SW Florida - Pine Island, Boca Grande, Charlotte Harbor Fishing Report April 4, 2016

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Conditions: Early morning low tides will provide great fishing along oyster beds, the edges of the grass flats and the deeper mangrove points. Water clarity and salinity continues to improve in lower Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass. The rest of the Harbor has very good conditions and excellent fishing. Fishing pressure should be lower this week now that spring break is behind us.

 

Species to fish for this week: Redfish, Spotted Sea Trout, Bluefish, Jacks, Ladyfish, Snook, Spanish mackerel.

Bait the fish are feeding on: shrimp, crabs, pinfish, ladyfish. Some whitebait in Matlacha Pass, Gasparilla sound, Upper Pine Island sound and on Bokeelia Shoals.

Fishing Tactics: Look for moving water near structure. Snook, redfish and jacks lay in wait at these ambush points. As the tide reaches flood move to the edges of grass flats and fish the potholes for staged up reds and trout. At high tide snook and redfish will cruise the mangrove shadows looking for an afternoon snack.

My fly fishing tip of the week: Keep an 8 or 9 Wt. rod rigged with a wire bite tippet. There’s been several schools of jack crevalle and spanish mackerel throughout the Harbor. Also, it’s time to keep that rigged 11 or 12 Wt. tarpon rod with you. I’ve been seeing a few rollers in the deeper sections of the lower Harbor and upper Pine Island Sound.

My spin fishing tip of the week: Keep a rod rigged with a short wire leader for the spanish and jacks. Best offerings for these toothy critters are hard plastic swimming plugs, poppers and metal lures. The flashier the better.
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7 day outlook: Cooler temps and off-shore breezes until mid week. The wind will shift to on-shore Wednesday. A slight chance of showers on Wednesday evening and Thursday. Winds should be light to moderate all week. We’ll have morning incoming tides this week providing lots of moving water.

 

 

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Charlotte Harbor / Pine Island Sound Fishing Report January 4th, 2016

Charlotte Harbor / Pine Island Sound Fishing Report January 4th, 2016 - Happy New Year Everyone! Welcome to the first of 2016 weekly Fishing Reports from Charlotte Harbor Florida. My guiding season kicks later this month and I'm looking forward to enjoying the sun and warmth of Southwest Florida through early June.

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Conditions: Typical January fishing conditions this week. Low water levels and dropping water temps.

Bait: Mullet, Ladyfish, pinfish, shrimp, crabs

Fishing Tactics: Cool temps and northeast winds will move the water and fish from the mangroves into the potholes and troughs. Concentrate on deeper water with slower presentations.

Species to target: Redfish, Snook Seatrout, Jacks, Spanish Mackerel and Ladyfish.

My Fly Fishing Tip of the Week: Cool water tactics, swap to a sinking or sinking intermediate line and weighted flies. Fish edges and holes.

My Spin Fishing Tip of the Week: Fish slow and low during cool water conditions.

 

7 day outlook: Average temps and northeast winds subsiding mid-week. 40% chance of showers on Wednesday. 

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Charlotte Harbor / Pine Island Sound Fishing Report March 24th, 2015

Both Matlacha and Ding Darling Preseves have great fishing this week. Here's Greg Killough and a nice Jack caught on an Orvis Helios 2 8wt fly rod. Greg also caught seatrout and snook. 

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Conditions: Water temps are in the high 70s to low 80s. A mild cold front will be arriving late in the week slight chance of afternoon showers and light winds through the weekend.

Bait: threadfin and greenback herring, pinfish, shrimp, crabs

Species to target this week: Snook, Redfish, Seatrout, Jacks, Ladyfish, Spanish Mackerel.

Fishing Tactics: With water temps rising the mid day fishing will be slow. Fish the morning tides for the best action.

My Fly Fishing Tip of the Week: Snook will be cruising the mangrove edges at the tide rises. Redfish will be near the oyster beds as the tide ebbs.

My Spin Fishing Tip of the Week: Suspending twitch baits and soft plastic on light jig heads fished slow along the mangrove shadows can be productive.

