Ft. Myers - Offshore

Capt. Rick Featherstone
July 2, 2002
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report

Some like it HOT!

Greetings;

Fishing in our area can be described in one word. HOT! Its not a Chamber of Commerce commercial either. Having been out every day fishing from right on the beach out to forty miles, I can tell you for certain, NOW is the time to go if its action you seek.

Inshore and along the beaches tarpon, sharks, snook, and mackerel, are feeding on the moving tides. Snook are on the snags and structures right against the beach. White jigs, flies, and live baits are the ticket. Go early. Outside the buoy line out to twenty three feet or so you will find bait pods. When you find those, look for tarpon, sharks and mackerel. The tarpon bite has been early and late. Sharks will feed at anytime. The mackerel, both spanish and kings are scattered throughout the area. Live thread herring and cut bait such as catfish are the best tarpon producers. Catch a mackerel and you have instant shark bait. Put out some chum, and watch in the slick. They got so worked up they came in and tore the chum bag apart! We released over one hundred blacktip sharks Saturday and Sunday alone. We also released two bull sharks that pushed the four hundred pound mark.

Offshore wreck fishing great if you like action. Little tunny's, cudas, permit, cobia, blackfin tuna, king mackerel, and goliath grouper are active out to thirty five miles. Run ten more and you can add amberjack, gag, and black grouper to the mix. We spent one awesome morning after another out there and you just could not predict what would bite. Over hard bottom spots out deep fifty miles or more its gag and black grouper spawning time. Concentrations of big fish are there if you have the boat and skill to make the run. There were two huge blacks brought in from out there. One was not weighed, but estimated at over one hundred fifty pounds, the other was speared, and weighed seventy nine pounds.

Its very important to watch the weather close this time of year. Storms come up quick. Keep listening to the weather during your day on the weather for changes. I feel its a good plan to leave early and return early. Consider being back in at two thirty in the afternoon. That avoids most of the nasty stuff, and gives you time to load up and clean fish without lightning to help motivate you to hurry.

Sincerely,

Capt. Rick Featherstone

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