ishing Captain Favorite's Weekend Fishing Forecast: April 9, 2015

BRADENTON –  NOAA is predicting breezy afternoons and the arrival of a cold front on Saturday evening. The Crosthwait Memorial Fishing Tournament is only a few weeks away. Our contributing captain Rick Grassett says to look for trout, blues, pompano or flounder on deep grass flats, particularly close to passes.

Signing up to participate in the Gulf Reef Fish Survey becomes mandatory April 1

• Attention Gulf reef fish anglers: You’ve asked for better data and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has listened and taken action. Now the FWC needs your help.
• Signing up to participate in the Gulf Reef Fish Survey becomes mandatory April 1, so sign up today. The easy, no-cost process will help the FWC paint a clearer picture of how many people are targeting Gulf reef fish, like red snapper and gag grouper, and what anglers are seeing on the water.
• The Gulf Reef Fish Survey is for anglers (including those 65 and older) fishing in the Gulf of Mexico (excluding Monroe County) from a private boat, who plan to harvest, possess or land any of the following reef fish: red and vermilion snapper; gag; black and red grouper; gray triggerfish; greater and lesser amberjack; banded rudderfish; and almaco jack.

Biologists tally a record high manatee count

• Warm temperatures and clear, sunny days between some of the coldest weather of the year assisted FWC biologists and partners in counting an all-time high number of manatees during this year’s statewide aerial survey.
• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported a preliminary count of 6,063 manatees statewide. During the February count, a team of 20 observers from 11 organizations counted 3,333 manatees on Florida’s east coast and 2,730 on the west coast of the state. This year’s synoptic survey count exceeded the previous high count for 2010 by almost 1,000 animals.

Do not disturb Florida’s nesting sea turtles

• It can be thrilling to watch a sea turtle crawl onto the beach at night and dig a large hole in the sand to lay dozens of eggs. Just remember that “Do not disturb” is the best behavior to follow when observing a nesting sea turtle.
• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) asks people not to get too close, shine lights on, or take flash photos of nesting sea turtles.
• Spring is the beginning of sea turtle nesting season in Florida. From now through the end of October, thousands of sea turtles will land on Atlantic and Gulf coast beaches to lay their eggs. With Florida hosting one of the largest loggerhead nesting aggregations in the world, this becomes an opportunity for residents and visitors to play an important role in conserving these long-lived reptiles. People can help by taking turtle-friendly precautions on the beach.

Fishing Forecast

High pressure to our north will keep east to southeast winds in place for the next few days, with winds turning onshore near the coast each afternoon as the sea breeze develops. No headlines anticipated with winds less than 15 knots and seas 2 feet or less.

Thursday
Southeast winds around 10 knots then becoming west in the afternoon. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring northwest winds around 5 knots then becoming east around 10 knots after midnight. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2015/04/09 Thu 05:21 AM 1.24 H
2015/04/09 Thu 09:43 AM 0.96 L
2015/04/09 Thu 03:41 PM 2.23 H

Friday
Southeast winds around 10 knots then becoming southwest around 5 knots in the afternoon. Seas 2 feet. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Friday night will bring northwest winds around 5 knots then becoming north after midnight. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2015/04/10 Fri 12:11 AM -0.12 L
2015/04/10 Fri 06:47 AM 1.19 H
2015/04/10 Fri 10:18 AM 1.06 L
2015/04/10 Fri 04:31 PM 2.17 H

Saturday
Northeast winds around 5 knots then becoming west in the afternoon. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters smooth. Saturday night will bring northwest winds around 10 knots then becoming northeast after midnight. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms.
2015/04/11 Sat 01:20 AM -0.1 L
2015/04/11 Sat 08:43 AM 1.22 H
2015/04/11 Sat 11:18 AM 1.17 L
2015/04/11 Sat 05:35 PM 2.06 H

Sunday
Southeast winds around 10 knots. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms. Sunday night will bring east winds 5 to 10 knots increasing to around 15 knots after midnight. Seas 2 feet. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms.
2015/04/12 Sun 02:33 AM -0.08 L
2015/04/12 Sun 09:58 AM 1.33 H
2015/04/12 Sun 01:22 PM 1.22 L
2015/04/12 Sun 07:01 PM 1.95 H

Solunar Forecast