Fishing Reports by Capt. Dave Hanson

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Great Fishing Offshore & a 500-lb Goliath! - Tuesday, 5/29, I spent the day fishing in 47 feet, using live shrimp, with Robert Pierce, Brian Clark, and Julie Meng. The trio hoped to catch some good table-fare, along with doing some sport-fishing for bigger fish. I had hoped to put them on some more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SWFL-Bonita Beach: Cobia, Shark, Snapper, Goliaths & Grouper - Monday, 5/7, I fished at the near-shore reefs with Joe and Donna Corso. The couple used live shrimp to catch a 14-inch keeper-pompano, two keeper flounders at 14 and 18 inches, a keeper mangrove snapper, a keeper sea trout at 20 inches, a half dozen more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper, Snapper, & lots of rough seas - After about six days off the water, due to high winds and seas offshore and shallow, muddy conditions in the bay, I finally got offshore with Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonse, Dick Arnett, Bob Mayer, and Matt Watson on Thursday, 4/26. We headed out of New P more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Lane Snapper Plentiful, Red Grouper, Shark + - Monday, 4/9, seas had calmed at last, and I headed out to fish in spots between 22 and 28 miles west of New Pass with Bill Conklin, his son, Eric Conklin, and friend, Rick Weigand. Bill caught a keeper red grouper at 21 inches, and we released lots o more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Fort Myers

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper are Back! - Monday morning, 3/26, I fished over hard bottom in 35 feet, with Chris Ernberger, his dad, Jerry, and Chris's son, Carter. There was about a 3-foot roller left over from the windy Sunday that preceded our trip, so we didn't venture too far offshore. more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SWFL-Bonita Beach:20-pound kingfish,shark,mangs, hogs, Spanish - Monday, 3/12, after a windy weekend, winds were predicted to calm somewhat, and seas were forecast at two-to-three feet near-shore, and three-to-five feet beyond twenty miles. But, as I approached the near-shore reefs with Mark McCarthy, Mark and Dav more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice Grouper & Snapper, Hogfish & Trout - Although, after a windy, rough weekend, seas were calming to two-to-four feet on Monday, my planned gulf-trip canceled, as they thought seas would still be too rough. So I missed that day on the water. But, I got back offshore on Tuesday, 2/28, with more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark-Battles, Big Snapper, Sheepshead, Hogs - After a couple days off the water, due to a cold front that brought frigid temps, high winds, low tides and rough seas, I headed to the near-shore reefs Monday, 2/13/12, to fish a catch-and-release trip with Richard and Trish Burdow. Seas had calmed more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark, Mutton, Hogs, Mangs & Mackerel - The week of 1/30/12 began with a cold-front that brought high winds and seas and small-draft advisories, which forced me to cancel both offshore trips planned for those days. Wednesday morning, 2/1, began a little rough offshore, but quickly calmed d more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Excellent Grouper Action; Hogs & mangs Too - Monday, 1/16, after a weekend of rough offshore conditions, seas were calming down, with a forecast for two-to-three foot seas out to twenty miles. It was rougher than that, but it was calm enough for my hardy anglers, Bud Glanzer, Lee Larsen, and Al more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach