Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By ROB GORTA
Published July 4, 2006

Once in a while, charter clients want to use their boats. That can be hard for me, because everything I need is on my flats skiff. I was recently asked to charter aboard a 25-foot contender with a single 300-horsepower outboard motor. Normally, I don't fish offshore, but I took this opportunity to hunt for a favorite fish, permit. They can be found from close inshore to more than 30 miles offshore. I picked a wreck 25 miles offshore that I had not been to in a few months.

After a 50-minute run, we pulled up to the wreck and found two boats anchored on the sweet spot. I decided to drive around, and we found structure close to the wreck. We anchored and fished the bottom, waiting for the permit to show. Snapper, small grouper, small amberjack and goliath grouper kept us busy.

Overcast conditions made it difficult to sightcast, so I put one rod, with a free-lined half-dollar-sized blue crab, in a rod holder. Thirty minutes later, the rod started to bend. Finally a monster permit took the crab. Luckily, the other boats left. The fish was strong and broke us off, fighting its way into the wreck. The sun broke through the clouds midday, and I started to see permit "shining." Fish were on the surface turning on their sides, reflecting the sunlight. That led to five fish on at one time, total chaos. It was the best permit bite this year. We did not catch another fish after the last fish was brought aboard.

Rob Gorta charters out of St. Petersburg. Call him at (727) 647-7606 or see captainrobgorta.com.

[Last modified July 4, 2006, 01:23:44]