This winter has been great so far. As I spoke about in my last report the La Nina cycle has pretty much dominated this winter. The average air temperatures for this season has been in the low 80s to mid 80s with lite cold fronts and spotty rains in between. Water temperatures have been in the upper 60s to the mid 70s; just about perfect.
The fishing has been outstanding this winter. In the month of November the first cold snap came in and dropped the water temps to the average of 70 degrees. This fired up the Sea Trout with numbers I have not seen in some years. The bite has been so strong with this species that my groups are still catching solid numbers to today. The other species that has made quite a showing this season are the Pompano. My groups have been targeting these two species with popping cork rigs, soft plastic paddle tail jigs, and my hand tied buck-tail jigs in a variety of colors.
Other fish that my groups have been targeting in November and December have been the Bull Redfish and Snook. They are primarily trophy fish this time of year. Pictured above and below are a couple of them that were caught, pictured, and released to battle another day. Slot on these two fish have tightened up a bit, but they produce the keepers for tomorrow.
The Black Drum and Sheephead also move in this time of year. They are tough fish to bring in and also great for the dinner plate.
The area of the Ten Thousand Islands has had some of the best water quality I have seen in the past 20 years. Thank you Governor DeSantis for keeping your promise to clean up the Glades. It is really starting to show.
I hope you had a great and prosperous year. I look forward to putting you on some quality fishing here in the the Naples area. Openings are still available. Please book in advance for best dates. This up coming spring is going to be great with clean water, a healthy environment, and hatchlings showing up on every low tide.
Give me a call if you would like to plan a trip into the beautiful Ten Thousand Islands Preserve. Until then, thank you for the read and Happy New Year.
Tight Lines,
Captain Jim Fortman 239-325-7109
Backwater Fishing in Naples & the Ten Thousand Islands 