SW FL-Bonita Beach: Kingfish, Yellowtail, Mangs, Muttons, Sheepies, Reds

Monday morning, 11/10, I fished with Brad Hayes and his six-year-old son, Cameron in central Estero Bay, using live shrimp. We caught seven redfish, one of which was a keeper, and four sheepshead, including one keeper. We released the smaller reds and sheepshead, along with some small snapper and two snook to 24 inches.

Friday morning, I fished with Peder and Linda Engebretson and their friends, Dan and Lynn. We headed out of New Pass to about 40 feet, where we used live shrimp to catch two keeper yellowtail snapper at 14 inches each, two 14 inch keeper mangrove snapper, five large whitebone porgies and three large triggerfish, all about 14 inches. We released a half dozen small amber jacks to 18 inches, an 8 pound goliath grouper, two 23 inch kingfish and lots of red and gag grouper shorts.

The gulf was so flat Saturday morning it was hard to believe that seas were forecast to build to six to ten feet by Sunday, with the approach of a cold front. I fished in 40 feet out of New Pass with Thomas and Laura Sylvester. We used live shrimp to catch a 37 inch keeper king mackerel, one of three kings we caught, a 19 inch mutton snapper, keeper mangrove snapper and whitebone porgies. We released gag and red grouper shorts.

The photo shown is of angler Chester Yanik with a 17 inch mutton snapper and an 18 inch mangrove snapper, caught on a live shrimp on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.