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Got out with Matt, Steve and Augie today.  Part of a big corporate group trip.  We focused on tarpon.  Had some leftover bait from yesterday and caught some early as I didn’t leave until 7 AM, didn’t see a whole lot of catchable bait out back though there was some if you really needed to scrap a few together.  The tarpon were few and far between, nothing in the first couple channels we fished where they had been pretty consistent the last week.  Hardly even any sharks!  After our 4th move we hit another channel, and sat and waited.  We had a fish free jump behind the boat when the tide started in which gave me some hope.  After another 10 minutes, I marked about 10 fish going by and told the guys to get ready.  A few minutes later, Augie hooked a nice 30 lb tarpon we landed.  After that things dried up.  We caught a few blacktips, then caught some trout and ladyfish for fun, and finished up with a big lemon shark.  Got booked for tomorrow, not sure what we are doing but we should start to have the nice incoming tide early in the backcountry, which makes bait catching a whole lot easier.  Hopefully as the wind swing back to the east and we get off the full moon, some fish will settle into the channels back there.  1 for 1

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

Last day with Chris and Paul today.  Yesterday we cancelled due to foul weather.  Today it wasn’t as rainy, but the winds were howling at 25 mph southwest…  We did some light rod action first and then tried for some tarpon locally close by.  Didn’t see a whole lot and never had a bite, we saw one boat catch a fish out of about 15 or so that we had ended up fishing near in the 3 spots we hit.  Anyways I was hoping we’d at least get one, but all in all the guys had a great trip, catching 12 tarpon in the 4 days they fished.  They got to see the good and the bad.  Tomorrow I have a full day with a group trip, not sure exactly what we’ll be doing.  Saturday I actually had planned to take off, but since I got a day off yesterday I’ve opened it up.  So if anyone wants to go fishing on Saturday drop me a line, looks like conditions will be much better than today!  0 for 0

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

Got out with Chris and Paul again today, whom I also have the next two days.  They had two great days on Saturday and Sunday.  Today the winds kicked up south, and were really honking by mid day, so I was thinking fishing may be tough.  We struggled with bait in the morning, spent about an hour to catch 15 mullets, and checked multiple areas but didn’t see a whole lot.  Anyways we went to work with that.  We actually had good fishing we caught 3 tarpon in our first stop along with plenty of sharks.  Two of the tarpon Chris had we got to the leader, though unfortunately not to the hand, but landed fish none the less.  Pauls we got to the boat for a nice picture.  I burned through our mullet fast, I’d rather use ’em when I think they are biting then try to stretch it out.  Plus we had seen some mullet up on the flat in some muds.  We went and caught more bait after that, it was tough and we had to make several throws, but finally got them good at the end after I’d almost had enough.  We went right back to the tarpon and immediately put two fish in the air, these ones didn’t stay on at all.  After that it slowed down a bit, we made one more move and Chris got a tarpon that stayed on all the way to the end and we got pictures and freed him.  All in all a great day the most bites I’ve had in recent memory surprising with the snotty conditions.  The next two days it’s suppose to stay windy out of the south, ugh…  Hopefully the fishing will hold up.  Saturday looks like it may get nicer, and sunday the wind is ‘suppose’ to go back out of the east which will be great.  4 for 6

Capt. Rick Stanczyk