Updates from the Captain

Fort Myers Fishing Report 2-13-15

It’s Friday the 13th in Estero and Fort Myers and i have quite frankly been SCARED by the conditions in our area the past week! If it wasn’t wind it was muddy water or a cold front dropping the water temps down. There was definitely alot of things working against fisherman and guides this week but despite the tough conditions we managed to do well and continue to put clients on fish. This week we caught Snook, Redfish and Trout with pretty good success. Yesterday alone i had two anglers fish with me and both of them caught the “inshore slam” which is all three species Snook, Trout and Redfish in one day. Not too bad for terrible conditions. I haven’t bothered fishing in the mornings and the earliest we have started is 10am. This gives time for the water to heat up but also it puts us in a position to take advantage of the incoming tide. The outgoing tides have been very unproductive lately so good guides will tailor each trip to give his clients the best opportunity to catch fish and that’s exactly what i have been doing. I have still been doing well with pilchards even though the water temps have dropped ten degrees this week. I always get shrimp this time of year though and they have been producing too. Either bait you use make sure you put a split shot on and pin the bait to the bottom. Fish can get lazy after cold fronts and don’t want to chase anything down. If a fat juicy pilchard is there sitting on the bottom right in their line of sight it’s hard for them to resist. Next week is going to warm up nicely and the tides will be good for being productive fishing.

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Fort Myers Fishing Report 2-4-15

All across our region Captains have been reporting less than productive fishing. We haven’t had great weather for fishing being windy, than cold and it staying cold a few days really hurt. Fish are still being caught it’s just not always what we want or as many. The water clarity in Estero Bay and Fort Myers is not the best which makes it tough also, that coupled with the tide being in the middle of the night with a strong full moon it has been less than perfect conditions. That being said fish are still around and we’ve been catching Sheepshead and a few small redfish. Snook have been around too with the full moon but they are definitely smaller. Shrimp has been the go to bait right now along with Pilchards. The shrimp is a back up of sorts since if the fish you want to target on a daily basis are not cooperating (Snook and Redfish) Sheepshead can be caught as an alternative and they will not eat a Pilchard. Look for deeper water cuts, and oysters that were exposed on the low tide and now the higher water is starting to cover them. What this does is the exposed oysters heat faster and when the water starts to rise the fish will gravitate toward the warmer areas. Focus on the incoming tides and don’t bother fishing the outgoing tides they have been the least productive.

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Fort Myers Fishing Report 1-23-15

Fishing this week in Estero Bay and Fort Myers has been productive with the return of decent tides in the middle of the days. Snook, have been around, along with alot of Jacks. We are still experiencing the highest tides in the middle of the night but this is pretty typical for the time of year. If it is warm enough and you can time the tides right with the moon it can be a decent opportunity for night fishing for Snook. Typically the warmer months are better but you can still do it in the winter. The nice thing about night fishing this time of year is there is more than just snook in the lights, anglers can also find a decent amount of Trout mixed in. Pilchards are still the go to bait for me and most captains in our area, however when we are getting cold days the shrimp has been doing better. Focus on all the normal winter time spots for fish, and remember they tend to move further back in to the bays when it is cold and winter is here. So wherever you decide to fish remember that tip. I have been doing well around mangrove shorelines and oyster beds far back in the back country so far. If possible remember to get alot of bait in the mornings, this will allow you to “chum” with live bait. Grab a net full of pilchards squeeze them to incapacitate them and stuff them in a cut off wiffle ball bat to sling them in to the spot your fishing. If snook fishing look for a pop or swirl on top of the water than throw your bait right at where it boiled. This can save you alot of time and effort on a spot since you will know fairly quickly if they are there or not. Look for the next week to be just as good as this week, so get out on the water and catch some fish!

