Lee County Fishing Report with Captain Terry

Fishing has been good for most species at certain times of the day. The bite has been predicated mostly on the water temperature especially, after the sun has had a chance to warm up some of the locations. Most of the mornings I go out, it proves to be slow until the warmth sets in on the flats and shallow areas. I have had the opportunity to see lots of feeding frenzies from Jug Creek Shoal, just off of Bokelia all the way down to St. James City and the Causeways of Sanibel. These feeding frenzies are including ladyfish, Pompano, Spanish Mackerel, Crevalle Jacks and Sea trout. Lots of game and fun!

Last week, I took the opportunity to check out the activity just off beaches of Sanibel and Captiva Islands. There is Tripletail on the buoys and Pompano off the beaches and in the passes. The Spanish Mackerel are showing up everywhere, both offshore as well as in Pine Island Sound.  The water temperature is good for these migratory fishes. Although to date, I have not had much success with the Sheepshead as I would like, but I suspect as the water cools the bigger ones will be on their way.

We are catching some small Redfish around the Spoil Islands and nice size Snook on moving tides along the creek cuts with mangroves and deadwood for bank structure. There are plenty of Grouper in Pine Island Sound holding in structure (fallen trees along the banks with deep holes of 6ft-12ft). Flounder’s are being caught in the surf off the beaches and on the harder bottom and around the channels, passes, mangroves and Spoil Islands. I understand there will be Cobia as long as the water temperature holds. The baits of choice for most species are shrimp and cut bait fish. Naturally, artificials are working as well. Watch for the birds and top water feeding frenzies as the sun warms up the water and get your presentation to them and have some fun!

Until next week, this is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters. Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com or contact me via email at [email protected]. I am easily reached via phone at 239-357-6829 if you have any questions on where and how to catch the fine game fish.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Charlotte County Fishing Report with Frank

A good incoming tide today, with over cast skies can only mean one thing. Get out your top water lures. Today is a great example of when to use top water. Fish have a hard time looking into a bright sunny sky. With the over cast sky the fish can see their target.

I would go to the east side of the Harbor and start casting up against the Mangrove Trees “Bushes”. The big Snook and Red fish will be moving under the branches to feed while the tide is rising.

When you cast your lure, let’s say a torpedo, a tail drop lure (at rest the butt end of the lure sits lower in the water), cast it under the branches, the splash when it hits the water gets the attention of the fish. From a fishes point of view, is it a stick or is it food? Only movement will tell the fish that your lure is alive and ready to be eaten. So do not start jerking it out right away, just shake your rod tip, make the lure wiggle a bit. Just enough to show life, but not enough to move it away, it should be a live easy to catch prey. So it is splash, wiggle a bit, stop, wiggle a bit, then start working it out away from the trees.

After putting all of the effort into casting at that perfect spot, why? move it out right away, give the fish a chance to decide if it wants to eat it. Casting in and working the lure back quickly will produce fish but mostly smaller younger fish. The older larger fish, takes a minute more to decide do I want that? Is it worth the effort? The young ones will See it and smack it without thinking.

In a nut shell, when casting lures under the trees you want a lot of movement with as little forward motion as possible.

Good luck I hope you get to see a big ole Snook do a back flip, completely out of the water as it engulfs your lure, or the swell and push of the water as a Red fish swirls up with it’s back out of the water while taking your bait. The rush of seeing the fish hit that lure as well as the feel of the strike, knowing your movement of the lure, your ability to make that piece of plastic come alive is what did it.

How cool is that.

Frank

Posted by Scott Q Fishing Reports

Charlotte County Fishing Report with Frank

The flats fishin requires a Lewis & Clark attitude.  Yes indeed boys & Girls if you are going to find fish on the east side, put on your explorer out-fit.  Right now those Red-Fish, Trout, Sheep head, Snapper are all tucked in between the islands.  This will require two people (one of you drawing straws seems to work out) for who drives the boat and who gets to stand on the bow.   Yup one of you gets to stand on the bow as you idle slowly, very slowly around the keys “Islands” of the east side.  You are looking for deeper water flowing between two islands.

When you find a place, it is not going to be good fishing yet, since you just ran your boat into, over, & through it.   Take a minute to look around.  Study where the hole/trough is and where you should anchor to get your best cast.  Get a game plan in your head, then go off to find the next spot.  By the time you find the next one, the first one you found should be ready to fish.  Head back to your first spot. come in using your Electric motor or push pole.  Use a stick-it pin/pole to anchor with not, not an anchor with a chain (this is a quiet area).  You have to be sneaky about this.   Once you are set, you should be able to start catching.  And, as we all know, that is just the “bonus”.  But it is really nice to be catching and not just fishin every once in a while.

