Change of seasons on the water
Summer is officially over and September is quickly coming to a close. With a new month and the fall season upon us fishermen continue to report good catches from offshore to inshore.
Inshore a few anglers found some impressive redfish schools in Pine Island. Schools exceeding several hundred were reported eating everything in their path as they were sighted pushing a wall of water as they worked along the edges of sand bars. Almost all the fish were thirty inches or larger and were caught on live pinfish under weighted bobbers and large top water lures (both bait choices that could be cast a long distance). Similar size redfish in smaller schools were reported on sand bars on both the east and west side of Charlotte Harbor. For smaller redfish that fell in the keeper slot (18-27 inches) a better choice was fishing the full moon high tide under the mangroves. Redfish along with some really nice mangrove snapper up to sixteen inches were caught at Jug Creek in Bokeelia around Cabbage Key and in Ding Darling on the back side of Sanibel Island.
An above average number of large trout were caught again this week both inshore and on the beaches. Fish up to twenty-three inches were common around oyster bars in Pine Island Sound on the high water; the key was fishing areas with concentrations of mullet. Above average trout were also reported on the beach from Sanibel Rocks north to the Johnson Shoals area of Cayo Costa. They were found over submerged structure that also held mangrove snapper, snook and a few flounder. Trout, with a good average in the keeper size were also caught over grass flats around the perimeter of Charlotte Harbor near sand bars and off the Captiva Rocks in the Sound. Four to seven feet was the most productive depth and live pilchards or pilchard imitations was the best baits.
Offshore there has been decent reports pretty close in from depth from twenty to forty five feet. In the shallower depths schools of Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and ladyfish were commonly sighted beating up large schools of baitfish. About any small shiny bait was a sure bet to get whacked. Grouper and snapper were reported in thirty to forty five feet of water. Gag grouper up to twenty-five inches were caught while trolling either Bomber CD 25 or CD 30 lures in depths to thirty five feet. The key was keeping the lure just off the bottom to get the groupers attention.
Captain Sean McQuade found a good mix of snapper and grouper at forty five feet. While spear fishing over rock ledges they scored with a limit of gags to twenty-nine inches and snapper to twenty inches. He also reports a few nice hog snapper from the same depth.
The waters have been quite over the last few months, not as in lack of fish but in lack of boats and anglers. That’s typical for August and September but just like the hot summer weather that’s going to change soon. Before you know it the crowds will return and the holiday’s season will be upon us, do yourself a favor and get on the water before that happens. Right now is a great time to beat the crown and enjoy some fabulous fishing!
If you have a fishing story or for charter information, please contact us at 239-283-7960, www.fishpineisland.com or gcl2fish@live.com Have a safe week and good fishin’.