Fishing in Southwest Florida: Tips and Hotspots

Near-Shore Structures for Game Fish

If your boat isn’t safe 50 miles out and beyond, there are several near-shore structures offering everything from grouper, snapper, cobia, permit, huge bonus snook, and sharks. Some of the popular reefs and structures include Helen’s, Belton Johnson, Mary’s, and Pace’s. These structures are all in range of today’s fast bay boats with weather-savvy captains at the helm. Check the FWC and other internet sources for GPS coordinates and structure information, as you will be fishing over sunken boxcars, barges, concrete, steel structures, and other items which host a huge variety of game fish at one time or another.

Mastering Vital Skills for Offshore Fishing

If you’re new to offshore reef and structure fishing, now’s the time to really learn how to use and understand the information your electronics are providing, as well as mastering other vital skills like knowing where, when, and how to anchor, which can make a huge difference in your fishing success. Two of the most important things for the newbie offshore captain to remember is knowing when to stay in port and also knowing when to head in. In the quickly changing Gulf summer weather, staying to catch just a couple more can doom you and your passengers that you’re responsible for. A 22-foot bay boat quickly gets smaller and smaller as the offshore wind and waves get bigger.

Hot Zone for Red Snapper Bite

Weather permitting, go a little deeper to get that red snapper bite. Most reports say 140-160 feet is the hot zone where boats are also seeing quite a few small schools of mostly peanut or juvenile mahi-mahi or dolphin fish. Expect to also encounter red grouper, which closes to harvest at the end of the month, as well as various larger snapper species that don’t see as much fishing pressure. Wahoo and sailfish have also been reported out this far.

Fight the Red Snapper with Live Bait

What’s red snappers’ favourite bait? Not enough space here to print the many opinions, but live baits, pinfish, and cigar minnows are highly regarded while squid, bonito strips, and most other cut baits all take their share of these hard fighting, beautiful, mild and sweet tasting, oh so delicious fish.

Multi-Species Fishing: Tarpon and More

Although you might encounter moving coastal tarpon off the beach to a few miles out, or on the inside along the ICW through Pine Island Sound down to Estero Bay, the main body is still attending the big tarpon bash at Boca Grande, with better coastal or beach chances when turning north out of Boca. One thing for sure, from ankle deep to the horizon, it’s a good time of year to be a multi-species angler here in Southwest Florida. In 1998, a Florida angler fishing in the Bahamas bagged an 88-pound speargun establishing a new world record that still stands.

The Amazing Mahi

Mahi live their short lives at warp speed, reaching sexual maturity in just months, swimming up to a reported 60 mph and growing to 40 pounds in only a year’s time at up to two inches a week, then dying at a ripe old age of just 4-5 years old. In 2012, I released an over 7-pound largemouth, all on the “saltwater side” during a rainy period. Watch the highway traffic as fishing fever-distracted, on-foot anglers are hard to see in the downpour.

The Bounty of Freshwater Fishing

Hope no one was caught in an open boat while fishing Wednesday morning, but I did spot a handful of diehards standing along Burnt Store Road fishing the weirs in the torrential downpour looking for a big snook drawn to the food items dropping over the little dams. Actually, you never know what might bite there. A friend actually caught a grouper there, another, a peacock bass.

One thing is clear, whether you prefer freshwater or saltwater fishing, Southwest Florida has a lot to offer for anglers of all levels and skills. So, grab your rods, bait, and head out to explore the rich waters of the region.

Originally Post From https://www.capecoralbreeze.com/sports/sports-columns/2024/06/18/fishing-with-capt-george-tunison-its-a-good-time-to-fish-for-a-variety-of-species/

Fishing with Capt. George Tunison: It’s a Good Time to Catch a Variety of Species