Look for snapper and sharks to keep busy
Now may be the best time to take advantage of the snapper fishing both inshore and off. Reports of snapper up to sixteen inches were reported in and around the Passes and inshore under piers and under some off the deeper mangrove shorelines. Although these fish aren’t huge they fight like they are, they make a great fish for family fun and you get rewarded with one of the best eating fish that swims. If you don’t have access to a boat try it from land, The Bokeelia Pier and Matlacha Bridge are a couple favorites that produce year in and year out and if you make a little drive the Sanibel Pier and the roc k jetties at Blind Pass are also good bets. If you have access to a private dock give it a try, many of the largest snapper hang around residential docks. Summer is also a great time to head offshore and fish the cool hours after sun fall for bigger snapper. The best bite is generally around the full moon, but you must pay close attention to the weather to pick your evenings.
As mentioned inshore mangrove snapper aren’t huge so match the tackle accordingly. A small circle hook, light leader and small weight if needed and for bait you can’t beat live shrimp or small pinfish and pilchards. They have keen eyesight so after you catch one or two they may get leader shy if you are not using fluorocarbon, depending on the water clarity. And one last note, snapper got their name for good reason so keep your fingers away from their mouth.
Another family fun fish that’s abundant during the summer are sharks. There is just something about kids catching sharks, you think they are having a blast catching all the other species then you watch them hook into a shark and they take it to a new level. And it’s even more fun to listen to them brag about their catch when you get back to the dock. And of all are shark species the blacktip are probably the most abundant and exciting to catch. They average three to four feet the perfect size shark for a youngster to catch and not get scared, they make some really cool jumps, are very fast and fight hard. They often run in small schools so if you catch one you can expect to hook some more.
Look for the sharks over grass flats from four to ten feet deep inshore and just off the beaches or on the gulf side of the Sanibel Causeway. The key is to find an area active with baitfish and fish feeding on them, here the sharks well be prowling for an easy meal. For bait it can be about anything as long as it’s fre sh or alive. To attract the blacktips it’s hard to beat a hand size live pinfish under a balloon or bobber. This give out an attention getting vibration as the hooked bait tries unsuccessfully to get to the bottom. A small slice to the bait will also get the scent in the water but will shorten the life span of the bait. With a mouth full of razor sharp teeth you will need a short trace of wire leader to prevent cut offs. And you definitely do not want to get your fingers in their mouth are you might just lose one. If you do not intend on bringing a shark home for dinner (small blacktips are very good eating) then it’s much safer for everyone to keep the fish in the water and use a de-hooker or cut the wire as near the hook as safely possible.
We have a lot of other higher profile species of fish in our water, but for fun for all ages, action and relative ease to catch without a lot of fancy gear give the snapper an d sharks a try, and let us know how you did.
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’.