Southwest Florida Fishing Report: Snapper, gag grouper action on the rise
Several frontal passages have provided crisp morning commutes to the grounds, along with a myriad of conditions for anglers prospecting both shallow and deep.
Fishing on days of wind and weather have been challenging, while scoring a placid weather window has led to ideal settings and catching success.
Complementing the settled conditions between fronts out on the offshore and beyond, has been an ideal blend of water temperature, tide and turbidity, which has fueled excellent snapper and gag grouper action in water depths greater than 65 feet. Often hook- and terminal-tackle weary, the reef fish are indeed fired up and chewing an array of offerings deployed to depth.
Small profile natural baits rigged on a light leader/hook combination have worked well in fooling mangrove, yellowtail and mutton snapper while live baits, including squirrelfish and pinfish, are attracting catches of gag grouper using heavier tackle.
Remember, two of our bread-and-butter offshore species, red grouper and lane snapper, remain closed to harvest within federal water, which starts at the 9-mile mark along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Both fisheries will reopen on Jan. 1.
Therefore, good stewardship when reeling in, landing and handling red grouper and lane snapper should be embraced by minimizing deck time and employing the use of a venting tool or descending device if the catch exhibits characteristics of barotrauma. The extra measures work toward eliminating dead discard.
More: Southwest Florida Fishing Report: As winds die down, expect action to heat up
More: Collier changes rules for businesses operating at county boat ramps
More: Southwest Florida Fishing Report: Anglers need to watch for shifting weather patterns
Closer to shore and in the shallows, mixed bag conditions and catches have also reigned supreme. Similar to the offshore plight, scoring ideal conditions between fronts has been one of the keys to success. Casting jigs, flies, lures and live bait resulted in snook, redfish, pompano and speckled trout making their way into the landing net.
The week ahead is setting up nicely according to the forecast. Light east winds, clear water and pleasant ambient temperatures will truly have the fish fired up and chewing. While forecasts are indeed subject to change, it does look like a great time to go cast a line out and have some fun Southwest Florida.
Offshore: “Our ¾-day and full-day charters have been quite active aboard all our Dalis vessels,” Capt. Gene Luciano said. “The gag grouper have shown up in force, and the king mackerel are beginning to make their showing with the cooler Gulf water temperatures.”
Sailing from the Naples City Dock, Luciano’s fleet has enjoyed great catching out beyond the 28-mile mark. Using cut bait rigged on light tackle, white grunts, yellowtail and mangrove snapper have been coming over the rail while deploying cut and live bait using stout conventional gear, solid numbers of gag grouper have been testing Luciano’s tackle and his anglers’ skills and wills.
Luciano prefers to target gag grouper over and around limestone ledges and wrecks, but has also been scoring catches over wide-open, hard bottom areas. Complementing the gag grouper, Luciano’s crews have been hooking up to and landing king mackerel while freelining chunks of herring and live blue runners presented on a light wire leader.
Naples/Estero Bay: Aboard my Port O Call Marina-based guide boat the Grand Slam, we have enjoyed mixed bag catches along with varying conditions. Several frontal passages have provided for some wind and turbid conditions, but overall the fishing has been good.
When the conditions have allowed, drifting select stretches of the water just off the beaches has been fruitful for my angling groups. Concentrating our efforts in water depths ranging from 8 to 17 feet, catches of whiting, silver trout and bluefish were landed using pink tube jigs tipped with small bits of fresh shrimp.
Within the area passes during times of clear water conditions and moderate tide, my anglers have been staying hooked up to pompano, bluefish and a scattering of sheepshead. Casting and slowly retrieving 3/8-ounce brown-colored tube jigs and presenting small bits of fresh shrimp on a light chicken rig have been my baits and methods of choice.
Ten Thousand Islands: “Very low tides and clear backcountry water made for an excellent week of targeting cruising and staged up snook and redfish," Goodland-based Capt. Paul Nocifora said. “While it has been breezy, working hard to find these game fish in the shallows is always rewarding and exciting.”
Early departures have found Nocifora and his casters prospecting shallow mangrove shorelines, oyster bar areas and protected coves in search of their quarry. Presenting a sparse DT Special baitfish pattern in a tan or black color scheme or a white-colored Lightbulb pattern have kept the longs rods bent with redfish, snook and a scattering of large speckled trout.
Nocifora reports that cooling water temperatures have the snook on the move toward the back bays and creeks, while the redfish are responding by bunching up in good numbers within the middle and back bay systems of the upper Ten Thousand Islands.
If you have a report to share email captwill@naplessportfishing.com.
Anglers, email your photos to news@naplesnews.com or post them at www.naplesnews.com/participate and we will compile your images into an online gallery that’s featured each Thursday morning at www.naplesnews.com. Do not submit photos of fish caught illegally.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Snapper, gag grouper fishing on the rise in Southwest Florida
