It’s been an interesting week as two cold fronts made their way through Southwest Florida. Overall apart from two days fishing has been great. The shallow flats and back-bay areas continue to produce both numbers and quality fish. Nearshore the wrecks and reefs continue to be good places to start your trips on calm days. Offshore was doable several days this week with great results from numerous boats.
The inshore bite for sheepshead continues to be fantastic. Sheepshead are being caught up to 7lb’s with 1-4lb fish being the norm. Small jigs tipped with shrimp have worked very well but will also attract a lot of small mangrove snappers. Anglers that use crabs both whole and quartered will take the snapper bi-catch out of the equation. Black drum are full speed in the deeper edges of mangrove shorelines and around the deeper docks. Redfish are thinning out a bit with a lot of under slot and mid slot fish being caught on most trips. Finally, the trout have made a strong comeback after a complete vacancy in the area a year back. Trout can now be caught up to 23 inches with most between 12 and 18.
Nearshore has been great for bigger black drum, some pushing 30lbs. There are still schools of big bull reds relatively close. These big redfish can be up to 45 inches and swim in massive packs following the schools of baitfish around. Permit and cobia continue to be found in some of these same areas and pop up randomly at times around the wrecks. The tripletail fishing hasn’t been as good as expected, but a few fish over 10lbs did make it back to the fillet table this week.
Offshore those that went did well several days this week. Red grouper has been brought back regularly with most captains getting their limits in 2 or 3 stops. Mangrove snappers are being caught up to 7lbs especially at night in around 70 feet. While fishing for mangrove snapper there has been a lot of yellowtail and porgies as well making for lots of happy anglers.
Tight lines, Capt. Greg Stamper
Snookstampcharters.com Fort Myers, Florida
239-313-1764
snookstampcharters@gmail.com