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Fishing Report for Pine Island Sound to Sarasota Bay, Florida

Capt. Butch Rickey
June 4, 2000
Pine Island Sound - Saltwater Fishing Report

It was the week of the full moon. Although the full moon brings good morning tides, it curses us with fish that have lockjaw. Our prime species, snook and redfish, are both very much nocturnal feeders. For several days either side of the full moon, the fish feed throughout the night, and when morning comes getting the fish to eat can be nearly impossible. They've got full bellies.

Monday through Wednesday were reserved for my friends John and Martha Hitt, from Orlando. John is the president of the very progressive and fast growing University of Central Florida, there. John loves to fish, and Martha is patiently learning. The Hitts had already been here for the previous week fishing from their new Maverick flats boat, but unfortunately, not catching much. I was hopeful that I could change that.

I was greeted by northwest wind at around 15 knots as I launched BarHopp'R II on Monday morning. I knew that would keep us off the beach, where most of the snook are staged. We'd have to get it done inside. I figured that by the time we ran to Cayo Costa for that beautiful bait, the tide would be getting about right on the flats. I was right. We concentrated on redfish that first day, and by the time we were ready for lunch we had boated 7 or 8 nice reds. It wasn't the explosive redfishing that can often occur, but I figured it was pretty good for a full moon tide.

Tuesday, the wind was around to the northeast, which I thought would allow us to fish outside. Turned out that it was pretty bumpy out there. To make matters worse, we had beautiful bait, but the snook wouldn't eat it. We got lots of what I call "hit and run" strikes, where the snook hit the bait and kill it, but will not hold on for you to set a hook on them. It seems to be a strike that is either instinctual when they're not really hungry, or a strike that is protective of the eggs, but either way, it's frustrating when they're doing that.

We saw perhaps four fish caught on the beach, before Martha began feeling sick, and we headed inside to get on flat water. Martha decided that she should probably go in, and we dropped her at the South Seas dock on the inside of Captiva. While I was waiting on John to return, one of the South Seas guides, I believe named David O'Connor, came out and gave me a bad time about being at their dock. For the life of me I don't understand why they insist on alienating everyone who picks up a customer there. He threatened to call the sheriff, and I invited him to do so. I took my mooring lines off his dock and continued to sit right there.

Once John returned we headed out to concentrate on redfish again. Now a day closer to the full moon, it was hard to get anything to eat, but we did manage to boat 6 redfish, 1 snook, 1 trout for the Slam, and a ladyfish. We experienced the same frustrating behavior from the snook inside, as well. Again, it wasn't a fast and furious day of catching, but I didn't talk to anyone else who was doing any better. That evening I joined John and Martha for dinner at the Green Flash Restaurant, which now stands where the old Timmy's Nook stood for nearly five decades, on Captiva. The view is nothing short of fabulous. Every seat in the house is looking out over the Sound from the stilted elevation. The food was quite good, too. I highly recommend a trip to the Flash to anyone who is going to be staying on Captiva or Sanibel.

Wednesday, it was just John and I. Martha decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and decided to stay behind. We were now a day before the full moon, and the wind was roaring at 20 from the east. Just great! I knew getting anything to eat would be a tough sell, but big John did managed to catch 1 redfish, 4 snook, and 1 trout, for the Slam.

It was great to spend three days with John and Martha. I wanted so much to put John on the kind of redfish action he'd been reading about in my fishing reports, but it was not to be. We didn't do too bad, considering, and I hope John was happy.

Thursday it was the day of the full moon, and still blowing like crazy from the east. When the wind is east, the fishing is least. You can sure believe that is true! My good friends Giles Boudreau and his partner David, BarHopp'R regulars, we over for some more fishin fun. I told them it would be tough, and it was. Even the bait at Cayo Costa was tough to come by, but we finally got it. The snook were in the same kind of mood, hitting and running, and the boys missed lots of hits. They did manage to boat 4 snook, and broke off one monster. They also boated 4 big reds to 30 inches. Although the catching was slow, we had a good time, and I always enjoy fishing with Giles and Dave.

Thursday evening, John and Martha Hitt met me at one of my favorite mainland restaurants, the Seafood Center and Crabhouse, which has a long and colorful history here. We enjoyed a great meal, and great fellowship. It's really great to be able to spend time with my friends after the trip.

Friday I had my first new customer in a while, Bud Dunn, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Bud was a real interesting fella, and a very experienced angler, but this brand of light tackle fishing was new to him. We had the same conditions, and boy, did we have a tough day. We fished hard that day, and had a lot of fun, but at day's end only had 4 snook to show for our efforts. Bud had lost one other. Bud and I were scheduled to fish again on Monday, and I fully planned on us redeeming ourselves then.

