Fishing Report - Naples, Ft. Myers, Bonita Beach & Estero Bay

Fishing ain't easy these days: Bonita Beach, SW FL The photo shown at right is of a 22 inch redfish, caught on a backwater trip, before red tide hit the bay. I fished Friday, hoping the swells from Hurricane Rita effects had subsided, but it was pretty sloppy offshore. With red tide impacting the bay fishing, we decided to try the near shore reefs off Bonita Beach. Fishing with Brad and Lisa Brandt and friends, I encountered a four foot southwest swell, and a 15 to 20 knot east wind. We managed to catch keeper-sized mangrove snapper, and released some grunts, using live shrimp, before heading out of the rough waters.