Fishing Report for Pine Island Sound to Sarasota Bay, Florida

Capt. Butch Rickey
July 7, 2007
Pine Island Sound - Saltwater Fishing Report

REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING 7/7/07 by Capt. Butch Rickey

Fort Myers Weather Forecast, FL (33908)

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DOG DAYS OF SUMMER!

With the dog days of summer comes a big slow-down in business. Probably a good thing, as I don't think my body can handle week after week of full weeks on the water in the intense heat. I did manage to get in two trips before the holiday, figuring the rest of the week would be a zoo on the water, anyway.

Monday, I had my first trip with Reid Ofseur, his son Pierce, and Pierce's friend James, all of Holly Hill, Florida. Reid's wife Beth told me he had been reading my fishing reports religiously for years, and although we had the best available tide of the week, it was a poor tide. I hoped I could deliver a trip that would live up to his expectations, but I knew it would be tough.

The weather was unsettled, as it has been it seems all year long. We were in a reverse weather pattern which gives us morning storms along the coast that move inland during the afternoon. There was weather offshore that morning, but it appeared to moving mostly southeast, and didn't appear to be a factor, at least early on. Once the boys showed up, we headed out to Picnic Island to try to catch bait.

I hadn't been on the water in two weeks, having been on vacation. The reports I heard from the few guides who were working were grim. Fishing was tough, and bait was all but dried up. Not what I wanted to hear. The word was that what bait was around was very small. Gillers!

Once at Picnic I poked around with my St. Croix depth finder until I found about four feet with soft bottom and seagrass. We nominated Pierce to be the chummer while I threw the net. Well, it turned out that there was just enough big bait to keep me interested, as well as tons of small net pluggers and plenty of pinfish. But, it took a lot of throws to get enough shiners big enough to fish with. By the time we were done I was exhausted.

We headed into the Sound knowing there would be no water moving until later in the morning. We fished a spot that always has plenty of fish, but they weren't about to eat. With the result about what I expected, I decided to take a clue from what Reid had said earlier. They just wanted to catch some fish. I was pretty sure that the grouper and jewfish would be willing to eat, and I knew we could catch them on pinfish and conserve our shiners. Once on the hole everyone caught jewfish, and a few gag grouper. If memory serves the boys pulled a snook or two off there, as well. Those fish fight light George Foreman on light tackle, and I tied plenty of lines that morning. Several were lost in the rocks after getting hung up there, as well. SUMMER FISHING FUN!



SUMMER FISHING FUN!



Oddly, that bite seems to taper off as the tide begins to move. So, once we were sure it was over we were off to the next spot, and had our attention once again pointed at redfish and snook. At the first stop the boys managed one of each. We had a lot of showers moving in off the gulf at this point, but hadn't heard any thunder. We got wet a couple of times, but weren't concerned about that. But, while fishing another mangrove island close by, the serenity of the morning was broken by an explosive clap of thunder that deafened our ears at the same time the bright flash of lightning blinded our eyes. That was close, and scared us all. We looked like a hill of ants getting things put away so we could run from the impending danger. We took off for the Sanibel side in an effort to get a safe distance away, if there is such a thing.

SUMMER FISHING FUN!



Once on the west side we watched the storm continue to build into a formidable one, and continue moving onshore spitting bolts of lightning as it went. We would stay where we were and make the best of it for a while. We fished a number of holes, but could only manage a couple more snook. Once the storm had moved off a safe distance we agreed that it would be a good idea to finish the day closer to home in case the weather got wild.

SUMMER FISHING FUN!



We headed back to St. James, where we wrapped up our day fishing some mangrove islands. The fish were there, all-right, but not much interested in doing anything other than popping our baits and leaving them. As memory serves the boys managed a couple more snook and a snapper. I have to admit to being yet in the vacation mode, and not keeping the notes that I usually keep on what was caught.

