SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice Kings, Bonito, Shark, Snapper & Trout
Seasonal business is just beginning to pick up around here, though most of the recently reserved dates are for later this month and into next. I did get offshore Saturday, 10/10 with long-time customers Jerry and Barb Rudan, from Wisconsin. We headed out of New Pass to about 18 miles, but it was slow going heading out in sloppy seas. Predictions were for one-footers, and it did eventually calm to about that, but the trip out was definitely not that calm. We used live shrimp to catch a lot of different fish but many of our catches were frustratingly just short of keeper-size. We released red groupers that were as little as one eighth of an inch short of legal. The same was true of many yellowtails and mangrove snapper. Triggerfish were abundant and would have been keepers prior to the regulation change, which now demands 14-inch minimum, so we released those too, along with lots of ladyfish. On the bright side, we did manage to catch a mess of keeper-sized snapper too—mangs, lanes and yellowtail, as well as Spanish mackerel.
David Koenigsmark, son Adam, and father-in-law, Hubert, fished offshore with me Thursday, 10/15. We had a full-day so we headed out 37 miles west of New Pass to 74 feet. David had fished with me this summer, but we were bayside to accommodate his younger son. This time, he wanted his fourteen-year old son to have some offshore adventure. We caught a variety of fish, some of them pretty good size, which included a 34 inch king mackerel, a 28 inch king, whose tail was bitten off as Adam reeled him in by a huge barracuda, a 3 ½ foot sharpnose shark, a very large stingray, and an 8-pound bonito. We kept the kingfish and released the shark, stingray and bonito. We also caught some good table-fare—lane snapper, mangrove snapper and yellowtail snapper—all keeper-sized, though we released all the lanes and a few mangs, as we already had plenty of fish, and also released lots of grouper shorts. At one point, we spotted about fifteen large mahi-mahi, right beside the boat—we had just arrived and weren’t rigged up yet, and they spooked and swam off.
Sunday morning, 10/18, I had planned to fish offshore with Dan Wampler, son, Barry, and eleven-year-old grandson, Max. The weather, however, had other ideas, as our first real cool-front came through the area, bringing not only much cooler temperatures, but also stiff winds and rough seas offshore. Dan and family decided to brave the cold morning temps and fish in the calmer waters of the bay. We stayed as sheltered from the wind as possible, and used live shrimp along the mangrove shoreline to catch five keeper sand bream and nine keeper mangrove snapper. We released small sheepshead and two small snook.
As the winds continued to be strong and seas rough offshore on Monday, Chester Yanik, son Mark, and friends Jim Basara and Tom Murphey also swapped their offshore plans for two days of inshore fishing in Estero Bay. Monday, we caught a dozen keeper-mangrove snapper out of twenty-five total mangs, and four keeper-sheepshead out of a bunch of sheepies caught. We released the smaller snapper and sheepshead, along with a 16-inch snook. We were fishing with shrimp and small bait- fish along the shoreline, wherever were able to stay somewhat sheltered from the winds. Tuesday, the same group caught a bunch of trout–about 30 throw-backs measuring 14-15 inches–and they kept three nice trout that were 16 inches, along with keeper mangrove snapper. We released four redfish to 17 inches, an Atlantic spadefish, and a 3 1/2-foot bonnethead shark. We fished mostly in areas behind Ft. Myers Beach, using live shrimp and popping corks for the trout and reds.
The photo shown is of angler Mike Page, with an 18-inch sheepshead, caught on shrimp on a recent trip.
SW FL-Bonita beach: Near-shore Report
Saturday morning, 8/15, I fished with Greg Sommesi and family at the reefs off Bonita Beach. With a 70% chance of rain predicted and seas beyond 20 miles at 3-5 feet, we decided the near-shore reefs might be our best bet, especially with three youngsters on board. We did well with snapper, catching thirteen keepers to 12 inches, and releasing lots of smaller ones, along with undersized triggerfish and flounder. We also caught a keeper lane snapper, Spanish mackerel and grunts.
