Marco Island Fishing Report- April 1st

March 29, 2016 - Posted by Steve Dall April 1-3: April Fool’s… Fool me once, shame on you……fool me twice, shame on me. I think that old saying is quite appropriate for this year’s fishing in the 10k Islands. I think all too often we are fooled by history on the water. While we all have had increased conversations this year about water quality, clarity, Mother Nature, increased boat and jet-ski tours and much of those, if not all of them have adversely effected the fishing in the region. The reality is that we cannot control much of the aforementioned, but what we can control is our decision making. We all too often seem to fish “history” and not “the moment”. While we all have our “go to” hot spots, don’t be fooled by your past successes, because as with most ecosystems, they evolve, our hot spots certainly evolve and we need to evolve with them. With the “off” year we are having, we all need to think a bit more outside the box and at times, explore new water and techniques. Sometimes you just have to put the trolling motor down, go explore and blaze a new trail. The week after Easter usually sees a lot of car transporters in the area, which usually is a sign that our part time residents are fleeing the area for their northern summertime residences. With the holiday being very early this year, expect the traffic both on and off the water to dissipate gradually the next few weeks, versus the annual light switch effect. Depending on where you are at in the region this weekend, you’ll experience a high tide in the late morning to lunchtime window, before it bottoms out in the late afternoon. While the weather forecast in Florida changes by the hour, as of this writing, we are expecting mid to upper 80 degree air temps with SSW winds 10-15 mph Friday and Saturday, then heavy rains and westerly winds on Sunday, so plan accordingly. If the forecast holds true, they finned residents of the 10k should be chewing a little better than normal on Saturday as the barometer will be moving with the approaching front. Afternoon falling tides, 80 plus degree water temps and some summerlike humidity this week has the Silver King on a lot of fisherman’s minds, especially after our first wave of fished rolled through rather quickly in recent weeks. Bigger passes on afternoon falling tides with the current conditions and Big Marco, Caxambas, Fakahatchee, West and Indian Key are all great passes to hit this coming week in search of the silver Megalops. In addition, I would certainly be checking the beach areas between Cape Romano and Keewaydin Island, as tarpon reports along the beaches from our northern brethren are getting quite good. If you have the means to be mobile this weekend and wanted a change of scenery, run the beaches outside of North Naples, Bonita Beach and Ft Myers Beach. While the best action generally has a parking lot of boats around it, be respectful when approaching the group as to not disturb the action. Plan on having a large selection of bait offerings to throw at these early season tarpon as they can be as indecisive as you and your significant other deciding where you are heading to dinner this evening. Snook continue to show up in better numbers with a lot of lower 20 inch fish around to keep folks busy if they can find clean water. Pilchards, smaller topwater plugs and jerkbaits in current rich areas continue to take their fair share of fish, with bonus slot sized fish in the mix. If you are heading to Big Marco Pass or Caxambass Pass in search of tarpon, be sure to have a snook rod handy in case the poons aren’t cooperating. Please be mindful of the slot as snook season remains open until April 30th and as a refresher, it is 1 harvested fish per angler, per day with said fish being not less than 28" in total length or more than 33" in total length. As always, remember a photo is just as good as a filet, if not better. Great reports continue to pour in from the offshore guys running out of the Marco Island area. Loads of gag grouper and back breaking amberjack are abound in the 35 mile range, with cobias in the mix as well, but remember to keep tabs on the FWC regulations for what is in season. Nearshore anglers continue to do well between 8 and 15 miles, with most drops receiving steady action of mixed groupers, snappers and of course the vacuum cleaner goliath groupers. While bouncing from spot to spot, keep an eye out for free roaming cobia. Tip of the Week: Have you ever used a Kahle hook for your livebait applications? Owner Hooks has introduced an Inshore Slam series of hooks which gears up perfectly for our areas live bait fishermen. They are essentially a Kahle style hook, which has the properties both of a traditional J style hook along with a circle hook. They are made from high carbon steel wire which lends to thinner wire hooks for livelier natural bait action and better penetration. It is a great all around hook, comes in sizes 2 through 7/0 and get this…..are nearly HALF the cost of the same brand’s popular circle and J hook offerings. I like them in the smaller sizes up to 3/0 and will continue to use other styles for sizes greater than 3/0. Most of our local retailers are now stocking these, so give them a try. Until next week, tight lines and screamin’ drags…. Captain Steve Dall www.poseidonschoice.com