Southwest Florida Forecast
March 21, 2025
By Capt. Greg Stamper
Capt. Greg Stamper of Snook Stamp Charters talks fishing from Sarasota to Bonita Beach, including Siesta Key, Englewood, Boca Grande, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Pine Island, Cape Coral, Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers. Contact Info : Capt. Greg Stamper; Snook Stamp Charters, Bonita Springs; 239-313-1764; www.snookstampcharters.com March 21-23 Report Well, we keep getting cold fronts and that’s not great for fishing. In between the fronts fishing starts to get good, then it gets cold, the water gets dirty, and we start all over. Most of the fishing that was good occurred on the prefrontal side of the front lines. The day or two afterwards things got tough.
The nearshore fishing was surprisingly better than the week previous. With a few days of lower winds, anglers fished near the wrecks and reefs. These areas still hold sheepshead, snappers and some black drum. The best surprise though was the showings of cobia. Cobia have been found sporadically when fishing in these areas with baits meant for snook. Most of the snook average from 27-35 inches and should stay there for many months moving forward.
The back bay fishing gets the toughest for a few days post front. It takes a few days for the water temperatures to start rising back up in temperature, and for the water clarity to return. Fishing prefrontal was good early in the week with redfish, trout, and snook caught. The post-frontal days were tough.
The offshore guys had two days to give it a go. Those days went well for them with lots of fish caught. Red groupers were found in about 85 feet and caught using squid and sardines. Those that got out past 120 feet had very good action with African pompano, yellowtail snappers, mutton snappers, and vermilions. A few reports of sailfish came from boats that fished in the 150-foot-plus range.
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Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
PREVIOUS REPORTS March 14-16 Fishing Report The cold fronts got to us two times this past week. Water got mucked up inshore and the water temperature dropped again. Fortunately, water temperatures during the morning hours are back up to 69 degrees now, so the bite is getting better. Most of the week we also had some good winds that kept many nearshore and offshore boats at the dock. This pattern looks like it will break starting Friday, so we will get a better offshore report next week.
The back bay fishing was not easy, but we got it done. A few days winds kicked up to 40 mph, making for sporty conditions even in the shallow water. We hid anywhere we could to get reprieve from the winds and found a few fish. Most of the bites were from snappers, sheepshead and whiting, but we did get a few surprises. Several areas, even with the dirty water, produced some redfish and snook. The redfish ranged from 17-25 inches and snook got up to 28 inches.
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Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper Considering the conditions, that’s a good day. Trout fishing picked up later in the week, as the water started to clean up a bit. Visibility as of Thursday in some areas was a few feet, and in others a few inches. All week if I could see the bottom of my live well, then we fished. Tight lines.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
March 7-9 Fishing Report We had a good week, all the way up to Thursday. Thursday the cold front reached us, turning the shallow waters into mud. Prefrontal everything was in play inshore and offshore. In many areas the water was starting to clean up nicely, as the water temperatures warmed up into the low 70s. Clean water will certainly come again, until then we wait. After our second cold front blows through this weekend, it will take a few days for things to clean up. Hopefully soon we will stop getting these weather systems from the North, so the great fishing can begin.
The inshore fishing was good early in the week. The red tide that loomed around for a few weeks’ past is gone. The water began to clear up and, in some areas, visibility was over six feet. There have also been some small baitfish returning to the beaches of Fort Myers. Redfish, snook, trout, pompano and sheepshead were the main targets. After the cold front on Thursday the bite was tough for everything except sheepshead, snappers, and whiting. The snook is starting to move out of the rivers, creeks and canal systems. We caught several snook randomly this week when we were fishing for other species. Moving forward as we warm up just a bit more and our water temperatures stabilize over 72 degrees constantly, snook fishing will get good.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper The nearshore fishing for sheepshead was great this week. Lots of sheepshead up to 7 pounds have been caught using jigs and shrimp on our local rock piles. Most of the rock piles are in 25-40 feet of water and are public numbers. Other species can be found in these same areas such as mangrove snappers, hogfish, porgies, and occasionally big black drum. The big school of bull redfish that had been cruising around in the gulf seemed to disappear this week. They are still around, but until someone runs into them again, they are safe.
Offshore fishing was only doable for two days this week. The fishing continues to be good especially for those that get out past 120 feet. African pompano, mutton snappers, AJs and grouper fishing have all been easy pickings when out that deep. Those that fished in 75-90-feet of water found mainly red grouper and smaller snappers to fish for. The water out deep is still cooler than the water inshore, so expect the offshore bite to get good when it warms up a few more degrees.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Feb. 28-March 2 Report Fishing has started to get better after dealing with a combination of red tide, cold fronts and wind. Water temperatures stabilized in the low 70-degree range, making fish happy again. Those who fished in the shallow waters found an array of species to target. The nearshore bite picked up for those who got out when the wind laid down. Offshore fishing was great for many all week, minus a few days when it was just too rough to give it a go.
The offshore bite continued to be great. Those who chose to fish in the 50- to-75-foot range had plenty of action. Mangrove snappers, hogfish, sheepshead, and grunts took up most of their time. Shrimp on jigs worked for most fishermen as well as using cut baits like squid and herring. The best bite for many was in the 70- to-100-foot range, some 40 miles offshore. There anglers were limited out quickly on red groupers as well as the same snapper selection those 10-15 miles closer in were catching. A few boats did get out past 50 miles into 120 feet plus. Those who did found African pompano, gag grouper, mutton snappers, as well vermillion snappers when fishing the bottom.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper The nearshore fishing produced some big redfish found in schools around 40 feet of water. These bull red schools do move around so some days they are in the same general area as the day before, other days you have to find them again. Snook, sheepshead, and black drum up to 25-pounds were caught in areas that had structure. A few tripletails were caught while moving around from place to place as they sunbathed on the surface around the crab buoys.
The inshore bite finally started back up. Redfish could be caught again ranging from 18-27 inches. Most of the redfish and snook were caught along mangrove shorelines on the higher tides. Trout fishing is still hit or miss in some areas. Those that fished in the Pine Island sound areas did the best. With the water still cool for another month or so we continue to find nice sheepshead and snappers around our dock pilings and bridges. Small pieces of shrimp, crabs, or tubeworms worked best for the sheepshead all week. Hopefully the bait will come back sooner than later, as the red tide unfortunately took a toll on that.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Feb. 21-23 Report Depending on where one went this week, fish were caught. Some of the effects of red tide could be felt in areas, other parts stayed clean. There were some winds that made the gulf rough for a few days. These winds helped to break up the algae blooms and thus helped fisherman. Although we must deal with this from time to time, hopefully this one does not stick around to much longer. Typically, we begin to see a push of fish moving into the area from the South, and we certainly do not want that messed up. Offshore fishing was still excellent when the winds died down. Nearshore fishing was the biggest crap shoot depending on whether or not red tide was present. Our back bay fishing was good in some areas and bad in others.
The offshore fishing produced a lot of fish this week. Red grouper continues to be the main target for many, and limits can be reached starting in about 75-feet of water. Squid seemed to be the number one bait for most anglers. Those that used live bait had to catch it and put them into their live wells with a bubbler or recirculation pump. Once they knew they had gotten past any red tide they could open their sea cocks and pump in gulf water. African pompano can be found regularly of the ledges staring in 120 feet. Using 4-6-ounce jigs worked in the middle half of the water collum tipped with a squid worked well. Those fishing on the bottom found an assortment of vermillion, mangrove, and mutton snappers.
Photo courtesy of Greg Stamper Nearshore fishing was a bit of a gamble. When anglers found clean water around the reefs and wrecks snook, sheepshead, cobia, and even a few permit were caught. In other areas you could barely breathe from the toxic bloom. Having red tide around also affects the bait fish. Typically, this time of the year we find massive schools of threadfin herring close to shore. The threadfin herrings are still out there, but we do not run into the big schools of them till we get out past 60-foot or so.
