On the Water: Anglers catching variety of fish inshore, offshore
Calm seas allowed anglers to make long runs offshore where depths from 110 to 160 feet payed off for black and red grouper, American red snapper, mangrove and mutton snapper and large amberjacks. Best baits included dead Spanish sardines, line pinfish and butterfly jigs. Mangrove snapper to 6 pounds were also caught in depths between 80 and 100 feet on cut bait and fish finder rigs.
Closer to shore, permit, barracuda, snapper and mackerel were caught over man-made reefs. Anchoring and chumming worked best for the snapper and mackerel, sight casting small live crabs did the trick for permit, and barracuda were often a nuisance attacking hooked fish. Several snook pushing 40 inches were also caught and released from offshore structure.
Catch-and-release snook fishing was good beginning from Bowman’s Beach on Sanibel up to the north end of Cayo Costa State Park. Look for snook cruising parallel to the beach just a few feet from shore. Most are small males, but there are usually some large females mixed in. Best baits were live pilchards and if the water was clear a 20 to 25-pound fluorocarbon leader was often necessary. If throwing artificials, look for something that mimics a small pilchard. Fly fishermen have an advantage here with the ability to deliver a great presentation with a small light fly.
The majority of the tarpon were reported in or near Boca Grande Pass, with large schools inside the pass in Charlotte Harbor during the morning hours. Some days the bite was off more than it was on; best baits included small live crabs, thread herring, squirrel fish and pinfish. Schools were also sight fished a few hundred yards off the beaches of Cayo Costa State Park, Gasparilla Island and Captiva.
Redfish reports were up and down – some anglers report schools of 50 to 100 fish and others were shut out. The better numbers of fish appear to be in mid-Pine Island Sound where fish to 30 inches were caught on cut bait on low water in sand holes, top water and fly early in the morning, and on live pinfish or shrimp under the mangroves on high water.
Several upper slot reds were also reported around creek mouths in Buzzard Bay north of Matlacha, and south of the power lines on the Cape Coral side of Matlacha Pass.
Inshore, mangrove snapper fishing continues to get better each week. Seems pretty much any shoreline with a little water depth, oyster bar or structure is holding fish. Best baits included live shrimp, small live pinfish and cut pilchards, herring or pinfish. If you are fishing cut bait, you need to allow the bait to flow naturally and rest on bottom without moving it for more strikes. For the best results lighten up to a 20 to 25-pound fluorocarbon leader with a 1/0 circle hook.
It’s that time of year when a thunderstorm can pop up any time of day. Keep an eye on the sky and try to have an exit route where an approaching storm is not between you and home, or your launch site. As the afternoon sea breeze kicks in, strong storms can develop very quickly.
With a little planning and common sense, it’s possible to stay ahead of the storms and out of danger.
If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us at 238-283-7960, on the Web at www.fishpineisland.com or email: gcl2fish@live.com
Have a safe week and good fishin’.