Marco Island, Ft. Myers & Boca Grande
Capt. Scott Hughes
April 12, 2005
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
We're getting there
So far this has been a frustrating tarpon season. The tarpon moved in the middle of March and then left when a hard cold front blew in a bunch of muddy water. For the past three weeks we have been waiting for the water to clear up in the Marco Island area. The water in Pine Island Sound is clear but it's still a little to early to spend alot of time targeting tarpon. This week is supposed to be nice so hopefully it will give the water a chance to clear up. This is good news for those of you who are plannning to tarpon fish in May. The good fishing should explode as soon as the water clears some.
Snook fishing has been very good in Pine Island Sound. The boat traffic on the weekends has made things a little difficult but during the week it's not a problem. Live sardines have been the best producers with soft plastics working well early in the morning.
We are still picking up some nice redfish along the mangroves on the higher water stages. Cut ladyfish has done well for me as well as plastic jerk baits. There are also some schools of medium sized reds working along the bars of Charlotte Harbor on the higher tides.
Trout fishing continues to one of the best things going in Pine Island Sound. I had a 6 year old girl catch trout of 7, 5, 4 and 3 1/2 pounds this week fishng with live sardines. We also caught a number of trout to 22 inches using soft plastics.
Large jacks in the 8-10 pound range have invaded the brackish canals of eastern Charlotte Harbor, Cape Coral, and Matlacha pass. Live bait and plugs will catch them.
The forecast for tarpon is good if the winds continue to lay down and the cold fronts slow down. The water temps are just about perfect for tarpon fishing so we are waiting for water clarity at the moment. That should come any day now.
Good Luck !
Capt. Scott Hughes
Blackwater Charters
941-575-2389 home
941-628-4247 cell
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