Fishing Charlotte Harbor Area (Key West, Burnt Store Marina: cold weather, concrete, music)

[pcozad1]

Went out on wednesday and it was cloudy all day. The water was crystal clear and the fish could see me before I weas even close. We stopped in the ponce inlet to punta gorda and the canal from the landing to the first open spot was packed with snook,redfish and sheepsheads. They were stacked up on top of each other laying in the current.There were thousands of fish!!!!!!!! I could not get anything to bite. All of these fish will head up into the canals in the next few days so the sheepshead bite is getting ready to explode.

[Messing About]

I attended a great fish fry with my buddy Subaru Jim. He's been limiting out on red grouper several days a week and we had a great dinner party for 12 with all that fish and fresh cut fries. Yummmmmmy!

Still waffling on selling my boat or not. Want to buy a mako flats boat, with all the flats goodies (jackplate, powerpole) but love that my Key West can go 30 miles off shore. Oh what to do...there's so few good boats on craigslist now, I think I'd get a good price for mine.

[HarborRat]

As soon as the wind kicks up you will wish you still had your bay boat! Keep your boat and buy a cheap bass boat for a grand or two. They are almost the same as a flats boat but a hell of a lot cheaper.

[wpc691]

Originally Posted by Messing About

I attended a great fish fry with my buddy Subaru Jim. He's been limiting out on red grouper several days a week and we had a great dinner party for 12 with all that fish and fresh cut fries. Yummmmmmy!

Still waffling on selling my boat or not. Want to buy a mako flats boat, with all the flats goodies (jackplate, powerpole) but love that my Key West can go 30 miles off shore. Oh what to do...there's so few good boats on craigslist now, I think I'd get a good price for mine.

You drove a hard bargain on the 196 and have taken great care of it. Why not just put the jack plate and power pole on the 196? The Mako will only get you a few inches shallower - you could hop out and wade at that point, and not be drydocked when the wind kicks up a little. If you don't mind owning 2 boats, you could get one of those skeleton flats skiffs, they're pretty cheap, or a used bass boat, as HR recommended. If you do decide to go for the pure flats boat, just give a holler anytime you want to go 30 miles out - lots of room in the 246.

[Messing About]

Thanks for being little voices in my head, guys.
My friends (without me) limited out x4 guys on red grouper today. Spent $200 in fuel doing it, but hey.

I'm thinking of going out early tomorrow to fish the grass flats. Tide will only be good from 830-11 am.

[pcozad1]

I am in the same boat.I would love to fish the river and islands more than my boat allows. I keep looking at the 17 ft mako skiff but I have not deciced. I will keep the hydra sport it is about a perfect harbor and near shore boat.

[Messing About]

Thick fog kept me near the Charlotte Beach Complex until 9. By the it was too late to head too far south. Worked the Peace side of the Myakka Cutoff. One 14" redfish released. Nothing else.

[Harbor Hopper]

Stayed the night on the boat last night. After breakfast we pulled anchor and tried the east wall. Nothing. Floated around marker 1, nothing. West wall. Nothing. Myakka cutoff entrance, one 12" red. Nothing on the grill. Crap. Oh well. Still fun. Came home and jumped in the 87 degree pool :-)

[MikMal]

Woo Hoo! This is the week that I'll officially be a Florida resident for 6 months and can get a resident fishing license. Then I too can join in the misery of not catching any fish, something I'm well versed at! Although at this point, I may as well wait until the new year. :-)

[Harbor Hopper]

The license is good for a full year, not expiring at the end of the calendar year, so go get one now :-)