Weather and Fishing Improving
Capt. Ron Kowalyk
October 8, 2015
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
Offshore: The passing tropical storm made for iffy conditions off the beach but thankfully the weather has subsided. There were fair reports from the closer marks at 3-20 miles out. Grouper bites were strong with live bait, pins and threads the top offerings. Snapper remain a mainstay of the action with fat hungry doggies up to 3-5 lbs. reported on the marks at 9 miles out. The weather forecast for the upcoming week is promising with sunshine and rain chances in the low 10% range. The nearshore marks will offer good shots at snapper perhaps a few legal grouper and lots of lesser ground fish. Spanish are pursuing the bait pods. Keep an eye out for bonito as well. There are odd reports of tarpon running south along the region. Tripletail season will be upon us shortly with stone crab season opening in the middle of the month. Cobia, Goliaths and shark s are big fish opportunities for the close in small boaters.
Inshore: Weather was a tad iffy much of the week but it's clearing up nicely. We still have to contend with brown water on the flats that slowed the bite again. The redfish bite should recover by midweek when the waters recover and the green water returns, need salt! The northern end of the region starting at the midpoint of Pine Island Sound experienced less brown water influx and stabilized, thus keeping the redfish on a chew. There was plenty of bait at the Sanibel Causeway, that was good since the shrimp were all pinheads, stick to frozen crickets.
Estero Bay suffered a moderate setback with lots of brown water, strange because bites up in the creeks were still strong on the snook front with baby tarpon in the mix, go figure? Trout, pompano and snapper were actively feeding in the passes, probably with all the guck tumbling out of the flats, a bugger buffet for the ground fish. We saw some small tarpon around the bridge pilings; plenty of snapper there and black drum as well if you could hold a drift.
Charlotte harbor is on the verge of the fall redfish runs up on Burnt Store Bars and elsewhere, keep your eyes open, tread lightly and carry a gold spoon or pinfish at the ready. Trout action was fair to good on the big lake in 3-6 ft. of water, scented plastics, shiners and shrimp all worker pretty well.
Captain's Corner: Keep moving, look for moving green water, use scented offerings or livies as a search pattered. Lures and flies with flash will help overcome any turbidity at the creek mouths and in the rivers. Fish in low gear!
Capt. Ron Kowalyk
www.fishswfla.com
[email protected]
239-267-9312
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