| Vast grass flats, miles of mangrove shoreline and so many species of fish can be a lesson in fustraion. Cast and complain, you need to fish with an experienced guide who knows the Estero Bay, Bonita Springs region of southwest Florida. Even through Estero Bay and Bonita Springs is a great year round fishery, even Snook, Redfish, Trout and Shark are seasonal. Estero Bay and Bonita Springs offers an endless year round opportunity for Snook, Redfish, Trout and Shark fishing.
Week of 09/20/08
Fishing is good right now; we had several Inshore Slams, which provided for lots of excitement on the boat this week.
The trout bite was good on the grass flats in two to three feet of water using D.O.A. Deadly Combination.
There are plenty of Snook starting to move into the backcountry. We found them in early evening along the Mangroves using live bait.
The Redfish bite is good also in the early evening on an incoming tide using live threads and white bait.
 
Week of 08/30/08
Good size live bait (3-4 inches) was hard to come by but if you look hard and long enough you will find it along the beaches. Mixed in with live bait pods is Spanish
Mackerel and Lady Fish.
On the inside you can find Red Fish along the Mangrove Islands using live bait
on a strong incoming tide. We caught anywhere from 18-35 inch Red Fish.
The Snook bite was good on live bait as well. They were on the small side
drom 20-24 inches. Occasionally you will find a larger post spawn Snook.
We are still seeing a few small Tarpon at the bridges.
With Snook season opening on September 1st we will be busy. Make sure
you book early.
Week of Aug 21, 2008
We are out fishing for Trout, Snook and Redfish in Estero Bay and surrounding areas. Overall the fishing has been great this week. We are catching many species. Check back on a regular basis to get our updated fishing report.
Redfish can be found under the Mangrove Islands during the last half of the incoming tide using live bait including threads, shrimp or fresh cut ladyfish.
We found Snook early in the morning near the passes and caught them on top
water plugs. Rapala Skitter Walks and Zara Spooks work well.
Later on in the day live bait was working well for Snook.
Plenty of Jacks can be found all over.
Trout can be found in about three foot of water on the grass flats using
a Popping Cork or Cajun Thunder with the D.O. A. Shrimp. For really
big Trout use a Chug Bug or a top water plug that makes lots of noise.
Week of June 27, 2008
The Trout bite has been great. We are finding them on the grass flats with an average size of 14-20 inches.
Snook can be found all over the beaches and outside islands for catch and release only.
The Tarpon action is at the bridges and in deeper basins in the early morning.
Redfish are tougher to find right now but we have found them near oyster bars and mangrove islands.
  
Spanish Mackerel are following small fry baits and can be found in large groups all over.
The Shark bite has also been good inside the Bay and on the beaches.
Most species caught this week have been on live shrimp and artificial.
We are out fishing most days, and here is what you can expect from fishing Estero Bay and Bonita Springs during the year.
 Snook
There are 4 species of snook in Florida and we mainly target the "common snook" which is as the name implies the most common and also the largest of the snooks. The combination of mangrove islands, and brackish water makes Estero Bay the perfect habitat for these hard hitting jumpers.
January and Febuary are decent months for fishing snook. The action gets better in March, and really heats up in April and runs strong right through till October. Snook season closes from May 1st until September 1, and all snook must be released. The snook bite tapers off in November and December.
This does not stop us from targeting some of the best inshore fishing has to offer.
 Redfish
The redfish or red drum are at home among the grass flats, mangoves and oyster beds in the warm waters of Estero Bay. Redfish are a hard hitting, fast pulling sportfish known for some spectacular runs. Redfish can be seen tailing year round, with the hottest action coming in September, October and December as the water cools off. Redfish fishing is still a great bet during the cooler months
between December and April, then drops off a little during the hot summer months of May, June and July. These battle hardened warriors will test the medal of any angler on light tackle.
 Sea Trout
Sea Trout or spotted drum, are the easiest of Estero Bay species to target and and perfect for beginner anglers or any angler that wants to catch alot of fish. Favored for it's willingness to strike both live baits and lures, sea trout are also excellent table fare. Drifting across the grass flats with offerings of shrimp, or pinfish will entice the school to eat. Once the school starts to eat, the bite can last an hour or more. Sea trout are
always a popular winter species around Bonita Springs . The winter months of January, Febuary and March are great for trout and remain excellent in early spring. Trout fishing slows down somewat during the summer heat and picks back up in late fall and gets strong again in November and December.
 Shark
Numerous species of shark use the mangroves of Estero Bay as it's hatchery. You can find bonnethead shark, blacktip shark and even bull shark moving in and out of of the bay through the passages from the gulf. The most common being the bonnethead shark, a close relative to the hammerhead, but only growing up to about 3 feet, they will readily take a live bait and put a hurting on any angler.
Along with the targeted species of fish we specialize in, you can also expect to catch mangrove snapper, sheepshead, gag and goliath grouper, and tarpon. |
