Sanibel Island Fishing & Captiva Island Fishing, February 27, 2018: Mackerel!

Captiva Fishing Report,  Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Tuesday, February 27: Spanish Mackerel, Grass Flats, Catch & Release; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, there was some spotty red tide impact yesterday; we’ll see how it looks today; more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.

Tuesday, February 27, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: SeaTrout, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.

“The Atlantic Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) is a migratory species of mackerels that swims to the Northern Gulf of Mexico in spring, returns to South Florida in the Eastern Gulf, and to Mexico in the Western Gulf in the fall.

The fish exhibits a green back; its sides are silvery marked with about three rows of round to elliptical yellow spots. Lateral line gradually curving down from the upper end of the gill cover toward caudal peduncle. The first (spiny) dorsal fin is black at the front. Posterior membranes are white with a black edge. Its single row of cutting edged teeth in each jaw (around sixty-four teeth in all) are large, uniform, closely spaced and flattened from side to side. As with the King mackerel and the Cero mackerel, these teeth look very similar to those of the Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix.

Spanish mackerel are a highly valued fish throughout their range from North Carolina to Texas. Recreational anglers catch Spanish mackerel from boats while trolling or drifting and from boats, piers, jetties, and beaches by casting spoons and jigs and live-bait fishing. Fast lure retrieves are key to catching these quick fish. Commercial methods are primarily run-around gill netting, and rarely, by trolling lures similar to those used by recreational anglers.

On November 4, 1987, Woody Outlaw caught a world-record 13-pound Spanish mackerel^[4]on a blue and white Sea Witch with a strip of fastback menhaden on a 7/0 hook, held by a Shimano bait-casting reel on a Kuna rod with 30-pound test line.^[5]

Spanish mackerel are primarily marketed fresh or frozen as fillets as commercially caught fish are too small to sell in the form of steaks. Their raw flesh is white. They may be prepared by broiling, frying, baking or, rarely, by smoking.

The Spanish mackerel is also a popular sushi fish. By analogy with the Japanese Spanish mackerel, which is a member of the same genus, it is often called sawara on sushi menus.”  Please see more information here.

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Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles

“Spanish Mackerel: Scomberomorous maculatus

Florida Regulations: 

Regulations	Gulf State Waters	Atlantic State Waters
Minimum Size Limit	12” fork length
Daily Bag Limit	15 per harvester per day

Gear Requirements:

• Legal Gear: beach or haul seine, cast net, hook and line, spear

State Waters Harvest Seasons

Habitat and Fishing tips:

Spanish mackerel are a pelagic, fast swimming fish that are prevalent throughout Florida’s coastal waters when water temperatures exceed 70 degrees.

To remain in warm water, Spanish mackerel migrate out of the northern parts of the state in the fall of the year and return in April with the warming waters.

They are frequently found in shallow, clear water over grass beds and along sandy beaches where they feed on schools of baitfish. Spanish mackerel are aggressive feeders that will strike a wide variety of natural and artificial baits, so they can be very easy to catch.

Many anglers identify the location of Spanish mackerel by trolling or watching for birds diving on schools of baitfish, which often indicates that mackerel are forcing the bait to the surface. Angling techniques include trolling or casting with small shiny spoons, dusters or jigs. Light spinning or bait-casting tackle with 10 to 15-pound monofilament line is adequate; however, 30 to 60-pound monofilament leader is required due to the mackerel’s razor-sharp teeth.

State Record:

12 lb, caught near Ft. Pierce

Florida Rule

Gulf Federal Waters Rules

Atlantic Federal Waters Rules

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Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles

King Mackerel: Scomberomorus cavalla

Appearance:

• Back is bluish-green, fading to silvery sides and belly (no spots)
• Front of first dorsal fin lacks a dark blotch
• Lateral line drops sharply below the second dorsal fin
• Juveniles may have yellowish spots, similar to Spanish mackerel

Similar Species: Cero, S. regalis; Spanish mackerel, S. maculatus (both have gently sloping lateral lines and a dark blotch on front of first dorsal fin); and wahoo, A. solandri (first dorsal fin long and continuous)

Size: Up to 72 inches

Habitat:

Coastal to offshore waters. Often around piers. They may occasionally be found in deep water.

Behavior:

Spawn offshore in mid-summer. Schooling fish that migrate from south Florida waters in winter northward in spring. Feed mainly on fishes.

Additional Information

State Record: 90 lb, caught near Key West

Fishing Tips and Facts: Kings feed on small fish and squid and take both natural and artificial baits. Live baits include pogies, herring, Spanish sardine, ballyhoo, and mullet. Lures should be flashy sub-surface lures or large fish-like plugs. Use 20-pound line and tackle, or heavier for larger kings, with a wire or mono leader.

Recreational Regulations”

FWC source & more information here.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Tuesday, February 27, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Spanish Mackerel, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, click here for College Of Fishing Hats & Apparel.

