The Captain Gets To Go Fishing

I rarely get to go fishing. I’m not kidding. I’m a charter boat captain and I usually leave the fishing up to the client while I spend my time giving instruction, tying on fresh rigs, baiting hooks, casting and hopefully, unhooking fish. If you’ve ever taken your family fishing then you have a pretty good idea of what’s involved during my day on the water.

A few weeks ago I was waiting at the dock for my passengers to arrive. The weather was what pilots and boat captains like to call, “marginal”. A low pressure system was developing over the Gulf of Mexico and the forecast called for steady rain. The good news was there was no mention of high winds or lightning. When my folks arrived at the dock the decision was made to reschedule for another day. I had explained to them that getting wet was most likely, but that the bite should be really good because of the impending bad weather. They really weren’t equipped though, clothing wise, so we set up another date and they were on their way to breakfast.

As I was walking back to my truck and trailer I got to thinking about how rarely I get to fish alone. “Hmmm”, I said to myself, “I’ve got a fully equipped boat sitting in the water with bait, food and drinks on board. I’ve got a full-body Gore-Tex foul weather suit and there’s rising water, overcast skies and a low pressure system building in the Gulf.” I put the truck keys back in my pocket.

There was a light rain falling as I pulled away from the dock. I decided to make my first stop at the end of the long bar just outside of the Sanibel Bridge. The pompano had started to show up there a couple of weeks ago along with lots of mackerel and bluefish. Not today… The sharks were in, big time! In less than an hour I’d caught and released several big bonnet heads, a couple of black tips and one 5 foot bull shark. The smaller game fish were nowhere to be seen and having had my fill of “shark fun”, I headed for one of my favorite areas; Matlacha Pass.

I love the waters of Matlacha. It’s one of few places that you can fish and see only one or two other boats the entire day. Local knowledge of the water is required to navigate around the many oyster and sand bars and that keeps most unadventurous anglers at bay.

The rain was steady now as I pulled up on a spot near a small creek opening. The water was coming in slowly around one of the mangrove points so I cast a free-lined shrimp on a circle hook just upstream and let it slowly move along the mangrove line with the current. Pop!!! It was the unmistakable sound of a snook hitting bait near the surface! I reeled the tension out of the line and the fish was on. After a brief struggle I was able to pull the 25 inch snook out of the mangroves, land it, measure and release it. Things were looking good!

Over the next couple of hours I caught three snook, four nice redfish, a bunch of sheepshead and several mangrove snapper. I released everything except a couple of sheepies for dinner and then decided it was time to head for home. The inbound tide had started to slow as it reached its peak and with that, the fishing had slowed as well.

The ride back was wet but uneventful. I passed small oyster islands along the way covered in white pelicans, royal terns and gulls. I saw an eagle on a channel marker and lots of dolphin feeding on ladyfish and mullet near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. I only passed one other boat along the way; a crabber pulling his traps.

After arriving at the dock I cleaned the fish and peeled off the wet rain gear.

There were breaks in the cloud cover and the rain had finally stopped. What a great day it had turned out to be; lousy weather with lots of fish! I made a mental note to do this again as soon as possible.

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters

My Move to Fish-Tale Marina... 1 Year and Counting.

A little over a year ago I got a call from a friend of mine, Captain Mark Combs. We did a bit of catch up conversation and then he got to the meat of the call. He asked me about the possibility of moving my charter operations from the public ramp at Punta Rassa to a marina on Fort Myers Beach and perhaps helping out with adding a charter fleet to that location. Now I know that sounds like a no-brainer to most folks but for me, and many other charter captains, the thought of leaving the “no strings attached” lifestyle to work under supervision takes some thought. I said, “Mark... I’ll get back to you.”

A couple of weeks later I was sitting in the office of Al Durrett, owner of Fish-Tale Marina, discussing the logistics of a possible move and wether it would work or not in todays volatile economic climate. His idea was to put together a group of the best captains in the area to give his clientele a shot at some of the best fishing that Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico has to offer. He was looking to round out what was already a successful business and put more foot traffic in the marina.

I’ve spent a great deal of time fishing in the Florida Keys and much of that time was spent on the island of Islamorada. Almost every marina in that area had a charter fleet of both offshore and inshore guides. On any given day you could take a trip to the deep blue water for sailfish, dolphin or tuna or go back country for bonefish, permit and snook. I loved walking though Bud and Mary’s, Papa Joe’s and Holiday Isle looking at the charter fleet and wondering what it would be like to work out of a place like that. Time to find out.

