captbart@alphaomegacharters.com Or just go to my web site alphaomegacharters.com and check pricing and learn a little about the crew. If you make the phone call I can respond more quickly. And always remember: singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{

 

Hello fellow anglers! It’s September and a great time to try some night fishing. Yes, there are people that have had enough of this heat and are willing to travel offshore to fish in the dark. Target species are the snappers - mangrove, lane, and yellow tail. All of these are great table fare and you can use light tackle to harvest these guys. It is a little bit different preparing to fish at night. You need lights so you can see what is going on in the boat tying knots, untangling fishing lines etc. Then it is good if you have a light for the water under your boat. I have been told that green lights work the best. It is a little extra work with batteries that will last through your trip. Chum is a great help when you night fish as it helps bring the fish up to the surface where you can use light tackle, like twenty pound test setups. These setups should be rigged with clear mono or fluorocarbon for your leader.  If the reel has braid you can put a twenty to thirty foot leader on. This helps because the snapper are line shy but at night you do not have to worry about that so much.  It can be evaluated when you have your light setup or not. Then you can chum if you are willing to do that as it could bring in some of the tax collectors in the grey suits, better known as sharks. Some guys just like to buy the boxes of frozen chum and hang them over the side and thaw. Or you could thaw it out early and mix in some sand and other stuff if you have a secret recipe. I have been told that some guys soak macaroni noodles in veggie oil with some menhaden oil, or rolled oats to soak up the flavor.  Secret recipes can work too.  There are lots of guys in the Keys that have recipes that they use to chum.  I like to go out before sunset and get the boat anchored up on your hot spot. This way it is a bit easier with the lights and all getting the chum process going. And depending on where you go you may even catch some gag grouper too - they will bite at night. So if you would like to try a night trip on my 30’ SCARAB,  give me call. Capt. Bart Marx 941-979-6517 or e-mail me at captbart@alphaomegacharters.com  A phone call will get the quickest response. And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{