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Ok, the real estate info has been checked, the huge amounts of statistics reviewed and the decision has been pretty much made that buying and moving to Port Charlotte looks to be a will do in the near future. Well, as near in the future can be when facing another long N.E. winter.
Now it is time to ask the really important questions. I'll only start off with four for now.
1- Assuming a reasonable amount of experience, a modicum of enough common sense to track the weather and a real respect for the ocean what would be a reasonable length for a boat if one wanted to venture out of Charlotte bay an into the Gulf to do some fishing and still keep it small enough to poke around in the nooks and crannies of the bay? In other words, not a true flats boat and certainly not a thirty plus foot express. Note, I do a lot of night fishing should that factor in.
2- What is the local preferred boat style, CC or walk around? Around here, Boston Harbor to Stellwagen bank WOULD BE A WALK AROUND BUT THEN AGAIN that takes into account below 50 degree trips.
3- Recommended and reliable boat dealers/supply/repair?
4- I'm a member of the Mass. Striped Bass Assoc. hopefully there is a some similar club around there for whatever the favored species is. It'll sure cut the learning curve.
Hey Mike we are in the same boat . No pun intended. We have purchased a home in Port Charlotte and in the middle of interviews for a position in the area . The boats of choice in the area are Center consoles for the type fishing you are talking about . I also used to fish the mid west bass turny circuit. I have always liked the hydra sports ccs but start watching Ebay and craigs list for what boats go for locally. any wellcraft is a great boat I am looking for a boat also. anything from 18 foot and up to 23 would fit the bill of what you want.I used to go out in the sea of cortez with my grandfather he would go out from five to twenty miles sometimes in a cabin cruiser and somtimes in a sixteen foot wood whale boat.we always made it home. Keep us posted on what you buy. Pat
Keep in mind Charlotte Harbor is infamous for its shallow spots. If you ain't run aground, you ain't been around. Center console is mostly what you'll see around although a fair amount of flats boats also. Did you say 50 degrees and below? Can't remember when it last got that cold...
Snook, snook, snook in season. Grouper in the flats. Tarpon for sport of course when they run. If you haven't picked up something yet, take your time, due to the foreclosure crisis and ripple effect through the local economy, everybody is selling. Not just dealers. You can get a great deal in the paper or on Craig's list, or just from driving around. Also don't know what you're planning to do about putting in...live on a canal or trailer, but there are plenty of public ramps where you can get in and out, no worries. I've done it both ways and while it's convenient having a lift, it's not necessary. Most neighborhoods aren't deed-restricted so you can park your trailer/boat in the driveway. Might sound cheap and tacky but it's how it's done here.
Sorry, realized I didn't really answer your questions. I ran around in a 19 foot Cobia CC for a good while, never had a problem, out in the Gulf, down to Captiva, Pine Island, all around the harbor. Also, give up that dream of decent Chinese if you want delivery. You'll have to go pick it up.
Ok, the real estate info has been checked, the huge amounts of statistics reviewed and the decision has been pretty much made that buying and moving to Port Charlotte looks to be a will do in the near future. Well, as near in the future can be when facing another long N.E. winter.
Now it is time to ask the really important questions. I'll only start off with four for now.
1- Assuming a reasonable amount of experience, a modicum of enough common sense to track the weather and a real respect for the ocean what would be a reasonable length for a boat if one wanted to venture out of Charlotte bay an into the Gulf to do some fishing and still keep it small enough to poke around in the nooks and crannies of the bay? In other words, not a true flats boat and certainly not a thirty plus foot express. Note, I do a lot of night fishing should that factor in.
2- What is the local preferred boat style, CC or walk around? Around here, Boston Harbor to Stellwagen bank WOULD BE A WALK AROUND BUT THEN AGAIN that takes into account below 50 degree trips.
3- Recommended and reliable boat dealers/supply/repair?
4- I'm a member of the Mass. Striped Bass Assoc. hopefully there is a some similar club around there for whatever the favored species is. It'll sure cut the learning curve.
Make that five questions
5- hows the Chinese take out down there?
Thanks in advance
MikeG
A lot of people like Carolina or Maverick Skiff's or Pathfinders around here. I'm partial to Boston Whalers. These are all great boats for flats fishing but no so good for the rougher waters of the gulf. If you're doing night fishing did you want a boat you could actually sleep on with a cabin? If you're doing night fishing and you're gonna be running a lot in the gulf then you would need a bigger, heavier boat with a deeper hull. I would go with a Grady White. HydraSport builds a nice boat as well.
If you're doing mostly flats fishing then a skiff would be you're best bet. There are many areas around, especially in Charlotte Harbor, that are very shallow so anything with a deep hull is gonna cause you problems there.
You also want to look into a good depth finder. You'll need it around here. And a Q-beam if you're cruising around at night.
