Fishing Reports by Capt. Dave Hanson

Fun with lesser amberjacks! - Monday, 2/25, brothers Ed and Fred Armstrong had planned to fish offshore with me. A weather front came through the area over-night, however, and kicked up winds to about 25 knots, with very rough conditions offshore. So the guys decided to fish in E more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Great action offshore & inshore! - Craig and Jan Royal and their son, Dan, along with Craig's dad, Ron, fished southern Estero Bay's backwaters with me on Monday, 2/4/19. The family used live shrimp to catch four nice, keeper sheepshead, two at 14 inches and two at 17 inches. They als more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

January Wrap-up - On Monday, 1/14, I headed offshore with Bill Conklin and his two friends, Mark and Susan. NOAA had forecast seas of two to three feet well offshore, but even out just eighteen miles from New Pass, we encountered seas of three to four feet. We didn't more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Fishing improving now that red tide is gone - Tuesday morning, 12/4/18, just ahead of a cold front due to arrive in the afternoon, I fished 20 miles west of New Pass with Ralph Marino, Bud Mulchy, and their friends, Ed and John. The guys used squid and cut-bait to catch six keeper lane snapper, more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Gulf and Bay Catching - I fished offshore for the first time in many weeks on Friday, 10/19/18, when I headed out to various spots out to 26 miles from New Pass with father and son, Daniel and Josh Koppy. The bite was kind of slow, but at least it was improved over the las more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Good Riddance to Red Tide! - Fishing was tough Saturday morning, 8/11/18, when I headed out 24 miles west of New Pass with Darren Rachman, his brother, Mark, and a couple of their friends. I fished in spots that had been productive several times this week, but the bite was prett more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Red tide hasn't stopped offshore fishing - Scott Shinke, friends, and family fished with me on Friday morning, 7/6/18, 22 miles west of New Pass, using cut-bait and squid. They boxed fifteen lane snapper to 13 inches, along with two Spanish mackerel 22 inches and 23 inches. They released twen more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

June Wrap-up - It's slow season here in SW FL, and also rainy season, so fishing trips are less frequent, but still productive for game fish and food fish. On Tuesday morning, 6/5, I fished the backwaters of southern Estero Bay with Rick and Patty Mason. They us more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Shark, grouper, lanes & rains! - Winds and seas have been erratic, and the NOAA forecast has often been unreliable recently. I canceled a trip based on a small craft caution and 4-foot seas prediction on Tuesday, 5/1/18, and I believe it would have been quite calm offshore, from wha more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Snapper bite is hot; red tide is a bummer - Red tide has been lurking around our area for weeks now, but had not impacted fishing until this week--Fishing offshore is still great, when seas are calm enough. But bay fishing right now is pretty much off the table until this red tide dissipates. more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach