‘Hooked up nonstop.’ How cooler water temperatures are affecting fishing in the Gulf
Captain Jacob Brown is ready for some calm weather.
“I went three days last week and it was rough every day,” said the Nature Coast-based Brown, who fishes out of Crystal River. “I’ll go in three- to five-foot seas with hardcore customers. If it’s corporate people or people fishing for the first time, maybe two to three.”
Since Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Brown has had very few fishing trips. He’s back up and running, but strong east winds and now Hurricane Rafael have left the Gulf rougher than he would like to fish, canceling most of his trips. But the days he has been out have proved extremely productive, with one day bringing home 235 fish!
“Right now we’re fishing in 60 to 70 feet of water, that for us is about a 50-mile run. It’s been absolutely amazing. The water dropped into the 75- to 76-degree range. All the hogfish are ganging up and coming together. Lane snapper are the biggest I’ve ever seen. Usually, they’re 12- to 14-inches, but this year they’re 20 inches and over. Then we mix in everything else like mangrove snapper and it’s been nonstop bites all day.”
Brown’s past three trips have all produced a six-person limit of hogfish.
Brown switches up fishing between big bottom — like ledges — and small natural structures —like rock piles. He focuses on hogfish and says all the other fish tend to bite on the same or similar rigs. He starts his day loading the live well with a large amount of shrimp that he fishes right on the bottom for the hogs.
“We’ve been taking about 1,000 shrimp a day and using them all. That’s fishing for five or six hours. We use a rig like a hogball with a weight and hook together. We’ll also use something like a chicken rig with the hook just above a 3-ounce sinker, that seems to do well with the lanes,” Brown explained.
“I really like this time of year, it’s so much better than the summer where we’re running 7 days a week 100 to 125 miles one way. This is fun fishing, everyone is hooked up nonstop.”
As water temperatures cool further and days get shorter, Brown will save on his large fuel bill aboard Hang Em’High Sportfishing’s quad-engine Freeman.
“In December, we focus on the 40 to 50 foot stuff. We haven’t hit that yet,” he said. “It’s been so good and I think it may get even better. I would rather fish for hogfish than any other species and this is the best time for it.”
Just up the coast from the Tampa Bay area, Brown also said his area has been continuing to rebuild and not many anglers have been back on the water quite yet.
“There are a lot of people still rebuilding their lives, and those who have rebuilt are now helping the others in our community. Our marina bait shop has had no one coming and buying bait. I’m about half booked up from what I normally am, but am fortunate to have a lot of people who love this type of fishing as much as I do so many booked after going out last year.”
Captain Jacob Brown can be reached on his cell phone (352) 650-7943 or through their website www.HangEmHighSportfishing.com.
