Full Moon Rising! It appears that the next number of days will provide great fishing accompanied by good weather and good tides. Last week the tropical storm prevented fishing, but as of last Saturday (September 3rd) everything seemed to be returning to normal, including the fish bite. Captain Davey Dunlap and I fished the Redfish Flats Invitational (Ronald McDonald Sponsorship) out of Cape Harbour in Cape Coral. We finished in the money with two Redfish weighing in at approximately 10lbs. 9 oz.
Early morning fishing (inshore and offshore) should be good over the next 10 days or so. We have a ‘New-Moon’ phase bringing in high water levels for the inshore anglers together with strong water currents that should enhance opportunities for offshore anglers as well.
My positive report of July 4th – July 11th was predicated on high tide levels with strong currents due to a new moon phase. Unfortunately, the tide predictions were wrong and we experienced lower water levels, weaker currents and less fish activity. Nonetheless, Pilchards are arriving in bigger numbers and that is a good sign for those wanting live bait. They are small (hatchlings), but are growing and should provide good sizes by the end of the month, just in time for the full moon tides. I recommend a ¼ mess net.
Father’s Day weekend proved to be fantastic fishing. The moon was full and the tides were high providing good opportunity all week long. I had better results in areas north of the Sanibel power lines. The release of water from Lake O continues to muddy the water up around the mouth of the river and continues to have a negative impact on the fishing. Water north of the power lines is much cleaner and continues to produce Sea Trout, Redfish, Tarpon, Snook and other species. It seems that the further one goes north up the Inter-Coastal, the better the fishing is.
Opportunity for some good fishing should be in order for the weekend and the days following. The weather reports are favorable and tides will be high and with strong current even though we are approaching a mid-moon cycle.
Fishing has been good whether one is ‘fishing the flats’, ‘working the canals’ or ‘fishing the back areas’ around creek mouths, oyster bars and mangroves.
This week’s forecast promises some nice weather for all boaters, fishermen and fisher-ladies alike. With the new moon phase, the tides are ‘in-line’ for good fishing in the mornings, afternoons or evenings. So far, the cold fronts have not put the fish down and all species are very active. Over the last week or so, the catch has been good for Snook, Redfish, Seatrout and Spanish Mackerel on the flats and back areas of Pine Island Sound. They key to catching them of course is four-fold:
Right type of bait;
Right type of presentation;
Locate the fish;
Fish the tides (water movement in or out);
Time on the water will go a long way to accomplish this, but the best way, is to hire a fishing guide (yours truly) that will explain tide movements in detail, offer fishing locations and techniques for each species.
Pictured here is Chris Satterfield of Lee Summit, Missouri holding a nice Redfish he caught on a shrimp. His son Aidan is pictured with two nice Snook he caught free-lining a Pilchard.
Aidan is an avid fisherman and is the most committed junior angler I have ever had on-board. His enthusiasm and commitment to the sport of fishing remind me of past industry leaders such as, Bill Dance and Roland Martin. The knowledge, skill and expertise he displayed on and off the boat was second to none.
His fishing club, Bent Rod Sport Fishing (Instagram address: bentrodsportfishing) is followed by a number companies and outfitters. He enjoys making lures and tying flies for fresh water bass and trout. His love for both freshwater and saltwater fishing propels him to study species and techniques via You Tube and through publications offering insights that will make him even better. Congratulations Aidan on your recent 14th birthday (December 11). Looking forward to our next adventure together!
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters, LLC wishing everyone safe boating and tight lines! Email me at fishfacecharters@yahoo.com or call me direct at 239-357-6829 to Charter or for a ‘Captain for Hire’ on your vessel to educate, demonstrate to catch your ‘fish of a lifetime’!
The last couple of weeks produced lots of good fishing. The numbers of Redfish caught per charter was scarce, but nice size fish were boated. Pictured here is one of the bigger Redfish landed during November. It measured 33” and was caught by Rich Obser of New York. His wife Teri joined the party and is holding one of her catches. Both Redfish were caught on live shrimp. Rich and Teri had to go home to work the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade. Happy Thanksgiving to you both!
