January, 2022 Report-Bonita Beach, FL
Capt. Dave Hanson
January 27, 2022
Bonita Beach - Saltwater Fishing Report
Robert and Michelle Peachey fished southern Estero Bay's backwaters, using live shrimp, on Tuesday, 1/4. They caught sixteen sheepshead, including one 14-inch keeper, along with four keeper mangrove snapper to 12 inches. They released a 24-inch redfish.
Long-time customer, Mike Connealy, joined by his brother, Patrick, fished offshore with me in spots from 30 to 35 miles west of New Pass on Wednesday, 1/5. We hoped to go after red grouper, now that they are in season again. We did catch many of them—over forty of them—but the largest ones were just ¼ inch shy of the 20-inch legal requirement, so we released them all, along with a half dozen yellowtail shorts. We did catch a nice gag grouper at 23 inches, but gag season closed at the end of December, so it had to be released. We were able to box two dozen grunts, four keeper mangrove snapper to 14 inches, two lane snapper keepers at 14 inches and 15 inches, and a nice porgy. Everything bit on squid.
Ed Ray, Dave Larkin, Bill Reeves and their friend, Mark, fished 28 miles west of New Pass with me on Thursday, 1/6. The lane snapper bite was on, and the guys used squid to catch thirty-nine keeper lanes to 16 inches. They added eight grunts to the box, and released twenty-nine red grouper shorts to 18 inches.
Tim Glandon, joined by friends and family fished with me on Wednesday, 1/19, seventeen miles west of New Pass. The group was scheduled to fish on Tuesday, but howling winds Sunday through Tuesday canceled out my offshore trips. We were able to reschedule for Wednesday, which was still choppy, but much better than had been earlier in the week. The group used squid to box six keeper lane snapper and four grunts. They released dozen red grouper shorts and one bonnethead shark. There were a lot of sharks around, which became a bit of a nuisance when they started cutting everything off.
Frank Palermo, his two sons, Joe and John, and his young grandson, Eric, fished a catch-and-release trip in southern Estero Bay's backwaters on a chilly, drizzly morning, Saturday, 1/22. They used live shrimp to catch fifteen sheepshead to 17 inches, a brace of 13-inch crevalle jacks, a 20-inch snook, and two pufferfish.
Dan Waldron fished a catch-and-release trip on Thursday morning, 1/27, in southern Estero Bay's backwaters. He used live shrimp to catch and set free a dozen sheepshead, a crevalle jack, a mutton snapper, and seven mangrove snapper.
Bonita Beach Fishing Forecast:
A cold front coming through on Saturday will being temps in the 30s to SW FL--brrrr. Winds and seas will be high, along with the possibility of rain. Hopefully, the gulf will calm down quickly next week. If you are cold-tolerant, inshore fishing, sheltered from the winds, might be an option.
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