After a blustery Sunday, small craft advisories remained in effect on Monday and Tuesday, and I again cancelled my offshore plans. Tides were so low in Estero Bay that the backwater fishing didn’t look real promising either.
Wednesday started out pretty rough, but with predictions for calming seas as the day progressed, we decided to brave it at the near shore reefs off Bonita Beach. We used live shrimp to catch eleven keeper sheepshead to 18 inches, and a 6 ½ pound black drum. We released a 30 inch bonnet shark, small snapper, a short red grouper, and grunts.
Thursday brought lots of wind and rain to the offshore waters, and choppy conditions persisted through Friday, so I remained in port those two days. Saturday, I finally fished again, in 40 feet, out of New Pass. We caught a mess of keeper lane snapper to 12 inches and keeper mangrove snapper, using live shrimp. We released grouper shorts.
The photo shown is of a 22 1/2 inch gag grouper and 18 inch mangrove snappers, caught on a recent offshore trip.