I've been cruising and fishing these waters since I was a kid. Got my first boat when I was 10 (a Boston Whaler). I lived out on Little Gasparilla Island, which you can only get to by boat, for many years. There where only two other families that lived out there year round when we lived out there, so I really had nothing to do other than to take my boat and get into mischief. I spent many a night stuck on the flats at night and trying to pole off the flats or sometimes just giving up, throwing the anchor out and grabbing the life jacket and swimming to shore.
Whenever it was foggy out it was almost a joke that I'd be late to school. For some reason my dad always thought he was Christopher Columbus and refused to use a compass and we'd wind up somewhere 20 miles from the marina where our car was parked.
You'll be able to catch all kinds of fish: snook, redfish, grouper, sheepshead, tarpon, different kinds of sharks. Charlotte Harbor is Florida's second largest naturally occurring bay on the west coast. With over 129 square miles of sparkling, protected waters you can spend hours fishing or just exploring new ground without ever having to enter the Gulf of Mexico or the intra-coastal. Charlotte Harbor is a large estuary comprised from the outpourings of two rivers, the Peace River to the east and the Myakka River. Charlotte Harbor and adjacent Gasparilla Sound comprise 80,000 acres of some of the most productive coastal areas in Florida and comprise an incredible network of barrier islands and mangrove forests. Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands have emerged as one of the world's top sport fishing destinations. With over 75 square miles of pristine grass flats and miles of mangrove shorelines, Charlotte Harbor's incredible diversity of great fishing is hooking anglers from around the world.
There are several others boaters on here as well that can throw their opinions out. BigHouse, FLBob and others should be coming along soon.
Thank you all for the quick replies. I figured the CC would be at the top of the list and am pleasantly surprised boats below 26' are will work for some off shore work.
Pat, I won't be buying soon. Got a house to sell first. We're figuring on taking the winter to do all those things that were going to be definitely done someday.
Yellfire, yup, this time of year with the fall migration started temp's of the low 50 and below aren't uncommon especially at nite. I'll be aiming for something on a canal with a dock. While a lift isn't necessary it would sure be nice. I hate pulling the boat to have to clean the bottom. I don't see a gated or deed restricted community being my kind of place.
Soflgal You've hit on about every reason my wife finally conviced me Fl was the place we should move too. I'd been hedging about making a move until she and her sister, who lives in Ft. Myers pointed the area out to me and I saw how many new species of fish I can learn how not to catch. ;-). On the electronics thing I'm not sure what I am going to do. I've got a lowrance network set up on my boat here and most of the boats I've looked at that are for sale there so I'm torn between taking a chance and selling my boat with the electronics or taking them with me.
M&Msunshine There does seem to be some point of commonality there but I just can't quite put my finger on it. ;-)
If I wanted to fish offshore and still be able to get around inshore I'd take a close look at bay boats like Pathfinder, Sterling, Shearwater,Coastal Bay. Many of the bay boats will float in about 14" of water, and when equipped with a hydraulic jack plate can run in much less.
When I lived in Naples I used to run 50 miles offshore in a 21ft boat. Of course I needed to pick my days. There is plenty of structure within 10 miles of the shore that will hold fish. Since I moved into the area around Charlotte Harbor I don't go offshore. Too much great fishing inside. In Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound, Gasparilla Sound, Lemon Bay, Sarasota Bay and the rivers and creeks feeding the area you'll find all the great fishing spots anyone will need.
Charlotte Harbor holds some great fish, the largest snook I've ever caught was in the Peace River, she was about 50". The harbor holds huge Goliath grouper, and the tarpon fishing is a personal addiction, it's hard to describe the rush I get when I see the water around my bait turn silver and a 7'+ fish goes air born.
Whatever boat you select make sure it has a large livewell and baitwell. A good day of fishing is often dependent on having good bait.
Don't worry too much about the assertions that the harbor is shallow, much of the harbor has at least 10' of water. You'll learn where the flats are. If your boat draws to much to fish the flats just throw an anchor and wade.
Thank you all for the quick replies. I figured the CC would be at the top of the list and am pleasantly surprised boats below 26' are will work for some off shore work.
Pat, I won't be buying soon. Got a house to sell first. We're figuring on taking the winter to do all those things that were going to be definitely done someday.
Yellfire, yup, this time of year with the fall migration started temp's of the low 50 and below aren't uncommon especially at nite. I'll be aiming for something on a canal with a dock. While a lift isn't necessary it would sure be nice. I hate pulling the boat to have to clean the bottom. I don't see a gated or deed restricted community being my kind of place.
Soflgal You've hit on about every reason my wife finally conviced me Fl was the place we should move too. I'd been hedging about making a move until she and her sister, who lives in Ft. Myers pointed the area out to me and I saw how many new species of fish I can learn how not to catch. ;-). On the electronics thing I'm not sure what I am going to do. I've got a lowrance network set up on my boat here and most of the boats I've looked at that are for sale there so I'm torn between taking a chance and selling my boat with the electronics or taking them with me.
M&Msunshine There does seem to be some point of commonality there but I just can't quite put my finger on it. ;-)
Again, thanks all
MikeG
Hey Mike,
Here is my thought. You will never find the perfect boat! It doesn't exist. You have to commit one way or the other unless you do what I'm gonna do and that is - get two boats and a kayak.
