On the Water: A busy holiday weekend out on the water
Ahead of the holiday weekend anglers found decent fishing with calm seas and high tides, followed with a lot of boat traffic and potential afternoon thunderstorms through Memorial Day weekend.
Over much of the week, tarpon and anglers were in big numbers around Boca Grande Pass. This is peak time for tarpon to gather by the thousands in the Pass and anglers that enjoy the combat style of fishing for them. The Pass is not the only place to hook into a big tarpon. Other productive areas included Charlotte Harbor off bar edges, the Sanibel Causeway, north Matlacha Pass, off the Sanibel Beach and in the Sound south of Rocky Channel.
Seatrout mixed with bluefish, jack crevalle, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel were found over grassy bottom and sand trough edges south of Rocky Channel, around red-light shoals and inside Redfish and Captiva passes. Seatrout, pompano, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel were caught from the Gulf side of the Sanibel Causeway between the B and C spans, and the long bar running between the A-span and Fort Myers Beach.
In Pine Island Sound, redfish were foraging under shoreline overhangs during periods of high water. Tail-cut pinfish, ladyfish steaks and chunked blue crab fooled fish up to 29 inches. Snook were also caught on cut bait in the Sound. Redfish and snook were hooked on a variety of baits along the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor during later stages of the incoming tide.
Odds of hooking a shark are good just about anywhere this month. They might be newborns barely a foot long to big boys pushing 10 feet. They all have a few things in common: they are opportunistic and always looking for their next easy meal. And no matter the size, their teeth are razor sharp. With that said, they are a fun fish to target just be careful.
Offshore, fishing reports were quiet. With the price of fuel, many anglers are awaiting the opening of American red snapper season to help fill up the fish box before making the long run into Gulf waters.
Stay up to date with fishing regulations by visiting www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app to your phone. It has current regulations and seasons 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.