(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Last week proved good fishing. The only inconvenience were the winds blowing 10-20 knots out of the North/Northeast restricting access to some of my favorite spots. Snook, Seatrout and Redfish have been my emphasis; especially since Snook season is in ‘full-swing’ and all species are here in good numbers up and down Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass. Grouper and other migratory species are closer to shore with winter months approaching.
In the ‘back country’, I had the opportunity to fish with Mr. Steve Cohen and his grandson Jonathan Downs of Lansdale, PA. (pictured on the way back to port from a day on the water). I also took the time to capture Jonathan with his first Snook. It was only one of many fish he caught that day. He showed a lot of natural talent required to become a superior angler. I am looking forward to taking them again next year.
Fishing will probably be ‘tough’ the balance of the week and into the weekend with the cold front and high winds. Nonetheless, with the approaching ‘full moon’ and hopefully moderate temperatures, fish should continue to be receptive to most presentations, especially live pilchards.
This weekend I will be at the Ft. Myers Boat Show (Downtown Convention Center), to meet and greet both past and new clients. I am scheduled to do some seminars on ‘How to Locate and Catch Redfish, Snook and Seatrout’. STOP BY THE FISH FACE CHARTERS BOOTH AND SAY HI!
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Fishing has been real good so long as I have been able to cast net and load the ‘bait-well’ with Pilchards. Other techniques; such as artificial, live and cut Pinfish and shrimps will also produce at certain times, but while the ‘white bait’ is still around, that is what I prefer using. Pictured here is Mr. David Boyer (Command Sergeant Major U.S. Army, Ret.) of Cleveland, Ohio, holding one of many Redfish he caught using live Pilchards. He also got the opportunity to catch a number of good sized Snook.
Last Friday (the day before the cool front) I had the pleasure of taking a couple of established charter client’s out to ‘target’ Snook and Redfish. Between them they caught and released over 20 fish including 12 Snook in the 24-26 inch range and 4 ‘slot-sized’ Redfish before we called it a day. Shown here is my ‘Understudy’, Captain Mike Wilson of Cape Coral, holding just one of many Snook he landed on Pilchards. The other client, Mr. Calvin Wiegers (of Massachussetts) is pictured with one of his Redfish.
Fishing should continue to produce good action so long as the wind is not too strong. The tide movements are still good and the fish are fattening up for the winter months. More pictures, articles and charter information, may be obtained from my website, www.fishfacecharters.com. To contact me for a charter or any questions, call 239-357-6829 or email [email protected].
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Last week proved ‘hard’ fishing because of the low morning, outgoing tides and north/northeast winds blowing out water from the ‘back country’, preventing access to a lot of good fishing spots. Nonetheless, my charters produced some nice fish in spite of the cold front that passed through. The fish ‘lay-low’ during the morning following the temperature drop, but by the end of that day, my afternoon charter client, Mr. Mark Ballard of Dyer, Indiana proved his angling abilities by landing a 31” Snook and a 24” Seatrout (both pictured here) on the river side around Shell Island.
Later in the week, I fished the northern end of Pine Island Sound (Pineland) with my father-in-law (Bill Kern of Wentzville, Missouri) and found a few fish on the top of the outgoing tide, in and around the deeper mangrove cuts. The winds continued to plague the day but Bill was still successful catching several species, including the Redfish pictured here.
This week will ‘front’ a new moon, but those fishing the flats and backcountry during the day will have to work the lower of the two high tides. So long as the cold fronts stay away and the winds allow, fishing could be good for both inshore and offshore.
Check out my website www.fishfacecharters.com for more articles and charter information. Feel free to contact me by phone number 239-357-6829 or email me at [email protected].
(FT. MYERS BEACH TO CHARLOTTE HARBOR) Last week proved to be productive fishing in light of the cooler weather and good tides. Morning or midday seemed to make little difference so long as one had the right baits and was fishing tide movements. I attribute part of the success to reduced water ‘run-offs’ from Lake Okeechobee together with reduced amounts of rain. In the ‘back country’, Pilchards have been producing more strikes and harvest for both the preferred species of Snook and Redfish, while live and cut baits, such as Pinfish and grunts, worked well in the passes and offshore for Grouper and Snapper. Artificial baits have been productive for Crevalle Jacks, Spanish and King Mackerel.
