# Boca Grande 5-10-14



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Booked a trip in Boca Grande for last Saturday with captain Chuck Jenks. The first part of the day was slow and windy. We cruised the beachfront, Boca Grande Pass, and Gasperillo Pass and saw only a couple of rollers all morning. We found some fish on The Hill and drifted live baits through them for about an hour with know takers. After going in for lunch, we went back out to the BG Pass where I counted about 50 boats. there was some kind of ladies tourney going on, so, it made the scenery a little better. Anyway, tarpon were rolling here there. all among the boats. We made drifts with live baits all afternoon with no takers even though there were literally thousands of fish stacked in the pass. After the tournament ended and the boats left, I jumped 2 tarpon. the captain said I did everything right - it is how it goes with tarpon fishing.

It was just one of those days where they just weren't eating. No one else was doing any better than us. But all in all, it was a fun trip and I look forward to fishing with Captain Chuck next year. His evening trip cancelled out so he stuck it out with us till almost dark. He didn't have to do that but he did.


----------



## Scott (May 24, 2004)

They have shirts in Boca Grande that have a tarpon on them and state - "You better start drink'n, 'cause we ain't bite'n." - The life of every tarpon fisherman right there in one phrase.


----------



## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

May is the busiest month at BG pass, from what I've seen. Way too many tournaments. We go in July when nobody is there, and there are still a few tarpon around. Along with lots of other wildlife.


----------



## BMowatt (Jun 3, 2014)

*Boca Grande*

BG is not the same as it use to be. I guided there for 12 years,
stopping in 2002. At times there would be a hundred boats in the pass jig fishing during the week. I fished there last week and there was about 25 boats fishing the hill inside the pass. Even fewer boats fishing on the beach. The jig controversy had a negative effect on the area. The fact remains that you can not snag a fish with a circle hook. I used a 16/0 circle and NEVER caught a fish that was not hooked in the mouth. Some of the out of town anglers chose to use a "J" hook and lots of fish were foul hooked or snagged.
BG is a great area to fish and I am sure it will be for years to come. The tarpon are still there in great numbers. They show up in early March and stay until October or later depending on the weather.


----------



## Scott (May 24, 2004)

BMowatt said:


> The fact remains that you can not snag a fish with a circle hook.


The fact is many people disagree with you and there are enough facts to cause the FWC to ban the jig. It's water through the pass now. If you break the law knowingly, you should be charged.

http://savethetarpon.com/sure-sounds-like-snagging/


----------



## GulfCoast1102 (Dec 30, 2013)

Scott said:


> The fact is many people disagree with you and there are enough facts to cause the FWC to ban the jig. It's water through the pass now. If you break the law knowingly, you should be charged.
> 
> http://savethetarpon.com/sure-sounds-like-snagging/


I have no dog in this fight, but as i read these comments, i think the guy was stating that you won't snatch-hook a fish with a circle hook. By "snag a fish", i don't think he meant "catch a fish", i believe he was literally meaning "snag", as in, "snatch hook" a fish. Hence the comments about foul hooking.

Carry on, fellers....


----------



## Scott (May 24, 2004)

I've been involved in this debate for a couple years and communicated directly with both sides of the issue. I have fished Boca Grande and made my own personal observations, including speaking to many guides in the area. To a large degree, it is a matter of semantics. The jiggers are not using true "circle" hooks. And just because a fish is caught "around" the mouth does not mean it is not foul hooked. Also, the type of hooks being used can snag - here is a video that demonstrates it - 




The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Just compare the PTTS results from before to what they are experiencing this year without the jig. Many claim the tarpon bite the jig better than live bait. I find that really hard to believe. Also, the jig is most effective with little or no tide because the fish bunch up more and move differently in the depths of the pass. As a general fishing tenant, is fishing usually better on moving currents or slack tides? Most fisherman know the answer to that question.

At this stage, all the arguing and bickering is pointless. The FWC has made it's ruling, like it or not, and in my humble opinion, the Pass and tarpon are better for it..... hopefully we as sportsman are too.


----------



## rvd (Mar 30, 2006)

BMowatt said:


> BG is not the same as it use to be. I guided there for 12 years,
> stopping in 2002. At times there would be a hundred boats in the pass jig fishing during the week. I fished there last week and there was about 25 boats fishing the hill inside the pass. Even fewer boats fishing on the beach. The jig controversy had a negative effect on the area. The fact remains that you can not snag a fish with a circle hook. I used a 16/0 circle and NEVER caught a fish that was not hooked in the mouth. Some of the out of town anglers chose to use a "J" hook and lots of fish were foul hooked or snagged.
> BG is a great area to fish and I am sure it will be for years to come. The tarpon are still there in great numbers. They show up in early March and stay until October or later depending on the weather.


Curious...Are you saying it was better in the pass when there were a hundred boats in there?


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

rvd said:


> Curious...Are you saying it was better in the pass when there were a hundred boats in there?


 I think what he meant was it was better for Boca Grande's economy! The friend I fished with and the guide told me there used to be 100 boats in that pass when we saw only about 20 at the most - except for when the tournament was on.


----------



## BMowatt (Jun 3, 2014)

Not saying it was better. Just pointing out the BG pass area has had a drastic change. I quit guiding in 2002, last week was the first time I have been back since then.
And Yes, it was better for the economy. I was tied to Millers Marina, docked my boat there, took clients to the restaurant, managed the tackle store. Married to the owners daughter.


----------



## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Boca Grande is not at all what it was in the 90's. I spent two weeks there back in 2011. Enjoyed it but it has lost a lot of its charm. But that is true about so many places in the world these days. Down to one common denominator - "too many dang people in this world"!! Jig fishing, IMHO, hurt Boca Grande in lots of ways. First, the PTTS TV show publicized it way too much. Second, it increased the catch ratio (due to snagging - and yes, I've seen it and not going to debate it again) and allowed more "success" (if you want to call it that) for out of town anglers. More success = more likely to spread the word and to come back = more people = loss of local charm. The banning of the jig will do one of two things. (1) guides will now start hitting the beach more and increase traffic there, which is not a good thing; or (2) guides will go do something other than tarpon fishing. I tend to think a little of both will happen. In the right balance, that may be good for Boca Grande. 

Personally, I think the PTTS was its own worst enemy. When you take over the pass on Saturday and Sunday of every single weekend of tarpon season to run a tournament, that is not a good thing for other anglers. The scaled back PTTS is what the tournament should have done in the first place. I think that the new schedule will help and should have been done sooner. 

In the end, the scaling back of the circus will probably help local businesses on the island and in the end help tourism. JMHO.


----------

