Pier Fishing At Venice Florida, Catching Shark

 

Out on the Boards with Sharky's Sharks

As water temperatures have been on the drop, with the passage of each new weekly cold front, so to has been the bite of a variety of fish. Those magic temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees bring in the Kings as the run their migratory dash up or down our beaches, depending on the time of year it is and to this migratory run are to those who would dine upon them; sharks, big sharks! Fall has transitioned into winter and to has the water temperature, moving earlier in the week to the upper sixties. This is usually the end or near the end of catching big Kings from out on the boards of the Venice City Pier, at Sharky's. At 68 degrees, the water has a bit of a chill to it, but to some species it is a holiday tune where our local visiting Bulls move onto the beaches and as the bait starts to become more scarce to none at all, birthing on the beaches of Venice will begin.

The really big female Bull Sharks generally do not show up to deliver pups until around Christmas in Venice, Florida but this year seems to be off to a really odd start. Last years extremely cold killing waters or the vast reaches of the oil as it was everywhere and then, poof; it was no where? What ever the reasons, a big female bull shark was caught on the 13^th of this month, the day the water hit 68 degrees but too, were flounder, Spanish and yes, their big brothers the Kingfish or King Mackerel. 

As the temperatures rose today, so did the water temperature and thus at 70 degrees, who knows what tomorrow will bring as again an approaching cold front will skirt through the area and like a roller coaster the bite will turn it on to turn it off as the baits move in and off the beaches. Hopefully it will be a mild winter and the shark fishing will only improve as the months go by with January/February being the best in bite at night when angling for jaws of the deep. “From dusk till dawn, the feed is on” if your into shark fishing. Apparently, this shark on Saturday did not know of this old saying, as she took a bite while the beaches were full of swimming baits and people too. Enjoy this video from Florida Fishing Deep Sea .com as Mel Larsen and Rob were having fishing fun...

Fishing with Gary Anderson before the Storm

Spanish mackerel, little tunny and a few kingfish, mixed in with trout,sail cats, Rat reds, Snook Pompano, Black Tips and sandbar shark rounded out the day prior to the front approaching, depending on where you were fishing from. We elected to run, north of Cattlemen' s and then a side trip up Venice way with the Snapper into the Alley up through Bird Island and back to Rattlesnake Island, with a retirement out on the boards of that infamous pier called Sharky's on the Pier. Trout fishing was “insane,” as the season came to a close and where the season closed the bite did not. Redfish to flounder are everywhere from just inside the inlet to along the beaches to throughout the bays on rat movement. Snook too seem to be everywhere as this front approaches, maybe they know something we no not; like come the weekend with Burr cold temperatures, they may be hiding down deep in the channels to holes throughout the ICW and open waterways! Edwin even managed a small Gag in the channel, which means they too are on the move to their favorite haunts through the bays to passes. According to reports from the Legacy in Venice the grouper bite just offshore is hotter than ever and has he got some Jim dandy spots for eager clients wanting to dip in a line in also hooking it up with a few Pelagic action too.

STRAWS + Hook = Spanish Mackerel

They like Shakes too!

What’s in Your Tackle Box?

McDonald's is the place to be but it’s not for the burgers! I’ve got a Mac attack on my mind and I need some straws.  Their shakes may be the best in town but it’s the straws that are totally awesome.  The next time you’re in there, order a couple of extra shakes and keep the straws; you’re going to need them to satisfy your Big Mac attack.

The Macs were talking about are Spanish mackerel and with them comes their cousins the King Mackerel, following right on their heels.  Spanish mackerel or just Spanish are commonly caught here in Florida and here in Venice.  For a real tongue twister; they can be found offshore, inshore and near shore.  Spanish love clear water and their eyesight are very good. I rarely catch any with metal leaders although I do use them when tackling the sharp teeth of a Cuda. 

Here Kitty-Kitty; In Search of Florida Cats

Off the boards and on to the freshwater where there is no oil except on the salad at home that we plan to have with our Florida Channel Freshwater Catfish dinner. Here kitty-kitty, we are in search of Florida Cats!

Channel Cat fishing, no matter where you fish, has always been a past time to cool away under an oak tree, spinning tackle to a bamboo pole, a can of worms, your favorite stink bait or just a pint of chicken livers from your local grocery....

