Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
October 25, 2000
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Norteast Nemesis
Winds out of the northeast have been with us for quite some time. That is why we have a cooler influence from the north occurring. It is cool in the morning and it keeps the afternoons very pleasant. Even though fishing has been relatively good, it has not always been easy. It is hard to manage the boat. It can also limit where you can fish.
Even so, it has not been hard to get bait. The bait is everywhere. Just watch where the birds are diving and you will most likely hit pay dirt. Snook have been touch and go. They feed well one day and then they hole up the next. They seem to be getting a little pickier as the water temperature drops. I really don’t want to see it drop below seventy degrees. That is where this northeasterly trend has been a bit of a thorn in our side. The winds have been very strong and the water temperature has been falling fast. Most of the snook that I have been hearing about have been small to medium size. There are a few keepers being caught but not as many as we were catching in early September.
The redfish catch did not change much this week. Most of the guides are catching a few with each outing. I have been catching redfish where I catch snook. There has been a lot of tackle busting jacks around. Some of them are in the twelve pound class. That may not sound big but you know what I am talking about if you are using ten-pound test line. I am always happy to see them show up. They keep people guessing.
There was a period in the beginning of last week where there wasn’t as much wind as we have been experiencing. I was sneaking up on tarpon that were exploding on mullet in the passes on an outgoing tide. Angler Bob Ferris landed a ninety pound tarpon that ate a full grown sardine. That was the completion of a grand slam for him. When the winds kicked up this week, the tarpon took off.
There are plenty of other fish out there as well. People are doing well on trout, pompano, and mackerel. Most of those fish are being taken on jigs of one size and color or another. Overall, the fishing has remained good. I think that it will stay strong until winter finally shows up. Then we will have to change tactics for different species. I’ll see you on the water.
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