The Ins and Outs of Fishing in Southwest Florida The Ins and Outs of Fishing in Southwest Florida The area that is Southwest Florida begins at its northern most point in Boca Grande runs south through Pine Island Sound, Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach to Naples and ends its southern most point in the Ten Thousand Islands. The fishing opportunities discussed in this article are practical for most of this area. Although there are many opportunities for off shore adventures, I am focusing on near shore and backcountry fishing scenes. Buy the Award Winning ‘Esca Lures’ online at culturegallery.net/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&pa... Pick up some Kenyan, African Art, Souvenirs, Soapstone, Trinkets and Gifts when you go to Kenya, Africa. (You can Buy Art Prints and a few other items after you’ve returned home.),Celebrate with Style,,Save on crafts 20-50% everyday!! For more information about the best Souvenirs,http://www.culturegallery.net Buy the Award Winning ‘Esca Lures’ online at culturegallery.net/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&pa...

1. The Ins and Outs of Fishing in Southwest
Florida
The Ins and Outs of Fishing in Southwest Florida
The area that is Southwest Florida begins at its northern most point in Boca Grande runs
south through Pine Island Sound, Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach to Naples and
ends its southern most point in the Ten Thousand Islands. The fishing opportunities
discussed in this article are practical for most of this area. Although there are many
opportunities for off shore adventures, I am focusing on near shore and backcountry
fishing scenes.
Catching fish in Southwest Florida begins with catching bait. There are many species of
baitfish available including scaled sardines, thread fin herring and pin fish just to name a
few. These baits are usually caught with a cast net around area beaches, bridges or grass
flats. If you are not proficient with a cast net, shrimp can be purchased from your local
bait shop or marina. Shrimp can be great bait at times, but cast netting your own live bait
will be much more beneficial.
As far as the fishing goes, there are many types of fish available in Southwest Florida.
Snook, Redfish. Speckled trout, Tarpon, Mangrove Snapper, Sheephead and Permit are
several species that are targeted in the pristine waters of Southwest Florida. The tactics to
catch these fish vary depending on the seasons, tidal flow and weather. Trout are a great
fish to target for beginner fishermen. With Florida’s vast grass flats and passes, hooking
into trout can be a good bet all year long. The grass flats around Sanibel and Captiva can
be very productive.

2. Redfish is another species caught regularly most of the year. They are not as subject to
water temperatures as some of the other species. To catch Reds, you want to beat up the
bushes. Fishing mangrove island shorelines at high tide is a highly effective way to catch
these bruisers. Mangroves are found mostly in the Southwest Florida area.
Tarpon or “Silver King”, as they are sometimes called, reign supreme in late spring and
early summer beginning as early as April through the end of June. These beautiful game
fish can be found cruising up the coast of Florida. It is an awesome sight to see schools of
a hundred or more fishing rolling on the surface on there way to Boca Grande and points
north. For these fish I use heavy spinning or conventional reels without the rods. My
preferred bait is live Jumbo Threadfin Herring fished with a 6/0 circle hook. By pitching
baits at rolling schools, hookups can come easy at times, but landing these spectacular
fish is a whole other issue. The hookup to landing ratio of these Silver Kings in the 80lb
or greater range is probably 7 to 1, but the show they put on when hooked will be burned
in your memory forever. Tarpon fishing in Southwest Florida should be in everyone’s
“To Do list” once in their lives.
If I had to pick my favorite game fish of flats fishing it would be Snook. There is no other
fish that I like to fish for more than these savvy hard pulling line-siders. The best months
for Snook fishing are April through nearly November. During the summer months, Snook
can found along the Beautiful beaches of Southwest Florida. Live bait is the key to
catching these awesome game fish. Small Snook can be easily caught by almost anyone,
but it is the giant Snook that haunt my dreams at night. I consider a big Snook at the
small end to be 34″ or 11 lbs going to 40″ and over 20 lbs. These fish will test your
patience, tackle and angling skills.
As you can see there are many angling opportunities her in the Southwest Florida area.
All you need to do is come to Florida and witness it for yourself. Please remember, there
are many regulations for keeping fish, so be sure to check local laws concerning seasons,
sizes and bag limits. One of the best ways to learn first hand about tactics used to catch
fish in Florida is to hire an experienced fishing guide. I have been guiding for years and
would love to share some of my knowledge with you. Do not let life pass you by without
fishing the flats and near shore coastal waters of Southwest Florida. Book your Fishing
adventure today!!!
Buy the Award Winning ‘Esca Lures’ online at culturegallery.net/index.php?
option=com_virtuemart&pa...
Pick up some Kenyan, African Art, Souvenirs, Soapstone, Trinkets and Gifts when you
go to Kenya, Africa. (You can Buy Art Prints and a few other items after you’ve returned
home.),Celebrate with Style,,Save on crafts 20-50% everyday!!
For more information about the best Souvenirs,http://www.culturegallery.net
Buy the Award Winning ‘Esca Lures’ online at culturegallery.net/index.php?
option=com_virtuemart&pa...