July Fishing Report

Mid summer is already here and that means showers will occur almost each and every afternoon from now through September. The good news is, the mornings are usually rain free with light breezes and cooler temperatures. Work the mangroves of the backcountry early and then move out to the Gulf waters in the late morning. That will give you a break from the heat and the best opportunity to catch fish.

The nearshore Gulf rock piles and reefs are producing a nice mixed bag of fish. Spanish mackerel are leading the way and will take small bait offerings on jigs as well as just about any artificial that's flashy. You'll also get trout, pompano, grunts and sheepshead. For the latter you'll need to get through the macs. Cast away from the boat, leave the bail of the reel open and let the jig slowly sink to the bottom. Then retrieve the offering slowly across the bottom.

Grouper and mangrove snapper are also in the mix. We've been dropping wighted cut baits on circle hooks to the bottom. A stout rod is a good idea and be prepared for the unexpected. There are some big goliath grouper hanging out in less than 20 feet of water along with lemon, hammerhead and blacktip sharks.

In Estero Bay the redfish have been sparse but still doable if you get out early. We've only been getting 2 to 4 per trip but they have all been mid to upper slot fish. Live shrimp under a cork works well and helps cover a lot of ground. Once we locate a red I've been switching to cut ladyfish on circle hooks. The smell will usually bring in another fish or two and may even produce a nice snook.

In the ‘fun fish' category... Keep your eyes open for big jacks busting bait on the surface. They are schooling up early and late in the day and love a fast moving artificial bait imitation.

The early part of last week brought calm seas and a batch of beautiful weather, but a more tropical outlook is in the forecast.  It’s back to southerly breezes with the chance of showers for the upcoming weekend.  But don’t fret.  The chance of rain and low pressure usually leads to a good bite, along with plenty of fish to catch for those that are willing to pack the foul weather gear.

The nearshore bite was top notch before the winds picked up.  The May Reef was giving up lots of spanish mackerel, big trout and a mix of sheepshead, flounder, pompano and snapper.  Live shrimp on a jig head moved slowly across the bottom worked best.  Switching to cut bait dropped to the bottom produced grouper and quite a few big sharks. 

The backcountry flats in Estero Bay are trout central.  They are everywhere in all sizes.  Live shrimp under popping corks is the go-to, but don’t forget to try artificials.  Berkley Gulp Shrimp and D.O.A. Shrimp are both getting attention. 

Redfish are a bit more spread out along the mangrove shorelines.  You’ll need to work hard to get them by moving from spot to spot.  Cut ladyfish and threadfin herrings are working along with live shrimp on jigs.

There’s been a noticeable uptick in the amount and size of flounder being caught in the bays.  Over the years we’ve been getting one or two a week and they aren’t normally  something we target in our waters.  But over the past year the numbers are up.  I’m not sure why, buy my anglers are enjoying it!  We picked up 4 of them a couple of days ago along the mangrove edges while searching for redfish.  The best tackle / bait combo seems to be a popping cork, short leader, 1/4 oz. jig and live shrimp.

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Fishing in February can be tough but fun

As I write this we are bouncing back from a February cold front with warm days and cool nights that are much more representative of our normal winter weather. However, it still feels much cooler to those of us that live here year round. My brother reminded me that before I took up guiding for a living we use to avoid fishing in the months of January and February. It was just too cold for man or beast to be on the water! Because of this we really never had to think much about tactics for finding fish in the winter months. We spent that time tying flies, repairing boats and fishing gear and watching football and basketball on TV.

Our time for fishing was in the spring, summer and fall looking for tarpon, snook, redfish and trout. It was easy. We caught live shiners; we put them on a hook and threw them in front of the fish. Fish on! OK… Maybe it wasn’t quite that easy but it was a whole lot better than putting on three layers of clothing and not even seeing a tarpon or snook the entire day.

But then I decided to take fishing on as a profession and because of the proliferation of winter guests during that time of year, I was forced to deal with the less than ideal weather and to learn the patterns of angling in January and February.

