Gulf Coast Limited - Fishing Report

Warm Weather Keeps the Fish Biting in Southwest Florida

2011-11-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

So far November has remained a month with mild weather, a few slight cool fronts but nothing more. With no reason for baitfish or predators to head for warmer water good fishing continues around southwest Florida.

Its Thanksgiving week and we are still fishing in shorts and t shirts, you can’t beat that!

Catch and release snook fishing continues to give us fun with the hard fighting linesides. They are always a pleasant surprise when our main target is redfish.

On some days locating redfish has been pretty easy and on others it’s taken some moving around. Sand potholes on the low water and hard bottom along mangrove shorelines over the higher tide stages have given the best results.

Season is closed on sea trout, but we are catch and releasing plenty. Large fish up to twenty-four inches are feeding over the same bottom as redfish and snook. It’s possible to catch an inshore slam (snook, redfish & trout) without moving the boat.

Now that the Thanksgiving Holiday is here and gone it’s the kick off to the crazy shopping season. I never have and never will understand how people can actually tolerate the shopping mayhem and enjoy it. What I do understand, with all crowds on the roads and shopping at the stores, it’s a great time for a peaceful day of fishing. Especially if this beautiful weather in sunny southwest Florida continues.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday.

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Holiday Gift Certificate available

For charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: http://www.fishpineisland.com/

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

Redfish, Snook and Mackerel in Southwest Florida

2011-11-13T09:56:00.000-08:00

Fishing in southwest Florida around Pine Island we are catching a variety of fish including snook, redfish, trout, mackerel and flounder. We are still primarily fishing with live bait including shiners (pilchards) and pinfish. We carry live shrimp with us each day but there are just too many bait stealing pinfish to think about fishing shrimp as long as the bait fish are still around. A couple more cold fronts and that will change, the pinfish and shiners will move offshore and shrimp will become the preferred bait.

Some days they are a little stubborn and other days more cooperative but we are catching redfish in northern Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass and the eastern side of Charlotte Harbor. Most are of a decent average size running from twenty-two to twenty-four inches, with a few larger or smaller

Snook and some really nice trout, both, catch and release only, were also mixed with the reds. The largest trout were caught with the redfish in the Sound and the better snook action came from the Harbor and Matlacha Pass.

There are plenty of Spanish mackerel in Charlotte Harbor, average size is around fourteen to eighteen inches, with a few larger, once they get chummed up they can give almost non-stop action. We are catching the mackerel on live shiners rigged on an extra long shank 2/0 stainless J hook and on Clark silver spoons. Bonnet head sharks, trout, ladyfish and a few bluefish were with the macks in water depths averaging six to nine feet.

The Holiday Season is fast approaching with Thanksgiving not far off. It’s a great time to get on the water with friends and family and enjoy the outdoors.

For charter information please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

Holiday Gift Certificates Available

Plenty of Action in Southwest Florida

2011-10-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

The beginning of October greeted southwest Florida with a pleasant change. Our first touch of cooler weather and lower humidity after a long hot summer made for perfect fishing conditions. The winds were a little breezy at times, but overall the fishing is very good.

Redfish and snook were very active and feeding throughout the day, both high water and low tide the bite was equally good. We had several days where it was possible to get the slam of snook, redfish and trout without moving the boat. Pictured is David Riser with a 38 inch snook, 25 inch redfish and 20 inch trout to complete his slam. His brother, George also scored with a slam of his own.

Some large schools of redfish are also around roaming the flats and bars, when you get into them it can be non-stop action. Most of the school fish are running from just under the upper slot (27 inches) to well over thirty inches. Pictured below are brothers Bob and John Newcom holding a pair of many redfish caught from a large school in the Harbor.

Large Spanish mackerel have moved back into Charlotte Harbor as they begin their migration south with the cooler weather. Bluefish, sharks, trout and way too many ladyfish are also working the same bait schools with the macks. This action should only get better as the month progresses. Below is Weston Davis with a big toothy mackerel caught near Bokeelia.

The month is running right on schedule, bait is plentiful and it’s pleasantly easy to fill up the live well in the mornings with shiners (pilchards) and pinfish. The weather and water is gradually cooling down and the fish are getting very active and hungry. October is a month where it’s hard not to be on the water fishing in southwest Florida.

For charter information, please contact us at:

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: http://www.fishpineisland.com/

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

Change of Season Sparks Action in Southwest Florida

2011-10-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

After a hot summer things are coming to life on the waters around Pine Island and Southwest Florida. The fall migration has begun with hordes of bait moving south for the upcoming cooler months and plenty of hungry predator's right on their tails.

The inshore waters have really come to life; about everywhere you look there is bait of some type and size. Trout are feeding under the bait schools when they are over a grass or grass and sand mix bottom. Mackerel, ladyfish, bluefish, sharks, flounder and a few tarpon are also chasing the bait pods.

The beginning of fall is a great time for redfish. We are finding them tucked up under the mangroves on the higher stages of the tide and schools of larger fish are becoming more frequent on the open flats in Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor.

This is a great time to fish, autumn or fall begins on Friday and the change is already underway. Days are getting shorter, the water is cooling and fish are getting hungry. Top that with an unlimited supply of bait moving south through our waters and we should be in store for some good fishing.

For charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

"Catch the Action" with Captain Bill Russell

SEPTEMBER BRINGS A WELCOMED CHANGE OF SEASONS

2011-09-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

It’s almost over, the hot days of summer that is. With the arrival of September it’s only a few weeks before we should break out of summers steamy hot days and transition to the cooler days of autumn. This is great news for fishing around Southwest Florida for many reasons.

At the top of the list you would have to place relief from the summer heat. Days will become less humid with a slight drop in temperature, after the dog days of August this will be very welcomed. Don’t get me wrong, it will still be hot on many days, but it will become much more tolerable as the month progresses. Also, the summer thunderstorm pattern will begin to fade away opening up the door to spend longer periods of the day on the water. It’s been hard to get in a full day fishing with the heat and storms, but that will slowly change.

Just as anglers enjoy the change of seasons look for fish to also respond as they become more active resulting in improved fishing. With a drop in water temperature you can expect fish to exert more energy and feed more consistently throughout the day. Of course its fishing, there are days when you can’t buy a bite no matter what, but your chances for success are tipped in your favor.

Offshore, as the water temperatures drop look for fish to move closer to shore in shallower depths and migratory species to begin heading south through our waters. Grouper and snapper fishing could be pretty good without spending a fortune on fuel, plus the powers to be are going to allow us lucky recreational anglers a two month open season on gag grouper. The season opens September 16th and runs through November 15th and I believe covers both state and federal waters. Grouper regulations are really getting difficult to keep track of, please check the latest regulations at myfwc.com to make sure for yourself. Don’t take my word for it, they may change again in the next two weeks.

Mackerel, both Spanish and king should return to the near gulf in good numbers, look for the Spanish from the beaches out to several miles, watch for birds and feeding fish. The larger kings will be found over areas with some type of bottom structure including artificial reefs, wrecks and rocky bottom. Trolling large deep diving lures is a good way to cover a lot of ground and put both grouper and kings in the box.

For the inshore angler it’s a month filled with opportunities. The beginning of autumn is always a great time to fish in southwest Florida for the big four (snook, tarpon, redfish and sea trout) inshore species. As the shallower inshore water cools these gamefish will get much more active, look for explosive strikes on top waters lures with all four feeding much more aggressively.

Tarpon are not in the huge pre-spawn schools of spring, but there will be plenty around for those that put in the time. Redfish should be in large schools prowling the inshore waters. From now until the first real cold front (most likely late in October), will present us with our best red fishing of the year. Large fish will gather in schools of up to several hundred and on the right day can give you a fishing experience you will never forget. Look for them moving along the shallow edges of bars as they push a wall of water and crashing any baitfish in their path. Try to get well ahead of the moving fish to intercept their path, if you don’t spook them make a long cast ahead of the lead fish and hang on. Most are way oversize but they sure are a blast to catch. Large schools of oversize redfish may also be sighted offshore in tight groups around bait schools.

The bigger sea trout will begin moving back into shallower water to feed; this is a great time to work a top water plug across your favorite trout flats. Plenty of keeper size trout will also be caught under the endless schools of baitfish, look for birds and surface activity over grassflats or along bar drop-offs.

Snook season will remain closed in our waters for at least another year. Snook are on the rebound from the devastating kill from the cold January of 2010 and they will remain catch and release only until the state determines the numbers have increased to a sustainable level to again have a season. With that said snook will begin to leave the beach and Gulf passes and move back inshore on the flats around oyster bars, shorelines and other structures. In the past this has been one of the best months for snook fishing, but with the numbers down and season closed most anglers will target other species.

Plenty of other fish including Spanish mackerel, sharks, jack crevalle, bluefish, pompano, flounder and cobia just to name a few, plus the best inshore mangrove snapper fishing of the year are all on the list of what we should expect to catch in the upcoming month. With so many fishing opportunities and weather that’s more enjoyable for fishing let’s get out there and see what we can catch!

For charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

"Catch the Action" with Captain Bill Russell

Fishing is HOT in southwest Florida

2011-08-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Summer in southwest Florida means hot temperatures and plenty of rain and often thunderstorms. If you don’t mind working around the weather the fishing is often pretty good and competition from other boats is scarce.

Redfish have become more consistent as summer progresses; most are legal size averaging twenty to twenty five inches with a few over size fish going over thirty. Floating a silver dollar size pinfish or pilchard under a cork or soaking a ballyhoo tube on bottom has been our best baits. These redfish are tight under the mangroves on the higher stages of the tide, it’s important to keep the bait as tight to the mangroves as possible. By the end of the month schools of large reds should begin bunching up on the flats for their fall run.

I’ve pretty much left snook alone this summer, it’s been hard but with the numbers down its better to let them go through their summer spawn without harassing them. The ones we have caught are while targeting redfish off oyster bars or shorelines, like the one pictured below that was safely released after a quick snap shot.

Surprisingly there are some big summer trout over the grassflats. There not thick and undersize fish are mixed in, but we have caught trout up to twenty-four inches. We are finding the larger trout in areas of open water where sand bars separate deeper water from three to five foot deep grassflats. Schools of bait fish are concentrated in these areas and trout, along with Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and small sharks are working the bait schools. Also, don’t be surprised if a tarpon joins the party, we have hooked tarpon from seventy to ninety pounds on about every other trip on live pilchards.

Use the weather to your advantage and fishing can be good during the hot month of August. Our inshore water temperature can change quickly, give us three or four days with bright sunny skies and the inshore waters quickly get hot and the bite can slow. A couple rainy days with limited sunshine and the water will drop several degrees, this can trigger very good fishing.

For charter information, please contact us at:
“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell
Phone: 239-283-7960
Website: www.fishpineisland.com/
E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com/

Plenty of Sharks and more in Southwest Florida

2011-07-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

The July full moon this week brought us strong tides with good fishing around Pine Island. During the morning hours we’ve been targeting family action over the deeper grass flats with sea trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and other fish to give steady action. The grass flats are loaded with schools of small pilchards and herrings and gamefish are feeding heavy over the morning tides. Look for pelicans, gulls and cormorants or surface activity from feeding fish. The deeper grass flats from north Matlacha Pass around Bokeelia into the northern Sound are showing this type activity. We’ve been doing best with live shiners but shrimp under a cork or small silver spoons or bucktail jigs should also work well. Many of the trout are undersize but there are some keeper size fish mixed in, plus some good size silver or grey trout.

Redfish are feeding under the mangroves on the higher water. A chunk of ladyfish or a live pinfish with the tail cut off has worked best when fished as far under the trees as you can get. Summer mangrove snapper are also beginning to show under the trees.

Late afternoon up until sunset has been the best time for shark fishing. There are blacktips, bulls and lemons of all sizes in north Matlacha Pass and Charlotte Harbor near Bokeelia during the late day falling tide. The sharks are cruising the shallow channels or troths along the sand bars, most in less than seven foot depths. Fresh cut bait like a ladyfish or mullet half has worked best fished on bottom in areas with a decent tide movement.

Summer is passing by fast, it will be time for school before you know it, I encourage everyone to take a kid fishing or boating before they return to the classroom.

For charter information Please contact us at:

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: http://www.fishpineisland.com/

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

Fishing is Hot in Southwest Florida

2011-06-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

Finally we are getting our daily summer rains in southwest Florida. This is a relief as the rains have dropped both the air and water temperatures that were becoming uncomfortably hot for both fish and anglers...

Tarpon are still around and with a lot less pressure than over the previous months.

Summer is a great time for shark fishing the waters around Pine Island, inshore there are plenty of bulls, lemons and blacktips.

With the summer rains our redfish bite should become more consistent. Most of our fish are coming from Matlacha Pass under the mangroves on high water.

Trout and Spanish mackerel are still in Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. The best bet is to look for clear water over deeper grass flats on the incoming tide.

If you don’t mind a little heat the summer is a great time to fish in southwest Florida. The crowds are gone and the fishing can be pretty good.

Have a great July 4th holiday weekend and please stay safe on the water.

For more charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: http://www.fishpineisland.com/

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Unusual Weather Pattern Finally Lifting in Southwest Florida

2011-06-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

Finally, it appears a high pressure system that has hung over southwest Florida for the better part of the past week has finally lifted. The system brought northeast winds both day and night that really played havoc with our tarpon fishing off the beaches, in Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor.

By Sunday morning you could feel a change for the better in the weather and sure enough within the first hour of fishing, a tarpon was boat side.

Snook fishing has been surprisingly good with the high mid-day new moon tides. Free-lining live shiners have yielded fish to thirty-five inches.
It sure is a lot easier to catch a snook than redfish, at least on my boat. In fact most of our snook are caught while targeting reds. The few we are catching are singles and doubles. The redfish bite should improve as the month progresses.

Fishing for sea trout was best at the beginning of the incoming tide in sand potholes behind the long bars that border Charlotte Harbor.

When the tarpon weren’t cooperating other critters often came to the rescue to bend a rod.

