Marco Island, Ft. Myers & Boca Grande

Capt. Scott Hughes
June 2, 2004
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report

Summer Redfish

The redfishing so far this summer has been excellent. Even with all the boat traffic associated with a number of tournaments there are still large schools of reds roaming Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor. Tarpon are schooling also but they have been a little inconsistent as they get ready for the spawn in June. Snook fishing has been good when we have been targeting them.

Redfish: For the past two weeks redfish have been the trip savers. We have been able find and catch good numbers of redfish on a daily basis most of the month of May. I have looking for the schools on the outside of the bushes and trying to get them stopped by chumming with live and cut bait. Once they are stopped it's just a matter of reeling them in. Almost all of the fish are way over the slot with most pushing 30-32 inches.

Tarpon: Tarpon action is still very good. There are large numbers of fish in the "pass" and a number of schools that are roaming the harbor and the sound. These schools have not had a very consistent pattern. One day you'll find plenty and the next day you might have to run 20 miles to find fishable numbers. Last week my partner Capt. Bo Johnson had the hot hand with 19 hook-ups on tarpon over a two day period. Most of the fish were in the 100-pound class. Live and dead herring was the best bait.

Snook: Marco island is still producing the best numbers of snook in our area. It normal to catch 15-20 snook per morming while pitching live herring and sardines. Most of the fish are near the passes and the beaches this time of year. In Pine Island there are still plenty of snook in the backcountry. A batch of "bad" water is moving around the Sound and it's been difficult to keep large numbers of live bait alive which is hurting our snook catches in the Sound.

Trout and Shark: Both of these species are readily available in Pine Island sound and Charlotte Harbor. I have not been targeting them much lately. But, when I have we have done well. Use plastics for the trout and cut bluefish or mackerel for the sharks.

Forecast: If you haven't caught your fill of tarpon this year, its not over yet. The months of June, July and August are the best three months that we have for tarpon in Charlotte Harbor. Snook, redfish and trout fihsing will be good all summer also well.

Good Luck!

Capt. Scott Hughes

Blackwater Charters

941-575-2389

941-628-4247 cell

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