So here is a bit of what I’ve learned.

The best bait for winter fishing is live shrimp; period. Fish love shrimp, especially in the cold water months. It moves slow and provides an easy meal. Fish really don’t want to chase anything fast moving when the water temperature drops below 65 degrees. Their metabolism has slowed down so they are in no way as aggressive as they are in warmer water.

The two best fish to hunt for in January and February are sheepshead and spotted sea trout. Both not only do well in the colder water, they seem to enjoy it. Sheepshead can be found around dock pilings and oyster beds as well as in deep pockets under mangrove overhangs. While I’ve heard a bunch of suggestions on how to catch them, I keep it pretty simple. I like small 1/8 oz. purple jig heads with 1/0 hooks. I then place half of a live shrimp on the hook and then cast to the target. The trickiest part is the hook set. You’ve got to almost anticipate the bite to be successful. They are the best bait stealers in the business! My youngest daughter’s advice is this. “When you feel a sheepshead tap the bait, count to 3 and go on 2.”

Trout fishing in the winter is a bit different than going after them in the summer months. They move from the shallow water flats to deeper areas often very near to where you would normally find them in the warmer months. I suggest starting in depths a little better than 4 feet. The best areas seem to be where you have some grass beds mixed in with small sandy potholes. For example, check out the flat just to the north of the power lines in Pine Island Sound. My favorite way to fish for them is similar to going after the sheepshead. I use a 1/4 oz. yellow jig head with a 1/0 or 2/0 hook. I take the tail off of the live shrimp and then thread the hook through the opening where the tail use to be. You can run the hook up through the body or down toward the legs. I’ve found it really doesn’t matter all that much. Make a cast and use a very slow jigging action while retrieving the bait. You need to get down near the bottom but not so close that you are picking up grass on the retrieve. The winter trout bite is not much more than a dull bump so if you feel anything at all, set the hook. Oh yeah, I use the yellow jig because you never know when you are going to come upon a pompano while trout fishing. It seems their favorite color is yellow.

While these 2 species are what I’d target on the coldest days, they are by no means the only fish out there. The water temperatures are going to move up and down quite a bit during February and this will bring the opportunity for catches of spanish mackerel, bluefish, pompano, ladyfish and a lot of small sharks. All kidding aside, it really is a great time to wet a line and it beats sitting inside watching fishing shows on television!

Naples Botanical Garden

Walking through the entrance to Naples Botanical Garden is a treat for the senses. There's really no way to even begin to describe its scope. For some reason I pictured something smaller like the gardens of my youth in Clearwater and at our current home in Fort Myers. Was I ever wrong.

The Garden grounds cover 170 acres that feature plants from the subtropics. This includes places like Brazil, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Florida. Everything from the wetlands and swamps to the dry and arid is represented and it's laid out in a way that lets you feel as if you are time traveling from one section of the world to another. There are huge water gardens with beautiful lilies and trickling waterfalls and large expanses of open lowlands with sawgrass. There are even rice patties planted and cultivated in the Asian area.

The Naples Botanical Garden was originally founded in 1993, closed for expansion in June of 2007 and reopened to the public in November of 2009. Expansion has continued and the result is a world class, award wining garden.

My visit was made possible as part of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association annual conference. It's held each year in a different area of Florida to help introduce writers to the featured location. During a group tour I was able to speak to executive director Brian Holley and came away with these interesting tidbits.

• Seventy acres of invasive melaleuca and Brazilian pepper were removed and turned into thousands of yards of mulch during the reconstruction.
• Over a 1/4 of a million yards of dirt was moved around the site to make the highlands and lowlands.
• During construction thousands of native plants were saved to be planted later.
  
• There are currently over 7500 different kinds of plants.
• There are currently 1000 plus orchids.
  

The pride in Brian's voice was evident, as it should be. This was a massive undertaking that you'll have to see to believe.

