Water Temperatures Rise

Offshore: Well! take heart guys the weather is looking really good for the weekend and most of next week. Air temps in the mid 70's and the water temps are already heading into the 70's, finally. Winds are tapering with 4-8 mph in the morning and around maybe 10 by mid- afternoon. All this should give crews plenty of time to regroup on the hot spots a good way off the beach. Not much action to report with the recovery close at hand, same old same old action at the close marks3-5 miles out. Kings, Spanish, cobia and sharks were the big guys with plenty of snapper, a few grouper and other bottom huggers eating shrimp and cutbait. The " the Hit Parade" is about to start, get up, gear up and get out! Backbay: Crews faired a bit better but cold, cloudy and overly fresh water made it a tough act on the bays and flats. The stalwart crews did manage some nice braces of trout, snapper, pomps with mobs of bully jacks raising hopes for a bait and water recovery. We went out and managed a few reds in Estero Bay and got reports of better action in Matlacha and Pine Island Sound. Charlotte Harbor had better water throughout the cold snap but made for rough sledding with the wind, good trout action and reds off Burnt Store Bars, a good place to hide outa the wins. The rivers are mighty brown and sweet especially with the strong east wind s of late. Snook are slowly recovering but best left alone to recuperate from the cold spell, save en m for Spring. {%image_id=47045%} Freshwater: Was the place to be, bass ate shiners, night crawlers and black rubber twister tails for starters. The much maligned cichlids save many a cabin fever outing eating red wigglers, shrimp bits and "Polish Sausage", no kidding. I'm not sharing my kielbasa with any buddy! Well maybe a firemouth cichlid or tilapia. There are many ponds, ditches and canals that are just loaded with bass, cichlids and shell crackers, they need culling to keep the stocks in check, bring lots a wigglers! Capt. Ron Kowalyk www.fishswfla.com [email protected] 239-267-9312