We have had a very dry and hot week with some hope for rain toward the weekend. The water temperature in the bays is in the 90s and has slowed the fishing down during the day. Usually this time of year we get some afternoon rains that cool it down a bit for some evening fishing, not happening yet.
This is a great time to do a half-day trip with mornings being the best bet with some nice juvenile tarpon in the creek mouths and rivers. There have been some redfish around but get there early on the incoming or first outgoing before it heats up.
Since the wind has laid down a bit, it is also a good time to run out into the Gulf and look for birds and fish crashing bait. You never know what you may have a shot at – mackerel, cobia, tripletail, kingfish, permit? I heard this week about a Naples captain that caught two bonefish over 10 miles offshore while bottom fishing – what the heck?
The beaches continue to hold a bunch of nice snook cruising the shoreline, just looking for a fly. Try Naples, Keewaydin, Tiger Tail or Hideaway beaches early with DNA Reducers, DTs or Tsunamis in size 2 (fly in the picture.) These fish are spooky in this shallow water so go slow and lead them with your cast, let the fly settle and a couple of short strips.
All the best,
Capt. Bill Baldus