This week should be good with the ‘full moon’ cycle providing good tide movement; but it is time to ‘get out there’ while the opportunities exists to get into the shallower areas as winter approaches bringing lower tide levels and slower water movement.
Recently, I had the opportunity to fish with the Kevin Pearson and his family from the Ft. Lauderdale area. Pictured here are his daughter and son; (Nicole) showing off a nice Seatrout caught just minutes before her brother (Kenny Pearson) landed his 25” Redfish on the flats of Punta Rassa. Nicole also caught a Redfish shortly afterwards in the vicinity of Galt Island. Nicole was the ‘winner’ of that outing and I am looking forward to the next trip with Kenny and his family.
In light of the nice weather, a number of clients have requested late afternoon and evening ‘Sunset’ cruises to enjoy ‘dolphin watching’, serenity and some ‘family time’ on our beautiful waters. Pictured here are James Ward with his lovely wife Amy enjoying the evening with Harold and Carol Moldenhauer (James mother and father-in-law) all from the Detroit, Michigan area. They spend time each season on North Captiva and are seasoned ‘regulars’ to our area. Very nice people and I hope that I have an opportunity to serve them again.
In closing, I expect good fishing all of this week during the ‘full moon’ cycle. Fish tide and current movements with the baits that I have mentioned above and one should find success. Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com for more fishing forecasts, articles and charter information. I am easily reached by phone number 239-357-6829 or via email at [email protected].
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Last week was fantastic fishing for Redfish, Snook and Seatrout. I prefer fishing the northern half (Redfish Pass to Charlotte Harbor) as well as the back waters of Matlacha Pass in light of the high tannin water influxes at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. The water is much clearer up there with plenty of Pilchards available to cast to. Pilchards have been the ‘bait of choice’ for me and most of the other captains that I have talked with. I have had lesser success with artificial, live shrimp and cut baits.
Pictured here is Kristen Mory of St. Petersburg, Fl. with a nice Snook she took on a live Pilchard after chumming up the area. Her friends, Emily and Cornelia of St. Petersburg are pictured here with their fish as well. Cornelia had to boat her Redfish by hand when the reel malfunctioned on the retrieve. These ladies were a pleasure to fish and I enjoyed watching all three prove their angling expertise on a number of occasions that day! Nice going ladies!
Moreover, I had the pleasure of fishing a wedding party from Tarpon Lodge at Pineland last week. Ms. Sammi Willis (the bride), is pictured here with her Seatrout. Her brother (Brandon Willis together with father) is shown with his nice ‘slot’ Snook of 28 inches, while the ‘father of the bride’, Bill Willis, shows off a nice Redfish. Congratulations to Seth Wadas and his ‘Bride’, Sammi on their marriage.
This week should continue to produce great fishing for Snook, Redfish and other species alike. Mackerel and Triple Tail along with grouper are all available and closer to shore. They are all active. I wake up every morning ready to go and capitalize on the October Redfish and Snook action that awaits most any angler. I am still available for charters during some of the October days for anyone that wants to get in on the action. Call me at 239-357-6829 or email me at [email protected]. Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com for complete information and more fishing reports.
Grouper in Captiva Pass, this one is just short of keeper size, for bait, Shrimp, Squid, Bait fish-Live or dead all seem to be working well.
The Spanish Mackerel are thick by the Artificial reef off Alligator Creek all the way down to Cape haze. To catch yourself some, troll a Black & Silver or White lure, about 2 to 3 miles per hour. When you get a hit, stop and fish. Often you will see the Mackerel or Lady fish, maybe even Cat fish. Busting the surface of the water, they are feeding and this make them almost Guaranteed catch-able.
I’ve heard the term before (riding the storm), but I never really experienced it until July of this year. David and I were going to Marco Island to watch the fireworks and fish. It was the usual hot Florida summer day and the storm cells that week formed anywhere, at any time.
It was impossible to anchor long enough to get a hook in the water before a thunder cloud threatened our safety. We were off of Coon Key, searching for Triple tail near a large marker. A storm cell formed, David announced we got 5 minutes. By the time we lifted anchor, the waves and wind was sending Anhinga 8.4 knots towards the river. She liked that.
If anyone has been in the Marco River, one would know right away it is a great safe haven for storms. Outside in the Gulf a storm could be raging, but inside the river, a boat would experience only ripple of waves.
