Rebounding from the cold — and waiting for warmer weather
Just in case it went unnoticed, our weather was less than ideal for fishing much of the past week – it was cold! And not just cold, but also very windy, leaving us with a short report for the week.
Early last week ahead of our coldest temperatures of the season, anglers reported catching trout, pompano, sheepshead and a few redfish inshore, plus offshore reports included red grouper, porgies, grunts and Spanish mackerel.
Sea trout to 21 inches were caught in Pine Island Sound along drop-offs near Cabbage Key, deep pockets between Rocky Channel and Demere Key, and 4 to 6-foot depths west of Galt Island. Popping corks with live shrimp or Gulp baits in New Penny color, and a slow retrieve with DOA paddle tails in a brown color were productive. Many areas are holding mostly undersized trout, but patience and fishing through an area was the best bet for finding the larger fish.
Anglers are catching pompano, but with little consistency. You might find an area with a good number of fish one day then nothing the next several days. Pompano were reported from the gulf passes a short throw off the beach, the gulf side of the Sanibel Causeway, Rocky Channel near Captiva Rocks and Charlotte Harbor along the bars paralleling the east and west walls. Baits that produced included free lined live shrimp, small shrimp fished on a jig head and white pompano jigs tipped with a small piece of shrimp.
Those targeting sheepshead found the larger fish near or at the passes. Docks, pilings and other structure were the best areas to target with fish to 5 pounds reported. Shrimp, small crabs and tube worms fished on bottom were the best bet for the larger fish. A few flounder were also caught from these areas.
Smaller redfish were found in creeks in Pine Island Sound, Bokeelia and Matlacha Pass. Most are well under 18 inches but fun on very light tackle; live shrimp or shrimp tipped jigs worked well. A few reds to 26 inches were caught off flats across the eastern side of the sound. Patiently soaking cut bait in deeper sand holes during low water eventually got the best of the larger reds.
Offshore, there wasn’t much time when the wind wasn’t howling, but just ahead of the breeze red grouper to 10 pounds were reported in 75 feet, plus a mix of porgies and grunts. Past the last bell buoy west of Boca Grande Pass, gag grouper to 29 inches were caught and released, plus a few Spanish mackerel.
Let’s hope that was the last of winter, I do not like the cold at all, not even a little. I’m thinking positive that a week from now the water temperature is up 10 degrees and were talking about how good the fishing is. Keep your fingers crossed!
If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us at 239-283-7960, www.fishpine-island.com or email gcl2fish@live.com
Have a safe week and good fishin’.