By Capt. Terry Fisher
The fishing has been fantastic over the past several months. My October catches proved that all is well again in SWFL. Only a few reports regarding Red Tide and algae blooms exists compared to a year ago. The inshore and offshore waters of SWFL are full of hungry fish again with lots of species for anglers to target.
INSHORE: Spanish mackerel, pompano, ladyfish, mangrove snapper, seatrout, Jack crevalle, bluefish, snook and redfish are all here and biting. Baits are plentiful and available at most bait shops. Crabbers have laid the posts for blue and stone crab, offering opportunities for anglers to target curious species such as tripletail and cobia frolicking around them.
Offshore: migratory species including permit, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, and cobia are all here. The further one travels offshore, the better the odds of catching grouper and larger reef species for harvesting.
There was very little fishing pressure over the last several months, due to negative water quality reports of last year, together with FWC harvest closures on many species. The waters are clean. The release of hundreds of thousands of snook, trout, and redfish fingerlings are already apparent with larger, mature fish returning to the area. Less fishing pressure as a result of the harvest closures are showing positive results. FWC made the right decision to allow the fish populations to rebound. I support no harvesting of seatrout, snook, or redfish for at least another year. These fish need a ‘break’. Too much pressure when other elements, such as excessive water releases from Lake Okeechobee, algae blooms and red tide are present. The good news is that corrective action regarding excessive water releases and poor water management are being addressed. Most of the credit for this is a result of the ‘Captains for Clean Water’ movement, its founders and members, Captains Chris Whitman and Daniel Andrews. They have been a relentless force in getting federal, state, and local officials to act on the devastation that we have been experiencing in regards to damaging water releases from Lake O and other problems contributing to algal blooms. Federal, state, and local funding have been acquired to support these actions as a result of their relentless efforts. We are already starting to see positive results, but more work still needs to be done. Supporters and members of Captains for Clean Water are on board. Continued support and contributions to this organization are necessary to ensure that our fisheries are cleaned up and that Florida remains the Fishing Capital of the World for today, tomorrow, and beyond. Information on how you may help can be obtained at https://captainsforcleanwater.org. Please make your contribution today and/or join for only $30/year. This is for all of our best interests, not just anglers, but home-owners alike.
My October article titled ‘The Hunt for Red October’ focused mainly on redfish. It proved to be correct as the numbers of redfish, big and little, once again inhabit the estuaries from Charlotte Harbor to Estero Bay in good numbers. It is like they returned home for their annual ‘fall festival’ of eating and spawning (not necessarily in that order)! Last month, I had the pleasure of taking out previous and new clients to target and catch lots of redfish, including Bull Reds. Needless to say, lots were caught and releases. The first part of November could prove equally as good, so long as the weather remains consistent during the latter part of October and early part of November. Time will tell. Nonetheless, the other species mentioned above should get even more active providing a chance for a great day on the waters for all anglers, regardless of their level of experience. If you lack experience, hire a guide and learn from them. My suggestions for targeting fish by species are as follows:
1) Fish for redfish on the incoming tides around oyster beds, bars, and under the mangroves.
2) Fish for snook on the outgoing tides around the docks, close to seawalls, at the points of islands and shoals, along the mangroves and in the passes of Redfish, Captiva, and Boca Grande.
3) Fish for mangrove snappers around mangrove roots, docks and close offshore reefs using circle hooks.
4) Fish for seatrout, Spanish mackerel and pompano and other species on the grass flats in about 4 – 7 feet of water. By-catches will be ladyfish, bluefish, Jack Crevalle, bar jacks, and catfish.
The annual Ft. Myers Boat Show will be held November 21st-24th, downtown in the heart of the “River District”. It is my 6th year doing the show. Our booth will be located in the ‘Coastal Angler Fishing Village’. Fish Face Charters booth will feature pictures of our clients with catches of their ‘Fish of a Lifetime’! 1st Mate Vicki and I will be on hand to answer any fishing or charter questions. I will be doing at least 2 seminars a day on how, when, and where to catch fish.
Contact Capt. Fisher at 239-357-6829
https://www.fishfacecharters.com