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Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
June 18, 2002
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Tropical Trauma
The action was fair to excellent as of this past week. Snook took top billing. The front that passed through backed up again as the weekend approached and by Friday, we were knocked off the water by rain and heavy wind. The weather cleared up by Monday and most of us were able to get back on the water.
Early in the week, bait was available near shore. Threadfin herring and a few scaled sardines were in the mix. Snook were hot to trot. Tom Shaw and his wife Eileen caught snook from two to eight pounds with me on live bait. We found some tarpon in the sixty to eighty pound range but they would not cooperate. Other guides were catching fair numbers of snook also. There were a few incidental redfish caught as well.
The snook bite remained consistent up until Thursday. I met my angler at the dock on Friday. Just as I fired up the motor, it started to rain. The rest of the weekend was literally a wash. When it wasn’t raining, it was blowing out of the west at a good clip.
The skies cleared somewhat by Monday. There was no chance for bait as the wind was out of the south to southwest with waves still breaking on the beaches. Most of us rigged our rods with artificial baits.
My anglers Jerry and Kevin Keefe did well with Hybrid Plastic baits on quarter ounce jigs on Monday. They caught a dozen snook that ranged from four to eight pounds. Jerry caught a flounder as well. Artificial baits do very well this time of year if you are accurate and methodic. Try to pick the bank apart. Work your jig around the bushes that are in the water. Small pockets and little creek runoffs usually hold fish. Too many anglers jump around on a bank. You have to be systematic. Leave no stone unturned.
Tuesday started with lightning and rain. After an hour wait, guides and anglers were able to shove off. Fishing was slow throughout most of the morning. As the day pressed on, the sun popped out and the wind settled down. It actually turned out to be a beautiful day. We started catching a few snook and jacks.
As of now, our area is not out of the woods as far as this menacing front is concerned. Forecasts call for scattered thunderstorms all week. If the system pushes through we might enjoy some sunny weather.
The fish seem to be running hot and cold from day to day. It makes true to the adage that you have to fish a lot to experience those commerce days. I know I’ll be there. I’ll see you on the water.
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