I walked the shell, stone and dirt paths though a good part of the area, but time was pressing and I soon realized that this is more than a quick tourist stop along US 41. I believe you could plan an entire morning or day at the Naples Botanical Garden and still not see it all.

The Garden is open from 9am to 5pm daily. Admission is $12.95 for adults and $7.95 for children 4-14 years old. 3 and under are free. There are also memberships available and members admission is free. Each Tuesday "Early Bird" hours are offered from 8am until 12pm. This gives amateur photographers and painters some quiet time and early morning light.

For more information go to www.naplesgarden.org

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters

Tarpon Lodge, A Trip To The Past

I can't tell you how many times I've heard the expression, "Old Florida". Most of the time the description is close, but not right on the money. Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island, in my opinion, is the exception.

My wife, JoNell, has a fairly grueling travel itinerary associated with her job. She goes on excursions both near and far to preach the gospel of vacationing in the Collier County area of Florida. In the month of May, her birthday month, she traveled to New York City and San Francisco and spent her big day on the road, or in the skies as it were. She very much wanted to do something special for her birthday. She told me so, but our schedules just didn't mesh. The window of opportunity was made smaller when she told me she had another trip scheduled to the state of Texas in early June. What's a guy to do?

Call a friend, Rob Wells Jr., business manager of Tarpon Lodge.

JoNell and I had talked about staying at the Lodge many times but it just never happened. I've visited there for a number of fishing outings, including tournaments, and had lunch there on a couple of occasions, but no overnights.

My email to Rob was simple. I need to surprise my wife. We only have a few days to visit and I really want to make it special for her.

Rob got the ball rolling and booked us a 4-night stay in the "Cottage" along with a slip to keep the boat. I'd decided to drive it up there so that JoNell could get in a little fishing and shelling, two things she really loves to do. I also reserved 3 nights in a row at the dinning room. More about that in a minute.

We arrived separately, JoNell by car and me by boat. After unpacking we took a self tour of the grounds and got familiar with our home away from home. The Cottage was perfect. One bedroom with a king size bed, bath, living room and kitchen. There was even a porch, where I could enjoy my evening cigar and look out on Pine Island Sound.

Speaking of Pine Island Sound. It's one of the best fishing areas in the world and Tarpon Lodge is sitting right next to prime territory. I've been guiding in and around the Sound for the last 10 years and nothing anywhere else can match the diversity of fish found there. Tarpon, snook, redfish, trout and a myriad of other species call it home and most are more than willing to cooperate when a lure, fly or live bait is thrown their way.

We spent the afternoon relaxing. Goodness knows, we both needed a break. We walked the grounds and eventually made our way across the road to the Randall Research Center where you can learn about the Calusa Indians. The Calusa's were an ancient and powerfull tribe that once ruled the entire southwest region of Florida. You can walk a trail, reading informational signs, or schedule a guided trip.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I booked 3 evening reservations for dinner at the resort's dinning room. That turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. JoNell and I soon discovered why it has a much coveted Four Star rating. The food and service were top notch. The selections all looked yummy and it was difficult to pick what to have as the main course. Beef or fish or shrimp or scallops or pork... you get the idea. JoNell summed it up nicely. She said she was very glad I had booked 3 dinner reservations so she could work her way through the menu. Not a bad idea!

Days 2, 3 and 4 were spent boating, fishing, shelling and relaxing. We made runs in our 22 foot Skeeter bay boat, to the small islands just south of the Tarpon Lodge and caught lots of redfish, trout and a mix of fun fish. We visited North Captiva, an island without bridges, so boat access is a must. We walked and shelled an almost deserted beach.

Later that day we visited nearby Cabbage Key, another boat only location, and had lunch at the restaurant. They are famous for having thousands of individual dollar bills hanging from the walls, that are signed by visitors and left behind. They are also noted for their cheeseburgers in paradise. Rumor has that singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett penned his famous "Cheeseburger" song there and, as they say, the rest is history.

