On the Water: Fishing was good around the full moon
The beginning of the past week started cool and breezy, then settled into perfect weather into the weekend, and as I write this column, our coolest weather of the season is approaching. A big full moon and strong tides gave anglers good fishing inshore and offshore.
King and Spanish mackerel were running off the coast in30 to 45-foot depths from Knapp’s Point off Sanibel north to Boca Grande. Spoons, diving lures and pilchard or herring got their attention either drifting or trolling. In the same depths over hard bottom and reefs, anglers caught snapper, grunts and a few sheepshead.
Many anglers took advantage of days with calm seas and blue skies and headed west into the Gulf with success. A mix of fish including red grouper, king mackerel, porgy, a variety of snapper, cobia, sharks and African pompano were brought up from depths between 75-120 feet.
Inshore, redfish and seatrout remained steady, snook bite was good as water temperatures warmed up and a mix of other species were caught.
With some low tides, redfish and seatrout were often targeted fishing sand or potholes around Pine Island Sound. While surrounding grass flats are often very shallow on low water, these holes are generally 3 feet and deeper. Spoons, paddle tails, shrimp, pilchards,and cut ladyfish worked for reds and trout, plus snook near islands, and lots of ladyfish.
On the higher water, reds and snook were feeding around oyster bars and island points in the Sound, Matlacha Pass and Charlotte Harbor. Good action with sea trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle and ladyfish came from areas north and west of Bokeelia and the Sound near Red Light Shoals and between the fish shacks and Captiva Pass.
This cold front should jump start winter sheepshead fishing. Numbers were already on the rise and should continue as they thrive in cooler waters. It looks like after a day or two of cold, it’s going to warm right back up.
Keep up to date with fishing regulations by visiting Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission at www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app to your phone. It has current regulations with pictures to help identify fish.
If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service; phone (239) 410-8576, email gcl2fish@live.com or you visit us on the Web at www.fishpineisland.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 over 20 years.