A Light Tackle Fishing Experience In Bonita Springs

The cold weather is still plaguing us die-hard anglers but the good news is warm weather it right around the corner (we’re hoping). The fishing has had its challenges but there are still many opportunities for some great fishing out there. Deep holes and warm water should be your focus for locating schooled up fish. You will find the warmest waters up creeks and rivers, which will hold good numbers of fish.

Snook and Jacks can be found in the warmer holes up the river. Deep-water docks will hold larger Snook that can be caught using large live shrimp or casting plugs and swim baits. Out in the bay in deep channels close to grass flats you will find schools of trout this time of year. As the water warms up in the afternoon the trout will move up onto the grass flats. Use live shrimp under a popping cork or Hybrid Flurry Swim Bait on a ¼ ounce jig head. Redfish can be found on the grass flats tailing at low tide or you can find them against mangrove shorelines against dark bottom. Use shrimp with a small split shot on the bottom or under a popping cork, both techniques will work well.

     
Trout Fishing with Capt. Steve Betz of Tampa, FL.

There is also an array of mixed bag fish that are great to catch this time of year in these cold conditions such as Ladyfish and Jacks. Use Bucktail Jigs or Hybrid Flurry Swim bait with a ¼ ounce jig head. Remember that the fish will strike while the jig head is falling through the water column. They will usually be schooled up together in residential cannels. Sheepshead will be found on structure such as large concrete docks or the many bridges that span the bay. Use small to medium shrimp or fiddler crabs on the bottom with as little weight as possible to keep it pinned to the bottom.

As soon as the warm temperatures return and the water begins to warm up, the fishing will really turn on again and this cold spell will be a faint memory.

One of the longest cold snaps Florida has seen since the 1970s has finally passed. The fishing was tough during the three past weeks but we were still able to bring in fish on every charter. There has been a huge fish kill throughout the State of Florida from the cold weather. The FWC has temporarily closed Snook until the end of August to help preserve the remaining Snook stock therefore catch and release only.

Don’t worry, there are still a lot of fish to found and caught. The Trout bite was good this past week on the grass flats in 2 ½ to 2 ft. of water using live shrimp under a popping cork and working it slowly. The trout size is running 14” to 25”.

Pictured here is Dan Larson and his friend John.

Snook can found sunning themselves in very shallow water with dark bottom. Catching them has been quite difficult due the extreme temperatures. The fish tend to be very lethargic. We have seen some nice size fish from 30” to 35”. Use free line live shrimp or shrimp with a small split shot.

With the warming temperatures the fishing will continue to improve. The best advice I can give you right now is to target the warmer water temperatures to increase your chances of hooking a nice fish.

We are out fishing most days, and here is what you can expect from fishing Estero Bay and Bonita Springs during the year.

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, February and March are great for trout and remain excellent in early spring. Trout fishing slows down somewhat 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, black tip 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.