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Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
December 15, 2004
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Zoo Time
The last couple of weeks have been a bonus considering it is 40 degrees outside at the moment. Water temperatures hovered above 70 degrees and fishing remained quite productive.
We caught snook and an array of redfish of all sizes in the past few weeks on sardines. Mackerel, bluefish, mondo ladyfish, and bonito were a regular morning eye opener out in front of Marco Island.
The redfish and snook did not seem to have any particular pattern in the last week. I am sure that these back to back cold fronts will change that. Expect the snook to start moving to the far reaches of the backcountry. I am starting to catch trout in their winter haunts. That is a sure sign that winter is on top of us. As the patterns change, so will our tactics. I will start to abandon searching for bait and switch to jigs and shrimp.
The water temperature will surely plummet after this cold front. That means that “zoo fishing” will be my choice of methods. I like to use shrimp with a split shot and drop them into deeper holes and runs along the passes and rivers in the Ten Thousand Islands. You never know what will happen. Snook, redfish, sheepshead, black drum, and even tarpon lurk in these spots. As the weather stabilizes and the shallows warm, sight fishing will be at its optimum. The water gets gin clear this time of year. Redfish will be a major target for well placed jigs and flies.
Stay tuned as we pull into the heart of winter for a zoo keepers update. I’ll see you on the water.
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