SW FL-Bonita Beach: 2 little kings-waiting for big daddy-spanish bite hot

[fishbuster]

[cool]I fished a catch and release trip in Estero Bay Monday, 3/26, with Leeds Hutchinson, son Bill, and grandsons Joe and Tim. We fished a slow incoming tide along the channel by New Pass, with live shrimp. We caught a keeper-sized redfish at 19 inches, two small snook, a few keeper-sized sheepshead and lots of smaller sheepshead, lady fish, and cravalle jacks.

Fishing Tuesday at the reefs off Sanibel with Tom Batchellor and friends Becky, Chris and jean, we had to battle the goliath grouper for the sheepshead. We got some keepers to 14 inches, but the goliaths stole every one of the larger ones. We also caught Spanish mackerel to 24 inches, so there was plenty to fill the dinner bag. We released gag grouper shorts.

I fished Wednesday a little further out Wednesday in 40 feet off Sanibel, since the winds and seas were calmer than they have been in awhile. Fishing with Christine Elzinga, Ron Sparks, and Ron’s uncle, Joe Grimsley, we used live shrimp to catch keeper mangrove and lane snapper to 15 inches, triggerfish, grunts, and Spanish mackerel to 22 inches. We released gag and red grouper shorts to 18 ½ inches, along with two small 20 inch kingfish. I was happy to see some kings at last, and I am hoping the bigger ones are moving in now.

Fishing Thursday in 35 feet off Sanibel with Stewart Norris and friends Richie and Bob Riehner, we were hoping for some of those kingfish. There were certainly a lot of blue runners around, which are pretty typical in kingfish territory, but the only mackerel around were of the Spanish variety—we caught those to 22 inches, along with keeper mangrove snapper, and released lots of gag and red grouper shorts again.

A windy front began coming through the area on Friday, and it got progressively rougher offshore, fishing with Lee Larsen, Bud Glanzer and friends, Tom and Steve. We caught keeper Spanish mackerel, triggerfish, and mangrove snapper, but had to release all the gag grouper, because the largest of those was only 21 inches.

Saturday morning, the winds were still gusting, but the Boyd Bowden party decided to give it a go, since weather had foiled their fishing plans several times previously this season. We headed out to the 5-mile reef off Bonita Beach with live shrimp, and began catching sheepshead. But, we only got to boat one of those, since the goliath grouper were feeling greedy that morning. We had pretty steady 3-4 foot seas, even just five miles out, so we decided to let the goliaths have the rest of the sheepshead, and we moved a little closer toward shore to the MAY reef. We caught lots of Spanish mackerel to 24 inches, kept fifteen of them for dinner, and released the rest.

The photo shown is of angler Marin McCormick, with a 15 ½ inch hogfish, caught on shrimp offshore from Bonita Beach.
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[CaptJoeVerdino]

Way to fill the week and the fish boxes. I have to thank you for your reports as they put me on the fish yesterday. I've been seeing your reports of spanish so when the owner of the marina asked me to take a few friends fishing I put your knowledge to work for me. The people wanted to do a 4 hour trip which leaves little time to run out so I hit the reefs off the Naples beaches. The Spanish were thick and we caught somewhere around 3 dozen, keeping 9 big ones. We also got a small king for the box. So thanks for sharing Dave it really helped me out.
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[fishbuster]

Glad you found some Spanish, Joe. Yeah, the half-day trips do limit what you can do sometimes--most times of year they work out just fine because there is usually something decent to catch closer in...but this year has been strange--When you have to produce fish day after day, it can be a lot of pressure. The way the winds and seas have been, even if you had all day, it just hasn't been pleasant enough to take most customers way offshore. And it is still blowin' right now, but NOAA says it should be calm tomorrow...heard that before! Later, Dave
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[Tarpon4me]

Sounds like a great week. If you're getting kings, that means that they aren't far from moving in up here. [cool] I've still got a while on the spanish, but only about 7 more degrees worth of water temp, and we in tha' money.

Thanks for sharing.
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[fishbuster]

Should be warming up faster about now, so you'll be in the Spanish soon, Tarpon4me--catch 'em up! Dave
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[Tarpon4me]

Well, it was looking like it was going to warm up and stay warm. But now there's a cold front comming in from the north west that's going to cool it down from the 80's to the low 60's for about a week. Low's at night in the 40's and 50's. The water temp 4 miles out the other week, according to my sonar, was 62 degrees. That cool down will nock it back down a couple degrees, not to mention rough up the water. Don't be surprised if you guys down there don't feel the effects come thursday. From the looks of things, it'll be another 2 to 3 weeks before we get kings along the shore, probably another month or more before we get spanish. I haven't seen spanish in water any cooler than a 75 degree surface temp around here. So, it's got a ways to go.

Thanks for the words of encouragement though! [] Catch a few for me until then.
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[fishbuster]

Yep, NOAA is already predicting winds and seas to kick up Thursday and Friday, and night-temps to fall into the 50's here too--too bad. I am about ready for the mostly predictably calm days of summer...that is, unless rainy season is worse than usual. And, we are sure keeping our fingers crossed that it will be another quiet hurricane season. I'll catch what I can for me and for you--later, Dave
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