By Capt. Justin Napior
Happy June everyone! Summer fishing is in full swing. The water is warm and the fish are chewing! Tarpon are hanging around the beaches, passes and backwater bays. The bigger snook are out and about in the same areas. If you find yourself hooked up on a jumbo snook, just use caution when handling the bigger fish. These are the breeders, so try to minimize their time out of the water, keep them in the water if possible while you get your camera ready and avoid dragging them onto the beach or laying them on the deck of a boat.
I want to switch gears; most people are targeting snook and tarpon through the summer months, but I like to add a third fish to the summer inshore fun. Let’s talk about summer time redfish! I love my snook and tarpon and they will always be my favorite fish to target, but our redfish here in South West Florida are hot right now and will be all the way through fall. Since the closure of redfish in the area, I’ve noticed better numbers of redfish and I’m seeing them in areas they haven’t been in years. This is a good thing for our fishery! Reds can be found fairly easy on most outside points with a simple jig tipped with shrimp, fly or a classic paddle tail like this one from Wyze Guyz tackle.
My good buddy Mark Hanrahan caught this beautiful upper slot redfish in a foot of water. Watching these fish cruising around in super shallow, backwater bays feeding on crabs and shrimp, with their faces in the mud and tails out of the water is an absolute rush!! Sight fishing these guys in super shallow water is a difficult task even for a seasoned angler, but when you make that perfect cast and get the bite it feels like the world stops and you forget about everything. It makes me want to go hop on the water just talking about it! I hope everyone has a great month and if you would like to book a adventure with me I have summer dates available.
capt.jnapior@gmail.com or call 239-682-7101
