On the Water: Fishing best before the heat of the day
As expected with the heat of August, inshore fishing was best early mornings until about noon and in the late afternoon and evenings following storms.
Fishing around the Gulf passes is good for tasty mangrove snapper and fun with catch-and-release snook. Snapper limits were boxed in the passes on the slower or slack tides drifting shrimp, pilchards and small pinfish across hard bottom. Snook were concentrated along the beach a few feet into the surf, around downed trees, and docks. Live bait and artificial bait fooled snook up to 36 inches. Most snook were running in the 22 to 26-inch size.
Seatrout were scattered with most coming over grassy bottom from 4-7 feet. With light wind, drifting was the best method to cover ground. Either free-lined pilchards, shrimp or pinfish under a popping or rattling float, or a host of artificial baits in white, red/white or chartreuse colors fooled trout up to 20 inches. Other fish including grey trout, mackerel, ladyfish, jack crevalle and ladyfish were also hooked. Areas included grass bottom between Red Light Shoals and Regla Island, west of the fish shacks and between Cabbage Key and Captiva Pass in the Sound. In Charlotte Harbor, north of Shell Cut, between Bokeelia and Patricio Island, and across the Harbor outside Bull Bay.
Schools of thread herring are common in north Matlacha Pass and Charlotte Harbor. They are easy to spot as they look like rain on the water or diving pelicans is another way to locate them. Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and larger fish are often feeding around the schools. Over the past week, sharks, tarpon and cobia were hooked while drifting fishing around the schools. Often, there are a lot of bait fish schools throughout the summer. Larger fish may not be around every school, but if you get the right one, you can have some fun.
Offshore, bottom fishing depths from 65 to 120 feet yielded red grouper and a variety of snappers including mangrove, lan, and yellowtail. Squid, live pinfish, pilchards and shrimp were top baits. Anglers just looking for a fight hooked into goliath grouper, sharks and barracuda over artificial reefs in depths from 40-90 feet.
Keep up to date with fishing regulations and seasons as they change often. You can visit www.myfwc.com for all current state and federal regulations. Also, you can upload the Fish Rules app on your phone. It has current regulations and seasons with pictures to help identify fish.
If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service; phone (239) 410-8576, email gcl2fish@live.com or you can visit us on the Web at www.fishpineisland.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 over 20 years.