SW FL-Bonita Beach: Yellowtail, Goliaths, King, Redfish

[fishbuster]

Monday, I fished with live shrimp in 40 feet, 19 miles out of New Pass, with Ernie and Tim Moffet. We caught four keeper yellowtail snapper, and released three smaller ones. We also caught porgies, triggerfish, mangrove snapper, a small hogfish, a flounder, and lots of gag shorts, which were fun to catch and release. We used a blue runner to catch and release a 50 pound goliath grouper.

Charles and Frances Goehle and their two grown children fished Estero Bay with me Tuesday, using live shrimp. Fishing under trees, around oyster bars, and pot holes, we caught six redfish, one of which was slot size. We also caught three keeper mangrove snapper, and released three large stingrays and cravalle jack.

Tom Budzynski and family fished in 40 feet out of New Pass with me on Saturday. We released a 50+ pound goliath grouper, and had our lines broken four times by larger goliaths. We also caught a 30 inch king mackerel, triggerfish to 14 inches, and released snapper and red grouper shorts. We used live shrimp for all but the goliaths, and hooked those on blue runners.

* The photo shown is of a 5 pound cravalle jack, released in Estero Bay on a recent backwater trip.