By Blane Garrett:
It’s that time of year to break out the tents and camp fires. The good thing is that the cold fronts that blow through seem to really keep down the mosquitos. My last camping trip in Ten Thousand Islands was a success. My girlfriend and I scouted a few islands on the Gheenoe until we found one that we really liked. Nothing else really compares to camping in the Ten Thousand Islands. It’s as raw as camping gets. You most likely won’t have cell reception, so you really have to be prepared if you want to camp out there. A GPS system can really help out there. Check local tides and weather conditions ahead of time because the last thing you want is your boat to be beached with an approaching storm front. The outer islands tend to be the best for camping. A lot of them have their own beaches and high tide can really bring in that beautiful clear green gulf water.
The best bite right now would definitely be the speckled trout. Look for the schools of white bait or glass minnows around the outer islands in 3 to 5 ft of water. The trout will most likely be nearby. They will eat 
a shrimp or white bait on a popping cork, using either a 1/0 or 2/0 circle or J hook. For artificial you can toss and 3-inch paddle tail on a light 1/16th or 1/8th ounce jig head. Bounce it slow near the schools of bait. If you fish early enough you can get a few top water explosions as well. Lots of slot trout around and they make a great meal for a camping trip. We caught many slot trout right from the island we camped on and proceeded to cook them on our portable charcoal grill.
Feel free to follow me on Instagram: @blane_be_fishin. I also will be running guides for Ablecat Adventures in Lee County with Captain Mike, providing guides for the handicap in a handicap accessible boat. You can look us up at https://fishingbooker.com/charters/view/8607.