January 2015 already. This is the time of year that people start going to the gym or start a diet or stop smoking or something like that. I have not spent much time diving in the last few years so I resolve that I am going to do more of that. It helps me when I have anglers on board to help catch fish, understanding what the bottom is like. Concrete or steel or simply natural structure ledges and swiss cheese bottom are common in this area. Knowing your structure makes it easier to put the boat in the best spot to harvest fish. Mostly this time of year offshore you need to pick and choose your days according to the weather, since it gets windy when  those cold fronts come blazing through when it is so bumpy you can't feel when the fish bite with the boat going up and down with the waves. Those fish can rob you so quick it is not funny. Lets get started offshore - at 30 to 50 ft. of water we can find mangrove snapper, white grunts, lane snapper, hog fish and maybe a trigger fish. As it is the first of the year, check your FWC regulations as they have new regulations published this month, to see if you may keep any of these species. Also on the close reefs using shrimp frozen and live bait to catch those sheephead and flounder as the waters cool down and they move out to spawn. Some time you can catch flounder on one side of the boat and sheephead on the other - that is pretty cool. Lots of the white grunts too -  they are excellent eating if eaten fresh - they will keep for at least a few days - meaning not frozen. There may be some spanish and kings around depending on the coolness of the water. I like to troll for them using jigs and spoons - for the kings a planer with a bigger spoon. Troll over the areas that have lots of bait since this is where they will be hanging out. Going deeper you may have to check the Federal regulations for red grouper, gags, blacks and scamp. These and trigger fish may have some different regulations in Federal waters. AJ's out deeper but check the regulations first before you run that far. So if you like to fish closer to home as to not worry about the winds, lets look inshore. Trout will be on the grass flats and in the canals or deeper holes. Reds scattered along the shorelines and sand holes on the sunny days. The sheephead will be around structure like bridges and trestles where there are plenty of barnacles to munch on. Some people use a smaller hook when fishing for sheepies like a no.1 and shrimp. I most every time get live shrimp from Fishin' Franks and if I can find white bait or pin fish, those are good baits for reds and trout too. Flounder may be found along the passes where there is sand and moving water or along the edges of the channels. Pompano may be swimming through the passes too. You can blind cast for them with a jig tipped with frozen shrimp. Black drum may be found in the deeper waters like cnals and channels and they like shrimp. So, there are lots of possibilities this time of year. If you would like,  I can come on your boat and teach you some of these ways to fish with your gear orr we can book you on my boat for up to 4 anglers, so give me a call  - Capt. Bart Marx 941-979-6517 or captbart@alphaomegacharters.com.  Always remember, singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{

Happy New Year - it's 2015 - can you believe it? The water is getting cooler and the fish are getting hot. Lets talk inshore fishing. The trout should be plentiful in the canals and on the flats. Use lures or shrimp and a popping cork. Sheepshead and flounder should be making their way to the Gulf and congregating around bridges, trestles and structures around the harbor. Use small hooks and shrimp to harvest these guys. Reds are along the sides of the harbor just outside the bars and along the mangroves. For the best results, use shrimp and white bait - if you can find it - or even quarter size pin fish. Pompano will be scattered from the rivers to the passes so keep an eye in your wake as they like to jump as this tells you where you may harvest these guys on shrimp or jigs. Black drum will be in the deeper waters like canals where you use shrimp on the bottom. There may be some spanish mackerel scattered anywhere in the harbor and you can troll around the edges of bait schools with a jig and spoon combo. Mangrove snapper should be on the artificial reefs in the harbor and structures where there is tidal current using shrimp. I like a knocker rig for these guys. The knocker rig I use is usually a leader the length of your rod using a uni to uni knot usually 20 lb. fluoro. Then I slide a 1/4 oz. egg weight on the line and tie on a VMC circle hook 3/0. This way, if you have a cigar bobber or a popping cork with the black pin, you just add it and you can trout or red fish. For offshore fishing, look closer to shore, say 30 to 50 ft., where there is structure and you will find white grunts, hogfish, lanes, and mangroves snapper bottom fishing with frozen shrimp first, then as the bite slows, use some live ones to keep the bite going.  You may catch sheepshead and flounder on the close reefs this time of year, too. There may be a few kings around depending on the temperature of the water. I usually toss a line behind the boat about 10 yards with something live with wire since they have sharp teeth sharp, and a bobber about six feet from the hook. These are some of the ways I fish. If you are just starting to fish in our area, I can be hired to come along and teach as we fish in your boat and using your tackle to learn how to use your equipment to harvest fish. Or you may call and reserve a date on our boat, four anglers or less. We all have guests that come to visit this time of year. I have several groups of anglers that are here that have their annual fishing adventure with us. So if you would like to book your Florida fishing adventure call Capt. Bart Marx 941-979-6517 or captbart@alphaomegachartrers.com.  Remember, singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{