Fishing with Capt. George Tunison | Being able to adapt to changing conditions can bring fishing success
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Consistently successful anglers have many things in common. Some of the most important traits are the ability to adapt to changing conditions be it tides, sunlight, moon phases, water quality, seasons, baitfish locations, weather and how different species of fish react to the constantly changing conditions as well.
A week or so ago fishing Boca Grande with crabs was really the only place to be for consistent hook-ups leaving coastal anglers searching for beach traveling fish. Nowadays there are still tarpon to challenge in the pass and they will be for months to come, but many have moved out along the coast giving staked-out or mobile coastal anglers their shot tossing crabs or threadfins in the path of moving schools or smaller pods of fish. Fish both free lined or using small floats.
This is where having the right tackle, as in the right rod, pays off. Trying to cast unweighted light baits like crabs or baitfish on 60-pound Power Pro and a leader requires a rod with some flex in the upper portion of the rod and tip but still with enough backbone to fight and release the fish in a reasonable amount of time before hot water or a following set of razor sharp teeth does damage preventing a healthy release. Using the right tool for the job increases your chance at success. Adapt!
If you are a purist and reject bait because “that’s cheating,” it’s time to break out the fly rod and get in on the coastal action. A well-presented fly has many advantages as it can be retrieved quickly, slowly, erratically and or made to die or sink into the fish’s range representing an easy meal. Another good choice for coastal tarpon are smaller Hogy-type eels on jig heads or fished without weight on the surface or unweighted and worked slowly sinking to the fish’s depth.
Modified MirrOlures with the treble hooks replaced by a single circle hook attached or “bridled” to the front line tie with light wire, rubber band material or dental floss at times can be a killer lure.
For many years the classic MirrOlure has been the secret weapon of many tarpon anglers and unfortunately many still use them straight out of the box with two to three small treble hooks attached. This is not a good plan for you or the fish. Imagine trying to remove two or more treble hooks deeply in the throat of a boat-side, thrashing, moving and unhappy large fish. This is a dangerous practice and a great way to get attached to a 100-pound fish looking for some payback. Ouch! Also being small they are easily taken too far down the fish’s throat often making a healthy release unsuccessful. Try the single circle hook method instead if you’re a MirrOlure fan.
This time of year with the afternoon storm and lightning machine turned fully on, getting out early and coming home safely is the only sane plan especially when visiting your fishy friends out in the 150 zone looking for the bigger snapper and grouper specimens residing there. Actually there is lots of nearshore action happening right now with Spanish macs, snapper, smaller cobia and beautiful permit quite close to the coast providing fishing fun as well as a delicious dinner guests.
Morning or afternoon rains cool and juice up the water with increased oxygen levels turning shallow backwater fish on and making them more likely to want to play. Just make sure you keep a sharp eye on your favorite cell phone weather channel to avoid danger.
The west side of the harbor is hosting good numbers of redfish and smaller snook under the bushes along with some trout. Various sized bull and bonnethead sharks are patrolling the edges and drop-offs as well. The west wall and Bull and Turtle bays are all good choices for inshore action. Many still use them straight out of the box with two to three small treble hooks attached. This is not a good plan for you or the fish.
Imagine trying to remove two or more treble hooks deeply in the throat of a boat-side, thrashing, moving and unhappy large fish. This is a dangerous practice and a great way to get attached to a 100-pound fish looking for some payback. Ouch!
Also being small they are easily taken too far down the fish’s throat often making a healthy release unsuccessful. Try the single circle hook method instead if you’re a MirrOlure fan.
This time of year with the afternoon thunderstorm and lightning machine turned fully on, getting out early and coming home safely is the only sane plan, especially when visiting your fishy friends out in the 150 zone looking for some bigger snapper and grouper specimens residing there.
Actually there is lots of nearshore action happening right now with Spanish macs, snapper, smaller cobia and beautiful permit quite close to the coast providing fishing fun as well as a few other delicious dinner guests.
Morning or afternoon rains cool and juice up the water with increased oxygen levels turning shallow backwater fish on and making them more likely to want to play. Just make sure you keep a sharp eye on your favorite cell phone weather channel to avoid danger.
The west side of the harbor is hosting good numbers of redfish and smaller snook under the bushes along with some trout. Various sized bull and bonnethead sharks are patrolling the edges and drop-offs as well.
The west wall and Bull and Turtle bays are all good choices for some inshore action.
Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. You can contact him at 239-579-0461 or via email at captgeorget3@aol.com.