Have fun & be safe out there.

Frank

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Lee County Fishing Report with Captain Terry

Since the Ft. Myers Boat Show I have had the opportunity to run a number of charters in search for Snook, Redfish and Sea Trout. Notwithstanding the wind and cold front, the ‘back-bay’ fishing was surprisingly good most of the week. The Sea Trout was very hard to locate, but with some persistence I got rewarded with dividends of bigger pre-winter fish. The Snook was active as well around the Cape Coral canals, creek mouths and mangrove cuts. The Redfish bite remains on, but they are not as aggressive, plentiful or as big as they were in October. However, there are still plenty around on an incoming tide just off of the main channels and around the spoil islands at both the southern end of Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass. If you live north of Matlacha or Redfish Pass, I suggest working some of the spoil islands with oyster bars and grass flats. Other ‘back-bay’ species that are active are the Spanish Mackerel and Pompano. The birds will give you the possible locations of the Mackerel. The Pompano are just off of the flats at Wulfert Keys, Punta Rassa and San Carlos Bay, just to name a few locations.

I am forecasting that the bite should be fairly good for all of the above species in the coming week, given that there is a full moon ‘on the horizon’ and the fishing has remained decent, despite the cold fronts.

Regarding off-shore species; with the winds and the cold fronts, I have not had any reports from other captains in regarding off-shore, but will address that in next week’s article. If you have any questions, I am easily reached by phone at 239-357-6829 or via email at [email protected]. Check out both my weekly and monthly articles as well as the services I offer at www.fishfacecharters.com.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Charlotte County Fishing Report with Frank

Robert & I were talking this morning about the Cobia & Triple tail reports.  Every day more and more people talking about them, and today is going to be glass calm out there.  We think the Cobia have been pretty thick here for the last month but the water is just now getting clear enough where you can see them.

The one trait in common with Cobia & Triple Tail is you hunt for them.  Get your boat on plane, then back off until you are on plane but just barely, and start looking (Big brim hat & good polarized Sunglasses). This is your basic equipment.   My trick is, during the morning I look on the west side sand bars, and then switch to the east side. You cannot see into the sun.   By starting on the west side the sun is at your back. The Cobia like to cruise the sand bars.

When do you look for the triple tail?  When you are crossing the harbor, look for anything floating, a crab trap buoy, a bag, Palm frond.  I caught a 12 pound Triple tail who was “hiding” under a small silver and blue potato chip bag (not the big family bag, a 99 cent size bag).  So keep a sharp eye out, When you go by the Crab trap buoys keep the sun behind you look at the ball.  You are looking for is something which looks like a dirty rag tied to the line.  Believe it or not, that is what a triple tail looks like.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Lee County Fishing Report with Captain Terry

My 1st Mate Vicki and I just wrapped up a long weekend working the booth at the Ft. Myers Boat Show at the convention center in Historic Downtown Ft. Myers. We had a wonderful time greeting and meeting a number of attendees at our booth as well as at my  seminars which covered a number of topics, including but not limited to; Seatrout, Redfish and Snook. I had about thirty (30) attendees at each seminar and I truly feel that most everyone went away with a lot of enthusiasm and desire.

Additionally, we were able to distribute to a number of attendees the paper version of the November issue of The Nautical Mile publication as well as the new DVD: ‘GO BOATING LEE COUNTY’ (brought to you by the Nautical Mile Magazine and www. LeeCountyBoater.com), which includes a detailed introduction to boating in Lee County, Florida. This wonderful DVD covers: ‘Beautiful Waterfront Properties, Over 30 Water-Access Restaurants, 600+ miles of Canals, Fishing, Shelling and Sightseeing’. Everyone seemed to appreciate the information that it included and felt privileged to have a copy to assist their individual needs.

Finally, we were very thankful to meet the suppliers and everyone involved in our community that have both investment and interest in our industry.

Captain Terry Fisher

Fish Face Charters

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Charlotte County Fishing Report with Frank

Trout stories are being told about Tippy Canoe Bay, Muddy Bay, Cape Haze, and the east side bar, so I think I am going to say the Trout have moved in.

