I had only one trip for the week, and it was a tough but fun one. It fell on the Tuesday after a three day holiday weekend. Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest of the year on the water. It often takes our shallow water fish a couple of days to settle down and let you get close enough to catch one.
We also had a low pressure system finally clear out, and bring us northeast breezes. Basically, the passage of a front. And, we had an outgoing tide all day, and it was a strong one.
My friend Steve Weasel, of Cape Coral, had booked this trip for himself and a visiting friend, Steven. But, the day before Steve did something that injured his back, and could hardly move. So, his friend Troy, who admitted to not being a fisherman, but enjoying the water, took his seat.
We left Port Sanibel Marina at 6:30, and headed for Picnic Island for bait. We arrived just at first light, and I could see only one other boat in the distance. With Steven chumming, we quickly struck pay dirt, and in four throws of the net we had a ton of bait for a day of fishing.
My plan was to fish the outgoing tide in the passes in search of snook. We headed to Redfish Pass first, and I tried to set up on the first spot I wanted to fish. I had been very successful there on the last trip. But, the tide was running so hard my trolling motor actually couldn't keep up. Even more surprising, and frustrating, was that when I tried to anchor, the current quickly pulled my anchor up to the surface and put it on plane way behind the boat. Never seen that before! Even drifting, the tide was running so hard that our baits had about 2 seconds, if that, in the strike zone. Add to that the boys weren't used to casting a bait like a freelined shiner, and weren't getting it to the strike zone most of the time, and we had a recipe for failure in the pass. We moved on.
I decided to do some flats fishing while there was still some water covering things up. I knew that wouldn't last long. We settled on a small key that would allow us to fish the holes there with a northeast breeze. There were fish there. Troy and Steven both caught a snook, and we had a number of baits scaled, but not eaten. We also caught one redfish, and had a couple of other reds skin up baits without eating them. A couple moved the bait, but dropped it before coming tight.
SUMMER FISHING!
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SUMMER FISHING!
florida fishing reports
I moved to a spot that always has plenty of snook, all through the year. The question is always, "Will they bite?" Well, we had a couple of hits that were missed, and that was it for snook. But, the spot was full of small mangrove snapper that were chewing up our baits. We did put one nice one in the well. We moved on.
I decided to try for more redfish at another key that has nice holes around it. But, the fish weren't interested. That's the problem with fishing the flats on a falling tide. You're trying to catch fish that are full. They're also leaving the flats with the tide. We moved on.
It was getting late in the morning at this point, and I knew our window of opportunity was closing. I decided to let the boys try their hands at grouper and jewfish. Although we didn't have a big bite, we did have a bite, and the grouper proved too quick and powerful for Troy and Steven. They broke off at least six of them.
Having had enough of the heat, we headed toward the Waterfront Restaurant for relief. Along the way, I kept a keen eye on the water looking for any sign of ladyfish, jack, or trout action. I had seen birds working all over the place all morning long, but had not seen the first fish bust the surface. Most of the birds were looking, and doing very little diving. I saw nothing that made me want to stop.
It had been a very tough morning of catching. The boys did have fish to take home, though. I recommended they put the redfish on the grill whole. They agreed, and I gutted it, leaving the head on. They emailed me later than night to tell me the fish was as promised, awesome!
SUMMER FISHING!
florida fishing reports
There were a number of my friends around the country to sent in fishing reports and pictures this week. They are great!
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Snook season opened Fri. nite at midnite. New rules , the fish has to be 28-33 inches now, which makes the slot limit tougher to match. They also closed 6 more weeks of season during the year. Got this one last nite at 12:15 am. 28 inches EXACTLY. (he's in the fridge) Hit a pinfish drifting in the current at Snug Harbor at Fort Myers Beach, Florida . >)))))))"> Terry Wyrock, Ft. Myers, FL
FROM MY FRIENDS!
florida fishing reports
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Hey Butch - You probably don't remember me or my dad or my son, but we have been fishing a couple of times with you a few years back & had the greatest time!! We still enjoy your weekly reports, & are sad to hear that the guiding (& fishing) has gone a bit cold. You always write a positive report, and you do a damn fine job keeping us informed about the action.
