Hopefully, Easter weekend will set trend for calmer seas
For the past couple weeks it has been down right windy for anglers both inshore or offshore. We come to expect that in March as it is always one, if not the windiest month of the year. However, it is now near mid-April and the winds should not be as dominant. The stiff winds subdued to a light breeze going into the Easter weekend, hopefully this will be the beginning of a trend for calmer seas.
Although it was windy and it dictated where and how you fished, the bite was still pretty good. A late season cold front shut down the snook bite for a few days, but it was quickly getting back on track as the water temperatures begun to rise. There’s not too much offshore obviously, but there were a few king mackerel and large Spanish mackerel caught a short distance from the beach of Sanibel. The kings were caught on live thread herring and the Spanish on silver spoons. Gag grouper are once again back in season in state waters also.
Spanish mackerel were caught just about everywhere you could fish inshore. We even caught a couple large ones fishing mangrove shorelines for snook in Matlacha Pass. They were found on both the bay and gulf side of the Sanibel Causeway, on the channel edge in Matlacha Pass, all around Charlotte Harbor and around all the Gulf Passes. Cobia was also reported in many of the same areas – no big ones – but they should be around.
At the end of the week we saw good high tides with the full moon allowing anglers to work the bushes for redfish, especially on the days with the strong south winds. Many fishermen have been finding it tough getting on hungry reds. The bite wasn’t red hot over the week, but it was a definite improvement. Slot size reds from 23 to 26 inches were caught on mangrove points near the power lines in the southern end of the sound while fishing a live pinfish under a bobber. Redfish were also caught in Matlacha Pass around Smokehouse Bay on live pilchards and storm wild eye swim shads in a chartreuse silver color. The best bite was toward the top of the incoming and first hour of the falling tide.
Big trout, that’s all I can say about trout fishing. I can’t remember a two-week stretch in several years where we have caught as many big fish. Most of the larger fish are coming off oyster bars and potholes along islands where you expect snook. Many of these fish are running 22 to 24 inches and we caught and released one that honestly measured over 27 inches. Big specks were reported throughout the sound and Matlacha Pass; they were feeding heaviest in areas where the wind and tide were moving the water quickly. They are feeding heavily on oily baitfish – if you can’t find any pilchards or herrings, try some artificial imitations.
The week started off slow snook fishing and got better each day as the wind turned from the east to a more southerly direction and the water once again warmed a bit. The ratio of under-sized to legal sized fish went up this week as many fish were running 26 to 27 inches. The snook were found around oyster bars and shorelines on high water and under docks on the lower tides.
The best day on my boat believe it or not was by a 7-year-old kid. Little Aaron Terharr put on a fishing clinic for his dad Keith and Grandpa Dave. Our first stop was on the flats where we found some fast action on trout, mackerel and bluefish. I quickly realized this little guy was a serious fisherman and determined. Every fish he fought to the boat he was adamant that it was quickly released safely back in the water, that was pretty cool in itself.
After a while we went on a mission to find a snook for Grandpa Dave for dinner. After a couple failed holes, the third stop was the charm. While the grown-ups were hauling in the baby snook, little Aaron hooked up to a bigger fish. After it drug him all the way around the boat at least once, a nice 29-inch snook was netted.
The first words from Aaron’s mouth was, “Hurry up, put it back in the water.” We tried to convince him to let grandpa keep the fish but to no success as he stated, “Grandpa can catch his own.” So release the fish we did, and guess what? Within minutes, little Aaron was hooked up to the twin of the last snook. This time it wasn’t easy but we did manage to work some magic with young Aaron and allowed the snook to stay in the boat for grandpa, but it sure wasn’t easy.
He still wasn’t done. He threw his bait right where his grandpa had been fishing and immediately the rod was doubled over, the drag screamed and a big snook blasted from the water. This fish really gave him a fight and with a little assistance from his father, he finally got the fish boat side. She measured slightly over 34 inches and, you guessed it, immediately Aaron was stating to release it back in the water. We took a quick picture of the boy and his fish and we all enjoyed watching the big snook swim away. It’s not often that someone so young is so determined not to keep the fish they catch; it’s refreshing to see this mind-set at this age and makes the future of our fisheries look a little brighter.
If you have a fishing story or photo that you would like to share or for charter information, please contact us at (239)283-7960 or visit us at www.fishpineisland.com. Have a safe week and good fishin’.