I guess even in the Fishing Guide world, we can't escape the "new norm" when it comes to crazy weather. In February our water temps here along the Nature Coast dropped into the high 40's and even killed off a few snook in the process. 10 days later the water temp shot up to 77 degrees and we were out catching Bull Sharks like it was the end of June. A 30 point swing in water temperature in under two weeks in almost unheard of. Major shifts in water temperature like that have a drastic effect on fish and shark behavior and trying to keep up with it can drive you mad as a full time guide. Every day we are putting the pieces of the puzzle together to make a successful charter for our clients. Laying in bed the night before a trip thinking about everything from tide, to wind, to temperature, to weather, is an endless attempt to figure out the combination that makes the day work. In recent years this has become even more difficult with an almost non existent spring season. We are pretty much going from Winter straight into Summer nowadays and that is changing years of patterns we have come to rely on after hundreds of days on the water observing fish behavior at certain times of the year. It's what keeps us on our toes as charter fisherman and even though it has been very hard to predict lately, as a guide we somehow relish the challenge it presents us. When the fish outsmart us, it only makes the fire burn stronger. We try to figure out where they will be and what they will do next on a certain tide, on a certain day, at a certain time and when we figure it out, the success is that much more special. When a guide and his clients suffer through the lean hours of a trip, yet still succeed in the end, it makes for a very special day and a memory that both client and charter captain never forget. As a fellow Captain once told me, "some day are dogs and some days are diamonds" and the great guides always work insanely hard to make the vast majority of their days a shiny diamond! It may be a lot harder these days with so many factors to take into consideration from increased boat traffic to wacky weather patterns, but just as nature does, we will adapt. We will pay a little more attention to the subtle clues nature provides us and in the end, we will hear the drag sing and watch the rod bend and the age old battle between angler and fish will continue. With just a few more weeks before the warm water arrives, we look forward to jumping Tarpon, spinning Sharks and all the craziness that the summer brings with it.
If you haven't already booked your charter, make sure to book now before the summer schedule fills up fast. Just like the weather, the action is gonna get crazy and we look forward to another great season! See you on the water!
Captain Ed