redfish, bluefish (for 4th of July?), flounder, sheepshead:Bonita Beach, SW FL

[fishbuster]

Monday, Robert Annan and sons Matthew and Brad fished in 38 feet, about 18 miles out of New Pass. We caught a mess of nice Spanish mackerel to 28 inches and mangrove snapper to 13 inches. The guys kept 3 fish for dinner and released the rest. We also got broken off twice on light tackle by goliath grouper and we got a close-up sighting of a sailfish just behind the boat.

Carol Mathis, son Kenny and grandson Robert fished in 35 feet off new Pass with me on Friday. We caught some nice Spanish mackerel to 25 inches, a half dozen keeper mangrove snapper, porkfish and whitebone porgies. We released two bluefish and a 28 inch kingfish.

Saturday morning, I fished with Joe Consolo and his mother, Jerri, in 35 feet out of New Pass. We free-lined shrimp for Spanish mackerel, and caught about twenty of those, keeping a dozen nice ones 25-26 inches. Bottom fishing with shrimp, we caught four keeper mangrove snapper, whitebone porgies and, surprisingly, five hogfish. It is pretty unusual to catch that many hogfish in one trip, but Jerri had the magic touch—she hooked all five of them. Two of those were keeper size, so Joe and Jerri are in for some good eating. We released triggerfish and seven gag grouper shorts.

The photo shown is of anglers Jerry Ranguard and Tom and Gerry Palen with 17 inch sheepshead caught on an offshore trip.