by Capt. Billy Norris
In the Bonita Springs backwaters, snook, redfish and tarpon have been in abundance.  To target snook, your bait of choice should be either pinfish or whitebait.  Many of the fish will be hanging in the shadows and close to the bottom, so switching from a bait suspended on a cork to a bait pinned to the bottom with a split shot will definitely increase your hookups.  Larger snook will also readily take large threadfins netted offshore.  If you can’t throw a net, sabiki rigs can also be used to acquire threads.  Snook season opens September 1st, however, remember that it remains closed in SWFL.  Consult myFWC.com for the current closure areas.  Redfish have also been eagerly taking pins and whitebait.  The redfish bite has been one of the best I’ve seen in several years.  There are a ton of rat reds (15”-20”) around, with larger, over-slot fish not being uncommon.  Tarpon have also been hanging around in schools, both in the backwaters and nearshore.  Tarpon can be picky, so having a variety of bait to figure out what they’re in the mood to eat that particular day is crucial.  A mixed bag of large pinfish, whitebait, threadfins and crabs will ensure that you have an arsenal ready to tangle with the silver kings.
Offshore the bite has remained steady.  The bigger mangrove snapper have moved to the nearshore wrecks.  We have been limiting out on nice sized fish from 13”-16” nearly every time we target them.  Chumming them up behind the boat with a chum block and “freebies” will suck them right up to your transom like yellowtail.  Cobia and permit have also been hanging around the wrecks.  In addition, there have been plenty of sharks of all sizes cruising the local coastlines.  Bulls, lemons, hammers and blacktips are in abundance.  Catch and release is highly encouraged on all sharks, despite some being legal for possession, due to their vulnerability for over-exploitation worldwide.
We are starting to get into the swing of fall fishing here in Bonita Springs!  With the slightly cooler weather, we will begin to see a shift from our summertime fishing patterns to fall fishing.  October is prime time for redfish and big breeder sized snook!  This month should provide great cobia, barracuda, grouper and snapper fishing offshore.  As always, big pinfish, whitebait, or threadfins are the go-to baits of choice for offshore fishing.  October is also the time of year that massive goliath grouper come to the nearshore wrecks to spawn.  If you want to see if your back and arms can handle fighting these behemoths, target them on the wrecks from 5-15 miles offshore.  This month also provides local residents with a chance to get out on the water before the snowbirds and tourists return in late October/November.  Fishing is great and should continue to be fantastic through the rest of 2019!  Tight lines!
Capt. Billy
