We managed some fish each trip but it gottough towards theend of the month with extensive fresh water discharges coming from Lake Okeechobee. Most of our passengers on board have never been in a dorado bite before today. Shrimp are great winter-time baits around SWFL. Plan a second day of fishing if you have time. Sanibel Causeway. Visit MyFWC.com/PierFinder to search for a location by county, city, feature name and type of feature (such as a bridge or pier). Home Features Fish Finder February 24 fishing report from Byron Stout. Bennett Wong caught this toothy beauty with Capt. Best live baits include pinfish, pilchards, threadfins, shrimp and Wanna see what we're catching right now? All rights reserved. Sanibel Live = Intersections with cameras Use two fingers to pinch, stretch and pan the map on a mobile device. Niko the fish slayer with two more red fish fishing near Captiva Island. Fishing is improving. Prior to stay out at night was, or shelling charter remember your display settings s beach blvd or. Tripletail are around the crab traps and they are biting Shrimp. Hoping for warmer weather and for the return of the bait! Anglers fishing the beaches have been catching whiting and a few snook. | fishing in Matanzas Pass (fixed bridge) (4 mi.) After the new year fishing took a pretty good hit with cold temperatures dropping the water temp to the low 60's. Our afternoon rain patterns are becoming regular and fishing is starting to get as hot as the weather! We even have rod & reel rentals for those traveling without their own equipment. Permanent repairs continue and the causeway, the only link between Sanibel . We strive to provide the latest and most accurate fishing information available to our users. Most areas of water on the left side of Wildlife Drive are closed to the public. | fishing in Fort Myers (16 mi.) It's been a busy couple of weeks getting rigged up with this new SHO. Despite some shop days we put a hurting on some fish! This is a very narrow window of opportunity, maybe the first two hours of an incoming and the last two of an outgoing tide will be the best. Lee County, home to Sanibel and the battered cities of Fort Myers Beach and Fort Myers, has confirmed at least 42 deaths after the storm. Soft plastics of all kinds will catch fish. LAKE TRAFFORD: Theres been a paradox on the Immokalee lake, where Its been crazy dead, with one five-fish day representing the weeks angling highlights. Look for a group of small ripples on the surface or what sometimes looks like rain on the water, the fish will be in that area. | fishing in Redfish Pass (Captiva Island, North End) (13 mi.) But now my favorite time of year has come! Z-Man swim baits, Vudu shrimp and D.O.A. The snapper and Redfish bite over the last few weeks has continued to be great. New posts will not be retrieved. The two-lane Causeway. The post May Fishing ha. The Tarpon bite is hot right now in swfl! In his report, City Manager Dana Souza explained that staff is expecting the causeway can be reopened to non-pass holders starting on Jan. 2. Ideally our water temp should climb another 2 or 3 degrees which will helpIMO. Look for grass and any type of structure like rocks, docks, or depth changes. Average fish have been in the 22-26 inch range with a few fish passing the 35 inch mark. Our summer time rain patterns have been pretty steady with the occasional storm system moving in to mess things up for us for a few days. All were released for another day! Customers should choose one transponder and remove all other from the vehicle. Seasons - Knowing your seasons will often determine where and what you are fishing for. Makes a great one with red eyes. Thanks again for taking the time to post. Cut bait like Pinfish and Greenbacks are a bait of choice in addition to Shrimp, which have been producing the best results. For up-to-date information, look up the fishing report for the water of your choice. The current Sanibel Causeway toll is $6.00 for automobiles and motorcycles traveling from Punta Rassa to the island. Oh well, maybe when the weather subsides, this area will be productive, but today, we can't quite justify saying that it was. 2023 FishingBooker.com. Field staff Bait has been relatively easy to catch with Pinfish being the best lately for this guide. Sharks, most commonly but not limited to Blacktips, and Bonnet Heads have also been caught on most everything from Shrimp to cut Mackerel, Mullet or even frozen Squid. The iconic Sanibel Causeway, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Ian nearly two weeks ago and left impossible to drive on, is expected to reopen to drivers next week. Snook fishing on a Captiva Fishing Charter. Today Thursday, 2 nd of March of 2023, the sun will rise in Sanibel at 6:50:34 am and sunset will be at 6:29:48 pm. Florida as the temperature slowly subdues. #2 hooks with a bulky design are perfect for this. Shelling has been good with reports of sand dollars being found in large numbers on shore. Things are starting to pick back up again with the snowbirds in town, so stay tuned for some great charter picsas soon as deer season is over! Whitney's Sanibel fishing report will keep you up to date on everything you need to know before you cast your line. Redfish have really started to show up in larger numbers and schooling