This week’s cold front did not suppress the bite too badly. The winds have been the biggest obstacle to overcome. Seatrout bite has been good on the grass flats using shrimp under a cork to suspend the bait. Spanish Mackerel, Ladyfish and Jack Crevalle joined in on most every charter. Pictured with a nice Seatrout is Lili Bunch from Leawood, Kansas. She is also holding a nice Redfish she caught around the docks at North Captiva Pass. Lili is a fly-fisher lady as well. I was impressed with her ability at 12 years young and looking forward to taking her out again during the Christmas Holiday. Nice job Lili!
Snook bite was also good. I am pictured here with a big Snook caught while free-lining a Pilchard. They have been the most productive presentation for Snook. Lots of these bait fish around the bridges of Punta Rassa for cast netting. Chumming the flats will also produce live bait, including Pinfish.
Based on the current warm weather forecasts for the coming week, I am looking forward to a continuing bite.
This Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters, LLC hoping everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. Charter information may be obtained by calling me direct at 239-357-6829 or by emailing fishfacecharters@yahoo.com. Check out my website at www.fishfacecharters.com for more reports, tips and articles.
Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor – November 17, 2015
Prior to the cold front of last week, the fishing continued to be good for all inshore species. Offshore reports also were positive for Triple Tail, Grouper and other reef species.
Inshore catches for Redfish were exceptional until the last few days and before the north and northeast winds blew out the water from the shallows around oyster beds and the mangroves. Pictured here is a group of 5 holding their bounty of Redfish during an early morning charter. They are Mr. Ben Davis, of Cape Coral, Steve Smith and Chris Hall of Ft. Myers and Glenn and Colleen Gabrys of Crown Pointe, Indiana.
The flats produced lots of action and fun for the Paul Kelly family from Glenview, Illinois. His children Patrick (9), Peyton (8) and Brooke (5) are pictured here with their Seatrouts. Partrick and Peyton caught lots of fish that day and had lots of fun. They caught a variety of species and the family was pleasure to spend time with. I am looking forward to doing it again next year.
I expect fishing to be good over the weekend and into early next week with a full moon phase and so long as an aggressive cold front does not approach.
In closing, be sure and attend the Ft. Myers Boat Show. I am looking forward to giving seminars on the species that I catch on a regular basis. My seminars are designed to assist those who want to learn the basics of catching inshore species, such as Seatrout, Redfish, Snook, Sheepshead, Spanish Mackerel, Flounder, Pompano and Mangrove Snapper to name a few. My 1st Mate Vicki and I have a booth inside the convention hall. Stop by and say hi!
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters,LLC. Charter information may be obtained by calling direct at 239-357-6829 or by emailing us at fishfacecharters@yahoo.com. Check out our website at www.fishfacecharters.com for more tips and charter information.
Redfish are still going strong, and the Reds are moving onto the west side of the Harbor. Shrimp, and Pinfish are the baits of choice right now. I believe the reason the Reds are getting thicker on the west side, is due to the lower fresh water volume coming into the Harbor from the rivers. The Peace River is down to 4.5 feet from 7.5 feet last week at this time, so you can finally start seeing the bottom again.
The bad news is that with red tide in and around the gulf beaches, the fresh water coming down the river is our security blanket, and red tide cannot live in fresh water and the Harbor still being very fresh keeps the red tide in the gulf. This means that the salt levels are coming up in the Harbor, which makes the fishing better but could also lead to red tide being able to come into the Harbor. Good news is that right now if red tide would come into the Harbor the out going tide which pulls the fresh water from the rivers would kill any red tide. All we can do is wait and see how long the red tide bloom will last or if we get lucky and get more rain.
But for now all good here in the Harbor and we hope the red tide will not get too bad along the beaches. There are some reports of dead fish in the ICW along the back side of Boca near Placida, but not real terrible at this point. So head to the west wall or the east side of the Harbor and have a great day catching Reds and Snook.
