By: Capt. Billy Norris
Not many places in the world can match Southwest Florida for both its fishing and beauty this time of year. Fishing this past month has had some very high temperatures but has been great! We’ve been trying to shoot for earlier in the day due to the heavy rains in the afternoon. Of course, there’s always a chance of disruption from a big storm since we are in the heart of hurricane season. August and September should round out our summer as we move into our fall fishing pattern.
The beaches have been holding a lot of snook. Look for them very close to the shore and pitch in front of them. They can be very spooky, so make sure to present the bait way ahead of them in the direction they’re traveling and remember, always retrieve the bait back away from them and not towards them. Also, on the beaches and in the passes, catches of trout and pompano have been quite common. In the backwaters, it’s been the usual suspects of snook, reds, trout and Jack Crevalle. Mornings and evenings seem to be the best bites and help you avoid the heat in the middle of the day. In addition, there are plenty of juvenile tarpon around as well.
Offshore has been awesome as well! Bottom fishing has been producing mangrove and lane snapper, as well as red and gag grouper. There have also been cobia and permit on the wrecks who are eagerly taking baits! As we continue to move through our summer, fishing should continue being great, so get out there on the water and catch them up. Call today to book your fishing trip with Pale Horse Fishing Charters!
