Hello everybody and welcome to our early spring edition of our Woods Offshore newsletter. I have been incredibly busy with the trade show circuit and school, but have made plenty of time to fish for sails, tarpon, and other south florida inshore species. Back home in the gulf, we have been experiencing one of the better wintertime tuna bites on some truly large yellowfin. The wahoo look to be showing a bit late as they did last year, but we did well on a scouting trip recently. They're a little out of the way but they were snapping pretty good once we finally found them en masse. The big tunas should hang around through the end of March, possibly into early April. April has great fishing, but it's usually on the peanut yellowfin in close. Fortunately, those peanut tuna bring in some of the largest blue marlin of the year, and many days can find you into the billfish action within 15 miles of South Pass.
Website Relaunch
I have finally found some time to really devote to my website and we are very pleased with how it looks presently. We are doing some different things for 2016, and offering some more services to residents of the gulf coast. Go and check out www.woodsoffshore.com to see the new changes and format. Also for 2016, I will be teaming up with some of the world's best marlin captains and offering big game charters all over the world, with access to world class fishing in the Dominican Republic (marlin), Cape Verde (marlin), Guatemala (marlin), Costa Rica (marlin, sails, dorado, tuna), Australia (giant black and blue marlin), and Nova Scotia (giant bluefin tuna). Many of these destinations will book up well before June so if any of these destinations are on your bucket list, get in touch with me immediately before the prime dates are spoken for.
For more information on any of these destinations and what they offer, email me!
Local restaurant recommendation
If your travels find you in Orange Beach, Alabama, go check out Shipp’s Harbour Grille at Sportsman Marina. I find myself incredibly frustrated everytime I go, as I tell myself I will save room for one of their delicious grouper dishes or steaks, but I get so filled up on their sushi, there just isn’t room for anything else! I honestly think they have the best sushi in the state. With all the tourists gone this time of year, there is never a wait. They also feature a “hook and cook” option, where you can bring in your catch from the day, and for a small fee, they will cook it to your specifications.
Woody for Hire
A large number of you have your own boat and want to “do it yourself” every time you go offshore. More power to you! But as the seasons change, the fish move around and conditions offshore can be hazardous, especially out of Venice with some of the worst fog in the world. If you’ve just bought a boat and would like to learn more about how to best utilize your electronics, or perhaps you just don’t want to strike out because it has been weeks or months since you last fished, Captain Woody is available for hire on YOUR boat. If you’re not completely equipped with what you need, that is no problem, as Woody is and can bring whatever you’re lacking. This is also a great way to learn a new style of fishing, whether it’s flying the kite, live baiting, bait and switching, wahoo fishing, or perhaps deep dropping for swords. These trips are both educational as well as entertaining. For those bringing their boat to Venice, Venice is notorious for dangerous passes as well as blinding fog, dredge operations, river debris, and other seasonal hazards. Woody has over 7 years running the Mississippi and can help you become comfortable doing it yourself. Email or call for pricing. The overnighters are a GREAT option this time of year as weather allows. The nightbite for tuna has been excellent. Captain Woody is available anywhere from Texas East to Panama City, and everywhere in between.
Fellow Captain Recommendation
If you find yourself in south Florida over the holidays, stop by world famous Bud n Mary’s Marina in Islamorada and book a trip withCaptain Nick Stanczyk. The Stanczyk family put themselves on the map by pioneering daytime swordfishing in the US. While this is a year-round option, the sailfish and mahimahi really steal the show this time of year. The sails have shown up extremely early this year, and Nick has been experiencing multiple sails on each trip devoted to them. The best part about fishing out of Bud n Mary’s is you are almost always fishing in sight of land, whether you are targeting yellowtails, mutton snapper, groupers, wahoo, or sails. This is a great option for those prone to seasickness, as many claim they feel fine so long as they can see land. Nick is a fellow Pelagic pro staffer, and a close personal friend. Woody has spent the last four Decembers mating for Nick, in an effort to learn as much about daytime swordfishing as Nick can teach! Nick can be reached at305-481-0366 or online at www.floridakeysswordfishing.com