April 2, 2011

Fort Myers Fishing May 2010

Here Snookie, Snookie!
Capt. Bill has been fortunate enough to be super busy sometimes not having a day off unless we booked it out on purpose!  Fishing has been so much better then expected and really surprised us considering the freeze we had in late winter that killed so many fish and particularly snook.

Starting early summer we were quite apprehensive about taking people snook fishing when it was requested.  We thought...okay this is fishing NOT catching so what do we have to lose?  Well, we shouldn't have even worried about the lack (or so we thought) of snook!

We had just one day to scout for snook spots and was fortunate enough to have an old spot deliver.  Snook like brackish water so the mouth of the Caloosahatchee is prime real estate for linesiders.  We found ours during outgoing tides hanging out under mangrove overhangs in 1-2 feet of water.

We had a really good run for a couple months but because of the prolonged closure of the snook season we are still unable to keep the tastiest fish around!  That's okay...we would rather have the numbers grow for future fishing trips!

Sanibel Fishing Charters July 2010

It's all about the Tarpon & Shark!
Oh, how we LOVE tarpon season!  Tarpon fishing runs
through our veins and we really look forward to the run of
the Silver King every year.  Having family roots in Boca
Grande and a grandfather that  was one of the first tarpon
guides there helps.

Early in the season was tough.  Lots of tarpon but not enough taking the bait.  I suspect it's because of the large army of shark that come to the passes around that time to get themselves a tasty silver treat.  I wouldn't take time for a snack if I had a 10 foot hammerhead chasing me either.

After not such great luck in Boca Grande pass Capt. Bill took to the beaches and passes that have a lot less shark and boat traffic.  That's when the bite turned on and we were seeing silver all over!

Boca Grande is great but lots of amateurs that don't follow the rules of the pass makes it hard for those that know and follow the rules.  It definitely takes someone that knows what they're doing to navigate Boca Grande.  There are sometimes 100+ boats all nose to nose vying for the beautiful Silver King.