Well, we had a poor tide, and some unstable weather that kept me from executing the second half of my day plan. The rain dampened us, but not our spirits, and we made it work and had a good time.

Tuesday morning I met my old friend Bob Brockway, of Parkland, Florida, at his dock at the Pink Shell, where he and his family vacation every fourth of July week. We were going to do a fun day of plug fishing in his Hewes. I guess I've known Bob for around eight years, but it seems more like twenty. I love sharing a boat with him because Bob loves to learn, and loves to be out there, no matter what's going on. And, he's one of the naturally funniest guys I know!

Weather was once again an issue for us right off the bat. Bob, had wanted to first hit the beaches and hopefully I could show him where the snook now hang in numbers. Hurricane Charley destroyed most of the Australian pine habitat that used to line miles of beach, and what the storm didn't get, the local politicians did!

We headed out around the horn of Sanibel and up the coast, but didn't get far before we could see heavy rain and lots of lightning in our path. Being unsure of just exactly how the early morning weather was tracking, we decided on a different course of action. Bob agreed that learning a new spot up in the river where we would be close to safety sounded like a good plan.

It's a beautiful area, and I've caught lots of big snook, big jacks, big flounder, and the occasional black drum and some big redfish. I hoped we would at least find some big jacks willing to play on the stagnant tide we had to fish. Bob's comments made it clear that he liked the area. We fished it hard, and saw quite a few snook moving along the shoreline, as well as plenty of mullet. Eventually, tons of small bait appeared along a point, and there were fish occasionally blasting in it. Bob managed to catch a jack on a gold spoon, and I had a hit that didn't connect on a silver spoon. We worked a lot of shoreline, but that was all we could muster. The weather seemed to have cleared out, so we decided to head up into the Sound.

I asked Bob if he'd like to try catching some of those jewfish and grouper on lures. He was all for that, so we went straight to them. By the time we got there, the tide was moving about as well as it would for the day. We worked my favorite spot for some time, and did manage a handful of grouper. Working another area nearby we caught a number of speckled trout and a few ladyfish. We didn't set the world on fire, but we had fun trying to trick them. And, that's what lure fishing is all about!

The morning was passing by quickly, and Bob wanted me to show him another great area that I thought I had shown him in the past, but hadn't. It's normally great fishing for both snook and redfish, but about the only reds being caught there right now are patiently dunking ladyfish steaks on the bottom. It's a beautiful area, though, and as things get back to normal the fish will be back.

By the time we'd toured that area, the heat was getting to us, as were our appetites. It was time for a trip to the Waterfront Restaurant. I introduced Bob to their cold seafood salad, which is one of my favorite meals during the summer when you arrive badly overheated. A hot meal has little appeal when you're about to sun stroke!

The wind was up a bit by the time we headed home, and the ride back to Ft. Myers Beach was a bit bouncy. But, the Hewes rides quite well compared to many flats skiffs, and Bob is a very able Captain, so the ride was a fun one. A bumpy ride can be quite a challenge when nature is calling, though!

I had spent the morning fishing a brand new rig; a Shimano Calais 201 mated to a Quantum Cabo PTS 7 ft. rod. I spooled the Calais with 30 pound hi-vis yellow, thinking it should be pretty trouble free and not real prone to backlash. I have to qualify this by saying that it's been a long time since I fished a baitcaster, and I did have to get back into the groove and learn the reel, but boy I had three or four backlashes that were so bad I couldn't begin to deal with them. I had to cut them out and save what line I could by splicing.

So, as much as I love Power Pro on my spinning rigs, I'm not at all sure at this point that it's going to stay on my Calais. I'm willing to fish it a few more times, but my initial reaction is not positive.

Of course, the holiday began on Wednesday, and I'm sure the water was whipped to a foamy mess by all the holiday boaters for the rest of the week. A good time to be off the water and out of the heat!

Be sure to check out www.BestFishingBooks.com Books and gifts for fishermen from my friend Jim Dicken!

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