Spring time light tackle fishing was at its finest this year. It was windy but very manageable. Water temperature averages were between 78 to 82 degrees; just about perfect. The Tarpon bite turned on right away this spring. Biguns came in and were very hungry this year. We lost a couple the first week, but Mike, pictured below, landed the first monster at 170 lbs the second week. He nailed it on 15 lb trout gear! Bow to the King , keep steady pressure, and say a couple of prayers and after a hour of battle you can land a bucket list fish.
The best bait this year was the 3 inch gold/brown Bass Assassin swim bait on a 1/4oz jig head. The perfect little bait to put in front of one of these fish. Not only did it do the job for the Tarpon, it also put a hurting on the Sea Trout as well.
Not only were the Sea Trout hitting but their cousin, the Drums, were in the mix. Redfish and Black Drum were filling in the gaps while looking for the Tarpon. Best bait was a Bucktail tipped with shrimp or a piece of Ladyfish sitting up on an oyster bar.
April rolled on in and the Sea Trout stayed on fire. Weather warmed up bringing in the sharks which spooked the bite on the Tarpon. Some of the sharks seen were in the 10ft range with large shoulders overpowering my anglers. This brought new meaning to having a knife when you are in a gunfight. But not for Mr. Andrews, landing another 170 lb Tarpon on a 30lb spinner. Pictured below is how it is done.
Did I mention the Sea Trout bite which was very strong this Spring season along with some Pompano and Mangrove Snapper? The one bite that was a little off was the Snook. They were a little sluggish to come around. Until May, which is when they showed up in force. Frank was the big winner this Spring with his 40-incher, which he managed to get out of the trees.
As I said in the beginning of this report, bow to the King, keep steady pressure, and say a prayer. You might land that fish of a lifetime! We are blessed to have healthy waters which are clean and full of fish and ready to pull on a line. If you are ready to go after them and try a little light tackle fun, give me a call for booking details. Till then, thank you for the read and tight lines.
Thank you,
Captain Jim Fortman
239-325-7109
Backwater Fishing in Naples & the Ten Thousand Islands 