Fishing for redfish and trout has been very good this past week with plenty of fish to catch. lots of keeper trout up to 5lbs with a pompano or two mixed in. Redfish in the slot have cooperated nicely. I am still fishing with artificial even though most other guides have found plenty of white bait. Mackerel have started to show with some nice size schools on the outside of the bars.

The video is of a school of black drum I encountered while looking for tarpon with my good client Cam from BC on Thursday. I went back today with Tel and his son in law Butch, we left them biting. Its the single largest school of Black Drum I have ever seen. Hope its a sign of good things to come this spring and summer.

Capt Andy Boyette
1-888-880-0006
Gofishcharters.com
Tarponcharters.com
FortMyersFloridaFishing.com

The best tactic for shallow water red fishing is to stage your boat in an area near a exposed flat. Watch for any movement in the water pattern. It is especially helpful when other boats run near an area you are working since it exposes the location of the school. Waiting for the school to come to you is an all important factor to learn. A slow approach and a working the area over thoroughly will bend plenty of rods on the boat. Any crab or shrimp imitation will prove to be effective, long distance casting is a must. I will usually spend a good 20 -30 minutes covering 1/4 to 1/2 mile of flat. Setting the boat up to use the wind to your advantage is a must, with the least amount of trolling motor as possible. Light spinning gear with 8lb braided line with 1/8 and 1/4 ounce jig heads should be all that is required for success.

I went with another guide recently and seen targetable numbers of tarpon in a migration route. With the warm weather pattern that has dominated Fort Myers and the rest of the country An early spring pattern will give way to an early tarpon season. I expect to put up some numbers well ahead of schedule this tarpon season. I have a few dates left in June and fewer in May that are available. I have ample room in April to book and April has typically been a good month for me since I have targeted tarpon early for many years. This April should be phenomenal and allow for those who are here an opportunity to catch a BIG TARPON.

Capt Andy Boyette
1-888-880-0006
Gofishcharters.com
Tarponcharters.com
FortMyersFloridaFishing.com

Fort Myers Fishing Forecast:
Redfish will continue to be good as the bait schools arrive, keeper Speckled Trout with catches over the 20 inch mark, and an early arrival of BIG TARPON

Thank you to everyone who fished this season, the 2011 tarpon season was a with out a doubt one for the record books. Despite being a very successful season it did not come without difficulties. The tarpon had just about every advantage in their favor. Everyday was different and challenging while most of my trips where successful, I have to admit having some days totally shut out due to either weather or cooperation from the tarpon. It was the most demanding season I have ever fished in my career. The fishing required a new pattern almost daily with adjustments made throughout the day for success. I hopefully have learned some things that will make me a better angler and guide in the years ahead.
In the upcoming months I will be revising my rate schedule to reflect some additional trips that will be available for the 2012 tarpon season. My rates should remain the same but I will be adding some additional available trips to better accommodate everyone. BTW I have already begun booking a few 2012 trips so I look forward to hearing from you.

Flats Fishing Charters

I would also like to remind everyone that the fall and early spring fats fishing is just around the corner. Those of you who fished with me this past season learned that having a shallow running winter boat gets me on the fish. Anyone who doubts the 100 plus redfish and speckled trout fishing days that where spent on my boat this past season give me a call and i will put you in touch with clients that found pout first hand what having the right equipment can do.
Redfish have already begun to school up in some areas and the trout fishing will begin to pickup. It is also a note to the snook fishing that it will remain catch and release until another decision by the FWC in the fall of 2012.

Newsletters News
This year not only was I extremely busy I was very frustrated with the fact that several competitors where using my fishing reports and had some how managed to get on my mailing list. This fact prompted me to stop all reporting and newsletters. I have now gone through my list and removed them from my data base. It is my intent to keep my clients informed as much as possible. So with this you can expect me to resume the usual 6-8 newsletters a year .

I look forward to resuming writing fishing reports as well as seeing those that are planning to fish with me this fall. I still have a few tarpon trips left to do but am switching into flats fishing mode

Capt Andy Boyette
1-888-880-0006
Gofishcharters.com
Tarponcharters.com
FortMyersFloridaFishing.com

Ginat Tarpon Fishing

Go Fish Charters Certainly Isn’t The Cheapest Tarpon Fishing Charter Service You Can Hire.

It’s true. There are many websites and guides on the internet where people you’ve never met (and never will) compete to be the cheapest. It’s an obsession actually, with one guide outdoing the other to offer his service cheaper or for even a dollar less than anyone else. I don’t do that, and here’s why.

To be the cheapest, you have to offer the cheapest service. This might seem obvious, but think about it for a second. We all need to make some profit on every charter. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be doing this. Instead, I focus on offering a higher quality charter, to the my anglers for a fair price.