We’re located at Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

After a fierce storm, Turner Beach, the beach adjoining the Pass, is frequently covered with a bounty of shells from Olives to Fighting Whelks to the more common Conchs. The fishing is also renowned with sharks in the summer, tailing redfish on the bayside flats and snook under and off the Blind Pass bridge. Because Turner Beach faces Westward, the sunsets are spectacular and a popular viewing point for residents and visitors alike.

And you can like us on Facebook.

Fair winds and following seas,

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar at the upper left or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

 

Sanibel Island Fishing & Captiva Island Fishing, February 26, 2018: SeaTrout!

Captiva Fishing Report,  Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Monday, February 26: More SeaTrout, Grass Flats, Catch & Release; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, impact minimal, broken up and largely dispersed); more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.

Online on-demand workshop available. Provide input on this fishery. Workshop information. Comment online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.

Monday, February 26, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: SeaTrout, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.

“Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout, also known as speckled trout, is a common estuarine fish found in the southern United States along coasts of Gulf of Mexico and the coastal Atlantic Ocean from Maryland to Florida. These fish are also found in estuarine locations around Cape Breton Island of Nova Scotia, Canada.

While most of these fish are caught on shallow, grassy flats, spotted seatrout reside in virtually any inshore waters, from the surf of outside islands to far up coastal rivers, where they often come for shelter during cold weather. Contrary to its name, the spotted seatrout is not a member of the trout family (Salmonidae), but of the drum family (Sciaenidae). It is popular for commercial and especially recreational fishing in coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Adults reach 19-32 inches in length and 3-15 pounds in weight.

Spotted seatrout live in the top of the water column and are most numerous along the coasts of the southeastern states, such as Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. They are also common along the coasts of North and South Carolina and Virginia. Estuarine coasts are prime settlement areas. They are uncommonly seen north of Delaware Bay and along the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Spotted seatrout is the common name endorsed by the American Fisheries Society. However, this fish has many other common names, including speckled trout, speck, speckles, spec, truite gris (Louisiana French), trucha de mar (Mexican Spanish), spotted weakfish, spotted seateague, southern seateague, salmon, salmon trout, simon trout, winter trout, seatrout, Nosferatu fish, and black trout. Particularly large ones are nicknamed gator trout.^[1]

The spotted seatrout has prominent canine teeth. Like other fish of the family Sciaenidae, it has an elongated, soft dorsal fin with scales; it is separated from the spinous dorsal fin by a deep notch. It usually has two anal spines and the lateral line extends to the tip of the caudal fin. The back has distinct spots scattered on it, including on the dorsal and caudal fins. Unlike some other members of the family Sciaenidae, the spotted seatrout does not have any chin barbels. In stained water, this fish’s background may take on a golden hue. Its shape and coloration is reminiscent of a brown trout. This fish is closely related to the weakfish, Cynoscion regalis.

The average size of spotted seatrout is 0.5-1.0 kg (1-2 lb), but in most areas fish up to 2.5 kg (5 lb) are fairly common. Fish weighing 3.5-4.5 kg (8-10 lb) are rare. The world record is 7.9 kg (17 lb 7 oz).

Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As they grow larger, their diets shift toward fish, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullet; a large trout will find the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout.^[2]”  Please see more information here.

“Online on-demand workshop available. Provide input on this fishery. Workshop information. Comment online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.

Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles

Spotted Seatrout: Cynoscion nebulosus

Florida Regulations:

Regulations	Northeast zone	Northwest zone	Southeast and Southwest zones
Minimum Size Limit	More than 15 inches and less than 20 inches total length (may possess one over 20 inches included in bag limit)
Daily Bag Limit	6 per harvester per day	5 per harvester per day	4 per harvester per day
Season	Open year-round

 

Gear Requirements: Allowable Gear: Hook and line; cast net

Spotted Seatrout Management Zones:

 

• Northwest: Escambia County through Fred Howard Park Causeway near Pasco County.
• Southwest: Fred Howard Park Causeway through Monroe County line at Card Sound.
• Southeast: Miami-Dade County at Card South through Volusia County.
• Northeast: Flagler through Nassau counties.

State Waters Harvest Seasons

Habitat and Fishing Tips:

Seatrout found inshore and nearshore in and around seagrass meadows, mangrove-fringed shorelines, deep holes and channels and above oyster bars. Free-line live shrimp or small pinfish or pigfish (grunts) near the bottom to entice trout out of grass-bed holes. Attaching a float will allow these baits to drift over the grass beds as you search for trout. Casting with soft-bodied jigs, top-water poppers and spoons can be effective. Trout are very delicate, so returning unwanted or illegal fish promptly to the water is necessary to maintain a healthy population. Spotted seatrout are a good eating fish.

State Record: 17 lb 7 oz, caught near Ft. Pierce

Florida Rule

Spotted Seatrout Management in Florida

Spotted seatrout is managed for both commercial and recreational fishing in Florida.  Management in Florida began for spotted seatrout in the late 1980s when the fishery was declining. At the Nov. 2011 Commission meeting, the FWC made several changes to how spotted seatrout are managed, including splitting the South management zones in two and going from a total of three management zones (Northeast, Northwest and South) to four management zones (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest.)

