Coastal Breeze News

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Well, there are so many techniques and ways to catch a Snook that the answer is not all that cut and dry. To really be able to effectively target Snook, you have to know their habits, eating patterns, tides, water temperatures, moon phase, and a few other things. They migrate and move around a lot so you have to know where they typically spend time during different times of the year. Since we are now about to enter summer here in the 10,000 islands, I would recommend that you fish the outside points ... Read More »

Many flats fishermen have their boats set up for efficient casting. This involves minimizing items in the boat that can create obstacles and snags. Most of us fishing out of flats boats do not have bimini tops or T-tops for this reason. Because of this, there is no shade or any way to duck out of the direct sun. We have to dress properly to stay cool and prevent sun exposure. Out on the water, the sun is baking us from two directions. The most obvious is from above, but few think about reflection. The reflection from the water and ... Read More »

Let the warming trend begin! The average air temperatures in April are a few degrees higher than March, and will range between 61 and 86 degrees. This will in turn raise our average water temperatures up into the mid to high 70’s. Look for areas out on the flats where you have grass on one side of the boat, and sand on the other. Here you can fish the same flats on the top end of the incoming tide for Speckled Trout and Pompano. Cast out 3/8 oz bucktail type jigs tipped with very small fresh shrimp pieces for scent. ... Read More »

When I was young, my grandfather used to take my brother and me fishing as often as possible. He loved to have us out on the boat. Sometimes he would take us out to the shallow reefs and we would drop cut squid or live shrimp down on a small hook. We would have a blast reeling in grunts, porgies, snapper and the occasional trigger fish. We would laugh and giggle as we pulled in one after the other on every drop down. What a blast! Other times, my grandfather would take us out for big fish. He would tell ... Read More »

Typically the month of March brings some of the best Speckled Trout fishing our area has to offer.  If you can find areas where you have grass on one side of the boat, and sand on the other, you could certainly get into some fun fishing!  In these areas you can fish the same flats for both Speckled Trout and Pompano.  Try casting out 3/8 oz “Don’s Potbelly jig” tipped with very small fresh shrimp pieces (cut a shrimp into 6-8 pieces).  You can buy them at Everglades Bait and Tackle next to the grocery store in Everglades City. The ... Read More »

From time to time, I receive inquiries from potential customers asking me how one spouse could talk their other spouse into a fishing trip or boat tour. I hear things like…. “I would like to do a fishing charter with my wife, but she is not really into fishing like I am. Can we do a combination of a fishing and sight seeing charter?” or “Is there anything for my spouse to see or do while I fish?” and “Will my spouse be bored?” Well, the truth is that there is so much natural beauty to enjoy while out on ... Read More »

By Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] February is a month where we will typically see some subtle changes from January’s cold fronts and wind. The cold fronts will still hit us, but are usually a little less powerful. Water temperatures will remain about the same as January, hovering in the mid 60’s. Daytime air temperatures will average 52-76 degrees. Keep an eye on your tide chart because we have some extremely low tides around both the new moon and full moon. Be mindful of the morning low tides February 6th – 12th and the 22nd – 29th! Wind direction affects the ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Wintertime here in Southwest Florida is synonymous with the arrival of huge flocks of snowbirds, but did you know that convicts arrive here in big numbers too? Yes it’s true, but these are much welcomed convicts…AKA Sheepshead fish. These fish begin to arrive in big numbers about this time each year to spawn. They inhabit many of our near shore structures, oyster bars and the deeper mangrove pockets in the back county river mouths. We call them convicts because of the black and white stripes they “wear.” In addition to being called convicts, sheepshead ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Looking for something different to do with your Florida Spiny Lobster tails this season? Yeah, it’s hard to beat grilled tails drenched in seasoned butter, but you are going to need an appetizer to wash down those cool bevies while the tails are cooking right? Let me show you a quick and easy way to make a cool and fresh appetizer that will knock your guest’s sombreros off. First off, get your tails split and seasoned up. Take a large knife and split the tops of the tails and crack them wide open. Now ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Our typical weather patterns are here as December rolls into January, and we are seeing some of our first 40 degree mornings here in the 10,000 Islands. It is certainly our coolest period of the year, however the days when the fronts are absent, the sun is shining, and the thermometer gets up into the mid 70’s, can make for some awesome fishing! January is another month that you should keep an eye on your tide chart before planning your day on the water. We have some extremely low tides around both the Full ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH  Capt. Pete Rapps  [email protected] hat’s better than a warm fresh homemade pot of locally caught seafood soup on a cool winter’s day? Head on down to the local grocer or farmer’s market and pick up just about everything you need for this quick and easy recipe. You can substitute the Tripletail fish with and firm locally caught fish fillet like Redfish, Grouper, Cobia, Snapper, etc. It will take you just 30 minutes from start to finish. Serve with some warm fresh bread or biscuits and butter. INGREDIENTS:  • 1/2 lb Ditalini or any small pasta • 3 Cloves ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Typical to this time of year, we are seeing some mild cooling trends to both the air and water temperatures here in the 10,000 Islands. Weather trends are usually about the same right now up until the middle of December, when we typically see our first major cold fronts come rolling through. We have already seen a few minor cold fronts come through in November which brought the night temperatures down into the low 50’s. The fronts also brought some days where the wind hit 20+ mph. Expect Gulf water temperatures to drop down ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] As fall turns into winter here in the 10,000 Islands, we are presented with some daily challenges and obstacles that require more thought and planning prior to starting your day of fishing. One aspect of planning your day can be accomplished far in advance and that is determining your tides. Tide charts are available spreading out years in advance. Here I will explain tides in layman’s terms to help keep it simple for those new to tide prediction. There are more technical explanations on the Internet that can be found with a simple Google ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH  Capt. Pete Rapps  [email protected] November is one of my absolute favorite months here in the Ten Thousand Islands! The reasons are numerous and I could go on forever describing them, but some of the highlights are…. 1) Mild weather patterns with little rain and light winds, 2) Fish are actively following and feeding on the huge bait pods just off the coastal beaches, 3) Daytime temperatures are comfortably hovering in the high 70’s to low 80’s, 4) Migratory birds are actively arriving for the winter……. and the list goes on! The change of seasons will begin to affect ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] A prime shallow water fishing target here in the 10,000 Islands, the Spotted Seatrout are common estuarine fish found throughout the southern coasts of the United States along the south Atlantic and all coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Contrary to its name “Spotted Seatrout”, they actually are not a member of the Trout family at all, however they are a member of the drum family (Sciaenidae). Spotted Seatrout are silver in color with olive-green tints on their back, and numerous small black dots which extend over their dorsal fins and onto their ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Fall is officially here and October will bring a change in the local fishery. As we get further into the month, the daytime air temperatures will average around 87 and water temps will hover around 81. October shows a much welcomed cooling trend, which will help prolong the bite throughout the day. We are seeing some schools of large live bait pour into the area. Get them with your cast net close to the shorelines at high tide, and out just a little deeper in the low tides. Follow the tide line and look ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] The past two years we have been hearing about it. Local fishermen in the 10,000 islands and the Everglades National Park have been reporting record catches of small “Rat Reds” in the 12”-20” range. It’s not unusual to hear of catches of 15 or 20…… or even more in a single morning. They are hitting everything from artificials like DOA Shrimp, to natural baits like live or frozen shrimp, cut mullet, or cut ladyfish. You can usually find them on the last part of the incoming tide around the barrier island mangrove roots and ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] September is typically the warmest month of the summer here in the 10,000 Islands. Day time air temperatures will average around 92. Water temps will hover between 86-88 degrees. Typical to our summer months, September heats up so much by midday, that the bite typically drops off by early afternoon. We get a lot of mid afternoon storms which will cool things off a little, and produce a late afternoon/ early evening bite. Although Tropical Storm Isaac did not accumulate to much as far as damages on land, it sure did leave it’s mark ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH  Capt. Pete Rapps  [email protected] There are so many different species of fish that we catch here in shallow near shore and backwater areas of the 10,000 Islands and the Everglades National Park. Some fish that are targeted for food purposes, depending on their open season, are Redfish, Snapper, Trout, Flounder, Mackerel, Tripletail, Cobia, Pompano, Permit, Snook, Grouper and more. Some fish we target for sport. Tarpon are a great sport fish that are never eaten, however others like Snook, Permit, & Shark are mostly targeted for sport and sometime for food. Others like Ladyfish, Jacks, & Catfish can ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH  Capt. Pete Rapps  [email protected] Our summer water temperatures bring many types of Shark into the shallow waters of the 10,000 Islands. They are here to breed, and arrive in good numbers. Although there are Shark here year round, it is now that they are most abundant. Below is a list of the five most common Shark in our waters. I have included some pretty interesting profile info obtained from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (myFWC.com) about their habitat, feeding, reproduction, and their sizes. BLACKTIP SHARK: Carcharhinus limbatus. Habitat: Common in Florida’s coastal waters, bays and estuaries. ... Read More »