Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
June 28, 2000
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Hot Means Hot
If you spent much time on the water or out of doors, you found out why our region is considered subtropical. Hot and humid has been the recipe for hot fishing. This week was another repeat performance for our backcountry stars. Snook, jacks, trout, and an occasional redfish and tarpon were on the stage. All methods were being employed to get a back stage pass to meet the stars as well.
Scaled and Spanish sardines are flipping everywhere. The scaled sardines are growing to sizes that are more comfortable to throw. There have been plenty of large threadfin herring just a stones’ throw from shore. If you were to brandish some gold hooks or store bought sabiki rigs, you had very little problem obtaining a few for your big snook spots.
A lot of anglers spent time this past week pitching live threads in deep secret holes for larger snook. I received many reports of snook being caught and released that were seven to twenty pounds. Snook are spawning right now and they will gather in the deeper runs and passes to socialize. In the process, they can work up an appetite. I had angler Tony Cuomo on my boat today. It was good to have a true sailor on the boat. He caught and released several snook that went seven to twelve pounds. Folks have been catching plenty of snook on artificials too. Die hard top water enthusiasts are reaping their share of lunker snook with walk the dog style lures. I had a few fly fishermen out this week and we caught a few snook on streamer style flies. We got a lot of looks at the fly as well. Much of your success relies on the way you strip the fly and I am sure that local fly fishermen with experience did well this week. The fish have been willing.
We caught a few redfish this week. Some of the other captains have been giving me reports. Captain Al Keller told me that his anglers caught a few redfish on lures in a well known back bay in the upper Ten Thousand Islands. The redfish have been scarce for the most part. Trout have been in their usual haunts over the grass flats and deeper runs along the islands. Some of them have been well over the twenty-inch range. They have been taking any manner of jigs, shrimp and live bait.
There are a few tarpon around to spice things up. Look for them feeding and rolling early in the morning in the passes of Marco and the Ten Thousand Islands. Live bait or a well presented plug should do the trick.
This is the time of year where anything goes. It is a good idea to get it done in the first half of the day. Heat or a summer thunderstorm can squash afternoon plans. What a great place to live. Go get you some. I’ll see you on the water.
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