The unusual weather pattern for the past week has really made it tough for both fish and anglers to establish any type of a consistent pattern, especially targeting tarpon. Maybe we are at the beginning of a stretch of favorable weather conditions to get back on track. There are a lot of tarpon out there still waiting to be caught!

For charter information, Please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com/

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Tarpon, Sharks, Snook and more in Southwest Florida

2011-05-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long overdue report, when you are having fun fishing every day time gets away from you. May has been a good month, thanks to all who have fished with us.

Over the past week or so weather has dictated how and where we fish, and what we target. Of course it’s tarpon time in southwest Florida, for many anglers that’s the primary target.

When the weather allows and the seas are calm tarpon fishing has been good, but not consistent off the beaches from Ft Myers to Cayo Costa. With better tides and hopefully good weather the bite should improve over the upcoming week.

When tarpon weren’t cooperating over the slower tides we have been catching blacktip and lemon sharks in the five to six foot range in or near the Gulf Passes. As we head into summer the warmer water has brought us a lot of sharks of all sizes, large blacktips are one heck of a battle and a very under rated gamefish, these brutes have no quit in them.

Snook, redfish and trout fishing was best over the windy days. Snook and reds were found off Island points and oyster bars with the southerly wind pushing water past.

Trout were found over a grass/sand bottom in six to eight foot depths, a few larger fish were also caught in potholes.

Spanish mackerel action remains good in Charlotte Harbor even during the very slow tide days we experienced this week. Bluefish, trout and about all the small sharks you care to catch are also mixed in.

After several days of a consistent weather pattern with light winds tarpon and baitfish are schooling up again and fishing should continue to improve as we head into the holiday weekend and into the month of June.

Have a safe Memorial Day weekend.

For charter information, Please contact us at:

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com/

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

Catching Fish in the Wind

2011-05-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

We had to deal with wind much of the week fishing around Pine Island, but fortunately strong tides helped counter it and the bite wasn't too bad. We needed to adapt to the conditions Mother Nature dealt us each day and work around it to find and catch fish.

Still plenty of nice trout around, the best bite was in the morning on the last hour of the falling and first hour of the incoming tide. Many of the fish are averaging seventeen to twenty inches with a few larger to twenty-two inches.

Redfish was inconsistent, catching one here or there. Our redfish this week came from north Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass. Most we caught were in the lower slot, with the exception of a few oversize fish.

The snook bite was good again this week with most redfish holes producing snook, the largest was a tad over thirty inches.

Also jack crevalle and some big ones are showing up, we caught jacks just about everywhere we fished. There haven’t been too many around for the past few months so it’s great to see these hard fighting bruisers returning.

Wind has made it very difficult for sighting tarpon, fortunately we were never really targeting tarpon all week, that’s begins this week. We did manage to hook and land about a sixty pound tarpon on fifteen pound spinning gear while on a trout bite.

For charter information, please contact us at:

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com/

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com/

Southwest Florida Fishing for Redfish, Sharks, Snook and More

2011-04-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Strong tides with big afternoon highs gave us good opportunities for a host of fish around the waters of Pine Island. The bite wasn’t always red hot, possibly due to the full moon, but fishing was good overall each day. A mixed bag of sea trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and small sharks kept rods bending and the kids smiling with often non-stop action over deeper grass flats.

Our best shot at Redfish was over the afternoon full moon high tides; this was our best week for reds this spring with fish averaging twenty-four to twenty-six inches and one whopper that measured out at thirty-five inches.

The snook action was good all week; most are coming while targeting redfish along the Islands. We have caught and released snook of all sizes, it’s great to see them rebounding from the winter freeze a year ago.

Late afternoon shark fishing in Charlotte Harbor was good for blacktips from four to upwards of six feet. When these brutes grow to five feet or better they become one powerful fighting machine with no quit in them. Lots of fun!

Tarpon are still rolling into the area, we haven’t targeted them just yet, but we did hook two over the week, one trout fishing with a live shiner, and the other on a cut ladyfish for sharks.

With April quickly coming to a close it’s almost time to get serious about tarpon fishing.

Have a happy and safe Easter.

For charter information, please contact us at:

“Catch the Action”

with Captain Bill Russell

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

Slammin with Snook, Redfish and Trout in Southwest Florida

2011-04-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

Over the week we targeted snook, trout redfish, Spanish mackerel and sharks around the waters of Pine Island. Despite several days with slow tides we still put together southwest Florida inshore slams that include snook, trout and redfish. Of the three redfish was the most challenging to catch, but the fish we are finding are running in the upper size slot. The snook bite has been better than expected with good action on linesides with our largest of the week and of the season measuring forty-two inches. This big girl inhaled a live shiner right in the middle of a late morning storm that pasted through with very strong winds and an absolute down pour.

Sharks are showing up in good numbers, especially blacktips up to six feet hanging around the mackerel, trout and ladyfish. Blacktips of any size are an absolute blast to catch and one of our most under rated fish. Small pods of tarpon are showing in Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound and are increasing in numbers daily, prime tarpon time is just about here.

The waters around southwest Florida are alive with huge schools of baitfish and gamefish of all kinds feeding on them. It’s a great time for fishing our waters.

"Catch the Action"

with Captain Bill Russell
http://www.fishpineisland.com/

Trout, Snook, Redfish, Mackerel and more in Southwest Florida

2011-04-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of perfect weather this past one was more of a challenge as poor tides and days of really strong winds and some rain gave us a challenge. Even so, fishing was good as our waters continue to warm as we move into one of my favorite months to fish.

Spanish mackerel fishing has been great, most of our mackerel fishing has taken place in Charlotte Harbor, not only are they very plentiful, they are running big. On many of our recent trips we had children on board where they had a blast catching big macks, sea trout, bluefish, ladyfish and even a few sharks all from the same spot. A great way to get a kid hooked on fishing and also the best fishing choice over the slow moving tides.

Trout fish was good all week and even better once we left the slow two a day tides and went back on four a days. Fish are getting larger on average and often once the bite starts the action just continues to get better with more fish responding to the feeding activity.

Slow tides and low water made it challenging for redfish and snook early in the week, but we put together some good catches as west winds and afternoon high tides had them on a good feed around oyster bars and island Points in Matlacha Pass. About every area we try for a redfish we catch multiple snook.

Also, we are catching a few large jack crevalle, this is great news as I haven’t really seen that many as they were also affected by last year’s cold winter. There just aren’t many fish that battle as hard as big jacks, while they have no food value they are very under rated as a great game fish.

Tarpon continue to move into our waters, this past week was pretty windy making them difficult to sight, but I have no doubt once the wind settles this weekend there will be a good showing of fish. This week we are on strong new moon tides, this should bring out some great fishing.

"Catch the Action"

with Captain Bill Russell

http://www.fishpineisland.com/

SPRING FISHING BEGINS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

2011-03-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

March 20th, 2011

SPRING FISHING BEGINS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

The last week of winter closed out in southwest Florida with a whimper as perfect weather and good fishing welcomed the arrival of spring. With blue skies and shirt sleeve temperature fishing continues to get better each day. Large fish continue to move inshore as schooling tarpon were sighted along with sharks, Spanish mackerel, big trout, redfish and snook.

For fun fast paced action it was hard to beat grass flats in six to ten foot depths. Areas off Bokeelia have given myself and many other boats pretty hot action for the past week. Spanish mackerel, some really big ones, kept the drags screaming each day, while trout, ladyfish, bluefish and sharks also joined in the fun. This is great action to get kids with little or no experience into fishing. We had a couple days with little guys under ten who never fished saltwater before, needless to say they now are hooked for life.

While the open water action as mentioned was very good, we had to work a little harder to catch a decent redfish, “gator” trout or snook. We did catch fat redfish up to twenty-seven inches in Matlacha Pass on the afternoon high water along with snook.

We caught our largest trout of the year, an honest twenty-six inch “gator” trout that was caught on a live shiner and released near Bokeelia. We also caught trout from fifteen to twenty-two inches but generally we could get only one or two from a hole then it was time to move to the next.

Tarpon are migrating into the waters around Pine Island each day; I have seen pods of several dozen in Charlotte Harbor, plus a couple cobia and plenty of sharks. Fishing will only get better and the fish bigger as we progress into the Spring fishing season.

For charter information, please contact us at:

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell
Phone: 239-283-7960
E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com
http://www.fishpineisland.com/

Sure Feels Like Spring in Southwest Florida

2011-03-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

It’s still three week until its official, but it sure feels like spring has already arrived in southwest Florida. We are catching an increasing number of species around Pine Island and larger fish are moving in every day.

We found trout up to twenty-two inches over sand/grass patch bottom in three to five foot depths in northern Pine Island Sound, Spanish mackerel and small sharks were also mixed in.

A couple days with a strong southwest wind we fished Keys and Islands in mid Pine Island Sound and found plenty of action on redfish, although most are still running below the eighteen inch minimum we did manage a few keepers. Larger redfish and snook should come into the picture later this week with better tides.

We caught a couple nice pompano around Bokeelia and seen a steady increase in mackerel action in the Harbor. I am also beginning to see a few tarpon showing up in the Harbor and northern Sound and sharks up to six feet.

Most of our fish this past week were caught on live shrimp or shrimp artificials, we are making the transition to live bait as pilchards are arriving, but on many days shrimp was still the better bait.

Warm water equates to more and larger fish and that’s just what we are beginning to experience in our waters. Spring officially begins in about three weeks but we are on pace for an early start. Baitfish are beginning to arrive as are the large predator fish, let’s keep our fingers crossed that this trend continues.

It’s a great time to get out there and fish!

For charter information, please contact us at;

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: http://www.fishpineisland.com/

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Southwest Florida Fish Respond to Warm Weather

2011-02-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

A complete week of mild weather brought up the water temperatures around Pine Island and put fish on a good feed. The sun wasn’t shining every day, matter of fact several days a heavy fog never lifted until noon, but it was the first week in a long time where I never had to wear a winter jacket on the water, not once.

Sea trout continued as the main attraction for many anglers as the bite has become noticeably more aggressive with the warming water.

We found good consistent trout action near Bokeelia in the northern Sound. A surprisingly high percentage of our fish were of “keeper “size (over fifteen inches) with more than a few approaching twenty inches. Each day the bite would start a little slow, but consistent, and get better as the sun reached higher in the sky. We also found trout in Matlacha Pass but a far larger percentage was small. For bait we used three techniques and all worked equally well, the easiest and very productive was a simple live shrimp under a popping cork. This is for those anglers that want to catch fish and not spend a lot of time casting, a great choice with three or more anglers on the boat. Second, a live shrimp fished with a very small split-shot weight with a slow retrieve across the bottom connected with plenty of fish. And last, a white soft plastic shad tail on a red quarter-ounce jig head, I honestly don’t think the brand of the artificial manners too much, in fact I am not sure what brand I pull out of the bag half the time. The important thing is technique and confidence in the bait.

We are catching sheepsheads both in Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound, not in the numbers as last month when the water was cooler, but they are still plentiful and enough large ones to make it interesting. There conti nues to be a good number of undersize redfish around, there are some larger fish showing up but they have been in the shallower back country where a stealthier approach is necessary. Also catching up to a half dozen flounder on each trip, most on the smaller side but others are reporting larger fish and I expect we might have a great spring flounder bite.

We caught several Spanish mackerel over the past week, normally not a big deal, but to me it is. It’s a great indication that the water has warmed considerably and fish are on the move. When you start catching mackerel on the inshore flats after a long bout with cold weather it could be sign of good things to come. Could we be over the hump and progress to early spring fishing? Time will tale, but there are certainly some positive signs.

For charter information Please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Southwest Florida Fishing as good as the Weather

2011-01-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

Weather has dictated how and where we fished around Pine Island in Southwest Florida for the better part of the New Year. We are catching a mix of sheepsheads, sea trout and redfish in both Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound.

On the good weather days, warm with light wind, we’ve been heading to Pine Island Sound. I wouldn’t describe the bite as “on fire” but it’s been pretty consistent with fairly easy trout limits, with fish up to twenty-one inches. Either a live shrimp and jig combo or a live shrimp under a popping cork were the best baits. We found sheepsheads around structure in the Sound where a small live shrimp fished on a split-shot took the bigger fish. The stronger the tide the better the bite.

On the cold or windy days we have been staying in Matlacha Pass and again finding steady action. We have caught a lot of redfish recently, but most are running on the small side, occasionally a larger fish sneaks in. Our best redfish action has come from mangrove creeks and oyster bars on free lined live shrimp.

It’s been a good season for large sheepsheads in Matlacha Pass; the cold, windy days have been the best for the bigger fish. They thrive in conditions that most of our local species shut down. Again, a strong current is key.

Trout aren’t averaging as large in Matlacha Pass as in the Sound, there are plenty of keeper size fish, you just have to cull through a few more under size fish to fill a limit. The same shrimp/jig or shrimp and popping cork rigs that produced in the Sound also was the best choice in the Pass.

With the ever changing weather I really can’t complain about the fishing, there are days where we have been rained or blown off the water, but hey, that’s to be expected. When I look at the weather to our north it is really hard to have any complaints in southwest Florida. A cold front arrived today, but we should be in t-shirts again by the weekend, I almost feel guilty.

For charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineislnd.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Southwest Florida Fishing Getting Back on Track

2010-12-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

Fishing in southwest Florida changed dramatically over the past week or so as the mild days of fall fell way to our first real winter cold. On many of the days the weather was just too miserable (cold, wind, rain, fog) to attempt fishing, but we are gradually returning to a better weather pattern.

The drop in the water temperature gave a big boost for catching sheepsheads, big fish have moved inshore with the lower temperatures. We are catching nice fish and sighting many over five pounds. Look for fish hanging around structure, including dock and bridge pilings, rock jetties along the beach and on oyster bars or deep oyster bottom creeks. Most anglers opt to use shrimp, me included; however some of the real sheepshead experts that target only big fish catch their own bait including fidler crabs, tube worms, or sand fleas. A few black drum have also been mixed with the sheepsheads. The colder the weather the better for catching sheepsheads.