The management goal for spotted seatrout in Florida is a 35% spawning potential ratio (SPR). Stock assessments were conducted in 2003 and 2006 that showed the spotted seatrout population as relatively stable. The 2010 stock assessment includes data through 2009 and it showed that the Northeast, Southeast and Southwest zones are exceeding the 35% SPR management goal. The Northwest area is hovering right at 35%.

At the Nov. 2011 Commission meeting, the following rules were approved, becoming effective February 1, 2012:

Recreational

• Removal of season closures
• Northeast bag limit increased to 6 fish

Commercial

• Southeast and Southwest region defined
• Increase in seasons
  • Southeast: May 1- Sept 30
  • Northeast: June 1- November 30
  • Southwest and Northwest: June 1- October 31
• A commercial vessel limit of 150 with two or more licensed fishermen are aboard
• Sale of seatrout inventory will be allowed for 30 days after the season closes”

Source & more information @ FWC.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Monday, February 26, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, SeaTrout, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, click here for College Of Fishing Hats & Apparel.

We’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

After a fierce storm, Turner Beach, the beach adjoining the Pass, is frequently covered with a bounty of shells from Olives to Fighting Whelks to the more common Conchs. The fishing is also renowned with sharks in the summer, tailing redfish on the bayside flats and snook under and off the Blind Pass bridge. Because Turner Beach faces Westward, the sunsets are spectacular and a popular viewing point for residents and visitors alike.

And you can like us on Facebook.

Fair winds and following seas,

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar at the upper right or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Sanibel Island Fishing & Captiva Island Fishing, February 25, 2018: SeaTrout!

Captiva Fishing Report,  Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sunday, February 25: SeaTrout, Grass Flats, Catch & Release; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, impact minimal, broken up and largely dispersed); more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.

Online on-demand workshop available. Provide input on this fishery. Workshop information. Comment online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.

Sunday, February 25, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: SeaTrout, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.

“Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout, also known as speckled trout, is a common estuarine fish found in the southern United States along coasts of Gulf of Mexico and the coastal Atlantic Ocean from Maryland to Florida. These fish are also found in estuarine locations around Cape Breton Island of Nova Scotia, Canada.

While most of these fish are caught on shallow, grassy flats, spotted seatrout reside in virtually any inshore waters, from the surf of outside islands to far up coastal rivers, where they often come for shelter during cold weather. Contrary to its name, the spotted seatrout is not a member of the trout family (Salmonidae), but of the drum family (Sciaenidae). It is popular for commercial and especially recreational fishing in coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Adults reach 19-32 inches in length and 3-15 pounds in weight.

Spotted seatrout live in the top of the water column and are most numerous along the coasts of the southeastern states, such as Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. They are also common along the coasts of North and South Carolina and Virginia. Estuarine coasts are prime settlement areas. They are uncommonly seen north of Delaware Bay and along the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Spotted seatrout is the common name endorsed by the American Fisheries Society. However, this fish has many other common names, including speckled trout, speck, speckles, spec, truite gris (Louisiana French), trucha de mar (Mexican Spanish), spotted weakfish, spotted seateague, southern seateague, salmon, salmon trout, simon trout, winter trout, seatrout, Nosferatu fish, and black trout. Particularly large ones are nicknamed gator trout.^[1]

The spotted seatrout has prominent canine teeth. Like other fish of the family Sciaenidae, it has an elongated, soft dorsal fin with scales; it is separated from the spinous dorsal fin by a deep notch. It usually has two anal spines and the lateral line extends to the tip of the caudal fin. The back has distinct spots scattered on it, including on the dorsal and caudal fins. Unlike some other members of the family Sciaenidae, the spotted seatrout does not have any chin barbels. In stained water, this fish’s background may take on a golden hue. Its shape and coloration is reminiscent of a brown trout. This fish is closely related to the weakfish, Cynoscion regalis.

The average size of spotted seatrout is 0.5-1.0 kg (1-2 lb), but in most areas fish up to 2.5 kg (5 lb) are fairly common. Fish weighing 3.5-4.5 kg (8-10 lb) are rare. The world record is 7.9 kg (17 lb 7 oz).

Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As they grow larger, their diets shift toward fish, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullet; a large trout will find the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout.^[2]”  Please see more information here.

“Online on-demand workshop available. Provide input on this fishery. Workshop information. Comment online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.

Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles

Spotted Seatrout: Cynoscion nebulosus

Florida Regulations:

Regulations	Northeast zone	Northwest zone	Southeast and Southwest zones
Minimum Size Limit	More than 15 inches and less than 20 inches total length (may possess one over 20 inches included in bag limit)
Daily Bag Limit	6 per harvester per day	5 per harvester per day	4 per harvester per day
Season	Open year-round

 

Gear Requirements: Allowable Gear: Hook and line; cast net

Spotted Seatrout Management Zones:

 

• Northwest: Escambia County through Fred Howard Park Causeway near Pasco County.
• Southwest: Fred Howard Park Causeway through Monroe County line at Card Sound.
• Southeast: Miami-Dade County at Card South through Volusia County.
• Northeast: Flagler through Nassau counties.