One year later the fleet at Fish-Tale has grown to nine quality captains with over 300 years of combined fishing experience. Captains Mac McKinley, Mike Denegre, Brad Brown, Sean Davis, Ward Kowalyk, John Fetter, Sam Arcure, Phil Pica and myself make up a list of some of the finest guides in the area and all are well versed in putting folks on fish. I’m proud of this gang. I’ve watched them work hard day in and day out to make lasting memories and go the extra mile for customer satisfaction.

Captain Mac has more experience in his little finger than most of us have in our entire bodies. You want to learn something about Estero Bay? Mac is your man. Captain Mike is the family guy. He does group trips and always returns with dinner and smiling faces. Captain Phil is an offshore guide that specializes in sight fishing for permit, tarpon and cobia. If he can’t find fish then they aren’t out there. Captain Sam splits his time between back country flats fishing on an 18 foot skiff and captaining the Estero Bay Express; a 50 foot excursion boat that does sightseeing, dolphin watch and sunset cruises. Captain Brad, Sean, Ward, Jon and myself make up the back country crew. If you’re looking for trout, snook, redfish or tarpon on light spin or fly tackle then look no further.

A year has gone by and I have to say that it’s hard to beat the marina atmosphere. I’ve taken a genuine liking to Fort Myers Beach and love working there. It’s a beach town with beach people and that’s hard to beat. It has a character all it’s own and I’ve met some great folks there. There are small motels, beach resorts, restaurants and hidden away watering holes. There are lots of places to shop. I like the fact that you can find everything from expensive beach art to t-shirts on the beach.

Spring is in the air and summer is right around the corner. Take time out of your vacation or busy work schedule and visit “The Beach”. Stop in at Fish-Tale Marina and say hello to the gang. You won’t meet a friendlier bunch anywhere. We’ll be happy to show you our little slice of paradise.

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters

I write a monthly column for the Nautical Mile Magazine called "Reflections On The Water". I'm re-posting it here in memory of a good friend.
In the photo, left to right. Capt. Rob, Travis Palmer and Nick Contessa... Team "BC Soul".

Reflections On The Water

I lost a good friend and a fishing buddy a week ago. He died in an auto accident on his way home from a meeting in Clearwater. Nick Contessa was a great guy with a passion for his family and fishing. I spent quite a bit of time with him on Estero Bay looking for the ever elusive snook and redfish and talking about our families, dreams and past fishing victories. Every now and then we actually outsmarted the fish. Nick was fun to be around. He was always jovial and full of life which makes it all the harder to say goodbye. Take care my friend. Say hey to Dean-o and your Dad when you see them up there and tight lines.

The following Reflections article is a reprint from March of 2006. I wrote it for Nick after his father passed away.

There’s an old saying that goes something like this… Every day spent fishing adds another day to you life. I wish that were true! But there is some merit to the idea that spending time on the water, away from the trials and tribulations of life, can help alleviate some of the day-to-day stress found on the mainland.

Fishing, whether from shore or from a boat seems to be a “mind eraser” for most anglers. I know that when I’m out there looking for the next big snook, redfish or tarpon, I have very little time to think about anything but the approach and the hopeful impending hookup. This is what led me to call a good friend of mind whose father had recently passed away.

Nick Contessa and I had spent quite a bit of time together on Estero Bay fishing and talking about family, work and the latest lures and fishing tactics. The death of his father had hit him hard and had taken him away from the water. Having lost my dad only a few years ago, I knew a bit about what he was feeling. Like my father, Nick’s dad had introduced him to fishing and had taken the time to see that angling became a part of his life. Nick told me that his dad really didn’t fish all that much himself, but he enjoyed watching and helping Nick. Obviously it’s paid off. Nick is an excellent angler and a pleasure to share a boat with. It was time for him to get back on the water. I called and we set the date.

We started early and headed to one of our favorite spots at the top of the bay. The fish were there and the fun began. We found school after school of marauding jacks chasing bait around and through the oyster bars. Some of the schools were so large the “push” of the water looked more like a pod of dolphin! The mix also included a few snook, ladyfish and Nick managed to get hooked up with a big red.

