Marco Island, Ft. Myers & Boca Grande

It's Spring! There's lots of stuff to do. Even though we had a hard freeze the second week of Feburary we are in for a early spring and there is lots of differnt kinds of fishing to do. Redfish have started to move in and schools up in Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. I have been looking for therse schools on low tide and throwing a variety of soft plastic lures. Mister Twister Exudes, Yum and Berkley 5 inch jerk shads have done well. We have also been getting some scatterd redfish action out of Marco Island. Exudes RT Slugs in measles color has been the best. Snook action is picking up and keepers have been common when the weather has been good. I haven't started using live bait yet this year and am still using the plastics. I am starting to see more snook moving to the outer islands near the passes. Trout are steady but are not as good as they should be this time of year. Exude RT Slugs in Golden Bream color have done the best. Look for sandy "patch" bottom in the Charlotte Harbor area and fish oyster bars in the Marco Island area. Sheephead are biting well on shrimp in the passes from Cape Romano to Boca Grande Pass. Try to find good hard rocky or shell bottom or just fish dock pilings. Bass fishing in the Everglades is still good and the trophy females are on the beds. A few fish up to 7-pounds per day is possible. There are still plenty of smaller 1-3 pound males and all the oscars that you want. The forecast for the rest of this month is excellent. The is one of our best months to fish. When the weather is good Tarpon, Permit and big snook are good bet out of Marco Island. If its windy then you can shark fish the rivers of the upper 10,000 Islands or go to Pine Island and pull on all the trout and redfish that you want. Good Luck! Capt. Scott Hughes Blackwater Charters 941-575-2389 home 941-628-4247 cell