Family Vacation- Boca Grande/Gasparilla Island

ChippyDiesel · **Posted:** Wed May 09, 2012 9:02 pm

So my dad has always put together a family vacation every summer since me and my 2 brothers were kids. This year, we are renting a house on Boca Grande/Gasparilla Island (Im not sure which it is called). We will be staying right down the street from the Boca Grande light house. I will be bringing my kayak but it looks like I have tons of options as far as areas to fish: The Gulf, on the other side of the island is Gasparilla Sound, Bull Bay, Turtle Bay, and Charlette Harbor (wich may be out of range). Any one on the forum fish this area? What should I be targeting this time of year? Baits for the area and ways to catch bait? I mean I WILL put fish in the boat but any insight would be helpful! Thanks :smoke:

Ring King · **Posted:** Wed May 09, 2012 9:34 pm

For live bait use canned cat food as chum anywhere you wish around grass beds or channel markers. Then simply throw the cast net on em. Really no need though. Summer time down there means the migration of snook off the flats and onto the beaches. Look in the crashing surf on the gulf side of the islands. You can catch them on spoons, bucktails, or my personal favorite ........super spook Jr!!!

Fish the yellow holes on the grass flats for trout. You might find some reds there as well bit else always did better with them up against the mangroves.

Then last but not least there are always tarpon to chase!!

Maverick904 · **Posted:** Wed May 09, 2012 9:37 pm

Ring King wrote:

For live bait use canned cat food as chum anywhere you wish around grass beds or channel markers. Then simply throw the cast net on em. Really no need though. Summer time down there means the migration of snook off the flats and onto the beaches. Look in the crashing surf on the gulf side of the islands. You can catch them on spoons, bucktails, or my personal favorite ........super spook Jr!!!

Fish the yellow holes on the grass flats for trout. You might find some reds there as well bit else always did better with them up against the mangroves.

Then last but not least there are always tarpon to chase!!

Pretty much nailed it...

Getting bait can be quite the chore down there.

ChippyDiesel · **Posted:** Thu May 10, 2012 8:46 pm

Greatly appreciated gents. Whats going to come to the cat food? Shrimp?

Ring King · **Posted:** Thu May 10, 2012 9:14 pm

You may get some shrimp but down there we always got white bait that way. Greenies are king!!

ChippyDiesel · **Posted:** Thu May 10, 2012 9:52 pm

Good stuff, thanks.

Flats1041 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:18 pm **Posts:** 60

was in the pass on sunday and the tarpon are thick, there were fish by the hundreds out there but i wouldn't recommend trying from a kayak kinda a death wish if you ask me. id focus on the passes and troughs on the beach my dad and i got 15 snook on wednesday morning doing that. getting bait was relatively easy up until monday when it mysteriously vanished ? usually throw a 10ft net b/c you need a net that sinks fast. there's always trout on the grass flats that will eat just about anything and like mentioned above the reds tend to hang around under the mangroves on high water when its this hot. bull and turtle bay would be one hell of a paddle id recommend fishing the north tip of sandfly key had good luck there in the past.

Flats1041 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:18 pm **Posts:** 60

id also look for sunk trees or any underwater structure that has good moving water there are some nice mangrove snapper around right now

tree3 · **Posted:** Fri May 11, 2012 12:21 pm

live threadfish for bait... snook, reds, trout all will eat
BG is an awesome place, enjoy!

Family Vacation- Boca Grande/Gasparilla Island

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