Naples and Marco Fishing Report For February/March

Great News so far, no cold weather to kill fish this year.  The only down side, it  has been a little too warm for this time of the year.  Why I say this is not that we aren’t experiencing great fishing now but it might throw our whole fishing calendars off for the spring summer fish runs that everyone comes for.  Well we will just have to see.  This month’s fishing has been fantastic.  Bait fishing has been good with lots of bait available on the outside(unusual).  Trout and Redfish have been found in there spring time locations more than there winter locals.  Many out on the flats and to the outside. Rather than the deep cuts and channels in the inside.  Snook fishing has been excellent from North Naples down to the Everglades.  Not typical fishing, they have been roaming the inside and outside Islands not just inside.  Even the passes are holding fish this year.  If the weather stays the same we will be Tarpon fishing and Snook Fishing like Spring before the end of February.  I am seeing some Tarpon show in places they should not be yet, but we could still have a cool month and I have seen a March in the past that was cooler than normal.  The one part of our fishing that is still slow is the Bass fishing in the Glades, still too much water out there and they are scattered.  The peacocks are moving around in the Canals but if the water Management people do not get to work and clean some of the grass out of the canals the fishing will be poor.  It is amazing what great potential we have in our canal fisheries and for lack of Management it could be all lost.  My forecast for March Fishing is going to be a guess at best.  If weather continues to stay warm I would expect march to fish like April and see a fishery more based toward the outside areas rather than inside fishing.  I just do not know yet.  I kind of hope temps stay a little cooler for the rest of February so that we have a more typical March.  His will make our May/June fishing a little more normal.  If we keep going on the warmer trend then we might have a tough summer fishery especially for Tarpon.  Keep looking toward the outside if the water temps stay in the 70’s and expect to see the Big tarpon show up in all the bays.  Bass fishing in the Glades should get much better with the water levels lowering.  Bait fishing will continue strong and probably get better as we enter March.  Here is a shameless plug now!  Come visit Indian Pass Outfitters in the Ships Store at Naples Bay Resort just down form Bonefish Grill.  We have a full complement of TFO Spinning and Fly Rods along with the new BVK series reels.  You can also find them on line at www.indianpassoutfitters.com

Thanks and good fishing Roan z

FW: The end of january and the fishing is great for Capt Tony and his clients

 

 

From: anthony fontana [mailto:fishnaples@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 9:02 AM
To: roanz@comcast.net
Subject: jan 28th report

 

I fished with Matt and his girlfriend Jess this week. We were blessed with calm seas and great gag grouper fishing. The action was great starting at 3.5 miles. We caught several nice grouper to 27 inches using a live pilchard on a chicken rig. We also had good snapper action using the same bait on a smaller hook. The nearshore action should hold through the spring. With the Gag grouper being out of season for the last several months the big fish are really stacked up.

FW: Great Fishing in Naples inshore and offshore with Capt. Tony

 

 

From: anthony fontana [mailto:fishnaples@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 9:01 AM
To: roanz@comcast.net
Subject: jan 15th report

 

I fished with Gary and his friend this week. We had some gag grouper action right away and then we moved into the back and picked off some jacks, snook and snapper. The water has been abnormally warm this winter making the fishing great on some days and tricky others. The action has been best fishing live pilchards rigged on a chicken rig offshore and fished free-lined in the backwaters.

FW: December fishing in Naples with Capt Tony Fontana

 

 

From: anthony fontana [mailto:fishnaples@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 9:20 AM
To: roanz@comcast.net
Subject: December 23rd report

 

Within the past few weeks the fall fishing pattern is really starting to develop. There have been loads of triple tail and bonita on the beaches. I've been running the crab trap buoy's looking for triple tail while keeping an eye out for bonitas. The Bonita have been readily striking spoons, flies and D.O.A cals on jig heads, while the triple tail have preferred live shrimp. The nearshore mangrove snapper fishing is also beginning to heat up. My clients and I have been fishing live shrimp on a 2/0 circle hook chicken rig. The silver trout bite has also been ridiculous lately. A half day trip has been yielding upwards of 50 trout. A piece of shrimp on a jig head has been my preferred method but nothing seems to get turned down. Book Today to join the action! Call 23-280-6246 or email @ fishnaples@gmail.com

FW: fishing report

 

 

From: fishadv@comcast.net [mailto:fishadv@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 12:25 PM
To: roanz@comcast.net
Subject: fishing report

 

 

The warm weather this week created some excellent fishing in the Naples area. The normal winter fish, Trout, Pompano, Snapper,etc. have been a steady source of action. But because of the warmer than usual water temperatures , Snook and Redfish have been active as well. This past Sunday I fished with former St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Don Durham and his son-in-law Kraft Hayes. They boated over 20 Trout . They also caught Black Drum, Flounder, Jack Crevalle and Ladyfish. Since dinner was in the bag, Don wanted his son in law to catch a snook before we ran out of time. I stopped by a likely snook hangout and Kraft pulled out a 25 inch snook to finish off a great day of fishing. The rest of the week continues to be warm and I predict the fishing will remain productive until the next cold front changes things.

 

 

Tight Lines,

Capt Pat Gould

Naples and Marco Holiday Fishing Report from Capt. Roan z.

Let us start by saying I hope everyone is having a great Holiday season.  The weather in Naples and Marco has been nothing short of spectacular which has made the fishing much the same.  I know everyone likes a white Christmas but I am happy when we can catch Tarpon and Snook late into December.  Awesome! 

