Red tide has reared its ugly head in local waters. Thankfully, it’s not a really big ugly head so far. But it’s killing fish, and has ugly potential.
Which is not to say the potential for very good fishing isn’t out there, either. See this week’s Fish Tip for details.
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ESTERO BAY: Get Hooked Charter Capt. Matt DeAngelis had a very good Tuesday checkout run in his new bay boat, starting with finding plentiful schools of two- to four-inch scaled sardines off Lovers Key Beach. He then hit New Pass with a full livewell and released a dozen snook from 20 to 26 inches while freelining the larger livies. Moving on to a central bay grass flat he floated baits under a popping cork and released 20-plus spotted seatrout from 16 to 24 inches. He notes that though channel restrictions have been lifted for Estero Bay, caution is necessary due to lots of hurricane debris including trees that could damage lower units if hit at speed.
CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER: Mike Westra of Lehr’s Economy Tackle reports super snook action from the mouth of the river at Punta Rassa, all the way to the W.P. Franklin Lock, with very few anglers taking advantage. One report from boaters was of multiple releases around the remains of the Sanibel Harbor Resort docks, followed by very good action while fishing the ruins of the Cape Coral Pier at Redfish Point. Those snook were slamming live herrings, and ran to mid-30-inch sizes.
At the other end of the Caloosahatchee estuary, anglers fishing the north shore recreation area pier at the W.P. Franklin Lock in Olga reported releasing snook in the high-slot range, one after the other, while casting to tail waters below the two open gates. All of that action was on artificial baits including No Live Bait Needed jigs and Hogy Pro Tail jigs in 1-1/4- to 1-1/2-ounce sizes.
MATLACHA PASS: Wildfly Charters Capt. Gregg McKee reports a fun morning battling big crevalle jacks in north Matlacha Pass with local fly fisher Lincoln Freese. The jacks were blowing up schools of glass minnows (bay anchovies), making them easy to track in frothy appearances, where they would hit any fly flung their way. He also reports seeing “some really huge snook along the mangroves near Bokeelia,” with “Tons of big mullet up there, and no sign of red tide where I’ve been.”
OFFSHORE: Fishbuster Charters Capt. Dave Hanson ran his first post-Ian offshore charter Tuesday with longtime customers Mike and Paul Connealy. The guys stayed very busy under all-catch-and-release conditions, some voluntary and some mandatory under temporary harvest closures. A new ban on keeping lane snapper, effective Nov. 15 through Dec. 31, and the red grouper harvest ban that went into effect Aug. 30, until the new year, made the releases of one 23-inch red grouper and 25 lanes mandatory. They also released a 22-inch gag grouper and an 18-inch black grouper, for which the minimum lengths are 24 inches. Their potential keepers were 15 grunts and three yellowtail snapper, all caught on squid and released with good will, 36 miles out of New Pass.
Lehr’s got only one report of red snapper fishing, even though the fishery was open for three days, Friday through Sunday, Nov. 11-13. Fishing in 175 feet of water, four anglers did take some “American reds,” but their fish box bulged with “flag” yellowtail snapper to 5 pounds.
“Most people aren’t running that far offshore, because mangrove, yellowtail and mutton snappers are what’s driving the truck right now,” according to Westra. That action has been in depths as near shore as 50 feet, out to about 100 feet, where the sizes of the fish being caught have been significantly larger than usual, post hurricanes.
FRESH WATER
LEE COUNTY: Hurricanes notwithstanding, Bob Mignogna and pal Paul Dickensheets normally fish the waters of Estero Bay and tributaries, but “salt water is out for now; largemouth bass are in.” On Saturday they took their fly rods and black wooly buggers to the docks of the Wild Blue community, where they “saw and caught a number of bass. Great way to stay in shape until we can go after the big boys.”
LAKE TRAFFORD: Lake Trafford Marina reports lackluster crappie action in the Immokalee lake this week, possibly due to unseasonably warm weather. Local twins Lonnie and Ronnie caught seven specks one day, and six the next. And Manuel Vasquez caught three nice white catfish and four crappie Wednesday, fishing with minnows.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE: Roland Martin Marina Capt. Bo White reports stable weather with lighter winds has improved fishing conditions this week. He cites the clean water north of the Indian Prairie Canal as good in particular for fishing live wild shiners along the hard Kissimmeegrass edges. For artificial action he recommends casting chartreuse or white spinnerbaits into bulrush heads on the outside grass lines from Tin House Cove to the Buckhead Ridge Canal.
PIC OF THE WEEK
Get Hooked Charter Capt. Matt DeAngelis reported lots of baitfish and hungry game fish Tuesday around Estero Bay.
FISH TIP
Fish killing red tides blooms have been sampled mostly north of Bonita Beach in Lee County. Penetration seems mostly confined to the barrier islands and outer bay areas, including northern Pine Island Sound. Jim McDonald shot video* of lots of mostly small dead fish last Friday along the North Captiva Island shoreline, where breathing conditions were difficult. On Saturday, the fish kill he saw in Pine Island Sound, on his way to Bokeelia, “was tragic,” with too many redfish. But Capt. Gregg McKee reported seeing very large snook and tons of mullet, with no sign of red tide Tuesday along Bokeelia shorelines. Also on Tuesday, running out of New Pass, Capt. Dave Hanson reports seeing red tide and lots of dead baitfish out to about 20 miles. But his party caught dozens of snappers and groupers at 36 miles offshore. Lehr’s also got a similar report of red tide encountered out to 25 miles southwest of Sanibel, but not further, with generally excellent catches of bottom fish beyond depths of 50 feet.
HOT SPOTS
No. 1: Northern Matlacha Pass and Bokeelia shorelines for jacks and big snook.
No. 2: Lower Caloosahatchee dock remains for snook.
No. 3: Franklin Lock north shore pier for snook.
No. 4: Estero Bay flats for trout; snook in New Pass.
No. 5: Estero community lakes for bass.
No. 6: Offshore for mixed snappers.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
No. 1: Bass along outside grass lines, northern shorelines.
Credit: Source link
