Captain Terry says “I expect good fishing all of this week during the ‘full moon’ cycle.”

(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.
Kenny PearsonNicole Pearson Seatrout

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.

James WardJames Ward-2In 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].

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Captain Terry says “Great fishing for Snook, Redfish and other species alike.”

(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!
Christen's Snook UsseppaCornelia UseppaEmily's Snook Usseppa

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.
Sammi Willis WeddingBill Willis Father of BrideSeth Wedding Party Tarpon Lodge

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.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Fishin’ Frank says “Spanish Mackeral are thick off Alligator Creek to Cape Haze.”

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.

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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.

 john mackerel 4 x 6

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Red October

(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.

P9010052  Claudio-Foresta's-Snook

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.

Landon-Bluegill Addison-Bluegill

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’!

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

“Snook are still very active in the passes,” says Capt. Terry

(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.

THE McGowan Snook copy

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!

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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.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Captain Terry says “Fish as close to the mangroves as possible”

(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;

  1. We are ‘on’ and soon ‘off’ of a new moon.
  2. Snook season is open (offering more opportunity to target another species for both sport and harvesting).
  3. Season change is bringing in the big ‘Bull’ Redfish to feed before returning to the ‘Gulf’ for the winter months.
  4. 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

Johns Redfish

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.

Johns Redfish2

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.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

“Even in tannin waters, fish must still eat!” Says Captain Terry

(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Last week I wrote that the best opportunity to catch fish in our tannin waters (inshore and back country) is in the early morning hours or late evening hours, regardless of the tide flow. Naturally the times mentioned above, coupled with moving water will most always prove the best scenario. At this time, with all the rain and large amounts of water releases from Lake Okeechobee, I still believe the ‘outgoing’ tides will provide anglers with the most success. The excessive amount of water is giving the fish extra protection and more hiding places deep into the mangroves and into some shoreline structures not normally accessible by boat or wading. Other than water holding in deep pockets in ‘back country’ locations, the ‘outgoing’ tides force fish to move out and off of many structures to relocate on or just off of the flats until the tide turns. This strategy has proven effective on my most recent charters.Danielle's Pompano

Last week, I had the pleasure of fishing with Ms. Danielle O’Banion, ladies basketball coach at Kent State in Ohio (Go GOLDEN FLASHES!). Danielle was taking a last minute vacation prior getting back to school to help prepare her team for the upcoming season and chose southwest Florida as her destination. We departed around 7:30 A.M. in time to fish during the majority of the outgoing tide. Our first stop was in Pine Island Sound (‘Sound’), on the flats, beside a creek mouth in about 5 feet of water. We used live shrimp under a cork and caught numerous fish including; Seatrout, Mangrove Snapper, a Redfish and Pompano.

The second stop around Galt Island proved non-productive, as the outgoing tide had all but subsided. We decided to relocate to a spot on the east side of Sanibel where the bottom half of the outgoing tide was still moving the fish out of the mangroves toward the flats to hold in about 3 feet or more of water. Since Danielle is a seasoned angler, I decided to change angling strategies by giving her an opportunity to cast artificial lures and scented soft baits toward the mangroves. Danielle proved herself as the best lady angler I have had the pleasure to fish with (other than my 1st Mate Vicki; of course).

Danielle's RedfishThe 26” Redfish pictured here was caught on a Gulp Penny color shrimp on light tackle and is only one of many fish and species we caught that morning. We finished the charter chasing some resident Tarpon on slack tide in the back waters. We had a brief encounter with one, but were not able to get a good ‘hook-set’, which may have ‘topped off’ the charter with a ‘SUPER SLAM’ (SEATROUT, POMPANO, REDFISH, SNOOK AND TARPON), all within about 6 hours.

EVEN IN TANNIN WATERS, FISH MUST STILL EAT! THE ‘KEY’ TO A PRODUCTIVE CATCH IS TO BE WHERE THE FISH ARE MOVING AND HOLDING!

This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters wishing you the best. Charter inquires or additional fishing articles may be obtained at my website www.fishfacecharters.com. Feel free to email me at [email protected] with any questions or call me at 239-357-6829.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

Capt. Terry says “Offshore continues to offer good fishing opportunities for Groupers, Snappers, Permit and Porgy’s alike.”

