SW FL-Bonita Beach: Mangs, & Muttons, Red Grouper, Snapper & Sheepshead & Snook

Wednesday, 11/5, I fished with live shrimp in 37 feet out of New Pass with Bill & Chris Henry and friends. Seas were pretty calm at 1-2 feet most of the morning, though it was a little sloppy about the time we headed in, with a brisk N, NE wind blowing. We caught a dozen large whitebone porgies, all 15-16 inches and a mess of mangrove snapper to 13 inches. We kept ten of the snapper and released the rest. We also caught seven mutton snapper, but only one of those was keeper-size. We released grunts, porkfish and red and gag grouper shorts, and we were broken off twice by kingfish.

Thursday morning, I fished with Duane McCoy and his father-in-law, Larry Connell, again 37 miles west of New Pass. We caught a king mackerel keeper at 29 inches, nine mangrove snapper keepers to 13 inches, a keeper mutton snapper and three large triggerfish about 14 inches each. We released mangrove snapper shorts and gag and red grouper shorts.

Mike and Lea Connealy, Leah’s dad, Dick, and friend, Rob, fished with me Friday morning in calm seas twenty miles west of New Pass in about 48 feet. We used live shrimp to land fifteen mangrove snapper to 15 inches, a 17 inch keeper mutton snapper, a keeper red grouper at 22 inches, triggerfish and porgies. We released a three-foot sandbar shark, lots of red and gag grouper short and had another couple cut-offs by king mackerel.

Saturday morning I fished inshore with the Dillane family, Michael and Vicki, eleven-year-old daughter, Rachel, and eight-year-old son, Malcolm. We used live shrimp along the mangrove shorelines of Estero Bay and caught four nice sheepshead to 17 inches. We released smaller sheepshead, small snapper and a 20 inch snook.

The photo shown is of angler, Jim Basara, with a 19 inch yellowtail snapper, caught on a live shrimp on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.