John Preeg: Backwater a better bet than offshore

Last week, the fishing was good in all of the backwater regions from Estero Bay all the way to the Harney River. Snook were the primary target, but there were plenty of redfish and tarpon caught, and for some the trout fishing south of Everglades City was the best that it has been all year.

The offshore fishing has only been fair. The surface fish such as cobia, permit and Spanish mackerel are there, but the grouper fishing remains poor. This is typically prime time for red grouper, but this year’s red tide decimated the grouper and the smaller baitfish on the reefs. Grouper fanatics have been waiting for a recovery, but unfortunately, there is probably more red tide on the way.

Fertilizer has been poured onto the local golf courses and lawns throughout this spring’s drought, and now that the rains have begun, these nutrients are washing into the Gulf where they fertilize the red tide and the bloom begins.

If history repeats itself, the red tide should get worse over the next few weeks, especially in the north Naples area as local golf courses drain out of Wiggins Pass, Estero Bay and the Caloosahatchee River. Hopefully, this summer’s bloom will be minimal, but if it is severe, this could really hurt the bottom fishing for the entire year.

NAPLES — Capt. Bruce Jackmack’s charter Chuck Horman reached a milestone last week by catching his 100th and 101st tarpon over 100 pounds. The two fish weighed 130 and 160 pounds and were caught on live thread herring while fishing just offshore north of Doctors Pass.

On Saturday, Jackmack guided Dr. Bill Sullivan, and Sullivan landed a huge 185-pound tarpon. The fish measured 84-inches long with a girth of 42 inches. Sullivan also landed two smaller tarpon weighing 75 and 120 pounds. All of the fish were caught on 20-pound test tackle.

Jackmack said that there is white bait all along the beaches and thread herring about 100 yards offshore. The snook are working the white bait, while the tarpon are concentrated under the thread herring.

MARCO ISLAND/TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS — Capt. Roger Parcells said that he has been bringing in some good catches, but they are not the usual summer catch. This is typically grouper time, but this year, the grouper and snapper fishing have been slow. Parcells has tried all areas out to 30 miles and even far to the south, and spots that last year were producing 30 or more fish with several legal fish are only holding a few 12-inch shorts.

So, instead of bottom fishing, Parcells has been concentrating on the surface where he has been catching plenty of Spanish mackerel plus a few cobia and permit. There have also been a very large number of sharks in the area including some very big ones. One boat fishing south of Marco Island had a huge 75-pound goliath grouper bitten in half at the gills by a bull shark. That is a mouthful, and that mouth must have belonged to a very big shark.

In the backwaters, Parcells has been catching trout, whiting and snapper, and even managed to hook a dolphin last week that snatched a trout that was being brought in. The dolphin jumped three times before giving back the trout. Parcells said that there are several dolphin working around the boats at Big Marco Pass, and these dolphin can be entertaining, but it is difficult to catch fish while three dolphin are doing figure eights around your boat.

EVERGLADES CITY — Capt. Tony Brock had some good trips last week. On Friday, he fished inside of the Chatham River where his party landed some large trout, small snook, three goliath grouper and a ½ dozen legal snapper. They also lost several large snook to the trees.

On Saturday, Brock fished far to the south near the mouth of the Harney River where Brock said that he experienced some of the best trout fishing that he has every known. His party literally landed a trout on every cast and the fish were all in the 18- to 22-inch range. They were using bucktails tipped with shrimp.

On Sunday, Brock fished the same party in Fakahatchee Bay, and they brought in two legal gag grouper, three goliath grouper, ten mangrove snapper plus assorted jacks and ladyfish. Again, all of the fish were caught on jigs tipped with shrimp.

WIGGINS PASS — The snook and red fishing are not as good as they should be at this time of year, according to Capt. Eric Davis. Davis is still catching plenty of snook, but the large quality fish are not there, and the redfish are spotty. There is live bait everywhere including inside of Estero Bay as well as along the beaches and just offshore, but the large predators are not that prevalent.

Davis has been catching some juvenile tarpon on the inside, but said the bigger offshore fish have moved further north around Sanibel and up into Boca Grande Pass.

FRESHWATER — Jess Edwards of the Golden Gate Tackle Box said that the canals in the south blocks have begun to flow, and this water movement has helped the fishing.

The water is still very warm, but the rains have cooled it a bit. Bass, tarpon and snook are all taking live shiners. Artificials work early in the morning, but live baits are much better when the day heats up.

Edwards said that he knows that the panfishing is good by the number of worms that he is selling, but no one wants to say exactly where they are getting all of their fish.