Monday morning, I fished the reefs once again, this time with Mike and Noreen Weber. We limited out on keeper mangrove snapper to 14 inches and released lots of others after we had our ten. We caught two keeper flounder also, as well as some grunts. We released three small goliath-grouper to 20 pounds. We used shrimp for all but the goliaths, which bit blue runners. Tuesday, Robert and Roberta Duhlberg and their two young children, Daniel and Rebecca, planned a ¾ day of fishing with me in the bay. Those plans were foiled when a surprise thunderstorm hit about 11:30 AM. We had to quit fishing and take cover as best we could until the storm slowed to a light rain. By that time, we were all wet and ready to head in. we did manage to catch three keeper mangrove snapper and a 16-inch trout, on shrimp.
The photo shown is of angler Dawn Croft, with a 21-inch red grouper, caught on shrimp on a recent offshore trip.
SW FL-Bonita Beach: Inshore & Near-shore Report
This week was challenging in terms of weather, for sure.
Monday morning, 6/22, was the best weather of the week. I fished Estero Bay with the Matt Stanford family, including Matt, his wife, their two young children and the children’s grandfather. We had a good morning, using live shrimp to catch seven keeper mangrove snapper, three keeper sheepshead to 14 inches and a keeper whiting. We released two small snook, each about 16 inches.
Tuesday morning, Julie Brady, her son, Nick, and Nick’s friend, Colby, had planned to fish offshore, but with stiff winds out of the west, we changed those plans to fish inshore instead. Using live shrimp in central Estero Bay, we caught keeper mangrove snapper and a 14 inch sheepshead. We released smaller mangs and sheepshead, along with a 15 inch snook. After two consecutive days of strong, westerly winds and rough seas, the offshore forecast for Wednesday calmed down significantly, with predictions for two-foot seas out to 20 miles and two-to-fours from 20 to 60 miles offshore. Robert Smith and son, Walker, were pleased to awake to calm winds that morning, and we optimistically headed out. But, even at the near-shore reefs, seas were sloppy, with a leftover swell and seas on top of the swell higher than predicted. We fished there until it wasn’t fun anymore, dared not venture out further, and retreated to the relative calm behind Ft. Myers Beach for the final hour of fishing. We caught keeper mangrove snapper and grunts, and released Spanish mackerel. NOAA continued to forecast calming seas, with predictions for two-foot out to 60 miles for the rest of this week. But the low pressure system that stalled over us had other ideas. Thursday morning, I was back to the dock by 10 AM with Mike Weber, Bill Carlson, and their wives. There was a stiff 20 knot wind and seas rough enough to be border-line unsafe. We released a couple fish and decided to head in before it got any more uncomfortable or dangerous. Needless to say, with unstable, rough conditions and lots of moisture still around on Friday, I advised Chris Morrow, son Alex, and Bob Snyder and son, Zack, to fish inshore, rather than risk gulf fishing. We dodged a few rainstorms throughout the morning but we ended up catching ten keeper mangrove snapper and a keeper sheepshead. We released smaller snapper and sheepshead, and returned to shore just as the skies were letting loose with a heavier shower. The photo shown is of six-year-old angler,Tyler Guthman, with a bonnethead shark, caught on shrimp in Estero Bay, on a recent inshore trip. 
SW FL-Bonita Beach: These are the times that try Captains’ souls…
Just ahead of another cold-front predicted to come through our area Monday evening, Bill Oswald and his eight-year-old daughter, Grace, fished Estero Bay with me Monday morning, 4/6. We had some gusts of wind but nothing like the winds expected on Tuesday, and it was a generally pleasant and productive morning in the backwaters. We kept two sheepshead and six mangrove snapper and we released about an equal number of smaller ones. Grace was keeping score on the number of fish caught and proudly proclaimed herself the winner, with a total of nine.
Tuesday morning the winds that were promised became a reality. I had already cancelled an offshore trip for that day, given the predictions. I had tentatively scheduled a backwater trip, but with winds of 25-30 knots, fishing anywhere seemed more like an exercise in aggravation than anything pleasant, so I cancelled the backwater trip also and remained in port for the day.
After the front moved through and the winds shifted direction, Wednesday brought some shallow conditions in Estero Bay. Grassy, muddy waters made for some tough fishing that morning with Kevin Mathies, his young sons, Tony and Louie, and the boys’ grandfather, Louis. We managed quite a bit of catching but not a lot of keeping. We released seven undersized snapper, five crevalle jacks, two snook and a few sheepshead, and we caught two keeper whitings at 15 inches each.
