That\u2019s a load of fish! Fishing with Capt. Scotty Darna and Salty Boy Charters, this crew had a great catching snapper and grouper deep in Gulf waters. PHOTO PROVIDED<\/p>\n
It was another typical summer week with little wind and hot days. Many days African dust kept the sun covered up, but it was still hot and humid with\u00a0a few strong afternoon thunderstorms.<\/p>\n
Inshore, as usual for summer, the best bite was over the morning hours\u00a0with strong and high incoming water.\u00a0As the day heated\u00a0up,\u00a0the bite slowed and many anglers headed for air conditioning.<\/p>\n
Catch-and-release snook fishing continues in and around the Gulf passes, beaches and around oyster bars and island points with moving water. Snook action was also reported along the eastern and western walls of Charlotte Harbor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Spotted seatrout from little guys to over 20 inches were caught over grass flats south of Picnic Island, between the powerlines and Buck Key, between\u00a0Useppa\u00a0and Part Islands, and to the west of Bokeelia.\u00a0Baits included silver or gold spoons, Gulp shrimp and live pinfish or cut ladyfish fished under popping corks. Ladyfish, bluefish, Spanish mackerel,\u00a0blacktip\u00a0and\u00a0sharp nose\u00a0sharks were hooked as well.<\/p>\n
Fishing mangrove shorelines over the cooler morning\u00a0incoming\u00a0tides yielded\u00a0redfish to 29\u00a0inches,\u00a0plus mangrove snapper.\u00a0Anglers report catching their limit of snapper in mid-Pine Island Sound, around Captiva Pass and St. James in the long Cut Area.<\/p>\n
Offshore, beginning at around 140 feet\u00a0to out\u00a0past\u00a0200, boats are boxing limits of nice American red snapper\u00a0and red grouper.\u00a0A few lucky anglers also boated\u00a0mutton\u00a0snapper,\u00a0scamp grouper and blackfin tuna.<\/p>\n
By mid-morning,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0hot\u00a0on\u00a0the water. Shade and drinking fluids are two things that\u00a0make\u00a0the day more enjoyable. It\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0take much for shade, often something as simple as an umbrella is\u00a0a good way\u00a0to get out from under the sun for a few minutes. Drink, drink, drink \u2014 and not beer \u2014 to stay hydrated. Water or drinks with electrolytes are best to keep you going.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0our hottest time of year, take a few precautions and you can still have an enjoyable day on the water.<\/p>\n
Keep up to date with fishing regulations and seasons in the area you fish, as they change often. You can visit\u00a0www.myfwc.com\u00a0for all current state and federal regulations.\u00a0Also, you can upload the Fish Rules app on your phone. It has current regulations and seasons with pictures to help\u00a0identify\u00a0fish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service; phone (239) 410-8576, email\u00a0gcl2fish@live.com\u00a0or you can visit us on the Web at\u00a0www.fishpineisland.com.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Have a safe week and good fishin\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n