State Waters Harvest Seasons

Habitat and Fishing Tips:

Seatrout found inshore and nearshore in and around seagrass meadows, mangrove-fringed shorelines, deep holes and channels and above oyster bars. Free-line live shrimp or small pinfish or pigfish (grunts) near the bottom to entice trout out of grass-bed holes. Attaching a float will allow these baits to drift over the grass beds as you search for trout. Casting with soft-bodied jigs, top-water poppers and spoons can be effective. Trout are very delicate, so returning unwanted or illegal fish promptly to the water is necessary to maintain a healthy population. Spotted seatrout are a good eating fish.

State Record: 17 lb 7 oz, caught near Ft. Pierce

Florida Rule

Spotted Seatrout Management in Florida

Spotted seatrout is managed for both commercial and recreational fishing in Florida.  Management in Florida began for spotted seatrout in the late 1980s when the fishery was declining. At the Nov. 2011 Commission meeting, the FWC made several changes to how spotted seatrout are managed, including splitting the South management zones in two and going from a total of three management zones (Northeast, Northwest and South) to four management zones (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest.)

The management goal for spotted seatrout in Florida is a 35% spawning potential ratio (SPR). Stock assessments were conducted in 2003 and 2006 that showed the spotted seatrout population as relatively stable. The 2010 stock assessment includes data through 2009 and it showed that the Northeast, Southeast and Southwest zones are exceeding the 35% SPR management goal. The Northwest area is hovering right at 35%.

At the Nov. 2011 Commission meeting, the following rules were approved, becoming effective February 1, 2012:

Recreational

• Removal of season closures
• Northeast bag limit increased to 6 fish

Commercial

• Southeast and Southwest region defined
• Increase in seasons
  • Southeast: May 1- Sept 30
  • Northeast: June 1- November 30
  • Southwest and Northwest: June 1- October 31
• A commercial vessel limit of 150 with two or more licensed fishermen are aboard
• Sale of seatrout inventory will be allowed for 30 days after the season closes”

Source & more information @ FWC.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Sunday, February 25, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, SeaTrout, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, click here for College Of Fishing Hats & Apparel.

We’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

After a fierce storm, Turner Beach, the beach adjoining the Pass, is frequently covered with a bounty of shells from Olives to Fighting Whelks to the more common Conchs. The fishing is also renowned with sharks in the summer, tailing redfish on the bayside flats and snook under and off the Blind Pass bridge. Because Turner Beach faces Westward, the sunsets are spectacular and a popular viewing point for residents and visitors alike.

And you can like us on Facebook.

Fair winds and following seas,

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar at the upper right or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Sanibel Island Fishing & Captiva Island Fishing, February 24, 2018: SeaTrout!

Captiva Fishing Report,  Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Saturday, February 24: SeaTrout, Grass Flats, Catch & Release; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, impact minimal, broken up and largely dispersed); more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.

Online on-demand workshop available. Provide input on this fishery. Workshop information. Comment online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.

Saturday, February 24, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: SeaTrout, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.

“Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout, also known as speckled trout, is a common estuarine fish found in the southern United States along coasts of Gulf of Mexico and the coastal Atlantic Ocean from Maryland to Florida. These fish are also found in estuarine locations around Cape Breton Island of Nova Scotia, Canada.

While most of these fish are caught on shallow, grassy flats, spotted seatrout reside in virtually any inshore waters, from the surf of outside islands to far up coastal rivers, where they often come for shelter during cold weather. Contrary to its name, the spotted seatrout is not a member of the trout family (Salmonidae), but of the drum family (Sciaenidae). It is popular for commercial and especially recreational fishing in coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Adults reach 19-32 inches in length and 3-15 pounds in weight.

Spotted seatrout live in the top of the water column and are most numerous along the coasts of the southeastern states, such as Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. They are also common along the coasts of North and South Carolina and Virginia. Estuarine coasts are prime settlement areas. They are uncommonly seen north of Delaware Bay and along the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Spotted seatrout is the common name endorsed by the American Fisheries Society. However, this fish has many other common names, including speckled trout, speck, speckles, spec, truite gris (Louisiana French), trucha de mar (Mexican Spanish), spotted weakfish, spotted seateague, southern seateague, salmon, salmon trout, simon trout, winter trout, seatrout, Nosferatu fish, and black trout. Particularly large ones are nicknamed gator trout.^[1]

The spotted seatrout has prominent canine teeth. Like other fish of the family Sciaenidae, it has an elongated, soft dorsal fin with scales; it is separated from the spinous dorsal fin by a deep notch. It usually has two anal spines and the lateral line extends to the tip of the caudal fin. The back has distinct spots scattered on it, including on the dorsal and caudal fins. Unlike some other members of the family Sciaenidae, the spotted seatrout does not have any chin barbels. In stained water, this fish’s background may take on a golden hue. Its shape and coloration is reminiscent of a brown trout. This fish is closely related to the weakfish, Cynoscion regalis.