fish are appearing in our area. Dave Hanson reports Mike and Patrick Conneally released a 23-inch gag grouper and 18 short reds, while boxing four grunts, four vermilion snapper, 15 lane snapper, and releasing 15 more lanes on Monday. Stay tuned for some crazy days of fishing! Our next couple trips are SOLD OUT but please call Seaforth Landing at (619) 224-3383 to get in on the action. Meanwhile, catches of a few Spanish mackerel, the vanguard of north-bound pelagic species, are the first harbingers of spring. Sanibel and Southwest Florida Fishing Reports. Top ways to experience Sanibel Causeway and nearby attractions Sanibel Island Shuffle Scavenger Hunt Self-guided Tours from $27.00 per adult Sunset Sail 190 Recommended Sailing from $70.00 per adult Sunset Dolphin Cruise 13 Recommended Water Tours from $399.00 per group (up to 6) Dolphin Cruise Water Tours from $399.00 per group (up to 6) The fishing bite tends to heat up for us here in S.W. SD card of all fishing spots in the Sanibel. Learn what's biting and how to catch it! Hanson reports, Red tide was abundant in the bay, and we did spot a few dead fish.. A 2017 City of Sanibel count measured annual bridge traffic over the causeway at over 3 million vehicles. 5) Know your seasons. Are you looking for a place to fish from shore? 4/13/2011 4:20:10 PM - Name KEEWAYDIN 3 MILE C AND D REEF 01 Depth (in feet) 28 Relief (in feet) 10 Description RUBBLE AND CULVERTS COUNTY FUNDED Date of Deployment June 19 2003 Pr, NAPLES PIER REEF Now is the time to get in on some of the best redfishing of the year so book your trip with confidence because the bite is redhot. But once locals spotted the Sanibel Lighthouse from the mainland - missing a leg but still standing - it became a symbol of resilience. Anglers fishing the beaches have been catching whiting and a few snook. Wildlife Drive in Ding Darling is often very good in the winter and spring for redfish, snook, sheepshead, and juvenile tarpon or decent snapper. Below is a list of popular places we can guarantee a fish or two be caught! There is a 5.59% catch rate for Ladyfish, based on 1314 Ladyfish counted. Police patrol the entrance to the bridge, checking that car . Unfortunately, so has red tide. On top of low temps we had record rains. . Check out our photo gallery for pics of the latest catches! Email: In the high tide and low tide chart, we can see that the low tide was at 4:32 am and the high tide will be at 8:24 pm. I broke the morning and evening fishing sessions into two videos. Make sure you write to the appropriate people to make your voice heard about reducing Lake O Discharges. Niko holding a nice snook caught near Sanibel! 7/19/2022 10:17:36 AM - What a memorable day for the Jacob family! Causeway B is much larger than Causeway A, and it's amenities include drinking fountains on both sides of the road, restroom facilities, and a few picnic tables. No. NBC News Channel. Ron DeSantis at a briefing at the base of the first bridge segment. All in all, the water is clear and the fish are here! 12/10/2016 10:24:05 PM - This is the east end of one of the best ledges off Marco. We hit a few kelps for some action on some Yellowtails and a crazy Mahi-Mahi, but the weather made it tough to go any direction but downswell. Think 15 ft from shore instead of 150! Available Stream Results See All Streams Causeway 2022. There was a lot of activism about the water quality this month. | fishing in Little Hickory Island (12 mi.) And Pablo Denoso of Naples caught a big amberjack by dropping a pinnie to a wreck in 80 feet. A A. SANIBEL, Fla. The Sanibel Causeway is expected to be repaired and accessible by the end of October, according to a statement from the Florida Department . There is no fee for Florida residents. The post 2022 was one for the books on, Hurrican Ian Barrier Islands Update We have had to go way farther than normal to get to good fishable country but we are scratching away today. As of 10/3/22 search and rescue is still underway, SEEING REDS IN FALL FOR FISHING SANIBEL ISLAND FLORIDA! Join us on a Captiva Fishing Charter when you're in town! Both islands have reasonable parking and offer good opportunities to catch fish. Get answers to your questions about Sanibel Island. What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Sanibel, Florida for the first time. Drone footage shows Hurricane Ian's damage to Sanibel Causeway 01:29. The flats between Picnic Island and the Causeway have been fishing especially well in 3-5ft pockets. SANIBEL, Fla. The causeway washed out by Hurricane Ian that links Sanibel Island to the Florida mainland reopened with temporary repairs on Wednesday, Gov. And Wednesday morning, also baiting with shrimp in the bays southern reaches, Ron Roelfs and Mike Brown released a black drum, two sheepshead, two mangrove snapper and a whopping 31-inch crevalle jack. The bugs can be bad. They couldnt get them in fast enough! Flounder, Jack Crevalle, and Mangrove Snapper have all been caught under the bridge using shrimp or cut greenbacks. An over-slot redfish that was released on a Captiva Fishing Charter. Fishing around Sanibel and Captivahas been steadily goodsince last week! We started off with a good morning bite where Jeff Hoover pull in a 78 lb. It is best viewed using a computer or tablet with a larger screen. Seatrout and Spanish Mackerel being caught along with some Blues on the beach as well. Captiva Fishing Charters does it again! | fishing in Cape Coral (9 mi.) CAUSEWAY ISLANDS Mangrove Snapper and Redfish are being caught as well as Snook, and Pompano. Web: Contact Form With excellent inshore fishing, and plentiful nearshore/offshore reefs and ledges, Sanibel makes a top destination for many anglers. 