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Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
July 25, 2002
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Early Bird
It has been hot and humid with the temperatures in the nineties this past week. The rains of the Everglades have been rolling across the state with regularity. There is no relief in sight. The good news is that the fish love it. Keep in mind that the species we are after are sub tropical.
Live bait of all kinds are everywhere. Small scaled sardines are all over the beaches. Juvenile threadfin herring are gathered on points and runs with heavy current. Finger mullet are being sprayed by snook, jacks, large trout and redfish.
Early morning hours are humid and windless. The water is glass. If you go slow and observe the shorelines, it won’t take long for you to figure out where to start fishing. Bait is being pounded at every turn. You can use live bait, but plugs, flies and jigs are getting plenty of attention. Most of us are still fishing in the Marco area. I did venture into the Ten Thousand Islands this week and the fishing is starting to perk up there. We caught a variety of small to medium snook in the backcountry.
There is very little boat traffic right now. That means that the fishing pressure is down to a minimum. You can work your favorite haunts knowing that it probably hasn’t been worked over by another boatload of anglers. We have been catching snook from eighteen to forty inches all week. They have been hitting a variety of lures. Baitfish imitation streamer flies have been working too.
Anglers have been catching some quality trout while snook fishing. I have been seeing many trout that are in the eighteen to twenty inch range. These fish are a real bonus. Just a few years ago, they would have been considered an odd catch. Today, I expect them to be part of my game plan.
There are baby tarpon from ten to forty pounds on the prowl. They have been pouncing live bait and top water lures. Flyfishermen have been getting them to smash gurgler flies. Look for them to be rolling where there is current flowing. They always seem to be where there is a pass or small route to escape if need be. The deeper banks of rivers are a good place to find small tarpon. I have seen a few larger tarpon early in the morning. It pays to keep a larger rod ready for a quick cast.
It looks like the weather will remain the same in the upcoming week. Hot and unpredictable is the forecast. Carry a rain suit and bug spray. Early mornings and late afternoons are the key. I’ll see you on the water.
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