A common concern this time of year is the effects of our Florida sun and heat. It is a legitimate concern, after all, this is the Sunshine State and our temperatures can push the low to mid-nineties on occasions. However, it is not near as uncomfortable as one may think. You see, coastal communities are blessed with natural, super-sized chillers which in our case is called the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic keeps our temperatures a good five degrees cooler than inland communities (such as Orlando) while providing us with moderating sea breezes in the afternoon. Beyond our geographical blessing of being a coastal community are several counter-measures we can employ as well.
One wise antidote to the effects of summer heat is simply dressing appropriately (short sleeve, Columbia style shirts and short pants). Another is drinking plenty of fluids during the day to remain properly hydrated (the Lord provided our bodies with a most effective cooling system called ‘perspiration’).
There are other counter-measures to the heat too. One favorite among Native Son guides is to plan to spend some time ‘in the water’. And not only can wade fishing negate some of the effects of the summer sun but most find it is an exciting way to fish as well. Finally, if all else fails, we may take an hour at noon to visit one of our many waterfront cafes to eat, chat, strategize, and simply ‘chill out’.
Fishing in the summer can be hot too! Both Capt. Roland, with the Keene family from Virginia, and Capt. Rocky, with John LeGrande and Marco Albano from California, guided parties to the Ft. Pierce area on Tuesday (75 miles southeast of Orlando). The Keene family had a great time wading along the pristine islands and catching snook, redfish, snapper and sail cats. Among the fish caught by John and Albano were four large snook (the largest was 36 inches) and a number of gator trout (the largest being 31 inches). Pictured below is a snook double-hitter by the Californians.
Wednesday brought a rare tropical wave through the area. This was accompanied by lots of rain, wind and super low pressure which didn’t help the fishing as we were also experiencing abnormal full-moon tides. Thursday’s trip was as frustrating as we’ve ever experienced as the fish simply refused to cooperate. This resulted is a very rare offer of a full refund by us … if you don’t catch fish, you do not have to pay.
Friday’s fishing recovered somewhat as Mark George and friend caught several nice fish including three snook and three gator trout. Saturday fishing was ‘off the chain’ … we lost count of the fish before 9:00 am but are sure that seven huge trout over 30 inches were among the totals.
By the way, every charter this week, except one, included some ‘wade’ time and those who ventured forth into the waters were thrilled with the experience