3: Toll Booth Flats for pompano on fly. 2: Blind Pass for mixed bags including sheepshead and snook. Many reports of Snook and some Reds hitting shrimp, frozen Ladyfish, threadfins, and pinfish. A saltwater fishing license is required to fish from shore. I have had zero success surf fishing. Our award-winning Sanibel charter captains have been out on the water and along the shores of Sanibel to gather all you need to land your next big catch. Captiva Island Fishing Charters Fishing Reports from Sanibel and Captiva March (weeks 1 and 2) Fishing has been picking up steadily with warming trends around Sanibel and Captiva. A lot of good sized, but under slot snook in the sound and there are still plenty of keeperredfish around the bayous and bush lines. 2022 was one for the books onOffshoreBocaGrande! Sanibel Fishing Report OFFSHORE - Fish the wrecks and hardbottom deeper than 70 feet to find keeper Grouper and . Sanibel Causeway originally opened to travelers in 1963 effectively replacing the ferry crossing service that had been in place since 1912. Not to mention putting up some numbers on snook daily! Sanibel Fishing Forecast Target Species of Fish Based on historical data for fishing Sanibel, you should target one of the following species for this time of year: Spotted Seatrout There is a 15.36% catch rate for Spotted Seatrout, based on 3612 Spotted Seatrout counted. No. Offshore fishing Sanibel can produce Blackfin Tuna, Mahi-mahi (Dolphinfish), Wahoo, and occasionally some billfish. Told Ya So West The Sanibel Causeway, which connects Sanibel Island to mainland Florida, "is devastated," Florida Rep. Byron Donalds said Thursday on MSNBC, as the destruction left behind by Ian started coming . Sanibel was devastated, Gov. There is a 15.36% catch rate for Spotted Seatrout, based on 3612 Spotted Seatrout counted. Illinois anglers Mike New, Timothy Higgins and Mike Bellis caught sheepshead at Mound Key on live shrimp on Saturday. Tarpon Bay. update the fishing reports each week through the fishing season, reporting on fishing success, Snook, Ladyfish, Spanish Mackerel, Jacks, Tarpon, and some Redfish in the surf west of the pier along with Mangrove Snapper. 6 hours was perfect for our trip, we caught a a lot of fish and still had time to enjoy dolphins and other wildlife. Our eta for tomorrow will be 7:30 am and then Drew will take out the next one which is the 2nd annual Let's Talk Hook-up Charter. 1/13/2018 11:04:05 PM -. For this trip we scratched away every day and caught enough fish for everyone to take home. Spanish are true pelagics that feed on the move, chasing down natural baits including squid and shrimp, as well as a variety of artificials. I have never fished from the causeway islands, but your post tells me that I have been missing an excellent opportunity. The crappie bite has remained good in the Harney Pond Canal for anglers using minnows under bobber. This report causeway sanibel fishing species in the first removing hooks / Hyundai With significantly over several areas from focused fishing to an account: whether you can add a legendary landmark site. Anglers report better success while wading and casting along the sandbar. Stop in to our Sanibel fishing store for more details on any of these locations or for pro-tips from our award-winning fishing captains! If your fishing the east side its more like fishing the bay. Bill offshore fishing in Sanibel Island! Salt water fishing is popular along Wildlife Drive, in Tarpon Bay, and in the backwaters of the Refuge. Jessica Jones of Pottstown, Pa., and Matt King of San Diego both released nice gag grouper pulled off a ledge in 55 feet of water Monday. Tarpon are here now and then and they are biting Threadfins, Ladyfish and Mullet along with Catfish tails, and Spanish Mackerel. Common fish include sheepshead, snook, redfish, and spotted sea trout. OK Jaxon 9500don't go away now! For those fishing piers where a fee is required, almost all have a pier license that covers anglers, resident and non-resident, that fish on the pier. 1: Northern Matlacha Pass for trout and ladyfish. Using freelined shrimp at the culverts, and bait fish such as greenbacks, or Pinfish fished on the bottom along the banks, many species are being caught throughout the preserve. Told Ya So Contact us to book Catching Barracudas in Sanibel Island Average snapper have been 12inches with some fish in the 15-16 inch range. Beautiful Copper colored Redfish caught near Sanibel Island This time of year as we approach the heart of Fall months. Snook are here along with Redfish, some Trout, lots of Mangrove Snapper, and Sheepshead. We are only taking 20 people. Boating is allowed in the Refuge in designated areas; however, the Refuge has some restricted access areas including a No Motor Zone and a Pole/Troll Zone. The Sanibel Causeway was temporarily repaired after Hurricane Ian ripped through the area. All data is based