Fish Tales: Boat Smart classes offered

Experienced squadron instructors conduct the course, which will cover the basics of boat handling, PWCs, required equipment, navigation aids and rules, and dealing with emergencies. Boat Smart will provide instruction and examination for laws and regulations of the state of Florida. This course meets the educational standards of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and features a proctored examination as required by many states and insurance companies. The course is a total of eight hours spread over two consecutive Saturdays.

The next class will be held in the squadron's classroom on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, and Dec. 6 at the same hours (both sessions are required to complete the course). There will be a $25 charge. Call the squadron at 466-4040 or visit its Web site www.scbps.org for reservations or additional information.

Winds and seas were relentless most of last week, but anglers still reaped some rewards of the sea.

Fishbuster Charters' Capt. Dave Hanson ventured out Thursday when the seas were about 3 feet -- not ideal, but definitely better than 6 feet. Hanson fished at the reefs about six miles off New Pass with Gary Bell and sons Paul and Winfield. Using live shrimp, they caught mangrove snapper, porgies, and an 18-inch permit, and released blue runners and gag grouper shorts. They also hooked up on a 5-foot barracuda and fought it for about 10 minutes until it pulled off. They rebaited with a white porgie and hooked up on a huge Goliath grouper, which pulled Hanson's 6,000 pound boat around for about 30 minutes before hitting a snag and breaking the line. They put a blue runner on for bait and caught and released a 5-foot nurse shark.

Saturday, Hanson fished at the reefs with Gregg Gifford, 6-year-old son Brandon, and Brandon's Uncle Robert. They caught a 27-inch gag grouper, six keeper mangrove snapper, keeper Spanish mackerel, triggerfish, porkfish, and blue runners. They released all but the grouper and snapper. They had two Goliath grouper battles, which broke their lines, and left them with only bruises and good stories to tell.

From Reels Inc. in San Carlos Park, Dean-O Hicks says Frank Potucek and David Dean of Cape Coral trolled Mann's Stretch 30 off Captiva Pass and were rewarded with four keeper gag grouper.

Capt. Rob Modys of Soulmate Charters fished last Tuesday with Garold Whaley from Nebraska and his friend Wayne Tekee from Wisconsin. They had an incredible "trout day" and caught seven of them over 15 inches. One was 22 inches and at least another 25 to 30 fish were near the 15-inch mark. Almost of them were caught near the power lines in Pine Island Sound using DOA Shrimp under a popping cork. They finished the day on the west side of Matlacha and got a couple of reds to 25 inches and several undersize snook on hand-picked shrimp.

Capt. Gifford Kline of FishingInKlined, with Rick Sapp of Briarcliff, fished the Ding Darling Ding area off Sanibel and boated three redfish to 18 inches, six snook to 30 inches and three trout 21 inches, using small pilchards.

Capt. Lindy Yow of High Hopes Charters fished the artificial reefs Thursday with Lynn and Marg Harned. They caught and released seven redfish between 36 and 42 inches. They also caught and released a half dozen 3- to 4-foot sharks. The last fish of the day was a 47-inch smoker king mackerel that gave Lynn several good runs before surrendering. Live bait, mostly pinfish, did the job that day.

Mike Birdseye and Yow fished a nearshore reef last Tuesday morning and cleaned up with two cobia up to 29 pounds, a pair of king mackerel to 45 inches, several sharks and about 20 Spanish mackerel. The real surprise was the three bull reds that took trolled lures. The redfish ranged from 35 to 42 inches. All of the reds were released in good shape.

They were trolled up using silver spoons and Magnum Rapalas at about 5 knots.

Capt. Ron Kowalyk reports good snook and redfish action in the Caloosahatchee, Matlacha Pass and Estero Bay. Clients picked up numbers of mixed-size snook on hand-picked shrimp, DOA Shrimp and shiners this week. Shrimp pattern flies and dark jigs also scored. The canals and creek mouths were the places to be on the strong early morning outgoing tides. The bite continued in the deeper water canals and potholes.

"There were some good sightfishing opportunities on the shallow flats off Matlacha and in Estero Bay with tailing reds and snook cruising the edges of the oyster bars and creek mouths," he said.

Visit Kowalyk's Web site at: www.fisfswfla.com

* From Kowalyk's Captain's Corner: Deep water areas like canals, marinas and creeks are the place to look for winter fish. These areas were the hot spots during our recent early morning very low tide periods. Finding moving water on shoreline points, at creek mouths and bends in the canals and creeks was the secret to success. Presentations had to cover the water column and weighted baits, jigs and flies that fell quickly under structures and into the fish-holding pothole were the starting point. Structures in canals like docks, larger boats and deadfall provide ambush areas for snook and other gamefish. Patterns that keep your offering in the strike zone and can be fished slowly are the trick to triggering cool-water action. Artificials like the DOA Shrimp, tube lure jigs and curly tail jigs work well when allowed to drop to the bottom and be slowly twitched and dragged, triggering strikes from neutral fish. As the morning warms, presentation can be effective higher in the water column. Slow-sinking soft plastics like the Exude Shrimp, DOA and many jerkbaits, pitched tight to shorelines and under structures can get the fish moving. This soft plastics can be fished slowly and their life like action and texture induces neutral fish to strike and hold. Under cool-water conditions, be thorough! Make several presentation in likely fish-holding areas.

Submissions to Fish Tales should be made by noon each Monday. Contact Cathy Cottrill at 213-6031 or by e-mail at cccottrill@naplesnews.com. Her fax number is 213-6099.