Naples & Marco Island, FL

Fishing definetly up and Down this week. One day we are slamming them on every cast and the next we are working for every bite. Me thinks the culprit be the lack of rain but this is just a guess. This week’s fishing has been good and bad. I can’t put my finger on it but one day we are smoking them. Almost a fish on every cast and we return the next day and find the fish lethargic and not wanting to do much of anything. The only thing I can think is it having to do with the lack of rain we are experiencing this year. It seems the best days are occurring after we get large rain showers the day or night before, maybe this isn’t the reason for the up and down week we are having but I cannot seem to figure anything else out. Anyhow the fish are here and if you can catch it right they are biting a little bit of everything from flies to white bait. The best patterns seem to be 2 to 3 inch baitfish flies in white or white and green. I did some experimenting with other patterns and it seems that they have a taste for yellow and red also. Topwater plugs thrown around the mangrove bays leading to the passes are getting slammed also, by both Snook and Redfish. The Tarpon this week have been few and far between. Jumped two in the back yesterday, but I had to look long and hard to find them. Not a usual year when it comes to tarpon, I hope we will start getting our regular rain and they will start turning up in their usual summer hangouts. Until then it is like finding a needle in a haystack. Next week on the New Moon tides the morning fishing should be slamming but you need to go early. First light seems to give us our best shots at large Snook. The later it gets the harder it is to get the strikes. If you do not like to get up and at them early then wait to just about dark and they should be ripping then. Thanks Capt. Roan z.