The back bay bite was off this week. Some days on the lower tides we found sheepshead, whiting, snappers, and some black drum using shrimp tipper jigs. As the water rose we only caught fish in areas that had clean water. A general rule of thumb all week was if you did not have at least 2 feet of visibility, then keep moving. Redfish were found in these cleaner areas, as well as snook. The snook fishing should get better as we move into March, as long as the bait fish return. The open flats where I am are very void of pinfish and pilchards currently.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Feb. 14-16 Report The red tide continues to hang off our beaches out to some 20 miles. We have been finding fish in the back bays, but it is not easy. Those fishing nearshore found some pockets where red tide did not seem as bad, but even that was slight. The best chance to find fish this week was for those that fished out far. Unfortunately, the winds started blowing again midweek, making offshore runs tough.
The best fishing for the back bay guys was in the creeks and rivers. At some point the tide can only get so far up these areas, so the fish that have moved them up or started there are safe. Most of the dead fish I have seen have been dead for a while. These fish have been brought in on higher tides. When you are around red tide often your throat will itch or you will cough. I personally did not get this effect in the areas I fished. The scent of all the dead fish seems to bring in a lot of shovel nose sharks and small bull sharks into the bays. These sharks are swimming just fine and are feasting on the fish affected by the red tide. There was an absence of trout in the area all week. Trout is very sensitive to poor water quality and is always the first one to disappear. We caught a lot of snappers, whiting, and catfish all week. On a few days we found some snook and redfish, but again it was tough.
Capt. Greg Stamper photo The nearshore guys are struggling to find clean water. Those who did try did better in the southern part of the region. Some snook, snappers, and sheepsheads were caught in these areas. Most of the baitfish that we had nearshore and along our beaches have disappeared. Most of these baitfish have either died or got lucky enough to get out of Dodge. Hopefully with some East winds and stronger tides in the future this will move further offshore, but for now it is here.
The offshore guys caught lots of red groupers starting in about 110 feet of water. After they caught their limits of red grouper, it was all about snapper fishing. Mangrove snappers ranged from about 1-3-pounds and were caught on shrimp, cut sardines, and pieces of squid. Yellowtail, vermilions, as well as African pompano were also in the bycatch.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Feb. 7-9 Report The water is warming up as our weather continues to be great. Winds have been low almost every day, making the offshore guys happy. Calm conditions continue to help with water clarity being better as I can see the bottom in most of the areas I am fishing now. The red tide blooms offshore start from about 9 miles out till almost 30 miles. Those that plan on fishing in those areas should probably make up a new plan. Overall, the back bay fishing has improved greatly, and the offshore guys are doing very well.
Offshore fishing seemed to be great all week long. Once anglers got out past the 100-foot mark there was clean water. Most of the fishing was of the bottom variety. Dropping frozen baits down to the bottom produced red grouper quickly. After limits of red groupers were obtained, the attention turned to snappers. Frozen shrimp, sardines and threadfin herring chunks all caught fish. One of the bad parts of having red tide is keeping live bait alive. Bait one may have in their live wells as they run through the blooms will die. Some boats close their seacocks when they run through these areas and reopen them once they think it is clear. This works sometimes, other times you end up with freshly dead bait.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper The back bay water temperatures finally got back over 68 degrees. This helped to bite significantly. Lots of sheepshead and black drum were caught around the docks and oyster bars using small presentations of shrimp, fiddler crabs, and tube worms. The redfish bite in the deeper pockets seemed to be the best bet. Most of the redfish ranged from 18-24-inches. Lots of small snook have been caught in the creeks and rivers all week in artificial lures skip casting under docks and mangrove shorelines.
The nearshore fishing will be tough going until the red tide moves out. Probably best to cancel those plans until further notice. Stay way offshore or fish in the back bays and rivers for the best chance of catching some until things change.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Report Another week finally gave anglers warmer weather and lower winds. This combination slowly warmed the water temperature up, making fishing a bit better. The water temperature moved from the high 50s in the morning hours up to the low 60s at 8am. As we fished throughout the day, we eventually found water temperatures moving into the high-60 range. Although this is not an ideal condition, it is closer to what we expect this time of the year. The lower winds also gave fisherman a chance to go back into the gulf and see how things are.
The backbay fishing was tough on the coldest of mornings. We were able to find some action near our passes catching whiting, small trout and a few jacks during these times. As the water warmed up, the fish became a little bit more active. Trout and sheepshead were the primary targets for many, as they can handle colder water better. Using live shrimp and pieces of shrimp on jigs with very little movement worked. Most of the fish during the cold hours of the day were all small, with some size increase as the day went on. The warmer part of the week from Wednesday on did produce some redfish, black drum and even a few snook. Most of the fish took bait that were not moving, just like in the morning hours.
Photo by Greg Stamper The nearshore bite was also tough. The reports of red tide came in from many anglers that got out past 9 miles. Depending on what future wind conditions become, this may become a problem for even those within sight of land. There has been a nice school of bull reds out around the nine-mile mark, so hopefully those fish will not be affected. The schools of bull reds range 35-50 inches and once found and will eat anything that is thrown in their direction. Other than the big redfish, there were a few tripletails caught on the crab buoys.
The offshore guys finally got to stretch their legs, as the wind was low several days. Most of them were able to find mangrove snappers, lane snappers, and red grouper starting around 100 feet of water. A few boats got out to the 140-plus range and found some blackfin tunas, sailfish, and kingfish.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Jan. 24-26 Report It has been very cold throughout the area. Temperatures have been in the low 40s during the coldest of times. Water temperature dropping into the 50s is dangerous for many of our tropical fish to deal with. Should water temperatures drop much more we can expect a fish kill of sorts. Snook and tarpon are the main species that most people think of when this happens. However, the effect it can have on small baitfish, small forage, worms, etc. is also in play. Hopefully things work themselves out and all this worrying is for nothing, but we are certainly close to a critical water temperature number.
With that said, there was not much good fishing this week. A few trips were run for clients that just wanted to give it a go, but it was tough. Sheepshead took up most of the inshore time along the docks and deep troughs along mangrove shorelines. Using small pieces of shrimp on small hooks is the standard. Most of the sheepsheads ranged from 10 to 17 inches with a few bigger ones. Mangrove snappers and a few black drums were also caught while sheepshead fishing. Trout were still on the open flats, but none of them were over 16 inches. Reports of some small redfish caught came from those that fished in the creeks and river mouths.
There were no reports of offshore or nearshore this week. Until we get into next week we will not have low winds and warmer temperatures to make going out far worth it.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
PREVIOUS REPORTS Jan. 17-19 Report Our winter fishery seems to be about the same as last year. So far fish have arrived on time and are in the places they should be now. A few days this week we did have some colder than normal weather to deal with, but we still caught fish. When it is cold, I wonder who complains more—the fisherman who hates the cold weather or the fish in the cold water. When it is cold we go after species of fish that are temperamental to cold water. By doing this you can see what their attitudes are like and make the decision to go after harder ones next. Somedays it is best to stay with what you have biting, rather than to search for a new bite.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper The trout fishing was a go to this week. Trout ranged from 12 to 18 inches throughout the southern part of the region. Reports of bigger trout along the west side of Pine Island were good. Sheepshead has been a big target with the water being cold. Sheepshead have been more than happy to take pieces of shrimp, fiddler crabs and oysters around the dock pilings with barnacles on them. Small hooks and a small split shot should get the job done for many. Black drums have been found often along our shorelines that are a bit deeper. Most of the black drums were small, up to 7 pounds. Redfish and snook are still around, but were not fired up this week, at least not for me.
