Cold weather and some red tide, but fish are still biting
Capt. Rob Modys
March 4, 2013
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
Another cold front and a drop in temperatures greeted anglers this past week and made fishing very difficult. Fish in our area love the warmth just as much as Floridians and they tend to hide when the water temperatures drop near 60 degrees. The good news is, cold fronts in southwest Florida don't last very long and that will be the case over the next week. We've also had to deal with an outbreak of red tide that slowed things quite a bit on the nearshore reefs but has not caused much mayhem in the back bays. The current cold front will provide winds out of the north and that should help move the red tide out of our area fairly quickly.
The bite has been steady in the backcountry waters of Estero Bay. Sea trout are being caught on the flats and near points around mangrove islands. Shrimp under a popping cork is the go-to for the flats and free lined on a hook and split shot combo for the mangrove areas.
Redfish are biting but you'll have to spend some time searching for them. The best bite has occurred from mid to high tides around mangrove islands. Cast a live shrimp on a jig as close to the mangroves as possible. Let it sit for a spell and then move it very slowly. Work an area thoroughly before moving on.
The sheepshead are starting to thin out after the spawn. They are still biting on live shrimp near mangrove islands and around dock pilings, buy it may take several moves to find them.
An uptick in the pompano bite is happening thanks to the cooler weather. They are hitting shrimp tipped jigs in the passes and around nearshore sandbars. Yellow for the jigs seems to be the color of choice. Gently hop them across the bottom and set the hook on the slightest bump. They aren't hitting the baits very hard.
More Fishing Reports:
