Estero Bay Report

The best opportunity for anglers in Estero bay is early in the morning. Fish the mangrove island edges for redfish using shrimp tipped jig heads or cut bait. Once the water and the sun heat up they move way back into the bushes for shade and won't really come out. When this happens switch gears and head to the passes where snapper, seatrout, whiting, jacks, and small sharks are plentiful. Bouncing shrimp tipped jig heads along the bottom will work best. If snook is what you are after, pinfish on 3/0 circle hooks will work fine along the floating docks and mangrove shorelines near the passes. Again the early a.m. bite has been best, but anglers can also sight cast to them off the beaches in the wash. There has been a decent seatrout bite early on in the passes using shrimp on 1/8 oz jig heads or 2/0 circle hooks with #3 split shot. Pitch the bait up current and allow it to drift through the deeper water.