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On the Water: Fall fishing begins in Southwest Florida

By Capt. Bill Russell - | Sep 21, 2022

Despite a stormy morning, Joan Rosenberg of St. James City caught and released this 31-inch snook near Bokeelia fishing with Capt. Bill Russell. PHOTO PROVIDED

This week we leave the hot days of summer behind and transition to the fall season. Anglers should find pleasant weather and good fishing for a variety of species inshore and in gulf waters.  

Seatrout, with a few over 20 inches, were caught across various areas around Pine Island, including north Matlacha Pass, the perimeter of Charlotte Harbor, the northeast side of Pine Island Sound and grass flats between Sanibel’s Tarpon Bay and the powerlines. Larger fish were busting top-water lures around oyster bars over the early morning hours after first light and caught later in the day in shallow channels and potholes using pinfish and Gulp baits under a rattling cork.

Oversized snook were caught and released around Blind, Redfish and Captiva passes while drifting live baits over the bottom near structure. Live baiters hooked snook off the eastern and western walls of Charlotte Harbor, mid-Pine Island Sound and around Bokeelia. From shore, snook were hooked after dark from both the Matlacha Drawbridge and the Sanibel Pier and daylight hours from the Bokeelia Fishing Pier.               

Redfish were located along Charlotte Harbors eastern shore, northern Pine Island Sound and inside the Gulf passes. Many of the fish are running 30 inches or better and were often in schools from a dozen to a hundred or better. Smaller reds were hooked around oyster bars and potholes near Buck Key and south of Demere Key in Pine Island Sound. On the higher water, reds from 17 to 26 inches came from mangrove overhangs in north Matlacha Pass and the eastern side of Pine Island Sound near Pineland. 

Schools of hard-fighting jack crevalle were reported around Charlotte Harbor, Matlacha Pass and areas of Pine Island Sound. Watch for surface commotion for their location; they commonly travel the same path along bars and shorelines as redfish schools this time of year. Make a long cast with a top-water lure or natural bait and hold on! 

Sharks up to 6 feet were hooked while anchoring up along channels and troughs in Pine Island Sound. Cut mullet and ladyfish were the bait of choice, with bulls, blacktip and lemon sharks the common species. 

Anglers caught mangrove snapper up to 15 inches in Pine Island Sound and around the Gulf passes. Small live baits, including pilchards, herring, pinfish and shrimp were the best choice while fishing sand holes, oyster bars, shorelines or around structure and ledges. 

With stormy unsettled weather, few fishing reports came from offshore. As we know, we are getting into a great time of year to fish the Gulf waters. Snapper and grouper are moving closer to shore, plus cooler weather to the north will send migrating or pelagic species off our coast as the water cools. We should start getting reports of tripletail and cobia hook-ups, plus sheepsheads moving in soon.  

Fall is officially here, time for some of our best fishing and weather of the year. The next month or so gives us so much opportunity for not only good fishing, but just plain beautiful weather to be outdoors. Get out there and enjoy it! 

Check current fishing rules and regulations and stay up to date by visiting www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app on your phone. It has current regulations and seasons with pictures to help identify fish.  

If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact Gulf Coast Guide Service at 239-410-8576 (call or text); on the web at www.fishpineisland.com; or via email at gcl2fish@live.com.

Have a safe week and good fishin’.

As a lifetime resident of Matlacha and Pine Island, Capt. Bill Russell has spent his life fishing and learning the waters around Pine Island and South-west Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years.