The nearshore reefs and wrecks still hold some nice snook. A few snook were caught this week up to 34 inches by dropping threadfin herring around the structure. A simple 4/O circle hook with enough weight to keep the bait on the bottom will get the job done. Snappers, sheepshead, small groupers and a few bar jacks will be the bycatch when you use shrimp in these areas. Some reports of red tide starting about 8 miles out showed up this week. Hopefully that does not impact the nearshore and offshore bite to bad. Tight lines.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Jan. 10-12 Report Man, it was cold this week! We had temperatures in the 40s several mornings, making fishing early brutal. The water temperature has dropped some 17 degrees in a matter of a few days, and Florida fish DO NOT LIKE THAT! Fishing at midday seemed to be the best option for the best opportunity to catch fish. With the cold fronts comes wind, also adding to the struggles. We did not receive much rain which would have helped the cause a bit, only adding to the struggle.
The back bay fishing was all about targeting fish that do not mind cooler temperatures as much. These fish have recently moved into bays, as they came from the North. Black drum, sheepshead, pompano and trout are the main targets. The cooler water usually brings in some bigger trout onto the grass flats and along the passes. These fish can range from 12-20 inches and are OK with cold water. Using small twitch baits slowly worked well, as well as the good old popping cork and shrimp. Trout fishing will continue to be a staple for months to come. Black drums have been seen schooling up along channel sides and in our passes. Some of these black drums are up to 30 pounds and will eat crabs, shrimp and jigs that emulate them. Looking for muddy water in areas that have been relatively clear previously. The mud is caused by them rooting around on the bottom looking for food. Sheepshead have started to get bigger as they begin the spawn. Small jigs tipped with shrimp, sand fleas, barnacles, or crabs are the way to go. Sheepshead will also become one of the biggest targets to catch during these cold times.
The offshore guys had only one day to really get out far. Fishing was good on that day for many. Snappers, groupers, porgies and a few king fish have been caught. Most of the bigger fish started in about 120 feet of water, so that’s a good starting point when things calm down again.
The freshwater bite reports are good. The water levels that have been dropping for a few months now have forced all the fish into the drainage canals. With a lot of fish that used to be spread out over flooded lands now forced into a canal-like scenario, it is easy picking. Largemouth bass, Peacock bass, cichlids, Oscars, as well as an assortment of panfish are all easily targeted now. Tight lines.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Jan. 3-5 Report Fishing was good this week even though we had to deal with some thick fog. Some mornings the fog was so thick visibility in the mornings was less than 100 yards. Those that did go out before the fog lifted had to be very careful. Idling to fishing spots was the norm, as our tides were also very low during these times. The fish did not mind though, as water temperatures peaked in the low 70s keeping the bite going well. As of Thursday, we had some cold weather move in upon us. This next week or so we can expect back bay water temperatures to drop some 15 degrees, making things tough for many. Anglers will need to pay attention as to when water temperatures begin to warm up before fishing will be decent again.
Pre-front redfish, trout and snook fishing was good. There was finally a good showing of pompano in the bays this week, hopefully the beginning of more. Most of the fish caught this week were on the lower end of the slot but caught in good numbers. The higher the tide the easier the fishing became, especially as the water rose high enough to get under the mangrove shorelines. Most of the mornings the fog moved out by 10 am and then started to set back in early evening, giving anglers a good 6-hour window to see the sun.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper The near-shore reports were not that good this week. Most anglers that fished the local reefs and rock piles caught sheepshead, small mangrove snappers and grunts. A few snook were caught on the structure that have higher relief along with the occasional cobia. Surprisingly, I did not hear much about kingfish, tripletail, or bonito.
The re-opening of red grouper season was good. Those that fished 100 feet plus caught their limits. The red grouper varied in size with small ones caught around the 18-inch mark, all the way up to some 15-pounders. Mangrove snappers, small porgies, lanes, and jacks were their by-catch.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Dec. 27-29 Report The low winter tides have definitely been a factor this week for the backcountry fishermen. Combine extremely low morning tides with northern or eastern winds and there is practically no water in some areas. This phenomenon occurs mostly in the morning hours at this time of the year. Often even marked channels become difficult to navigate for big boats, keeping some of the offshore boats coming out of the rivers and neighborhoods at the dock. Many of the people who bought homes on canals along the interior of areas of Fort Myers beach, Cape Coral, and Bonita Springs find out that their boat lifts can only go so far down before bottoming out, thus they cannot get their boats off the lifts.
Fishing during these extreme lows is good for boats that can handle skinny water. With no water in some areas, fish are pushed to the edges of flats and channels in groups. Those that float in less than 10 inches of water can reap the benefits of this for many months to come. Often redfish, snook, and sheepsheads will be seen tailing or pushing water during these times, making sight fishing an opportunity for many. Anglers must be aware however, as oyster bars, sand banks, and rock piles are a mere inch or two below the water’s surface now. Those that are worried about hitting things with their boats during these periods of low tides should move around slow, or just stay in the channels until you learn the area better.
Most of the fishing nearshore will be targeting sheepshead, cobia, groupers, and snappers this time of the year. We have a good cobia fishery here as many of the local wrecks and reefs hold cobia regularly for months to come. The best practice is to go out and fish in these areas for the bottom fish like the sheepshead or snappers while dropping a larger bait near the structure for the cobia. Having a spare rod rigged up with a jig ready to throw at free swimming cobia that shows up is also a must. Most of the sheepshead this time of the year will be keepers, so if you do not catch a nice cobia, you will still have some good eating.
The offshore fishing revolves around the wind at this time of the year. In between cold fronts we usually have a few days when the winds lay down. This window is when most boats take the 40-60-mile trip offshore. Groupers, a variety of snappers, sailfish, as well as kingfish will be the typical targets to go after. Once we get into the new year, anglers will have more species reopen making the trips out that far more worthwhile.
Photo by Capt. Greg Stamper Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Dec. 20-22 Report Cold fronts come and cold fronts go, that’s the next 2 two months down here. Consistently during this time of the year, the bite starts getting good and then the water temperature drops 15 degrees, and we start all over. During the warmups fishing has been good both inshore and off. The reports of red tide offshore have not affected our back bays, at least in the southern part of the region. Fish were active up until the high pressure moved through Thursday these dropping temperatures significantly through the weekend.
Trout fishing continues to get better and better. Not only are we catching good numbers of fish, but the size is beginning to increase. You can expect limits to be met and possession of one fish over 19 inches should not be a problem for many months to come. Red fishing has been good, usually on the days with Southern winds in them on the higher tides. Cut baits worked best with shrimp and white bait coming in second. Snook fishing was getting good in the bay’s prefrontal, but this cold front will shut down until we see the water temperatures rising back up toward 70.
The nearshore reports from about everyone contained cobia. Cobia fishing is very good throughout the area at this time of the year. Anglers can expect to find cobia showing up when fishing the local wrecks so have a swim jig, a large live bait, or even a hand-picked shrimp ready to throw at one when your out there. Most of the cobia are being caught while targeting sheepshead and snappers on the nearshore structure. Reports of kingfish nearshore slowed down to almost nothing this week, as did the Spanish mackerel. Triple tail reports had a few nice fish in the 10-pound range caught, with a lot of 10- to 15-inchers seen.
Photo courtesy off Capt. Greg Stamper The offshore guys are having a tough go at it this month. With red snapper only being open on the weekends, less trips are run during the week. Unfortunately, the weekends as of late have been cold and windy, keeping boats from going out some 60 miles. Those that got out during the week mainly stayed inside of 40 miles, where they caught small mangrove snappers, grunts and lane snappers.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
PREVIOUS REPORTS Dec. 16 Report Well, I’m back up and running after dealing with water damage from our last two hurricanes of the year. We have had a few cold fronts that have dropped our water temperatures sometimes by 15 degrees overnight. It is that time of the year and as guides we have learned how to deal with it. During the first day or two post-front fishing the docks, deep channels and nearshore reefs were the best bet. Sheepshead, black drum, mackerel and redfish have been the main quarry. Those who fish offshore now must pay attention to the weather and look for those magic windows.
