Spring Pompano & Redfishing - Apr 16, 2005

Photo: Terry James Chastain, age 14

You may have read my column last month where I professed undying devotion to April fishing. Anyone who owns a television must have seen Apalachicola on local, regional or national news in the last month or so as talk of rain, floods and more rain swept the nation. Fishing HAS been a bit tougher than it could have been, the water hasn't been as clear as most people would like it, but so far we have only had to cancel trips on 2 days, which is half as many as last year when we had drought-like conditions. We are already seeing some green water and the forecast for the next 10 days looks dry. Want to know a little secret? The fish are still there, even when you can't see them and they still have to eat. Besides, they don't really mind a little rain, because guess what, they're already wet! The upside is, as aggravating as it might be, all told, those extra nutrients will be invaluable to our estuary.

So far this month Flats anglers have had up to a 70 Redfish day (catch & release), Capt. Kelly Butler had a 50 pound Redfish on board (also released) and one of our Bay Guides had up to a 71 "keeper-size" fish day including whiting, redfish, speckled trout, white trout and black drum. Yesterday, Capt. Jr. Holland's group from Griffin GA got into a mess of redfish too big to keep but they also kept a respectable catch and Capt. Chris Robinson was proud of the Pompano his father and son crew, the Tucker's from Birmingham, fought, landed & brought home. Tommy is just home from a very successful south Florida trip fishing with clients for Permit, Bonefish, Tarpon and Snook, and will start fishing here again on Monday.

Now that most of the spring breakers are gone and the April showers are over, we can get down to the bare fact that May is our secret season. Most every type of fish we can think of will be here by Memorial day but the people don't actually get here until June. What that means to you is plentiful fish with a scarcity (comparatively speaking) of anglers fishing for them. The local "Fish List" for those who haven't already memorized it is as follows:

Inshore - Speckled trout, redfish, Spanish mackerel, pompano, flounder, black drum, ladyfish, bluefish, whiting, jack crevalle, cobia, sheepshead, and as the water warms up we'll see tarpon, tripletail and sharks in larger numbers.

Offshore: Snapper, grouper, amberjack, cobia, dolphin and king mackerel. (Note- Red Snapper Season opened April 15th)

If you're in our "Viewing Area" and need to know the real skinny on the local fishing or weather conditions, please call, write, or email, because sadly enough the forecasters haven't been able to exactly figure us out and the reporting stations east and west of us may not really give you an accurate picture. Often times during the day our guides check in with me by cell phone or radio for current radar and weather conditions allowing them to fish longer, smarter and safer. Just another way we try to make your fishing experience the best and most enjoyable one possible.

June Forecast: Warmer air and water temperatures means more of the same from May. Great fishing and normally too early for any strong weather patterns. (Hard to type with my fingers crossed!)

Good News! The Owl Café in downtown Apalachicola has just re-opened after extensive remodeling and Kathy Jansen's new riverfront spa, The Spirit of the River, is celebrating its grand opening today.


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