Take advantage of the great weather days. This mixed bag of tasty fish came over hard bottom on live shrimp in 30 to 40-foot depths west of Captiva Pass, fishing with Capt. Bill Russell. PHOTO PROVIDED

It was another beautiful week as calm seas and blue skies gave us excellent boating conditions. If you were running deep or staying within sight of land, it was great weather for fishing Gulf waters.  

Red grouper was the focus for anglers fishing 30-plus miles offshore, resulting in limits of big fish. Snapper, porgy and grunts helped fill the fish box in depths around 90 feet, plus amberjacks over wrecks.

Bottom fishing nearshore yielded a variety that included snapper, sheepshead, grunts, porgy, flounder and at least a couple of hogfish. Best reports came while fishing 30 to 50-foot depths over hard bottom, ledges and reefs. Some days the bite was good mid-morning and on others it picked up after noon.

King and Spanish mackerel were located harassing bait schools in 30 to 40-foot depths between Boca Grande and Redfish passes. Live pilchards or herrings and shiny lures or spoons with a fast retrieve were the best options to hook up. A few large amberjacks were also reported.

If you want to tug on a shark, head to one of the public artificial reefs offshore. A variety of sharks from 3 to 6-feet were abundant and hungry on many of the reefs, providing non-stop action.

With a warm week and water temperature rising, catch-and-release snook fishing was an option. Snook were reported in south Matlacha Pass, on the western side of Pine Island Sound and between Wulfert Keys and Blind Pass. Baits include soft and hard plastic lures, live shrimp, pinfish and cut ladyfish.

Redfish were also caught over the same areas as snook, plus over shallow flats on low water in northern Matlacha Pass and the eastern side of Pine Island Sound south of Pineland.

While warm weather is good for snook, it’s not preferred for sheepshead. The better reports came around the Gulf passes, Punta Rassa docks and nearshore reefs. With each cold front, the bite should pick up along with the average size. Fishing the beaches for sheepshead also resulted in whiting and a few flounder.

To stay up to date with current regulations, go to www.myfwc.com  or better, download the Fish Rules app. It updates every time you open it. It’s free, and has all local fish species, regulations, and pictures of each.  

If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service; phone (239) 410-8576, email gcl2fish@live.com or you visit us on the Web at www.fishpineisland.com 

Have a safe week and good fishin’. 

As a lifetime resident of Matlacha and Pine Island, Capt. Bill Russell has spent his life fishing and learning the waters around Pine Island and Southwest Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for over 20 years.

To reach Capt. Bill Russell, please email