Pompano and tripletail are now in the Fall mix
Capt. Rob Modys
October 11, 2012
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
The fishing has been great in both the backcountry and in the Gulf of Mexico. The cooler weather along with better tides has set the ball rolling toward a fun week ahead. Good redfish reports on the inside and pompano catching on the outside should keep anglers busy this coming week.
Stone crab season opens on October 15th and that means that the crabbers have been out setting pots over the past couple of weeks. There are now rows of crab pot buoys in the Gulf. That also means it's time to keep an eye out for triple tail! These hard fighting, delicious to eat fish like to ‘lay' right next to the buoys, trying to imitate a bit of flotsam or seaweed. An unsuspecting bait comes along and it's goodbye bait. The best method for this kind of fishing is run and gun. Simply put the boat on step and move along the rows of buoys, keeping a sharp eye out for the fish laid up against them. If you see one, turn around, set the boat up on the breeze and drift down to the target. Live shrimp on a small jig or circle hook cast close to the target works well.
The redfish bite is improving with the better tides. Look for them around the mangrove islands and shorelines as well as in the cuts near oyster bars. Live shrimp will get their attention along with cut ladyfish.
The open flats of Estero Bay, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass are alive with roving schools of jacks and ladyfish. If it's action you're looking for, this is the place to be at the top of the tide and at the beginning of the outbound tide. Just look for birds working over the fish, set up to intercept and toss anything that resembles a small bait fish into the melee. You'll also find some nice sized trout following just behind these schools of feeding fish.
A sure sign of Fall weather is the return of pompano in the nearshore waters and passes. We've been getting a good number of them outside of Big Carlos Pass and near the Sanibel Lighthouse sandbar. Rig with a 1/4 ounce yellow lead head jig tipped with live shrimp. Let is sink to the bottom after casting and then hop it along until you feel the strike. It's best to drift while fishing for pomps. You'll cover more ground and greatly improve your hookup ratio.
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