On the Water: It was a cold and windy week of fishing
It wasn’t the best weather or most comfortable week on the water with cold, windy and overcast days.
Despite slower tides, the sheepshead bite was steady. As we mention often, sheepshead thrive in the cold. Often the best bite are on days we would rather stay inside. Fish to 6 pounds were boxed fishing around structure and shorelines from Sanibel up to Placida along the barrier islands. Sheepshead also came from Shell Creek and docks and piers around Punta Rassa, plus canals in St. James City and Cape Coral. Shore-bound anglers hooked a few big ones from the Matlacha Drawbridge, the 3rd Bridge and the Bokeelia and Sanibel fishing piers. Several pompano, mangrove snapper in the 11 to 14-inch range and snook were hooked while targeting sheepshead with live shrimp.
A few anglers report a good snook bite as the temperature dropped with the recent cool down. Lures and shrimp worked low and slow in the water column attracted snook in canals and cuts around St. James City, northwest Cape Coral and creeks in “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge. As the mercury drops their metabolism slows dramatically as they don’t tolerate cold well. Once the sun returns and water begins to warm, they become active again.
Seatrout up to 19 inches were caught on live shrimp under popping corks and soft plastics in pearl, white and chartreuse colors with shrimp and paddle tails. Trout were reported in north Matlacha Pass near Charlotte Harbor and in Pine Island Sound south of Useppa Island and off the eastern side of the powerlines in the lower sound. Most fish were caught in 3 to 6-foot depths.
Keep up to date with fishing regulations by visiting www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app on your phone. It has current regulations with pictures to help identify fish.
With the recent weather, most anglers chose to stay off the water. Those that did fish found they often had the water to themselves. Conditions weren’t the best, but fish were caught. Not sure what this week will bring, but a day on the water sure beats a day on the roadways.
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.
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.