Well, it looks like we are starting to warm up a bit! Forecasts show high 70’s and even a few short stints in the 80’s over the next week. The nicer weather should bring lower winds with it; thus, water will start to clean up nicely in the back bays. As the process of the water cleaning up and warming up occurs, lots of fish will be getting hungry and active.
Starting off with the back bays this week, fishing was a bit tough. Fishing the muddy water is not easy and finding clean water was difficult. We caught fish all week, but we certainly had to put our time in to get the job done. Trout, snappers, and sheepshead were the primary targets as most of the mornings started off chilly. Trout on the open flats using popping corks worked. Anglers that popped the cork often and were able to keep the cork in one area for an extended period did best. Basically, if you popped it and dragged it 3 feet away each time you would not get a bite. Those that could pop it without moving the cork more than an inch or so, caught the fish.
Nearshore has been doable as the winds that come hard from the East typically does get the wave action going till a few miles out. Permit are still being caught on both live crabs and shrimp mostly free-lined around wreaks with high relief. Sheepshead have been abundant on the rock piles and can be easily targeted with a simple shrimp tipped jig dropped to the bottom. A few black drum have been mixed in with the sheepshead as well as an occasional snook.
Offshore has been good, when they could get out. This past week had basically two decent days to go out 40 miles plus. This week looks better for the offshore trips to run. Red groupers have been easy to come by these past few weeks, probably because of the minimal pressure. Mangrove snappers, lane snappers, and a few mutton snappers have made up the majority of the bi-catch.
Tight lines Capt. Greg Stamper
Snookstampcharters.com Fort Myers beach, Fl
239-313-1764
A warming trend
