Well, its been a crazy week as all these virus issues have crippled many businesses. What most private guides do is truly social distancing at its best, as we literally see 1-6 people each day. Clients that would normally be here aren’t understandable. It’s crazy that I’ve become aware of how many people I encounter, and personally I averaged 7 people a day including my wife. This is a time to be vigilant, and I don’t blame anyone for cancelling or just staying home. Many guides aren’t even able to fish right now as most public ramps have been shut down. Those of us fortunate to fish out of private marinas are still fishing, so hers’s what’s going on.
Fishing is ridiculously great, which figures as we get all this during our first golden time of the year. There’s been a bunch of ramp closers. North of me Punta Rassa closed then re-opened, lovers key South of me closed, and Wiggins pass closed once, then allowed boats to drop in? So, it’s a fluid situation making things tough for those that drop in regularly at ramps. Guides that have access to private ramps, are on their own lifts, or run out of marinas are basically all that is available for a while.
Tarpon are here, black drum are fading, pompano are now full speed, red fishing is unbelievable, snook are coming out of their Winter haunts, and we can finally catch trout regularly again. The sheepshead bite has come to a finish quickly this year, and the winter migration fish are now on the way out.
The near shore guys are catching permit daily. Those looking for big tarpon are doing very well and are all excited about how early the season has begun. Kingfish are already slowing down as water temperatures have reached 76 degrees regularly already. Tripletail seems to be over, as it wasn’t very good this year. There’s a lot of bait already so be ready for an insane month of fishing moving forward.
The offshore guys have been ecstatic with the low winds all week. Those that got out 25-35 miles did very well on mangrove snapper up to 9Lb’s, and a bunch of nice porgies. Those that got out to 100’ caught red groupers, mangrove, lane, and mutton snappers, as well as a few big cobias. The private boats that got out to 120’ plus crushed big groupers, African pompano, cobia, and gag grouper regularly that they had to leave as they’re not open.
Tight lines, Capt. Greg Stamper
Snookstampcharters.com Fort Myers, Florida
239-313-1764