I am real company. I pay rent, commercial insurance, taxes, and a million other things that come along with being legitimate. I have a number of specialized pieces of equipment that can be used do any kind of fishing in our area whether its offshore, near shore, flats, tarpon, snook, redfish, permit, shark, etc. I fish all of Southwest Florida from Englewood Beach to Marco Island; If I need to adjust your charter for success, not only can I, I will. Without these expenses, other guides can be cheaper..

Take a look through the photos section of my website, there is also a more extensive collection located at this link Photos you will see countless photos of large giant tarpon. The first thing you will notice is the same guy in every photo, that would be me holding tarpon for my clients. What you won’t find is stock photos of tarpon from a professional photographer, or photos of tarpon on a another boat. I have made my living as a guide for over 10 years, I work had to ensure my clients success. And I am backing up with A No Tarpon No Pay Guarantee. The Original No Fish-No Pay Guaranteed !!!

Capt Andy Boyette And Go Fish Charters have been a guiding clients for over 10 years, I make my living full time as a fishing guide 100%. I want to make sure you do not get fooled and hire some one who is making extra money to pay for their hobby. So before you make a mistake and hire a part time fishing guide call me and I will guarantee you a trip catching fish. No Tarpon-No Pay Tarpon Guarantee !!! Book My 10 hour tarpon charter and if you don’t jump a tarpon the trip is free! Guaranteed! No questions asked!

My web site GoFishCharters.com

TARPON FISHING DAILY APRIL-JULY Planning a trip for a Boca Grande tarpon fishing charter! I do two tarpon fishing trips daily May-July. These months are highly sought after, and tarpon trips book up early. Tarpon fishing has gained in popularity over the past several years, as anglers see tarpon fishing shows on TV like the Professional Tarpon Tournament Series, PTTS, and Tarpon Of Boca Grande. With such national coverage of the Boca Grande tarpon fishing phenomenon more anglers are planning their entire Florida fishing trips around Boca Grande tarpon season. I offer two 6-hour Tarpon fishing charters per day, one in the morning and one in the early afternoon. I fish the entire tarpon season every day, every year, along side some of the best guides in the business, guides like my self that can produce consistently and put their clients on tarpon day in and day out. So before you make a decision on a tarpon guide do some homework. I want to make sure you catch the tarpon of a lifetime whether or not its with me.

 Capt Andy Boyette
 1-888-880-0006
www.gofishcharters.com
www.tarponcharters.com

I will be adjusting the spring season slightly to target some less talked about species of fish including tripletail, pompano, kingfish and a few others.  All of which are excellent eating and attainable targets, with sportfish qualities. I have fished for these species throughout my life as a lifelong resident of the area, so snook fishing closure should only serve to bring more variety and enjoyment to my charters. I look forward to sharing the experience and excitement of fishing for a wider variety of Florida fish species with you this spring.

Tarpon Fishing Information
Everyone by now, knows that I am offering a 10 hour tarpon trip. I wanted to clarify a few things about the 6 hour trip, and the 10 hour trip since a lot of my clients have asked me numerous questions.

Most Importantly I will still be offering a 6 hour trip for those who only wish to fish for 6 hours.

The 6 hour tarpon trip will remain unchanged and it is your choice, a 6 hour morning session and/or a 6 hour early afternoon session.

The 10 hour trips is just as it sounds 10 hours. Below I will summarize as best I can, keep in mind if you book me for the 10 hour trip the day is devoted solely to you, not like when I have either a morning or afternoon trip to worry about. On a 10 hour split day trip, we fish part of the trip in the morning, take a break and come back out to fish the remainder of the trip. Typically split 6 hours and 4 hours. If we tarpon fish only I let the fish and/or the client decide if or when there is a break (we fish the best time). Also a client who has a 10 hour trip booked can request to fish for other species, which is not possible on a 6 hour tarpon trip since economics forces me to fish an afternoon trip. So basically on the 10 hour trip the day is yours and we can break it up however as the day and fishing dictates. We also don’t have to split the day up at all if there is a hot bite we will in all likelihood fish through.

Also if my schedule permits you can request to fish additional hours at $100.00 per hour. This will specifically come into play on a 10 hour trip as well as the afternoon 6 hour session. Last season (2009)saw some really good late fishing into the early evening, and I will be prepared with lighting and all necessary equipment to stay in to the early evening.

Spring Flats Fishing Information
I also want to touch on the effects of the cold winter weather we had in here Florida. You may be aware that the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued an executive order on the harvest of snook, tarpon, and bonefish thru April. This was due to the potential damage that may have been done, due to the cold temperatures, and any affects it has had statewide on these subtropical fish.