Don't worry. If you don't have a boat, there are charters available through the Lodge for fishing, sightseeing, lunch cruises and shelling.

The days went by quickly and soon it was time to pack up and head back to the mainland, leaving island life behind. It was apparent to both of us that more time would be needed on our next trip to the Tarpon Lodge. And there will be another trip back to old Florida.

Tarpon Lodge website is www.tarponlodge.com
Cabbage Key's website is www.cabbagekey.com

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters

Summer Skin Protection

I’ve spent a good portion of my life living, fishing and playing in the great outdoors of Florida. I’ve worked on the water for a number of years and with that comes the dangers of over exposure to the harmful rays of the sun.

When I was a child we didn’t even use sunblock. Those were the days of the Coppertone girl with print ads and billboards showing a little blonde girl having her pants pulled down by a small dog to expose her bare, lilly white butt. The rest of her body was golden tanned! My how things have changed! With new science and research it’s been proven that the UV rays from the sun we worship here in Florida are actually quite bad for your skin. It’s no longer fashionable to have that deep dark resort tan.

Because I work on the water almost everyday and I spend most of that time in the sun, I thought I’d pass along some useful information to help you protect yourself from over exposure to Mr. Sol.

Sunblock. I use it everyday and recommend you put it on whenever you are planning a day outside. I like the white rub-on lotion vs. the spray-on version. The lotion covers your skin much better and there is little or no evaporation. The sprays seem to put most of the protection on the deck of my boat and are impossible to use in the wind.

I personally use “Bull Frog SuperBlock” lotion with a 45 SPF factor. The SPF number is very important. An SPF 10 rating means you can stay in the sun without burning 10 times longer than you can without using sunblock. Be careful with the numbers. If your skin begins to burn in only 15 minutes then an SPF of 10 is only going to protect you for a little over 2 hours providing you don’t sweat. Yes, you can reapply but I’ve found that it’s best to put the sunblock on BEFORE you leave the house. It works much better on cool, dry skin then it does on sweaty hot skin. Make sure you put extra lotion on your nose, ears and the tops of your hands. If you are going to be on a boat you should make sure to apply extra sunblock to the backs of your legs. The reflection off of the deck is brutal.

Clothing. It is important to wear proper clothing for protection from the sun. Many of the sport clothing manufactures are now making shirts and pants with SPF ratings on the labels. The highest I’ve seen is 30 and that’s a whole lot better than the typical SPF 5 that a cotton t-shirt will provide. The sporting / fishing attire is also going to keep you a lot cooler than street clothing. It’s also designed with light weight materials that breath and “wick” sweat away from your body. I’d recommend that you buy long sleeve shirts and long pants. The sleeves can be rolled up if necessary and most fishing pants come with zip off legs that turn them into shorts after returning to the dock. Here’s a tip for you. Buy lighter colored shirts and pants for summer wear. The light colors reflect sunlight while dark colors absorb it. There’s nothing hotter than a black shirt on a sunny day.

Accessories. There are several items that you need to add to your arsenal that will help protect you from the sun’s rays.

Get a good pair of sunglasses. The sun is brutal on the eyes and a nice polarized pair of shades will cut the glare and will also provide protection for a wayward lure or hook.

Sun gloves have been on the market for quite some time now. They are fingerless and light weight and dry quickly even after being totally submersed in water. They are designed to protect the back of you hands from the sun and work much better than sunblock lotion because they won’t “wash off”.

A hat is a must and the best are ones made with light colors and wide brims. I have a Tilley hat and would recommend it, hands down.

The buff is a cross between a scarf and a full face mask. They are tubes of a stretch material that are lightweight and breath even in the hottest weather. You simply pull the tube over your head and then down around your neck. You can pull it back up at anytime to protect your face and even your ears if needed. They are simple and comfortable and easy to use. Just don’t wear it to your local bank branch office.

Until next time... Get out there and enjoy all that our area has to offer.

Capt. Rob Modys
SoulMate Charters