Ft. Myers - Offshore

Capt. Rick Featherstone
January 19, 2004
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report

Bullish on Reds

Greetings,

Well its been interesting around here lately to say the least. First I want to thank George Poveromo for inviting me to participate in the Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series that came to Ft. Myers last Saturday. I understand over eight hundred people attended. It was a great time and I sure appreciate the people that came up to me and introduced themselves to me that read this report. Thank you.

On to the fishing of course! Its been bull redfish for me and the bite has been on. Near shore, on the artificial reefs between Sanibel and Naples they have been moving around but when found, eat quickly. Normally less than thirty feet of water, using live baits and chumming its been common to hook doubles and triples at a time. Pinfish and thread herring have been working best for us. The big bulls average twenty pounds. Smallest one we released was seventeen, and largest was twenty seven pounds, with a few break offs that seemed double that size! Run and gun, spot to spot until the bite starts, or you see someone catch one. While on these spots put out deep baits for gag grouper and snapper. We have landed both during these trips also.

Deeper in forty five feet, twenty seven miles from Big Carlos pass we landed some nice gag grouper, mangrove snapper, and other reef fish again this week. Weather is the key here, stable barometric pressure brings on the big fish bite.

We will be running a couple of experimental fly fishing trips for the bull redfish this week. I will report how that goes. If well, we will be a bunch more of that for sure.

Up near the causeway, and surrounding grass flats there has been good trout action on red and white clouser minnows. In and along the Sanibel blue fish have been showing up as well as some great ladyfish action on chartreuse and white Clouser’s.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick

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