Full moon brings strong tides and better fishing
This month’s full moon gave us extra high tides to go along with extra hot days. Fishing was good across the area, particularly on the morning incoming water and reports of red tide or dead fish tapered off from last week.
Anglers fishing around Bokeelia and across Charlotte Harbor report no of signs of red tide and decent fishing. A few tarpon were jumped while fishing around ladyfish schools between Cape Haze Point and Punta Gorda. Redfish up to 30 inches were caught outside Bull Bay and off the Burnt Store Bar over the morning incoming water. Around Bokeelia, snook, redfish, snapper and seatrout came from areas in Jug Creek and the west side of Burgess Island. Black tip sharks are still in good numbers on flats off Bokeelia.
The east side of Pine Island Sound was good for catches of seatrout, mangrove snapper, redfish and sharks. Reds were found around the keys in mid-sound under the shade of overhangs on the upper stages of the tide. Snapper were caught with the redfish and along sand bottom drop-offs where it transitions from shallower grass to deeper sand. Seatrout up to 20 inches were landed from the same type area. Bull and lemon sharks up to 8 feet were caught and released from natural channels between the flats from Rocky Channel south to Flamingo Bay.
Fishing areas around “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge turned up catches of snook, redfish, seatrout and small sharks. The morning incoming tide worked best while pitching Z-Man paddle tails and live pilchards along the outside shorelines and bar edges near MacIntyre Creek.
Offshore, a few boats found keeper size red grouper plus a few lane snapper and bonito in depths from 70 to 80 feet. Snapper up to 15 inches were caught off Pace’s Place Reef along with undersized grouper.
At the time of this writing, the water quality in our immediate area appears better than the week prior. The area between Cabbage Key and Boca Grande Pass, including Pelican Bay, was the one area where I heard reports of dead fish. Let’s hope this trend continues.
If you have a fishing report or for charter information, contact Gulf Coast Guide Service at 239-410-8576 (call or text); on the web at www.fishpine island.com; or via email at gcl2fish@ live.com.
Have a safe week and good fishin’.
As a lifetime resident of Matlacha and Pine Island, Capt. Bill Russell has spent his life fishing and learning the waters around Pine Island and Southwest Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years.