Well, that's the way it went. It was a typical full moon week with great tides and disinterested fish. Things should be on the improve next week.

FISHING REPORT FOR PINE ISLAND SOUND FOR THE WEEK ENDING 5/27/00

This was an abbreviated work week, as I gave myself Friday off as the first day of a four day weekend over Memorial Day, and I canceled a trip Tuesday because of poor tides and wind. The angler involved is local and can fish when conditions are better.

Monday morning Bud Dunn and I were at it again, chasing the one commodity they don't have up on the Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana coast, where he fishes; SNOOK! To my surprise, bait was tough at Cayo Costa, but we got it. I suspect I'll be looking elsewhere, soon.

We headed to a beautiful spot in the northern part of the Sound on the early part of the tide. We had a lot of the same hit and run behavior of the previous week, but did catch some fish. Later in the tide we headed south, and had a good bite for the last half of the morning. There were quite a few missed fish, but Bud is a very good angler, and listened to my coaching, and put around 15 snook in the boat before the morning was over. The largest was 30 inches, and a beauty. She went in the well. We had plans for her that night.

We finished the day at the Waterfront Restaurant with a great lunch and lots of fishing stories. What a great way to end a great day. That evening, Bud, his lovely wife, a couple of Bud's friends, and Bud's snook met me at the Seafood Center and Crabhouse just up from my fish camp, where we had a sort of a roast.....for the snook. Yes, they broiled it to perfection, and it was enough to feed the five of us. Before dinner, over cocktails, Bud gave me one of the nicest compliments a guide can receive. He said that he'd been out with lots of guides, and that he'd had trips where he caught more fish, but that I was the best guide he'd ever been out with. I'm still on a high from that. Thanks, Bud! Bud also recently sent me an email, which I have posted.

After having Tuesday off, I was eager to get out with my good friend Dr. Bob Rose, of Galveston, Texas, who was over just to fish for two days with his lovely wife, Kay. Since they were here just to fish, and to spend some time looking for their own fish camp, I invited them to stay here with me at my fish camp. It was really nice to have the after hours company.

We headed back to Cayo Costa for bait, not knowing for sure if the well was drying up, or not, but we caught plenty. We had a pretty stiff west wind, which kept up from going outside on the beaches where the snook are stacked up by the millions. That meant we'd have to get it done inside. We didn't get much of a bite until late in the tide, and Bob managed 6 snook to the boat. His biggest was 30 inches. Guess where she quickly disappeared to? Yep! I'd told Bob of what a great job the restaurant had done with Bud's snook, and we decided to do an instant replay that night. She went to the well.

Thursday's bite was quite a bit better. Bob and Kay boated around 15 snook to 29 inches, and a couple of trout. It wasn't the spectacular bite that we're used to having this time of year, but Bob agreed that it was pretty good snook fishing. It was great to see and fish with Bob again, and to finally meet Kay. Bob is one of my favorite folks to fish with, as he's chomping at the bit to get on 'em as soon as he arrives, and through the bait catching process. This man loves to fish!

I think we're definitely seeing some negative effects of having Blind Pass closed now for almost two years. Blind Pass was a major snook artery, as well as a major artery for other species. Critical water exchange has also stopped. I know in my gut that has to be affecting the fishing on the Sound side of things, and believe it has affected the fishing on the near beaches, as well. Additionally, our late season hurricanes last year scrambled all the wood on the beaches, and silted much of it over, which has really had a negative affect on the fishing there. Still, I think the Pass being closed is the biggest culprit.

Well, there you have it for another week. Friday morning I was headed to the east coast to visit my daughter, which is just a fisherman's excuse to get to the Bass Pro Outdoor World shop in Ft. Lauderdale. Now, I just have them drop me off there and come back a few hours later. It's like a fishin Disney World!

More Fishing Reports:

 

Top Florida fishing guide, Capt. Butch Rickey has fished the waters of Pine Island Sound around Sanibel, Captiva, and Pine Islands, as well as Charlotte Harbor, Sarasota Bay, Terra Ceia Bay, and southern Tampa Bay, for much of his 65 years. He now offers guided kayak fishing trips, as well as sightseeing and bird watching tours anywhere that can be reached by kayak from southern Tampa Bay to Estero Bay.

Contact Info:

BarHopp'R Kayak Fishing
11520 E Palm Drive
Ft. Myers, FL 33908
Phone: 239-628-3522
Alt. Phone: 239-633-5851
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