Good Stuff All Around Redfish, Snook, Sea Trout Others
Capt. Ron Kowalyk
July 31, 2014
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
4cast SwFl 30-07-14 Capt. Ron Kowalyk
Offshore: Excellent reports if you skirted the morning storms on the grouper and snapper fronts. The bite was hot from 5 to 30 miles out, look for features in 26 to 70 ft. of water. The snapper bite has been equal to or better than some of the best action so far this year. The snapper were big enough to eat a nice pin, cut thread or sardine chunk. Bring lots of chum and hold on. Cobias were taken on the slightly deeper marks at 11 plus miles out. Sharks, tarpon and big redfish were reported around the marks at 26 ft. off Sanibel and Captiva. Crews reported some poons cruising north off Point Ybel. Pins threads and crabs were the top baits as you‘d run and gun pursuing the rollers. Mobs of spadefish, big jacks and the odd permit were also reported. Drop fisherman on the closer marks made a day with snapper, grunts, flounder, trout and bull reds were hooked up on the GH, Mays Reef complex and Sanibel Reef. Early bird crews found a few poons tight to the beach as they pitched shiners to the roving bunches of snook, two for the price of one.
Backbay: The bite has rebounded in Estero Bay and San Carlos Bay after some weird weather patterns and the return of bait on the beaches and in the passes. Crews made the best of it and on Monday the weather moved quickly inland allowing acess to the flats and mangrove islands. My crews came up strong with numbers of mixed size reds, smallish snook and pompano. There were pomps skipping in our wake as we traversed the flats. A shrimp tipped jig was the go to rig for reds, snook, pomps, trout and sheepies. We used frozen shrimp, right now the crickets are all pinheads; a dozen can fit on three hooks!
Snook action is very good on the local Gulf beaches; it's an early bird affair so get up with the chicken. White streamers, bucktail jigs and smaller, two inch plugs, all worked well. There are trout, reds and jacks running the beaches also. There's been some good action on Cayo Costa and the woody edge of Boca. The river and area creek mouths are holding a nice mixed bag bite, snook, reds, trout, snapper( biggest of the year, 14 inchers), black drum and sheepies. There are some poons in Estero in the early morning, guys used catfish tails and pins, easy-peasy, I like it! No news on the bonefish front?
Capt. Ron Kowalyk: 239-267-9312
[email protected]
Capt's Corner: Shrimp and jigs under a cork pay off as usual, with frozen or live pinheads scoring about the same. Busted up blue crabs, pass crabs and fiddlers all worked well when you've got ‘em. The bigger the bait, within reason the bigger the fish. Crews with pins in the 3-4 inch sizes, chunked ladies and cut threads caught bigger reds. If you choose to use upscale baits your best bait match the hatch is to work deeper haunts. That's not always the case but if you're a big fish addict look to the docks, passes, rip rap and deeper drop-offs along you're favorite grassy flats on either tide. We've had success at Chino Island in Pine Island Sound, Punta Blanca Creek, New Pass off Estero and of course the top of the pops, Burnt Store Bars. Dangle that fat pinfish on a head knocker rig and drift it near the bottom or soak it near a cut or prop dredged. These cuts can, on either the incoming or outgoing tides, be honey holes. These areas will optimize your fishing time as you work the tidal phases. Bigger baits take patients but can be well worth it.
Fort Myers Fishing Forecast:
Weathers been great, early starts, take advantage of Summer Rates 1/2 4-5 hrs, $300 up to 4 anglers
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