Low pressure to the north has caused westerly winds and 3'-4' swells on the Boca Grande beaches since Friday. Looks like the weather pattern will finally change tomorrow night and things will settle down. Here's a teaser of things to come! Frustrating to know the tarpon are out there just waiting for us... Lots of snook have moved to Gasparilla also. It's spawning time for them too. That's ok, there's always fish to catch in the backcountry of Pine Island sound! Headed there in an hour or so with fellow Maine Guide Bill Stevens and his wife Janice.

I contacted Scott McEnaney at Orvis this week with a request. It took some doing but he hooked me up with a pre-release Helios2,  11wt rod! I'll have it later this coming week. Watch out Boca Grande tarpon... Thank you very much Scott. If this rod is as nice as the 10wt that I have (I fully expect it to be!) it will be a deadly tarpon stick. Check back for my review of it in the coming days... They will be available next month for purchase. The tarpon are here in the passes of Pine Island Sound and Boca Grande in good numbers and more are showing up daily. I have a few openings later in the month - Call me for available dates.

Sunday afternoon the fuel pump on the Yukon crapped out while we were picking up take-out at the Nav-a-gator. Take-out became eat-in at that point... Some the regulars suggested we have the Yukon towed to a garage 5 miles from our place so we called AAA. Then we bummed a ride home from Barb's sister and fiancé. Two days later we're back up and running. Other than an unexpected charge to the credit card it actually worked out very well. Veteran's Auto Repair treated us great just like my buddy Merle Ambrose would have in Maine. Barb got some down time to recover from a spill on her bike (she's fine, even peddled a mile home after it happened.) and took care of a bit of business she'd been putting off. We met some nice folks at Nav-a-Gators. And I got some painting done in the house. The Tarpon, Snook and Redfish will be there this coming week. Life is good!

Only been on the water of Charlotte Harbor a few times in the past two weeks... Been enjoying some vacation time with Barb. She heads back to Maine the end of the week and I'm already missing her...  The fishing is excellent right now. Snook are cruising in 4-6 feet of water in Pine Island Sound and the Beaches of Gasparilla. The spotted seatrout are aggressive in Bull and Turtle Bay. Spanish are in the deeper water of Gasparilla Sound. The tarpon are showing up on the Boca Grande beaches though not to the point of steady action. Bait balls everywhere on the beaches, in the sounds and backcountry. Love this time of year in Charlotte Harbor!

The first tarpon are showing up. Just two pods on the beach at Boca Grande so far. Gulf water is 76*. Another 2-4* will improve things. Haiden Shea had a baby tarpon (3'er) spit the hook yesterday in Turtle Bay. Snook seem to be everywhere in Gasparilla Sound and Pine Island Sound this week but are not eating all that well. Redfish are moving in and out of the skinny water of Bull and Turtle Bay. Spotted searout, ladyfish and Spanish are at Bokeelia and the flats up toward Punta Gorda. The Shea boys and dad; Scott (Seaspray Kayak) had the full show yesterday... Porpoise, manatees, eagles, ospreys all were out in numbers. All totaled they caught 7 different species of fish. Haiden will be sending me some video from his Go Pro. I'm off the water for the next few days, spending some time with my bride! Trip to the beach, lunch at Sharky's And maybe a bike ride on today's itinerary...