On the Water: Warming trend brings better fishing
Last week started off cold and windy followed with beautiful weather heading into the weekend then a slight cool front to close out the week. Water temperatures started the week into the high 50s and low 60s then bounced around 70 degrees into the weekend. As expected, fishing improved each warming day after a slow start.
At times sheepshead were hungry as many completed their annual mating rituals over the full moon. Sheeps up to 18 inches came from structure such as dock, pier and bridge pilings, plus rip-rap seawalls and oyster bars. Reports came beginning from Punta Rassa at the south end along the barrier islands up to Boca Grande. Any structure along this stretch has the potential to hold fish. Most were caught on shrimp, with a few anglers preferring small crabs, barnacles, and oysters.
Over several days, light winds brought calm seas allowing boats to fish sheepshead over nearshore waters. Sea fog was often thick enough to cut with a knife, but that didn’t slow the bite. Most fish were caught in 25 to 45 feet with live shrimp on a knocker rig. Mangrove snapper, grunts, undersize grouper and a few flounder came boat side as well.
The week started slow for spotted seatrout and improved with each warming day. In Pine Island Sound trout up to 22 inches went for live shrimp and DOA shrimp tails under popping and rattling floats. Over the lower tides anglers fished deeper sand or potholes and bar drop-offs then fished 3 to 5-foot grass flats on the higher water. Seatrout reports also came from north Matlacha Pass from the S curve north.
Along with catching trout, anglers hooked into pompano, ladyfish, Spanish mackerel and bonnethead sharks. In northern Pine Island Sound, live shrimp under a float and small silver spoons hooked Spanish mackerel and bluefish in 4 to 6-foot depths with a grass/sand mixed bottom.
Similar catches over the same depths and bottom type along with pompano, came from the gulf side of the Sanibel Causeway. The long bar below the A span and off the spoil island on the gulf side between the B and C span were good bets to hook fish.
Redfish and snook were sluggish early in the week then regained an appetite as water temps rose. Anglers often experienced neither were exerting extra energy to chase baits. Cut bait and live shrimp fished with patience were often rewarded with a good snook or redfish hookup. Both snook and redfish are catch-and-release only. Enjoy the battle and return them to the water quickly.
Keep up to date with fishing rules and regulations in your area by visiting www.myfwc.com for current Florida and Federal fishing regulations.
Looks like a warm week is forecasted, just what we need to kick-off spring fishing. Large bait pods are already showing in nearshore gulf waters — it will not be long before they are inshore as well. As water temps stabilize in the mid-70s, we can expect hungry fish and good times.
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.