Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
February 28, 2005
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Wake Up Call
The water temperature climbed to as high as seventy two this past week. That meant that it was time to start catching bait and get down to some serious bush whacking. Everyone knew that we had another large front on the way.
The snook have definitely been coming out of winter hiding. We had fair to excellent snook action up to and throughout this past front. The front brought rains with it but they were sporadic if you were fishing in the Ten Thousand Islands. The snook ranged from peewee to thirty six inches. My anglers released quite a few slot sized snook. These fish seemed to be extra feisty as well. The larger snook were jumping more like tarpon than snook. I had two fish saw through fifty pound leader because they were totally out of control. What is in that water? Slot sized redfish were in the mix as well.
Trout are still in the deeper runs and on the grass flats. The pompano bite was phenomenal before the front in the passes of Marco and over the grass flats of Cape Romano. Little pink jigs tipped with shrimp were getting the action. Anglers were chasing black drum out there as well.
Tarpon are starting to trickle in. By the first week of March, barring any funky weather, I would expect to see more of them coming into our area. Tarpon will get the concentrated efforts of many of us guides for the next three months. If you want to get into the tarpon action, call a guide now while there may still be some slots open.
Temperatures will cool a little this next week but I don’t think it will be too serious. I’m going fishing anyway. I’ll see you on the water.
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