The average size of spotted seatrout is 0.5-1.0 kg (1-2 lb), but in most areas fish up to 2.5 kg (5 lb) are fairly common. Fish weighing 3.5-4.5 kg (8-10 lb) are rare. The world record is 7.9 kg (17 lb 7 oz).

Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As they grow larger, their diets shift toward fish, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullet; a large trout will find the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout.^[2]”  Please see more information here.

“Online on-demand workshop available. Provide input on this fishery. Workshop information. Comment online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.

Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles

Spotted Seatrout: Cynoscion nebulosus

Florida Regulations:

Regulations	Northeast zone	Northwest zone	Southeast and Southwest zones
Minimum Size Limit	More than 15 inches and less than 20 inches total length (may possess one over 20 inches included in bag limit)
Daily Bag Limit	6 per harvester per day	5 per harvester per day	4 per harvester per day
Season	Open year-round

 

Gear Requirements: Allowable Gear: Hook and line; cast net

Spotted Seatrout Management Zones:

 

• Northwest: Escambia County through Fred Howard Park Causeway near Pasco County.
• Southwest: Fred Howard Park Causeway through Monroe County line at Card Sound.
• Southeast: Miami-Dade County at Card South through Volusia County.
• Northeast: Flagler through Nassau counties.

State Waters Harvest Seasons

Habitat and Fishing Tips:

Seatrout found inshore and nearshore in and around seagrass meadows, mangrove-fringed shorelines, deep holes and channels and above oyster bars. Free-line live shrimp or small pinfish or pigfish (grunts) near the bottom to entice trout out of grass-bed holes. Attaching a float will allow these baits to drift over the grass beds as you search for trout. Casting with soft-bodied jigs, top-water poppers and spoons can be effective. Trout are very delicate, so returning unwanted or illegal fish promptly to the water is necessary to maintain a healthy population. Spotted seatrout are a good eating fish.

State Record: 17 lb 7 oz, caught near Ft. Pierce

Florida Rule

Spotted Seatrout Management in Florida

Spotted seatrout is managed for both commercial and recreational fishing in Florida.  Management in Florida began for spotted seatrout in the late 1980s when the fishery was declining. At the Nov. 2011 Commission meeting, the FWC made several changes to how spotted seatrout are managed, including splitting the South management zones in two and going from a total of three management zones (Northeast, Northwest and South) to four management zones (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest.)

The management goal for spotted seatrout in Florida is a 35% spawning potential ratio (SPR). Stock assessments were conducted in 2003 and 2006 that showed the spotted seatrout population as relatively stable. The 2010 stock assessment includes data through 2009 and it showed that the Northeast, Southeast and Southwest zones are exceeding the 35% SPR management goal. The Northwest area is hovering right at 35%.

At the Nov. 2011 Commission meeting, the following rules were approved, becoming effective February 1, 2012:

Recreational

• Removal of season closures
• Northeast bag limit increased to 6 fish

Commercial

• Southeast and Southwest region defined
• Increase in seasons
  • Southeast: May 1- Sept 30
  • Northeast: June 1- November 30
  • Southwest and Northwest: June 1- October 31
• A commercial vessel limit of 150 with two or more licensed fishermen are aboard
• Sale of seatrout inventory will be allowed for 30 days after the season closes”

Source & more information @ FWC.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Saturday, February 24, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, SeaTrout, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, click here for College Of Fishing Hats & Apparel.

We’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

After a fierce storm, Turner Beach, the beach adjoining the Pass, is frequently covered with a bounty of shells from Olives to Fighting Whelks to the more common Conchs. The fishing is also renowned with sharks in the summer, tailing redfish on the bayside flats and snook under and off the Blind Pass bridge. Because Turner Beach faces Westward, the sunsets are spectacular and a popular viewing point for residents and visitors alike.

And you can like us on Facebook.

Fair winds and following seas,

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar at the upper right or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Sanibel Island Fishing & Captiva Island Fishing, February 23, 2018: Snook!

Captiva Fishing Report,  Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Friday, February 23: Snook, Drifts, Catch & Release; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, impact minimal, broken up and largely dispersed); more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.

Friday, February 23, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Small Snook, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.

“The common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) is a species of marine fish in the family Centropomidae of the order Perciformes. The common snook is also known as the sergeant fish or robalo. It was originally assigned to the sciaenid genus Sciaena; Sciaena undecimradiatus and Centropomus undecimradiatus are obsolete synonyms for the species.

 

Centropomus undecimalis is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from the coast of the North Carolina to Brazil including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.^[17]

Many^[who?] believe that snook originated in Central America and that changes in the earth’s climate are what brought the snook to Florida. It is believed that during a great warming trend after the Ice Age, snook moved northward along the Mexico shoreline. They followed the perimeter of the Gulf of Mexico, down the west coast of Florida and up the east coast. There are massive snook in Central America, although they seem to look a little different because of the weather and water quality but besides that, they are the same.

There are no restrictions in most of Central America on the size or quantity of snook one can keep, consequently, many locals have been keeping and killing the massive snook for quite a while.^[18] Occurring in shallow coastal waters (up to 20 meters (66 ft) depth), estuaries, and lagoons, the fish often enters fresh water. It is carnivorous, with a diet dominated by smaller fishes, and crustaceans such as shrimp, and occasionally crabs.^[19]”  Please see more information here.

Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles

Snook

Snook is managed by two regions in Florida: Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Regulations apply in state and adjacent federal waters. No commercial harvest or sale of snook is permitted.

License Requirements:  Snook permit and recreational fishing license

Florida Regulations:

	Atlantic (state and adjacent federal waters, includes Lake Okeechobee and Kissimmee River)	Gulf of Mexico, Monroe County, and Everglades National Park (state and adjacent federal waters)
Closed Harvest Season	Dec. 15 – Jan. 31; June 1 – Aug. 31	Dec. 1-end of February; May 1-Aug. 31
Size Limit	Not less than 28″  total length (TL) or more than 32″ TL	Not less than 28″  total length (TL) or more than 33″ TL
Bag Limit	1 per harvester per day; zero captain and crew for hire limit

Allowable Gear: Hook and line only

Snook Map

2016 Snook Symposium

Snook is managed by two regions in Florida: Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Regulations apply in state and adjacent federal waters. No commercial harvest or sale of snook is permitted.

• How Florida’s snook permit benefits Florida’s snook population
• FWRI Snook Cold Kill Report

If you have questions about your snook permit, visit the Snook Permit page.

Research and Biology

To learn more about snook biology and research projects conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, visit their snook page. For source & more information, please see FWC/Snook.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Friday, February 23, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Small Snook, Oyster Bars, click here for College Of Fishing Hats & Apparel.

We’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

After a fierce storm, Turner Beach, the beach adjoining the Pass, is frequently covered with a bounty of shells from Olives to Fighting Whelks to the more common Conchs. The fishing is also renowned for sharks in the summer, tailing redfish on the bayside flats and snook under and off the Blind Pass bridge. Because Turner Beach faces Westward, the sunsets are spectacular and a popular viewing point for residents and visitors alike.

Please like us on Facebook!

Fair winds and following seas,

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar at the upper left or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Snook, Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, Sanibel Island, Saturday, November 18, [File Photo -Thursday, May 18, 2017].

Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, February  22, 2018: Redfish.

Captiva Fishing Report,  Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Thursday, February 22: Redfish, Oyster Bars & Mangroves, Catch & Release; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, impact minimal, broken up and largely dispersed); more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.

Thursday, February 22, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Redfish, Oyster Bars, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.

“The red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), also known as channel bass, redfish, spot tail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexico.^[1] It is the only species in the genus Sciaenops.

The red drum is related to the black drum (Pogonias cromis), and the two species are often found in close proximity to each other; they can interbreed and form a robust hybrid, and younger fish are often indistinguishable in flavor.^[2]

Red drum are a dark red color on the back, which fades into white on the belly. The red drum has a characteristic eyespot near the tail and is somewhat streamlined. Three-year-old red drum typically weigh 6-8 lb. The largest red drum on record weighed just over 94 lb and was caught in 1984 on Hatteras Island. Red drum and black drum both make a croaking or drumming sound when distressed.

Sanibel Island Fishing & Captiva Island Fishing, February 21, 2018: Bull Shark!

Captiva Fishing Report,  Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Wednesday, February 21: Bull Shark, Stealing The Cut Bait, Catch & Release; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, impact minimal, broken up and largely dispersed); more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.

Wednesday, February 21, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters &Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Bull Shark, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

“The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), also known as the Zambezi shark or, unofficially, as Zambi in Africa and Lake Nicaraguashark in Nicaragua, is a requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. The bull shark is known for its aggressive nature, a predilection for warm shallow water, and presence in brackish and freshwater systems including estuaries and rivers.

Bull sharks can thrive in both salt and freshwater and can travel far up rivers. They have been known to travel up the Mississippi River as far as Alton, Illinois,^[2] although few freshwater human-shark interactions have been recorded. Larger sized bull sharks are probably responsible for the majority of near-shore shark attacks, including many bites attributed to other species.^[3]

Unlike the river sharks of the genus Glyphis, bull sharks are not true freshwater sharks, despite their ability to survive in freshwater habitats.”

The name “bull shark” comes from the shark’s stocky shape, broad, flat snout, and aggressive, unpredictable behavior.^[4] In India, the bull shark may be confused with the Sundarbans or Ganges shark. In Africa, it is also commonly called the Zambezi River shark, or just “zambi”.

