By: Capt. Dave Stephens
It is looking like maybe our long drought of no rain might be coming to an end. Well, this is actually not a bad thing. During the cooler months our local fish, such as snook and residential tarpon move to deep water. As our summer rains kick in during this time of year, it’s an indication for our local schools of snook to move to areas to spawn. Areas that have good tide flow with a clean bottom, are very important for snook this time of the year. The most important element is water with the right amount of salinity. I’m sure you have heard that all these fish go to the beach to spawn. That’s not completely true, a large majority of our local fish stay local. We just need water that is clean, and a salinity level that snook like for spawning. As we move into our rainy season, Mother Nature must play her well balanced roll in our fishery. One of our fish that gets better with rain is mangrove snapper. The biggest reason being is their ability to see and as our summer rains darken our local waters these guys become easier to catch. The bonus is they are also great table fair. We should have a bait spawn coming soon that will kick off our snapper season in our harbors. Luckily for us, the smaller bait helps with the snapper bite. Areas such as flats with potholes and oyster bars will hold feeding fish. Also look for deeper mangrove points with good moving water. I would also recommend downsizing your tackle. Try a 20# leader with a #1 hook. As we move into summer remember to keep an eye on the sky as thunderstorms can develop fast and be extremely dangerous. If you would like to experience some of Southwest Florida’s finest fishing, give us a call or send an email. All of our charters are private and customized for you and your party’s needs.