SUBJECT: # 39953: SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice sheepshead, reds, flounder, grouper

Submitted by Captain Dave Hanson (69.136.16.112) from FLORIDA on 11/24/2007 1:04:00 PM

Monday, 11/19, I fished offshore with long time clients Jerry and Barb Rudan from Wisconsin. Jerry had his hopes up for battling a big grouper or two but first thing in the morning it was pretty windy and a little rough. We tried a few spots close-in, caught a few fish, but had no grouper action. Winds and seas calmed after a bit and we headed out to spots between 38 and 45 feet out of New Pass. Using shrimp, we caught a dozen good-sized whitebone porgies at 13-14 inches, a 13 inch triggerfish and three keeper mangrove snapper at 13-14 inches. We released lots of smaller snapper and grouper, along with some grunts. Barb hooked a nice gag grouper that was about 24 inches, but just as she got him to the surface, he rolled just right and came off her hook. Since Jerry wanted a battle, I rigged him up with a blue runner and took him where I knew he’d find a goliath grouper to fight. He caught and released a 25 pounder, his first goliath experience.

Tim Lopez and girlfriend, Torie Sardegna, from New York, fished Estero Bay with me on Tuesday. Tim caught a nice 25 ˝ inch redfish and released a smaller one at 16 inches. Tim and Torie also caught seven keeper sheepshead to 19 inches and one keeper mangrove snapper, all on shrimp, between Wiggins pass and Barefoot Beach.

Wednesday, I fished Estero Bay again, this time with Don Weisberg and sons, Rob and Steve. We caught five keeper sheepshead to 17 inches and a 14 inch flounder. We released two 18 inch bluefish, ladyfish, two 17 inch redfish and smaller sheepshead.

Thursday I was talkin’ turkey instead of fish, but on Friday I had plans to fish offshore with Jim Mccarthy and his daughter. Seas were predicted to be 2-3 feet in the morning, building later as a cold front came through, with a slight chance of rain. We hoped to get the morning in, but we were literally headed off at the pass…Seas were 3-4 feet before we even got out of New Pass and it began to sprinkle. The skies were dark and it looked like harder rain was yet to come, so we reluctantly headed back to shore.

On Saturday, seas were still sloppy offshore, especially for two little guys that were onboard that day, so the Richard Baretta decided to stay close-in at the reefs. Richard’s little boys, Jack and Matt, had fun catching some triggerfish and the group also caught a keeper snapper and some grunts and released lots of gag and red grouper shorts.