Estero bay in February

Capt. Greg Stamper
February 9, 2016
Estero Bay - Saltwater Fishing Report

As we worked through the week windy days made for some interesting fishing. Between the cold fronts, charters were shuffled around and we still got out a few times to catch fish. Throughout the week we had to move around a bunch to find areas that gave us shelter from the winds, by doing this redfish, trout, and sheepshead were available. Trout up to 24" and sheepshead were the goto's . Redfishing in the back bays, although sparse at times did come into play in areas that had deep drops near buy. It seems that redfish are laying up on warmer flats where they can slide into deeper water when disturbed. Shrimp and cut baits worked best with smell being key when fishing the silty water. Working soft baits slow and low like DOA shrimps or swim baits also got results if you put time into working shorelines and oyster bars. We've got some issues with water being dumped down the Caloosahatchee river, and a bit of red tide showing up a few miles offshore. Water quality will certainly be key as we fish through this next week and salinity levels are lower than usual. Finding cleaner water and areas with good tidal influence may be the best bet.

More Fishing Reports:

• All Reports by Capt. Greg Stamper
• Estero Bay Fishing Reports
• Southwest Florida (Cape Sable to Boca Grande) Reports
• Florida Fishing Reports
• Browse All Fishing Reports