On the Water: Warmer days bring some good fishing
Warm days brought and held water temperature into the mid-70s for the week. This was good for fishing as many anglers found a hot bite on a variety of fish.
When water temps hit mid to upper 70s snook get active and hungry. Snook from little dinks to fish over 30 inches were hooked while fishing around island points, oyster bars, creeks and canals across San Carlos Bay, Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor. Baits included live pinfish, pilchards, herring and shrimp, plus a host of artificial baits. From shore snook were hooked from the Bokeelia Fishing Pier during the day and Matlacha Drawbridge at night.
Lucky anglers also hooked into redfish up to 26 inches often caught with the snook. Over the morning low tides, kayak anglers found redfish concentrated in sand holes between Pineland and Demere Key on Pine Island Sound’s eastern side. Sa trout and sheepsheadswere also caught from the holes, with the best bite over the incoming water.
Speaking of sheepshead, the bite continues. Shrimp and small crabs took sheepshead up to 7 pounds around docks, shorelines and structure across Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor. From shore, anglers at the Bokeelia Fishing Pier found success with good sheepshead catches.
Nearshore, from 29 to 50 feet yielded good sheepshead reports as well. Shrimp on knocker rigs and shrimp/jig combo’s boxed sheepshead, mangrove and lane snapper, plus grunts. And a lot of small grouper and an occasional large gag were caught and released. Fishing around the larger artificial reefs anglers encountered sharks, barracuda and amberjack.
Again, this week, for the larger red grouper and snapper, depths from 90 to 120 feet are producing best. The biggest reds were hooked on pinfish, sardines and thread herring.
The seatrout bite continues to get better each day. Of course, there are days like any fishing that the bite is off but look for improvement moving forward. Many are already carrying eggs as they move into their spring spawn and the average size continues to grow. Seatrout were reported in the Sound east of Regla Island, near Flamingo Bay channel, between Cabbage Key and Captive Pass and in Matlacha Pass near marker 66.
With days getting longer and water temperature on the rise, it’s time to expect anything at any time. Multiple anglers fishing with shrimp for redfish or trout hooked into cobia and tarpon. Tarpon sightings and hook-ups are becoming more common, and sharks are arriving in numbers. With the exception of a cool front here and there, it’s a great time to get on the water.
Stay up to date with fishing regulations by visiting www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app on your phone. It has current regulations and seasons with pictures to help identify fish.
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.