Most of the fishing inshore was best at midday. Starting to fish mid-morning verse sunup not only gives it some time to warm up a bit, but also for the tide to come up. Remember this time of the year we experience winter tides. Our winter tides can give us very low water, sometimes over a foot below a regular mean low tide. These low tides will typically occur during the morning hours for several months to come. In some instances, local boaters may not be able to get their boats off lifts or even through some of the marked channels. So, pay attention to this and work around them accordingly.
The offshore boats are dying to go out far and catch some red snappers this month. Red snapper season is open only on the weekends and weather is the deciding factor on that. A few boats did go out during the weekdays this week.
Talking with the captains, they caught a lot of snappers, some cobia, mackerel, kingfish, as well as African pompano. Many of them found a lot of red snappers out past 120 feet and say it will not be a problem to limit out quickly on the weekends.
Inshore fishing for redfish has been average overall. The shocking of the water by these cold fronts is messing things up a bit. Reports of redfish up to 28 inches came from the Pine Island area, with small fish south. Snook fishing was surprisingly decent around the river mouths, and estuary entrances on the incoming tides. Snook is being caught on shrimp, both freelined and corked in these areas. Those who found some whitebait and snook fished in these same areas caught more. Trout continues to be caught throughout the area on the grass flats. Most of the trout range from 12 to 18 inches with a few big ones here and there.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Oct. 3 Report Well, it took almost an entire week for the coastal waters to start cleaning up after Helene. The low-lying areas took another beating with 4 to 5 feet of storm surge. We all got displaced for a few days, but overall, we are ok. The fishing was also in disarray this week, but we eventually found a few fish here and there. Hopefully this will be the last scare for Southwest Florida till next year.
Toward mid-week, we started seeing bait fish back on the flats and along our beaches. Generally, catching bait is easy this time of the year, but it was not this week. If we keep the weather in check, we should be able to catch lots of bait soon. If you cannot find bait, you can always use artificials. Imitation shrimp, baitfish, or popping corks with something underneath them will all work well. Heck, sometimes these things work better, as anglers can cover more water with them and covering more ground, is a good thing. Other options when our ecosystem gets thrown out of whack, are using frozen bait like mullet or ladyfish. Cut baits work great in muddy water and will often catch redfish and snook.
No one went offshore this week, at least no one near me. Between rough waters and debris in the water, as well as many of the marinas still cleaning up the Helene mess, it just was not the right time yet. Trips are planed for this week, but that all depends on the weather. Hopefully I’ll have some better reports for you next week.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Sept. 20-22 Report The harvest moon gave Southwest Florida some higher-than-normal tides. These high tides flooded out the mangrove shorelines, allowing fish to get way back under them. The best part of these higher-than-normal tidal movements are the stronger incoming and outgoing tides that come with them. These “Hill Tides” create a lot of water movement and fish like that. Good reports came in all week both inshore and off, when it was not raining. Rain did make things tough a few times this week as thunderstorms occurred both in the mornings and afternoons several days.
The redfish bite continues to be outstanding. There are lots of redfish schooled up in the mornings. As the day moves on these redfish schools spread out along the mangrove shorelines in groups. The best reports came from those fishing from Sanibel to Boca Grande on the East side of the islands. Snook fishing continued to be good as well as trout. Another week of tarpon fishing went well, especially during the outgoing tides. The strong outgoing tides suck crabs, shrimp, and small baitfish through our passes giving tarpon lots of food to pick on.
The nearshore fishing continues to be good when it was not storming. The snook and this week redfish fishing were good on the reefs and wrecks. The snook are averaging about 32-inches and the redfish are of similar size. If you’re targeting these species using live threadfin herring is the way to go. Those that use shrimp or other baits in these areas will find snappers, sheepshead, and other bottom feeders.
Offshore continues to be good starting in 70 feet or deeper. Here anglers had good days catching lane snappers using shrimp of small offerings of squid. Those that fished deeper starting in about 100 feet of water caught some nice sized mangrove snappers and yellowtail. There was only one fisherman that I spoke with this week that ran out for a night trip, but that one guy crushed it with large snappers and groupers in 125 feet of water.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Sept. 13-15 Report We got lucky again as another hurricane passed far to our west. We did get some remnants in the form of swells and variable winds, but overall things went well. Fishing was tough for those that went offshore, as it was rough on several days. Our inshore and nearshore fishing was doable though, and fish were caught. The shifting winds caused our inshore waters to get dirty in some areas, but that’s already starting to clean up. On the days early in the week, things were normal.
The redfish bite continues to be good. During the early morning hours fish can been seen schooling up and pushing water on the open flats. As the day moves on and the afternoon sea breeze picks up, the redfish seem to group up on the points with shade. During the morning hours using topwater “walk the dog” lures is a blast. Once the wind picks up and you can no longer see the schools, cut bait, live shrimp or white bait is the way to go. Snook fishing was also good this week. Snook have been caught consistently on the beaches and in the back bays. Once the winds shift from the West, beach fishing turns off. The snook caught in the back bays are not as big, but in good numbers. Trout fishing slowed down a bit this week in the areas I fish. We did have a lot of fresh water run off due to the rains lowering the salinity of the water in smaller bays. Those who trout-fished in Pine Island Sound did better.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper The nearshore fishing was good, when the wind was not strong. Snook fishing around the rock piles and wrecks continues to be good. Most of the snook caught in these areas are big, and eating live threadfin herring. Look for the bait around the structure you are fishing for and there will be snook there. Snappers, sheepshead, grunts, and small groupers can also be caught in these same areas. There were no reports of cobia this week.
The offshore fishing was minimal most of the week. Those that did go out early in the week reported big swells from the passing hurricane. Most of the trips fished relatively close in 60-90 feet of water. There they mainly caught lane, mangrove, and yellowtail snappers. This week the weather looks normal, so plenty of boats will get out far this week. Tight lines.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Sept. 6-8 Report Fishing was good all week throughout the area. There were a few days when Mother Nature forced anglers off the water but overall, we had plenty of time between these storms to get out. Our afternoon thunderstorms started up a bit earlier in the afternoons this week, around 1 pm til 7. The storms were strong with lots of lightning and brought 2-4 inches of rain each day. All this weather cooled off the water each evening a little, and those who fished at night or the next morning reaped the benefits.
The backcountry fishing was excellent every morning this week. We had dirty water in Estero Bay and the areas around the Caloosahatchee River mouth, but the fish did not seem to mind. Anglers who fished further up into Pine Island sound had more visibility in the water and did very well. Redfish took top billing in the shallows of the sound as well as the southern part of Charolette Harbor. Fish are beginning to school up and can be found in good numbers now. This pattern will continue thru October. Snook fishing was good when fishing from Sanibel to Cayo Costa. Starting around the docks on the lower tides throwing live pilchards or threadfins worked well. Once the tide gets higher the fish spread out along the mangrove shorelines that have shade. Trout fishing just keeps improving with lots of trout in the 13 to 22-inch mark.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper The nearshore fishing for permit and big snook continues to go well. The mornings before our storms fire up are when you want to be out there. The pattern of early morning east winds keeps the gulf relatively calm, making things pleasant out front. The snook are staged up around our local rock piles more than happy to eat live threadfin herring presented to them. A few cobia, some snappers, and even a few tripletail are also available in these same areas. Having an assortment of bait options will give you opportunities to catch them all. Catching some whitebait, pinfish, or bringing some shrimps are a few options.