Nick then suggested we try a spot that I hadn’t fished before and we were off to the backcountry of Estero Bay. After arriving we started casting soft plastics to the bushes and the bite began almost immediately. We both got several snook and large trout along with more jacks. The water was falling and the bite continued for over an hour. We still joke about my next comment. “Nick, I don’t think there’s enough water to float a fish back here now. We might want to think about getting out of here before we have to spend the night.” I then looked up under the mangroves and saw a big redfish moving slowly with a bit of his back and tail out of the water. I led him with a cast and within seconds the fight was on! A few minutes later I landed a twenty-six inch fish. After releasing the red and laughing about what I’d said about the lack of water, I spotted another push well up under the mangroves. Nick graciously said, “Go for it” and soon I had another big red on. The drag sang and the fish ran up and down the mangrove line but there was nowhere to hide. The water was well below the roots and after a short tug-of-war Nick netted another twenty-six inch redfish.

We decided it was time to move on so we headed to a creek opening and ate lunch while waiting for the tide to turn back inward. The conversation eventually led to our dads. We reminisced about past fishing outings with them and how we both were instilled with an appreciation of the outdoors and wildlife. We talked about the first fish we ever caught and the biggest. The conversation was never sad. It was more of a celebration of our angling roots. We both felt that if it hadn’t been for them, we wouldn’t be doing what we were doing that day. And what a shame that would have been!

After catching a few more fish in the creek we headed for home. The fishing had been fantastic and the camaraderie even better. Nick was back on the water where he should be and both our dads were smiling.

Remember, find the time to take your sons or daughters boating and fishing. It’s important to show them what we enjoy in hopes that they’ll continue the traditions that mean so much to us.

Capt. Rob Modys
March 2006

Cooking Your Catch

Of all the questions I repeatedly get asked during a charter there is one that comes up on just about every trip. How would you cook the fish we caught today? I usually reply with a kind of Forrest Gump answer. You can light fry, deep fry, batter fry, broil, bake, grill, saute or even make sushi out of your catch. After a few more questions I can usually narrow it down to one or two suggestions, give a simple recipe and send them on their way to enjoy a fresh seafood dinner. So on that note I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite ways to cook the fish we catch and maybe give you some new ideas as well.

I think that baking fish is probably the easiest and quickest way to get fillets from the fridge to the table. First, line a baking pan with aluminum foil and then spray the foil with PAM. Place the fillets in the pan. Put a couple of tabs of butter, your favorite spices and some fresh squeezed lemon on each fillet and then put the whole thing in a 350 degree oven. The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the fillets but I usually recommend checking them after about 15 minutes. The simplest way to check fish for doneness is to put a fork in the fillet and twist. If the meat cleanly breaks or flakes away then it’s time to serve.

If you like your fish with a crisper crust just follow the above instructions but instead of baking the fish, try broiling. You really have to keep an eye on this method because the oven temperatures are much higher for broiling vs. baking and this will speed up the cooking time. It also doesn’t work well for a real thick piece of fish but there is a solution. Start the cooking process on bake and then switch the oven to broil after 10 or 15 minutes of cooking. This will help cook the fillet inside and out without drying out the meat and then provide a nice crust.

I love grilled fish. A thick piece of grouper on the grill is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this local, top notch fish. Add a few tabs of butter, some lemon and a touch of spices and you are good to go. Another one of my grilled favorites is a dish I came up with years ago... fish smothered in shrimp. Make a pan out of aluminum foil big enough to hold the fish you are cooking. Peel a half pound of fresh shrimp and set aside. Put a small amount of butter, some salt and pepper and fresh squeezed lemon on your fillets of choice and put them on the grill. While the fish is cooking mix the raw shrimp with some melted butter and fresh garlic. Just before the grilled fish is done place the shrimp on top and cook until the shrimp is pink. Serve and enjoy!

The image most often brought to mind of fried fish is a fillet covered in batter and then deep fried. I’ve got another idea and it taste better because there is less batter on the fish. Instead of dredging the fillets in milk, eggs or both to create a batter I prefer to “dry” dredge. Wash the fillets and then pat them dry with paper towels. Put your favorite powdered fish coating in a small brown paper bag. I like Uncle Bucks, Cajun Fish Powder or Drakes. Drop the dried fillets into the bag, shake and then put them in about a 1/4 inch of hot oil in a frying pan. Cook each side for about 3 minutes and then test for doneness by using a fork to break the fish. Serve with lemon slices or tartar sauce.

