09-03-2002, 03:16 PM
The Back Country Report
With Labor Day just a few days away, summer is almost over, although with the 90 – 95 degree days, it is very hard to imagine.
TARPON: The hot Tarpon bite of late summer has temporarily tapered off in the harbor. There are still a few left, but targeting them could get boring pretty quickly. It’s either on or it’s not. These late summer fish have been averaging between 60 – 125lbs. The best approach is to get out early and fill your bait well with several dozen threadfin herring between 5 – 7 inches long. At first light, look for rolling Tarpon and establish a drift pattern. Drift one bait on a float, one free line and a third with an 1/8th ounce split shot. Drift your baits 30 to 50 feet behind the boat and live chum a threadfin every 30 seconds or so; or at least until you get the fish feeding. The hot spots have been holes 1 & 2 west of Burnt Store, just outside Matlacha Pass, The Cape Haze Hole, The artificial reefs in the northeast section of the harbor, and the mouths of the Peace and Myakka Rivers. If you do not spot rolling fish, concentrate on the boiling Threadfin pods. My favorite set up for these larger fish is a 7 ½ Star Nicklelite Rod with a Stradic 6000 spooled with 100 yards of 20lb mono, and 20lb Power-Pro backing. Use a 3’ section of #50 leader tied using a blood knot, to an 18” section of #60 Fluro Carbon leader. For a hook, I use a 7/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Wide Circle.
In addition to the adult Tarpon, schools of juvenile fish from 10 – 30lbs litter the upper reaches of the harbor. These fish are a morning proposition only, and will fall to the same tactics applied to the larger fish. Scale down your baits to 3 – 4” Threadfins and Pilchards. 8-12lb line with a 12” trace of 40lb Flurocarbon leader tied to a 2’ section of 20lb main leader will do the trick.
Snook: Our Snook has finished their summer spawn and are in feeding mode. There are still enough Snook along the beaches to make a day. Look for structure in or around moving water. The big concentrations of Snook have begun their inland migration. I am finding loads of Snook on all of the out islands bordering Gasparilla Sound, Bull & Turtle Bays and Pine Island. Work the larger potholes and edges of feeder channels at low tide, and follow the fish into the bushes during the high. Pot Holes or deep water next the groves are a plus. In addition, many of the Residential Canal mouths that border the harbor and the sound are also beginning to hold Snook. These mouths are best fished on the latter part of a strong outgoing tide. Gold Spoons, Soft Plastic Jerk Baits, Mirror-Lure Tops Dogs and Chug Bugs have been my favorites. Stick with the top waters during low light conditions and switch subsurface lures as the day progresses. As the day begins to heat up, work your lures or bait as far into the bushes (High tide) or at the deepest parts of the holes (Low Tide) as possible. The Snook bite will taper off at high noon, so work your lures a little slower. For best results, stick to artificials in the morning or late afternoon, and use live bait through the middle of the day. The August Snook bite has been better than average thus far, and will only get better as we enter fall.
Redfish: This time of the year we have two concentrations of Redfish. We have your resident non-migrating bunch, which usually consist of pairs or pods of fish and we have your late summer early fall breeders, which will occupy a flat or a bar one week, and another the next. For years, I’ve been applying the same Snook Tactics to Redfish and have done extremely well. The only difference is, Redfish do not seem to mind the heat as much as the Snook. Where to fish for Redfish is very much tide influenced. I pay attention to the edges of the flats and the largest and deepest of potholes on dead low, and immediately pan the skinny water as the tide begins its flood mode. Like Snook, these fish will push well into the bushes at high tide. Unlike Snook, Redfish will attack a properly presented artificial just as well as a live bait. I prefer the artificial route, especially for sight casting. 1/8 or ¼ Johnson Gold Spoons are tough to beat, as are Shad & Mullet colored Jerk Baits and the famous Chug Bug.
Stealth is the key when stalking Redfish. Most use electric motors, however, poling is the ultimate tool. When looking for resident Redfish, keep an eye for schools. Once alerted they will push a distinctable wake, sometimes as high as a foot tall and will again settle down. Keep a tab on the direction and pole ahead of the school. When a school is in casting range, you can literally cast anything at them and such usually results in an instant hook up. These fish are all breeder fish, so please take the time to carefully revive them.