The offshore fishing trips have had some more species options opening. Gag groupers and red snapper have some open seasoning dates coming up, so check your FWC rules before heading out. Snapper fishing continues to be good starting in about 60 feet. The common snappers to catch will be lane, mangrove, and yellowtail primarily. The deeper you go the bigger they seem to be, and if you can fish at night, you will do even better.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Aug. 30-Sept. 1 Report All week long a serving of severe afternoon storms gave us up to 3 to 6 inches of rain each day. Depending on where you were trying to fish, these storms had to be respected. Those who fished inshore were affected the most as many of these thunderstorms seemingly just popped up out of nowhere. Most of these storms stayed near the beaches and into the mainland. Most of the storms fizzed out after they got pushed a few miles into the Gulf, so they did not affect those offshore. Regardless, lots of people fished all week as we dogged the storms.
The back bay fishing had to be done by about 2 or 3 o’clock all week. The afternoon thunderstorms and the vicious lightning they had with them, forced this pattern. Most of the good fishing was early in the morning regardless, so fishing midday was not necessary. Redfish fishing continues to be good, with some fish schooling up in areas. The snook bite along the beaches seemed to be best early in the mornings. The mornings when we have winds coming off the beach are typically the best to fish there, so usually the East winds work out best. Trout fishing in the shallow grass flats that are away from the mainland was the best place to find them. The flats that are located close to the mainland seemed to be a bit less salty from all the runoff from the rains, and trout do not like that. Jack crevalle, snappers, as well as the good old catfish was the rest of our bycatch.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper Nearshore had a surprising amount of tripletail caught this week. It seems to be a bit early for the tripletail to be coming down from the panhandle, but I guess they decided to head this way. Most of the tripletail were caught while bottom fishing for snook on the local reefs and rock piles. During these times an occasional tripletail in the 6-to-10-pound class would appear. A simple shrimp on a 2/0 circle hook freelined to it, will get the job done. So, if you’re nearshore be sure to have a rod rigged and ready for just that. Permit fishing seemed to slow down a bit this week, but some were caught. There has been no lack of crabs to be caught for bait however, as there are a lot of them around our local passes during the later half of the outgoing tides.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Aug. 22 Report Great weather and good tides kept the fishing good this week. We even had a bit of cool weather come through dropping our morning temperatures all the way down to 77 degrees. Ya, I know that does not sound very cool but considering the highs have been in the low 90s with feels-like temperatures in the 110 range, it feels cold. The water finally cleaned up post Debby, and our baitfish have moved back into the bays. This combination turned on the bite for those fishing inshore and near shore.
The backwater fishing was very good this week. With lots of pinfish, pilchards and threadfin herring schools in the shallows, the predators are there. Redfish fishing was the best of the big three this week. Redfish have even been seen schooling during the early morning hours. This is a bit early to see this as a pattern, but we will take it. Using topwater walk-the-dog lures is a very effective way to target these fish.
Redfish fishing was the best of the backwater last week. (Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper) The big topwater plugs allow anglers to cast great distances so reaching a school of fish working through is easier. Snook fishing on the beaches was also good this week. Most of the fish ranged from 12 to 25 inches, but some nice 30-plus-inchers are also around. Trout fishing continues to be decent, with most of the trout in the 13-18-inch size.
As a result of having calmer and cleaner water this week, nearshore fishing was also decent. There are still plenty of big tarpon roaming around for those that would like to catch them. Fish have been in schools along the outside of Sanibel to Boca Grande pass all week. The nearshore trips that fished on the local wrecks and reefs also did well on permit. Most of the permit fishing has been best midday and live crabs is the bait of choice. Mackerel, trout, pompano and snappers will be the bycatch in these areas. Probably the biggest surprise this week was a good number of tripletails found cruising around in the 25-35-foot depth.
These fish are coming down from the North and some have been up to 10 pounds.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Aug. 16 Report Well, we got a bit lucky as hurricane Debby skirted offshore of us a week ago. We did receive some storm surge of 2 to 3 feet flooding out in some of the low-lying areas. Winds blew up to 50 mph for a day and 20 mph for a few days after. These conditions kept anglers off the water for a bit, but we are all back at it now. It did take a few days before water started to settle as the water was very dirty. Surprisingly though fishing was still good when we fished before the oppressive heat began. Anglers both inshore and nearshore did well fishing in the early morning hours till about 11am.
Photo by Capt. Greg Stamper The inshore bite took a few days to get going again. We had very muddy waters the days following the storm, however the strong tidal days that proceeded it helped clean things up. Once a few days passed the red fishing got back to normal. It did take a few days after for the trout bite to get back to normal as well. Once the water cleaned up a bit and the salinity levels began to rise, the trout were happy again. Snook fishing along our beaches was still good. Those that fished on the first calm days we had did very well using fly rods and small flies that mimicked the baby pilchards along the beaches. Sanibel and Captiva saw some big fish along the Gulf side beaches all week long. We also had good reports of large tarpon being seen in Pines Island sound near the power lines as well as near Captiva pass and Boca Grande.
Offshore fishing picked up just as it was pre-storm. Once the wind died down, we had several flat calm days. This break in the weather allowed anglers to get out far and quick as the Gulf of Mexico was glass. The reports of lane snappers, mangrove snappers, and yellowtail in as shallow as 60 feet were good. Those that used simple cut squid dropped down on 1-2oz jigs had no problems reaching their limits. The few boats that went out past 100 feet caught African pompano and an assortment of groupers on the same set ups. No reports of wahoo or sailfish this week that I have heard of, but I’m sure they are still out there. Tight lines.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
Aug.2-4 Report Lots of good fishing occurred throughout the area this week. Paying attention to the weather was a must though. We had thunderstorms on a few mornings and every afternoon. The fish do not mind rain because they are already wet but add lightning to the mix and we should not be fishing. In between the storms fishing was very good overall. The best fishing continues to be consistently early in the morning, late in the evening, or at night.
The shallow water fishing was good and many back country slams have been caught. The trout have come back strong and in good numbers. Most of the trout ranged from 10-20-inches and were more than happy to eat 2-4-feet over the grass beds. Redfish are starting to be found in schools occasionally being seen pushing down shorelines. The nice part of schooling fish is the double ups and triple ups that occur from it. Snook continue to feed on the enormous number of baitfish throughout the area. Probably the highlight of the week was the insurgence of juvenile permit found in the bays. These permits ranged from 1-3-pounds and are eating shrimp, small crabs, and small jigs.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper The offshore fishing continues to be good for a variety of snappers. Simple cut baits of squid or live shrimp was all one needed. Most of the snapper trips fished in less than 100 feet of water. The key to snapper fishing during the day is having just enough weight on the line to keep the line somewhat vertical. There was a push of small red groupers in the same areas those were snapper fishing, which added to the excitement.
The nearshore bite for snook around rock piles and reefs continues to be good. Threadfin herring that can practically be sabikied and dropped right back down is the way to go. Dropping these fresh baits around not on top of the structure will catch you some good ones. If you do not want to catch bait, you can use shrimp. Shrimp will give you plenty of snapper, grunt, spadefish, and other reef specie action.
Tight lines!
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
July 25-28 Report Well, our water temperature in the back country has now reached 90-degrees. This trend of hot water will not change for a few months as even the gulf water surface temperature will stay in the high 80s. Days with slow tidal movement will make fishing tough, so finding moving water is now a must. As we have talked about in weeks past, fishing early in the mornings or at night will be your best bet. Those that fish in the offshore waters can still do very well at midday, as the water temperature in depths of 100 feet or more will be cooler.
