Fishing was best this week on the strong outgoing tides. These occurred late in the day early in the week and early in the morning by weeks end. This week it will be the incoming that will give us the most moving water. The back water and flats fishing have been particularly good for most of the week. Those nearshore trips did well on our wrecks within ten miles with several different species. And finally, there was a few days for anglers to get out forty plus miles and do some offshore runs.
The juvenile tarpon bite continues to be good. Lots of fish have been jumped this week and this pattern should continue. Pilchards on a 2/o circle hook worked best for these 10-50lb silver princes. Snook fishing took a close second place this week, as when we were done with the early morning tarpon bite, that is what we did. Snook are averaging 12-32 inches in the back bays and 24-38 inches in the passes and structures close to them. The redfish bite continues to be good especially on the West side of Pine island and the burnt store bar all the way into Matlacha.
The nearshore wreck fishing was good for snappers up to three pounds, snook, and some permit. There have been a few gag groupers found but none with any real size to them. The snappers are loving small pinfish, shrimp, or cut ballyhoo. Snook are picking up live threadfin herring often on these same wrecks usually laying off it a bit. Those with good side scan technology will be at an advantage to find them. A few cobia have popped up in places this week, so have something ready to throw at one when your out there.
With the closure of red snapper fishing, there were a few last long runs taken. The final depth became 190 feet to catch the red snappers quickly this year. Those that did have the chance to get out between the winds did not go much further than 100 feet, once red snapper season closed. It was mostly the bag of the usual snapper. Mangrove, lane, muttons that all ate the pinfish, squid, or ballyhoo chunks just like the nearshore ones. Grouper fishing was just ok with most of the good fish caught to the Northern end of the region. Some of these groupers were caught trolling ledges with large deep diving plugs, and others by dropping baits out deeper.
Tight lines, Capt. Greg Stamper
Snookstampcharters.com Fort Myers beach
239-313-1764
Weekly report
