On the Water: Last chance to get kids out fishing before school starts
As we head into our final week of summer vacation before school begins, fishing was good for many anglers and should continue.
Redfish reports were on the rise over the past week, as schools of larger fish are beginning to appear inshore right on schedule. Mid-August generally kicks off the fall redfish season. Schooling fish, with an average size from 26 to 31 inches, were reported from Pine Island Sound, north of Captiva Pass, around the perimeter of Charlotte Harbor along the bar edges and in southern Matlacha Pass. Best baits included top water lures, Clouser Minnow flies, live pinfish and cut ladyfish. The numbers of schooling fish should increase over the next month.
Catch-and-release snook action was good around the Gulf passes including Blind, Redfish and Captiva. Snook to 30 inches were also reported along shorelines in north Matlacha Pass, and fish pushing 40 inches were hooked near the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. Top water lures, live pilchards, pigfish, pinfish and handpick shrimp were the favored baits.
Sea trout were found over grassy bottoms throughout Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor. Fish were running in size from 13 to 21 inches with an increase of larger fish over the past week. Most anglers are targeting depths from 5 to 8 feet. Bluefish, mackerel, small sharks and lots of ladyfish were also in the mix.
Pretty much a repeat week after week, but the inshore snapper bite remains good and consistent. Fish to 13 inches were caught from all the usual places with live shrimp, small pilchards and pinfish working best.
Several anglers report catching pompano near the Gulf passes and around the Sanibel Causeway. Pompano feed primarily on crustaceans and seldom on any type of fish. With that said, we caught a big pompano while free lining a live pilchard trout fishing near Cayo Costa State Park. The best bet for catching pompano is shrimp or any of the various pompano jigs.
Good snapper fishing was reported offshore in depths from 20 to 70 feet. Shallower depths were primarily good for mangrove snapper, but as the depth increased so did catches of yellowtail and lane snapper. Porgy, grunts and mostly undersized grouper were caught closer to shore with bigger grouper coming from depths beginning about 40 feet out past 100-plus.
Tripletail were sighted and caught around floating debris offshore of Sanibel and several were also caught around markers and buoys in the Caloosahatchee west of the Cape Coral Bridge.
This is it, the last week before our schools are back in session. If you have a kid or know one, I bet they would like go fishing one last time this summer.
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’.