Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
October 18, 2000
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Cool Mornings And Clear Skies
You couldn’t ask for a better week of fall fishing. The weather was absolutely stunning. The mornings were cool and the afternoons were pleasantly warm. It is the time of the year when the water temperature drops back down into the seventies. Every species of bait that is indigenous to our area arrives. The gulls, terns, and pelicans will show you where to look. Anything is possible because all of the backcountry players and then some show up to gorge themselves in preparation for the tougher months of winter.
It seems as if everyone did well this week. Some days were better than others were. I think that fish fed well one day and then kicked back the next but fishing was fantastic for the most part. There didn’t seem to be any particular pattern to where the fish were. Most of us caught plenty of snook in the Marco and Ten Thousand Islands area. Fish were in the front of the islands during the high incoming phases of the tide. Fish were in the middle islands and the back bays as well.
I had angler Bob Cantwell fishing with me for four days. Bob was a gutsy sort and used six-pound test line for most of the time that he fished. We used live bait and threw a few plugs for good measure. We had double digit days on the snook every day. Most of the snook were small to medium size. A few larger snook did embarrass Bob, and the action was fantastic. We managed to catch a few redfish every day. Bob’s biggest redfish was ten pounds. There were plenty of large jacks and ladyfish to round things out. Those fish were bashing topwater plugs. We also caught mackerel as they came in with the tide just off of the outside points. There are some large tarpon and sharks around. We didn’t hook up with any, but I think we could have if we would have stuck it out.
Other guides and anglers gave similar reports this week. Everyone was showing up to the cleaning table with some kind of fish to take home. Folks that fished for trout did excellent with jigs. They were catching a few pompano while jigging on outside hard bottom points too.
There is plenty of fall action and it should remain excellent until we get the first serious cold fronts of winter. This is a time of year when the complete novice can do well. Be safe, have fun, and I’ll see you on the water.
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