Marco Island, Ft. Myers & Boca Grande

Marco Island If your looking for some fun fishing and some good eating its available during this cold month of Feburary. Trout is still the top choice on the flats and pompano are on the shoals in Cape Romano. The cold temperatures have moved the trout into deeper flats with about 5-6 feet of water. Jigs are producing the best catches with popping corks and shrimp fairing well also. Pompano are loving the cold water and are being found everywhere from the bars off Coon Key to Caxambas and Marco River Passes. Catching them, however, has been a little tricky. They haven't responded very well to the traditional pompano jigs. I've even worked a whole shrimp with a lead head slowly on the bottom with only limited sucess. I would bet they will hit sand fleas but I have not had the time or the energy to dig any. Ft Myers Trout, pompano and sheephead are the only thing hot in the Ft Myers area. A few redfish are on the flats in Pine Island Sound. Snook fishing is extremely slow with a few undersized fish being caught in the creeks and canals with artificial lures. A good place to try this time of year is the Orange River. We have caught some big jacks trolling plugs but the tarpon and snook have been scarce. Its still probably one of the best places to catch a fish that REALLY pulls. Good Luck! Capt Scott Hughes