I was on the water two days this week; Monday and Friday. With a descent but very uncharacteristic breeze on Monday, it actually wasn't bad out there. But, yesterday, with hardly any air moving, it was just miserable. Fortunately, the fishing was pretty good.
My Monday trip was with my long-time fishing buddy, Bob McGuire, of Line Lexington, Pennsylvania. We've been fishing together for nearly ten years, and have many great memories. Bob is good to go with whatever I recommend, and is equally happy fishing artificials or livebait, catching big snook and redfish, or slaying ladyfish and trout. He just loves the water and loves to fish.
In the interest of getting in optimal fishing time before the heat of the day dried up the bite, I suggested we go with lures. And, lures it was. As we idled our way out of Port Sanibel Marina I suggested to Bob that we also go somewhere I'd never taken him before. He was all for it. I had McIntyre Creek in mind. I hadn't been in there in many years. I had an Exude RT slug tied on one rig, and a Mirrolure Mirrodine cigar minnow imitation on another. We began fishing the outgoing tide at the mouth of the creek, working the edge of the drop to the deeper water.
Bob struck first blood with a descent trout. We caught a few other fish, but it basically dried up once we got into the creek. We fished our way on back in, and when we got to the edge of a long shoal, I had a feeling we'd find fish there. And, we did. For the rest of the time we were in the creek, we were on fish, and caught lots of trout and ladyfish, and one snapper. The surprise was that the Mirrodine won the day. Once we began getting hit on the Mirrodine cigar minnow, I tied on a very similar one that looks just like a shiner. They were both in the greenback color with holographic sides.
We had a lot of fun there, and once things slowed down, we decided to see if we could trick some snook with our lures. By now the water was coming in well, and I headed to an area I hadn't been to in some time. I knew there would be snook present, I just didn't know if we could get them to eat lures, especially this late into the morning.
But, by golly Captain Cholly, Bob caught two snook on that same plug, and by then he had been extolling the virtues of that plug for some time. It was now just after eleven o'clock, and knowing that the fishing was pretty much done until later in the evening, we were ready to hit the Waterfront Restaurant. Boy! There just isn't a better way to end the fishing day than with J.D. and his girls. He never ceases to amaze me with the consistent quality and his culinary inventiveness! I don't know if J.D. even realizes it, but lunch at the Waterfront after a day of fishing is the ice cream on the cake.
SUMMER FISHING!
Fast forward to Friday. This was my first trip with Scott Skipper, and his good friends Aloon and Greg, of Summerfield, Florida. I hope it is the first of many with these guys, because they were great. We did get off to a little bit of a bumpy start, though. I was at the Waterfront Restaurant dock to pick them up by 0600 hrs. They were to be there and ready to go at 0630. but, they weren't. Call it a personality flaw, but I get very aggravated when folks are late for fishing! The boys were fifteen minutes late, and by that time the mosquitoes and noses had been chewing my redneck butt up for thirty of those forty-five minutes. I was getting a bit cranky! In addition, we were going to be a bit late getting to the bait.
But, once we got out there working on the bait, talking and carrying on, I quickly forgot about their transgression, and knew I had some great guys in the boat. We anointed Greg as the Master Baiter, and his did a masterful job of chumming. There were five other boats on the flats when we arrived, and they were all still there when we took off for our first stop of the day. We were loaded to the gills with little gills, and I called my friend Tim Morey, who was out there chumming, to come in and take over our spot.
In this neck of the woods, outgoing tide fishing is pretty much pass and cut fishing, at least until the tide gets way down, and then you may have some pothole fishing, as well. I wanted to make my first stop on a shoreline in Captiva Pass, and when we arrived after a short delay to top off the oil tank, we were the only boat there. I really would like to have anchored because the current was so strong. But, I knew there would likely soon be other anglers wanting to fish the same shoreline. Pass etiquette dictates that you drift fish, and just keep making drifts. You never anchor in the pass!
But, don't you know that before we could make a second pass some clown came in there and anchored up right behind us. Although I didn't recognize him, he appeared to be a guide, and was in a yellow Pathfinder. We moved on.
At our next stop in Redfish Pass, we got on fish. We began on a mangrove shoreline and although the boys were getting lots of hits, they weren't connecting. We finally had to go in to get a line out, and were shocked to see the tree we were fishing full of snook, big jack crevalle, and maybe a redfish or two.
SUMMER FISHING!
SUMMER FISHING!
Eventually, we moved on down the shoreline and found fish that would eat. We had a pretty good snook bite, and Greg caught several jacks, as well. Scott got his best snook to date, which he said only weighted six pound on the Boga. It had plenty of length, though, but just didn't seem to be carrying much fat. After getting it to the boat, Scott commented that if that fish fought that hard, he couldn't imagine catching a 40 inch one. That bite shut down as predictably as the tide did. We were ready for a cool down ride, anyway.
At the next stop we found more action on snook, trout, and snapper. The snook were small, but willing to play. And, of course! Any snook is fun. Greg seemed to be having fun with the mangrove snapper, and put another keeper in the well. The bite stopped as the tide slowed, and once it began coming in the bite we expected didn't materialize. We moved on.
At the next stop we were looking for grouper and snook. We found both, along with jewfish and trout. The boys managed several jewfish and gag grouper, several trout, and one snook. The grouper were hitting both pinfish and shiners. Of course, there were several big hits that broke off.
At that point our day was about done. It was nearing the noon hour and brutally hot. Much of my bait had died in the well, but we still had plenty left. I suspect the hot water is a bit oxygen deficient. I suggested it was time to head in for lunch and cool-down. I cleaned the well of all the dead bait, but kept everything that was still lively. We still had plenty of bait in case we happened upon something along the way.
And, that's exactly what happened. As we neared Chino Island I saw birds working bait on top. As I got closer I could see the characteristic busts that come from ladyfish, jacks, and sometimes feeding schools of trout. I slipped around to the upwind side and shut down. I told the guys to grab a rod and let's have some fun.
We were in the fish from the first cast. The boys caught ladyfish, jacks, trout, and even several gafftop catfish, one after the other. They had a big time, especially with the outsized ladyfish that run and jump all over the place. We stayed with them until they sounded and didn't reappear. Scott, Aloon, and Greg were glad I hadn't thrown out all the bait.
We headed back to the Waterfront to conclude our day. The guys assured me they'd had a blast, but didn't realize yet that the Grande finale was still to come. When I ordered J.D.'s Caribbean grouper cake, everyone perked up, and followed suit. Once the food was in front of us, they just couldn't get over how good it was. Scott made the same comment that I made the first time I had it. It surpassed any crab or fish cake he'd ever had.
That was the week. I don't think I could have survived a third day in the sun. It took me until 7:30 Friday evening for my fingers and toes to quit cramping, even though I'd been guzzling Gator Aid all day long.
Scott and the boys were here for the Labor Day weekend, staying in Bokeelia. They pulled two boats down with them. I hope they can find some willing fish over the holiday.
Only one customer fishing picture this week, but it's a great one! It is from John and Vicky Wojdak, friends of mine who live here in Ft. Myers. John and Vicky were fishing up in Charlotte Harbor where they happened upon a school of over a hundred big school reds. John managed this and one other, and Vicky failed to hook up, much to her chagrin. Great fish, John!
