Not-so-balmy winds have actually placed a little a damper on angling initiatives, however also overseas fishermens have actually entered excellent licks over the previous week. Old salts have actually constantly utilized mangrove coastlines as wintertime windbreaks, however numerous are uncovering Storm Ian did them unclean by leaving numerous trees practically leafless and also blow-thru.
– E-MAIL YOUR IMAGE TO BYRON STOUT
OFFSHORE: Viet Hoang reports the Chop Suey YouTube angling group had an excellent burglary work on Riley Alstodt’s brand-new watercraft, angling bent on 80 miles off the Sanibel Light. Amanda and also Daniel Thiesson and also Viet all captured individual ideal cheat, red and also black groupers, specifically. The trick and also black took real-time lures in 175 feet of water, and also the 32-inch red got hold of a dead squirrelfish (sand perch) wandered over real-time base in 130 feet.

A&B Charters out of Port O’ Phone Call Marina in Naples send out in a believe-it-or-not shot of young person Gryson Arnold, of Des Moines, Iowa, with a whopper red grouper captured in 80 feet of water on cut squid. He was angling with Capt. Kees VanDerAa on the Done in, and also “It took whatever the little guy needed to crank the fish off all-time low.”
ESTERO BAY: Regular factor Rick Mercer reports enjoyable angling with grand sons Landry and also Lochlan Curtis, and also grandmother Char. They utilized shrimp to capture mangrove snappers and also a number of infant goliath grouper Saturday in Wiggins Pass.

Obtain Connected Charters Capt. Matt DeAngelis sent out in a shot of Illinois fishermen Mimi Janson with among 3 caretaker detected seatrout captured Sunday on a jig-and-shrimp gear in Large Hickory Pass. Monday’s catch-and-release journey with West Bay Club anglers Bruce Churton and also Ed Summers benefited 40 trout from 12 to 20 inches, captured on “pop’n cork combinations” near Black Trick. The overview records various other charters have actually generated undersize snook and also caretaker sheepshead.
CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER: Lehr’s clients report large snook attacking fabricated lures much better than livies in the river, which has actually ended up being salted sufficient for real-time sardines to endure as much upstream as the railway trestle/Interstate 75 location. No Live Lure Needed tempts and also leadhead jigs are the best lures, cast to link framework, dam tail waters, and also after rainfalls, right into discharges at the mouths of streams.
SANIBEL: Lehr’s Economic climate Tackle reports sheepshead angling is increase extremely well as the elevation of the period comes close to in February and also March. Sailors have actually been making great catches at the Sanibel Embankment and also on nearshore fabricated coral reefs, lower angling primarily with real-time and also icy shrimp.
PINE ISLAND & CHARLOTTE HARBOR: Wildfly Charters Capt. Gregg McKee reports excellent trout angling over verdant places off Bokeelia Island, “when it’s not a browse area.” He likewise found some large snook near the powerlines in Matlacha Pass, although unfavorable reduced trends and also solid north winds has actually made obtaining within casting array a difficulty. He likewise has actually been seeing extremely bit in the means of real-time lure, which is not unusual in wintertime shallows, and also among the factors fabricated lures function well currently of year.
FRESH WATER
LAKE TRAFFORD: The crappie attack on the Immokalee lake has actually reduced, however fish french fries are still to be had by sailors. Pete Ramos captured 18 flecks Monday on minnows, and also John Hall captured 18 Tuesday making use of jigs. Additionally Tuesday, overview Joey Draple and also 2 fishermens captured 28 crappie on jigs. A lot of the fish have actually been men, and also have actually been taken out of coastline greenery consisting of bulrush. Courtney Johnson, of Arcadia, captured a 3-1/2-extra pound bass Sunday from the coastline of Ann Olesky Park, however angling for crappie from the coastline and also park pier has actually not been great.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE: Roland Martin Marina & Hotel Capt. Bo White reports the bass attack on artificials reduced after one of the most current cold snap, however is boosting with warmer weather condition, after the current brand-new moon. The very best locations have actually been along north coastlines around Equine Island, Tin Home Cove and also King’s Bar. The secret is relocating right into decayed locations and also locating tidy water around cattail globs, where wild black eyes under bobbers are the sure thing. As waters cozy, the most effective phony lures need to be Rate Worms, Senkos and also swim jigs in black-and-blue, fished gradually around the cover.
PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Large bass on the Large O never ever tire of a wild black eye diet plan.
FISH IDEA

Mike Westra of Lehr’s records great catches of trout and also redfish, completely from Estero Bay to north Pine Island Noise, with 2 key components. He passed along the suggestion of angling in the lee of mangrove coastlines, which clients report are not obstructing winds like they utilized to, prior to H. Ian surprised much of the vegetation. The various other vital variable has actually been making use of clacker cork gears, which have a wide variety of variants past the reality that their clacking sound draws in snoopy killers. They usually are gotten prerigged, with plastic shrimp, or they can be utilized with aromatic artificials consisting of Gulp! brand name lures, along with real-time shrimp, herrings or pinfish.
LOCATIONS
No. 1: Lawn apartments off Bokeelia Island for trout.
No. 2: Trout and also redfish in Pine Island Noise splits.
No. 3: Large snook up the Caloosahatchee, Ft Myers to Ortona.
No. 4: Estero Bay for trout.
No. 5: Nearshore fabricated coral reefs for sheepshead.
No. 6: Well offshore for red grouper and also lane snapper.
No. 7: Lake Trafford for Crappie

LAKE OKEECHOBEE
No. 1: Equine Island to King’s Bar for bass.
