We have certainly been dealt a taste of winter this week, as cold air and wind pushes through Southwest Florida. It has been one of those weeks when weather dictates what, when, and where. Inshore guides could still run on the windy days, they just hide to hide a bit. Nearshore fishing was doable out to about 5 miles when the winds came from an easterly direction. Offshore trips only ran a few times over the past week, as wind can make those long runs a bit sporty.
The pompano bite continues to be good. Shrimp tipped jigs worked in and around our passes on the low wind days worked out well. Pompano fishing was also productive when anglers used popping corks with live shrimp under them for trout. The trout bite itself is easy pickings right now and a few pompano bycatch mixed in is a great thing. Find clean water and you will find the trout. When we talk about clean water it does have to be crystal clear, just not muddy, or yoo-hoo like. Redfish continue to be hit or miss for me all week, with some days getting a zero. Snook have moved to either the rivers and creeks or nearshore wrecks with very few caught in the open bays all week.
Nearshore fishing was decent on the days when it was not super windy. When we get easterly winds around here the first few miles of the gulf will stay reasonable calm. The land blocks the wind from causing any waves for awhile, making trips pleasurable in winds up to 15mph. Those that used that wind block this week caught plenty of sheepshead, that are now beginning to fatten up. Shrimp on jig heads in 20-30 feet of water worked well. There are a lot of artificial reefs that are public numbers working and most of the sheepshead were caught on them. Mangrove snappers, grunts, permit and even a few triple tail took up the rest of their time.
The few trips the offshore boys got done went well. The best trips were at night as it is that time of the year for the big mangrove snappers. If you want to try the nighttime snapper fishing look for a good ledge in 75 feet of water, get there an hour before sundown, and chum for an hour. Once the sun goes down the big mangrove snappers will start rising to the boat and game on! During the day trips those same general ledges will give up red grouper, smaller mangrove snappers, yellowtails, and porgies.
Tight lines Capt. Greg Stamper
Snookstampcharters.com Fort Myers beach, Fl
239-313-1764
Oh baby its’ cold outside
