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More Fishing and Boating

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Southwest Florida anglers continue to enjoy some nice action on most fishing fronts during the better weather days.

Weather permitting our inland, outer shoreline, passes and flats will continue to produce a nice selection of species that include snook, redfish, black drum, sheepshead, mangrove snapper, ladyfish, pompano, resident tarpon and several species of shark such as nurse, black tip, bull and hammerhead shark.

While tipped jigs should be the preferred method for the first eight species listed above, anglers will also switch methods and locations for different species. Some will switch to a weighted popping cork rigged with shrimp or minnows. Adjusting the cork to the depth the bait is just off the bottom will keep it out of the grass and oysters and just maybe attract a nice size redfish, snook, sheepshead or black drum.

Fishing the inland waters during a high incoming or high falling tide can work well — the midday hours on the colder days, early morning during the nicer mornings. Do not rule out changing your game plan if things are slow by moving to different spots and switching methods. Switching colors of the lure or jig an also make a difference.

February is really looking good on all fishing fronts as I prepare this article.

It is a good bet, weather permitting, that you will be able to find the bait from the passes out with some Spanish mackerel, bonito, bluerunner and some kingfish.

While the bulk of kingfish should be working the bait from about 50 feet of water out there will be some that will wonder in closer to shore. Nearshore fish havens, wrecks and spots with hard bottom and some profile would be best. Sometimes they get in as close to the beach as the Naples Pier. It is the structure of the pier that attracts the bait then the bait attracts the kings.

Years ago the bait was so thick the kings would stay just out of casting distance from the pier. We would float our bait out into the kings and when the first angler would hook up, they would yell fish on, we would have a bucket of minnows iced sown and the angler would bring the king in slowly as we tossed cups of bait near the hooked fish. This would attract the other kings and they followed the hooked one coming to the pier. We were able to keep a bunch of them in close keeping a hooked king on the line and tossing more bait overboard.

This method can also work for just about any species such as amberjack and cobia fishing from a boat at the towers and over the wrecks. If you’re anchored and the action is slow, setting a nice live bait out away from the boat and sticking it in a rod holder while you are grouper grabbing just might get that reel to sing. Make sure someone is chumming as the hooked fish is brought in to the boat!

By the way, the Marco Sportfishing Club will be holding their meeting on Feb. 5. It all starts at the Jewish Temple located on the corner of Winterberry and Peru. The public is welcome to attend to see what they are all about and then join if they wish.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. MSC offers the members in house fishing tournaments, picnics, guess speakers and much more. You may call Pete Arcidiacono at 394-1136 for more information about the club.

The Marco Island Flyrodders meet the second Tuesday of each month at Marco Community Bank corner of Barfield and San Marco at 7 p.m. Guests are welcome to come to the meeting. The guest speaker will fly fishing expert Kevin Merritt from Orvis. They also offer fishing clinics and have been successful with a fishing exchange program that works out a fishing trip exchange where someone can fish our area and then host someone from the club back to their area.

Any of you who are reading this article on the Internet may want to check it out. You may call Bob Prestyly at 394-9183 or visit their great website at www.marcoislandflyrodders.com for more information.

Have a great week!

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Red Stier is a weekly contributor to the Marco Island Eagle. Questions or comments may be directed to redstier@aol.com or 172 Trinidad St., Naples, FL 34113.