The last week of January produced some fantastic canal fishing in the Cape Coral area with artificial baits for Snook and Crevalle Jacks. I have attached a picture taken on an iPhone of a 36” Snook caught by Ray Dziewit of Pennsylvania on an artificial in a Cape Coral Canal, just before dark and on his ‘last’ cast of the day. One can see the ‘joy’ on his face with catching a “Winter Fish” of a lifetime! Sheepshead were in and around the canals of Pine Island as many die hard fishermen and ladies utilized them to stay out of the high winds via the cold front. Unfortunately, my experience on the flats of Punta Rassa, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass were not very pleasant in part due to the southeastern winds pushing and churning the waters on the afternoon incoming tides. I noted a lot of dead mullet in northern San Carlos Bay and up as far as Blind Pass. However, the waters of Pine Island Sound, north of Redfish Pass were much clearer.
Nonetheless, with the lighter wind forecasts and change in wind directions, fishing should improve over last week. I think the fish are going to be hungry, as they were not active on my baits like they usually are just prior to a cold front. Last week, the artificial baits were the ‘baits of choice’ in canals for both Snook and Jacks, while scented soft baits provided the best results on the flats. ‘Offshore’ should be worthwhile as long as the winds and seas remain relatively calm. Remember to be safe and layer up as the evenings bring cooler temperatures on the rides home.
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters. If you would like to book a charter or have any questions, I am easily reached at 239-357-6829 or via email at [email protected]. Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com.