I have a 21' Sea Hunt, center console /walk around with a TeeTop! You need that because the sun is unbearable, but you just have to be a little skilled because it is a minor obstruction when you want to cast. My Sea Hunt is rigged for an electric trolling motor as well. I haven't bought that yet, but will. You will need a boat around that class if you want to fish a lot on the bay, or make a run to Boca Grande Pass and out into the Gulf. The waves in the PC harbor will get up to 2-3 feet on a regular basis, althought sometimes it is as smooth as glass. My boat is perfectly fitted with a 115 outboard Yamaha, which will get up to 36 mph, and gets great gas mileage! They don't troll for fish in the harbor, so get used to bottom fishing, or throwing some top water baits out for mackrel and other things. I also want to get a lift plate for my engine, so I can raise it up. It sticks down about 9" below the bottom of my boat which normally has about a 12" draft - so it is tough getting into the shallow areas with it. You have to look at that not just the draft - when you are looking for a boat.
There are many many many many very very very very very shallow areas areas, so you will always have a nice shiny propeller! Get used to it! You will also want to have some kind of very shallow draft flats boat, so you can get into those shallow areas, because they all hold big fish too! There are lots of canals, and during colder weather (70 degrees or so) head in there because the fish like warmer water, and will hang there.
I have a kayak, and that is a blast to tool around, and fish, and take in nature, and enjoy. You can really get into the shallows, but you can't cover as much ground as a flats boat, and since you are closer to the water it is harder to see the fish. You will have three times as much area to fish if you have a boat that draws 8" or less.
Up in the harbor, the further in-land you go, the more tea colored and darker the water gets. The closer you get to the Pass, the clearer the water gets and more light blue in color - its awesome being able to fish all these options!
Bait! ! ! Everything eats shrimp. I even caught a bonnet head shark (member of the hammer head family) on a shrimp. I was fishing a hole accross from Alligator Creek when I caught that. If you have a casts net you will want to throw it on green-backs, and thread herring, and others. Everything loves them too, including Pelicans and Herons - but don't feed them. Because it is so shallow you won't troll like I do when I'm cruising the Chesapeake Bay. All your stuff will pick up grass in about 2 minutes or drag on the shallow bottom. You won't have much luck - so don't bother - unless you go out beyond the Pass.
Keep an eye on the Sky! You have to watch the weather down here as Thunderstorms will be quite nasty, and will come up on you quickly. You want to find shelter for an hour sometimes two, so it is good to think about where you might go, before you head out.
There are some really great places to get all the local fishing gear and advice you'd like! I go to "Fishing Franks" a lot! There are a bunch of local guides that work there when they aren't out on the water. They make up a lot of riggs which you can buy, or look at, and then make your own - like I do. I have even broken down some of my other rigs and re-tied them for fishing down there. Fishing Frank's is on the left (when heading north) just north of the bridge between Port Charlotte, and Punta Gorda. Laishley's Marine is just south of Punta Gorda on Rt 41 Tamiami Trail. They have a couple guys there that really know a lot about fishing poles and reels, and how to rig them. Ask 'em some questions they love to help.
I don't drink (except gallons of water) when I'm out fishing - despite my love for beer drinking! You will need lots of water out there! But, I encourage, all my friends who become parched - to help themselves to a couple beers while we lie about how big the fish are we caught! Luckily, when I hit shore, I can go to my friend Mr. Sunshine, and down all his beer and scotch!
I was shocked at how few people were out there fishing this year! I was expecting to see big crowds, but really there were times when I only saw a couple boats out there. Even at the Pass which is notorious for having hundreds of boats there were only 20-25 or so. One more hint. If you have never fished the pass before - go with someone who has, and knows what they are doing! You will get yourself into trouble with that many boats unless you know what you are doing, and the other captains are not to friendly if they think you are a newbie! FLBob took me out, and I really learned a lot about fishing the area down there with him! He and I are going out again when I come down! And! ! ! ! I CANT WAIT!!!!
That is some great info. I can see that it is going to take awhile to get used to the huge variety of species in the bay alone. I can see it just like every where new I have fished, you've got to do the time. What I like there is that I'll have more then just three months out of the year to do the time.
I'll relook at some flats boats but have to admit that on the ones I have looked at the low freeboard makes me nervous. Most of the ones I have looked at I'd be pretty leery of taking one out past the harbor on anything but an almost perfect day around here.
Speaking of shrimp, can you go out and catch you own. Specifically the eating kind? Don't let it get around or they'll be burning effagies of me in front of the house but I like shrimp even better then a Maine lobster.
I'll be looking forward to running across you all at Fishing Franks when I do get down there.
Thanks again
Mike
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Get used to it! You will also want to have some kind of very shallow draft flats boat, so you can get into those shallow areas, because they all hold big fish too! There are lots of canals, and during colder weather (70 degrees or so) head in there because the fish like warmer water, and will hang there.
