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Marco Island, Ft. Myers & Boca Grande
Capt. Scott Hughes
May 8, 2001
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report
If you didn't get to fish in April, Now is the time!
I think the past three weeks have been the windiest that I have seen in a few years. We have had Northeast winds at 15-20 knots since April 17th. East winds don’t tend to affect bait that much, so fishing hasn’t been that bad. We are still hooking some good tarpon, but most of them have been deep in the backcountry. I have still been fishing out of the 10,000 Islands and will be moving north to fish the beaches off of Sanibel in a week or two.
Tarpon are still the main attraction around here, although hooking one has become anything but a sure thing. We have getting one or two about every other trip or so. Find a deep channel somewhere between Everglades City and Marco Island and free-line a large thread herring or sardine and wait. Patience has been the key to hooking up. The tarpon will move in and out with the tide and sometime during the tide a tarpon will move in.
Sharks are taking up the slack in the action while we have been waiting for the tarpon strikes. Blacktips in the 20-60 pound class are moving through the channels on Cape Romano and hammerheads are in the passes of the 10,000 Islands. Mullet or ladyfish is the best bet to hook up but we have getting plenty on threads.
Trout fishing was spectacular on the flats south of Marco Island. Small shiners fished with a popping cork over grass beds did the best. Also, the large threads that we have using for tarpon have caught some huge trout over 5-pounds. Other guides that I talked to reported hooking a few tarpon on the trout flats this week also. It’s quite a surprise when you pop your cork and an 80-pound tarpon crashes your bait instead of a 2-pound trout.
Snook fishing has been good from what I hear. I haven’t been spending much time on snook because the tarpon have been so spotty. I have found that if you go for the snook before the tarpon them there is a good chance that you won’t get the tarpon because you missed the bite snook fishing. I like to spend the time trying for the tarpon then go for the snook when we have scored on the tarpon or just get tired of trying. The few snook that we have caught have been on the beaches. Most of the fish have been below the 26-inch minimum length to keep.
The forecast for next week is lighter winds and warm temperatures. This should kick the tarpon into high gear from Sanibel to Boca Grande. Please, if you see a boat on a pod of tarpon please run your boat at least 500 yards around the outside of him and don’t move in on the pod of fish until he has hooked-up. Better yet, find another pod of tarpon and play with a school of your own. Thanks.
Good Luck!
Capt. Scott Hughes
Blackwater Charters
863-946-9171
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 I specialize in light tackle saltwater, and fly fishing from the backcountry of the 10,000 Islands to flats of Pine Island Sound and the bay system of Charlotte Harbor. I have pick-up locations out of Ft Myers, Marco Island, Pine Island, Punta Gorda and Boca Grande. I like to target big fish. During warm months, tarpon, sharks, snook, redfish, cobia, king mackerel and big jacks are the main species sought after. Most of the winter months are devoted to redfish, trout, snook and grouper. Whether
Contact Info:
Blackwater Charters
12571 Burnt Store Rd
Punta Gorda, FL 33955
Phone: 941-575-2389
Alt. Phone: 941-628-4247
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