Prospects look really good for the reopening of trout season the first of the year. We have been catching nice trout around oyster bars and deeper creeks while targeting redfish. We have caught plenty of redfish in Matlacha Pass but almost all are running under the eighteen inch minimum, but still a blast to catch.

Now that fish have adjusted to the cooler water temperatures the bite should pick up going into the holidays and the New Year. One good thing, there is no need to hit the water at daylight; usually the best fishing happens during the warmest part of the day.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas

For charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

HOLIDAY GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

ADJUSTING TO THE COLD

2010-12-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

In last week’s report I was bragging about the long stretch of warn sunny weather and hoping it would hang around awhile. Well, about the time the last edition of the Eagle hit our driveways a change was in the air, the cold was about to arrive. Several cold fronts over the past week have put fish into their winter patterns and with cool breezy days there wasn’t too much to report on the water.

The drop in the water temperature should give a big boost for catching sheepsheads, big fish will move inshore with the lower temperatures. Look for fish, with many scaling over five pounds hanging around structure, including dock and bridge pilings, rock jetties along the beach and on oyster bars or deep oyster bottom creeks. Reports of big sheepsheads have come from the past week from shore bound anglers fishing the Sanibel Pier and the rocks along the beach on the Gulf side of Blind and Redfish Passes. Most anglers opt to use shrimp; however some of the real sheepshead experts that target only big fish catch their own bait including fidler crabs, tube worms, or sand fleas. A few black drum have also been reported with the sheepsheads. If you don’t mind fishing in the cold, then this is your fish, the colder the better for sheepsheads.

White Pelicans are back in time for the Holidays

Now that the cold has pushed off the white bait or shiners for a few months anglers will turn to shrimp for live bait and shrimp imitations will be the artificial of choice. Pompano catches will increase as more fish arrive for the winter and more fishermen begin using crustaceans for bait. Pompano are similar to sheepsheads in the fact that they will not eat any type of baitfish, but feed primarily on small crustaceans including shrimp, crabs, sand fleas, etc.., Small nylon jigs tipped with a small piece of shrimp can be deadly on pompano when properly bounced across the bottom. Popular colors are white, pink and yellow. In recent weeks pompano were caught from the Sanibel and Bokeelia Piers and off the beach on Cayo Costa near Captiva Pass. Both sheepsheads and pompano have relatively small mouths so it is important not to use to large of a hook, if you are unsure of the size stop in at your local tackle shop and let them hook you up.

Trout remains closed until the first of the year, no doubt if you spend much time fishing inshore this month you will catch trout and some big ones whether you are fishing for them or not. Pay attention to where you catch them, they will more than likely still be there when season opens, in the meantime handle them with care and release them quickly.

I get laughed at a lot as what I consider to be cold weather our friends from the north call mild. I’m sure when this week’s cold fronts arrive a few readers will think cold, this ain’t cold, what’s he talking about. Like our fish, those of us that have been around here for a long time move a little slower and have to adjust to the change when the thermometer drops. There is still good fishing, you just need to change a few tactics, remember when the cold slows you down, it will most likely do the same for many of our inshore fish.

For charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

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"Catch the Action" with Captain Bill Russell

Southwest Florida Fishing Looks Good Heading into the Holidays

2010-11-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

Fishing around Pine Island in southwest Florida has been about looking for opportunities and exploiting them. Live bait is still thick and readily available, but to cover any situation that may arise it’s the time of year to bring along some shrimp and artificials to complete your arsenal.

The snook bite has been good; the days with a decent tide and breeze have been the best. We haven’t really been fishing for snook but catching them everywhere we are looking for redfish. This is good news after the set back snook had from last winter’s freeze; I have been catching a lot more quality snook than redfish, go figure. We are finding plenty of redfish around oyster bars; most are running small but a blast to catch. Our largest snook went over thirty inches and took a well placed ladyfish steak off the bottom that was intended for a red.

Also around oyster bars we are finding large trout with many over twenty inches. Like snook, season is closed on trout, but always a fun surprise.

Starting to catch some big sheepsheads around structure, from what I have seen this could be a real good winter for sheepsheads. Little bait stealing pinfish are still thick inshore and until colder weather pushes them out they will be a pain whenever shrimp fishing for sheepsheads. As the water cools more big sheepies will move inshore and the bait stealers will move out, until then take a lot of bait, you will need it.

On about every trip we are catching one or two nice flounder, more than I have seen in a while. Most are coming from sand or potholes while looking for redfish. This is one of the best eating fish and always a welcome catch.

Mixed bag action continues strong over the deeper mottled bottom of grass and sand in Charlotte Harbor and north Matlacha Pass. Spanish mackerel, bluefish, small sharks and a ton of big ladyfish are quickly drawn to a little chumming with crippled live shiners. Families and kids love this type fishing, the action is non –stop and there are always a few surprises.

We should continue with a variety of good fishing opportunities going into the holidays. The weather has cooled but not to the point where the bait fish and game fish have been impacted. In fact the night and day time temperatures have been about perfect for both fish and anglers.

Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

For charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Opportunity Knocks around Southwest Florida

2010-10-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

Fishing around Pine Island in Southwest Florida remains good if you keep your options open and take advantage of opportunities that arise.

It’s that time of year that I can’t wait to great the sun in the mornings, the sunrises are spectacular and the bait is just plain thick, a very enjoyable combination.

Charlotte Harbor has been giving us non-stop action when my clients are looking for fast fishing. We fished near Oyster Shoals off of Bokeelia and found great action with big, fat Spanish mackerel. The only problem was keeping the bluefish and big ladyfish off the baits long enough for the macks to get them. We also caught a couple cobia, a few big flounder, sharks and sea trout from the same areas. Look for a mottled grass/sand bottom mix in six to ten foot depths. Our best action came over the incoming tide. This fun should continue until colder water pushes the bait schools south.

Catching large trout and redfish was a little tougher this week, patiently working oyster bars and shorelines was the key to success.

We found a few nice redfish on the eastern side of Pine Island Sound and trout up to twenty-three inches around mullet schools near oyster bars in Matlacha Pass.

Bait continues to be about as thick as possible and every gamefish we catch looks like it’s about to pop from over eating. As we come off the full moon I expect fish to continue fattening up and this should continue until a hard cold front pushes the bait schools south, but hopefully no time soon. Keep an open eye and take advantage of a fishing opportunity when it comes knocking, and don’t forget this is the last week to go catch a trout dinner before season closes until the first of the year.

For charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

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“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

MIGRATION IN MOTION

2010-10-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

With a noticeable change in weather and the Gulf waters cooling down fish of all shapes and sizes are migrating down the coast of Florida on the way to their winter homes. It’s the time of year with endless fishing opportunities and lots of hard fighting fish.

Just like last week the place to find fast rod bending action was not much more than a stone’s throw off the beaches and near the Passes. A host of aggressive hard fighting fish was found daily working large bait pods from Stump Pass south to Fort Myers Beach. Spanish mackerel, bluefish, bonito (little tunny), jack crevalle, sharks of all sizes, and a few king mackerel could be seen aggressively beating up the baitfish on the surface. The bonito and mackerel were often airborne in pursuit of their prey. Using small shiny spoons (Clark Spoons is a time proven favorite) is the easiest way to make a long cast and get in on the action. Often the retrieve needs to be really fast to get the strike, if you think your retrieve is too fast, reel a little faster. Don’t worry you can’t retrieve a spoon to fast for these speedsters. Make sure your reel has plenty of line, when you hook a decent size bonito or kingfish they can take a lot of line in a hurry. Remember often the smallest lure works best, these fish often get feeding on small glass minnows and you really need to match the hatch to get strikes with consistency.

Tarpon were also sighted around the bait pods off the beaches and a couple were hooked around Boca Grande Pass on large live thread herring. Small pods of tarpon were also sighted around the Matlacha Draw Bridge at sunrise on calm mornings. Look for them on the south side near the Bridgewater Inn.

Several cobia were reported over the week in Charlotte Harbor near Bokeelia. They were sight fished along the big sandbars in areas with activity from mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish feeding on pilchards. Keep an eye out for cobia in the upcoming weeks as they are another migratory fish moving down our coast.

Right now is just a fun time to fish, the water is alive and on most days the fish are active. The key to a fun day of fishing is keep an open mind and don’t get too keyed in on any one species. Keep your eyes open and look for opportunities, and take advantage of them when they arise. If you can’t catch a redfish don’t worry about it, I guarantee if you get into non-stop action on bonito or mackerel or if you hook into a big cobia you will forget all about those redfish. This time of year fishing is about opportunities, take advantage of it!

If you have a fishing story or for charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

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E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com.

"Catch the Action" with Captain Bill Russell

Great Weather and Good Fishing in Southwest Florida

2010-10-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

The weather is absolutely perfect and the fishing is pretty darn good too around Pine Island in southwest Florida. Last week started off a little on the breezy and rainy side but by the weekend the temperature, humidity and wind dropped leaving us with bright blue skies and calm seas.

Big trout were a common catch again this week with the largest measuring twenty-seven inches. We found these trout on just about every oyster bar or Island point while looking for redfish.

Snook are moving away from the beaches and back into Matlacha Pass and Pine island Sound. We caught and released a few up to thirty inches around mullet schools, again looking for redfish.

The inshore snapper fishing hasn’t been as good as years past but there is still plenty of fat fish for a good snapper nugget dinner.

I continue to see schools of tarpon in the twenty to sixty pound range in Matlacha Pass early in the mornings on the falling tides. The problem was keeping the other critters including ladyfish, bluefish, mackerel, jacks, trout and garfish, yes garfish off the bait. We are hooking at least a couple garfish every day as the summer rains have obviously flushed them from their fresh water homes into the salty estuaries.

With plenty of bait around and finally some beautiful fall weather our fishing should only get better for the rest of the month. Get out there and take advantage of it!

For charter information please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

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“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Good Fishing around Bait Schools in Southwest Florida

2010-09-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

I can’t remember a time when there has been more bait fish around the waters of Pine Island and Southwest Florida. From small inch long glass minnows to large mullet bait is everywhere, on the calm days it looks like rain on the water except the skies are clear. We are finding the best fishing around the bait schools for redfish, sea trout, snook, bluefish and mackerel.

Redfish caught this week were either large over slot fish up to thirty inches or mid-slot fish averaging twenty to three inches. The large fish we found in schools up to fifty in a pack roaming bar edges in the northern Sound and Charlotte Harbor. Often they were moving fast and difficult to intercept, but you could usually get a hook-up or two before they moved out of range. The smaller reds we caught casting live pilchards into mullet schools around oyster bars and Island points. The best action came over the last hour of the incoming and first hour of the falling water.

Fishing the same areas around oyster bars and points we caught a lot of big trout for this time of year. Most of the fish were over twenty inches with the largest measuring twenty-four, a big average size for September. They also were caught on live pilchards around the mullet schools.

Bluefish (good size ones for our standards), snook, mangrove snapper and flounder were also caught on live pilchards from the same areas. About anywhere you spot bait pods over the deeper grass flats you can expect fast action with Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and small sharks, just look for the birds or the rain on the water.

With the amount and variety of bait fish in our waters now I can only imagine what it’s gonna look like when cooler water to our north starts pushing more bait our way. One thing for sure, our game fish are getting fat and sassy, but there still hungry.

For charter information please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

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“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Redfish, Snook and Tarpon Action in Southwest Florida

2010-09-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

We have experienced lots of rain over the last couple weeks in Southwest Florida. In return the water temperature has dropped making for good fishing conditions around Pine Island.

Schools of tarpon were found happily feeding on the morning high tides in Matlacha Pass. These aren’t the big boys but averaging fifteen to forty pounds they are an absolute blast on light tackle. Our best morning we hooked eight and boated five, that’s what’s great about this size tarpon, they fight hard with spectacular leaps but the fight is over in a short time giving opportunities to hook more.

The redfish we are catching are either over the slot at thirty inches or better or are around the twenty inch mark. We are finding them under the mangroves in north Matlacha Pass and upper Pine Island Sound on high water and falling into holes behind the bars surrounding Charlotte Harbor on the tail end of the falling tide.

Surprisingly we also caught a good number of snook with a few up to thirty inches from the same low tide areas as the redfish.

A few large trout up to twenty-three inches were caught over oyster bars on the high water and good action with trout up to seventeen inches and Spanish mackerel was found on the falling tides along deeper grass flats near sand bar drop-offs around Bokeelia.

With the days getting shorter and the water cooling fishing should only get better each day. Look for schools of large fall redfish pushing along the flats and bars. Snook will also begin to move off the beaches and back inshore and generally adopt a very strong appetite this month.

For charter information please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

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“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Best Fishing Early and Late in Southwest Florida

2010-08-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Best fishing around Pine Island has come during the early and late hours of the day. This is the most comfortable time to fish the summer heat in southwest Florida and generally the time fish are most active.

The redfish bite was good over the morning high water with fish taking live pilchards and pinfish both under bobbers or free lined off of mangrove points in northern Matlacha Pass. Despite some very high water most of the fish were several feet off the mangroves over sand bottom.

Over the deeper grass flats in north Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor a mix of Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout, ladyfish and small blacktip sharks were caught. This is great fishing for the kids and families as there is plenty of action. The mackerel and trout are running a little smaller than last month but if you work at it you can still catch quality fish.

Late afternoon shark fishing has been good off the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor. Lemons and Bulls are roaming off the bars and are hunting for dinner the last few hours of daylight. The big lemon in the picture took a cut ladyfish and took an hour and a half for the brother/sister team of Jake, age 12 and Shelby, 14 to get boat side. After the catch all three were relieved, the shark swam away strong and both the kids were whipped but smiling. We are also jumping a few tarpon on the shark lines.

The days are getting shorter and with several rainy days last week the water has cooled down. Late August is when we start hunting for schools of large redfish and fishing will only get better as we progress towards the cooler days off all.

For charter information please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

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“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Tarpon, Redfish and more in Southwest Florida

2010-07-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Our weather in southwest Florida around Pine Island continues to search for its consistent summer pattern. A low pressure system brought all day rains for the holiday weekend and now we are on a high with thunderstorms few and far between. It’s all good though as the rainy days brought down the high water temperatures and now we are experiencing beautiful weather to take advantage of it.

