Estero Bay backcountry redfish and tarpon are biting
Capt. Rob Modys
July 27, 2014
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
It was a busy week on the water and we fished both backcountry and nearshore Gulf waters. The "way back" of Estero Bay has been a good place to be for redfish. They were feeding near the top of the high tide near mangrove shorelines and along the oyster bars in the north bay area. The better the water movement, the better the bite. Live shrimp has been the go-to bait. We were also getting a lot of keeper mangrove snapper in the same location.
Also, in the back, were quite a few resident tarpon feeding during the morning inbound tide. We had success with free lined live shrimp and also putting shrimp on a small jig under a popping cork. They were picky. We couldn't get a single bite on live pinfish.
The passes were loaded with a mix of mangrove snapper, pompano and silver trout. Locating the pompano was a snap. All you had to do was idle around the pass entrances until you see them skip out of the water. Once found, we dropped live shrimp on jigs and worked them slowly across the bottom.
The shark bite has been good in about 13 feet of water off of Fort Myers Beach. A mix of hammerheads, black tips, bulls and sharpnose were very active in the early morning hours. The nearshore reefs have been "on again, off again". Some days the bite is amazing and on others, not so good. If the bite is off, don't be shy about moving to a new spot. We found some areas that were barren, while others held lots of fish.
On a special note: A recent lightning death on Fort Myers Beach brings to the forefront the need for vigilance during the summer season. We normally have afternoon thunderstorms each and every day, so it's important to remember that when you hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning. When a storm approaches it's time to head for safe haven. Don't delay. It could save your life.
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