SW FL-Bonita Beach: Weather Tricky but Fishing Good

Another weather-front came through the area Sunday night, once again kicking up winds and seas. But, despite some choppy conditions, the fishing was good offshore Tuesday morning. I fished with Bill Story, Marvin Giescke and friends, Doc, Dave and Bernie, in 45 feet out of New Pass, using live shrimp. We caught twenty keeper mangrove snapper to 15 inches, five huge whitebone porgies to 18 inches, a 22 inch white margate and keeper triggerfish and porkfish. We released smaller triggerfish and lots of gags that were within ¼ inch of legal-size.

William Conklin, Dennis Baker and friends fished in 47 feet out of New Pass with me Wednesday. Winds were howling most of the day, but the worst of the next weather-front wasn’t on us yet. We had three to four foot seas most of the day. We did well with snapper again, catching nine keepers to 16 inches and releasing lots of smaller ones. We also caught a 20 inch pompano, a 14 inch hogfish, a couple keeper triggerfish, and also got into those big whitebone porgies again, catching eight of those to 17 inches. We used shrimp for all.

Thursday brought a new cold-front to the area, which was accompanied by steady rain and high winds. My planned inshore trip was rained out. The winds and rough seas persisted into Friday, and predictions for Saturday were somewhat better but still pretty rough offshore. I was concerned because I was scheduled to take a family fishing in the Gulf Saturday but, before the weather could officially cancel those plans, my clients called to say they were battling the flu and not coming down to visit this weekend. They were disappointed but I assured them that the weather would be far from ideal Saturday anyway—I hope that made them feel a little bit better. So, as it turns out, my four-trip week was reduced to two trips—I guess Mother Nature thought I needed a vacation.

The photo shown below is of angler Lynn Harned with a 17 inch mutton snapper, caught on a live shrimp on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.