Another way to successfully target Redfish in numbers is to locate a bar or an edge of a flat during the lowest point of an afternoon low tide, anchor and chum. Be sure it is a flat known to hold Redfish. Chum with crushed crab, shrimp or even cut bait. Be sure to put a couple of lines in the rod holder with a piece of chum attached to a small 1/0 or 2/0 hook. Use just enough weight to hold bottom. These fish will be patrolling these areas in anticipation of the incoming tide. Once chummed up, they will usually stick around, and such tactics can easily result in a double-digit Redfish day. During the month of September we will have a Neap Tide on the 12th, 13th & 14th and again on the 28th, 29th and 30th, providing for an extreme mid afternoon low tide.
I’ve been doing very well with Redfish along the east and west walls of the harbor. Focusing on the bars and/or edges of at low tide, the bushes at high and the mouths of the many feeder creeks and channels on the last stage of the outgoing tide. Many of the flats that line Bull and Turtle Bays, east of Captiva Rocks, as well as the inside of Cayo Costa and Captiva Islands are also presently holding fish. In addition, pay the oyster bars a visit on high tide. While the oyster bars do attract fish, they also attract their fair share of anglers.
Trout: The Trout bite has been fair at best. While numbers of just under or barely legal Trout can be easily achieved, we are still a couple of months away from a hot Trout bite. For now, the Trout have been mere incidental catches during my trips. The Deep Grass Flats and small passes will hold schools of smaller Trout. Best bet is to fish at first light or just before dark. A few larger Trout to 23” have been caught fishing the potholes at low tide.
Overall, the fishing has been pretty good in August. Redfish fishing has gotten better, and the Snook are aggressively feeding. Bait has been thick, and getting a day’s supply should not take more than one or two casts with a 12’ net. With September will come slightly cooler water temps, and the fishing will just get better. A recent exciting trip was a short half-day trip (3 hours) with Geroge Lochli of Charlotte Harbor. In just under 3 hours we managed to release 39 Snook to 28 inches. This occurred yesterday afternoon. We were heading out, when everybody was heading in! My brother Tony and his ten-year-old son came down from NJ for a days of fishing. He managed to land his biggest Snook to date. The fish measured 42 inches with an estimated weight of well over 20lbs. Not to bad for his 2nd Snook trip. This beast was caught on the beach on a small Threadfin and 8lb line.
Until next time, stay safe, tight lines and many healthy releases!
[signature]
With Labor Day just a few days away, summer is almost over, although with the 90 – 95 degree days, it is very hard to imagine.
TARPON: The hot Tarpon bite of late summer has temporarily tapered off in the harbor. There are still a few left, but targeting them could get boring pretty quickly. It’s either on or it’s not. These late summer fish have been averaging between 60 – 125lbs. The best approach is to get out early and fill your bait well with several dozen threadfin herring between 5 – 7 inches long. At first light, look for rolling Tarpon and establish a drift pattern. Drift one bait on a float, one free line and a third with an 1/8th ounce split shot. Drift your baits 30 to 50 feet behind the boat and live chum a threadfin every 30 seconds or so; or at least until you get the fish feeding. The hot spots have been holes 1 & 2 west of Burnt Store, just outside Matlacha Pass, The Cape Haze Hole, The artificial reefs in the northeast section of the harbor, and the mouths of the Peace and Myakka Rivers. If you do not spot rolling fish, concentrate on the boiling Threadfin pods. My favorite set up for these larger fish is a 7 ½ Star Nicklelite Rod with a Stradic 6000 spooled with 100 yards of 20lb mono, and 20lb Power-Pro backing. Use a 3’ section of #50 leader tied using a blood knot, to an 18” section of #60 Fluro Carbon leader. For a hook, I use a 7/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Wide Circle.
In addition to the adult Tarpon, schools of juvenile fish from 10 – 30lbs litter the upper reaches of the harbor. These fish are a morning proposition only, and will fall to the same tactics applied to the larger fish. Scale down your baits to 3 – 4” Threadfins and Pilchards. 8-12lb line with a 12” trace of 40lb Flurocarbon leader tied to a 2’ section of 20lb main leader will do the trick.
