Ft. Myers - Offshore

Capt. Rick Featherstone
June 29, 2004
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report

Summer Patterns

Greetings,

Well fishing friends the awesome spring migration of pelagic predators is over and our summer pattern is in full swing. There is lots of bait in the area near structure of any kind. I have discovered that a much heavier net has been necessary to catch them though.

Offshore our trips have been mixed bag affairs not targeting reef fish very much like grouper and snapper. Our clients have been focused on faster fish that rip drag or pull like heck. Little tunny (false albacore) have been active at times either feeding on bait schools or behind the shrimp boat fleet. Lots of mid sized blacktip sharks are with them making for good light tackle fun. Cobia, although not many in numbers have been caught almost every trip. Either a jig or a live bait put in the strike zone makes for a quick take most times. Permit have not been consistent be we are catching a few of them in the twenty pound range every other day or so. Mostly sight unseen, but working baits in areas they hang out hoping for a nibble. We have caught several big mangrove snapper’s in the three to five pound range taken incidentally to blue runner fishing. Blue runners have been great for big cudas. We have released several over thirty pounds. The runners also have produced some great action on goliath grouper. We are catching at least one every day and boy do they create some excitement aboard. Our largest this week was a fish caught yesterday that we estimated at two hundred seventy five pounds.

Afternoon thunderstorms are packing some energy right now so get home early if you can.

Bow em’ Up,

Capt. Rick Featherstone

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