By Captain Terry Fisher
Great news for the Christmas and New Year’s Holiday anglers! The water has begun to clear around the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River and San Carlos Bay. I have had good fishing success in those areas as well as throughout Pine Island Sound.
The Yacht Club Boat Ramp in Cape Coral re-opened on Saturday, December 16 after it was severely damaged by Hurricane Irma. The storm damaged both piers along the boat launches, which have been closed since Irma. Repairs to the finger piers cost more than $18,000.
Cool weather brings changes and challenges but the fish are biting. Trout are biting well on most grass flats. Cobia are on the east side flats and the inshore artificial reefs (please note the new recreational and commercial limit from FWC). Snook are doing great on the mangroves and on flats near the mangroves. Redfish are sparse but are starting to show up near the canal mouths as they are moving into the canals.
By Terry and Laurie Carlson
Wednesday morning the 8th of November the marina staff at Useppa Island greeted the Cape Coral Cruise Club arriving boaters with both sunshine and calm seas for a wonderful cruise arrival. Eleven boats arrived at the Marina and were carefully nestled into their slips by the attentive Useppa marina staff. Cruise leaders Rich and Robyn McGloin greeted arriving members and assured a relaxing stay at one of the premier private islands in the area. Wednesday afternoon provided plenty of relaxing leisure time to explore the island along the winding, lush botanical trails. Some decided to lounge by the pool, walk the beaches or visit the historic Useppa Island museum.
As the holidays approach, many of us scramble to come up with unique gift ideas for the boaters in our lives. Whether you’re searching for a big surprise or just need some nautical stocking stuffers, our Holiday Boater Gift Guide features our top picks for every kind of boater and every kind of budget.
by Captain Terry Fisher
Once again the 2017 Ft. Myers Boat Show proved to be a fantastic display of marine products. I have worked the Boat Show for at least 5 years and every year it grows, featuring more vendors offering an array of marine and marine related products. It was really great seeing many of our friends and clients when they stopped by the Fish Face Charters/Coastal Angler Magazine booth to say hello, reserve a date on the water and pickup a copy of the November issue of the best and most informative boating and fishing publication for our area.
Mid and late October fishing proved to be somewhat better than I actually expected, given my comments on my latest report. One may recall, I mentioned many fishing guides presented dismal accounts of inshore catches and I was concerned that my luck would run out. Nonetheless, I was fortunate to find and catch a variety of species, including Redfish at some of the more productive, pre-hurricane (Irma) locations.
We’re gearing up for our largest event of the year – the Fort Myers Boat Show! With so much to see, learn and do, we want to make sure you feel as prepared as possible to get the most out of your boat show experience, no matter what show you’re at. Whether you’re there strictly for the boats, interested in discovering fishing tips from local anglers, or making your holiday wish list filled with the latest gadgets, you’ll want to make sure you aren’t leaving anything out. Whether you attend the show regularly or are planning your first visit, you can benefit from our tips below.
By Captain Terry Fisher
Early October proved to produce a variety of fish, even though Hurricane Irma played havoc on water levels and water quality. I just returned from a diving and fishing trip to the Turks/Caicos Islands, but prior to departing I had the opportunity to take out some truly good anglers out and test the inshore fishing grounds for Seatrout, Mangrove Snapper, Snook, Sheepshead, Black Drum and Redfish.
Okeechobee Waterway – St. Lucie Canal (C-44) High Flow and Low Water Hazardous Navigation
Notice is given that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is advising commercial and recreational vessels to use extreme caution traveling the Okeechobee Waterway between Port Mayaca and St. Lucie Locks due to high current flowing east and low canal levels created by maximum lake releases.
Read more “Notice to Navigation: NTN 2017-013 Okeechobee Waterway C-44 St. Lucie Canal Low Water”