Justin Tsikererdanos from Kissimmee, FL, with a monster red group caught offshore of Anna Maria Island in 130 ft using a sardine. Justin was on a charter with Capt Larry McGuire Show Me The Fish Charters operating out of the Bradenton Beach Marina. Cell 941-720-6475.

Captain Larry McGuire with a nice Wahoo that was caught last weekend using a sardine in 125 ft offshore of Anna Maria Island.

For over thirty years, I’ve used a pair of jigs tied up in tandem called the Love’s Lures Tandem Jig with good success and have caught a wide assortment of fish with them. I’ve varied the original rig by tying up my own rigs using an assortment of jig weights with CAL Curly tails. The different weights will control the speed of the fall of the rig. This way, I have better control in fishing different depths, but they work the same way.

Offshore action has been absolutely awesome this week. Actually the last six weeks have been phenomenal with American red snapper season open. On Show Me The Fish Charters, running out in my custom 31 ft Morgan Sportfish, my anglers are catching lots of red, mangrove, and yellowtail snappers along with firetruck red grouper up to 25 lbs, mahi mahi, porgys, big sharks, barracudas, catch-and-release gag grouper and amberjacks Most of the action has been in working depths from 125 ft to 160 ft offshore of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key with live and cut bait all producing.

Will your GPS work when you need it? This action alert is about a matter that could have repercussions for all recreational anglers and boaters. As a result of a new proposal to use radio bandwidth right next to the existing GPS service, the future reliability of the GPS system across the United States is now in question.

CCA's partner Boat US is mounting a campaign to contact the Federal Communiications Commission (FCC) during a short 30-day public comment period, to help them understand the public’s need for continued, reliable GPS signals for safe navigation on boats, in cars, and for so many other daily uses. Clicking the link below will take you to a page on the Boat US website where you will be able to send a message to the FCC voicing your concerns:

Offshore action has been absolutely awesome this week—actually the last six weeks have been phenomenal with American red snapper season now open. On Show Me The Fish Charters running out in my custom 31 ft Morgan Sportfish my anglers are catching lots of red, mangrove, and yellowtail snapper  along with Firetruck red grouper up to 25 lbs, mahi mahi, porgys, big sharks, barracudas, catch and release gag grouper and amberjacks.

A new downloadable BoatUS Boating Simulator, provided by the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water aims to use animation, simulation and video to keep boaters on the virtual “water” anytime—and teach them how to navigate through congested and sometimes treacherous waters.
 
The Boating Simulator’s interactive boating experience—complete with throttle, shifter and chartplotter—makes learning fun. “Research shows that most people use visual cues when learning and when you combine it with active participation, comprehension, and retention increase,” said BoatUS Assistant Director of Boating Safety Ted Sensenbrenner. “Simply put, you learn while you’re having a great time driving the boat.”

With fuel prices high, trailering a boat has become more expensive. However, there are some easy ways to stretch that tank of gas with your tow vehicle. Here are ten tips from BoatUS:

Basic maintenance: Keep your tow vehicle’s engine tuned and replace the engine air filter on a periodic basis.
 
Drive ahead: Moderate your use of the accelerator pedal by “driving ahead” – by looking ahead and anticipating traffic, you will likely brake less aggressively and reaccelerate without having to be heavy on the fuel-hungry accelerator pedal. Take it easy when starting from a dead stop.

It was the end of the Memorial Day weekend when a 32-foot motorboat with four persons aboard pulled up to the fuel dock. Moments later, after filling up, an explosion ripped through the boat—literally separating it into clamshell-like halves. In an instant a 25-year old woman was dead. All of the boat’s remaining four occupants as well as a fuel dock attendant were hospitalized.
 
Saddest of all, the accident may have been preventable. A newspaper reported that investigators found that the recently purchased used boat, which was being refueled by its new owner for the first time, may have had a fuel system gasket “give way,” or fail, which allowed gasoline fumes to escape and accumulate below decks. While the owner had properly turned the engine compartment blower on—a required procedure anytime a boat is refueled—not enough of the explosive fumes had been cleared before an engine backfire ignited the blast.

Comfort is an overriding factor for all species during the summer, and water temperature is a major factor because of its governing effects on a fish’s bodily functions.

Have you ever questioned why fish congregate in one particular area one day and completely disappear the next? There are many different reasons why fish relocate, but the most overlooked is water temperature. Whereas fish are cold-blooded, weather and water temperature is a controlling factor in where you find them. Every species has a temperature range they tolerate and within that range there is a preferred range or comfort zone where they are most comfortable.