SW FL-Bonita Beach: Kings, Shark, Snapper

Monday, 5/11, was one of those days that is bound to happen about three times a year and, fortunately, not more than that. The party for the gulf trip I had scheduled did not show up and did not call me or answer my calls. So, after purchasing the day's bait, I remained in port.

Tuesday, I headed out in calm seas with Todd & Bob Miller, Sherman Heazlitt, Cathy Moses and Bob Conrid to depths of 43 feet, out of New Pass. Todd caught a nice, 38 inch king mackerel, free-lining shrimp on the surface and rigged with a small piece of wire. We did the same to catch and release a three-foot sandbar shark. The group also caught four keeper yellowtail snapper to 15 ½ inches, a 14 ½ inch keeper mangrove snapper, seven keeper whitebone porgies to 14 inches and grunts. We released undersized triggerfish, blue runners and grouper shorts.

Wednesday, I fished central Estero Bay with Jim Kasik and friend, Jack. We caught three keeper mangrove snapper and a keeper whiting. We released crevalle jack and a small mutton snapper. One of the guys had a 23 inch redfish nearly boated, but it got broken off on an anchor line before he could boat it.

My next day out was Saturday morning, with Jerry Elliot and son, Greg. Predictions were for two to three foot seas and they were, in fact one to three foot out to five miles. But, as we ventured further out to about 43 feet, we had three to four footers with an occasional five. We fished with live shrimp and caught four yellowtail snapper, three of which were keepers to 14 inches. We also caught eight keeper whitebone porgies to 14 inches and a 20 inch Spanish mackerel. We released smaller yellowtail and porgies, triggerfish, porkfish and grouper shorts.

The photo shown is of angler Larry Jack, with a 12-pound kingfish, caught on a double-blue-runner-bait, on a recent offshore trip.