Well, the water temperature in the back bays hit 90 degrees this week. After speaking with a few of the nearshore and offshore guides, their surface temperatures were also in the 88-90-degree mark. This warm water and hot afternoons means a tougher bite. If you’re a shallow water fisherman starting early will be the norm for another two months.
Fishing in the back bays with the warm water means starting at sunup is a good idea. Other options will be fishing the dock lights at night or even the bridges. When we have had slow tides in the 11am till 6pm time frame the bite was difficult. We have had a lot of rain in the evening hours. This rain and the runoff that it creates will make the inshore waters in places like Estero Bay very tannic. Areas like the West side of Pine Island will be less effected.
The tannic water has affected the trout bite. Trout are not fond of low salinity, so keep that in mind should you want some these next few months. Snook, redfish, and jack crevalle do not mind lower salinity. The bite for snook continues to be good, especially along the beaches. Red fishing was decent when the water was moving well, not so much during the midday heat though. Schools of Jacks can be found pushing down shorelines randomly throughout the area, so be ready for the 10-20-pounders. There has been a lot of bait so these fish are not going anywhere.
Nearshore in the clean water pompano, permit, trout, and tarpon were the main targets. Some of the local wrecks held good numbers of trout this past week. These trout most likely pushed out of the bays as the water salinity dropped. The pompano bite was also good near the passes, where the water was clean. Jigs tipped with shrimp is an easy way to catch a few of these delicious pompanos. Permit on the high relief wrecks worked out well this week. Tarpon fishing was good, but the fish are spread out now.
The offshore trips continue to be a red snapper bonanza. There are lots of red snappers out there from 140-feet out. The word is it does not take long to get your limit, so plan on going after other targets after the first hour. Wahoo as well as blackfin tunas have been in play out past 150-feet. Should you be heading in shallower around 100-feet they are still catching plenty of 1-4-pound mangrove snappers as well as yellowtail.
Tight lines, Capt. Greg Stamper
Snookstampcharters.com Fort Myers beach
239-313-1764
Hot water