The Venice Area Pier Report

Jimmy at Papa’s Bait Shoppe at Sharky’s on the Pier said it was pretty slow this week as far as fish goes. A hit and miss situation. The pier when I got there was a balmy hot with Titans building to the south and the Gods were throwing bolts there and far, “I wonder if it’ll hit here”, Jimmy exclaimed, “Nah”, I said, the Gods of Sharky’s will part the clouds like Moses on the Red Sea and Lightning will come to dinner everywhere else but not here, just a blow.” Sure enough, the clouds parted, it blackened towards Tampa and down south my way in North Port. Out here, on the pier, it was just a stiff cool breeze, as I observed one person using a Gotcha combo sabiki rig, catching really nice twenty inch plus Spanish. He was catching them one after another!


Gee Whiz Jimmy, I stated, I thought you said nothing going on. He shrugged his shoulders. Must be a secret this week. He did tell me though that earlier a nice flounder was caught in the morning and earlier in the week guy caught seven undersized Snook at beaches edge, from atop the pier, from underneath. That is a tongue twister, using greenies freelinned on a 2/0 circle Owner hook. All were brought up with a bridge net, as required by law, and released by lowering them back into the water where the swam off. OK! Out on the end, I conversed with long time friend and expert on anything thing with fins and swims ‘Dennis’ as he was “Trollying” fishing.


I asked if he was after smokers (lone King Mackerels that patrol the beaches in the summer time in the 49 pound plus range), or that big ole’ Cuda right there, as I pointed out under the pillions at the break under the “T”. “Nope”, he said, Tarpon are my game and have been all week. Apparently, he has jumped a couple this week, making his total now of I believe he said seven from the piers end. Today’s were little ones at around forty to fifty pounds but were fun to catch. “I’ve had more fun today watching the tourist dangling shrimps to hardware down to that Cuda for hours and he ain’t gonna bite nut’n.” If your ever out on the Venice Pier and need advice, the guys in the shop are there to help you out and if need be, they will point out guys like Dennis, good ole Florida Boys that cut their front teeth on fishing line and the business, they to, if you lend an ear will give you a hand in how to catch big fish. The problem today is, everybody is an expert and nobody listens. I was about to leave when one of the locals ask if I had been up in the Harbor, back in the skinny water lately, to which I replied yes I had and will again on Friday. He was planning to shark fish but was targeting Black Tips particularly. I told him his chances of catching a Black Tip in this hot water of this pier this evening might happen but I wouldn’t put money on it. On the other hand, with enough chum and staying overnight it might be possible to get something big to bite off the pier, if you have the right equipment. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time. He asks me what I meant and what type of gear so I told him about another friend of mine Mel Larsen. He said, that crazy old coot, what has he ever caught.


I told him the story about his homemade 32/0 fishing reel and showed him this picture, then he caught my meaning. Smart guy! He said where would you try and I said, Don’t laugh, but with all the spawns going on in the skinnies, I’d pick a four-tide day and fish and out flowing tide. Which one he asked again. Who cares, the sharks don’t, why should you, and that is another area for another report.

Eleven Foot Tiger on Nokomis Beach Florida

An Eleven Foot Tiger Shark decided to go sun bathing on the Nokomis beach as of yesterday 05/28, 2010. Mote Marine officials concluded its appearance on the beach might be due to the offshore Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which now closes about twenty-five percent of all commercial Gulf of Mexico fishing or 60,683 square miles of the Gulf. The

Gulf of Mexico fishing closures now extend all the way to the west Florida shelf, The Blue water at the 200-meter line. This closed area is one of the most abundant commercial fishing areas found off the western coastline of Florida. The shelf is about 140 miles off Venice, Florida and extends northwestwards. The new “best guess” is between 12,000 to 19,000 barrels a day are sluing into our Gulf marine environment establishing this oil spill as the largest in American history. That is nearly triple the amount spilled of the Exxon Valdez incident of 1989. Though to different monsters, it is still oil but of a higher grade. Considering our Tarpon travel some 125 miles offshore in their “Daisy Chaining” mating ritual, I wonder to what effect it will have on their migratory run and the offspring they deliver. I have talked to a number of area anglers, boat ramp owners and tackle shops and all have agreed we need to form an alliance to be prepared for the oncoming onslaught. As The Online Fisherman suggested, we need an oil spill prevention plan. Just in case.

NEW FLORIDA FISHING MAGAZINE!

The Online Fisherman

Check out The Online Fisherman, the hottest angling website on the market today. At close to one million impressions a week, the bite is on and you too can hook up a keeper!
Everything you need to know in catching bigger, better fish in Florida Waters.

The Online Fisherman