On the Water: Windy week on the water as front moves in
Fishing was fair early in the week ahead of a front that brought rain and strong winds into the weekend.
Spanish mackerel were caught from the Matlacha Draw Bridge and in the Matlacha Pass from the S curve in the channel north to marker 76. Also, mackerel were found off Bokeelia Shoals and between the fish shacks and Cabbage Key. Sea trout, ladyfish, jack crevalle and small sharks were also in the mix. Before the winds picked up, it was easy to locate bait schools by looking for birds and feeding fish.
Redfish were hooked along mangrove edges and oyster bars over the morning falling tides. Fish ranging from 20-32 inches were caught and released from the Sword’s Point area of the south Matlacha Pass, Northern Buzzard Bay and shorelines in the northern Sound, plus keys and oyster bars from Regla Island north to Demere Key. Baits varied from soft plastics and suspended twitch bait to live pinfish, pilchards and shrimp, plus cut mullet, ladyfish and pinfish.
Snook, with a few over 30 inches, were caught and released while casting live bait and spoons along shorelines off the Charlotte Harbor’s eastern shore near Pirates Harbor and in the Pine Island Sound from Buck Key north to the Captiva Pass. Snook were also hooked around oyster bars in the Matlacha Pass and from the Matlacha Draw Bridge after sunset.
Ahead of the strong winds, pompano were making a presence across inshore waters. After the wind settles, look for pompano along the Gulf beaches and passes and bar drop-offs throughout the Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass and Charlotte Harbor.
Keep up to date with fishing regulations and seasons as they change often. You can visit www.myfwc.com for all current state and federal regulations. Also, you can 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, contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service by calling 239-410-8576 or emailing gcl2fish@live.com. Or you can visit us online at www.fishpineisland.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 the Pine Island and Southwest Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for over 20 years.