Fishingcast: Conditions for Marco Island, May 19-25

BACKWATER

Summer conditions accelerate. More frequent storms, unsettled tides and riled water. Overall winds abate and swing southwest and west tides this week off new moon have 4’ midday outgoing. Water temps move to 83-85 early. Mangrove snapper of size finally appear. Most shorelines working current points with best chance hour either side of slack. Snook super active; most small albeit closed season; Henderson Creek, Rookery Bay, Johnson Bay with pilchards; incoming best. Scattered mackerel, bluefish Capri, Caxambas Pass first hour of afternoon incoming working into dusk. Some pompano Hurricane Pass on incoming first hour with tipped small jigs to bottom on drift.

NEARSHORE

Tarpon action fading and spotty. Some chance west edges Keewaydin flats working tread herring, pinfish first two hours incoming. Good action mangrove, lane snapper first, second reef spots to Walton Reef working weighted jigs under chum. Lots of shark action with chance at black-tipped same venue working slab cut bait to bottom under chum.

OFFSHORE

Consider best action here; clean water, good tides this week. Deeper wrecks still enjoying good to very good action on pelagics working live bait under chum. Red grouper continue move west. Bow need 60-65' for acceptable keep to catch ratio; on live pinfish tight to hard bottom.