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Fort Myers Fishing Report 7-2-15

It is Fourth of July weekend in Fort Myers and the fishing has been really good! This is easily one of the busiest weekends on the water in Estero Bay and Fort Myers. Most people will just be cruising around or docking the boat on the beach but for those of us guiding and even recreational fisherman there are some great opportunities to catch some great fish. Bait has been EXTREMELY hard to find so don’t expect to be able to go out on a whim and find it unless you have been out a lot and have stayed on them. If you can find threads they have been doing OK on the bigger fish like Tarpon and bigger snook. There is a massive hatch of small baits right now and everything has been feeding heavily on them so if you can find some that are just right meaning big enough to cast and put a 2/0 hook in they have been producing VERY well. Just yesterday my clients put over 25 snook in the boat on a 4hr trip all in the same hole! Most were on the small side but for two teenagers from NC they are a ton of fun! The moon is on a full pattern right now so the Snook will continue to be hungry, get out early and off the water early for your best chances. Once the midday heat is in full effect they have been shutting own. If it’s tarpon you’re after using Thread fins has worked the best. Everyone remember that this weekend can get crazy on the water so please BE CAREFUL and don’t drink and boat!

Fort Myers Fishing Report 6-16-15

Fishing has been right on par with this time of year, it has been good to great depending on what the tides have been doing. The incoming tides have been when the fish want to feed and usually sticking closer to the passes will produce better in Estero Bay and Fort Myers. Venturing too far in to the back country this time of year can have a negative effect on your results. The water back there is alot more hot and therefore less oxygenated making it not as comfortable for fish. On the other hand the passes on incoming tides bring cooler cleaner more oxygenated water in to the bays and that is where the fish tend to be the most hungry. Bait can be found offshore and around the bridges, we are mainly getting threadfins but they have been producing pretty well for my anglers. Rig them on a 2/0 Owner circle hook with a short 30lb leader a foot to a foot and a half. Tarpon fishing has slowed down for the most part and the focus has been mainly on Snook, Redfish and of course the ever present Jack Crevalle. Have plenty of water in your Yeti because mid day temps have been reaching the mid 90’s! Typically the mornings and late afternoons (as long as it isn’t raining) are the best times to fish. As summer goes on the weather will get warmer and warmer but the fishing should remain strong.

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Fort Myers Fishing Report 5-21-15

We are coming up on Memorial day weekend and it is easily one of the busiest days of the year for boating/fishing in Estero Bay and Fort Myers! I always tell people if they ever want to have a good time and laugh all day go to a busy local boat ramp like Punta Rassa on Memorial Day the things you will see are hilarious! Lets focus on whats important though and that fishing, the fishing has been VERY good in some areas and VERY slow in others. The Redfishing and overall inshore fishing has been way out of wack. It’s May and usually this time of year anyone can catch fish. This year has not been the case and it has alot of captains and guides scratching their heads, including me. We have managed to catch fish inside but not in the numbers May usually produces. The near shore waters however for Tarpon and other species has been fantastic! The tarpon are in full swing and can be found off our beaches migrating their yearly spawn route. Crabs have been the best bait to use but people are getting them on Threadfins also. If using crabs a cork to hold it in the right spot is key, threadfins i just free line. If you see the schools the best approach is a quiet one, use a trolling motor and keep the boat noise to a minimum (walking around, opening and closing hatches) anything that could tell the fish you’re there. These fish have been seeing a ton of pressure and anything you can do to gain an edge will help you catch fish. Be safe out there on the water everyone and have a great Memorial Day!

www.calusafishing.com

Fort Myers Fishing Report 4-30-15

April is only a day away from being officially over and the month didn’t disappoint anglers looking for action. We had the opportunities to catch a 150lb Tarpon all the way down to Snook, Reds and Trout. All in all it was a very good month to fish Estero Bay and Fort Myers. May should be more of the same with the Tarpon action getting even better since typically May has less winds then March and April. My most recent trips have been for Redfish and Snook and we have been doing pretty well. Yesterday started out looking not to promising with winds kicked up and the rain pouring down from an approaching cold front. Luckily for my anglers they were willing to tough it out and try and get some fishing in. We did very well on Reds Snook and even a few good size snapper. Pre-frontal conditions as long as it’s safe can be very good fishing. The fish can feel the drop in barometric pressure and alot of times it puts them in feeding mode. I wasn’t able to get out offshore for bait since the wind had the Gulf chopped up pretty nasty but it didn’t matter yesterday. The fish ate everything from cut bait to shrimp and they were not picky. Time will tell what the effects of the cold front will be on fishing but typically it slows it down for a few days. If the water temps drop, a good rule of thumb is to “fish slow” and use baits that dont require alot of effort from the fish trying to feed i.e. Shrimp, or any artificial bait that looks like a shrimp or crab with a slow retrieve. Once it warms back up the fish will once again be on the “chew” so look for fishing to improve the entire Month of May!

www.calusafishing.com

Fort Myers Fishing Report 4-23-15

Snook Jacks and Trout in Estero Bay! Fishing this past week has been good with VERY strong incoming tides in the afternoon. I have been doing best along deeper cuts by mangrove shorelines on the first of the incoming. This week we saw tides that were just under 3 feet above mean low tide, when this happens sometimes the fish get so far back in to the mangroves that its hard to coax them out. Cut bait will sometimes do it and is not a bad idea when the water gets up really high in to the trees. Oyster beds have been holding some fish too and there are plenty of them in Estero Bay to choose from. Find one and start chumming with live bait, grab a handful squeeze them to stun them and throw them to where you think the fish are. If they are there you bait with a hook will get eaten fairly quick or you will see them being chased on the surface. Tarpon fishing is in full swing but after the last few days of the wind howling they have been harder to find. They are still off the beaches and passes and will eat a live Threadfin or Crab n a 7/0 circle hook. Do yourself a favor and use the best hooks out there “Owner”! The weather is unseasonably hot which has got the water temps up around 85 degrees which can be good and also bad. Getting an early start will help your chances as the fish will tend to eat earlier in the day. The snowbirds are almost all gone so get out and enjoy the weather and fishing our area has to offer!

Fort Myers Fishing Report 4-18-15

Fish for whatever you want everything is eating in Estero Bay and Fort Myers! If its offshore and near shore you are in to then the wrecks and reefs have been holding a variety of species from Spanish Mackerel to Snapper. If its backcountry flats fishing you like the Snook and Reds have been eating well. If it’s Tarpon you’re after they have been in full force off our beaches and passes. Basically it’s spring and there is a chance to catch a number of species fairly easily. I have been Snook and Red fishing and doing pretty well. Bait is around the bridges still and getting there early before alot of traffic has been helping to ensure you get your fill for the day. I have been switching things up lately to get a good grasp on how the fish want to eat. Try a cork to suspend the bait, or a weight to keep it pinned to the bottom, or just free line it with a hook. Once you narrow down how they want to eat you usually can get on a good bite. We have had great tides this week and it is continuing through the weekend, we are on the moon stage of a new moon. These stages can be good because the tides are very strong and the light at night is not to bright so the fish dont feed as much at night with the good tides. Water temps are in the 80’s so get out and at least enjoy the warm water with family and friends!