Starting with the offshore report this week, we had a lot of good days to get out. Practically every day had low winds until the thunderstorms built up near the coastlines in the afternoons. Those that fished during the night had excellent reports of big mangrove snappers being caught around the 100-foot mark. Nighttime bycatch consisted of yellowtail, mutton, and lane snappers, as well as a few groupers. The trips that started their runs in the mornings also caught the same species, just not as big. African pompano, ajs, wahoo, as well as some blackfin tuna filled up the coolers when fishing past 140 feet.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper The back bay fishing was just ok overall. Trout fishing in the southern part of the region was tough, but good reports came from those fishing the upper Pine Island areas and the grass flats closest to Boca Grande. Snook fishing, especially along the beaches has been good, probably because that is where most of the white bait can be found. Redfish fishing was about average for most, with some better reports coming from those fishing the West wall of Pine Island. We continue to have a good bite for the juvenile tarpon in the 10-25-pound class early in the mornings when the tide is moving well.
Nearshore fishing was good for tarpon off the beaches. Most of the fish can be found in 20-30-feet of water from Captiva North. The wreak fishing for permit was hit or miss this week, but once you find them, they will eat. Probably the best nearshore report was the amount of big snook caught using threadfin herring around the rock piles from 2-9-miles out. Some of the snook caught were close to the elusive 40-inch size, but most were 28-34-inches. Other species found around these same areas included a variety of snappers, barracuda, and grunts.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
July 12-14 Report Southwest Florida received a blast of Saharan dust this week. This Saharan dust layers the air almost like smog. When we get this anomaly, it can often last for a week or two. The weather patterns during this time are affected by this. Less rain generally will be in the forecast, but humidity and hot days will still be common. This dust, when present in high levels, acts like a blanket holding in heat. So, fishing early in the morning, or at night is the way to go. Combine the dust scenario with slacking tides that occurred late mornings and midday, and fishing during the cool hours will give anglers their best chance.
Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper Those who fished during the night did very well this week. Most anglers use local bridges, weirs and shorelines as the starting point. Tarpon, snook, sharks and redfish have been the primary targets. Those who fished with artificial lures did best. Throwing swim baits, large swim jigs, and in some cases topwater caught a lot of fish. Some anglers used live ladyfish dangled near pilings to entice tarpon and big snook to eat. When fishing the bridges and shorelines it is best to fish for them an hour before and after the slacking tide. This timeframe will have current, but not so strong to make fishing in the area tough. If you are fishing the levies and weirs current is your friend. The weir fishing is best after the rains when water is flowing over at a good pace.
Offshore fishing continues to be a go when the weather cooperates. Those that got out did well on the normal targets. Mangrove snapper and mutton snapper fishing was best at night. If you plan on fishing for these 3-7-pound mangrove snappers or 10-pound plus muttons it is best to anchor up on your spot as the sun is setting. Once you are set up try chumming for an hour or two using both boxed chum and a constant flow of sardine and threadfin chunks. After an hour or so of darkness, the fish will rise into the chum slick and be fired up. Once you see the fish rising, a freelined or slightly weighted piece of the chunks will get you to a limit quickly.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
July 5-7 Report Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper Another good week of fishing has gone by, but things are beginning to change. The outgoing tides that we have been fishing during the early morning hours have now turned into incomings. This shift in tidal influence made things a bit tougher the last few days. Undoubtedy the shift in tides with the continuance of heavy rains had things off kilter a bit. Similar stories of the fishing patterns being a bit off also came from the near shore and offshore guides.
The biggest difference in the back bays was the lack of redfish and snook catches. During the outgoing tides we did very well with many upper- and over-slot redfish being caught often. During these same outgoing tides, snook fishing was very good near our passes and along the beaches. Once we transitioned into the incoming tidal days, all that stopped. To be fair, we did receive a high-pressure system that probably hurt the bite a little. The heavy rains also continue to keep the waters near our river mouths and creeks very fresh. Some areas had enough freshwater in them to support some cichlids, tilapia and gar that must have pushed out of the rivers themselves. Another downfall of having so much freshwater was it was tough to keep pilchards, threadfin herring and shrimp alive in our livewells for any amount of time.
The nearshore fishing for permit and large tarpon was also good on the outgoing tides. Most of the good reports came from late last week through the weekend. Once the water started to come in early in the mornings about mid-week, things got tough. These same reports echoed the nearshore wrecks and reefs. As this high-pressure system moves out, we will see things get back to normal.
The offshore trips continue to be far runs. The lions share of trips have been heading out for their red snapper limits. Most of the good red snapper fishing starts in about 120 feet of water or more. The best reports came from those that fished in 150 feet of water or more, so 60 miles plus. African pompano, wahoo, mahi, and an assortment of mangrove snappers, vermillion, and lane snappers were the bycatch.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
June 21 Report Tarpon Our inshore waters have been most affected by last week’s torrential down pours. The drainage of the inland waters does take a while, as runoff makes its way from the inland areas to the waterways themselves. This massive drainage of some 16-inches of rain over the last week has turned some area waters very fresh. The low salinity drives many fish out of smaller bays towards the passes and out. With so much water coming out of areas often the tide lines that typically bring water back into our bays from the Gulf never make it that far in. We probably will have another week of this before things go back to standard.
One effect of so much water being pushed out is many of the river and creek species are now in the bays. These fish are used to brackish or even fresh water and are now able to manage just fine in our back country. Some odd sightings of tilapia, cichlids, and even gar have been found in areas that are typically too salty for them. Juvenile tarpon up to 30-pounds have also been seen throughout these same areas, undoubtable feasting on small baitfish that came from the freshwater runoff. These freshwater species become easy picking for tarpon as the salinity creeps up. Eventually this freshwater fry will either make its way back up the rivers and creeks or become fish food.
The winds been blowing good all week making offshore fishing tough. Very few are getting out past 20 miles or so as once you get out a few miles with the strong East winds, it starts getting rough. The hard easterly winds do allow some nearshore fishing. The land acts as a wind buffer, so the waters are calm on the beach and progressively get rougher each mile you head out. Some large tarpon can be caught in these areas, as well as bottom dwellers on the nearshore reefs, rock piles, and wrecks.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
June 14 Report Capt. Greg Stamper photo It has been a long time since we have seen a rain gauge overflow in a 24-hour period. Southwest Florida went from drought conditions straight into local flood advisories overnight. Some of the rain has been gentle for hours on end followed up with torrential downpours, as a tropical wave soaked us for four days straight. Whenever we get rain, fishing does continue if there is no lightning in the mix. Many anglers this week took advantage of the lighter rain timeframes to fish at many of our local spillways, locks and levees. Inshore fishing was doable on three days, as well offshore and nearshore.
Before the rains began, we had some excellent reports from offshore. American red snapper season has begun, and everyone that went out far to get them. The key to catching big red snappers was starting in at least 150 feet of water. Those fishing out this far also ran into nice African pompano, mahi and wahoo. One wahoo caught this week came in at 92 pounds. When boats did not get out past 40 miles, mangrove snappers, lane snappers, porgies and lots of grunts took up most of their time.
The nearshore bite was very good pre-monsoon. Permit fishing was the best it has been so far from this year. Lots of permit have been caught in the 10-to-25-pound class, with a few permit over 30 pounds in the mix. The same structures that held permit also had cobia, mackerel and snook on them. Those that continue to fish for tarpon are doing well. Tarpon fishing especially off Cayo Costa and Captiva on both the gulf and bay sides was good. The best tarpon baits this week was using a live crab. This totally made sense as we had predominantly outgoing tides to fish on the good days.