The sky was kind enough to halt it’s downpour until after the fireworks were over. We decided to leave the next day. David took stock of the weather and saw that there were two storms in the gulf, but a wide margin of clear skies were between them. The entrance to the river was a bit deceiving. It’s a blind exit into the gulf. We casually motored out, watching others in their yachts motor inward. David put up a reefed main, knowing the winds would be high. Once out of the river’s mouth we found ourselves not yet in a full gale storm, but as we looked back we could see a high energy large thunderhead with soft rolling clouds around the top of it like a halo. We were in the warm strong wind the storm pushed ahead of itself. It was about 40 knots.
The main slammed against its starboard stay, as the wind was directly behind us. David could not get the main down and this was vital for our safety. He couldn’t leave the helm, so he told me I had to go and pull the main down. I wanted to tell him he was crazy, it was not safe and I didn’t know I could do it, but when I looked at David’s face, I knew it was a job I had to do. I only had my bibs on and a t shirt. I held the hand rails tightly along the port side, dragged the main sail down; it was hard. I barely got a hold of the halyard line to pull it around the cleat as my butt smashed down on the cabin with my legs wrapped around the mast.
What I did not know at the time, David’s plan was to throw some of the jib out, to steady the boat. The jib tore loose from its roll and slammed all the way out. I was flat on my back at that point as Anhinga tipped about 40 degrees and her side railings was slicing through the water. I grabbed onto the hand rail and nothing could stop my mouth from letting out a girly scream. Flat on my back and tipped towards starboard, I could not even sit up as the wind pressed down on me.
Then I heard David from behind me yell, “Don’t worry… we are still under control!” I was safely secured to the mast by my legs and my hand on the rail. I was in an exhilarating position; I thought to myself, I’m glad someone decided to tell me because it really doesn’t look like we are in control!
Yet, I trust my salty dog with my life; he is experienced and knows what to do in an emergency. My second thought was, “I’m going to stay right here until he fixes this.” Just then, I heard the grinding sound of the winch as David slowly pulled the jib in until we had about 2 feet of triangle sticking out.
Anhinga righted herself up properly and we had a fast sail home.
I learned a few things:
To gain proper experience, one must allow oneself to reach out of the comfort zone.
Trust the one with the most experience behind the helm
God is still in control of the wind and the waves.
Experience in the storm will help you through the next one.
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) October is when the big ‘bull’ Redfish migration is in full swing from the open Gulf waters to the flats of the bays and backwaters of Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass to eat, fatten up and spawn before returning back to deeper waters in the Gulf to ‘winter’. These fish are here in schools and are big. Catches of Redfish over 36” have been reported with schools of hundreds being spotted on the flats and in the shallows. Those who have the opportunity to fish during October should experience catching lots of Redfish before mid to late November. Pictured below is my 1st Mate Vicki, showing a Redfish she caught on live shrimp while we were exploring the waters, looking for locations to take charter clients.
Snook fishing should continue to be good. Mr. Claudio Foresta of Thunder Bay, Canada (pictured above) shows off just one of several Snook caught on artificial bait in a canal in Cape Coral. It was his first time fishing our waters and he is looking forward to the next trip.
Both inshore fishing and offshore has been good. Looking to cooler weather the grouper are being caught closer to the outer islands as well as in the passes. Tripletails are back and ‘hanging’ around buoys and channel markers. Bigger Seatrout are being taken along with nice size Flounder, Spanish Mackerel and small Tarpon.
Last week I had the opportunity to vacation with my grandchildren in St. Louis, Missouri. Shown here is Landon Ingram (7) with his fresh water Bluegill and his sister Addison (5), helping her little sister Avery (2), hold a Bluegill she caught all by herself. All three grandchildren caught several fish that rainy afternoon and have lots of stories to tell their friends. I worked harder on that fishing expedition (keeping their hooks baited and lines straight) than I normally do on a charter, but it was well worth it. If anyone has the opportunity: ‘take a kid fishing’! They love it.
Although I miss my grandchildren, I am happy to be home fishing the bountiful waters of SW Florida. Notwithstanding the high, tannin waters, fishing has been good and the tide predictions are strong and workable for all of next week. I am easily reached by phone at 239-357-6829 or via email at [email protected] with any questions or requests. Check out my website for fishing tips and charter information at www.fishfacecharters.com. This is Captain Terry Fisher wishing you ‘tight lines’!
