Despite a breezy Friday, Jim and Terri Rolfes and family had a good day fishing including sheepshead, pompano and seatrout for a weekend feast. They were fishing the western side of Pine Island Sound with Capt. Bill Russell. PHOTO PROVIDED

Right on schedule, a cool front passed over heading into the weekend. It brought a little wind for a day or two but weather was good the rest of the week. 

Sheepshead fishing is in full swing for the next couple weeks before it begins to taper off as they complete their annual spawning duties. Fish up to 6 pounds came from structure and beach drop-offs in and around the Gulf passes. Sheepshead were also caught around St. James City and Sanibel along hard bottom shorelines, creek mouths and oyster bars. The better bite was over moving water fishing shrimp-tipped jig heads, knocker rigs and split shots a few inches above the baits. 

Anglers also scored with sheepshead fishing Gulf waters from 20 to 45 feet. Fish were hooked over public reefs, ledges and hard bottom. Mangrove snapper, an occasional lane snapper and grunts were caught as well. Live shrimp fished on bottom with a light leader and small hook gave the best results. 

Pompano catches are on the rise as many are reporting catching one or two a day. Most were hooked while fishing for sheepshead and seatrout inside the Gulf passes and Pine Island Sound. Let’s hope the trend continues. Also, a few Spanish mackerel are showing up inshore, a sign spring is near. 

If you find the right area, seatrout fishing is good. Matlacha Pass is pretty well void of sea grass so that’s not the place. Grass flats look pretty good in Pine Island Sound. The water is not as clear as it should be but it’s getting better daily.

Trout up to 22 inches were hooked on a variety of baits fishing depths from 3 to 7 feet. As the water clears, with a pair of polarized sunglasses you should be able to differentiate grass and sand bottom. Look for breaks along bar drop-offs where grass and sand meet, or grass surrounding sandy holes. Fish the transition at various depths. If you hook a fish or two, give the area a little time. Often more fish are nearby and hone into feeding activity. Some prefer shrimp under a popping or rattling float and others working artificial baits. Both work well, it just depends on how you want to fish. 

With the gradually warming water, snook fishing is beginning to heat up. As water temps get into the mid-70s and stabilize baitfish should show up in numbers and snook hungry and active. Over the week snook were caught and released around Bokeelia, around docks and pilings off the barrier islands, Matlacha and St. James City. Snook, plus a few redfish, were hooked in mid-Pine Island Sound off oyster bars and shorelines on the higher tides and sand holes or troughs on the eastern side of the Sound on the lower water. 

It feels like spring is almost here. With a warm forecast for the upcoming week, it will get here a little quicker. If the red tide stays out of our waters fishing should only get better. 

To keep up on current fishing regulations, you can go to www.myfwc.com or download the Fish Rules app for the latest rules and regulations. 

If you have a fishing report or for charter information, contact Gulf Coast Guide Service at 239-410-8576 (call or text); on the web at www.fishpineisland.com; or via email at gcl2fish@live.com.

Have a safe week and good fishin’.

As a lifetime resident of Matlacha and Pine Island, Capt. Bill Russell has spent his life fishing and learning the waters around Pine Island and Southwest Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years. 

Mahjongg players at St. James City Civic Association had to work extra hard to concentrate on Feb 16. But even with ...

Copyright © Pineisland Eagle | https://www.pineisland-eagle.com | 10700 Stringfellow Road, Bokeelia, FL 33922 | 239-283-2022