Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands
Capt. Matt Hoover
May 10, 2000
Marco Island - Saltwater Fishing Report
Summer Breeze
This past week had a hint of summer attached to it. The prevailing wind was out of the southeast for the most part. That is considered normal for this time of the year. As a consequence, we were able to enjoy some fine fishing without being dictated by heavy wind as to where we could set up shop. Snook, redfish, trout, and tarpon all cooperated nicely this week.
I spent most of the week tarpon fishing. We were able to enjoy multiple hook ups almost every day of the week. Most of the fish ranged from sixty to over one hundred pounds. The tarpon fell for cut bait in passes and tributary bays in the upper Ten Thousand Islands. Expect to catch any number of different species of sharks as well when you are using cut bait. They will let you know who’s boss when they show up. Other guides hooked tarpon that were laid up in bays with fly rods and plugs. Bass Assassins and Bait Busters by D.O.A. are popular soft baits that folks like to throw to laid up and rolling fish.
Everyone that I talked to caught snook and redfish on shiners, jigs, and plugs this week. This is the perfect time of the year to be throwing artificials. Folks did very well with flies too. Baitfish streamers are working magic. There are some large snook lurking around. It is time for them to start thinking about spawning. The Caxambas side of Marco and the Ten Thousand Islands areas are holding plenty of keeper size snook. I had Barry Joye, his father Don and their special guest Kyle on my boat this week. They collectively had an encounter with an eighty-pound tarpon that did what tarpon do best. The fish threw the hook on its second jump. Kyle is a fifteen-year-old bass fisherman from Chicago and he tied into some seven to eight pound snook. He handled them like a pro and I can’t wait to take Kyle fishing again. Barry and Don did very well with the snook too, but sorry Barry and Don; I seem to remember Kyle teaching you guys a lesson.
Redfish came to the dock this week in better numbers. They have been tough all year and it is good to see that anglers are catching more of them with each outing. Large jacks are bashing lures and baits. There have been a lot of mackerel in front of the islands as well as the middle bays. It was not unusual to have bait cut in half while fishing for snook.
Trout have been large and plentiful over the grass patches in front of the islands and Cape Romano. I know that several fish in the four to five pound range were released this week. It is exciting to know that we will be enjoying larger trout with more frequency as the seasons pass. Gator trout stories have always been reserved for different parts of Florida.
The dog days of summer are just around the corner. It seems as if we might be able to enjoy a more predictable weather pattern. May is one of the best fishing months of the year for us and I don’t plan to squander one minute of it. I hope you agree and I will see you on the water.
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