SW FL-Bonita Beach: Backwater Reds, Trout & Shark; Yellowtail & Muttons Offshore

[fishbuster]

Monday morning, 5/18, Tim Guthman and his six-year-old son, Tyler, had hoped to go fishing offshore. But the time-line on an approaching weather front was uncertain and had me concerned about rough seas offshore for the little guy so I recommended we fish the backwaters. We did well with shrimp in central Estero Bay, and Tyler caught a keeper redfish at 18 1/2 inches. We also caught four keeper trout to 19 1/2 inches, and we released a three-foot bonnethead shark, a three-pound crevalle jack, and undersized snapper, jack, snook and trout.

Wednesday morning, father and son anglers, Gary and Bryant Click, fished Estero Bay with me, having given up plans to fish offshore because of four-to-six foot seas out there. We had a very good morning of fishing in the central bay, using shrimp and popping corks. We caught three trout, two at 23 inches and one at 20 inches, and we released some smaller ones. We also got two keeper redfish at 21 inches and 23 ½ inches, two keeper mangrove snapper, a keeper sheepshead at 13 inches. We released two snook, 21 inches and 23 inches.

Gary and Bryant fished with me again Thursday morning, and we caught numerous trout, seven of which were keepers to 20 inches. We also caught a keeper redfish at 18 ½ inches and a keeper sheepshead at 14 inches. We again fished with shrimp and popping corks. Although the guys had hoped for one morning offshore and one in the backwaters, we ended up fishing both mornings in Estero Bay, due to high seas offshore.

After a rainy Friday, Saturday presented my first opportunity to fish offshore this week. Mack Wilson and son-in-law, John France, headed out 22 miles west of New Pass to fish in 45 feet. We did well with shrimp for snapper, and caught nine yellowtail to 14 inches, three mutton snapper, 16 ½, 17 ½ and 19 inches, and ten whitebone porgies to 15 inches. We released smaller porgies, along with undersized triggerfish and grouper.

The photo shown is of angler John Kakatsch, with a 19 inch sheepshead, caught on shrimp, earlier this month on an inshore trip. It was kind of a surprise to find this big of a sheepie in bay waters this late in the season.

[thecubanfishy]

very nice,did you guys catch any legal size Grouper at all?
btw,I've never seen any Muttons in that area at all,WTG