Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands

Capt. Matt Hoover
May 1, 2001
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report

Rough And Tumble

This last week has been rough and tumble. The whole month of April has been sketchy weather wise. A front backed up at the end of the week that kept a lot of people home. There has been plenty of bait but the story is a bit of a repeat. One day you could do very well and the next day was tough.

I received reports from guides that had double digit days with snook on live bait. Most of that action was before the front backed up on us and blew our tops off. There were quite a few redfish reported as well. The trout fishing has remained strong too. It has been very windy and it doesn’t look like there is any relief coming soon. We have the possibility for rain all next week.

I have spent the last half of the week tarpon fishing. It hasn’t been easy in the wind and rain. My father’s best friend Jim Cross has made his annual pilgrimage to Naples to do battle with the great silver one. These two guys are hard core and there is no such thing as bad weather. There is only good fishing and they understand that fishing isn’t always the same as catching. They understand that better than most of the anglers that get on my boat. We have done very well considering the weather has been awful. We have landed tarpon over one hundred pounds every day that we have been out. All of our fish have been caught on cut bait in the passes. This has not been a game for the impatient person. I have learned that neither of these guys are angels after some of the stories that I have heard. Their friendship is sixty years old and the stories are heartwarming. It is proof that fishing can build and glue together lasting relationships.

The weather is going to continue to test our mettle in the next week. The only way to know how it will be is to get out there and fish. There is plenty of bait and the fish are there. You just have to be there when it happens. I have the pleasure of fishing the two die hards for the next week so I know that I will have fun as well as learn something. We hope to see you out there.

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