Our best tarpon fishing came from the beaches from Boca Grande Pass to Blind Pass. The fish aren’t as thick as they were in previous weeks but there are still plenty, you just need to hunt a little harder. I have also noticed plenty of snook on the beaches, most are males in the mid twenty inch range with a few larger females mixed in.

We found redfish around oyster bars in northern Pine Island Sound at the beginning of the falling tide, most of the fish we caught were in the thirty inch class. No big schools, but a couple here and there. Sea trout up to nineteen inches are still running on the deeper grass flats as are plenty of Spanish mackerel and sharks.

We should get back into a summer weather pattern soon with clear mornings for fishing before the heat of the day followed with afternoon storms to cool things back down.

For Charter information please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

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“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

The Heat Is On In Southwest Florida

2010-06-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

You can sure tell summer is here, it’s getting hot. The good thing with summer is plenty of fish and fewer anglers not a bad trade off for a little sweat.

Tarpon numbers are still good in Charlotte Harbor and Pine island Sound. Live bait fishing was best during morning hours with large Atlantic thread herrings then soaking cut bait on bottom was a better choice during the afternoon. Sharks continue as a steady by-catch as they frequently intercept tarpon baits. Inshore most were blacktips and off the beach we caught blacktip and hammerheads. Some days the difficult part of hooking a tarpon is keeping the sharks, mackerel, bluefish and others off the bait long enough for a tarpon to find it.

We also caught several cobia and one nice gag grouper on live baits intended for tarpon in Charlotte Harbor.

The Spanish mackerel and sea trout bite was steady over deep grass flats around Bokeelia. A combination of a deep grass flat with large schools of thread herring was a deadly combination for steady action. The fish were very active over the incoming tide but the bite dropped off dramatically over the falling tide during the heat of the day.

With the arrival of summer and the heat that comes with it the best and most enjoyable fishing is the mornings. We have also fished several late afternoons for shark and tarpon with success but the afternoon thunderstorms are becoming more frequent.

"Catch the Action" with Captain Bill Russell

As Good As It Gets In Southwest Florida

2010-06-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

I don’t know if fishing could have been any better over the past week around Pine Island in southwest Florida. We found tarpon plentiful and more than willing to eat, sharks of all sizes plus all the big mackerel, bluefish and trout you wanted to catch.

We stayed close to home for tarpon and fished the northern end of Matlacha Pass and Charlotte Harbor and found plenty of fish and there was never more than one other boat in sight. What a different animal when they aren’t pressured or over run by boats, these fish were happy and hungry. We jumped or boated fish from seventy to one hundred fifty pounds all on large live thread herrings.

Sharks are everywhere and eating everything. They can be nuisance tarpon fishing, the smaller ones we generally land but they destroy the fluorocarbon leader and the big ones generally chew through the leader during the fight. However when we have been fishing the deeper flats for mackerel and trout we have been putting out a shark rig. I don’t think it ever took more than ten minutes before a big chunk of ladyfish suspended below a balloon was eaten by a shark of some size. Most are blacktips from three to five feet; our largest was a seven foot lemon. All great fighters.

After the tarpon bite slowed by late morning is when we were switching gears and targeting mackerel, trout, bluefish, sharks and whatever else would bite. Chumming with crippled shiners would get the bite started then it was non- stop action on free lined shiners or threads. I intended to spend a little time looking for snook or redfish on a couple days on the high water but the bite was just too good on everything else to break away.

It was one of those weeks were everything went according to plan, that seldom happens on a given day let alone for the better part of a week but luck was on our side. I hope the bite remains strong through the upcoming week, the tides aren’t as favorable after mid week but I am optimistic that there will be plenty of fish willing to chew.

For Charter information Please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

It's All About Tarpon Fishing in Southwest Florida

2010-06-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

Another week of beautiful weather and pretty darn good fishing around Pine Island in Southwest Florida. Tarpon continue to get the spotlight with good numbers of fish showing off the beaches, in the Passes, Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor.

The early morning bite has been the most consistent then the bite has been off and on throughout the day. The Tarpon are on the move from day to day so it is often necessary to hunt for active fish, once found and patiently working the school we have been hooking up with large Atlantic thread herring free lined on a 6/0 Owner circle hook attached to eighty pound fluorocarbon leader. I have also talked to anglers doing well with a half of ladyfish or mullet fished on bottom.

Sharks continue to be a nuisance when tarpon fishing, not the big ones trying to eat our tarpon but those six feet and under that keep intercepting our tarpon baits. I’m not complaining though, sharks are always fun to catch and they keep your adrenaline up while waiting for that next tarpon bite.

We are back on strong tides this week so it should be a great week of fishing. I have to think tarpon are about to peak anytime, the Royal Poinciana trees are in full bloom, an old timer’s way of knowing when it’s time to fish for big snook in the Passes during the summer and we have some great redfish tides. If you ever wanted to score a southwest Florida Grand Slam (Tarpon, Snook, Redfish & Trout) this could be the best week of the year.

For charter information please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Tarpon, Goliath Grouper and More in Southwest Florida

2010-05-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Although our primary target was tarpon almost all week we ended up catching a lot of different species in the waters around Pine Island including one unexpected surprise.

Over the week we caught tarpon in Charlotte Harbor to our north and off the beaches of Ft. Myers and Sanibel to our south. Over a couple mornings we located large schools of happy fish in Charlotte Harbor without another boat in sight. You know it’s gonna be a good day when the first bait that hits the water gets crushed instantly, that was the case on one morning in the Harbor, we boated three tarpon and one cobia before ten o’clock. Fishing was best with large Atlantic thread herrings until mid morning then cut ladyfish was a better choice in the afternoons in the Harbor.

Off the beaches tarpon were eating the large live herrings off and on throughout the day. On our best day we boated four and lost count of how many got away. Other boats anchored up and fishing cut baits on bottom were also putting a lot of fish in the air. Hammerhead and blacktip sharks were constantly harassing our baits and we watched a boat next to us hook and land a big king mackerel around forty pounds that took their tarpon bait. Light winds have made it very calm off the beaches until the afternoon sea breeze kicks in.

Our surprise catch of the week and maybe of the year was a huge goliath grouper that took a cut bait in open water near Bokeelia intended for tarpon. This guy hit in less than eight feet of water and just kept going almost spooling a Shimano TLD 25 before we could pull anchor and chase it down. Of course we were only using forty pound line with eighty pound leader so we weren’t exactly geared for giant grouper. There was no structure to find so he had to fight in open water and fight he did for about thirty minutes before he tired. I was fishing a group from Denmark, they like to catch big fish and this was by far the biggest fish they have seen.

With a week consumed with tarpon fishing I had one day in the middle with a couple that just bought a house in Bokeelia and wanted to learn the area and catch fish. We stayed between Matlacha and Bokeelia and found great action on Spanish mackerel, bluefish, sharks and really nice trout on the morning incoming tide, then found a school of big jack crevalle and a few snook near Matlacha on the falling tide. It was their first time fishing around Pine Island and they were amazed at how many fish and different kinds they were catching. It was a good day with lots of fish and action, but I told them it’s not always like this, although I wish it was.

For charter information, Please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Tarpon at Both End of Pine Island in Southwest Florida

2010-05-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

We split the week tarpon fishing between the beach off Sanibel to the south and in Charlotte Harbor to our north. Both areas held plenty of fish, some days the bite was great all day and other days we had to work for our fish, but overall it was a good week.

From Matlacha we are about centered between the two areas (Charlotte Harbor & Sanibel) so it’s generally a daily decision based on weather conditions and the previous days fishing on which direction to start each morning. Large Atlantic thread herrings have been very easy to come by just north of Matlacha allowing us to venture either direction with a live well full of frisky baits.

On most of the calmer mornings we headed a short distance into the Gulf off of the south end of Sanibel. There wasn’t as many boats out as usual all week as we actually had a couple days were just myself and another boat worked large tarpon schools for hours uninterrupted. I actually prefer when a few boats work a school together, that way someone is always with the school. It’s easy to lose the school while fighting a fish and relocating them can be difficult if you are alone. Our best day off Sanibel we hooked fish all day and finished the day with a double hook-up and I don’t know how but we got both fish boat side. One was about eighty pounds the other about one hundred twenty. Our largest tarpon of the week was around one hundred fifty pounds. A variety of sharks up to five feet and extra large Spanish mackerel were also around the tarpon pods in both the Harbor and off Sanibel.

We had a few pilchards in the live well that we traded for some large thread herring with another guide one afternoon so after tarpon fishing we stopped by an oyster bar in Matlacha Pass on the way home to try for a redfish. We couldn’t buy a bite from a redfish but we did have fun with a half dozen snook to complete the day. After the snook we were hoping for a redfish and a trout from the same oyster bar to complete the grand slam but it didn’t happen before we went through our remaining baits.

Good tarpon fishing should continue as fish are settling into their annual pattern with reinforcements arriving from the south daily. Look for a crab flush through the Passes this week with afternoon hill tides. If the crabs flow from the Harbor and Sound as expected there should be some great late afternoon tarpon action in any of the Passes.

For charter information, please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

"Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Tarpon, Snook and plenty of others biting around Pine Island

2010-05-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Fishing around Pine Island in southwest Florida was good for a variety of species from trout to tarpon over the past week. Bait of all kinds have been plentiful so we have been collecting a good mix this way we have the right bait for any opportunity that may arise. As usual live shiners (pilchards) were our primary bait but we also caught fish on a host of others.

Charlotte Harbor continues to give great action on Spanish mackerel, trout and sharks. A little chumming with crippled up shiners and the fun begins. Sharks are really getting thick in the Harbor, every time we hooked a big chunk of fish under a balloon on a larger rig we were usually hooked up within five minutes. Most of the sharks are running from three to four and a half feet but we did hook a big blacktip of five feet or larger that made a couple spectacular jumps before popping the leader.

A cobia came in on the action on one of the days and curiously hung around the boat while we tried enticing it with several different bait options before we found the right choice. The cobia nailed a live six inch thread herring as soon as it hit the water after turning down a half dozen other bait options, that’s why we like having the bait variety this time of year. The fish weighed twenty-five pounds and made a good dinner for my group that was visiting from Denmark and camping at Cayo Costa State Park for a week. Fishing in the harbor was best over the incoming tide with a big drop-off on the falling.

It’s been kind of windy over the past week making it difficult to locate tarpon. During these conditions I generally do better by anchoring in proven areas and fishing dead baits on bottom and a couple live baits free lined. We only tarpon fished one afternoon but got lucky and jumped three landing one. It was a larger fish estimated at one hundred forty to one hundred fifty pounds and all three picked up either a cut ladyfish or a whole dead shad on bottom.

On the high water we caught a few really nice snook up to thirty three inches and trout to twenty-four plus jack crevalle around oyster bars in Matlacha Pass. One of my long time clients on his last day of fishing before heading north for the summer finished up the day with a thirty-two snook followed immediately by a thirty-three inch caught by his buddy, although we were trying to catch a redfish it was still a pretty good way to end their day and season in Florida.

Tarpon fishing should really kick off once the wind lies down. The fish will tighten up and become concentrated and easier to locate. Look for them around the large bait schools in Charlotte Harbor and off the beaches. I have a full week of tarpon fishing scheduled and with a little luck we will have a good report.

For charter information please contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: http://www.fishpineisland.com/
E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com
“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Tarpon Numbers Increasing Around Pine Island

2010-05-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is the first week of spring were the weather has actually felt right, warm days with a light sea breeze. It was windy early on but settled down nicely as the week progressed. Large schools of thread herring are showing up all over Charlotte Harbor and Matlacha Pass, a sure sign that it’s tarpon time. Although we did not tarpon fish over the past week I have noticed good concentrations of fish early in the morning in the Harbor.

Fishing much of the week was dictated by the tides, we had a decent tide in the morning, followed by a poor mid day tide (no movement) then a decent tide again in the afternoon. Pretty much everything we caught was on the morning or afternoon tides, the mid-day was better left for sightseeing.

Spanish mackerel were running big and plentiful in the Harbor. You can tell there is plenty of food for them they are getting so fat they are taking on the look of a tuna. You would never know they are over eating though, they were attacking our baits like it was their last meal (and occasionally it was). Sharks running from three to four feet were also with the macks and we watched a boat a short distance from us hook and land a big cobia.

We caught trout up to eighteen inches off deeper grass flats near Bokeelia and found a few “gator” trout while snook fishing around oyster bars. One trip produced a twenty-four and twenty-five inch trout by the same angler on consecutive cast.

I am beginning to see a few more snook now that the water has warmed up, it was tough getting them eat mid-day but we caught a few in the late afternoon on the incoming tide. Our largest of the week was right around thirty-three inches and was caught and released in northern Matlacha Pass.

With good tides back on the menu and warm stable weather, the upcoming week should be a good one. There will be good high water for red fishing, snook fishing can only get better and tarpon should finally bust loose.

Contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

A Good Mixed Bag with Bigger Fish Moving In

2010-04-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

We found a good variety of fish this week around Pine Island and southwest Florida and pretty good action. We usually start each day with the question, Do you want action or do you have an intended species you want to target? Most anglers opt to start the day looking for action and I always encourage this when kids are on board. This week the “action” was good with a variety of species, most caught from the same areas.

Shiners (pilchards, white bait) have come pretty easy lately, so we have been loading up the live well to allow for chumming to get the fish going. Large Spanish mackerel were abundant all week in Charlotte Harbor near Bokeelia and in the northern end of Pine Island Sound. With the mackerel, big ladyfish moved in at times so thick we needed to relocate to get away from them. We also caught bluefish, jack crevalle, sharks, trout and broke of a couple cobia. When mackerel fishing the deeper inshore grass flats you really don’t know what you might hook next, that makes it fun.

Trout fishing was good with most of the fish averaging fifteen to eighteen inches with a few over twenty up to twenty-two inches. We found the school size fish over a grass/sand bottom mix in six to eight feet of water and the larger specks in potholes and around the perimeter of oyster bars. Over a couple days we caught a lot of trout mixed with the mackerel.

