Captain Favorite's Weekend Fishing Forecast Sept. 3, 2015

Posted Thursday, September 3, 2015 12:00 am

BRADENTON – NOAA is predicting tranquil boating conditions with light winds and slight seas through the end of the week and into the upcoming weekend. It's spiny lobster season, but what's the best way to cook them? Recreational red snapper season opens this weekend.

Fishing Updates

Gulf state recreational red snapper season reopens Labor Day weekend

The recreational red snapper season for Gulf state waters reopens to harvest Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5-7, and will continue to be open for Saturdays and Sundays in September and October with the last day of harvest being Sunday, Nov. 1.
At its April 16 meeting in Tallahassee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a 70-day recreational red snapper season in Gulf state waters. The 2015 season started the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 23) and ran through July 12. The reopening of red snapper season for Labor Day weekend and weekends in September and October will give anglers additional fishing opportunities in the fall.

So you caught your lobsters, here's how to cook them

Grilling them is the best way to do it, according to top chef Tom Pritchard.
He reveals his grill secrets in this article in the Tampa Bay Times.

Spiny lobster season has added bonus this year

The 2015 spiny lobster season opens with the two-day recreational sport season July 29 and 30, followed by the regular commercial and recreational lobster season, which starts Aug. 6 and runs through March 31.
In addition, this year, divers have an incentive to remove some invasive lionfish while they’re in the water. Divers can take one extra spiny lobster each day during the two-day sport season if they also harvest 10 or more lionfish first, on the same day.
Planning on catching some of these tasty crustaceans? Here is what you need to know before you go.
No one wants a small lobster for dinner. Make sure you check the size. Measuring devices are required, and lobsters must be measured while they are in the water. If the carapace length is not larger than 3 inches, it must be left in the water (see image on how to measure spiny lobster).

Fishing Forecast

A weak trough of low pressure moving onshore over the northeast Gulf will dissipate Thursday as a surface of high pressure builds over the waters. A weak pressure pattern associated with the high will support tranquil boating conditions with light winds and slight seas through the end of the week and into the upcoming weekend.

Thursday

Northwest winds around 5 knots increasing to around 10 knots in the afternoon. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Thursday night will bring northwest winds around 10 knots. Seas 2 feet. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the evening.

2015/09/03 Thu 03:43 AM 1.98 H

2015/09/03 Thu 10:31 AM 0.13 L

2015/09/03 Thu 05:09 PM 1.35 H

2015/09/03 Thu 09:31 PM 0.89 L

Friday

Northwest winds around 10 knots. Seas 2 feet. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the morning ... then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Friday night will bring northwest winds around 10 knots then becoming north after midnight. Seas 2 feet. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.

2015/09/04 Fri 04:31 AM 1.98 H

2015/09/04 Fri 11:48 AM 0.2 L

2015/09/04 Fri 06:37 PM 1.14 H

2015/09/04 Fri 09:31 PM 1.03 L

Saturday

North winds around 5 knots. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms. Saturday night will bring north winds around 10 knots then becoming northeast around 5 knots after midnight. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.

2015/09/05 Sat 05:33 AM 1.94 H

2015/09/05 Sat 01:12 PM 0.23 L

Sunday

Northeast winds around 5 knots. Seas 2 feet or less, bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms.

2015/09/06 Sun 06:53 AM 1.9 H

2015/09/06 Sun 02:30 PM 0.22 L

Solunar Forecast