Fishing steady despite the up and down weather.
Capt. Rob Modys
January 2, 2013
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
Now it's cold, now it's warm, now it's cold, now it's warm. That sums up the challenges of fishing during this time of year. The good news is, the cold part of the equation hasn't been all that cold and the water temperatures have stayed near the mid 60's. That will slow the bite some, but won't shut it down completely.
The fishing had been good in Estero Bay despite the up and down temperatures. We've been working the mangrove points and oyster bar drop offs and that's really paid off during the extreme low tides of the past week. My anglers have caught redfish, snook, sheepshead, black drum, sea trout and pompano using live shrimp on jigs and under corks.
The trick has been finding an area where you can match wind and current direction. If you do, success will follow. Be patient. The bite will start slow and then pick up as you put more and more shrimp in the water.
The sheepshead spawn is finally in full swing. They are feeding well on shrimp. Keep the offerings small and on small hooks. We've had the most success with 1/0 circle hooks, a small split shot for weight and then letting it sit on the bottom with very little movement. Let them eat and then reel!
The pompano have made it into the bay area. We've been picking them up using light weight yellow jigs tipped with shrimp in about 2 feet of water. If the bottom has too much loose seaweed we switch to corks. Pop it just like you would for trout.
Redfish have been a bit slower to eat since the cold fronts started. We've been working the mid to upper tides around mangrove islands using live shrimp on lead head jigs. Let it sit and then move the bait slowly across the bottom. Along islands with good current, we've been switching to popping corks. Toss them up current and then let the tide do the work for you. You can cover a lot more water this way and that will help find the fish.
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