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.
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!
(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.
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.
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.
Spanish mackerel are moving into the Harbor. Trolling at or by marker #5 or the reef are getting some nice fish, nothing monster right now, 14 inches average size, but fun on light tackle.
If you are coming to visit S.W. Fla. try bringing you crappie rods, with the 4 or 6 pound test, then put on a light steel leader, with a small spoon or Jig, 1/8 or 1/4 ounce. White buck tails are on for the Spanish, a lot of fun on those light rods. I enjoy trolling the jigs for Spanish you really feel the hit that way.
On a clear breezy day, we had the opportunity to race and sail with twins. Not twin sailors, but twin sailboats. A friend of ours bought his first large sailboat which was a Bristol 29.9, an upgrade from his 26 foot Catalina. David’s brother, Jon also had a Bristol 29.9 and all three sailors agreed to meet at Bunch Beach.
Here are the players:
There was Captain David Bickel, an old salt in his 28 Phillips Rhodes; Anhinga. He raced for years in Tampa Bay. They called him the Kat! With the rushing clang of the halyards against the running gear, the grinding spin in the lines of the winches, and with the sound of the luffing of the jib he knew the moves. He was an expert from stealing the wind in a tacking war to counting the puffs to propel any boat further and faster.
And there was Jon Bickel, a seasoned single handed sea dog, brother of the competitive Bickel clan. He was sailing in his Bristol; High Voltage2. This seaman would take off for weeks finding solitude of the Marquesas just to hear the quietness of nothing. Comfortable on the water Jon would spend days in search of solitude anchoring in secluded mangroves, or the peaceful beauty of a silent island.
Lastly we have Mystery Mike in his Bristol; Black tip. He was a low keyed seafarer with a passion for wooden boats, who still was unsure of his abilities in a larger sailboat; more used to taking picnic sails with his wife on the eastern coast; where the sailboats soar on mystical winds and the sound of seagulls is heard flapping off the bow through the mist of clammy dawn.
The agreement was to race from the Sanibel marker to the bridge and back. The sailboats were all close-hauled heading into a breeze of 13 knots. Straight away, David tacked Anhinga taking away High Voltage2’s wind and swung in front of Jon. Mike was in last place. Suddenly there was a velocity shift; Mike took a 90 degree turn swinging The Black Tip into first place. The move took us all by surprise with a lot of woohooing coming from Mike’s boat.
Afterwards we anchored back at Bunch Beach, grilled burgers, and watching the sun set over the light house on Sanibel Island. What fun day around the bay of Fort Myers beach.
Well, lots of hoo-ha about Red tide here on the West coast, so I just want to cover a couple of points about that. Please no Catch & release fishing in areas with Red Tide. If you go into an area with light or trace amounts of Red tide, look for small bait size fish struggling at or near the surface, This means that even though the larger fish like Snook, Red fish and Trout, are not dying from it, they are having a hard time breathing. Red tide “Pollen” paralyzes the gills of fish. So hooking and fighting a fish exhausts them to a point it is hard to recover, lots of dead loss. The whole point behind C&R is for the fish to live.
On the other hand, it is OK to catch the fish for dinner. But once you have enough for the table, leave. Red tide will not harm the meat, it is not a poison.
Fishing is fantastic from 15 miles out. Tuna, Mahi, Snappers, Groupers, Bonita, Kings, Spanish, It is happening now. Trolling or bottom fishing,
Up in Charlotte Harbor we do not get Red tide. So the fishing here is good, Spanish, Jacks, Red Snook, all doing good right now, Even good reports of Flounder, up here by the 41 bridges.
Last point Red tide is not fixed. It may be bad almost choking you, then all of a sudden it is gone. Or everything is great, then it drifts in. Watch for the dates on the Red tide reports. Things can change fast.
Last of all do not let a fear of the great boogie man “Red tide” scare you from going out to enjoy yourself. As I said it might be there or it might not. If it is, just go a little ways one way or the other chances are it will be all good.
Oct. 11, 2012 (Fort Myers, Fla.) One of the River District’s most highly anticipated events is just on the horizon. The Southwest Florida Marine Industries Association presents the 40th Annual Fort Myers Boat Show at Harborside Event Center and City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin from Thursday, November 8th through Sunday, November 11th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Widely considered the premier boat show on Florida’s west coast, the show will feature boats of just about every type imaginable, marine products and services for both enthusiasts and novices alike. Now in its 40th year, the show will include seminars on fishing, diving and boat safety. Local guides will be on hand to answer questions and present instruction about fishing in Southwest Florida. Diving enthusiasts from the Caloosa Dive Club will speak on equipment, schools, resources and hot dive spots. The show will also include a large kayaking section with daily seminars, products displays, and information about Lee County’s Great Calusa Blueway paddling trails. The U.S. Coast Guard will return this year with their interactive Boating safety trailer displaying a variety of safety equipment.
Students can get in on the action with the new boat building festival. Teams led by experienced instructors, Sharon and David Bickel of the Shipwright Shop, will try their hands at building a 12’ Bevin’s Skiff from scratch throughout the show. Student teams are sponsored by many local businesses.
“This year’s show promises to be one of our best to date. We’re very excited about the increased participation of boat and equipment manufacturers this year and how that is going to add to guest’s enjoyment of the event.” says John Good of Good Event Management, whose company manages the show.
Show attendees can tour a large assortment of boat types both in, and out of the water. Visitors can check out luxury yachts and off-shore fishing boats, plus dinghies and kayaks. Resorts and marinas will also be on hand to help guests plan waterfront trips, and vendors will display the latest in boating accessories, electronics, marine financing and insurance, motors and fishing gear from manufacturers all over the world.
SWFMIA hosts three annual boat shows, including the Fort Myers Boat Show held each November in beautiful downtown Fort Myers. It has grown to become one of the major shows in Florida with new and brokerage boats in-water and a huge showing of boats and accessories in the Harborside Event Center and outdoors along the Caloosahatchee River. Food and beverages will be available inside the event as well as in downtown restaurants. Admission is $9.00 per person, per day and free for children under 12. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
(FT. MYERS BEACH-CHARLOTTE HARBOR) The waters are cooling and the fish are moving. Spanish Mackerel are along the beaches doing their ‘fall run’ as well as in the passes. They can be found just off the beach at casting distance or as far out as 20-30 miles. Look for the birds and throw your favorite lure or put on a chunk of ladyfish and enjoy the action. The ‘Kings’ should be following anytime. Grouper, Snapper and other species are moving in closer to the beaches as well as in the passes and into the sound.
Redfish will continue to ‘fatten-up’ for their journey from the mangroves and the flats and will be gone by Thanksgiving. They are cruising the bars and flats in Pine Island Sound. While they have been sort of ‘hit and miss’, many are in the 30”-35” range. Although many are over slot, they make for a fantastic fight and there maybe some ‘slot-size’ within the same school. Snook is also a good bet as they begin their fall migration into the estuary. They are being found near passes and inlets while staging around pilings and docks. These game fish are in good numbers moving along the mangroves shorelines as well, especially, where points and creek mouths make great ambush spots.
If you have any questions or need to book a charter, I am easily reached at 239-357-6829 or at [email protected]. Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com for monthly and weekly articles. Until next week: GOOD FISHING!
