Nearshore bite off of Estero Island is where the action is
Capt. Rob Modys
August 13, 2013
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
The summer heat has been pounding down and that's moved the water temperatures up into the high 80's. That will make it tough to find fish in the shallow waters of the backcountry. Think deep cuts and nearshore reefs if you want to be successful with catching and not just fishing.
The water quality has been very good off of Fort Myers Beach despite the news about the continued dumping of freshwater from Lake Okeechobee. Seems the strong tides are keeping the brown colored water closer to the mouth of the Caloosahatchee and away from Estero Island.
The backcountry is giving up nice redfish but you'll have to go very early to take advantage of that bite. Once the sun comes up and Mother Nature turns on the oven, all bets are off.
The nearshore waters of the Gulf have been the place to be if you want to spend the day fishing. The rock piles, ledges and wrecks are loaded with spanish mackerel, jacks and bluefish. On the bottom we're finding sea trout, founder, mangrove snapper and some gag grouper with a few that are keeper size. Live shrimp and cut threadfin herrings are working best for bait.
Want to hookup with the "big one"? Go for sharks. They are feeding in 14 to 18 feet of water. Best cut bait has been jacks with ladyfish as a close second. We've been catching mostly blacktips but we've also had our share of hammerheads, bulls, lemons, sharpnose and a few spinners.
On a personal note... I was recently added to the Mako Boats Fishing Team and that honor came with a new Mako LTS 21 Bay/Flatsboat. I'm very honored to represent Mako and Bass Pro Shops and I have to say... what a nice ride!
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