Cobia, Sharks, and Tarpon have all moved into the Harbor, and the cool thing is that they are eating dead bait. Quite often you need to catch and use fresh live bait to get these fish to eat, but reports from 3 different boats, that were fishin the middle of the Harbor to down off Cape Haze, showed that they are eating frozen bait which worked as well as or better than the live bait.
Mullet, Ladyfish, and Threadfin are all doing good, but uncut whole Threadfins, either free line or better yet 5 feet under a float, is the best of the three. For the Tarpon and Cobia, both fish are hitting and the boats have been anchored up and they seem not to mind sharing the space. One other thing to mention, cutting the bait in half as I would think to do, is not good, as they want them whole.
Sharks are hitting better off the bottom using sinkers to keep the bait down, and any of the three types of bait cut into pieces is better than whole.
Sharks are on the menu and on the beaches! We’re seeing Blacktips, Bonnets, Bulls, Sandbars and more. The best bait to attract these are Mullet or Ladyfish. Stingray and everything else are also working. Don’t know if these really are the best bait right now, but more people are buying Mullet and Ladyfish than anything else so that is why I guess they are the better bet.
All you need to catch Sharks up to 3 foot long, is a regular spinning rod with 10 to 20 pound test line and a small steel leader. I use the A.F.W. bleeding leaders about a 4/0 size as these really seems to be great for catching them. Then you can flatten the barb of the hook for catch and release.
For your bait, put on a chunk of fish, 3 fingers by 3 fingers, on your hook. To do this, I mean lay your bait fish, say a whole ladyfish down, now place 3 fingers on the fish and that is how much you should put on the hook.
If two people are fishing, one should be under a float and the other with a sinker, then see which way the Sharks are wanting the bait, either near the top or on the bottom.
‘In-shore’ fishing in March has been good for a number of different species, but more specifically for Seatrout, Spanish Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, Ladyfish and occasionally a Pompano on the flats. Live shrimp have provided lots of bites and harvest when fished under a cork on a weighted jig head in about 3 to 6 foot of water, over grass beds. March was the transition month to spring, with rising and stabilizing water temperatures.
March proved to be the month for large Seatrout. Pictured here are Bill and Sally Catinella, of Traverse City, Michigan with some of their nice catches. Bill and I share the same birthday date(s) and our ventures have become a yearly ritual, celebrating the occasion, in search for a ‘fish of a lifetime’! I am looking forward to doing it again next year and I have already marked my calendar.
Look for Tarpon, Snook and Redfish to ‘join the party’ starting early April. The water temperatures are dictating the migration arrivals of offshore and inshore species; including big schools of Tarpon, Kingfish, Cobia, hungry Snook and Redfish to gorge on bait fish leading the migrations.
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters wishing everyone safe boating and tight lines! Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com for fishing charter and ‘Captain for Hire’ (by the hour) information. I provide navigation, fishing locations and techniques at your convenience and on your vessel. Contact me direct at 239-357-6829 for immediate assistance or email me at [email protected].
The month of March has proven to be as tough as it is good. The recent cool front put the fish down for a bit, but the last few days have rebounded and produced some nice Spanish Mackerel and Seatrout.
Pictured here is the Jeremy Peterson family of Stillwater, MN. It has become and annual event with the children becoming fantastic junior anglers. This outing pictures D. J. (10), Robbie (8) and little Emma (7) all holding one of their many catches for the day. This family took a cooler full of fish home to Minnesota to enjoy until next years return. Looking forward to seeing Emma, Robbie and D. J. again. Great job ‘junior’ anglers!
Another of my favorite yearly charters is with Steve and Jack Gagliano, of Chicago, Illinois. Jack (10) has become proficient with his angling abilities. He is pictured with a nice Seatrout and his first Stingray. Nice job Jack!
Fishing should continue to improve as April approaches and brings more ‘bait’ fish to the area with consistent warm weather. Look for bigger schools of Tarpon, Spanish Mackerel and Pompano to follow.
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters wishing everyone ‘tight lines’! Charter information may be obtained on line at my website www.fishfacecharters.com; by calling me direct at 239-357-6829 or by emailing [email protected]. I am available as ‘Captain for Hire’ on your vessel for navigation and fishing locations/techniques by the hour around the waters of SW Florida.
For those of you who do not wish to travel far for your fish, the Reds are in good numbers around Hog Island. Poppin corks with a shrimp, popped slowly near the mangroves about four feet in front of the branches, is very effective. Also, try using a shrimp with a 1/8 ounce rockpport head, gold or pink, 1/2 or 2/0 hook tossed just under the mangroves. Let it sit for a minute and then lift your rod and move the bait 6 inches or so and then wait again.
