Marco Island & Estero Bay Fishing Report May 6, 2016

June 9, 2016 - Posted by Steve Dall May 6-8: Thank you Moms! Weather & Tides… The weekend weather forecast has us continuing with early summer mid to upper 80 degree weather temperatures along with 10-20 mph from the NNW on Friday and Saturday, then turning southeasterly on Sunday with a mild blow of 5-10 mph. Treat Mom to a stellar day on the water on Sunday and let her relax! With the new moon falling on Friday this week, the tides will rage in all morning throughout the region peaking at near flood tide stage by early afternoon and then will dump out to negative levels just after dark, so plan accordingly. If the predicted northerly winds stay true to forecast, factor that the tide will be held up a bit, but not by much with the strong lunar impact. Inshore…. Redfish continue their rebound from the spring, with bait anglers reporting good action continuing on lower slot fish on various cut baits, such as ladyfish and threadfins. Those slinging artificials are seeing good action when targeting shallow fish with stealth using dark hued paddle tail swimbaits and scented shrimp imitators and larger, upper and over slot fish are in the mix. Higher tides are best right now for the live and cut bait approach and lower tides for the sight fishermen. Plan your day accordingly though with the higher than normal tides this weekend. Snook continue their migration to their offshore summertime spawning haunts and the beaches are starting to show good signs of life for some great sight fishing opportunities. Parlay the cleaner water into the mix and you should get your shots in short order this weekend. Keewaydin has some good fish on the wood laydowns, but get there early as those fish will be gone long before the first boats show up for their weekend gathering. With the current flow being strong this weekend, weight down your offerings and be patient. They are there, they just need to have the bait presented with precision. Keep in mind that our region’s snook season is now closed through the end of August. Tarpon anglers continue to put fish in the air throughout the region. Nearshore pods of active fish are from the farthest northern part of the region, around Cape Romano and several miles off Whitehorse Key. As you venture more south, fish are in good numbers in the deeper passes and their respective adjacent bays. Look for rollers in the shallows at first light and then move to the passes as the sun starts to climb mid-morning. The Chrome Cows are taking a variety of live baits as usual with crabs and threadfin herring getting the nod for the active fish and cut mullet for the finicky poons. Artificial anglers are finding good action on darker colored Hogy jerkbaits teamed up with a Hogy Barbarian jig head. Offshore…. This weekend marks the opener of our newly extended Red Snapper season, which is open in State waters on Saturdays and Sundays starting May 7, continuously May 28th through July 10th and then Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in September and October, and on Labor Day. In Federal Waters, the season is open June 1-9 for private recreational anglers. Size limits are 16” total length, 2 per person and are included in the 10 per harvester per day state snapper aggregate bag limit. If the winds lay down as predicted on Sunday, it should be a banner day for the bluewater crews, as just about everything is chewing on the wrecks right now. Tip of the Week…. With water temps continue to climb, that means topwater action is on the rise. ¬¬¬¬¬¬Keep in mind, that there are generally two styles of topwater plugs: those that “walk the dog” meaning, with a series of short, downward twitches, the bait will dart back and forth. A bone colored Heddon Spook Jr is tough to beat in our area and a nice constant cadence is key here for active fish. The other would be a popper style topwater and this is a good choice for neutral to active fish and can be the easiest to use for those not as experienced with pinning down the right cadence. Simply cast it out and in short downward motions and make short, quick twitches with your rod tip. This will allow the bait to “spit” water from its concave shaped mouth and in some instances, such as with the Storm Rattlin’ Chug Bug, you can get a combination of popping and walk-the-dog action. Give it a whirl….the time is now! Until next week, tight lines and screamin’ drags…. Captain Steve Dall www.poseidonschoice.com