Dave Hanson

I headed offshore Thursday with Chuck and Sheila Peterson and teenage sons, C.J. and Andy. We fished with live shrimp in about 40 feet out of New Pass. We caught keeper mangrove snapper to 13 inches, lane snapper to 12 inches, Spanish mackerel to 20 inches, along with triggerfish, porkfish and porgies. We released red grouper shorts. The Petersons will be back in March, and hoping for some king mackerel action then.

Saturday, Dan Wampler, his son Barry, and his eight year old grandson, Matt fished with me. We headed out to about 40 feet, to a spot that had been good for yellowtail last week. Using live shrimp, we caught sixteen keeper snapper—thirteen mangroves to 15 inches, two yellowtail 15 and 16 inches, and one 12 inch lane. We released a 40 inch shark, which was quite a treat for Matt to help catch, and triggerfish.

The photo shown is of angler Mike Twiss, with a 4 foot bull shark, released on a recent offshore trip.

Fish Species: mangrove, lane, yellowtail snapper; shark, Spanish mackerel
Bait Used: live shrimp
Tackle Used: light spinning
Method Used: bottom fishing
Water Depth: 30-40 feet
Water Temperature: 82
Wind Direction: S, SW
Wind Speed: 10 knots
4 ft. bullshark released in 40 ft. off Bonita beach
4 ft. bullshark released in 40 ft. off Bonita beach


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Dave Hanson

About The Author: Captain Dave Hanson

Company: Fish Buster Charters

Area Reporting: Bonita Beach

Bio: Captain Dave Hanson is a native of southwest Florida. He has been fishing local waters since childhood, and has been fishing professionally for over fifteen years. He is Coast Guard licensed, and is a member in good standing of the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce. He has been featured in several national fishing magazines, and he also appears weekly in the fishing reports sections of the Bonita, Ft. Myers, Ft. Myers Beach, and Naples, FL newspapers.

239-947-1688
Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Dave Hanson