We did not have much high water to work the shorelines this week but we managed one or two redfish each day we gave it a try along with an occasional snook. We actually had two days with anglers managing a slam of snook, redfish and trout. The redfish were in the mid to lower slot and our largest snook was guestimated at thirty inches. We really haven’t been measuring snook but instead removing the hook, snapping a quick picture (if requested) and quickly getting them back in the water to ensure a healthy release.

Over the week I sighted a few dozen tarpon spread out in singles and pairs in sand potholes in the Sound. They were laid up motionless absorbing the mid day sun, with the water warming more will arrive each day. Also spotted a good number of sharks from four to seven feet cruising the flats and we hooked a few up to four feet mackerel fishing along with a couple cobia that broke off. Several schools of large jack crevalle are cruising the bar edges in the upper Sound, these fish are ten pounds plus and never fail to amaze me with their fighting ability.

It’s great to see the large fish filtering into southwest Florida; it’s time to keep a heavy rod loaded and ready for any opportunity that comes along.

For charter information contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the action” with Captain Bill Russell

Despite the Wind the Fish are Still Hungry around Pine Island

2010-04-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

For the better part of the week strong east winds dominated the weather around Pine Island. We still fished every day with the exception of one very rainy day and to my surprise the bite was actually better than what I would have thought.

Spanish mackerel action slowed a little in the Harbor, but I believe it was a combination of the water just too rough to fish some of the areas and the winds really have the Harbor stirred up. We are still catching macks off of Bokeelia but not in the numbers of last week. Once the wind lies off the bite should improve.

Trout fishing was good all week with plenty of upper slot fish in the eighteen to twenty inch range and several each day well over twenty inches. Most of the slot fish we caught off deeper grass flats around Bokeelia and north Matlacha Pass and the larger fish were caught in potholes, around oyster bars and right up against the mangroves on high water. The best action came over the last two hours of the incoming tide.

We are catching a few snook each day but we really haven’t targeted them too much. Our largest measured thirty inches and came from Matlacha Pass. You can tell the water temperature is getting right for them and I expect a good snook bite once the east wind lies off. We had a difficult week with redfish only catching two; both were in the mid to lower slot.

Big jack crevalle are showing up again all along shorelines in Matlacha Pass and the north end of Pine Island Sound. They are a welcome sight as I wasn’t sure how well they survived the winter freeze, as I heard stories of dead ones in the canals of Cape Coral. However, they are alive and well and if you have never battled one, I challenge you to find a harder fighting fish pound for pound.

Despite some very strong winds and one very stormy day I really can’t complain about the fishing this past week. It was pretty darn good given the conditions and I know it is going to get very good going into the weekend with a more favorable weather forecast.

Contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

Southwest Florida Mackerel Action Non-Stop

2010-04-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

You just knew once we had a few consecutive days of warm sunny weather something good was going to bust loose. Well it happened this week as Spanish mackerel invaded Charlotte Harbor in a big way. We’ve been catching macks for a couple weeks, but things got pretty crazy out there over the past week. Once the water cleared up from the strong wind early in the week schools of fish up to five pounds took over the Harbor and gave us fast non-stop action for as long as you wanted to tug on them.

Double, triple and even four anglers hooked up at once with drags screaming made for some exciting fishing. I often forget how much fun macks are until we get into the schools of the larger fish, they can sure strip some line in a hurry. The schools were all over the southern half of the Harbor over bottom with a grass and sand mix in about six to nine feet of water. Plenty of other boats were fishing the schools, it actually kind of resembled boats fishing tarpon pods inside Boca Grande Pass with groups of up to a dozen or so boats working schools over several areas.

Although we had a well full of shiners to chum with we really never needed to, the mack bite seldom slowed plus the birds have been a real pain when chumming lately. To prevent cut offs from the super sharp teeth I switch to an extra long shank hook when fishing the macks, it reduces the break offs a ton but you still get cut off every so often.

We also caught large trout again this week; most were caught on oyster bars and in potholes where we snook fish in the spring. It sure seems strange not pulling any snook from these spots. With live shiners for bait we took trout up to twenty-three inches with all caught from these areas going over twenty inches. We did catch slot-size trout over grass flats in the northern Sound in three to five feet of water but not the numbers you would expect.

This coming week I expect fishing as a whole to finally be back on track. We have a long stretch of warm weather and the water temps should finally stabilize above seventy degrees. If the mackerel fishing is any indication, then I would expect fishing for snook and redfish to take off any day now plus tarpon to start making a little noise.

Contact us at:

Phone: 239-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Fish Getting Bigger in Southwest Florida

2010-03-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

Were getting there, slowly, but we are getting into spring like fishing. We had a few cool mornings and several windy days however overall fishing is getting better and larger fish are moving in.

Most of the week we were on slow two a day tides, this generally results in a slower than average bite. Although the bite was a little slow the quality of the catch was much improved.

We did not catch the numbers of trout we expect for this time of year but the size was impressive. We actually had one day in north Matlacha Pass where we only caught five trout but they were all huge. The smallest measured twenty-two inches and the largest twenty-five inches, all were caught on live shiners in sand holes on the incoming tide, four came from one hole. On Saturday we were a kids boat for the Bobby Holloway Memorial Fishing Tournament (a great event with proceeds to help our island children) we finished up the day in a sand hole near the fish shacks in the Sound and caught a dozen or so fat trout that were all from eighteen to twenty-one inches, these were caught on the falling tide. There was also plenty of big trout over three pounds weighed in for the tournament. Look for trout fishing to get better each day with the warming waters.

Spanish mackerel continue to run through the Harbor and Sound and bluefish are beginning to get in the mix. There is an abundance of glass minnows they are feeding on, but live shrimp under bobbers, silver spoons, small shiny lures and live pilchards if you can get them are all working well. The mackerel we caught this week off of Bokeelia were a good bit larger than those caught last week. Look for a grassy bottom with sand patches in five to eight feet of water and watch for birds. We also caught our first snook of the year, not a lot, only three but they were sure fun and appreciated. The largest was twenty-nine inches and the smallest twenty-four. They quickly jumped on live shiners near oyster bars in Matlacha Pass. Remember snook season will remain closed until further notice, have fun catching them but release them quickly and safely to insure they return to the water healthy.

Sharks are showing up in good numbers, on one of the few sunny days with light wind I was really surprised how many I spotted cruising the channels between flats from Demere Key north to Bokeelia. They averaged from four to six feet and most were in scattered groups, if you spotted one you would generally sight another four to six within a hundred yards. We haven’t fished for any yet but it is getting about time. Also heard a few reports of small pods of tarpon showing up in the Sound, more good news.

I can see a definite pattern with larger fish arriving each day. This will continue throughout the spring with each warming day. It’s about time to put the heavier rigs back on the boat!

Please contact us at:

Phone: (239)-283-7960

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Spring, Mackerel & Bait have arrived in Southwest Florida

2010-03-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Three good things happened this week, first we said good bye to one long winter and welcomed the arrival of spring (even though it’s still kinda cool). Second, Spanish mackerel showed up all around the southern side of Charlotte Harbor and third, the one that excites me the most, baitfish arrived. I have been hitting the water every other morning at daylight hoping for bait and Sunday morning it happened after a half dozen throws my live well was full of perfect shiners and several dozen pinfish, a beautiful sight.

The arrival of mackerel is a good sign that our waters are warming and the spring migration up the coast is on. Early in the week we caught them on shrimp under a popping cork and white shad tails on a quarter ounce head and on Sunday we fished live shiners and silver spoons and found steady mackerel action. Pretty much every place we fished for trout in open water we found mackerel. Most were averaging eighteen to twenty inches.

On the days the wind was blowing less than thirty knots trout fishing was decent. We never caught any large ones, the biggest of the week was slightly over twenty inches, but it was fairly easy to catch a limit of fish averaging fifteen to eighteen inches. Our best action came in the northern Sound over grass flats averaging five to seven feet and potholes, the best bite was on the incoming tide.

Sunday with a live well full of bait anticipation was high, but shortly after we hit the water so was the wind. We caught a few nice trout and about a dozen mackerel off of Bokeelia before it just got to rough to fish in open water. We headed back to Matlacha Pass to fish protected areas, we started south of the bridge and found absolutely nothing but muddy water and suspended grass from the wind howling right up the gut of the Pass.

We moved north of the bridge and set up on a shoreline and it wasn’t long before we had our first bite in a while. It took a small pinfish under a cork and after a great fight a hefty twenty-nine inch redfish was brought to the boat. With thunder in the distance we released the fish and rebaited knowing our time was running out. It wasn’t long before the same angler was hooked up again, another strong fight and a larger redfish that measured thirty-two inches was landed and released after a picture. The lightning and thunder was getting closer as the sky was darkening, we decided to head for home. A great decision as not five minutes after we hit the dock the skies let loose. I think after this winter I have become immune to fishing in the wind and even some rain, but the lightning is a whole different story.

Another cool front has arrived but hopefully it is short lived. It really doesn’t feel like spring today but with the arrival of mackerel and bait fish I am actually looking forward to fishing each day.

Phone: 239-283-7960

E-mail: gcl2fish@live.com

Website: www.fishpineisland.com

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

READY FOR SOME SPRING TIME FISHING

2010-03-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

We had a good thing going this week then came the wind and rain and boy did it rain. Fishing was getting better each day as we hit our first eighty degree day in a long time. We never left Matlacha Pass the entire week for a couple of reasons, early in the week there was no need to, the fishing was good in the Pass and later in the week strong winds kept us close to home.

Each morning we looked for trout in the deeper cuts between Islands on the morning low water. The bite wasn’t red hot but was steady enough to achieve limits of quality fish. The fish we caught had a good average size from sixteen to eighteen inches and we had a few at twenty-two inches. We were fishing live shrimp either under a popping cork or free lined and white shad tail soft plastics on a quarter ounce head. Our best bite was over the incoming tide. The water was still a little cool for them to move out over the grass flats, but they should begin their move this week.

We caught redfish on the upper stages of the tide working oyster bars in the Pass. Live shrimp worked against the windward side of the bars worked for redfish up to twenty-one inches. We caught a good number of fish from seventeen to twenty inches and sighted more large redfish than I have seen in months along shorelines in the Pass. The bigger fish don’t seem to have the same appetite just yet as the little guys, but that will change very soon. We also lucked into one nice pompano while catching reds in the northern Pass.

As the water continues to warm I have sighted a lot more snook than I expected to in Matlacha Pass. They are moving out along shorelines in both the upper and lower Pass, it was really encouraging to see this many fish after the winter they suffered and there was a lot of big fish. They should start feeding really soon.

We are almost there, the water temp is slowly rising and fish are beginning to respond. Bait fish should begin to arrive very soon and fishing should really improve just in time for the arrival of spring.

COULD THIS BE THE WEEK

2010-03-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

For far too long now this report has sounded like a broken record every week were we spend more time talking about how cold the weather has been rather than how good the fishing is. Last week I changed focus and looked ahead to upcoming days of warmer spring fishing. I fully thought that by the time this week rolled around we would have some good fish stories to tell. Well, Mother Nature thought otherwise and again we suffered through a week with record cold temperatures. And if that wasn’t enough, combine the cold with the relentless north wind and it was a pretty miserable week to be on the water. Matter of fact, the trips we had on the books we cancelled and fishing reports were extremely hard to come by.

Going into the weekend things were looking up as the weather was gradually warming each day and winds were slowly subsiding. I really believe with a few days of good weather fishing will improve very quickly as well as our attitudes. An angler can only be constricted to land or fish in unfavorable conditions for so long before they become very irritable and difficult to be around. Maybe anglers fishing in the northern states have learned to cope with it, but here in sunny, warm southwest Florida it’s not something we are or want to be accustomed to.

This week may provide the big change we are all eagerly awaiting, a warming trend is forecasted and the official start to spring is just over a week away. I have a feeling when the season does change it will do so quickly and the fish will respond accordingly. While we cannot predict exactly when this will happen we can prepare and be ready to take advantage of it.

Watch those water temperatures and remember seventy degrees is the magic number give or take a degree or two when you need to hit the water for our first good dose of spring fishing. With the water temperatures running colder than normal for so long the fish have adapted so you might expect the fishing to go off even sooner, well before it hits seventy degrees.

Sooner or later the winter cold will have to give away to the warmer days of spring, but the question remains, Will this be the Week?

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

FISH ARE READY TO BUST LOOSE

2010-03-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

Every year anglers eagerly anticipate the arrival of spring and the good fishing that comes with it. The way winter has dragged on with record colds the warmer days of spring can’t get here soon enough. Although the season doesn’t officially change for a few more weeks we should expect a big boost in fishing very soon.

With winter running late you get the feeling the fish are ready to bust loose, one week of warm weather and fishing could get red hot. All it could take is for the water temperature to rise a few marks and get over the seventy degree mark. Most years by mid February baitfish including pilchards, herring and pinfish have moved back into our inshore waters, but as of this time they are absent for the most part and if you did have a few in the well there aren’t too many gamefish that would exert the energy to chase them down.

It all has to do with the water temperature, when it hits that magic mark fishing could get crazy fast. The small bait fish will invade our waters and gamefish will be right behind them. Our fish have suffered a long cold season also and they won’t waste any time filling their bellies. We have experienced a glimpse of what’s to come after a short stretch of warm days then another fronts sets us back. There are plenty of really big trout around and every time it warms up a little they turn on as do redfish.

March is a month where you can catch the largest trout of the year as they are in pre spawn mode; fish from five to seven pounds are becoming more common each spring. Soon they will be keying in on oily baitfish like pilchards or herrings, look for them lurking around oyster bars, potholes and on the transitions of sand bars to ambush their meal. While live bait is hard to beat, most artificials that imitate the silver sided minnows also work good, ladyfish steaks soaked on bottom for redfish also end up catching some really big trout. By far the most exciting way to hook up with a big “Gator” trout is casting top water lures over the grass flats. They have an unforgettable “pop” when they blast the lure, for some anglers that’s the only way to fish for them.