Of course the main bait of choice is white bait if you can find any. Try either free lined or Redfish Sunday style, which is hooking the bait fish across the back so it is on its side on the bottom. The white bait is hard to find but there is some on the markers. The most bait is found by Jug Creek out to Devil Fish and along the I.C.W.
Spring is here and so are ‘Gator’ trout, Pompano, Spanish Mackerel and big Snook. Pictured here is Jack Roberts (10), of Blaine, Minnesota, posing with two of the three species mentioned. His Pompano was impressive to say the least. The big Seatrout he is holding is one of many he caught on a charter with me during a recent visit to Cape Coral. Jack mixed it up this year catching Seatrout, Spanish Mackerel and Jack Crevalle on artificial presentations as well as suspending shrimps under a cork. His attire is evidence of his commitment to becoming a professional angler. Great job Jack!
Mr. Larry Olson of Bonita Springs is pictured with his ‘Gator’ trout caught on jig head (with live shrimp), suspended under a cork just off the flats around Cabbage Key. Larry and Liza Lufkin had a great outing catching more than their share of big trout and Spanish Mackerel.
Snook season is open and there are plenty for the taking. Craig Miklus of Seymour, Ct. had the pleasure of angling a 32” Snook caught just off a small ‘Key’ in northern Pine Island Sound. Craig fishes all over the world and has landed several nice fighting game fish. He will attest that a big Snook will make you work for a successful landing on light tackle. He caught this ‘slot’ fish using a big shrimp (‘tail’ hooked) on a weighted jig head placed on the bottom of the seabed, just off structure and at the very top of an incoming tide. Good going Craig!
Virtually every charter during the last couple of weeks has produced big Seatrout. The basic method has been ‘shrimps suspended under a cork’, over the grass flats in around 4 to 5 foot of water. Look for ‘milky’ green water and use a weighted jig head to keep the bait down.
Most of my fishing has been up on the northern end of Pine Island Sound due to the water conditions around Punta Rassa and St. James city. I look to continue this strategy until the water clears up a bit on the southern end of Pine Island Sound. Water temperatures are on the rise and I am looking for a Tarpon migration soon. A few have been caught and a number of them reported.
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters. Charter information may be obtained at www.fishfacecharters.com or by emailing me at [email protected] I am easily reached via phone at 239-357-6829.
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Hello fishing and boating friends. Even though the month of February presented some high winds and cool climates, the fishing remained good north of Redfish Pass. Unfortunately, south of the pass has a lot of dark water, creating difficulty in locating and catching fish. I suggest fishing north of Redfish Pass and the surrounding waters of N. Captiva Pass together with other locations in Pine Island Sound. The water is much clearer and has continued to produce fish.
The cooler weather has attributed to lots of Sheepshead and larger Seatrouts. Pictured here is Karen Jacobs of Harvester, Missouri holding her huge Seatrout while on vacation with the family. GREAT JOB KAREN! Both her son’s, Austin (10) and Lee (12) are pictured with just one of their many catches during their day on the water with Captain Terry. It was a great boating and fishing day for the Jacobs family. Karen, Todd, Austin, Lee and Grandpa Greg, all of Harvester (St. Louis, Missouri), are pictured enjoying a much deserved ‘break from the action’, at Cabbage Key.
The better news is that spring is bringing warmer weather and warmer water temperatures. This week offers the ‘back-side’ of a full moon. Remember to work the top half of the incoming and outgoing tides for best results.
This week Vicki and I will be at the Bonita Springs Boat Show and invite everyone to our booth. I will be doing seminars on Snook, Redfish and Seatrout and look forward to visiting with clients and potential newcomers to boating and fishing SW Florida waters.
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters. Charter information, fishing tips and other articles may be found on my website at www.fishfacecharters.com. Contact me at 239-357-6829 or via email at [email protected]. I am also available for orientation to navigating the waters, providing fishing instructions and locations on your vessel by the hour. Until the next fishing report, I wish everyone safe boating and tight lines!
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) The full moon is phasing out and the tides are positioned for several more days of good fishing during the daytime hours. Hopefully, the cold snaps will stay away for a while so that the fish adapt to sustained water temperatures.
Seatrout, Spanish Mackerel and Pompano have been hard to find due to the cold fronts. However, the Snook action can be very good; especially the small and medium sizes along the mangroves, in and around creek openings and passes such as Redfish and N. Captiva. Free-lining shrimp make a good presentation, as the cold fronts have made cast netting for the Pichards very tough.
The good news is Sheepshead are back in bigger sizes. I look forward to this time of the year, as do many of my charter clients, to have the opportunity to catch them on light tackle, using shrimp or fiddler crabs. Pictured here is one of my favorite clients, Disabled Military Veteran, Bobby Powell of Cape Coral, Florida, holding one of the first big Sheepshead of the year. He caught it along the mangroves using a piece of shrimp on a #1 bait hook (weighted just enough to hold his presentation down). Nice job Bob!