Snook: Our Snook has finished their summer spawn and are in feeding mode. There are still enough Snook along the beaches to make a day. Look for structure in or around moving water. The big concentrations of Snook have begun their inland migration. I am finding loads of Snook on all of the out islands bordering Gasparilla Sound, Bull & Turtle Bays and Pine Island. Work the larger potholes and edges of feeder channels at low tide, and follow the fish into the bushes during the high. Pot Holes or deep water next the groves are a plus. In addition, many of the Residential Canal mouths that border the harbor and the sound are also beginning to hold Snook. These mouths are best fished on the latter part of a strong outgoing tide. Gold Spoons, Soft Plastic Jerk Baits, Mirror-Lure Tops Dogs and Chug Bugs have been my favorites. Stick with the top waters during low light conditions and switch subsurface lures as the day progresses. As the day begins to heat up, work your lures or bait as far into the bushes (High tide) or at the deepest parts of the holes (Low Tide) as possible. The Snook bite will taper off at high noon, so work your lures a little slower. For best results, stick to artificials in the morning or late afternoon, and use live bait through the middle of the day. The August Snook bite has been better than average thus far, and will only get better as we enter fall.
Redfish: This time of the year we have two concentrations of Redfish. We have your resident non-migrating bunch, which usually consist of pairs or pods of fish and we have your late summer early fall breeders, which will occupy a flat or a bar one week, and another the next. For years, I’ve been applying the same Snook Tactics to Redfish and have done extremely well. The only difference is, Redfish do not seem to mind the heat as much as the Snook. Where to fish for Redfish is very much tide influenced. I pay attention to the edges of the flats and the largest and deepest of potholes on dead low, and immediately pan the skinny water as the tide begins its flood mode. Like Snook, these fish will push well into the bushes at high tide. Unlike Snook, Redfish will attack a properly presented artificial just as well as a live bait. I prefer the artificial route, especially for sight casting. 1/8 or ¼ Johnson Gold Spoons are tough to beat, as are Shad & Mullet colored Jerk Baits and the famous Chug Bug.
Stealth is the key when stalking Redfish. Most use electric motors, however, poling is the ultimate tool. When looking for resident Redfish, keep an eye for schools. Once alerted they will push a distinctable wake, sometimes as high as a foot tall and will again settle down. Keep a tab on the direction and pole ahead of the school. When a school is in casting range, you can literally cast anything at them and such usually results in an instant hook up. These fish are all breeder fish, so please take the time to carefully revive them.
Another way to successfully target Redfish in numbers is to locate a bar or an edge of a flat during the lowest point of an afternoon low tide, anchor and chum. Be sure it is a flat known to hold Redfish. Chum with crushed crab, shrimp or even cut bait. Be sure to put a couple of lines in the rod holder with a piece of chum attached to a small 1/0 or 2/0 hook. Use just enough weight to hold bottom. These fish will be patrolling these areas in anticipation of the incoming tide. Once chummed up, they will usually stick around, and such tactics can easily result in a double-digit Redfish day. During the month of September we will have a Neap Tide on the 12th, 13th & 14th and again on the 28th, 29th and 30th, providing for an extreme mid afternoon low tide.
I’ve been doing very well with Redfish along the east and west walls of the harbor. Focusing on the bars and/or edges of at low tide, the bushes at high and the mouths of the many feeder creeks and channels on the last stage of the outgoing tide. Many of the flats that line Bull and Turtle Bays, east of Captiva Rocks, as well as the inside of Cayo Costa and Captiva Islands are also presently holding fish. In addition, pay the oyster bars a visit on high tide. While the oyster bars do attract fish, they also attract their fair share of anglers.
Trout: The Trout bite has been fair at best. While numbers of just under or barely legal Trout can be easily achieved, we are still a couple of months away from a hot Trout bite. For now, the Trout have been mere incidental catches during my trips. The Deep Grass Flats and small passes will hold schools of smaller Trout. Best bet is to fish at first light or just before dark. A few larger Trout to 23” have been caught fishing the potholes at low tide.
Overall, the fishing has been pretty good in August. Redfish fishing has gotten better, and the Snook are aggressively feeding. Bait has been thick, and getting a day’s supply should not take more than one or two casts with a 12’ net. With September will come slightly cooler water temps, and the fishing will just get better. A recent exciting trip was a short half-day trip (3 hours) with Geroge Lochli of Charlotte Harbor. In just under 3 hours we managed to release 39 Snook to 28 inches. This occurred yesterday afternoon. We were heading out, when everybody was heading in! My brother Tony and his ten-year-old son came down from NJ for a days of fishing. He managed to land his biggest Snook to date. The fish measured 42 inches with an estimated weight of well over 20lbs. Not to bad for his 2nd Snook trip. This beast was caught on the beach on a small Threadfin and 8lb line.
Until next time, stay safe, tight lines and many healthy releases!
[signature]