Inshore fishing continued to be easy for catching back-country slams. Snook are actively feeding along our beaches these days. Generally, if you find bait schools on the beach, then there are snook around. Redfish are active on the good moving water along the mangrove shorelines. Fishing for redfish has been best on the higher tides. Trout continue to be on all the grass flats in as shallow as a foot of water up to about four feet.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
June 7 Report Photo by Capt. Greg Stamper The rain has begun, and with it we are officially into our summer. Moving forward we can expect a consistent forecast for months to come. The afternoon rains are a blessing, helping to cool things off a bit. With the rain our rivers, creeks, culverts, and drainage ditches feed critters into the bays. Along with a new place to find food, some fish push out of these areas into our bays. These fish will call the bays and river mouths homes for many months to come. Anglers will notice more schools of white bait and finger mullet in our shallow waters, as they reap the benefits of the new nutrient filled run off water.
The insurgents of bait moving in from the beaches and nearshore waters is a blessing to predators. Often juvenile tarpon, snook, jacks, and redfish will be the happiest of recipients. From this point forward when you find bait in areas throughout the bays, the big fish will not be far behind. Just like before the rains began, it will still be hot out. Temperatures will be in the upper 90’s, with feels like temperatures in the mid 100’s. Fishing early in the mornings or in the evenings will continue to be your best bet.
The offshore runs for American red snapper have begun. These trips start at about 50 miles offshore or at least in 130-feet of depth. Typically, American reds are easily found once out that far on the wrecks and any significant ledge or depth change. Baiting up with squid, pinfish, or sardines is all one needs to be successful. Those that do not go out that far to reach their two limits on Ars’ may choose to start in about 90 feet of water. There anglers can catch plenty of mangrove snappers, lane snappers, and with a flat line out a possible king fish.
Nearshore fishing continues to be good. There are lots of tarpon available, for those who do want them. Tarpon schools continue to be up and down our coastal beaches as well as sightings out to around 40 feet of water. Your best chance of catching a tarpon will be just off the beaches from Cayo Costa to Captiva just of the beaches. If you have side scan imaging on your GPS unit, they will be easier to find if they are not rolling on the surface much. Permit, cobia, mackerel, as well as small snappers continue to be other options for the nearshore guys.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
May 30 Report Trout fishing in the region continues to be very good. We are getting closer to our afternoon thunderstorms becoming a daily occurrence. We need rain not only for better fishing, but to cool things off midday. It continues to be very hot, and based on weather predictions for the next week this trend will continue. Until these afternoon thunderstorms become a consistent part of our day, fishing early or at night is the way to go. Those that followed this pattern all week did well, especially during the night and first light timeframes.
The snook have begun their beach life and can be reliable for many months to come. Those that plan to walk the beaches in search of snook, will do best on easterly winds. The low wind mornings give anglers a good chance of sight fishing the snook harassing the schools of pilchards, threadfin, and finger mullet. Mimicking the baitfish you see with swim baits, flies, or even hard baits will work well. Those throwing artificials parallel to the shorelines, will often do better than the live bait guys.
Redfish continue to be active before the sun gets up to high. Redfish have also been seen around our local passes when the water is moving well. The beach redfish are feasting on the same baitfish as the snook and seem to move from the bays to the beach based on how much bait is available. Those fishing for redfish in the shallow waters had a good bite on the higher water morning tides, with less action after 11 am.
Trout fishing continues to be easy. We have a good trout fishery as of now. The impact of our red tide event of 5 years ago has finally dissipated. Trout are consistent in 2-4-feet of water on practically every grass flat from Boca Grande down. If you want action for kids, or just those that need it, then pull out a popping corks with a shrimp on it and have fun. Most of the trout will range from 12-20 inches, and you can literally catch as many as you want for hours at a time.
Nearshore fishing continues to be good for tarpon, permit, cobia, and snappers. Those fishing off our beaches from 1-5-miles will see the tarpon rolling, free jumping, and tail slapping periodically. Crabs, live threadfin herring, as well as cut baits will work. If you find yourself around and of the local wrecks, rockpiles, or reefs then expect your quarry to be a mix of snappers, mackerel, some pompano and trout.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
May 24 Report Summer heat is setting in as afternoon temperatures reach a “feels like” of 105. This pattern will continue until we start to receive our afternoon thunderstorms that cool things off. These predictable storms should start up in about 3 weeks, and we need rain. Those that fished during the morning hours, or at night this week did well. We have water temperatures reaching the high 80s’ now, combine that with the heat of the day and that’s why those fishing when it is cool are doing best.
The local bridges during the evening hours were great. The best fishing seems to be from midnight till sunup. Tarpons are the number one target around these bridges, with snook being a close second. Anglers have been throwing swim jigs along the shadow lines and are getting great results. Another option is to catch a live ladyfish, that are there, and put that right back out on a 10/o hook.
During the morning hours of the first light, the back bay fishing was good. The redfish bite continues to be top notch with lots of upper slot fish being caught. Snook fishing has finally gotten predictable. Snook are feasting on white bait schools along our beaches as they fatten up for the spawn. Snook can be found cruising our local shorelines along Sanibel and Captiva in good numbers. Often the schools of male snook can have 20-40 fish in a group. These fish are competitive and will eat. As you walk the beaches catching these 14-24-inch males, hopefully you will run into a big female and join the 40-inch club. Trout, pompano, some small permit, and jacks will be your bycatch.
The offshore fishing was all about snappers this week. A lot of mangrove snappers came into the fillet stations all week in the 2-4-pound class. Vermillion snappers, mutton snappers, as well as a few dog tooth also met the fillet stations. Only one report of wahoo, tuna, and sailfish came my way this week, but that is most likely good fishing as well. Should you be after those pelagic, then start in about 150 feet or more of depth.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
May 16 Report Photo by Capt. Greg Stamper The bite slowed down a bit this week inshore, mainly due to slow morning tides. During the same slow moving tidal stages, near shore followed suit. This is typical this time of the year as we move through 4-6 good am tides, into some crappy ones. This coming week things move back into the fisherman’s favor, and likewise fishing will be good again.
Starting of with the back bays on times when water was moving well, fish were caught. We had a very good redfish bite for short periods before slacking tides. Redfish up to 37-inches have been caught by many. Live pilchards, shrimp, as well as artificial baits worked around the mangrove shorelines worked well. There has also been a lot of snook in play. Most of the snook range from 16-25-inches, but several big fish have been caught.
Many of the snook are being found near the passes, as they patrol the beaches that are full of bait. Trout fishing continues to be good in 2-3-feet of water. Most of the big tarpon seen recently in the back bays have moved into the passes and off the beaches. Certainly, both tarpon and snook are in the beginning stages of their spawn.
The permit fishing along with cobia on the beaches is good. Again, moving water affects these fish like those in the bays. Live crabs worked best for the permit ranging from 8-20-pounds. The cobia is kind of a surprise for many fishing the wrecks. Often cobia just shows up on the surface for a few minutes then moves back down to the structure. Mangrove nappers, triggerfish, trout, pompano, and even lane snappers have been the bycatch when using shrimp.
The offshore bite was doable three days this week. Those that went out mainly fished for bottom species of mutton snappers, lane snappers, as well as red grouper. There were a few African pompano caught while fishing for the bottom fish along with Ajs’, grunts, and an occasional vermillion snapper. No reports off wahoo, sailfish, or tuna came in this week.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
May 10 Report There are plenty of redfish, trout and snook to be had in the back bay. (Photo courtesy of Capt. Greg Stamper) The continuation of great weather has kept the bite going. We have had some great days to be fishing this week, and there is no end in site. The occasional threat of weak cold fronts making their way into Southwest Florida is about the only game changer. Until these fronts no longer make their way into Florida, fishing patterns will stay the same. The Summer rains have not yet begun. The prequel of these afternoon thunderstorms is the midday sea breeze. These sea breezes give us a wind shift coming from the west, and in about another month will supply the energy needed for the thunderstorms to develop regularly.
