NAPLES-MARCO ISLAND OFFSHORE FISHING REPORT:
AFTER PERSONALLY FISHING OFFSHORE THE PAST TWO WEEKS, I WANTED TO SHARE MY RESULTS.
1) LAST WEEK, WE BOTTOM-BOUNCED 2 OZ CHROME "CRIPPLED HERRING" AND "KANDLEFISH" METAL JIGS OVER HARD STRUCTURE, WHILE SLOW-DRIFTING IN 57 FEET OF WATER. OUR BOAT QUICKLY LIMITED-OUT WITH OVER-SIZED RED GROUPER AND LANE SNAPPER ALONG WITH NUMEROUS LEGAL GROUPER THROW-BACKS. TECHNIQUE...TIP WITH SQUID, OR CUTBAIT, AND CONSTANTLY BOUNCE THE "CRIPPLED HERRINGS" AGAINST ROUGH BOTTOM. STRIKES ARE NORMALLY SAVAGE. RELOCATE TO HARD BOTTOM IF THE GROUPER AND SNAPPER ARE REPLACED WITH SAND PERCH.
2) YESTERDAY, THE WIND WAS UP SO WE ANCHORED OVER THE SAME BOTTOM THAT WE DRIFTED THE PREVIOUS WEEK. 1 OZ GOLD "CRIPPLED HERRING" JIGS, TIPPED WITH SHRIMP PIECES, PRODUCED A LIMIT OF RED GROUPER RANGING FROM 24-30 INCHES. I FISHED SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH A FRIEND JIGGING A 1 OZ GOLD
"CRIPPLED HERRING" WHILE I FISHED A DIFFERENT FINISH. BESIDES CATCHING THE LARGEST GROUPER, HE CAUGHT ALL 7 MUTTON SNAPPER AND THE LARGEST LANE AND MANGROVE SNAPPER. INTERESTINGLY, I CAUGHT ALL OF THE TRIGGERFISH ON MY PARTICULAR "CRIPPLED HERRING" FINISH (GREEN & PEARL WHITE). THE TRIGGERFISH WERE ALL LARGE SIZE AS WITH THE SIZE OF THE LANE SNAPPER...BEST GRADE WE HAVE SEEN IN AT LEAST FOUR YEARS. REASON...PROBABLY LACK OF RED TIDE AND MINIMAL FISHING PRESSURE.
AS A GUIDE, FOR MANY OF MY 70 YEARS, MANY OF MY PREVIOUS BAIT-ONLY CLIENTS HAVE SWITCHED TO LUHR JENSEN "CRIPPLED HERRINGS" AND YELLOWBIRD "KANDLEFISH". THESE METAL JIGS PROVOKE HARDER STRIKES, AND OFTENTIMES LARGER FISH, VS "BAIT-DUNKING".
BEST HOLIDAY WISHES,
PETE
Captain Pete's Bait & Tackle
239-643-4466
550 Port O Call Way
Naples, FL 34102
