Pine Island Sound, Charlotte Harbor & Matlacha Pass
Capt. Glenn Grimes
March 6, 2005
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
We had just finished filling the live well with greenbacks and pinfish.My good friend Robert Castillo and I took off for my favorite trout hole.After catching a few small fish we moved over to another spot about 200 yds. away.What a difference moving a little bit can make.We began to catch some much nicer trout.We began to ice down fish in the 18" to 22" class.We had a fun day just relaxing and catching fish with out the pressure.We were rigging with Cajun Thunder popping corks and about 16" to 18" of 30lb. mono with a 3/0 mustad hook.The greenbacks were of the large variety so we were happy to use this nice bait to catch some nice fish.All in all we wound up 30 to 40 fish with 8 on the ice and we released at least 4 more that were over 20".Trout fishing has been steady and will get even better as the water warms for the spring time spawn.
Moving on to some snook action.I returned from catching bait on Wednesday the 2nd to pick up Richard Peterson.Before leaving the dock I told Richard to throw a greenback in the canal at the boat ramp.Richard has never caught any saltwater fish in Florida.Well on the very first cast he hooked into a snook that I would have estimated at 25lbs.This fish tried to jump but as a big fish does she could not clear the water.Then it took a run for the docks. Richard stopped her and started to get the big female coming to the boat but it seen the boat and took off.Richard stopped it the second time but the third time was the charm for the big ol female.It took off around a post and went for the line of boats and broke the line.What a rush to hook a snook of that caliber.After that we tried for some snook on the flats but post cold front and a slow tide put a damper on the fishing.So I decided to catch trout.
On the first Capt Bob Winger and I went on a night trip for snook.After launching at Cape Coral boat ramp on the Caloosahatchie river we went to the first of three spots I like to fish for these fish.The technique is to troll #16 and #17 series bomber plugs along certain points and islands that have deep drops on the edges.On the second pass I hooked a nice snook which put up a nice fight on the 15lb gear I was using.This fish was 29"long.After making a few more passes I decided to change spots.On the third pass I hooked a nice fish but the fish ran straight at the boat till it figured out that it was hooked and took off the other way peeling drag.That was the way it was going the last time I seen it.The fish pulled the hooks and was gone.At the third spot Capt bob hooked a snook of unknown size.It immediately jumped and threw the hooks.
On saturday the 5th the snook were at a hole in Pine Island Sound.I was unable to get any greenbacks for bait as the cold fronts made the water to cold.As I approached this spot and dropped anchor I seen the snook lined up along a deep bank sunning themselves.I only had about four greenbacks in the well and had only one hit on them.The fish squashed the bait but did not get the hook.We caught one nice trout at this hole.Fishing was tough with only trout getting in on the act.
I have been seeing a lot of different size sharks in the sound.The water should start warming up any time now with the last two weeks of March thru the summer being the prime months for sharks.
With the water warming up in the next few weeks I look for a bunch of different species like spanish mackeral,cobia,big jack crevalle,tripletail,and also the tarpon.Nice grouper have been caught in the sound also.Well that does it for this week.See ya on the water.
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