On the Water: A week of beautiful weather made for fishing
Beautiful weather welcomed December to Southwest Florida and with it came great fishing opportunities.
Inshore, despite cooler water temperatures the snook bite is good. Pine Island Sound produced snook from twenty to thirty-four inches throughout the week. Most were caught and released while tossing live pilchards, pinfish, grunts, shrimp, and Berkley DOA’s. The best bite is generally from mid-morning to early afternoon over the warmer part of the day.
Sea trout also were caught across Pine Island Sound. Trout ranging in size from 13 to 22 inches were hooked on live baits, sub-surface lures, and soft plastics. Trout were also caught south of St. James near marker 13 and off Bokeelia Shoal to the north. At times schools of big ladyfish were with the trout and a few pompano. In Matlacha Pass, sea trout were caught along with mackerel, ladyfish, and bluefish off the west side of the channel near marker 72 (marker 72 is missing and is presently marked with a channel buoy).
Redfish were caught and released around oyster bars and shorelines in Charlotte Harbor, and also mixed with snook in the Sound. Best baits included live and cut pinfish, cut ladyfish, shrimp, and weedless spoons or lures. Most reds averaged from 22 to 30 inches in size.
Anglers are finding the sheepshead bite slowly heating up. Fish up to five pounds were caught along the beaches, shorelines, and structure around the barrier islands and gulf passes. Live and cut shrimp was the top bait.
Offshore fishing in state waters within nine nautical miles of shore produced keeper gag grouper, mangrove and lane snapper, grunts, and tripletail. Grouper up to twenty-six inches were caught on live pinfish and grunts. Small pinfish, shrimp, and cut squid produced the others. Most reports came from thirty-five to fifty-foot depths over hard bottom and ledges. We should start seeing good numbers of sheepsheads on artificial reefs out to fifty feet soon as well.
What a nice stretch of weather and I hope many are taking advantage. With blue skies, calm seas, low tides, and water getting clearer every day, it’s a great time to get on the water and explore. This is the time to find those honey holes such as channels between flats, oyster bars, submerged structure, etc. or just a great time to learn our inshore waters. If the fish aren’t biting, take advantage of the time to explore and mark new areas. It will pay off later.
Keep up to date with fishing rules and regulations in your area by visiting www.myfwc.com for all current Florida and Federal fishing regulations.
We have Gift Certificates available for the holidays if you’re looking for that unique gift.
If you have a fishing report or for charter information, contact Gulf Coast Guide Service at 239-410-8576 (call or text); on the web at www.fishpineisland.com; or via email at gcl2fish@live.com.
If you’re looking for that perfect gift, we have gift certificates available for the holidays.
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 the past 23 years.