Tarpon Action Remains Hot
What a great Tarpon season this year. I have hooked we over 100 fish this year and Ethan and his family added to the count. We fished two great days together hooking 12 total fish 2 of which were simultaneous (doubled up).
What a great Tarpon season this year. I have hooked we over 100 fish this year and Ethan and his family added to the count. We fished two great days together hooking 12 total fish 2 of which were simultaneous (doubled up).
The spring is a great time to fish for seatrout. Catching seatrout is most easily accomplished by using fresh live bait. I catch fresh bait every morning typically before my clients board. I like to fish deep shore lines and creeks with hard bottom for trout. Trout are usually a heavy schooling fish, once we catch a fish, I live chum to try to fire up the rest of the fish. Fun to catch and great on the table trout are a hit with many anglers. The 30 inch 7# trout above couldn’t resist a live pilchard.
During the winter months, fishing in the waters off the coast of Naples and Marco can be red hot. My clients and I frequently catch Gag Grouper, Mangrove Snapper, Kingfish and Bonita. Although we need the right weather to fish in the gulf, the days we can get out there are usually pretty memorable. Fishing live bait and light tackle tend to produce great catches like the kingfish above. The kingfish pictured was 50 inches and 45 pounds caught on Diawa lexa loaded with 10# braided line.
Tarpon fishing in naples has been heating up. There have been schools in the back bays and off the beaches of naples. Most fish in the bays are best targeted with cut bait while fish off the naples beaches eat live thread herring.
Snook fishing has also been productive. Snook fishing in naples is best on a good moving tide. Fish points, shorelines and docks with live pilchards for the most bites.
April marks the begging of red grouper season. The red grouper is a powerful aggressive fish that will take almost any bait. On Naples fishing charters I typically fish rock ledges and hard bottom for red grouper. I always use a light 30 to 40 lb fluorocarbon leader and a 3/0-5/0 circle hook. Live bait seems to be key during the summer months for a successful fishing trip. A welcome by catch when grouper fishing are mangrove snapper and kingfish. Both these species react well to chum and eagerly take bait once excited. Give me a call and let’s bend some rods.
March in Naples is still providing days with great fishing action on live bait. When the water temperature was above 70 and the sun was out the snook and small tarpon fishing was very productive. Especially on the falling tides. My clients and I have also had some great charters fishing for seatrout. Seatrout are a great eating fish that are quite easy to get fired up with live chum. Once they are on the feed seatrout can provide none stop action while also making great table fare.
My last few naples fishing charters have been productive. The warmer weeks are providing great action fishing live pilchards. Pilchards are the pro dominate bait in Naples, Florida. Using live pilchards for bait we can expect to catch snook, redfish, seatrout, jacks, bluefish and mangrove snapper.
On the cooler days in naples live shrimp have been the best bait on charters. When the water temperature drops the slower presentation that shrimp provide seem to get more strikes. Pictured is a nice redfish caught on shrimp.
Gag grouper fishing off Naples, Florida has been great over the last few months. Even though the season on Gag grouper is closed they are still a great sport fish to target. As your dropping baits for grouper you can also be rewarded with snapper, which are in season and fine eating. My clients and I have been using live shrimp and pilchards fished in a variety of ways on or near the bottom.
The backwater fishing in Naples has also been productive. I been using live shrimp and pilchards for trout and redfish. I have also managed a few good days of snook fishing during the warmer periods. Give me a call if you would like to get out.
Craig and I fished for speckled trout last week. We had great action all day and iced a limit of trout. We also caught ladyfish, sheepshead, snapper and whiting. The fishing has been very good on the warmest days of the week.
When the water temps cool the nearshore grouper fishing heats up. The Gag grouper move closer to shore making them a great option for the days we are greeted with calm seas. Even though grouper season is closed right now they are still a great sport fish on light spin tackle. My clients and I have been fishing natural rock bottoms and rock ledges with medium spin tackle. the grouper have been taking pilchards, pinfish and live shrimp.