SW Florida Fishing Report

"Wore Em'Out"

Some friends and I went out to do a little scouting before my next couple of charters. The forecast called for an outgoing tide which was great. However, it was a very slow outgoing which usually calls for a slow bite. We managed to catch 11 or 12 nice Lady's at the mouth of the river before it got dark on us. Off we went to the "Mogan Mansion." I really wasn't sure what we had in store for us, especially since the tide was less than ideal. But little did I know the Racing Mullet were starving to death. We all three baited up and within 5 minutes I hammered into a bruiser, but missed the hookset and she got away. Next it was Jason's turn. I kept telling the guys the Snook really don't like a real lively Lady. Jason was the first to listen and he threw his barely breathing Lady to the Snook hole and Slam!! Racing Mullet on!!! Jason grabbed the spool on his reel and began to pull the Snook away from cover by walking down the gunnel. After about a minute or so the fish came flying out of the cover and into the air. Jason did a great job of controlling the fish and keeping it out of the prop and other near by snags. When I boga gripped her he thought he had dinner for his mom . But at 16.5 pounds I knew she was oversized.

Since we already caught one big snook and missed another, they were a little spooked. So we moved down a little and tried to see if we could tempt them to eat. HA! HA! that was an understatement. I tossed my Lady up to the crevace and nearly had the reel jerked off of the rod. She slammed my rod so hard that I had to hold the reel on to the rod. I palmed the spooled and pulled back the best I could. Even with all of the pressure I put on her, she still drug me into the pilings. Luckily the 150 pound test leader and 80 pound Fins braid held up to the abuse. When we finally managed to boat her, she went a healthy 13.5 pounds.

My good friend and fishing partner Nelson is a very good fisherman and he is also a very stubborn one at times. Jason and I were fishing with 3 and 4 ounce weights on the bottom with dead and near dead Ladys. Nelson just couldn't stand it and would not go our route for anything. While he continued to fish his way. Another snook pounded my dead Lady and the fight was on. It felt like a 20 pounder at least but it wasn't. Once I was able to pull the fish away from the pilings Jason boga gripped her. I looked down at my 150 pound leader and it was nearly frayed into. We weighed her and she went a stealth 9 pounds. Shows you what I know.

Even though we had a great evening, we still were not finished. I am positive Jason and Nelson lost another 5 fish altogether. Then Jason finally got us off the snide and put another large keeper snook in the boat. She went a healthy 12.5 pounds.

In conclusion, the fat linesiders are out there and hungry. I have a feeling they are on the move as well as the Tarpon. I have been frequenting the upper river and canal areas lately and some fish are begining to show up in their usual haunts. Our season officially changed to fall and along with it a good fall bite should follow.

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