The last but not least option is probably the easiest. There are many restaurants in our area that will cook your catch. I’ve tried this at The Fish House, Lazy Flamingo and Pinchers and all were excellent. Most require that you bring fillets and not the whole fish and they offer a number of ways to prepare your catch. You also have choices of vegetables, bread and salads to go along with your fish.

Get out on the water, catch a few fish and enjoy the day and a fresh caught dinner.

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters

To Shrimp Or Not To Shrimp, That Is The Question

As I write this, Southwest Florida is in the midst of its first real cold front of the season. Last night we had a record low of 46 degrees. Just a few days ago we were having record high temperatures in the 90’s. Things sure can switch around weather wise in a hurry. I had to go digging for my Gor-Tex jacket and bibs along with gloves and a hooded sweatshirt. Time to put away the flip flops and get out the boat shoes!

To make things interesting I had a fishing charter right in the middle of the change. Before the front moved in bait was easy to find along the beaches and the bite was steady for days, both in the backcountry and in the Gulf. I guess the fish could sense the change in barometric pressure and knew it was time to fatten up for the impending bad weather.

On my charter day the front had passed through the area. The morning temperature had fallen to 52 degrees and the winds were gusting out of the north at 25 miles an hour, which makes it feel like 40 degrees on the water. The low tide was a scheduled negative low at about 7:30 in the morning but the winds kept pushing the water out until about 10 AM and made for a low tide that exposed sand and oyster bars that I hadn’t seen since last winter. The game plan had to be seriously modified or perhaps not go at all.

My anglers arrived at the marina and I gave them the “lack of bait” and small craft advisory report and asked them how badly they really wanted to do this. The vote was to go if we could, stay in the backcountry out of the wind as much as possible and throw artificials if needed. I decided to give it a go and bought 100 shrimp as a backup plan.

I like fishing with live shiners and threadfin herrings and I often forget just how effective live shrimp can be. I tend to feel that a live swimming bait is going to catch the bigger fish while shrimp will attract only the smaller species. That’s really not true at all. Thinking back over the years, I’ve seen some pretty spectacular catches on shrimp. After all, they are native to our waters and I’m sure they are a major part of most game fish diets. The biggest redfish I ever caught was on a shrimp and jig combo.

We headed off to the north end of Estero Bay. The idea was to fish the many cuts found in the area around the oyster bars. There was so little water due to the low tide and wind that I figured the fish would have to be in those cuts. Heck, there wasn’t enough water anywhere else for them to swim in! The hunch paid off in a big way.

We used nothing but shrimp for bait and rigged them on small yellow 1/4 ounce jig heads. The guys cast them near oyster bar points and in the deepest cuts and then worked them back nice and slow over the bottom. During the course of the day they caught over 30 snook including two slot fish, a couple of nice redfish, keeper trout, a dozen keeper sheepshead, a small gag grouper, scads of mangrove snapper and more than our share of catfish. We had constant action for most of the day and we arrived back at the dock with smiles on our faces and dinner in the box.

The valuable lesson here is don’t be afraid to change gears when things get tough and don’t be afraid to put live shrimp in the well as a go-to bait. As we move further and further into the winter months live shrimp should become part of your game plan. They area easy to get and easy to use.

Best of luck!

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters

Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach

I'm looking out through the sliding glass doors of my room at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach.  I'm here attending the Governor's Conference on Tourism as a partner with Visit Florida.  The view is spectacular.  The Atlantic Ocean is  emerald green and dotted with cruise ships, freighters and cargo ships.  From my balcony I can also look toward downtown Miami and see the many skyscrapers, the Intracoastal Waterway and the main entrance drive for the hotel.  The entrance drive is fascinating.

I've never seen so many Ferrari's and Lamborghini's in one place in my life!

The hotel is instantly recognizable from the beach side by any James Bond movie fan.  The opening scenes from Goldfinger were shot arou

nd the pool area and the curved main building looks just as it did in the early 60's.   The famous curved Stairway to Nowhere still graces the main lobby.  The staircase was used so the rich and famous could make grand entrances to festivities and be photographed by the paparazzi.

The hotel has been completely remodeled to its original glory.  The Art Deco architecture is beautiful.  Marble and soft pastel colors and lighting make for a pleasing visual effect and instantly take you back to a time of martinis, the Rat Pack and Marilyn Monroe.  The pools and lounge areas make up an oasis of private cabana getaways.  I can now mark another place I've always wanted to visit off the list but I have a feeling I'm going to have to return!   

Observations:

1.  There are more beautiful women per square foot here than anywhere in the world and most have learned to walk on very, very high heels.

2.  There is no such thing as a bad tasting cup of coffee in Miami.

3.  Cigars taste better here.

4.  Ocean Drive in South Beach is worth cruising in a red 2010 Chevy Camaro SS with the sunroof open.

5.  I've been to both Las Vegas and Miami Beach.  Boob jobs are big money in both cities.

6.  The clubs don't open until 12 midnight and it cost more to enter if you are male.

7.  The IHOP in Miami Beach has the best service of any restaurant in the country.  I've never seen so many happy servers. 

 

Eleuthera Adventure

I have been to a lot of beautiful places over the years and have enjoyed the scenery, fishing and the local hospitality but my latest adventure was, without question, the best.

Several months ago while at a small get together some close friends of ours mentioned that they wanted to return to the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. I listened with curiosity while Angie and Alan explained the area and what it had to offer in the way of fishing. They also mentioned that it had some of the most remote and beautiful beaches they had ever visited.

I few weeks later, at another party, they brought photographs of Eleuthera with them and ran a slide show. One word came to mind while I watched... Paradise. My wife JoNell and I made the decision right then and there that we weren’t going to miss out on this trip. Neither one of us had had a real non-working vacation in over 11 years and now was the time.

Plans were eventually made to include my brother, his sons and my mother on the trip but a series of events nixed that and the traveling party turned out to be just the four of us. Angie and Alan did their best to prepare us with the proper traveling paraphernalia. They advised us on fly fishing gear, flies, lines and leaders as well as all the other extras to be packed for the trip. We even invested in a small hand held GPS to help us find our way around the island. It looked like we were going on safari instead of an island vacation.

My first look at Eleuthera was out of the chartered Beech 1900 airplane window at about 3000 feet above the island. What a view. A combination of pastel blue and green greeted my eyes along with strips of pink sand beaches. The remoteness of the scene below was breathtaking.

Eleuthera is located on the most eastern edge of the Bahama Islands. It is over 100 miles long and in most places, only a few miles wide. There is one main road that runs the entire length of the island called Queen’s Highway. Off the highway there are hundreds of small roads (more like rutted paths) that lead to some of the most remote and beautiful beaches you will ever have the pleasure of leaving a footprint on.

After arriving at the airport and checking through Customs we loaded our bags in our rental jeep. The paperwork for the vehicle was simply a signature. No check of a drivers license, insurance, first born son or credit history. You signed a slip of paper that told you the daily rate and drove off. No worries mon!

A short time later we checked into the Duck Inn at Governor’s Harbour. The small town is located almost in the center of Eleuthera and has some of the oldest architecture on the island. The Duck Inn is owned by John and Kay Duckworth and is a private compound with four buildings connected by winding walkways bordered by orchid and fruit gardens. It’s a paradise within paradise.

During our first couple of days Angie and Alan acted as our tour guides and then turned us lose to explore. We soon learned why Eleuthera is sometimes referred to as the “Adventurer’s Island”. JoNell almost drowned at the Friday night Fish Fry. It’s a long story. We almost drowned our rental jeep. It’s a longer story. We almost drowned our rental jeep again! It’s another long story. Let me put it this way. If you want to have the most fun and find the most beautiful beaches and the best fishing, you have to work for it. There are very few signs to point the way.

There are scenes on Eleuthera I will never forget. My first look at Ten Bay. Savannah Sound at low tide with elusive bonefish everywhere. The coral reefs and the beach at Lighthouse Point. The Queen’s Baths. The caves at Twin Beach and the spectacular view at the top of the cliffs. I could go on and on.

One thing is clear. JoNell and I are already planning our next trip to Eleuthera. We learned a lot the first time around and we want to continue exploring the island. There are many more photos to be taken, fish to be caught and beaches to walk.