SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good Action Inshore & Offshore

Tuesday, 3/30, seas were rough offshore and I ended up re-booking my planned gulf trip with a trio of ladies who wanted to fish the bay. Karen Taylor, son Evan Taylor, and Evan’s grandmother, Kate Collins, fished with live shrimp and caught six keeper sheepshead to 18 inches and a keeper mangrove snapper. We released lots of smaller sheepshead.

Wednesday, with seas calming down, I headed offshore for a morning of fishing in 45 feet, out of New Pass with Alene Haug, daughter Amy Akerburg, granddaughter Erica Ackerburg, grandson Austin Ackerburg, and Austin’s friend, Grant Seiffert. We used live shrimp to catch mangrove snapper to 17 inches, a 15 ½ inch hogfish, sheepshead to 16 inches and a half dozen porgies.

I headed offshore again Thursday, out to 36 miles with anglers Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonso, Dick Arnett and John Ebbrecht. It was the first day of open grouper season and we caught a 24 inch gag that we got to keep! We also caught seven nice mangrove snapper to 17 inches, two keeper lane snapper, a 13 inch porkfish, and lots of porgies, seven of which were good-sized, to 17 inches. We released lots of smaller porgies and grouper, and used live shrimp for all.

Friday morning found me back offshore again, this time with Jim Ascher, son Chuck, and grandson Matt. We used live shrimp in 45 feet to catch a mess of keeper porgies, a keeper porkfish, mangrove snapper to 17 inches and a 16 inch hogfish. We released red and gag grouper shorts, grunts, pufferfish, blue runners and a bluefish.

Saturday morning, Denise and Rick Wiesemann and their sons, E.J. and Brian had just enough time to squeeze in a backbay trip before E.J. had to catch a flight home. We fished Estero Bay with live shrimp and caught four keeper sheepshead. We released ten additional sheepshead, along with a 20-inch crevalle jack.

Monday was a beautiful day but I had to redirect my gulf trip to another captain, due to mechanical problems with one of my engines--it doesn't happen often, but it is unfortunate when it does so and cancels out someone's long-planned trip. Fortunately my customers were successful in finding a gulf trip.

I will be fishing the bay for a few days this week, while upgrading to new motors on the offshore boat. But Tuesday, I headed offshore to 60 feet on a customer's boat, with Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonso, Dick Arnett, and father-son team, Mike and Clay Thompson. We caught a dozen nice mangrove snapper to 17 inches, along with ten keeper lane snapper, on shrimp. We released about fifty smaller mangs, along with gag and red grouper shorts, amberjack and grunts.

The Christenson family has fished with me for many years, and they returned to do so Wednesday. Dave Christenson and sons Brenden and Connor, fished Estero Bay with me. I didn’t go to my favorite sheepshead spot because young Brenden was aching to catch a stingray. He didn’t get to catch one, but he did get to see one, and he was pretty excited about that. We also caught and released a 17 ¾ inch redfish, caught a keeper 14-inch sheepshead and keeper mangrove snapper.

The Ron Haggin party, consisting of John and son, John Jr., Jamie, Timmy and Jack, fished Estero Bay with me Thursday morning. We had steady sheepshead action, to 16 ½ inches, and also caught two nice trout at 16 and 18 inches, and a bluefish. We used live shrimp for all.

Friday morning I fished Estero Bay with Larry Siegl and son-in-law, Shawn Tudisco. We did well with trout, catching five keepers to 20 inches, on live shrimp. We released small sheepshead and an 18-inch snook. We lost something big that came unhooked, most likely a big crevalle jack or a ray.

In years past, the Novy children have numbered three when they fished with me but, this year, young Julia, age five, was big enough to join us. So, Saturday morning, Jim Novy and his four children, Jaqueline, eleven; Jordan, nine; Jimmy, seven; and Julia, five, went catching and releasing in Estero Bay. The kids had fun using live shrimp to catch a half-dozen sheepshead, some mangrove snapper and crevalle jack.

Monday morning, I fished in a windy Estero Bay with Don Britton, his son, Don Britton, Jr., and Junior's son-in-law, Pat. We had high winds, low tide, and a lot of fresh water influx from the heavy rains of Sunday, so conditions were less than ideal. Using live shrimp, we caught sheepshead to 14 inches, a keeper mangrove snapper, and released lots of crevalle jack.
The photo shown is of angler, Skip King , with a 20-inch sheepshead, caught on shrimp on a trip earlier this month.