Ft. Myers - Offshore
Capt. Rick Featherstone
October 30, 2002
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fall Fishing Explodes Offshore
Greetings;
The fall bait run is in full swing along our coast. Consider this migration a virtual moving fast food restaurant. Kind of like fast food with fins.
Inshore there are good numbers of spanish mackerel up to six pounds or so feeding well on the moving tides. Bluefish are with them as well as pompano in the pass. Spoons, flies, jigs, and live bait all work. On the inshore reefs large snook are still holding tight. Smoker kingfish are scattered inshore as well feeding among the schools of bait and smaller predators. The Bull redfish have just started to show up also. Live baits work best for both of these. This is the time of year gag grouper move into the inshore area. If you target them, and can avoid being cut off or rocked up you just might get your biggest grouper of the year within five miles of the beach.
Huge goliath grouper up to three hundred pounds are on the larger stuff inshore. These fish are protected, and very special. Not only do they make for the fight of your life, the pictures lasts a lifetime. Imagine hooking a Volkswagen to your fishing rod and you get the picture of how hard these guys pull. Our coastline is the only place in the world they congregate like this. Goliath grouper gather here to spawn during the late summer and early fall. I have been told by the fish biologist that they do not, I repeat NOT feed naturally on grouper and snapper. They take them only if they are struggling, or injured, as in hooked. Put down a lively bait, and hold on for the fight of your life. Remember they are protected, and must be released unharmed.
Offshore has been outstanding. The king mackerel run started early and loads of big fish are out there. We found them feeding at all times of the day, and every method we tried worked. Most fish were twenty pounds and over. If you like a screaming drag, and excitement this is your time to shine. Mixed in with the kings have been good sized spinner sharks. What a blast to see a hundred pound shark leaping in the air like that. Little tunny's are thick also. Large schools of them are busting bait and moving around never in the same place twice. These guys are great fun on light tackle or fly. A few blackfin tuna are in the tunny mix also and always a welcome sight. Big cobia are there also, but not in great numbers at least as of yet. The grouper fishing inside of the thirty mile line is good, with huge numbers of fish being caught but very few keepers. Snapper fishing is steady on mangroves and lanes.
Take care and watch the cold fronts that move through this time of year. It can change from very nice to pretty sloppy in a matter of minutes. Believe me, been there, done that.
Sincerely,
Capt. Rick Featherstone
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