Wind kicks up the water in the nearshore Gulf

Above-normal winds coupled with dirty water conditions in the nearshore Gulf have kept the Dee Jay II from plying the Gulf for several weeks. Those willing to brave the conditions out there have reported decent action with kingfish, but most have been encountered well off the beaches where the water clears.

On the bright side, the local inshore action has been good. Snook and redfish were both a hard nut to crack due to the less-than-optimal quarter moon tides recently. They would cooperate but you really had to be at the right place at the right time. Trout fishing was excellent on Thursday in North Sarasota Bay.

A party of three from Wisconsin nailed a good number of above-average-sized trout along with chunky bluefish, mackerel, and ladyfish. Broken grassy areas in about 4 feet of water produced the best. On Wednesday, a party of four from Valrico, Fla., managed a respectable catch of bigger than average Spanish mackerel and a few decent trout working Anna Maria Sound and the Bulkhead.

The big excitement of that trip was when one angler hooked up with an easily 100-pound-plus tarpon on trout tackle in 5 feet of water. Much to our amazement, he had the big tarpon on for 10 to 12 jumps before the light line parted.

Good luck and good fishing. Be careful out there!! (And someone please turn off the wind machine -- enough already.)

Capt "Zach" Zacharias, "DEE JAY II"

(941) 795-5026

E-mail: zachcap@aol.com

Docked on Palma Sola Bay at Parrot Cove Marina/Sunny Shores

115th Street West and 36th Avenue, Cortez, FL 34215