Unfortunately, Mom has deteriorated with her Parkinson's, & Dad is primary care-giver ( @ 82 yrs young) but doing a great job - they (& therefore we) don't get to come South like we used to, 'tho we still have the place in Naples.
Anyway, KEEP IT UP!!!! We love your weekly reports. Good luck, & God bless you & all Veterans!! We Support our troops here in Canada, too, & would be happy you send you a few Yellow Ribbons that we manufacture to help show the support. Just send me your address & I'll send them next week. Kind Personal Regards - Peter, Sean & Bernie (Granddad) Burnand - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
FROM MY FRIENDS!
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Looks like you put your clients on a good snook bite! Good job. I went fishing Sunday and Monday but pretty much got skunked with the snook.
Sunday I went to blind pass on Captiva, only to find 4 doz. ppl already there at 630 am. Needless to say, I didn't do so good. large bait was also scarce, although there were millions of smaller baits around. I ended up with 2 short snapper.
Monday I got an early start and fished point ybel on Sanibel, near the lighthouse. Once again, bait was scarce with millions of smaller baits and only a few larger ones. A huge school of very large jacks kept moving through and blasting the smaller baits, but weren't interested in any of our offerings. I ended up using artificials and caught.........a catfish on it :( That was it for the day. It got too crowded real fast also.
I did find a great spot in Lehigh with a nice bunch of snook. this is the 2nd spot I have found in lehigh with decent amounts of totally fresh water snook. and they are multiplying also somehow, because I have seen quite a bit of juvenile snook in these 2 spots.
Monday in the evening, I fished this new honeyhole and caught 1 good size snook, only to have him dig in the weeds and snap my 10 lb. line like it was nothing. I was using live bluegills as bait. When my local baitshop gets there delivery of freshwater shiners on Thursday, I'm grabbing 2 doz. and headed to the holes lol. I'll get my snook.
Proof that there are large snook in lehigh canals is in the pic. This fish was 33 3/4 inches with tail pinched (this was caught early this year, when size limit was still 27-34 inches). this fish was very hard to catch. I caught him once on my 10 lb. combo, only to have him break me off. So I loosened the drag just slightly, rehooked, put a new shiner on, and he hit it again. this time he ran straight down the canal and spooled my reel (about 120 yds). A little disgruntled, I went back to the car and got my 20 lb. combo out, and hooked the largest shiner I had on it. I chucked it out as far as I could, and low and behold, that big snook came up and grabbed it immediately!! fight on!! This time. with the heavier line, I was able to land him!
I have a lot of pics of snook I have caught in lehigh just in the last 7 months. most were released unharmed, although I did keep some for dinner.
Mike Derengowski
Lehigh Acres, FL
FROM MY FRIENDS!
Hey Butch! Sounds like your doing well and surviving the heat. I sent the picture you took of Paige and her redfish she caught earlier this summer to the Orlando Sentinel and communicated with the outdoor writer (name escapes me now) who said he'd print it. He never did.
Attached is a red I caught in the Indian River last summer with a guide known well and used frequently by a friend of mine. Fish was 47" long but skinny and if I recall correctly only weighed 26 lbs. It was one of 8 we caught that day, all horses.
Paige and I hope to fish with you soon.
Eric Waldron
Winter Park, FL
FROM MY FRIENDS!
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Butchie
I caught this gal on a chunk of squid under a Sargasso mat about 9 miles out of Galveston recently. She sure did fade out in the cooler, but it certainly didn't affect the flavor!
Leonard Pattillo
Houston, TX
FROM MY FRIENDS!
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Be sure to check out www.BestFishingBooks.com, Books and gifts for fishermen from my friend Jim Dicken!