Sarasota to Bonita Beach
Includes Siesta Key, Venice, Englewood, Boca Grande, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Pine Island, Cape Coral, Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers.

Oct. 17-20

SW

Offshore: Getting tired of hearing about the wind? You’re not alone. Breezes gusting to 20 plus miles per out of the northeast made for rough sailing. Not too much to report on the Gulf marks. There were lots of Spanish at the pass mouths, a very few tarpon and numbers of jacks. That’s about it!

Sarasota-Englewood: The backbay and passes though were holding and giving up lots of nice snook, reds, black drum, snapper and big jacks and sharks. The wind was a pain but hardcore anglers dealt with it and came home with fish in the box. Smallish tarpon, reds, snook, trout, black drum and big jacks kept the canal diggers busy.

Port Charlotte: Thank God for the creeks, rivers and canals as the big bay could be challenging to the point of threatening. Good reports of big reds in the canals and creeks along with some legal snook, trout, snapper, black drum and baby tarpon.

Ft. Myers: My crews found upper slot reds, near slot snook, shortie trout, big black drum, fat snapper, and a few pompano in Estero Bay. There were some buster snook at 39 inches in the passes though and most of the rest were over slot as well. Same thing with the hoggzilla reds to 38- 40 plus inches, crushing livebait and big cut stuff.

Winds made driftfishing very tough so trout fishing was a tad slow. Guys picked up some gators around the oyster though.

Pine Island Sound and Matlacha held good numbers of slot and over slot reds. Schooling was reported around Fosters Point on the northern reaches of Pine Island sound. Redfish Pass held big reds and snook but could be treacherous with the strong gusty winds.

The Ding had good shortie snook fly action with a few legal fish reported. The Refuge also held rat reds in abundance and some nice upper slot critters to. Big sheepies and black drum ate frozen shrimp and had some fat specks for company.

Let’s hope the winds subside as is predicted for the weekend, “there be whales out there boys“.

The whitebait was thick again this week, except for the wind throwing in a monkey wrench. Guys however got their share just inside the passes.

Capt. Ron Kowalyk: captronkow@aol.com

1-877-267-9312

www.fishswfla.com

By Capt. Ron Kowalyk | www.fishswfla.com | captronkow@aol.com | 1-877-267-9312

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