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) A lot of my clients have long awaited the opportunity to catch and harvest Snook since ‘opening day’ (September 1st). Although I would have preferred another year or so of closure, it does appear that the Snook population has rebounded since the freeze of several years ago based on sighting and my catch and release experiences of 2011-2013.
Notwithstanding that Snook are basically thought of as a nocturnal, opportunistic species laying in ambush for weak prey; they will also feed throughout the day on incoming and outgoing tides. They are very aggressive at times and have the reputation of being one of the most ferocious fighting fish to hook up. They are also considered one of the better tasting species for harvesting.
This time of year the Snook are still very active in the passes and are easy targets on the stronger parts of incoming or outgoing tides. Only lack of water clarity will prevent one from spotting these primitive looking fish laying in ambush, sunning themselves or swimming to reposition on bottom indentations, hard structure like rocks and stumps. Like the other backcountry species, they also hold up in the flats and will move in and out of the mangroves with water movement.
I prefer working the deeper cuts around mangroves in the backcountry in the early morning hours on incoming tides. The outgoing may work just as well, but I feel early morning hours are more essential than the direction of the tide flow.
On the ‘opening day’, my 1st Mate Vicki and I had the opportunity to take David and Lynne Mc Gowan from Jacksonville, Florida to experience catching Snook (Jacksonville weather is too cold to be a good Snook fishery). Lynne is pictured here with her 28” Snook caught early morning around the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. We caught several Snook that morning as well as lost a couple of big ones. Congratulations Lynne!
Fishing for Snook should continue to be good throughout the month. A picture of a Snook recently taken out of a ‘pass’ on the incoming tide by Daniel Whiteley from Sheffield, England, was only one of several caught by him and his friend, Mr. Edward Pike of Cape Coral, Florida. Congratulations Daniel as that was a great job landing the Snook under the circumstances.
In closing, this is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters. Feel free to call me at 239-357-6829 or email [email protected] for all of your fishing questions or charter needs in Lee County (Gulf Coast). Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com for more tips and articles.
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Overall, this week has provided good fishing results, acknowledging however, that there have been a couple of days when finding fish south of Redfish Pass has been a challenge, mostly because of the extensive water releases from Lake Okeechobee coupled with additional water from the afternoon storms.
I believe that great fishing opportunities exist for the next week or so for the following reasons;
We are ‘on’ and soon ‘off’ of a new moon.
Snook season is open (offering more opportunity to target another species for both sport and harvesting).
Season change is bringing in the big ‘Bull’ Redfish to feed before returning to the ‘Gulf’ for the winter months.
The bait fish (including shrimps) are bigger and more abundant.
When fishing the ‘back country’, I suggest the cooler, early morning hours when water levels are at their lowest and the fish cannot hide in the mangroves. Fish as close to the mangroves as possible and one should be rewarded as the water is deeper than normal and holds fish.
I have spent much time fishing new areas (from Punta Rassa to Bokelia) in an effort to locate and track the target fish (Snook/Redfish). I am convinced ( based on recent catches) that the northern half of Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass will produce the better opportunities over the next couple of weeks.
Those with the desire and ability to fish the northern and eastern side of Charlotte Harbor (including the ‘Burnt Store Bar’ areas) might find more success with Redfish over the next couple of weeks until the weather brings more of the
m southward and into Punta Rassa Bay. Moreover, the water clarity is better.
In regards to the northern most areas mentioned above, I had the opportunity to fish with a friend of mine, Mr. John Medsker of Cape Coral, a superior angler with lots of local knowledge. We enjoyed ‘sight-fishing’ for Snook and Redfish. The morning started early, catching bait. We fished the incoming tide for Snook with some success. Several species were caught before the day was over, including the two Redfish (each pictured here with John), both measuring over 32 inches. Our presentations included both live and artificial.
Offshore fishing should remain very good as long as weather permits going out. Tripletail should be showing up in bigger numbers with grouper moving in closer and into the passes.
In closing, there are good days of fishing in the forecast. Feel free to contact me at 239-357-6829 or email me at [email protected] . Visit my website; fishfacecharters.com for additional articles and charter information.
