Fishing Reports by Capt. Dave Hanson

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper to 32 inches reluctantly released! - After two days of windy, rough, unusually cold weather, thanks to a strong cold-front, I finally got back out fishing on Wednesday morning, 1-4-12. It was still a chilly 35 degrees first thing that morning, and seas were residually rough offshore, so more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Great Fishing Inshore & Near-shore - Monday morning, 12/19, I fished in the backwaters of Estero Bay with Larry Baumgartner, his son Chris, granddaughter, Madeline, and family friend, Walt Barney. The tide was a little on the low side, but we made the most of it, and were able to catch more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big Sheepshead Back! Grouper, Snapper, Hogs - Just as busy season was gearing up, the first week of December brought not only high winds and rough seas, but also red tide conditions in the gulf and up into Estero Bay. The good news is that the weekend's wind direction helped push the red ti more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper Offshore; Redfish Inshore - With rough seas persisting into the weekend, my Saturday charter was deferred to Monday, 11/14/11, when seas calmed to two-to-three feet. I headed about 22 miles offshore, out of New Pass, with Bob and Stephanie Rose. We caught a bunch of grouper, bu more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Redfish everywhere! - Winds have been blowing hard and seas have been rough for a while. Those conditions tend to curtail offshore fishing. But on Wednesday, 10/26/11, I had a group of guys who wanted to fish the bay. We timed our trip to coincide with the best tide condi more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good Action Inshore & Offshore - Wednesday, 10/5, I had an offshore trip planned with Bryan Smith and friends, Tony and Kevin. There were small-craft-advisories in effect that morning, and seas were forecast to be two-to-four feet. The guys didn't want to fish inshore, preferring to more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark, Goliaths, Bonito, Snapper & Reds - After a long time off the water, nearly a month, due to our very slow slow-season, along with a couple weeks of consistent rains, I finally got out fishing again on Monday, September 12th. I fished with live shrimp in central Estero Bay with long-tim more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach-Good Variety - Monday, the first day of August, I fished with Paul Fenwick, daughter Emma, son Spencer, along with John Priddy, his daughter, Jordyn, and her cousin, Susan Carlisle. The group wanted big fish, so we spent some time catching bait for goliath grouper. more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Offshore Report - Monday, 7/4, Tony Herring, son Jacob, friend, Josh Schneider, and Tony's two nephews celebrated the Fourth of July with a fishing trip offshore. We fished in 60 feet, using live shrimp and cut-bait. We caught a 13-inch keeper mangrove snapper at our more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SWFL-Bonita Beach:Goliath-Mania, Red Grouper, Kings, even a Mahi - Monday, 6/20, was a perfect day for offshore fishing, and I spent the day in the good company of Jamie Long, Tom O'Donoghue, Rich Shamer and Matt Booth. We fished about 36 miles west of New Pass in 70 feet, using live shrimp and bait-fish. We made ou more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach