Rough seas and high winds keep fishing charters from going offshore

Over the past two weekends, they’ve had to cancel or convince customers to change their fishing plans from going offshore.

TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIEROPENS TO THE PUBLIC FOR THEFIRST TIME IN NELYAR 100 YEARS.A BAD BATCH OF WEATHER OVER THEPAST TWO WEEKENDS HAS FISHGINCHARTERS FINDING NEW WAYS TOREEL IN CUSTOMERS.FOX 4’S COLTON CHAVEZ TAKES ALOOK AT THE ISSUES OFF-SHORE.(PKG)ROUGH SEASNats of waterAND HIGH WINDS ARE KEEPINGFISHERMEN NEAR THEHO SRE OR INTHE MARINA ON FORT MYERS BEACH."This has been the firstig bswing of cold fronts of theseason"FOR CAPTAIN JOHN- OF "FIRST FIVECHARTERS"--OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKENDS--THEY’VE HAD TO CANCEL ORCONVINCE CUSMETORS TO CHANGETHEIR FISHING PLANS FROM GOINGOFFSHORE.Captain John Gauntt, Day 5Charters"20 mph winds, there is no waywe are getting out on thewater."BUT THE COLD AND WINDY WEEKENDSDONT HAVE DAY FIVE CHARTERSHITTING THE PANIC BUTTON JUSTYET.INSTEAD--THEY’RE USINGHE TCOLDER WEATHER TO FIND WARMERWATERS NEAR THE SHE.OR"Four miles from shore, we areseeing big Yellow Tail Snappercome into the boat which is notnormal for anything inside of9ft"DURING THE COLDER MONTHS-CAPTAIN JOHN SAYS FISH AREALREADY LESS ACTIVE- WHICH MEANSFEWER BITES FOR FISHERMEN.NOW ADD-IN HIGH WINDS-ND ACAPTAINS ARE HAVING TO RELY ONTHEIR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TOFIND FISH.NOT EXTLACY THE RFPEECTSITUATION AS WE APPROACHTHANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMASBREAK--TWO OF THE BUSIEST TIMESOF YEAR FOR DAY FIVE CHARTERS."Theat wer temrapeture diveslike this, we know to go to thisspot where the water stayswarmer down deep.

I’m jus’hoping that we dont have anybodywho is limited to, it has to bean offshore trip"CAPTAIN HN SJOAYS FOR CUSTOMERSWHO DONT MIND BUNDLING UP DURINGCOLDER WEATHER-- THERE IS STILLA LOT OF GREAT FISHING TO BEDONE.AND DESPITE THE PAST FEWWEEKENDS- HE’S NOT READY TO BITEON THE IDEA THAT THIS IS A SIGNOF THE SEASON TO CE.OM"We were kind of excited becausethe quality of the fish comingin, while we might have onlycaught four or five fish, ainfour-hour trip, when we aretargeting Snook and Red