Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
December 2, 2002
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Winter Woolies
Brrrrrrrrrrr. You definitely had to have on the winter woolies this past week. Fifty-degree temperatures may not be that cold to those of you from up north. However, if you put the hammer down, forty miles per hour will bring that wind chill factor into play.
As the sun came up, my boat started looking like a rummage pile of clothes from a blue light special at K-Mart. Lots of shrimp and split shot were the order of the day. We fished fast moving rivers and creeks throughout the week. These places have banks that slope from one foot to at least eight feet or more. Believe it or not, the action was ferocious. It was zoo fishing at its finest.
We caught sheepshead of all sizes. The black drum are moving in as well. Jacks gave us no mercy. A redfish or three made their presence known. Snook up to keeper size showed up for the party. Small grouper and jewfish bent the rod. We even caught several juvenile barracuda. We caught large trout as well.
This is not that unusual. When the first few serious cold snaps hit Florida, fish in our area are blind-sided and head for slightly deeper water. The water temperature can be a few life-giving degrees warmer. Hey, they have to eat sometime.
The method is easy. I just put enough weight from a split shot about a foot above the hook to keep the live shrimp bouncing in the current along the bottom. Cast up current close to the bank. Let it sink and follow it with your rod tip. Let the shrimp simmer until you get a bite or can’t stand it anymore. Repeat the process. It’s an easy recipe.
I have several days of fly-fishing to do this week. It has been awhile since I have had a chance to do some skinny water fishing. One thing about the wintertime, the water becomes very clear and sight-fishing opportunities are even better. I will let you know how that goes. I’ll see you on the water.
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