Redfish, Pompano and Sharks Are All In The Mix
Capt. Rob Modys
July 28, 2011
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
It's hard to believe, but the summer vacation season is starting to wind down. The "Back To School" ads are appearing on local TV and in print, and it won't be long before the school bell is ringing. Time to get the family on the water and enjoy all that southwest Florida has to offer.
We had a nice uptick in the bite on the nearshore rock piles and reefs this past week. The pompano moved back in and it wasn't unusual to catch 3 or 4 per outing using live shrimp on jigs fished slowly across the bottom. Some slot size trout were mixed in along with a few spanish mackerel and bluefish. Cut bait on a circle hook, dropped straight down to the bottom, brought up lots of mangrove snapper. Most were small but there were a few keepers caught.
The shark bite was also good using cut bait. There are lots of blacktips, bulls, duskies and bonnetheads around with the occasional big hammerhead. It takes a little while to get the bite going, but once it starts they just keep on coming.
In the backcountry "redfish" is still the word. Some decent sized ones are taking live baits, shrimp and cut bait along the mangrove edges and on the oyster bar points. The higher the tide the better, but there are also sight fishing options at the very bottom of the tide. The window is small but it's always exciting to sight fish a red.
Jacks and ladyfish are everywhere. Just look for the diving birds on the flats along with busting fish and you'll be on them in no time. We're starting to hook up with "flats jacks" up to 10 pounds using popping corks and live shiners.
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