Its wide range and diverse habitats result in many other local names, including Ganges River shark, Fitzroy Creek whaler, van Rooyen’s shark, Lake Nicaragua shark,^[5] river shark, freshwater whaler, estuary whaler, Swan River whaler,^[6] cub shark, and shovelnose shark.^[7]

Some of the bull shark’s closest living relatives do not have the capabilities of osmoregulation. Its genus, Carcharhinus, also includes the sandbar shark, which is not capable of osmoregulation.^[8]

The bull shark shares numerous similarities with river sharks of the genus Glyphis, and other species in the genus Carcharhinus, but its phylogeny has not been cleared yet.^[9]

Bull sharks are large and stout, with females being larger than males. The bull shark can be up to 81 cm (2.66 ft) in length at birth.^[10] Adult female bull sharks average 2.4 m (7.9 ft) long and typically weigh 130 kg (290 lb), whereas the slightly smaller adult male averages 2.25 m (7.4 ft) and 95 kg (209 lb). While a maximum size of 3.5 m (11 ft) is commonly reported, a single record exists of a female specimen of exactly 4.0 m (13.1 ft). The maximum recorded weight of a bull shark was 315 kg (694 lb), but may be larger.^[3][11][12]

Bull sharks are wider and heavier than other requiem sharks of comparable length, and are grey on top and white below. The second dorsal fin is smaller than the first. The bull shark’s caudal fin is longer and lower than that of the larger sharks, and it has a small snout, and lacks an interdorsal ridge.^[10]

Bull sharks have a bite force up to 5,914 newtons (1,330 lbf), weight for weight the highest among all investigated cartilaginous fishes.^[13]

The bull shark is commonly found worldwide in coastal areas of warm oceans, in rivers and lakes, and occasionally salt and freshwater streams if they are deep enough. It is found to a depth of 150 m (490 ft), but does not usually swim deeper than 30 m (98 ft).^[14] In the Atlantic, it is found from Massachusetts to southern Brazil, and from Morocco to Angola. In the Indian Ocean, it is found from South Africa to Kenya, India, Vietnam, Philippines to Australia.^{[citation needed]}

Populations of bull sharks are also found in several major rivers, with more than 500 bull sharks thought to be living in the Brisbane River. One was reportedly seen swimming the flooded streets of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, during the 2010-11 Queensland floods.^[15] Several were sighted in one of the main streets of Goodna, Queensland, shortly after the peak of the January 2011, floods.^[16] A large bull shark was caught in the canals of Scarborough, just north of Brisbane within Moreton Bay. Still greater numbers are in the canals of the Gold Coast, Queensland.^[17]

In the Pacific Ocean, it can be found from Baja California to Ecuador. The bull shark has traveled 4,000 km (2,500 mi) up the Amazon River to Iquitos in Peru^[18] and north Bolivia.^[1] It also lives in freshwater Lake Nicaragua, in the Ganges and BrahmaputraRivers of West Bengal, and Assam in Eastern India and adjoining Bangladesh.^{[citation needed]} It can live in water with a high salt content as in St. Lucia Estuary in South Africa.

Bull sharks have been recorded in the Tigris River since at least 1924 as far upriver as Baghdad.^[19] The bull shark is generally prolific in the warm, coastal waters and estuarine systems of the Mozambique Channel and southward, including Kwa-Zulu Natal and Mozambique.^{[citation needed]} The species has a distinct preference for warm currents.^{[citation needed]}

After Hurricane Katrina, many bull sharks were sighted in Lake Pontchartrain.^[20] Bull sharks have occasionally gone up the Mississippi River as far upstream as Alton, Illinois,^[21] and up the Ohio River as far as Manchester, Ohio.^[22] They have also been found in the Potomac River in Maryland.^[23][24] A golf course lake at Carbook, Logan City, Queensland, Australia is the home to several bull sharks. They were trapped following a flood of the Logan and Albert Rivers in 1996.^[25] The golf course has capitalized on the novelty and now hosts a monthly tournament called the “Shark Lake Challenge”.^[26]

The bull shark is the best known of 43 species of elasmobranch in 10 genera and four families to have been reported in fresh water.^[27] Other species that enter rivers include the stingrays (Dasyatidae, Potamotrygonidae and others) and sawfish (Pristidae). Some skates (Rajidae), smooth dogfishes (Triakidae), and sandbar sharks(Carcharhinus plumbeus) regularly enter estuaries.^{[citation needed]}

The bull shark is diadromous, meaning they can swim between salt and fresh water with ease.^[28] These fish also are euryhaline fish, able to adapt to a wide range of salinities. The bull shark is one of the few cartilaginous fishes that have been reported in freshwater systems. Many of the euryhaline fish are bony fish such as salmon and tilapia and are not closely related to bull sharks.

Evolutionary assumptions can be made to help explain this sort of evolutionary disconnect, one being that the bull shark encountered a population bottleneck that occurred during the last ice age.^[29] This bottleneck may have separated the bull shark from the rest of the Elasmobranchii subclass and favored the genes for an osmoregulatory system.

Elasmobranchs’ ability to enter fresh water is limited because their blood is normally at least as salty (in terms of osmotic strength) as seawater through the accumulation of urea and trimethylamine oxide, but bull sharks living in fresh water show a significantly reduced concentration of urea within their blood.^[30] Despite this, the solute composition (i.e. osmolarity) of a bull shark in ffreshwater is still much higher than that of the external environment. This results in a large influx of water across the gills due to osmosis and loss of sodium and chloride from the shark’s body.

