Mid August Mixed Bag in the Naples Backwaters
Capt. Todd Geroy
August 20, 2011
Naples - Saltwater Fishing Report
I have been fortunate to have kept pretty busy with trips the last week considering that this is generally my "slow" month. My anglers have found a variety of species taking our offerings giving a taste of a little of everything that the back waters of Naples and Marco have to offer this time of year.
I have been having decent action with the snook first thing in the morning and just before sunset. They are taking the usual live bait offerings as well as jigs and soft plastic swim baits. During the mid day hours they seem to just lay low, ignoring just about anything you toss their way.
We are still having some success with the redfish. Although not in the numbers we will expect to show up next month, I can usually get my clients hooked up on several lower slot fish if not one or two upper slot or over sized reds. High tide continues to be the most reliable for numbers, but low tide is offering some opportunities for sight fishing to cruising and waking fish as well as a few tailing fish.
Paul Tennyson and his friend, Joe Reggi fished two consecutive half days with me this week. Last night, Joe battled a large tarpon in the 100+ pound range to the boat for a release after a 45 minute tug-of-war. The pair also boated several nice snook ranging to 27 inches on artifical lures. With low water and slick overcast conditions, we were able to ease along a couple of shallow shorelines taking shots at several redfish we found tailing and waking in skinny water. Paul placed a perfect cast a soft plastic swim bait to one waking fish this morning and was rewarded with an 8 lb. 27 incher on light spinning tackle. Here is a Paul and his red before releasing the fish…
We ended the trip spending the last hour trying to hook up on one of the sharks patroling the shallow bays. Paul topped off the morning with a 6 foot lemon shark release.
On another trip last week, Joe and Robin Koziol from the Portland, OR area spent the morning dodging the numerous strong thunderstorms while on a shark fishing trip with me. We had numerous hookups, somehow pulling hooks on at least 6 before Joe and Robin boated both boated nice lemon sharks.
Joe's shark at boat side…
There are still a couple of weeks to take advantage of my special rates for half day shark trips. I am offering a generous savings through August.
Capt. Todd Geroy
Target Species:
Tarpon, Snook, Shark, Redfish
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