The back bay fishing continues to be excellent. There were a lot of redfish, snook, and trout available. The ironic part as far as the trout are concerned is a surprising number of upper and over slot fish caught all week. Redfish continue to be found in good numbers, especially along the shady mangrove shorelines both early morning and a few hours before sunset. The snook are now being seen cruising along the shorelines in what appears to be the beginning of their first spawn.
Of course we must talk about tarpon fishing. The tarpon bite has been on fire all week. Some days especially after the sea breeze had begun, Pine Island sound was the place to be. If you’re not sure where to fish for them in Pine Island sound just look for the forty boats all parked near each other. Live crabs, ladyfish, and threadfin herring are your best baits. Those fishing the nearshore waters from the beaches out to 40-feet of water have also done well on the east winds. A good day of tarpon fishing currently will be jumping 8-10 fish and hopefully getting a leader touch on a few.
The offshore bite has been status quo. Those fishing inside of 100-feet are hammering mangrove and lane snappers daily. Trigger fish, kingfish, ajs’ as well as cobia are also being found in the bycatch. When anglers take the long runs, some 60-miles plus, African pompano, mahi, sailfish, as well as wahoo have been reported both trolling and freelining while bottom fishing for big grouper.
April 5 Report Fishing for red drum continues to be very good. (Photo by Capt. Greg Stamper) It has been an interesting week. We had Mother Nature deliver two cool fronts to Southwest Florida. Although the temperatures did not have huge swings, the wind associated with them was strong. Strong winds over shallow water stirs up the bottom, making the water muddy. The result was one or two days of tough fishing, followed up with the bite getting back to the status quo.
The redfish bite continues to be very good. On the days when the water was its worst, fishing with cutbaits or shrimp on jigs worked well. Even on the days after the high winds, redfish, trout and snook were caught. It will take a few more days of strong tides to clean up the water, then fishing should be great. The surprise this week was catching small mutton snappers in the back bays. Although these fish are small, it is very cool to see a species you do not expect to catch. A few reports of bluefish also being caught this week. Shows you never know what may show up.
The nearshore fishing for tarpon gets to a halt when the winds are blowing hard. There are tarpon off our beaches as well as in the bays, but fishing in 30-mph gusts is not fun. On the days when the winds were lower, tarpon were caught even in the muddy water. Those who have side-scan on their GPS units can find them. The next week looks like we will have some great weather and low winds, so finding the silver kings will be much easier. Reports of tarpon schooling up near the Caloosahatchee River and Sanibel causeway areas came in often. The best tarpon reports came from those fishing from Captiva and Cayo Costa.
Offshore fishing only doubled twice this week. The boats that did get out started fishing in 130 feet of water and did well. African pompano seemed to be fired up this week and whole squid dropped on large jigs worked well. Snapper fishing was good as it has been for a while. Most of the snappers ranged from 1 to 4 pounds and were a mix of mangrove, lane and mutton. Groupers were caught when large live baits like grunts or pinfish were used in the same areas that the snapper was in.
March 29 Report Leaping tarpon. (Photo by Capt. Greg Stamper) We continue to keep getting the little tail ends of cold fronts. These fronts drop our temperatures a little, but things warm up just as quick. The main issue with these fronts is wind. Wind mucks up the shallow-water areas making sight fishing impossible. The good part is most of the week fishing was good.
The back bay fishing for tarpon, redfish, snook and trout was good all but two days. On the good days, we were able to catch grand slams of tarpon, snook, redfish and trout. Shrimp has worked best for the redfish on simple jigs. Our snook are eating pilchards and are beginning to get bigger. Trout continue to be found in roughly three feet of water anywhere there are grass flats. The tarpon can be found along our beaches on calm days. If it is rough in the Gulf, try fishing in Pine Island sound where you can get some wind block.
Nearshore fishing will continue to be a tarpon thing for several months to come. Those who are fishing the reefs will do well on snappers, grunts, sheepshead, trout, mackerel and the occasional hogfish. Most anglers who fished the reefs use shrimp, but if you can use live white baits as well in the same areas, you may expand your species. Permit continues to be caught on the wrecks using both shrimp and crabs. Reports of large hammerheads and bull sharks moving into these same areas happened often. These big sharks follow the tarpon around but are more than willing to eat a permit.
The offshore fishing happened a few days this week. Most anglers did not go out very far. Most fished around the 40 mile out mark and caught snappers, a few porgies and small grouper. Those who trolled in the same areas had plenty of kingfish to play with, but nothing else but a few barracudas.
March 22 Report Red fishing continues to be good. It has been an interesting week of fishing. The north and east winds late in the week hurt the good tide days. Winds moving in from these directions will hold water out of the bay, making tides lower than expected. This effect of holding water out also allows for dirty water to develop in the shallows. Regardless of the challenges we did manage some decent fishing. Water temperatures did fluctuate a bit, but not enough to shut things down. Before this last cold front water temperatures steadied out in the low 70’s by midday.
Tarpon fishing continues to be a big target for many anglers. Tarpon have been active and are being caught daily. Schools of fish are now being seen along our beaches and around our passes in good numbers. An assortment of baits ranging from cut baits to live crabs have worked all week. Most of these tarpon range 80-to-120 pounds so set up your tackle appropriately. Red fishing continues to be good. We did have a few days on the northern winds where the bite did not happen until nearly the end of the high tides, but we got them. Snook, small jacks, snappers and even some bluefish became our bycatch.
Nearshore fishing for permit, cobia, kingfish and Spanish mackerel continues. The Spanish mackerel and kingfish can often be seen free jumping as they attack the schools of bait fish. The permit and cobia continue to inhabit the wrecks with higher relief and can be caught using small crabs, shrimp and artificial lures. When fishing the same wrecks and reefs sheepshead, snappers, pompano and spotted seatrout will be your bycatch.
The offshore trips have gone well this week. They had about four good days to go out far, and many anglers did just that. Lots of lane snappers, mangrove snappers, as well as porgies were caught. Those who fished out past the 130 marks did well on red grouper using squid, pinfish and sardines.
March 15 It is tarpon time for those anglers who want to mess with 100-pounders. The big schools of threadfin herring have made their way inshore, bringing the silver kings with them. Fish have been caught in the back bays, along the beaches and in the passes practically every day. Using threadfin herrings, crabs, live mullet and cut baits have all worked. Be sure you come armed with heavy spin rods with plenty of line, as the water temperature is hovering around the mid-70s. When the water is in this temperature range the tarpon are full of piss and vinegar making for some long fights.
Fishing for red drum continues to improve. (Photo by Greg Stamper) In the shallow waters of the back bays, we continue to catch a mix of winter fish along with the resurgence of our summer targets. Sheepshead fishing continues to be good but will begin to tapper off. Black drum also are continuing to be found, especially during the outgoing tides. These black drum are looking for crab coming from the shallow flats. If you’re targeting black drum look for them near or in channels where the water is flowing off a large grassy flat. Snook are beginning to show up throughout the bay. There have been a few big snook caught, but most of them are small. Red fishing continues to get better and better. Redfish can be caught from 17 to 30 inches using shrimp, pilchards, flies and jerk baits. Most of the redfish are still a bit silver in color, meaning they just moved into the area. We also have tarpon in the back bays and they are big. The tarpon is targeting the schools of mullet that are filling in as well as ladyfish and trout.
The offshore fishing continues to be good. Our weather has allowed plenty of days to get out far without getting beaten up. Grouper fishing starts getting good in about 120 feet. Those that are fishing in 60-80 feet of water are catching their limits of lane, mangrove and grunts easily. Kingfish as well as cobia are also available and an easy way to end up with one is to always have a flat line out with live bait on it.
Capt. Greg Stamper www.snookstampcharters.com