Bill Oswald, who fished with his eight-year-old daughter in Estero Bay with me on Monday, fished the backwaters again with me on Thursday, this time with ten-year-old son, Will. We released mangrove snapper, cravalle jack, a 20 inch snook (see photo) and a big bat-ray, all on shrimp.
Friday, David Posz and ten-year-old son, Jacob, wanted to catch some table-fare, and I wasn’t sure Estero Bay would offer much of that—It had been tough fishing in the bay all week. Predictions of two-to-four foot seas close-in lured us to try the near-shore reefs. In reality, seas were four-to-five feet there, but we hung in there and caught five keeper mangrove snapper, an 18 inch bluefish and some grunts. We released ladyfish, red grouper shorts, two flounder that were just short of keeper size, and a moonfish.
Saturday, winds calmed and seas laid down for the first time all week, allowing me to get out about nineteen miles with Joe & Sue McCollough, daughter, Cynthia Day, and twin grand-daughters, Amanda and Lauren. We used live shrimp and caught keeper mangrove snapper to 18 inches, a 16 inch keeper hogfish, a dozen nice whitebone porgies, all around 15 inches, and some big grunts. We released a smaller hogfish, Spanish mackerel and grouper shorts.
The photos shown are of angler, Don Washa, with a porkfish, caught on shrimp on a recent offshore trip. (Porkfish are actually quite tasty and this one was pretty good-sized) and of young angler, Will Oswald with a 20 inch snook caught and released on inshore trip this week.
SW FL-Estero Bay & Bonita Beach Reefs
Monday, 3/30, looked like it might have to be an inshore day when I heard the marine forecast the night before. But by early morning, the forecast had changed and it was looking calm enough to head to the reefs. I fished there with Dave Kempston, his sons, Alex, Brennan and Connor, and Alex’s friend, Griffin. Using shrimp, we caught a dozen keeper mangrove snapper to 17 inches, most of them in the 14 to 17 inch range. We also kept five sheepshead, all about 15 inches. We almost had a red grouper, but he was just a bit short at 19 ½ inches so we had to release him, along with gag shorts, Spanish mackerel and blue runner.
Keith Erickson and friends fished central Estero Bay with me Tuesday morning. We almost had a couple of nice reds, but one broke off and we lost the other before we could boat him. We did catch a 17 inch sea trout, two keeper mangrove snapper and two keeper sheepshead for the box.
Wednesday morning was a tough call on gulf versus bay, with the time-line of this windy front uncertain. Jerry and Denise Demars and grandson, Jake, managed to get a morning of fishing at the reefs about 5 miles off Bonita Beach before it got too sloppy out there. We caught six keeper mangrove snapper, keeper Spanish mackerel, a 15 inch flounder and large grunts. We released under-sized triggerfish, grouper and sheepshead.
Decisions on fishing offshore were made easier on Thursday, when seas of three-to-five felt were predicted within twenty miles. I cancelled my offshore trip for that day. I did likewise on Friday, but ended up re-booking the morning for an inshore catch-and-release trip with Gary Mozina, his friend, Mike, and Mike’s eleven-year-old son, Eric. There was a stiff wind blowing all morning and the fishing wasn’t as good as it had been in the bay earlier this week. We released four sheepshead, a few mangrove snapper and ladyfish.
Saturday morning, seas were relatively calm but there was a good sized swell left over from the windy front, so I fished near-shore at the reefs with Rob Wessels, his daughter Sydney, son, Tanner, and friend, Kristi Whalen. We did well with live shrimp for snapper and sheepshead, ending up with fourteen keeper snapper to 15 inches and four sheepshead, all 17-18 inches.
The photo shown is of angler, Terry Vallely, with a 14 inch hogfish, caught on shrimp on a recent gulf trip.
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Fishing Blog- Web Updates - Nov. 4, 2009
- Salmo Sting Review - Salmo Lures
- Salmo Chubby Darter Review - Salmo Lures
- Salmo Bullhead Review - Salmo Lures
- Salmo Hornet Review - Salmo Lures
- Shrimp Tease Review - Creme Lures
- Killer Diller Shrimp Review - Creme Lures
- Jerk N? Shrimp Review - Creme Lures
- Devil?s Tongue Review- Saltwater - Creme Lures
- Creme Shrimp Soft Plastic Lure Review - Creme Lures