You can also expect to catch plenty of schooling size trout all around Pine Island on grass flats averaging three to eight feet in depth. Bluefish, mackerel, and ladyfish will also invade these areas as well as an unexpected shark or cobia. When we get to the point where the baitfish move in it’s a good idea to keep a heavy rig ready to go as tarpon, sharks and big cobia could get into the action at any time.

Off the beaches mackerel both king and Spanish will begin their northerly migration up our coast, once again following the bait schools. Just like inshore, tarpon, sharks and cobia could show up at any time. There should be plenty of cobia hanging over offshore wrecks as well as amberjacks and barracuda on those farther offshore. March is traditionally a windy month making it hard for anglers to schedule offshore trips with consistency.

Back inshore the redfish action should get a big boost in the coming weeks. We will begin to get on higher daytime tides, couple that with warmer waters and an increase in the food supply and the redfish catches will increase in both numbers and size. Look for redfish in the same spots as mentioned earlier for the large trout and also foraging under the mangroves on the high water.

I love fishing this time of year and I will even more when the cold days are gone. I can’t wait to hit the water at dark and watch the sunrise while cast netting a well full of frisky shiners with the anticipation of what we might catch on a WARM spring day. I am so ready for spring fishing, Bring it On!

Another Cold Week in the Books

2010-02-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

This will be the winter we remember for a long time, I never understood why so many people leave the cold states to our north to move to Florida, but now I know why. A couple days of cold weather is tolerable, but when it’s constant it really is miserable. And to think this really isn’t that cold for northern standards, but for a Florida boy it’s been one miserable cold winter that can’t end soon enough.

I was on the water a lot this past week and each day was colder than I anticipated. Almost every angler I spoke to both professional guide or recreational angler is finding it extremely difficult to pattern fish due to the unprecedented cold this winter keeps bringing, not to mention getting them to eat. Every day we fished with the mindset that we would be happy with catching fish and take quantity over quality and if we found a fishy area we stayed on it rather than looking for something better. Several days we had smaller children on board so we really needed to look for action while keeping them comfortable.

We fished creeks in northern Buzzard Bay of Matlacha Pass, structure in northern Pine Island Sound and oyster bars in southern Matlacha Pass and caught fish in all these places. Around the oyster bars we actually had good redfish action on the coldest mornings. They were on the small side going from fifteen to eighteen inches, but it was sure nice to see a steady bend in the rods. We also found sheepsheads with the largest weighing four pounds and were surprised with a nice pompano around the oyster bars. We were fishing shrimp on bottom. We fished structure in Pine Sound looking for larger sheepsheads where we did not catch as many large fish as anticipated. There was lots of little sheepies a few small grouper and a couple larger sheepsheads up to three pounds boated. Again shrimp on bottom was the bait of choice. Everywhere we fished the bait had to be on bottom and moving very slow or not at all to get a bite.

What we caught this past week was by no means grounds for bragging, but with the conditions we were happy to just catch fish and avoid running more than necessary in the cold air. Things are looking up with a little stretch of warmer weather with highs in the seventies. Give it a few days and our fishing should improve with larger trout and redfish on the move and hopefully hungry.

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

HERE WE GO AGAIN

2010-02-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

I am beginning to wonder if we will complete a week of fishing in southwest Florida without weather becoming an issue. This past week was pretty brutal on the water with lots of wind, rain and more cold. Again we are in for another lengthy stretch of cold weather, not the killer type freeze we experienced last month but enough to set our fishing back once again.

We fished a couple days this week where the winds felt Gail force strength and it was tough. I suggested canceling or rescheduling but both days were visitors from the north with a small window of time and they really wanted to get on the water. One good thing about Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound is there are plenty of places to fish out of the wind. We could not get any type of bite going in the open water areas and finally settled into fishing creeks at the northeast section of Matlacha Pass. I generally like to fish using the wind to my advantage on the windward side of Islands but it was just too strong (and cold). The fish weren’t bragging size by no means but we did have steady action and put enough fish in the cooler for a fish dinner each day. The sheepsheads bite was steady but were averaging only about ten inches, we caught several redfish but again running small with a sixteen inch average. We did work our way to some decent trout up to eighteen inches. We were fishing both live and cut shrimp on bottom, free lined shrimp and soft plastics. Even though the weather was cold we still caught most of the larger trout on a white four inch shad tail soft plastic on a quarter ounce jig head.

When you get those days when the wind is howling and the air is crisp look for creeks, canals or protected areas and spend some time there. Chances are the bite won’t be red hot, but if you are getting any action at all stick with it, you know the fish are there. Even if you are catching smaller fish than you are accustomed to, you are still catching and you never know when the larger fish will turn on. Plus it’s far more enjoyable than beating yourself up on those windy days running from spot to spot.

We are in another pattern of sustained cooler than average weather and yes its getting frustrating, I am ready for summer! But, when you look at the weather to our north we really can’t complain, if anything it should make us realize just how spoiled were are in southwest Florida.

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

FISHING GOOD WHEN WEATHER ALLOWS

2010-02-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

We just can’t seem to get a week in the books without weather becoming an issue. The record breaking cold is well behind us, however summer like rain over multiple days and wind crippled anglers much of the week. Over the few days of favorable weather there were reports of trout and sheepsheads and a few hungry redfish.

Trout reports were widespread with reports coming from the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor in northern Matlacha Pass and throughout Pine Island Sound. All areas held one common factor; the best fishing came to those that stayed on the move, either drifting or via trolling motor. Once a fish was hooked up, dropping anchor and working the area usually had good results, then when the bite stopped continued to move. In Matlacha Pass from Bear Island to Smokehouse Bay held fish, on either side of the Burnt Store Bar between Burnt Store Marina and Two Pine’s in the Harbor and in the Sound from Big Jim Creek to Useppa Island up north and the flats outside Tarpon Bay and north of the power lines on the Sanibel side in the southern Sound.

The fish are averaging about fourteen to sixteen inches in length with about half making the fifteen inch legal size. Bait choices included shrimp under a popping cork, four inch soft plastics in a shrimp pattern attached to an eighth-ounce jig head and fished below a popping or Cajun thunder cork and white or chartreuse shad tails on a quarter-ounce jig head with a moderate jigging retrieve. Fishing grassy bottom with patches of sand in four to six feet gave the best results for action with both trout and lot’s of ladyfish. Potholes and gradual drops along the various long sand bars also held good numbers of fish, with trout in these areas averaging a little larger.

Sheepshead fishing was decent, but not what it should be. We are in the height of our inshore sheepsheads fishing and it should get much better anytime. Anglers mainly focused around docks and structure in the Sound and around the Passes. Docks inside Blind, Redfish and Captiva Passes held fish with some larger sheepies up to five pounds caught. For rigging a small live shrimp with the tail cut off and a half ounce egg sinker rigged to allow the line to freely slide when a fish picked up the bait was the best way to outwit the known bait stealers. Black drum up to twenty-five inches and a few good redfish were also caught under the docks. Shore bound anglers caught sheepsheads from the Sanibel and Bokeelia fishing Piers and the Matlacha draw bridge. They also hooked into a few black drum as well as trout and Pompano.

I have noticed fish in general getting much more active over the week and ladyfish invading our waters again. They can often become a nuisance but after the cold they disappeared and I kind of missed them. Also beginning to see bonnet head sharks cruising along the bars, they are averaging about three feet and a good sign the waters are warming. A couple weeks ago to catch a trout the bait needed to move really slow, this week we found soft plastics getting hammered as soon as they hit the water or with a moderately paced retrieve. All these are signs pointing to what could be good fishing in the upcoming weeks.

Our Waters are Coming Back to Life

2010-01-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

I wouldn’t say we had a great week of fishing but it was good and getting better each day. Our water temperatures are slowly rising and it’s getting easier to pattern fish again. The waters are coming to life with the warming as dolphin are everywhere again, birds are active and we come across pods of two to three dozen manatees foraging in Charlotte Harbor.

We fished Matlacha Pass both north and south of the bridge and the bite was better to the north, especially for trout. They were in the deeper cuts between Islands on the low water and mixed with ladyfish. We found a lot of small fish mixed in with about one in six of keeper size. Early in the day the best bet was keeping the bait near the bottom, either a live shrimp with a minimal amount of weight or a shrimp imitation soft plastic worked slowly was best. We averaged about a half dozen redfish each morning in the Pass, but all small between sixteen and eighteen inches.

In the afternoons we fished Pine Island Sound and found the trout to be much larger on average. We did not get any huge fish, but plenty in the eighteen inch class. We found the best bite off shorelines where the depth tapered from four to six feet near Cayo Costa Island and Cabbage Key. Just the opposite as the morning a shrimp under a popping cork easily out fished one on bottom. Chartreuse colored shad tail soft plastics on a quarter-ounce jig head also worked well.

The sheepsheads we caught this week were either big or small, one cast you would get one eight inches followed by a two pounder. The largest we caught weighed five pounds. We were fishing submerged structure near Boca Grande Pass and also boated a few gag grouper up to twenty inches and several mangrove snapper, all on shrimp.

A cold front is pushing through this weekend with a warming trend at the first of the week. The waters should continue to gradually warm as the month progresses. Look for improved trout fishing with an increase in numbers and larger fish in the upcoming weeks.

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Southwest Florida Fishing Improves with Warming Trend

2010-01-24T12:18:00.000-08:00

This week our weather pattern was what we expect from southwest Florida, mild days with highs near eighty. We had a couple rainy days, but overall it was a vast improvement from the deadly cold we recently experienced. The fish are slowly coming around, the water temperature doesn’t rise as quickly as the air, early in the week the water was still too cold but by week’s end the fishing was getting better each day. Even the manatees and dolphins reappeared in the bays.

We found several areas holding a lot of big sheepsheads but we never could get a good bite established. Our best stop on one day was four nice fish from one spot then it was over and time to move on. We did catch redfish almost everywhere we caught sheepsheads, but they were smaller (rat) reds averaging about sixteen to seventeen inches. We were fishing shrimp on a number 2 bait keeper hook with just enough weight to keep in on bottom while fishing oyster bars in Matlacha Pass and northern Pine Island Sound near Cabbage Key.

Trout fishing started out slow early in the week then gained momentum heading into the weekend as each day brought warmer water temperatures. We caught trout but we really had to move and work for them more than I like. We would pull up on a hole; first line would hit the water and BAM fish on. Here we go I thought, then most times that would be it or it would be a long wait until the next bite. We did fish one hole in Matlacha Pass where four anglers had fast action with trout. Most were just shy of the fifteen inch limit, but they did manage a half dozen keepers from the hole. We were fishing shrimp under a bobber, shrimp on a jig head and white quarter ounce buck tails tipped with shrimp. The bite was noticeable better over the incoming tide the later part of the week. We also caught a wide assortment of other critters including grouper, snapper, flounder, lizard fish, needlefish, stingrays and blowfish, this time of year it’s fun just to guess what the next fish is going to be.

A quick update on the post freeze snook status. As we mentioned last week snook season in Florida is suspended until September first at the earliest. The FWC is still gathering data on dead fish counts, their latest predictions are that 125 to 250,000 snook perished in the state. That is roughly ten percent of the snook population of the state. If that is accurate, we will hopefully see them come back relatively quick. This is a preliminary figure and more than likely will change several times, I know a lot of people that witnessed the kill first hand think that is a low number. You can monitor the latest status online at www.myfwc.com. or www.snookfoundation.com.

With the current warming trend fishing should continue to vastly improve as the water warms. There are a lot of big trout out there and they should get really active in the upcoming weeks.

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Thawing Out in Southwest Florida

2010-01-16T05:49:00.000-08:00

Dead Snnok in Pineland

After a long stretch of unprecedented cold weather we are finally thawing out in southwest Florida. As many have already reported our snook population took a pretty hard hit as unknown numbers succumbed to the cold. Early reports suggest the number statewide is very high but too early to get an accurate count. We should have a fairly accurate estimation of how many fish were killed in upcoming days. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission executed an executive order suspending the spring snook season. Season will remain closed until September when it will be reevaluated. You can go to their website at www.myfwc.com/ for updates. With Mother Nature we have no control, just like hurricanes, events like this happen for a reason beyond or comprehension, nature's way of keeping everything in balance I guess. Our snook population will rebound as it has many times in the past, if we all do our part it will be sooner rather than later.

Despite the cold our sunrises are still beautiful

Not much to report for actual fishing this week, due to the cold we moved our trips back a week or two. I did get out and do a little scouting and fishing should get back on course in a few days as the water warms. With the clear water I located really good numbers of big trout absorbing sun over grass flats adjacent to deep water in northern Pine island Sound and on oyster bar drops in Matlacha Pass. I ran across one of the largest sheepsheads schools I have seen in a long time. The school easily numbered over two hundred and most looked to be two pounds or larger. Large schools of ladyfish were slow moving but they appeared to be doing well throughout Charlotte Harbor and in the Sound. I also saw small pods of redfish scattered across the grass flats in the Sound.

Looking forward to some warmer weather!

For charter information please contact us at (239)283-7960
Or www.fishpineisland.com

Call Today and “Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Too Cold To Fish In Southwest Florida

2010-01-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

I know compared to what’s going on to our north our weather probably isn’t that bad, but with temperatures expected to dip into the low thirties again tonight it really hurts our fishing in sub-tropical southwest Florida.

Its funny looking back to my first couple years of guiding professionally, as a Florida boy I did not like the cold at all. Matter of fact if the high for the day was below eighty degrees I would encourage cancelling the trip. I quickly came to the realization that my definition of cold was far different than those visiting from the north. I would hear comments like “What are you talking about this is the warmest weather we have seen in three months” when I would call the day before to discourage the trip. While I was bundled up with every ounce of cold weather clothes I own they would show up on the dock in shorts and a cooler of beer. It took about two years to adapt and now I always let the customer make the call that it’s too cold for them to fish.