(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Last week I had the opportunity to spend some time in the beautiful clear waters of the Keys (Islamorada, Fl). My 1st Mate and I spent time searching out destinations and locations to promote future fishing charters to that area with a few of our clients from our home base in Cape Coral. It was a real ‘treat’ to go back there again and spend some serious research time for fish habitats and utilizing different tackle, baits and techniques to target the Atlantic species, such as Dolphin, Wahoo, King Fish, Sail Fish, Bonefish and Permit.

Nonetheless, it is good to be back on the ‘Gulf Coast’, chasing a variety of species in the ‘back country’, even though the tannin waters of the Punta Rassa Bay and Pine Island Sound make it difficult to find the fish. While the ‘run-off’ water from Lake Okeechobee is definitely a hindrance to charter captains, fishermen and fisher-ladies alike, do not be too discouraged, as one suggestion is to go very early in the morning regardless of tide status. This should prove to be the best chance of catching fish, especially under ‘dismal’ circumstances. Moreover, pick a location south of Ft. Myers Beach or the northern end of Pine Island Sound (including Charlotte Harbor) for some relief of the dark waters that surround us.

A while back, I had the privilege to charter the Lobell family of Cape Coral and New Jersey, pictured here.

Lobell Family

I took them north into the Charlotte Harbor area as suggested above. Alexia Cedrone (10 yrs old), of Cape Coral is shown here with a nice Redfish.

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Alexia caught Snook, Snapper and Seatrout as well. GREAT GOING ALEXIA! Three of the family members are fly fishermen and good one’s at that. Working with Eric Lobell was a pleasure, as I do not get many clients that are able to handle fly equipment in a ‘salt-water’ venue. I am looking forward to getting them out again soon.

Offshore continues to offer good fishing opportunities for Groupers, Snappers, Permit and Porgy’s alike. Sharks are plentiful and the surface action on a calm day is enough to get anyone excited. Have lures and jigs ready to cast and you may be pleasantly surprised. The best part about fishing offshore; is one never knows what they might catch!

Feel free to contact me at 239-357-6829 or email me at [email protected] with any questions on a particular species, where to find them, how to catch them or charter information. Check out my website www.fishfacecharters.com for all information relating to charters and fishing in general.

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports

“Grouper and Red Grouper are plentiful in about 70ft of water,” says Capt. Terry

(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Inshore: the fishing has been fairly good given the tannin water that we have had, due to the rain and releases from Lake Okeechobee. I have had most success fishing the northern end of Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass where the water is less affected. Pictured here are two of my favorite Junior Anglers, Lauren Mila (5yrs old) and Ashley Mila (7yrs old) of Miami Florida (daughters of Mike and Jennifer).

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Both of these little ‘mermaids’ caught their own fish, which was really impressive and gave me a lot of satisfaction just seeing the joy of accomplishments on their faces. I am looking forward to taking them again next season.

Most species was and should continue to be very active around this new moon phase. Last week, my 1st Mate Vicki and I had the pleasure of fishing with Dr. Len Feaster and his wife Caroline, of St. Petersburg, Florida (pictured here).

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Caroline is also pictured with one of her many catches of the day. They both were looking forward to enjoying the wonderful fillets that large Seatrout are famous for. Fishing should improve with other species throughout the back bays as the water clarity improves.

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Offshore: The fishing has been good, as evidenced by this Red Grouper caught and pictured here with my 1st Mate Vicki.

Vicki's Grouper

 

Gag Grouper and Red Grouper alike are plentiful in about 70 ft of water on structure using Pinfish, squid and other natural baits. The gulf waters from the outer islands of Sanibel and Capitva are alive with Yellowtail Snapper, Porgys, other bottom feeders, Blackfin Tuna, and Mackerel.

If you have questions about fishing in general or charter information, please feel free to contact me via phone at 239-357-6829 or email me at [email protected]. Additional fishing articles and other information is on my website www.fishfacecharters.com. Until next week, GOOD FISHING!

Posted by Scott Q Boating Pro Tips Fishing Reports