Fishing with Capt. George Tunison | Early afternoons might be best for fishing this weekend
If work or other responsibilities only allow a half day inshore trip(s) this weekend, if possible getting chores done in the morning then fishing the afternoon incoming tide starting around 1 p.m. (at Pineland) would be a good plan. There will be more water moving and the sun will have warmed the waters energizing the bait and predators. Clear, cold water calls for lighter lines, leaders, downsized lures and slow presentations.
For the bait-and-wait crowd, shrimp is hard to beat this time of year, especially when it comes to luring redfish out from under cover or catching trout drifting a green flat using a popping cork.
No livewell? No worries as frozen shrimp work just fine. There are other methods to keep shrimp alive and portable in a cooler for hours without carrying water. Go to the fisherman’s free friend YouTube for instruction.
This week we caught a wide assortment of fish along the Burnt Store Bar starting from Two Pines up to Pirate Harbor. Trout, redfish, pompano, bonnet head sharks, small snook, puffers, ladyfish and a jumbo lizardfish all came to the boat, providing steady action. We saw a few small cobia but no takers. Lots of trout out in front of Burnt Store Marina in the entrance channel as well as redfish, trout and sheepshead in the marina. Bouncing lead-head jigs off marina yachts is bad karma and hurts all anglers.
Local passes have baby grouper and snapper on bottom with pompano, trout and whiting close by. Spanish mackerel are eating bait from in or just outside the passes to miles offshore, offering fast action on trolled spoons or traditional mackerel lures like the time-honored and long casting Got-Cha plugs. Make long casts then retrieve with a series of sharp pulls and jerks giving a wounded darting action to the bait which trips a mackerel or bluefish’s trigger. The plugs long body helps provide bite-offs so I typically fish 40-pound test fluorocarbon leaders but always have a roll of single strand wire on hand if your lure supply starts to dwindle due to bite-offs. Learn to tie Albright Knots or others to connect wire leaders to your main line (without swivels) and the Haywire Twist to connect wire to lures or hooks.
Working with wire and doing it right takes a little practice. Wire working tools like DUBRO’s Kwik Twist Tool (under $25) makes tying a professional grade Haywire Twist a breeze. Available in most tackle stores or online. If you enjoy making wire lures like spinner and chatter baits, DUBRO has all your wire lure making needs
Weekend wind forecasts are varied so monitor your favorite weather sources before heading off the coast as well as checking on your safety, first-aid and communications gear before starting out. Don’t forget channel locks and duct tape.
If you can get out safely, expect to find lane and mangrove snapper and sheepshead starting at 50 feet with Spanish macs scattered along the way offshore. Visiting angler Brian Key ended up with a bad back attack and a long planned vacation cut short after tangling with a trio of powerful amberjack and sea sickness on his first-ever offshore excursion. He promises to return in better condition next year. “I had no idea a fish could be that strong.”
It’s no secret that I really enjoy fly fishing, catching carp to crappies, trout to tarpon, bass to bonita and snook to sailfish. Everybody eats flies and Southwest Florida is made for fly fishing in both salt and fresh shallow water. Specialized or “sink tip” fly lines allow fly anglers to access fish feeding or suspended deeper in the water column, as well. We currently have an abundance of ladyfish and trout looking for flies. A 5 or 6-weight fly rod connected to a high jumping, drag screaming ladyfish is big time fly fishing fun.
Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. You can contact him at (239) 579-0461 or via email at captgeorget3@aol.com.