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Fort Myers Fishing Report 1-13-15

This past week brought some changes to Estero Bay and Fort Myers. We had a cold front move through our area in the middle of the week which definitely affected the fishing opportunities. By Saturday and Sunday the weather started to warm up and the fishing picked up a little too. We had some challenging conditions to deal with, first was the fact the full moon was this week,and second was the fact that the higher stages of the tides were in the middle of the night. Whenever this happens the fish tend to feed heavily at night, making it slower fishing during the day. On Saturday there was also a negative low tide to deal with making it even more challenging. We managed to catch Redfish Snook Jack and Sheepshead though and all in all did fairly well with what we were given. If you are going to go fishing this week wait until the afternoon to make your trip. The mornings with low water and wind are not producing right now. However when the tide changes and comes in for a while your luck will turn around. I used both shrimp and Pilchards for bait, oddly enough on Saturday we caught more on Shrimp and Sunday we caught more on Pilchards. Sunday was warmer than Saturday and another day removed from our cold front, that’s what i attribute to the change in the fish behavior and their preference in bait. Either way load up on both and be ready for whatever presents itself. This week we will get another cold front but this one will linger a few days, its not always bad when this happens because the fish can get in to a pattern and somewhat used to the change. Look to fish the far back canals and creeks as that’s where the fish tend to be this time of year in general.

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Fort Myers Fishing Report 1-5-15

As of 1-5-15 the fishing has been really picking up in Estero Bay and Fort Myers. By the end of last week the tides started to rebound and the weather stayed warm so the fishing slowly through the week got better and better. We started the week catching small snook and Jacks and by the end of the week there was Redfish Trout Snook and many other species being caught. This weekend is the full moon, that can usually go one of two ways for anglers. Some think it slows down the bite because fish feed heavily at night. I have had some of my best Snook fishing action around the full moon during the day though so each angler has their own preference i guess. Bait is around and has really moved to deeper water spots. Make sure if you are cast netting in deep water that you have the right net. The weight and mesh size is key to getting bait in your net in deep water. It has to be able to sink fast enough to catch the bait, but also it can not have to large of mesh or the bait will just slide right through it. Look for fishing to remain strong this week up until we get a cold front on Thursday. After that the fishing should slow down a bit but should rebound nicely by the weekend. There is ALOT of people from up north down on vacation and Estero Bay is very busy even on Mondays and days during the week. As always have some courtesy, give people fishing a large berth and don’t feel like you have to fish right next to others on the water. The bay is an aquatic preserve so even though this time of year you can be on plane basically everywhere doesn’t mean you need to. Respect the resource and our grass flats and stop far away from your fishing spots and don’t run over the grass.

Fort Myers Fishing Report 12-9-14

Snook and more Snook! With the full moon and warm weather the Snook have been feeding very well in Estero Bay and Sanibel recently. They are further back in the creeks, rivers and canals. They are not being sluggish at all with this warm weather either and are aggressively taking Pilchards thrown under  the bushes on 2/0 circle hooks. No need for weight or any terminal tackle, main line (15lb braid) and 30lb fluorocarbon leader. A quick note to people fishing in our area, DON’T OVER TACKLE. there is no need for any braid larger than 15lb when fishing our area. I can catch anything that swims inshore with 15lb braided line. Plus as an added bonus you can outcast the “over tacklerers” slinging 30lb braid. The pilchards i have been using for bait are everywhere right now and can be cast netted very easily. As a matter of fact on a recent trip i threw the net a total of one time and had enough bait for the entire day plus some. Whenever fishing for Snook i like to “locate” fish by throwing out a handful of stunned live pilchards in to the area we set up. If you don’t see or hear the pop of one eating its a good indication they’re not around and it’s time to move. Redfish we caught on our trips were small but there has been a very strong jack presence in Estero Bay. They were at every spot we went to, they make great runs and fight like crazy so we were not complaining! Look for the next cold front to slow things down a bit but after it passes and the water temps and air temps are on the rise again the fishing will heat up with it. Don’t forget to be courteous of the other people fishing in our area, if you see a guide or anyone for that matter fishing an area give them plenty of space, there is plenty of spots to fish so don’t fish on top of their people or blast out a shoreline when other people are fishing it! (i had that happen a couple times last week)

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