Winter in the 10,000 Islands is a great time to get in on some of the best Sea Trout action of the year. This season’s wintertime Trout bite was one of the best I have seen in quite some time. The waters of preserve have been incredibly healthy for the past 2 years and it is really starting to pay off. This years 40 to 50 fish on half-day trips were almost a regular occurrence. The average water temperatures were in the upper 60s to mid 70s which is just about perfect. Now the air temperatures were a little chilly, but very manageable.
I will say any of my clients that wanted to go home with dinner did go home with DINNER. Pictured above are Trout limits and the end result. The guys at Island Gypsy Cafe were doing an outstanding job with the Trout for my clients that did not have access to a kitchen.
Towards the end of winter the apex predators started waking up from their winter time sleep. Taxmen (aka Sharks) and Tarpon started showing up very early this year in between the cold fronts. With all of the Sea Trout spawning this winter, it was expected. Pictured above is what was left of my dinner. On the right is long time client Ken helping me land the first Tarpon of the 2024 season (150 lbs on Truot gear). Not going to forget that January Tarpon soaked us in 60 degree weather on the release.
Thank you very much for the read and visiting my site. Tight Lines until the next post.
Thank you,
Captain Jim Fortman
To plan a fishing trip for the winter and spring season please book in advance for the best times and availability. Send inquiries via email or by phone/text 239-325-7109
Backwater Fishing in Naples & the Ten Thousand Islands 