Now, I actually enjoy cold weather fishing, but this week was the exception. I had three charters scheduled and all three of my clients decided it was too cold for them and I had to agree, it was uncomfortably cold most of the week. I did fish on one of the coldest days for about three hours and that was enough. We stayed in south Matlacha Pass, semi-protected from the brutal north wind. We actually caught a good number of fish for the conditions, nothing huge (with the exception of a couple big sheepsheads) but a lot of fish. Fishing small live shrimp on a quarter-ounce jig head around oyster bars we caught small (rat reds) redfish, sheepsheads, a couple trout and lots of ladyfish. With the cold weather even the ladyfish were lethargic; they fought like trout, hardly any jumping or hard pulling. After three hours we were chilled to the bone and had had enough.

Extended cold weather can be devastating to some of our native species with snook at the top of the list. It’s a natural occurrence and has happened many times going back to my childhood. I have seen massive kills that make your stomach churn. Hopefully this won’t be one of them, let’s hope the damage from the cold is minimal and we will soon get on a warming trend. I don’t mind a few days of cold but so far the start of 2010 has been ridiculous!

For charter information please contact us at (239)283-7960

Call today and “Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Southwest Florida Cold Weather Fishing

2010-01-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

This past week we got our first dose of cold weather fishing as we switched from live shiners and pinfish to shrimp. The cold has pushed most of the bait fish to warmer waters to our south so it’s time to switch to shrimp and look alike imitations. The fish we catch usually don’t average as large as when we are live baiting but the action can be very good at times. We fished south Matlacha Pass on a cold day with a strong north wind and caught a lot of fish, not a big variety only redfish and sheepsheads but a lot of them. A couple stops the redfish bite was non-stop, the only problem was they were all less than eighteen inches. Still a lot of fun as long as you’re heart is not set on a redfish dinner. We did however boat enough nice sheepsheads for a good fish dinner. We were fishing small live shrimp on number 2 hooks with just enough weight to keep it on bottom.
Trout Season is once again open

The next day we ventured to north Pine Island Sound, we had a couple young boys on board and were looking for action not food. We found good action with Sheepsheads, grouper and snapper while fishing shrimp over submerged piles of debris in eight to ten foot depths. A good number of the sheepsheads and snapper were legal size and the largest grouper was about twenty inches, but we had a lot of double and triple hook-ups to keep the boys happy.
Despite the cold the redfish are still biting

Like a fool we attempted to fish New Years Day and got about an hour of fishing in the books before the rains came. The morning started good, we boated snook on the first two casts then a redfish shortly after followed by a trout. These weren’t huge fish but a good start to the morning. Once the bite died off we began idling to another Island when the weather took a turn for the worst. After waiting about a half hour tucked in the protection of the mangroves to see if it was going to blow over we decided we had had enough. Luckily we stayed close to home due to the uncertainty of the weather so it was a short but wet idle back to the house.

With the cooler temperatures the fish are on the move, for trout look for them in areas where they are protected from the cold north winds. My favorite areas are holes with deeper water than the surrounding areas. This could be around oyster bars, potholes, canals and cuts between Islands and shorelines. Generally when the water is cold they will be most active during the warmest part of the day, so there is no need to be the first one on the water. And probably most important, whether you are using shrimp or artificial, get the bait to the bottom and work it very slow. The colder the water the slower their metabolism is going to be so you need to make it an easy meal for them to catch. My favorite rig to locate fish is a quarter ounce troll rite or jig head with a medium sized live shrimp hooked tail first after biting the end of its tail off with a slow retrieve.
The colder the better for big sheepsheads

If there is one positive to trout fishing when it’s cold they should be easy to locate. With the extreme low tides and limited areas of deep protected waters they should be stacked up when you find them. Sometimes that holds true and sometimes I don’t know where the heck they all go!

For charter information contact us at (239)283-7960

Get on the boat and “Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell
Have a safe week and good fishin’

REFLECTING BACK ON A YEAR TO BE THANKFUL

2009-12-31T19:28:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone, the older you get the faster they seem to fly by. Although the poor economy has been felt by many in southwest Florida and around the country, on the water it’s been a good year for many reasons.

First, NO hurricanes, went through the entire season without as much as a threat. Hurricane Charley dismantled our mangrove Islands over five years ago, they are slowly re-growing, but it’s going to take time. I don’t expect to see a full return in my lifetime, however every season we make it through without a major storm has to help.

Second, another year without a major red tide outbreak. It’s been a few years now since the last major red tide outbreak and the fish that were decimated are really make a comeback. It’s been awhile since the sea trout fishery has looked so good. They appear to be very plentiful and an above average number of big fish. Trout really got hit hard after the toxin move inshore a couple consecutive years as did many species.

Don’t know if it’s correlated with the red tide or not (my guess is it’s a combination of that and improved water quality), but have you ever seen as much bait as was in our water this year. I have a lifetime logged on our local waters and I cannot remember baitfish and a wide variety as plentiful as over this past year. With the increase in food supply the fish can’t help but propagate and grow bigger faster.

Mentioned water quality, our waters did not feel the negative impact from extreme fresh water purging of Lake Okeechobee. Officials are finally taking notice of the deadly impact it has on the estuaries and surrounding waters and appear to be taking action to protect our natural resources. Lee County enacted a fertilizer ban over the summer to prevent harmful run-off into the canals and waterways. My daughter completed her Science Fair project testing the new ordinance to find out if it made a difference. Her results showed just how harmful all the run-off fertilizer can be and the County is definitely on the right track (it was a real eye opener).

Let’s hope we get through another quiet and uneventful year and our fishery should continue to prosper. Let’s make a resolution to get on the water more this year and enjoy why we live here in the first place. Let’s also do something that has a positive impact on our natural resources or community. There are a lot of organizations that work hard to protect the interest of anglers and boaters, choose one and get involved. Take someone less fortunate fishing for a day, you will feel great after and no doubt will want to do it again. Let’s get involved, we can make the difference!

Thanks for another great year, thanks for reading our column and thanks to my great clients for making this such a satisfying job. Happy New Year!

TIME TO CHANGE TACTICS

2009-12-27T15:24:00.000-08:00

We did not fish one day this past week and I have to say with the colder weather and the Christmas holiday it was a nice break. I don’t mind fishing in the cold, actually we have some of our best days when it’s cold and the north wind has blown the water out of the bay. However, it usually takes me two or three trips to adjust my clothing accordingly where I put enough layers on and don’t freeze. Winter time fishing is actually kind of a break because I can sleep in a little and not get soaked throwing the castnet at sunrise. Actually fishing is generally better a little later during the warmest part of the day. I love fishing with live baitfish, but it is a nice change to fish with shrimp, cut bait and artificials when the waters cold. We just have to remember to s-l-o-o-o-w down our baits and keep them near the bottom.

I did attempt to go out on the water with the family today, loaded the wife, kids and dog in the boat and hit the water. We made it maybe a mile when everyone was complaining they were freezing and wanted to turn around (Florida folk can be real whiners when it’s cold). So turn around we did and came back to the house, fortunately we live on the water so it was no big deal, boat was probably in the water a total of fifteen minutes.

I have a busy week coming up to close out the New Year and with the forecasted cooler temperatures hopefully we can get on some bigger sheepsheads and maybe a red or two. There are still lots of trout around as they are off limits for one more week and the pompano bite should improve. With a little luck we will have something good to report at week’s end.

For Charter Information contact us at (239)283-7960 or www.fishpineisland.com

Get on the Boat and “Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

SEASONS GREETINGS FROM SUNNY SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

2009-12-25T20:04:00.001-08:00

Fishing Conditions Are Ever Changing In Southwest Florida

2009-12-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

The weather in southwest Florida has been nothing short of ever changing heading into the Holiday week. Again this week we had it all, early in the week the seas were calm enough to head offshore in a canoe and by the week’s end you would have had a difficult time maneuvering a sport fishermen in a canal due to the high winds. We went from weather that felt more like the fourth of July was the upcoming holiday, (it was warm), to some of our coldest temperatures of the season, plus we had a dose of rain sandwiched in between. I have to think the fish don’t know if they are coming or going.

Baitfish remained thick both inshore and offshore before the dip in temperatures. Around the bait, we found Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish, trout and a few sharks. I ran across one pod of at least fifty little sharks all around two feet feeding on the surface just outside Burgess Bay on the west side of Bokeelia. I’m sure when the weather settles down many of the bait schools will have pushed further south.

We found a few redfish in Matlacha Pass on shoreline points where the incoming tide and southwest winds had them feeding prior to the advancing cold front. We landed several fish while drifting a pinfish under a bobber along the mangroves, allowing the wind and current to push it along the tree line.

Fished for grouper inshore on one of the calm days, tried both trolling and casting lures and fishing live bait, the only success was on live bait. Was a good bit of floating grass for trolling but I still expected more, at least a little guy. We did manage one decent fish measuring twenty-three inches in mid Pine Island Sound and caught several more just undersize in the northern Sound and southwest side of Charlotte Harbor. Both pinfish and shiners did the trick for live bait. Also had a half dozen cobia hanging around one of the grouper holes, they nosed the bait several times, but weren’t interested in eating. Don’t think any were large enough to keep but would have still been fun to fight.

Maybe with the weather change the fish will get into a stable pattern for a while. I sure don’t like the cold, but it has been a pain lately going from one extreme to another (plus it’s supposed to be at least a little cold for Christmas). Some days I feel like the fish, I don’t know if I’m coming or going with the weather changes!

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and remember the holiday is not about the gifts and money. It’s about spending time with family and friends, and what better way than a day on the water. Get out there, you will be glad you did! Merry Christmas

For charter information please contact us at (239)283-7960 or www.fishpineisland.com.

Holiday Gift Certificates Available

Let’s go fishing and “Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

STILL LOOKING FOR THAT PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT

2009-12-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

Ask most fishermen what their perfect Christmas gift would be and a common response is a shiny new boat and motor all tricked out. Well, that’s out of reach for most of our budgets, but there are plenty of gadgets to add to improve the boat you have or tackle and equipment to add to your fishing arsenal.

I made a trip to the Old Pine Island Marina in St. James to get some ideas for gift recommendations and I gotta say I was like a little kid in a candy store! So much cool stuff and new things to make you a better fisherman. I always reflect back to when we would go fishing sporting an old stained T-shirt and barefoot with a worn out rod and reel and a couple lures in a bucket. I don’t know if we caught less fish then than now but we sure didn’t look as cool.

Depending on your Christmas budget there are plenty of gifts in every price range. From sunglasses to cook books, clothing to rods and reels there is something every angler want or needs.

A couple gadgets that have really changed inshore salt water fishing over the past ten years has to be the bow mount salt water series trolling motor and the Power Pole shallow water anchor on the stern of the boat. Both have revolutionized the way we fish the flats and once you use either it’s almost impossible to be without. They are not inexpensive gifts but if the fishermen in your life fishes the flats and isn’t equipped with either it would make a great gift it they fit in your budget.

The Power Pole is designed to hold your boat in position with several models beginning at about nine hundred bucks. A new gadget on the market and a lot easier on the pocket is a Stick IT. It accomplishes basically the same thing as the Power Pole; it just requires a little manual labor. They are priced well under one hundred bucks and there is no electronic or hydraulic parts to malfunction (always a plus in a harsh saltwater environment.) I have spoken to a lot of anglers who have a Power Pole on the back and use a Stick It to secure the bow for perfect boat positioning.

One thing I have learned after spending my life around the saltwater is you can’t sacrifice on quality. Cheap stuff not made for the harsh marine environment will just not hold up, period! It’s better to spend a little extra and get something that’s going to last. A couple good cases in point are items I bought a long time ago and are still used every day on my boat. Both cost over a hundred dollars and I thought were a rip-off at the time, but looking back they were some of the best investments I made. The first is a Boga-Grip fish gripper, it’s a handy device designed to safely hold your catch by the lips and weight it at the same time. I put one on my boat the first year they were on the market. It’s probably been around fifteen years has never been out of my boat and works the same as the day I bought it. The second is a high quality pair of fishing pliers. Before I spent the bucks and bought some high end pliers I used to replace the cheapies every few months it seemed. I ‘have had the same pair sheathed to my belt for the past six or seven years and they are still working great. There are several brands and models and usually the more expensive ones you will find secured in a display case in the stores.

For rods and reels and fishing tackle there are far too many choices to even begin going through. Depending on your budget you can get a rod and reel combo for about twenty bucks and the quality increased with the price. If you want the ultimate rod and reel combo you can go with something like a Shimano Stella reel matched to a G Loomis Green Water rod. I guarantee that combo will make a serious fisherman very happy. Fishing lures make great stocking stuffers, but there is an enormous amount to choose from. Ranging from casting the flats for trout or deep trolling for grouper the selection is huge and the best bet is let the experts at the tackle shops help you make the right selection.

When on the water it’s great to capture your memories of the day and share with others. Digital Cameras have come a long way in the last several years. They are compact, take great pictures and many are built for extreme outdoor conditions. There are many to choose from, I carry an Olympus Stylus model 850 SW, it’s totally waterproof, comes with a floating wrist band in case you drop it over the side, takes great pictures and also videos. I come home at the end of the day and wash it down with the rest of the gear.

Probably the best gift idea that has come out in a long, long time is a Gift Certificate from your favorite store. I could not imagine going shopping for my wife and coming home with the perfect pair of shoes or dress that she really wanted. Well, it’s the same for the angler or boater, why even try to get the perfect present if you don’t know what it is. Odds are the angler you are buying for probably doesn’t know either, at least until they get in the store and shop around. I know when I get a gift card to a store I buy things for myself that I wouldn’t normally, we indulge a little I guess. No, receiving a gift card at Christmas isn’t as flashy as a big gift wrapped box, but it’s the best way to ensure they get what they want and not waste any money on stuff that won’t get used.

Still not sure on the perfect gift, how about a gift certificate for a fishing charter with a local professional guide. Whether you have a boat or not, it’s a great gift for someone who would like to learn the waters a little better, learn some new techniques, improve their fishing skills or just go out with friends or family and catch some fish. It’s kind of like spending the day at the spa for an angler, you get pampered all day, all the work is done for you and best of all when you get off the boat you grab your bag of fish already filleted and go home, nothing to clean!