7 day outlook: Higher water levels in mornings will allow for easier access to the backwaters.

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Pine Island, Boca Grande Spin and Fly Fishing Report 03-26-14

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Light tackle and fly fishing is great this time of year throughout Charlotte Harbor. Snook, Redfish and Trout are active and in their usual haunts. Snook can be found on sand near mangroves try light colored soft plastic lures and white flies with a bit of flash. Redfish are up in the shallows and around oyster beds. The old stand by copper spoon and dark colored sinking flies are producing well. Trout are on the grass flats usually near an edge or deep hole. Use top water lures and flies for some real fun. Spanish Mackerel are spread out in the lower Harbor along the transitions from flats to deeper water. They love flashy lures and flies but you have to move them fast. Cobia and tarpon are spotty right now but that will change as the bait continues to move into Pine Island and Gasparilla Sounds.

Have fun and be safe out there! Capt. Dave Pecci Obsession Sportfishing Charters 941-235-1311 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Go to www.obsessioncharters.com and www.facebook.com/dave.pecci for more fishing info including pictures and videos.

 

 

 

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The Clouser Minnow

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Lefty Krey has said on many occations that if he could only have one fly it would be --- yep, you got it, a Clouser Minnow in chartreus. Trout, spanish, ladyfish, jacks, small snook and even redfish eat this fly. Don't forget to use a wire trace on the toothy guys...

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Charlotte Harbor /Boca Grande Fishing Report: 05-29-13

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The tarpon are settling down from the unrelenting pressure from Memorial Day weekend Boca Grande anglers. The fish in shallow water of Gasparilla Pass were still edgy on Tuesday but the pods that were in 15+ feet were much more at ease. Some of the tarpon have moved offshore to spawn as they typically do following the full moon this time of year. On their return, the fishing should be even better than it is currently; I love this time of year here in Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. There are schools of Spanish and False Albacore (Little Tunny) a half a mile or so off the beaches. There are some snook in the toughs making for fun sight casting. As for the back country; with water temps in the mid 80’s, redfish and snook are back in the shade or in deep holes as the day heats up so go early and be patient. Spotted Seatrout are holding on the deeper grass flats. There are still some Spanish and Ladyfish around too. I’m rounding third and heading for home in my 2013 Florida guiding season. I do have a few open days before heading to Maine on June 14th so give me a call and we’ll go catch’em!

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Charlotte Harbor /Boca Grande Fishing Report: 04-28-13

 

Only been on the water of Charlotte Harbor a few times in the past two weeks... Been enjoying some vacation time with Barb. She heads back to Maine the end of the week and I'm already missing her...  The fishing is excellent right now. Snook are cruising in 4-6 feet of water in Pine Island Sound and the Beaches of Gasparilla. The spotted seatrout are aggressive in Bull and Turtle Bay. Spanish are in the deeper water of Gasparilla Sound. The tarpon are showing up on the Boca Grande beaches though not to the point of steady action. Bait balls everywhere on the beaches, in the sounds and backcountry. Love this time of year in Charlotte Harbor!

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Charlotte Harbor /Boca Grande Fishing Report: 04-18-13

 

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The first tarpon are showing up. Just two pods on the beach at Boca Grande so far. Gulf water is 76*. Another 2-4* will improve things. Haiden Shea had a baby tarpon (3'er) spit the hook yesterday in Turtle Bay. Snook seem to be everywhere in Gasparilla Sound and Pine Island Sound this week but are not eating all that well. Redfish are moving in and out of the skinny water of Bull and Turtle Bay. Spotted searout, ladyfish and Spanish are at Bokeelia and the flats up toward Punta Gorda. The Shea boys and dad; Scott (Seaspray Kayak) had the full show yesterday... Porpoise, manatees, eagles, ospreys all were out in numbers. All totaled they caught 7 different species of fish. Haiden will be sending me some video from his Go Pro. I'm off the water for the next few days, spending some time with my bride! Trip to the beach, lunch at Sharky's And maybe a bike ride on today's itinerary...

 

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