Monday, I fished Estero Bay with Bob Green and Ben Edgell. We started out fishing tree lines and oyster bars on a higher tide, and released a 17 inch redfish, small sheepshead, and snapper. We spotted baby tarpon, but they weren’t biting. When the tide got low, we headed out the channel toward Wiggins Pass, and fished with live shrimp, wherever it was deep enough. We caught a keeper redfish at 19 ½ inches, and a sand bream.
Dave & Beth Pfent, and friend Adam Altice, fished offshore with me on Tuesday, in spots ranging from 37 to 47 feet, out of New Pass. Using live shrimp, we caught keeper Spanish mackerel, and released ½ of a bonito, which was bitten by a barracuda on the way up to the boat. We also released mangrove snapper to 11 ½ inches, along with gag and red grouper shorts and white-bone porgies.
James Whitlatch and son, James Jr., fished with me Wednesday. We were hoping to target permit, and goliaths, but seas were pretty rough all day, and in four footers, we never made it out to one of my best permit spots. We fished at various spots ranging from 20 miles west of New Pass to near shore at the artificial reefs, using live shrimp, pinfish and tomtates. We did catch and release one goliath grouper that was over 200 pounds, and a 4 foot nurse shark. We also caught keeper Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper, porgies, and triggerfish. We released hundreds of blue runners, pin fish and small lane snapper.
Saturday, I fished the backwaters with Scott & Tina Fandrich and their friend, Dr. Meir Daller. We had a pretty productive morning, landing two keeper redfish at 20 inches and 21 inches, two 14 inch sheepshead, two keeper mangrove snapper (12 inches and 13 inches), and a sand bream, all caught on live shrimp.
The photo shown is of anglers Kevin Ackerman, Joe & Jeff, with some Spanish mackerel, caught on a recent offshore trip.
