Capt. George Tunison

It’s a good time to take advantage of the still relatively calm weather to round up some offshore table goodies. Scattered storms predicted for the weekend mixed with Saharan dust clouds means get out and back to port before the afternoon fireworks show begins.

Seems that most all the species are cooperating, like popular red snapper which closes to harvest on July 31. A long list of various snapper species, all great on the plate, await your dropped baits and jigs. Mangrove or greys, yellowtails, lane, and vermillion are all delicate and delicious fish and worth the journey out past the 60-mile mark. Sharks patrolling the reefs can make getting a whole fish back to the boat a problem and then you have the Goliaths wanting a share as well.

Don’t be caught without an approved descending device or venting tool if you bottom fish for grouper and other important reef dwellers and remember that participation in the reef survey is also mandatory. For info and to sign up, check the FWC website.

The tarpon scene remains much the same with Boca Grande still the focal point although more fish are moving into the harbor while others continue to ride the coastline from a stone’s throw off the beach to two or three miles off the surf zone. Some tarpon reports from Charlotte Harbor’s three deep holes as well as reported large bull sharks also there if you want to try for a possible heat stroke fighting these always strong critters.

Actually with our hot water, a prolonged battle especially with the larger guys like tarpon and sharks can be deadly for the fish and even the angler alike, especially for the already health compromised or a visitor not at all prepared for this level of intense heat and steam. I’ve been enduring the Southwest Florida heat for 20 years now and I still keep hearing that “Oh, you’ll get used to it.” I keep waiting.

Savvy inshore anglers are beating the heat by fishing early morning or working the night shift. Fishing bridges and docks is always a good choice with depth and shade providing comfort to lethargic fish. Nighttime, fish and bait attracting dock and bridge lights gets the party started with a variety of different sized predator fish attracted to the dinner table. Just like daylight fishing, chose a moving tide for best results.

Often with lit docks you’ll see smaller snook moving around illuminated areas and are fun to target, especially with rather small minnow imitating flies but, I also like exploring the darkness outside of the lit area where the big guys lurk often right along the shoreline or laying down deeper in the dock structure. Lure skippers getting those soft plastics back in and under the dock darkness should always be prepared for an instant battle using 40-pound test leaders as a bare minimum. If you’ve ever tried to pry a really large and powerful snook from under a dock, especially one with current, you might think 80-pound test leader material as a starting point if only truly big snook are on your mind.

Low tech, night shift beach walkers, hopefully well prepared for bugs, can tie into a lifetime trophy snook fishing the surf zone while smaller snook haunt inshore mangrove points and shady spots, with under-slot redfish companions.

Family fun Spanish mac and bonito schools moving from the passes to offshore while sharks of all sizes wait for bait. Threadfins and glass minnows are plentiful across Charlotte Harbor but desirable whitebait takes some lucky scouting. One thing for sure is, if you overcrowd your hot summer livewell your time spent collecting it will be wasted. Give your bait plenty of room and aeration to keep your players alive and frisky. Various locations have reported catchable bait but overall the Jug Creek area still produces.

Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. You can contact him at 239-282-9434 or via email at captgeorget3@aol.com.