 |
Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
February 6, 2001
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Jump Start
Fishing remained consistent this past week and doesn’t appear that the weather will change much in the next week. Despite a day of gray overcast skies, the past week’s weather was sunny and warm. Eighty-degree afternoons were just what the doctor ordered. Because the water temperature is on the rise, fishing is starting to improve with every passing day.
Trout fishing has been good and should remain so in the next week. Expect to catch them over grass flats and deeper runs. I have been catching them where you might expect to find a snook. They will hang out in three feet of water but there always seems to be a deeper transition of water. Using just about any type of jig will produce trout. Popping corks with shrimp is another popular method. You will catch jacks and ladyfish while you are at it.
Dropping shrimp into deeper holes will remain a great way to round out your fishing day. We did a little “deep dropping” the other day and caught a nine pound black drum. We caught plenty of sheepshead and very large mangrove snappers.
Snook season opened on February first. There are a few fish starting to come out of the woodwork. We should start catching snook with more frequency in the upcoming weeks. We have been catching small to medium snook on shrimp, jigs, and spoons. Redfish have been responding to those baits as well. We are also starting to see more redfish and snook in the shallow water. I have had better results with very passing day when I get to flyfish. My friend Donny Kish caught six reds on a fly that he bummed from me this week. He caught several smaller snook as well. It is only going to get better with the nest week. Temperatures are supposed to remain in the mid to high seventies.
There were a few large tarpon that came in while it was warm and calm. That is not unusual for this time of year. If the weather stays nice, the tarpon will appear with more frequency. They like to show up in the back bays down to the south of the Everglades City area first. When they come to our area, they have a tendency to stay longer. It is time to start thinking about bringing your tarpon gear out of mothballs. These big fish can catch you off guard this time of year so be prepared. It’s frustrating when you run into hundred pound fish and all you are holding is a peashooter.
Spring is just around the corner. February can be a mild month. Let’s hope that we get a jump-start on the great action. I’ll see you on the water.
More Fishing Reports:
|
|
|
|
