The fish were eating at night during the super moon that just occurred. Fishing at night on and around bridges with no lighting was best. The shadow lines that these structures created during the nighttime were fantastic. Bait fish that were using the bridges for cover, were ambushed all night long by snook and tarpon. Once the sun came up things got tougher, until late weeks good outgoing tides. Offshore fishing was good, and the nearshore bite mirrored what the backcountry did.
Inshore fishing once we entered midweek, was good. Juvenile tarpon that was eating all night earlier in the week were caught. The redfish and snook bite were very similar in pattern. Juvenile tarpon seemed most active in the canal systems and rivers. These areas are typically a bit deeper than the flats they like to hang out at and contain jack crevalle. The deeper water stays a bit cooler, giving anglers a chance till the sun starts to get up high. The redfish and the snook turned on once the tides got moving good and shut down just as fast when it slowed down. Trout fishing was good in the northern part of the region, and nonexistent in the southern end.
The nearshore fisherman targeted snook on the wreaks and reefs, along with snapper. The majority of snook were caught in 30-35-feet of water using threadfin herring dropped to the bottom. The snappers ate a variety of baits such as cut threadfin, shrimp, and pilchards on small jigs. The big tarpon are ever present and have been a hit or miss proposition all week. Live crabs out fished cut baits and live threadfin herring all week long.
The offshore bite continues to go well. Those that have ventured out to 150-feet plus have been rewarded for doing so. Live baits were not needed this week, as the frozen variety worked just fine. Depending on your technic and amount of current you find yourself fishing, it took 2-4-ounces of weight to stay on the bottom. Some anglers found African pompano in these same areas as the red snapper, but they suspended up about 50-75- feet from the bottom. A few small mahi, as well as blackfin tunas were also caught in these depths.
Tight lines, Capt. Greg Stamper
Snookstampcharters.com Bonita springs, Fl
239-313-1764
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