During the Christmas Holidays, I had the opportunity to take out one of my favorite junior anglers, Seth Loehr (10) of Indianapolis, Indiana. This has become and annual event for Seth and I. He proudly displays one of many Seatrout he caught on his charter with Captain Terry. Seth is very independent, a good angler and loves to fish! This year, Seth fished along side his cousin, Abigail Manoukain (7) of Nashville, Tennessee. This was her first fishing trip in Florida and she caught the nice Seatrout pictured here. Nice going Abigail!
Remember to fish on rising or outgoing tides for best results. Tide information may be found on line at www.saltwatertides.com or in the 2016 Tides Publication, which I sponsor and that has my picture on the cover holding a big Snook. This publication may be found at several Lee County bait, tackle and marine stores or access it on-line at www.leecountyboater.com.
Information regarding ‘charters on my vessel ‘or me as your ‘Captain for Hire’ may be found on my website at www.fishfacecharters.com or by calling me direct at 239-357-6829. I am also reached via email at [email protected]. Regardless of which of the above ‘charter choices’ you select: I provide valuable navigational instruction, fishing tips, techniques and fishing locations for every client.
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters wishing everyone safe boating and tighter lines!
This past holiday season I received a phone call from Mr. Chris Kelly of St. Augustine, Florida requesting a charter (on a short notice) for his 10 year old daughter Chloe for either December 23rd or 24th. Like most local ‘Charter Captains’, I was fully booked through the New Year and the only day I had off was Christmas Day. I tried to find Chloe a ‘ride’ but to no avail. Her father told me how much Chloe loved to fish and had requested a charter for part of her Christmas present. Unfortunately, due to Chris’s work on the east coast, their time here was limited. After much consideration, I decided to take her for a half day run to some grass beds for Seatrout, Spanish Mackerel, Jack Crevalle and whatever else would bite.
The weather was absolutely beautiful and since Vicki and I had no family members at the house, I saw no harm in spending quality time with an upcoming junior angler (Vicki was not totally for it, as she wanted me to spend Christmas Day with her and 2nd Mate (Moby), our new Chocolate Labrador Retriever puppy).
Chloe’s father was given my name by a captain from Ft. Myers, who was booked up as well, but who did not want to run on Christmas Day. I never thought that I would do a Christmas Day run, but ‘never say never’! I was glad I did. Pictured here is Chloe with mom and dad and some of their catches. Chloe is also pictured with a big Blue Fish and Spanish Mackerel, only two of many fish she caught that afternoon. Santa was good to her and she proved to be the avid fisher-lady that her father had indicated. Nice going Chloe!
Fishing over the holidays was great for every charter that I took out. The weather was warm and the fish were biting. More reports to come. Chris Kelly is the Dock Master at The Town of Marineland Marina, St. Augustine, Florida (www.marinelandmarina.com).
This is Captain Terry Fisher wishing everyone tighter lines! Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com for charter information and more articles/fishing tips. I am also available as ‘Captain for Hire’ at 239-357-6829 or via email at [email protected].
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Fishing was fantastic for the whole month of December 2015. The warm weather allowed the ‘bait’ fish to remain on the shallow shoals, flats and around ‘piles’ of the bridges, making them easy targets for cast netting. All species were active; especially Snook on Pilchards while fishing the outgoing tide. Pictured here is Lili Bunch (one of my better junior anglers), from Leawood, Kansas, holding one of many Snook she caught just before the New Year. Her father John, caught his large Snook while ‘free-lining’ Pilchards under the docks in Cape Coral. I had the privilege of fishing with them both during the week of Thanksgiving, with similar success, around North Captiva and Pineland areas.
Not to be outdone, other of my young anglers had lots of action on live baits (under corks) in areas with turtle grass. Mile Marker 13 south of St. James City will usually provide action, so long as the winds cooperate. The fishery there is a big area. Seatrout, Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, small shark and Lady Fish should provide plenty of action for those looking for a fun time. Depths from 3 to 6 feet are best. Pictured here is the Mark Warren family of Glencoe, Illinois enjoying family time over the Christmas holidays. Caroline (10) is pictured beside dad with her Spanish Mackerel, while brother Jack proudly displays one of many Seatrout he caught throughout the day. Nice going guys!
I am looking forward to continued good fishing after the current cold front moves through bringing the bigger Sheepshead in from the gulf.
In closing, meet ‘Moby’, a Labrador Retriever (11 weeks young). He will join 1st Mate Vicki as Fish Face Charters 2nd Mate. He is excited about the challenges that lay ahead to being a good and productive companion.
Charter information may be obtained by calling me direct at 239-357-6829. I am also available as ‘Captain for Hire’ on your vessel by the hour to assist with navigational needs, fishing locations and techniques. Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com. I may also be reached via email at [email protected]. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
