On the Water: Here come the Spanish mackerel
The week started of shaky as we endured a cold front with very strong winds that eventually gave way to calmer days with mild temperatures and blue skies. The cool weather dropped water temperatures by 10 degrees or more early in the week that really affected the bite, but as the week progressed water temperatures were on the rise and the bite improving. Another front arrived again, over the weekend, of course, and brought rain and cooler days.
Without a doubt the best thing going is Spanish mackerel. They are plentiful throughout inshore and offshore waters, they are running good size and they are hungry. From land, mackerel were hooked from the Bokeelia Pier, the Matlacha Bridge, Sanibel Pier and the Sanibel Causeway spoil islands. From boat, throughout Charlotte Harbor, Matlacha Pass between markers 72 and 76, in Pine Island Sound between Useppa Island and the fish shacks and off Red Light Shoals. On the outside, a mile or so off the beaches from Boca Grande south to the Sanibel Lighthouse, and off the Gulf side of the Sanibel Causeway. The best baits were shiny and silver, including a variety of spoons and small lures that mimic pilchards, herring or glass minnows. Live pilchards and herring are plentiful and a sure thing for instant action, and live shrimp also was a great choice.
Off the beaches, hard fighting bonito were also found feeding around the same bait pods as mackerel and, over several afternoons, pods of tarpon were located feeding on glass minnow schools a short distance off the beach of Sanibel. After mid-week as the winds settled down, cobia to 40 inches were reported from near shore wrecks and reefs and a few tripletail under floats.
The redfish and snook bite was pretty tough much of the week; smaller fish were feeding at times, but no so much for the larger fish. Several nice snook to 32 inches were landed from the Matlacha Bridge during the cool, windy nights while casting heavy lures. A few oversized reds were caught and released around Charlotte Harbor and northeast Pine Island Sound, and smaller reds were found in creeks in southern Matlacha Pass and “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge.
With the cooler water temperature, trout fishing should improve over the upcoming weeks. Look for the better fish off bar drop-offs, around the perimeter of sand or potholes, oyster bars and over grass/sand mottled bottom where schooling baitfish are present.
While mangrove snapper inshore have pretty well thinned out, sheepshead and pompano are moving in. I have already noticed a good number of large sheepshead and the numbers will only increase as the water cools.
The mackerel bite has been great, they do not get the attention of our prize game fish like snook and redfish, but if you want to have some fun catching a tenacious, fast and hard fighting fish, now is the time.
For table fare, Spanish mackerel are often overlooked; fresh, they are great and one of my favorites. Get out there and have some fun before they are gone!
If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us at 239-283-7960, visit www.fishpineisland.com or e-mail us at gcl2-fish@live.com
Have a safe week and good fishin’.