by Capt. Dave Stephens
Well, summer has definitely showed up here in South West Florida. The past few weeks it have been scorchers. Hopefully we start getting a little more rain to help cool things down a bit. Luckily the fishing has been good this summer. Snook fishing on the flats has been good. On the low tides the better fishing seems to be in potholes and on the bars. As the tide rises these guys are pushing up to the mangrove shorelines. Live bait has been doing the best. If you’re able to find some nice size pilchards, free lining is the most effective. If the bait is on the smaller side, you might need a weighted float or a split shot. Reds have seemed to be more active on the higher tides. Most of our catches have been fishing shady areas in mangrove pockets. Live baits, such as pinfish and pilchards on a split shot, have been working well. On these slick calm mornings keep your eye out for juvenile tarpon rolling. A properly presented bait will normally result in a hook up. Try to place the bait 4-5 feet in front of the fish. Most of these guys run between 10 and 20 pounds. However, they are a lot of fun on light tackle. This time of year, there is an abundance of mangrove snapper around. These guys can be tricky at times to catch, as they have very good eyesight. The rains should help darken the waters making it easier. Look for deeper point with good current flow, or debris such as downed mangrove limbs. You can also find plenty of these guys around manmade structure such as docks. The small baits work the best, baits such as small pilchards and quarter-sized pinfish. Another thing that helps is downsizing your tackle. I will drop down to 20# fluorocarbon leader and a #1 hook. If you chum, I don’t recommend chumming heavy with bait fish. You don’t want to fill them up.
Also, this is the time of year when thunder storms can build very quickly. These storms will be producing air-to-ground lightning with high winds. Normally these storms begin to develop in the afternoon when the sea breeze begins to blow. So, keep your eye out for dark clouds forming over the beaches or inland, moving to the beaches. The summer fishing can be very productive. I like to try to get an early start to beat the heat. Make sure you have plenty fluids and sunscreen.