*Anglers may still catch and release any and all of these fish during the closure.*
What this means is that you may still fish for any of these species but no one can harvest which means keep any of these species.

As a side note in recent history very few, mostly to use tarpon for bait, have been keeping tarpon , and in my 11 year career, thousands of tarpon have been caught and released on my charters, and I have never allowed or would allow one to be kept,  so the tarpon fishing will never be affected on my trips.

To touch on the snook fishing in the early spring, I have kept very limited numbers of snook in the past. Most of my clients that where looking to take home something to eat, understood the importance of the snook, and always focused on other species like trout and redfish for the table. So I would like to add that this will have limited affect on my charters, we will continue to fish as normal for snook, redfish, and trout with the only change being all snook caught go back to ensure a healthy stock for next season.

Capt Andy Boyette
www.gofishcharters.com
www.tarponcharters.com

Boca Grande and the pass seen some great snapper action as all summer for those looking for a good dinner. There was also some fast action on Bonita schools for anyone looking to bend a rod. The tarpon where also available when you but their pattern together and timed your trip correctly. Along with some nice early kingfish action in the 30-40lb range Boca Grande Pass as usual gave its best in Early October.

The unusual early arrival of cold weather in the area should push the king fish further south and the grouper closer in. The redfish should continue to school up for the next few weeks and trout fish should begin to improve. Snook fishing should also continue as they are migrating back to winter hang outs. The winter tides should begin empting some flats that have been fished all summer and make them less accessible to the average boater. This year I have added a extremely shallow running skiff to my business and I am looking forward to fishing the winter negative tides. A rigged a 21.5′ Texas Shallow Spot with a 150 four stroke engine for quite reliability and a tall tower for sight, and have increased my flats fishing ability 10 fold.

The new boat allows ample room for a max of 4 anglers and can access some of the shallowest water you have ever fished in. This will be a plus as the water temps drop and fish seek out shallow flats to warm up in the winter. If you would like to see some fishing grounds that you have never seen call me and get on my book for some exciting shallow water winter fishing.

Capt Andy Boyette
1-888-880-0006
www.gofishcharters.com
www.tarponcharters.com

For the past 6-7years I have been booked solid for the peak season April, May, June, July. By this time of the year I begin to slow down and get some down time. I am still fishing and yes tarpon is still on the menu. I have had several days this week with as many as 6 tarpon over 150lbs tarpon. The Season Is Not Over. The flip side to that is you can get burned by the weather or just the fact the fish will not cooperate. This season has and continues to be the most difficult season of my 10+ year guiding career. With so many issues to deal with in the tarpon game, from the largest Shark population I have ever seen to, the dreaded beach renourishment on Boca Grande, that as about 70% washed away, causing a silt water quality problem, compounded by the never ending winds. My season was filled with really great days to some just plain old bad days, with almost no day to day consistency. Plenty of tarpon to catch all season just no rhyme or reason why one day was good and one day was bad. But hey, tarpon are prehistoric so if you put it into there perspective and the amount of time they have swam the ocean, maybe the last 10 years of my career was not normal and this year is the norm. Who knows but I will never quit chasing them I love it to much.

I will be continuing to fish for tarpon as long as they are available, but am beginning to migrate back on to the flats where the redfish schools are beginning to show up. Also the snook fishing was the best this year I seen in a long time and should continue. I have openings in August if you want to catch a tarpon call me cause no matter what any body else says they are still available. I have also been booking some snook trips for September when the season opens as well as some fall kingfish trips in October, but I have plenty of openings.

Capt Andy Boyette
1-888-880-0006
www.gofishcharters.com
www.tarponcharters.com

I have a couple of openings left in May and a Couple left in June so if you want to go tarpon fishing call me, and I will give you the short list of available dates.

Snook fishing this spring from Fort Myers, Pine Island, and into Charlotte Harbor was off the charts. This was the best fishing I have seen in at least 7 years. I had several days that felt like I was in a time warp and fishing back in the 80′s. There was one day particularly where I spent a good 2 hours with a couple of clients who stayed doubled up on snook. We caught 12 fish over 10 pounds and another 20 or so inside the slot, with not one undersized fish. The best thing about that day was fishing a spot I had never fished in my life because of all the boats in the area and the late start I got with my clients. Moral to the story sometimes you should take the blinders off and take a look around instead of just running straight to your favorite fishing spot. These snook where obviously migrating to the passes and we chanced up on them in a pot on an island.

Look for me to be tarpon fishing only for the next 3-4 months, and for everyone who is interested tarpon fishing continues well into the summer months when the tarpon move back into the harbor and feed until the first hint of winter. Some of the best tarpon fishing of the year is July-September

Capt Andy Boyette
1-888-880-0006
www.gofishcharters.com
www.tarponcharters.com