Fishing Reports by Capt. Dave Hanson

Pompano, flounder, sheepshead and snapper - Wednesday, 10/23, I fished the Bonita reefs with David Koenigsmark and Hubert Wright. Seas were predicted to build and we knew heading much further out than the reefs wasn't likely to be too comfortable. The guys had just this day to fish, so we deci more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Snapperfest gulfside & good bay fishing too - Wednesday, 10/8, I fished the backwaters of central Estero Bay, along the mangrove shoreline, with Henry & Lois Wilson and friend, Harold Fleming. We used live shrimp to catch and release five redfish to 17 ½ inches, two snook, 22 inches and 24 inche more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Gulf & Bay Short Report - Jim Neswald and Kevin Mysliwiec fished with me in rough conditions Saturday morning, 10/4. Seas were much rougher than predicted but we headed out of New Pass to about 35 feet with a bait-well full of live shrimp. We caught nine keeper mangrove snapp more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Offshore Fishing Excellent This Week - With October's page nearly ready to be showing on the calendar, many of our seasonal residents have been calling to arrange fishing trips. This week, I finally have a few trips to report. After waiting for the winds and seas to clam down from a b more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Can't catch fish when you aren't fishing - A few words to say about local fishing lately: Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, and slow-season! Although we were very fortunate to have few serious effects of the storms, they did disrupt fishing with their fringe effects that included gusty winds, high se more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Fishing in Gustav's Wake - We no sooner got rid of Tropical Storm Fay's effects when Hurricane Gustav threatened the Gulf coast. We were again fortunate, much more so than the folks in New Orleans were…although, they too are counting their blessings after a small, last minute more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Tropical Storm Fay, then a Good Day of Fishing - Monday, 8/18, as Tropical Storm Fay approached and the meteorologists speculated as to her course and strength, the winds began to pick up and the seas churned in that angry way that they do just before a storm. It was time to batten down the hatches more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Nice Redfish Action; Snapper, Flounder, Spanish - The first part of the week brought lots of rain, and not just the familiar afternoon thunderstorms; it rained early mornings, into late evenings. It was mid-week before I got out fishing. Wednesday, 8/13, I fished Estero Bay with Robert & Roberta Dul more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Reefs-27 inch Gag & Nice Snapper; Bay Reds - Monday morning brought rain and I had to delay by about an hour and a half my fishing excursion with Deitnar and Andrea Binkowska, daughter Anna-Lena and young son, David. The Binkowskas were visiting from Germany and one thing David definitely wante more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Big Fun for Little Girls with Ladyfish - After a little time away in the relatively cool N.C. mountains, I resumed fishing this Saturday, 7/26. I fished 14 to 17 miles west of New Pass with Marty Kimball and his three young daughters, Haley, Cheyeynne and Michaela. The girls had a lot of fu more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach