Fishing SW Florida in Late Summer

This has been a strange few days here in SW Florida. We have had lots of wind and rain all associated with the remnants of Hurricane Isaac. With all that said, we have still been fortunate enough to catch some nice fish in between the rain the wind. This has made me change my tactics. With a SW wind and slow outgoing tides we found ourselves fishing leeward sides off mangrove islands just to be able to cast close to the tree line. In these conditions stealth is still important. The wind and waves can help hide your movement and get you in tight to the shore allowing you to cast to the trees as well as along the shoreline. Cut pin fish on a #2 circle hook and 1/4 ounce slip sinker allow you to make those cast in the wind. We also used small corks with white bait and allowed the wind to move the bait around to the corners and out with tide. Try these methods on your next windy day and you might be able to salvage what might be a fishless day. While fishing in these conditions, please always watch the weather, it can quickly change. Always watch out for lighting. It's better to be able to come back and catch fish another day then making your last cast that could really be your last.


Tight lines,

Capt. Bill Hammond
www.endlesssummercharters.net