Southwest Florida Fishing Report - Bonita Springs to Captiva

Red Tide is all over us once again in Southwest Florida. It stinks and it kills thousands of fish. Before it cursed us for a second time (arriving Friday 3/11/05) we were scoring Pompano and Gator Trout in large numbers. Pompano were on the bite off Redfish Pass and Captiva Pass. How hungry were they? They were so hungry I caught one when I was throwing a Yo-Zuri Tobimaru C-57 Lure at a Cobia. The pomp weighed 4LBS and put up one hell of a fight. It almost occurred to me to let him go but Pompano are soooo good baked. Ouch! Trout: Monster Gator Trout were being caught in Tarpon Bay and Ding Darling national Refuge. Were is the key word here. I'm wondering why I'm telling you how great the fishing was before the latest Red Tide? It sucks right now and I only depress myself when I write or talk about the darn Red Tide. It is usually never here in March. We are usually fighting high winds not Red Tide. The Feds are blaming the fishing guides and the dock builders for all the recent Manatee deaths. Now they are focusing their suspicions on the Red Tide. Hmmm. They have some very smart people working for the Federal Government don't they? "GiddyUp"