Whether your budget is ten dollars or a thousand dollars I can’t stress enough to shop at a local store that offers that personal touch. You just can’t put a price on local knowledge when it comes to buying a gift and not wasting money on items that aren’t practical for local waters. There are just so many choices and we only mentioned a few, ask for help if you need it.

I have to thank Mary and Paul at Old Pine Island Marina in St. James for helping me rummage through their store looking for ideas. They really have a lot of great stuff! I know when I left I had several new things to write on my Christmas wish list.

If you have a fishing story or photo that you would like to share or for charter information (Christmas Gift Certificates available), please contact us at (239)283-7960 or www.fishpineisland.com. Have a safe week and Happy Holidays!

Can"t Beat Our Florida Weather

2009-12-16T18:59:00.000-08:00

White Pelicans are back from the north
Inshore gag grouper love bright colored baits

Watching the weather up north on the news I really feel for our northern friends. Looks like lots of snow and very cold miserable weather, while here in Southwest Florida we spent most of the week on the water in shorts and shirt sleeves. Not rubbing it in but I sure wouldn’t trade you places!

It’s mid December and baitfish are still pretty thick, an indicator that so far our weather has been mild for the most. We have had mornings of fog, some wind but nothing really harsh on the weather front. Both shiners (pilchards) and pinfish remain in good supply in Charlotte Harbor near the mouth of Matlacha Pass and Bokeelia, and ballyhoo are mixed in with them. With the water temperature in Matlacha Pass bouncing around sixty-seven degrees one really hard cold front and the bait supply could change quickly.

Hit some submerged boats in the harbor for grouper this week and didn’t quite have the results I expected. We caught grouper but all under the legal size, still a fun fight none the less. Broke one good fish off, but I think the larger fish are still off the beaches and in Pine Island Sound. I have heard reports of some big gag grouper caught while trolling diving lures along the Sanibel Causeway and over ledges off the beaches. I will say the ladyfish were so thick everywhere we tried to catch a grouper that it made it almost impossible to get a bait down, literally dozens swarming your bait.

Snook are still hanging in potholes and holes adjacent to oyster bars, we looked at a few holes with lots of fish of all sizes but with the weak tides and cooler water we chose not to fish for them. Instead we looked for action, which we found with sea trout, Spanish mackerel and of course ladyfish. White quarter-ounce Key Largo buck tails and Bass Assassin white jerk baits where hard to keep in the water without something attacking them for about an hour towards the end of the falling tide. Can’t wait for trout season to open next month, it should be really good with plenty of fish and big ones. I did not see any sharks cruising the bars this week as I had in previous weeks, most have probably headed south.

Again our weather has changed with a north wind and a slight cool down, but it only lasted one day, now it’s warm again. For now it’s back to our sunny warm southwest Florida days. You folks from up north should come on down and enjoy it with us!

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? Holiday Gift Certificates are now available.

For charter information contact us at (239)283-7960 or www.fishpineisland.com.

“Catch the Action” with Captain Bill Russell

Windy Days are Often the Best Days

2009-12-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

Fishing conditions in Southwest Florida changed almost daily over the past week. We had it all, sunny perfect days with little to no breeze, very windy days with small craft warnings, all day rain days, warm and humid days and cool days. You can sure tell winter is fast approaching.

This snook measured twenty-nine inches and was invited to dinner just before season closed

With both snook and trout season now closed, the focus has turned to redfish on the flats. We are catching them but not in great numbers, all the reds over the past week come from Matlacha Pass. We caught several on one day around oyster bars in the northern Pass on the falling tide. Most were small but we did manage one better fish at around twenty-three inches. These were all caught on free-lined shiners on a small circle hook.

Trout are running big and plentiful, a good sign of things to come next month
We are catching the trout primarily around oyster bars and also a few big bluefish and an occasional snook or flounder.

We found this mid-slot red around an oyster bar in Matlacha Pass

Our best redfish day and best day of the week for that manner came on the windiest day of the week. I really like fishing the wind and concentrating on shorelines and Islands where the wind and current are pushing into the shore. After a slow start and a couple moves we hit the jackpot and had a great red bite for better than a half hour. There were several double hook-ups with fish ranging in size from twenty-two to twenty-eight inches. Live pinfish from three to five inches were the bait of the day and free lined or under a bobber both worked great. The bite didn't slow it just stopped completely, but that was OK, it was late in the afternoon and time to head home anyway.

For charter information contact us at (239)283-7960 or www.fishpineisland.com."Catch the Action" with Captain Bill Russell

GOOD PRE-HOLIDAY BITE

2009-11-28T12:38:00.000-08:00

As I write our report for the week the weather and fishing has changed considerably. Early in the week the weather was great and fishing was good then we had a full day of much needed rain at mid week followed by cold weather that set in as families were enjoying their Thanksgiving feast. It's our coldest weather of the season and no doubt well have fish on the move.

This snook measured just shy of thirty-two inches
Again this week before the cold, bait was thick on the flats at first light, three or four throws of the net after a little chumming and the live well was full. Our tides weren't the best this week, (not real strong) but with patience we still caught some quality snook and redfish. Our largest snook measured just shy of thirty-two inches and we caught redfish from sixteen to over thirty inches. Again this week we did not catch a lot of redfish, but more than the previous week. All our snook and reds were caught on live shiners (pilchards), I wanted to try cut bait but between catfish and pinfish it was near impossible. The cold weather will push both off the flats and make cut bait a better option this week.

Thought we had a snook but instead a fat thirty-two inch redfish

A couple days we mackerel fished in Charlotte Harbor and the action was incredible. They were schooled heavy in eight to ten feet of water and eating everything in the water. Double and triple hook-ups were the norm as waves of fish moved through; these were nice fish up to twenty-nine inches. We caught them on live shiners, silver or gold spoons and white buck tails.

Another over-size Redfish measuring twenty-eight inches

We also caught some nice flounder while snook fishing, some really nice sea trout up to four pounds, bluefish, a few undersize gag grouper big jack crevalle and too many ladyfish .

Little Josh visiting from Michigan was all smiles after landing a bunch of Spanish Mackerel

Overall, the fishing was good before the cold weather, now we have to see how it's gonna be this week with the change.

This over thirty inch snook chased down a live bait on the retrieve

For charter information contact us at (239)283-7960 or www.fishpineisland.com.
"Catch the Action" with Captain Bill Russell

GREAT WEATHER AND GREAT SNOOK FISHING

2009-11-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

What a great week! Beautiful weather, bait about as plentiful as it can get and good snook fishing, not a bad way to spend the week before Thanksgiving.

It makes it easy to head out before the sun to catch bait when you know you are to be greeted with a beautiful sunrise and a net full of bait. It's morning like these that make me realize why I love my job. And as a bonus the fishing was pretty good too!

We concentrated on snook this week and had our best snook fishing of the fall season over the past week, not for numbers of fish, but for size. We caught fish from twenty-eight to thirty-two inches on every trip and on Friday we caught and released one measuring thirty-seven inches. With the slot on snook of twenty-eight to thirty-three inches it's been a real challenge when customers want a snook dinner, but this week luck was on our side.

Bill Merrian of Minnesota with the biggest snook of the week measuring thirty-seven inches.

The bite wasn't on fire, but we were patient and worked holes where I knew there were fish. We would get one or two chances from each hole and more often than not bigger fish, then it was time to move to the next. We were fishing live pilchards and pinfish with the pilchards taking most of the abuse. It seemed like all the larger fish would follow the bait for awhile then blast them on the surface. All the fish even the biggest ones jumped more times than I can remember, the cooler water has really given them a lot of energy.

Although I thought we would catch a few more, we only caught one redfish, but it was a whopper measuring at thirty-three inches. I have been seeing scattered reds around the same holes as the snook, so I really expected a few more.

This ones for dinner, measuring in the slot at twenty-nine inches.

We also caught flounder each day and they were good size, big enough for a couple decent filets. They were also caught with the snook on the same baits. Our best bite was on the afternoon incoming tide, we were fishing the northeast side of Pine Island Sound and the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor near Two-Pines. By the way, I am still seeing a lot of sharks, mostly bulls from four to six feet in these areas. They are cruising the edges of bars in areas where mullet, ladyfish or bluefish are schooling. Haven't had a chance to fish for them but we might this week.

For charter information contact us at (239)283-7960 or www.fishpineisland.com.
"Catch The Action" with Captain Bill Russell

BEAUTIFUL DAYS JUST TO DARN WINDY

2009-11-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

Finally this week the weather cooled down slightly, with the change came strong northeasterly winds that hampered fishing most of the week. Extreme low tides were also encountered as a combination of the moon phase and the stiff winds.

To say the tide was low at the end of the week was an understatement, those late morning low's looked like someone pulled the cork and let all the water run out! It's normal to have really low tides in November and with the strong wind from the northeast it made for an extreme low and not much for a high. With these circumstances we found fishing difficult with a slow bite.
Big Jack Crevalle can really test an anglers will on light tackle

The best action we had came in Matlacha Pass where schooling jack crevalle were pushing bait schools into the shallows. They weren't little jacks and there were a lot of them, at least three schools working up and down the same drop-off. One great thing about jacks is they are almost always hungry, and this bunch was no exception. Another is the fight, it's been a while since I have been on schools in the ten to fifteen pound range, they are brutes! We had double and triple hook-ups and darn near spooled the reels more than once. If you want to wear out some anglers get them in a school of these guys. I mentioned last week that bonito was one of the hardest fighting fish around; I sure would like to strap a line to the tail of bonito and to a jack and see who would win the pull off.

We also found a few snook in the northern Sound, (none over twenty-six inches)but the bite was pretty tough. We hit one hole and caught half a dozen, that was our best snook stop as most often we would get one or two to chase the bait but no takers. We also caught and released a few trout and undersize gag grouper while snook fishing.

I'm happy the temperatures have dropped slightly but enough with the wind. Those that have fished with me know I like a breeze for many types of fishing but not gale force and for sure not out of the northeast and east. Everybody has heard that old adage "winds out of the east, fish bite the least", there's a lot of truth to it!

Contact us at (239)283-7960 or www.fishpineisland.com.
"Catch The Action" with Captain Bill Russell

WARM WEATHER KEEPS THE FISH COMING

2009-11-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

Again this week the open water areas were the place to look for fish feeding frenzies. Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande Pass were areas where a smorgasbord of predators and bait were found. The primary subjects were Spanish mackerel and bonito, but bluefish, jack crevalle, tarpon and shark were also tormenting fleeing bait schools. The days I was around Boca Grande Pass the activity was easy to locate, look for birds, often lots of birds. Once you spot them diving down and plucking scraps from the surface then you will notice the white froth from lots of small bait fish running for their lives with toothy critters right behind. We caught bonito (little tunny) up to twelve pounds with double hook-ups; it would be hard to convince me that pound for pound there is a harder fighting fish in the water. An absolute blast on light tackle!

This hard fighting twelve pound bonito was caught in Boca grande Pass .

We finished up trout season with good catches in southern Charlotte Harbor. Free-lining live shiners (pilchards) on the outgoing tide where bait schools where pushed against open water sand bars produced fat trout with the largest measuring twenty-three inches. Bluefish, large ladyfish, jack crevalle, cobia and tarpon were also hooked or caught with the trout. No, we did not boat the tarpon, but we did get a lengthy fight, four great jumps and her right up to the boat before the undersize hook pulled out. The angler was visiting Florida for the first time from Denmark and that first tarpon jump (very unexpected) was a thrill I don't think he will forget anytime soon!

While visiting Florida for his first time, Taus came all the way from Denmark to land this cobia that intercepted a bait intended for a sea trout For charter information contact us at (239) 283-7960 or http://www.fishpineisland.com/.
"Catch The Action" with Captain Bill Russell

FISHING BACK ON TRACK

2009-10-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

Finally got our first shot at cooler weather this week and boy did it interrupt fishing for a few days. It really wasn't that cold but it felt like it on the water after such a long stretch of hot weather. Plus the wind, a strong northeast wind blew hard pushing water out of the bays and making for rough fishing. By the end of the week the winds began to settle down and fishing slowly got back on track.

On my boat this week we cancelled our trips for the first part of the week. Tried to go on Monday, went out to get bait at sunrise and quickly realized it just wasn't worth it with the wind, cold and no water. So we rescheduled. By the latter half of the week the weather was better and fishing wasn't bad. We caught limits of really fat trout from sixteen to eighteen inches over grass flats in five to seven feet of water off the east end of Bokeelia. Trout season is coming to a close at the end of the month, so we better get them while we can. The bite was really good over the last few hours of the falling tide in areas adjacent to sand bars. Ladyfish, a few mackerel and the largest bluefish I have seen in awhile were also caught from these areas. All were caught on live shiners (pilchards) free lined on a 3/0 Owner circle hook.
Fat Sea Trout ate well over the week

We also tried a couple grouper holes in Charlotte Harbor and put one gag that measured twenty-four inches in the boat. We caught another half dozen shorts with a couple that were painfully close to legal and lost a couple bigger fish that broke us off. All were hooked on four to six inch live pinfish. I have also heard a few reports of bigger gags caught by anglers trolling in the Sound and a short distance off the beaches, that's a good sign they are moving in.

Fat Sea Trout ate well over the week

We also tried a couple grouper holes in Charlotte Harbor and put one gag that measured twenty-four inches in the boat. We caught another half dozen shorts with a couple that were painfully close to legal and lost a couple bigger fish that broke us off. All were hooked on four to six inch live pinfish. I have also heard a few reports of bigger gags caught by anglers trolling in the Sound and a short distance off the beaches, that's a good sign they are moving in.

This twenty-four inch gag grouper nailed a live pinfish in less than five feet of water

It's such a challenge to pull a big grouper from his shallow water hole inshore. When they are here and hungry it's a blast to try and yank one from his hole and very addictive fishing!

For charter information contact us at (239)283-7960 or www.fishpineisland.com"Catch The Action" with Captain Bill Russell