Well to say it has been hot out is an understatement. Water temperatures peaked in the low 90’s this week during the afternoon hours. The influx of Saharan dust that is in our atmosphere is keeping the rain to a minimum. With minimal rain in the mornings and afternoons, we have little chance for any type of cool down. The warm water and repressive heat make fishing after noon a tough bite. There are some options however for those that want to bend a rod. Fishing early or when the sun goes down is standard protocol when it’s hot. Typically, the coolest temperatures will be from 3am till about 8am. Those that can fish during these timeframes will enjoy temperatures in the low 80’s and a feels like somewhere around 90.
The strong tides early in the mornings we just had on the waning moon were great. Any time anglers can fish in the back bays during the high tides that occur in the morning hours, is best. The water during this part of the day will be a degree or two cooler than later in the day, and the fish respond to that. Juvenile tarpon, redfish, snook, jack crevalle, as well as pompano were caught frequently during these timeframes. We have plenty bait along our beaches right now, so after one or two throws of a cast net, you should be good to go.
The nearshore tarpon bite fishing was very similar to the back bay bite. Tarpon were caught, but mostly early in the mornings, or in the night. Most of the bridges held fish in the evenings, and fishing off Cayo Casta and North Captiva during the mornings was productive. Permit fishing continues to be good on our local wrecks, with small crabs being the number one choice of bait. Those that fished during the heat of the day did well on mangrove snappers, grunts, triggerfish, and a few cobia on the rockpiles from 30-45-feet.
Offshore continues to be good, if you make the long runs. The surface water temperature out in 120 feet was 90 degrees. The further out you go the deeper it gets; thus, the water deep will be cooler. Red snapper fishing continues to be easy pickings out past 160 feet. Gag groupers are being caught in these same areas but being released. Once the limit of red snapper is caught, attention shifts to many other snapper species, African pompano, mahi, and the occasional tuna.
Tight lines, Capt. Greg Stamper
Snookstampcharters.com Bonita Springs, Fl
239-313-1764
Start early