on historical data found for this area, and in some cases as far back as the year 1600. December has been great fishing so far! Some people who frequent the causeway are upset by the changes, including the lack of shade without the large trees. Give Southwest Florida anglers some decent weather, and fish beware! The snapper bite has also been great. We are again under tons of fresh water from Lake O this month however, fishing seems to be picking up on the warming trends right before the next cold front! ), TIDES4FISHING | WEATHER FORECAST IN SANIBEL | NEXT 7 DAYS, Plan now and enjoy your activities at sea with the tides4fishing app, fishing in Galt Island (Pine Island Sound), fishing in Tropical Homesites Landing (Pine Island), fishing in Captiva Island (Pine Island Sound), fishing in Redfish Pass (Captiva Island, North End). We have had record highs sprinkled throughout the month, affording us warm waters far longer than we usually have had them in the past. A rather large Captiva stingray (don't worry, barb was removed). Photo: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel. As Red October approaches we should have some really great schools of fish move into the sound. Sea Turtle Nesting Season is May through October, How do I help? If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us by phone email at citymanager@mysanibel.com or by phone at 239-472-3700. Pompano jigs in assorted colors are hot right now! Snook season is officially open and we'll be doing a lot of catch and release snook fishing this month! Red snapper season starts June 1st and runs thru August 18th! Whitney & our Sanibel fishing store crew are always happy to help prepare you for fishing on land. Jim Rinckey sent in shots of potentially delicious, but out-of-season catches on full and half-day charters, all made on live pinfish. SANIBEL: Capt. Mostly, reports are that the bite is on! Snook fishing has been great over the last couple months. Redfish, and Snook, Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper and some Pompano along Black Drum in the pass. The deeper you go offshore the better the deep bottom fishing gets for many varieties of Snapper and Grouper. If you want to take the kids and just see them catch some fish, both catfish species can be caught at high tide almost anywhere. Copyright 2023 Waterman Broadcasting of Florida, LLC, February 24 fishing report from Byron Stout, 10 people rescued from Caloosahatchee River after boat sinks, One dead in head-on crash in Glades County, New Florida bill would imposes restrictions on gender-affirmative care, North Port man crashed through FHP homicide investigation, Motorcyclist dead after crash at Fort Myers shopping center. I believe we found our first winner ohhh around 10:00 or so. Many reports of Sharks being caught here. Parts of the landscape may look different right now, but the way our area makes people feel hasn't changed. You also can get helpful information from the Fishing Forecast. We will be staying on East Gulf Drive on the east side of the island. A chunk of the Sanibel Causeway fell into the sea, cutting off access to the barrier island where 6,300 people live. Phone: (252) 515-0574 Warming waters have Spanish mackerel moving into local waters as they head for parts north in Spring. Noah with a nice redfish caught on a Captiva fishing charter! Fishing reports coming soon! Deer season was rewarding, yet again. And fly fishers wading the Toll Booth Flats have been casting chartreuse/white and black/red Clouser Minnows to catch pompano. Sanibel is a populated place in US with an estimated population of 6469 and an average elevation of 8 meters above sea level, located in the America/New_York timezone. The fare is $200. Jaxon, thanks for the most helpful information. Deadly Combo have been super effective throughout the refuge. | fishing in St. James City (Pine Island) (5 mi.) 3/14/2017 12:47:30 AM - Fish Haven. This was a perfect snook specimen, safely released. If the beach is shallow and the water is clear then twilight times are usually the best times, especially when they . Niko caught his first trip on a Captiva Fishing Charter! Another bull Redfish released near Captiva Island aboard a fishing charter. The bait has been great on the flats so live chumming and live bait fishing has been the ticket to a successful day. We had 72 Yellowtail (up to 40 pounds), 13 Bluefin Tuna (up to 30 pounds), and 7 Dorado. It seems like up and down this whole coast in the mornings has no current. A majority of these structures are free to use. We have water temps in the 60s still but that should pick up as Spring kicks in. LEE COUNTY, Fla. Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction in southwest Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, knocking out power and . 10/3/2022 1:53:29 PM - As you know Hurricane Ian has devastated SWFL's barrier Islands of Ft Myers Beach Sanibel Captiva St James City and Matlacha. 5/22/2022 6:14:56 PM - Naples Deep Sea Fishing Charters is one of the oldest charter fishing businesses in Naples and all of Florida. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.The island, also known as Sanibel Island, constitutes the entire city.It is a barrier islanda collection of sand on the leeward side of the more solid coral-rock of Pine Island.