Capt. Bill D
The fish are on the move once again in Southwest Florida. Fall fishing in SWFL is hard to beat. The key is studying weather patterns to find weather windows. Mangrove snapper will be moving into shallow structure in large schools. Cobia will be cruising almost any structure nearshore and deep water. Gag grouper will be returning to the shallows. Wintertime spearfishing is not for everyone, but those who do, know it’s one of the “fishiest” times of year to be on the water.
The cooler weather and cold fronts bring opportunities to catch fish. Pulling up to deep wrecks, have a cobia rod rigged up with a SpoolTek lure or live pinfish with heavy leader. Cobia will swim right up to the boat and it is always good to be prepared. Last year, we saw four whale sharks in November, all covered in cobia. For nearshore action try out artificial reefs, wrecks, and prime live bottom areas in the 8-15 mile range for mangrove snapper; they will be best when the water is the coldest.
The beginning of October we saw some beautiful water nearshore and I was able to get out and land a fish that has eluded me for quite some time, a stud cubera snapper. Five years ago I lost a monster cubera spearfishing at the Doctor’s 5 mile artificial reef in 25’ of water. Ever since then, that fish has haunted me until recently. In 30’ of water I jumped in and could see the structure from the surface. Normally I would free dive down, check conditions and see if it’s worth it to throw on a tank. On my second free dive drop I saw a big fish sitting inside the structure. Waiting patiently for a good shot and careful not to scare the fish, it sensed I was there and moved slowly away. Then it did a slow 180° and started swimming away directly under me. Directly over the fish I took my shot, straight down through the back of the big fish. There’s a saying “I’d rather be lucky than good” which pretty much describes this scenario!
Contact Offshore Naples Fish & Dive Charters at billdantuono@gmail.com or 239-269-5728