Marco Island & Estero Bay Fishing Report- May 13, 2016

June 9, 2016 - Posted by Steve Dall May 13-15: Goodbye Stone Crabs! Weather & Tides… The weekend weather forecast brings summerlike conditions with some humidity lingering in the air, but predicted NW winds later this weekend, should bring more comfortable conditions. Upper 80 degree weather temperatures along with 10-15 mph winds from the WSW on Friday and Saturday, then turning out of the NW on Sunday yielding more comfortable fishing conditions. Good higher tide stages throughout the region will be present each morning, so an early start with the pre 7:00 AM sunrises should let you fish a good part of the incoming, then watch it turn early to mid-morning. Inshore…. Redfish are showing up more and more in good numbers with cut bait being the preferred choice. Cut mullet, ladyfish chunks and cut threadfin herring are all doing well and for those with a livewell full of pilchards should score their fair share of Redfish and Snook. The snook fishing has been outstanding for those using pilchards either free-lined or under a cork on the higher tide stages in the backcountry in areas with good tidal flow with good numbers of mid 20 inch fish hitting the deck. Focus on deeper cuts such as Dismal Key Pass and West Pass and particularly on the deeper banks with downed timber and laydowns. These areas are perfect ambush points as the laydown breaks the current and allows the snook to sit in the calmer eddies and wait for bait to flow by. Mix in some shade in the aforementioned spots and you’ll have a bent rod for much of the day. Decent reports of black drum in the deeper holes with some current throughout the region are coming in from anglers dropping live shrimp in current rich passes. Mangrove snapper are also gaining length this time of year with good reports of keeper fish from similar spots and some good sized spotted sea trout are coming out of these holes as well. A shrimp tipped 3/8 ounce bucktail jig is tough to beat as is a simple egg sinker slip rig. Do some exploring to find these spots as you run to your backcountry spots by keeping an eye out on your depthfinder for deeper drops and holes in areas that narrow to create current. Permit are definitely here and the race to find crabs is in full effect….all the area shops and select marinas are stocking crabs with more frequency this year which is great news. Target these drag screamers on the nearshore reefs with some higher relief on them and set up on the wreck far enough away so that you can free line a crab naturally over the reef. Do your homework on selecting reefs and simply make a milk run going spot to spot and keep your eye open for those cobia. Keep in mind that Sunday, May 15th is the last day of recreational stone crab season, so be sure to check the FWC website to refresh yourself on the current regulations. Claws need to be at least 2.75” in length to be legal and you are allowed 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less. Offshore…. Good reports of grouper, both gags and reds are coming in for those dropping in 65-75 feet of water out of Naples and Marco Island on the honey combed bottom and subtle ledges. Cut threadfin herring and squid are taking numbers, but a live pilchard, threadfin herring or pinfish is tough to beat for the larger fish. King Mackeral are busting bait balls in the northern part of the region in the early morning, so keep an eye out for the birds and busy water on your way out in the morning. Until next week, tight lines and screamin’ drags…. Captain Steve Dall www.poseidonschoice.com