 

Fishing in December has been nothing short of phenomenal.  It seems as if we have been having the best of both worlds winter species like Pompano, Trout, and Redfish creating a mixed bag with Snook and Tarpon, wow can you believe it.  The only bummer has been some sporadic patches of Red Tide.  It really hasn’t affected the fishing much but you can tell it is there on occasion.  Let us start with the winter species.  The Pompano have been excellent especially down toward Marco.  The passes and the flats near the passes have been the best places.  The early morning incoming tides have been bringing them in.  Tipped jigs and sinking flies have been banging them along with Trout and a fair amount of Sheepshead.  The Reds are scattered just about everywhere.  We are sight fishing them on all the flats and they are crushing some small shrimp like patterns.  Especially a new one that we came up with this year.  CJ super shrimp.  Available at the new store at Naples Bayfront.  It doesn’t seem to matter what color, they come in four.  Along with the Reds the flats from Naples to Marco are also producing nice Sheephead and some scattered Trout and even a few Snookies. The fish just seem to be lost I am sure it is due to the unseasonably warm water temps.  Fisherman that are venturing into the Backcountry Creeks around Naples and Marco are finding some great Snook and even some small Tarpon are still showing themselves.  Strikes for the Tarpon are at a premium but keeping the fly in front of them will get them to bite.  Snook are a little finicky on the fly except under the lights which are out of sight.  The Snook in the backcountry creeks are biting but like I said a little confused, they are moving around a lot because I think they are wondering where the colder water is.  There are even a scattering of Reds back there along with some nice Snapper.  Bass Fishing in the canals have been sporadic.  Interceptor has been the best, along with the Golden Gate.  Still some Peacocks hitting there.  I cannot say enough about the beautiful weather we are having let us hope it continues.  

 

Here comes the New Year, and what should we see for fishing in January for Naples and Marco.  Well, this is a good question and one that will be hard as heck to answer.  If the weather holds and we have mild temperatures it should be the same.  I would not bet on this though.  Sooner or later these fronts are going to start streaming this way and we will be into full bloom winter fishing, MAYBE.  Let us hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.  I think it will be a wormer than normal winter but we are still going to see some cold.  If we get cold the most important thing to remember and I believe I say this every year is to just slow down and keep your offerings close to the bottom.  That is where everything will be.  Sinking lines for fly anglers and weighted flies, and for conventional tackle the jigs will be king.   One last thing,  just wanted to let you know we have opened and Indian Pass Outfitters South location.  It is at Naples Bay Resort on the Gordon River in partnership with the Ships Store.  We will be carrying most of the TFO Fly product line including specialty flies tied by local fly tiers.  We also will have the new Spinning and Baitcasting Rods by TFO and Gary Loomis.  Please come by and check it out.  We are almost completely stocked with gear so come on by after the Holiday and check it out.  Well I hope all are having a great Holiday and hope to see you after the 1^st of the year.  Merry Christmas Roan z.

 

Naples and Marco Fishing Report and Redsnook Tournament

Well, October is about over and the Long awaited RedSnook Tournament is over.  Two days of fishing as hard as anyone can.  Just want to congratulate the Tournament committee that really did a wonderful job putting on the tournament and a special thanks to all the contributors to the tournament.  They raised over $100,000 Dollars this year.  To all the Tournament competitors that participated congratulations and great job at all the fish everyone landed.  Congrats to the Cabada team for the 41 inch Snook and the Capt. Root Team for the 28 inch Redfish.  Congratulations for all the division Team winners.  Capt. Bruce Jackmack, Capt. Bill Faulkner, Capt. Kevin Mihaloff.  I also have a very special congratulations to my young team of anglers.  Even though they finished second overall and first in Junior Division they fished their butts off for two days.  The two Brothers overcame a tough first day to pull out the second place finish the second day.  They did not get down they just fished harder and landed some beauties the second day.  Congrats Oliver and Alex.

 

The fishing for the end of October is about on course for a regular year.  We have some Tarpon still migrating back south, lots of bait on the inside and outside with lots of ladyfish and Mackerel showing in the passes and along the beaches.  Snook are scattered a little bit of everywhere.  The last couple of days my anglers have caught Snook in the Passes all the way back to the farthest creeks.  Redfish have been in most of the bays and some nice tailers on the low rising tides.  Check out Cannon Bay it has been red hot on the low tide.  Jig fisherman are picking up a few pompano along with a trout or two.  The passes have Tarpon early and late.  Sound pretty good, Huh.  My guides that Are running some bass trips are starting to catch them pretty good in Okeechobee and in the Interceptor Canal.  The water along 75 is still a little High.

 

I hope everyone is ready for November.  It looks like it is going to be pretty good.  If we can get this Tropical stuff out of here and figure out what the Cold fronts are going to do.  November is a weather related month.  What I mean is good weather good fishing, bad weather bad fishing.  Forecast looks for a little cooler than normal.  This would suggest our winter type species should become more prevalent like Trout, Pompano, Ladyfish, Jacks, Sheepshead, and Redfish should be picking up the pace.  Tarpon, Snook will be getting more difficult to target.  If the cooler weather does not materialize then we should still be in a late summer pattern with lots of bait and loads of Snook and Tarpon around, only time and the weather will tell us.  No Albacore coming though yet but I would expect it at any time.  Bass Fishing will be good all month.  This is also a pretty good month for Peacocks in the Golden Gate.  Hopefully they will do some work on the Hydrilla this year.  Good luck and Good Fishing.

 

 

Pictures of Hal Rosen with a nice 32inch Redfish and Large Sheepshead he caught on his new TFO MiniMagnum Fly Rod.