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Ft. Myers - Offshore

Capt. Rick Featherstone
September 19, 2000
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report

Fall Fishing Requires Choices

Greetings,

Fishing South West Florida lately has been hard in a manner of speaking. The fish are here in force. The problem has been choosing what to fish for as several species and places are showing good action now. Yes, I know its a tough choice but someone has to make it. I joke only because I love the fall and the variety it brings. Southerly bait migrations make sitting in the Captains chair easier than any other time of year. I have enjoyed the fishing lately BUT, as I write this Hurricane Gorden is straight off our coast heading north. Its raining and the seas are forecast to be very high. This should scatter the bait around so it will take a few days for everything to settle back to normal.

Tarpon fishing has remained very good the last couple of weeks. Nice sized fish from sixty to over a hundred pounds are hanging off the beaches from Wiggins Pass to Knapps Point. I find them by just cruising along looking for rolling fish or bait concentrations. Good bait choices have been cut catfish & menhaden. There are lots of shad (menhaden) out there right now if you have a cast net.

Further out we have been having a ball structure fishing. Using the gold hook rigs we have been picking up just enough thread-herrings to make special things happen. Also I have been catching small crabs & picking up hand pick shrimp for our charters. When on the structure we are catching some great cobia, permit, gag grouper, big sharks, mackerel, etc. We have also hooked several fish that could not be stopped with thirty pound stand up tackle! When the sea is calm and the sun is out, we have had a true blast fishing for cudas and permit though. Some of our largest fish of the year were released this week. On the deeper structure we have been smoking the drags off our reels with little tunny's (false albacore). These ten to fifteen pound guys really respond to chum. If you want to hear a fly reel scream like never before just try one of these guys on a popper or clouser. But let me give you a hint, take a eleven or twelve weight if you want to catch him the same day you hook him!

Grouper & snapper fishing is very strong if you make a run of thirty miles to the deeper ledges. Chumming was the key to my day out there this week. We took several nice mangrove snapper for dinner on yellow shrimp jigs. Most of the keeper grouper were reds but a few nice gags have moved on to the ledges also.

Have a great week, watch the weather and enjoy!

Capt. Rick Featherstone

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Light tackle deep sea fishing charters. Backcountry light tackle and fly. Naples, Ft. Myers, Sanibel. Family's, no experience necessary. Tarpon, Shark, Permit, Cuda, Goliath Grouper, Snook Redfish, Trout, and more. Three boats available, Corporate charters available. Fly fishing, plug, spin, and live bait. 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours.

Contact Info:

Magic Hook Charters
2210 20th Ave NE
Naples, FL 34120
Phone: 239-455-0006
Alt. Phone: 239-821-6229
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