Ft. Myers - Offshore

Capt. Rick Featherstone
June 21, 2004
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report

Spring Turns to Summer

Greetings,

Fishing Southwest Florida lately is a game of variety. No one species seems to be red hot, buy many seem to want to play thankfully. Not a big problem when you don’t know what to expect next on the end of your line!

Near shore there is a good snook bite along the beach in the swash channels, passes, and near any structure. Live baits bring the most strikes but artificial like DOA shrimp and Terrorize. Flies such as deceivers and white whistlers are working great also. They are also on the artificial reefs with a myriad of other species like gag grouper, goliath grouper, cobia and others. There are only a handful of tarpon in the area so I have not targeted them much but we did get a big one after a three-hour fight on Sunday. Offshore it’s a true mixed bag. Big cudas, permit, king mackerel, jacks, and goliath grouper are eating. With the help of live chumming and teasing you can get most any of these gamesters to eat a fly. For permit stick with a crab imitation. I can’t get a handle on anything specific, one bites then the next but I am happy as long at the next bite comes along for sure. This week we released seven big goliaths, but one estimated three hundred and fifty pounds sure made for some sore mussels and bulging veins! One other catch of note this week, a eleven foot bull shark ate a bait intended for tarpon giving us ninety minutes of big fun and great pictures.

Summer is here, what those thunder storms in the afternoon.

Bow em’ Up,

Capt. Rick Featherstone

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