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Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
May 21, 2002
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
May Is Tops
This past week was proof positive that May is one of the best months to be on the water. I usually tell people that Spring through Fall is a great time to fish Southwest Florida. But May is tops. Snook, redfish, and trout are at every turn. Even though the tarpon have thinned out, there are still plenty of opportunities for shots at them. You have to stay prepared.
I finished up the week fishing with my dad and his best friend Jim Cross. These guys are seventy three-year-old tarpon freaks. We fished for tarpon early in the morning. We had at least one to three hookups each day. The tarpon ranged from sixty to one hundred and thirty pounds. We used live threadfin herring for bait. They also reminded me to stay young at heart.
If you want to catch tarpon when it seems as if they aren’t here, you have to pay attention to your surroundings. There ARE tarpon here. They are not here in the big migration numbers. I will spot tarpon rolling when we are working shoreline for snook and my anglers are clueless to their presence. Keep you senses on scan mode. If you are familiar with a tarpon gulp when they roll, you don’t have to see them. They make a noise that sounds like a yawn or a sigh. Look for the bubbles after they roll. Many times you will have plenty of time to pitch a plug or a live bait on the bubbles. If you are accurate, expect all hell to break loose.
Be prepared with a rod that is rigged for tarpon. Use a suitable plug, or keep a large thread herring on the rod with the bait dipped overboard. Success comes from being prepared and experience. Most of the guides that are successful are the ones that have logged thousands of hours on the water. They know where they can snook fish and expect to see a stray tarpon. But getting the experience is most of the fun. It’s not as hard as it used to be with GPS, magazines and forums. I wish it still was but that is another story. It is a long story.
Snook are still dominating the immediate Marco area and the Ten Thousand Islands. I have had many reports of anglers having twenty snook days with fish that are ranging from two to fifteen pounds. All of the methods are working. Live bait, plugs, jigs and flies are sharing super success reports. Trout and redfish are in the mix. Five to ten pound jacks have been pulling drags as well.
Saturday, a front packing much needed rain blew through and sent us all packing. Most of the guides caught up on some well needed rest. The rest of the week has been breezy but beautiful. The snook, redfish, tarpon and trout are still there and waiting in numbers.
This next week looks like we will enjoy clear and sunny skies. Let’s get to it. I will see you on the water.
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