Fishing is as good as the weather
The inshore fishing opportunities weren’t too bad over the past week for trout, redfish and sheepsheads and offshore the weather cooperated long enough for one or two days of calm seas to catch grouper and snapper.
Reports have been good for trout over the past week with steady catches of fish in the fifteen to twenty inch keeper size and a few larger. Captain Ken Honc is finding trout schooled up in potholes in northern Pine Island Sound from Bokeelia south to Rocky Channel. The best action came over the first couple hours of the incoming tide while freelining live shrimp or casting shrimp imitation. Captain Gary Clark reports plenty of trout in potholes and over the deeper grass flats in lower Pine Island Sound near Chino Island and also Tarpon Bay. For bait both Shrimp under a popping cork and white redfish magic soft plastics did the trick. In Matlacha Pass the best trout action south of the bridge was over the deeper flats south of McCardles Island and Captain Joe Harley reports catching some larger trout while sight fishing the skinny water for redfish south of the bridges. North of the bridge a lot of undersize fish were caught but if you kept at it a limit of nice fish was obtainable. The largest fish north of the bridge were caught in mullet muds on the west side of the Pass just off the shoreline. Look for a lot of mullet jumping in a condensed area then for the muddied water they create. Casting the stirred up water with soft plastics or a gold spoon is a great way to hook into a big trout or redfish.
Most of the redfish reports, at least redfish of any size, are coming from anglers taking advantage of the negative low tides. Shallow water skiffs and kayaks are at an advantage as they can access many of the fishing areas that deeper draft boats can’t get to until the tide rises for an hour or two. Redfish were reported between Panther Key and Pine Island on the Sounds eastern side and near Big Jim Creek farther north near Pineland. Look for fish in the sand potholes as the tide bottoms out then moving onto the shallower grass flats as the tide begins its rise. Live shrimp, shrimp & jig combos, DOA Shrimp and Gulp baits are a good choice in the potholes then a live shrimp or soft plastic rigged weed less as they move over the shallow water. Watch for those tails and wakes.
While a few large sheepsheads are still coming from Matlacha Pass the better reports came from areas around the Gulf Passes. Captain Ken Honc found steady action while fishing docks inside the Passes from Boca Grande to Redfish Pass, while fishing half a shrimp on bottom near docks with a strong current. Many of the fish are running over three pounds. Large sheepsheads were also reported by shore bound anglers from the Bokeelia Pier, the Sanibel Pier and the rock jetties at Blind Pass.
Offshore the weather has been making it difficult to get out there, plus it seems no one really knows what the fishing regulations might be from week to week. There were a couple good days of weather for a safe and comfortable run into the Gulf this past week. Captain Sean McQuade reports a mix of snapper, grouper and porgies in near shore waters west of Captiva Pass while working rock ledges off the coast. Jim Griffiths with Nautical Mile publications participated in an overnight snapper trip and reported unbelievable action. Along with big mangrove snapper, large gag and red grouper were keeping rods bent and anglers busy. Live pinfish and dead thread herring or Spanish sardines were the best baits.
Despite hearing some good fishing reports over the week there were also some days were fishing was slow at best. That’s normal for this time of year with the ever changing weather and fronts. If you get a nice weather day take advantage of it and go fishing, but keep in mind what Forrest Gump’s Momma once said, “fishing is like a box of chocolates, you don’t know what you’re gonna catch”.
If you have a fishing story or for charter information, please contact us at 239-283-7960 or: www.fishpineisland.com. Have a safe week and good fishin’.