Pompano and Triple tail, are mystery guests here in the harbor, with a few reports coming in steady, but the exact where about remain a mystery.

Small jigs, banana type white or pink, is the color everyone is talking, but a guy told me he caught his pompano on a pink jig.  Had the picture of the fish and the jig in the pompano’s mouth was green chartreuse.  I am beginning  to think some fisherman might lie a little!

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Lee County Fishing Report with Captain Terry

(FT. MYERS BEACH TO CHARLOTTE HARBOR)  The Ft. Myers Boat Show is a huge success with lots of vendors, products and fishing seminars that will fulfill the appetites from the beginning to the most experienced anglers. I had an opportunity to charter a client on the first morning of the show (last Thursday) and even with the Nor-Easter’s high winds and cold weather I was able to get on the leeward side of a couple of the spoil islands to get some action on some nice size trout, Sheepshead, Flounder and Mangrove Snapper on an outgoing tide. The water was just beginning to come alive with moving fish on the bottom of the outgoing tide. The weather forced an end to the charter, but had I the opportunity to try some of the normal locations (which the wind prevented), I feel that we would have had good success with the Redfish as well. The winds have prevented most ‘off-shore’ activity, but next week should prove to be fairly good for those that have an opportunity to get on the water.

I am looking forward to going out after the weekend as I am doing some seminars over the weekend at the boat show on Trout, Redfish and Snook fishing. My next seminar is scheduled for Saturday @ 12:30PM and if opportunity ‘knocks’, I will do another one or two on Sunday. Please stop by and see me and my 1st Mate Vicki at Fish Face Charters booth in the Convention Center. Hope to see you there! If you have any questions I am easily reached at 239-357-6829 or via email at [email protected]. Check out my websites at www.fishfacecharters.com or www.captainterryfisher.com.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Lee County Fishing Report with Captain Terry

Not much in way of reporting catches from local captains as a result of the winds created by Hurricane Sandy keeping boaters and fishermen off the waterways. However, my 1st Mate and I took time last Wednesday and Thursday to check out the fishing action around Point Ybel, Punta Rassa, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass while the full moon was still intact and found it was good.

Inshore; the Snook, Jacks, big Trout and Redfish seem to be hungry and are active on moving tides. Slack tides produced nothing and I forecast the same trend over the next few days using shrimp, cut- Pinfish and Ladyfish. Be sure and keep a ‘look-out’ for the delicious Pompano skirting the area as well.

Offshore; expect good action trolling spoons and top-water artificials for Kings and Spanish Mackerel from shore to 10 plus miles out. Grouper, snapper and other species should remain active off the bottom over ledges and on structure using finger Mullet, Squid, Pinfish, Grunts and Threadfins. Be alert for migrating Cobia as well.

This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters. Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com. If you have questions or information to share, email me at [email protected] or call 239-357-6829. I plan on being at the Ft. Myers Boat show November 8-11 and look forward to meeting new friends and clients.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Lee County Fishing Report with Captain Terry

Prior to Hurricane Sandy skirting southern Florida and the east coast, we were enjoying excellent fishing, especially for Redfish (‘Reds’). The flats around Punta Rassa was producing slot size ‘Reds’ on a regular basis for those with the patience to await their arrival on the incoming tides. However, due to the recent weather (winds), myself and other Charter Captain’s have not been able to enjoy getting out to find out if the fishing has continued at the same high level prior to the strong winds and ‘Small Craft Advisory’s’.

Nonetheless, we should enjoy some relief soon and I suggest for ‘Off-shore’; to go after the Kings and AJs with large Pinfish, Threadfins and cut baits around wrecks and artificial reefs in about 70 ft. of water. ‘In-shore’; Seatrout for the taking on the flats loaded with Turtle grasses from 3-5 foot deep with both artificial and live baits all around Punta Rassa and Pine Island Sound. Matlacha Pass (on both the east and west sides) should hold and produce both good Snook and ‘Reds’ on both artificial and live baits on the moving tides (work the creek mouths). Much of the back-bay area(s) hold enough water for a hull and trolling motor, but not much more.  I suggest fishing the incoming tides and come out with the outgoing tides. In these areas, it is best to use stealth when fishing the lagoons of Matlacha Pass.

Until next week, this is Captain Terry Fisher wishing you; GOOD FISHING and as always, if you have questions or want to book a charter, I am easily reached at 2139-357-6829 or via email at [email protected]. Be sure and check out my website which includes weekly and monthly fishing and boating articles.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports