Marco Island, Ft. Myers & Boca Grande

Capt. Scott Hughes
April 11, 2003
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report

Snook, Reds, Trout and a few Tarpon.

Sorry about the lack of reporting for the last month but as most of you know I live down in Everglades National Park for the month of March and April and I don't have internet access. The tarpon moved in as good as I have seen them in early March this year. My charters caught more than 20 over 100-pounds in a 5 day span. Around the 16th a series of cold fronts and some red tide moved in on us and sent most of the tarpon packing. They have just now started filtering back in and yesterday we caught one around 80-pounds. Snook and trout fishing has been almost as good as it gets. Therefore, they have been the top species for the last three weeks. Grouper and jewfish have also been plentiful.

Snook are all over the 10,000 Islands. They have been hitting sardines on the outside points and deep in backcountry creeks. I have even caught a few in the middle bays which is my least favorite places to fish. The majority of the fish have been smaller than the slot of 26-34 inches. However, most days have been producing a couple of large keepers. We have also been catching a few over 34-inch snook per week.

Trout fishing has been alomst as good as the snook fishing. The trout are hanging out in the snook holes eating mullet. Most of the trout are over the 20-inch maximum and some are pushing 30-inches. We have been catching them while targeting snook with live sardines and thread herring.

Grouper are hanging around washouts and deep cuts in the channels of the upper 10,000 Islands. Live herring have been catching most of them but just about any live bait will work if you can find them.

Redfish are around. Some days we catch quite a few and others we don't even see any. Live sardines fished over the grass flats have done the best. Most of the reds have been between 25-29 inches.

Jack crevelle are taking up the down time between the snook and redfish. They are running 5-8 pounds and are slamming live baits when they see them. Look for them in the major passes on rising tides.

The forecast for the next few weeks is excellent. Most of the red tide has been pushed out to sea and warming water means that the tarpon will be on the move again. Look for them to show up south of Naples and then move into the Ft Myers area as it gets closer to May. By the middle of May snook will be in full spawn and the tarpon will be concentrated off the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

Good Luck!

Capt. Scott Hughes

Blackwater Charters

941-575-2389

941-628-4247 cell

More Fishing Reports:

• All Reports by Capt. Scott Hughes
• Fort Myers Fishing Reports
• Southwest Florida (Cape Sable to Boca Grande) Reports
• Florida Fishing Reports
• Browse All Fishing Reports