By Pam Anderson
Red Snapper officially opened for the Federally Permitted Charter and Headboats and opened on June 1 and will be open until August 25 this year. We are all looking forward to taking you on a fun family experience in the Gulf of Mexico for this treasured species of fish. Treasure Island, Pirates Cove, Lighthouse Marina, and, of course, Capt. Anderson’s Marina all offer great fishing experiences.
On the shorter headboat trips, many families are teaching their children to fish – no IT gadgets here! Deckhands provide bait, show you how to use it, give you a quick lesson on deep-sea fishing, and then it’s all up to you. You drop your line straight down to the bottom, take a couple of turns on the reel to get the slack out of the line and you are set. Be sure to check your bait every now and then. When you get a bite, set the hook (pull up hard on your rod) then reel up quickly. If you don’t, you may lose the fish or it will run into the reef below and cut your line. Your deckhand will take the fish off your line and put it on a stringer with your ‘fishing spot’ number on it (your spot number is on your fishing ticket, and you will need that later to claim your fish at the dock.). In the meantime, all the fish caught are kept in a common ice box until the end of the trip.
On the longer trips, the more serious anglers are able to get out into deeper water. Although on both trips you have opportunities to catch fish, the longer the trip the more fishing time, of course. Also, as the saying goes, the deeper the water, the bigger the fish – not always true, but typically it is. The same fishing techniques apply in the deeper water.
Each trip has captains who have decades of experience; they will get you to the fish. They may not be hungry, but thankfully, they usually are.
Each trip has its perks… Early mornings right after sunrise all is quiet on the Gulf except for the occasional seagull asking for your Cheetos – yes, they love them! Be careful though, what goes in, comes out.
The later morning and mid-day trips give you a chance to ease into your day. No matter the time, you can usually see dolphins playing, an occasional turtle easing by, or a flying fish – yes, they skim the top of the water for long distances.
The evening trip is special in that you can catch the sunset as you travel to the fishing grounds each night. It’s always a favorite for that reason and it is cooler in the evening. Capt. Ken has a knack for finding some really nice Red Snapper on this special trip!
Private recreational fishing for red snapper has a different season. It runs from June 16 through July 31 and 3-day weekends from October through November.
Red Snapper is not the only fish in the sea worth keeping, but it is probably the most popular in our area. Even though it may not be as famous a fish, Vermilion snapper is available year-round and a delicious mainstay of the local fishery. Red Grouper will be available through July 20 at MN this year. Gag Grouper season opens September 1 and runs through November 9, so it will be open during the PCB Fishing Rodeo.
Summer dates are booking quickly at the Capt. Anderson Marina Event Center, overlooking beautiful Grand Lagoon. Also, be sure to check out Fisherman’s Walk with, the new Capt. Max’s Bar & Grill serving breakfast, sandwiches, and drinks. They are open from 4:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. Check out the Souvenir Shop and The Sugar Shack with Dippin’ Dots, also.
Looking forward to seeing you all this summer!
Capt. Anderson’s Marina…Where the fish are always biting and the kids are always smiling.
