Cooler water makes for good fishing
We have experienced lots of rain over the last couple weeks in Southwest Florida. In return the water temperature has dropped improving fishing conditions around Pine Island. As hurricane Earl moved north up the Atlantic last week it pulled the moisture with it and in return left us with no rain and sunny skies.
Schools of tarpon were found happily feeding on the morning high tides in Matlacha Pass. These aren’t the big boys but averaging fifteen to forty pounds they are an absolute blast on light tackle. Captain Joe Harley also reported similar size tarpon in northern Pine Island Sound on calm mornings. Larger tarpon were also reported scattered off the beach from Knapp’s Point on Sanibel north to Redfish Pass.
The redfish we are catching are either over the slot at thirty inches or better or are around the twenty inch mark. We are finding them under the mangroves in north Matlacha Pass and upper Pine Island Sound on high water and falling into holes behind the bars surrounding Charlotte Harbor on the tail end of the falling tide. Redfish were also reported in Pine Island Sound south of Useppa Island on the bay side of Cayo Costa and around the keys south of Pineland Marina.
Snook catches were reported from the beaches to Charlotte Harbor. Larger fish were found under docks near Captiva and Redfish Passes and Captain Ken Honc reports some bruisers under docks in the northern Sound but getting them to eat has been difficult. We caught a good number of snook on my boat with a few up to thirty inches from the same low tide areas as the redfish. We were fishing the eastern side of Charlotte Harbor. The fresh water run-off doesn’t seem to affect the reds or snook as we caught freshwater gar fish from the same spot.
A few large trout up to twenty-three inches were caught over oyster bars on the high water in north Matlacha Pass and between St. James and Punta Rassa. Good action with trout up to seventeen inches and Spanish mackerel was found on the falling tides along deeper grass flats near sand bar drop-offs around Bokeelia on the edge of Charlotte Harbor. Captain Gary Clark reports similar action near the old mail boat channel off St. James on small pilchards under a popping cork.
With the days getting shorter and the water cooling fishing should only get better each day. Look for schools of large fall redfish pushing along the flats and bars. Snook will also begin to move off the beaches and back inshore and generally adopt a very strong appetite this month. Season remains closed but snook are still fun to catch just be extra careful when unhooking and releasing. The weather is getting great and the winter crowd isn’t here yet, so get out there and enjoy it!
If you have a fishing report 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’.