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Anglers know that super predators like Spanish mackerel attack and feed on schools of helpless baitfish often driving them to the surface where sharp-eyed feathered predators also attack them from above. Obviously a bad time to be a baitfish but a plus for the alert angler looking for that hot mac bite.
After motoring over to the action, anxious anglers can't wait to get a lure into the boiling surface activity, all the while competing with floating, flying, screeching and diving birds also looking to get their share of the bounty. This is where trouble starts for both bird and casters and happened to me once again this past week while in a mackerel frenzy.
Just as you make a cast, a low-flying pelican, gull or cormorant crosses the path of the flying lure and snags the line, eventually hooking a wing or leg, now you're suddenly fighting a bird that's a hundred feet in the air. What do you do?
Your first panic driven instinct is to cut the line freeing the bird which is understandable but not the right course of action. Start by reeling in the panicked bird, then grasp it around the head area and body, or if it's a pelican by the body and beak. Cover the bird’s head with a towel, shirt or hat to help calm it, reducing the chances of injury to the bird and yourself. A bird can peck without causing too much damage to your hide but your main goal is to not lose an eye so make sure you're wearing eye protection.
Secure the bird and locate the hook. Hopefully it's gone through the skin with the barb fully exposed. Simply cut off the barb and gently back the remaining hook out of the skin. If the barb isn't visible you can push it through the skin exposing it just like you did that time when you caught Uncle Fred's big right ear. If the barb is deeply embedded in muscle tissue and can't be pushed through then cut the hook shank as close as possible to the entrance wound. Wire cutters should always be a part of your onboard tool kit for releasing hooked birds and people. Call the FWC for further help if necessary.
With red grouper harvest closing on July 1, make your way out to the 100-plus zone for still the best action where you'll also find your bigger snapper species, possible African pompano, or hard fighting amberjack. If you happen to catch a delicious grey triggerfish or tough amberjack, put it back as the season closes tomorrow.
Red grouper need to measure 20 inches TL and you can keep two. A big guy might be 25-30 years old and weigh 50 pounds or more. St. Augustine, Florida, angler Del Wiseman's 42-pound, 4-ounce red still holds the official world record spot after being caught back in 1997.
With local tarpon fever on high, Boca Grande is still the place to be for the biggest concentration of fish although coastal encounters are becoming more frequent. Night bridge fishing is starting to pick up but not quite there yet.
With tarpon come sharks and we are thick with them right now just about everywhere, including the very peaceful top of the Spreader Canal in the northwest Cape. Tuesday afternoon my partner tossed out a large mullet wearing a big circle hook to settle on the bottom. Within an hour, his rod and back were deeply bent as the bull shark ate and then fought for freedom. Way over a hundred pounds -- we managed a safe release.
Of the 375 or so species of sharks, bull sharks and just a very few others can adapt to freshwater by recycling the vital salts in their bodies allowing them to live in freshwater environments. One thing for sure, bull sharks have bad tempers and intentions. Handle with care.
Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. You can contact him at 239-282-9434 or via email at captgeorget3@aol.com.