However, bull sharks in fresh water possess several organs with which to maintain appropriate salt and water balance; these are the rectal gland, kidneys, liver, and gills. All elasmobranchs have a rectal gland which functions in the excretion of excess salts accumulated as a consequence of living in seawater. Bull sharks in freshwater environments decrease the salt-excretory activity of the rectal gland, thereby conserving sodium and chloride.^[31] The kidneys produce large amounts of dilute urine, but also play an important role in the active reabsorption of solutes into the blood.^[31]

The gills of bull sharks are likely to be involved in the uptake of sodium and chloride from the surrounding fresh water,^[32] whereas urea is produced in the liver as required with changes in environmental salinity.^[33] Recent work also shows that the differences in density of fresh water to that of marine waters result in significantly greater negative buoyancies in sharks occupying fresh water, resulting in increasing costs of living in fresh water. Bull sharks caught in freshwater have subsequently been shown to have lower liver densities than sharks living in marine waters. This may reduce the added cost of greater negative buoyancy.^[34]

Bull sharks are able to regulate themselves to live in either fresh or salt water. It can live in fresh water for its entire life, but this does not happen, mostly due to reproduction. Young bull sharks leave the brackish water in which they are born and move out into the sea to breed. While theoretically, bull sharks to live in purely fresh water may be possible, the bull sharks that were being experimented on had died within four years. The stomach was opened and all that was found were two small, unidentifiable fishes. The cause of death could have been starvation since the primary food source for bull sharks resides in salt water.^[35]

In a research experiment, the bull sharks were found to be at the mouth of an estuary for the majority of the time.^[28] They stayed at the mouth of the river independent of the salinity of the water. The driving factor for a bull shark to be in fresh or salt water, however, is its age; as the bull shark ages, its tolerance for very low or high salinity increases.^[28] The majority of the newborn or very young bull sharks were found in the freshwater area, whereas the much older bull sharks were found to be in the saltwater areas, as they had developed a much better tolerance for the salinity.^[28] Reproduction is one of the reasons why adult bull sharks travel into the river—it is thought to be a physiological strategy to improve juvenile survival and a way to increase overall fitness of bull sharks.^[28] The young are not born with a high tolerance for high salinity, so they are born in fresh water and stay there until they are able to travel out.

Initially, scientists thought the sharks in Lake Nicaragua belonged to an endemic species, the Lake Nicaragua shark (Carcharhinus nicaraguensis). In 1961, following specimen comparisons, taxonomists synonymized them.^[36] They can jump along the rapids of the San Juan River (which connects Lake Nicaragua and the Caribbean Sea), almost like salmon.^[14] Bull sharks tagged inside the lake have later been caught in the open ocean (and vice versa), with some taking as few as seven to 11 days to complete the journey.^[36]

Bull sharks mate during late summer and early autumn,^[8] often in freshwater^[43] or in the brackish water of river mouths. After gestating for 12 months, a bull shark may give birth to 1 to 13 live young.^[8][44]

They are viviparous, born live and free-swimming. The young are about 70 cm (27.6 in) at birth. The bull shark does not rear its young; the young bull sharks are born into flat, protected areas.^[44] Coastal lagoons, river mouths, and other low-salinity estuaries are common nursery habitats.^[3]

The male bull shark is able to begin reproducing around the age of 15 years while the female cannot begin reproducing until the age of 18 years.^[44] The size of a fully matured female bull shark to produce viable eggs for fertilization seems to be 175 cm to 235 cm. The courting routine between bull sharks has not been observed in detail as of yet. The male likely bites the female on the tail until she can turn upside down and the male can copulate at that point. At some points, the harassment of the male can become violent. Seeing scratches and other marks on a mature female which may be from the mating ritual is not uncommon.^[45]

Bull sharks have an unusual migratory pattern in comparison to other sharks. They are found in rivers all over the world. They give birth in the fresh water of rivers. The young bull sharks are free from predators while they grow up in the river before they go out to the sea to find mates.^[46]

The ability to be able to survive in both fresh and salt water also gives another benefit that has been driven by evolution. Because the majority of sharks are only able to survive in salt water, the bull shark has evolved to have their offspring in the fresh water where other sharks cannot enter.^[47] The freshwater acts as a protective area where the young are able to grow and mature without the threat of larger sharks preying on the younger bull sharks.^[47] This is an explanation for the behavior that is observed from the Bull sharks as to why there would be any reason for the adult bull shark to ever travel into a freshwater area despite being able to tolerate the high salinity of marine water.

Since bull sharks often dwell in very shallow waters, are found in many types of habitats, are territorial by nature and have virtually no tolerance for provocation, they may be more dangerous to humans than any other species of shark,^[14] and along with the tiger shark and great white shark, are among the three shark species most likely to bite humans.^[4]

One or several bull sharks may have been responsible for the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916, which were the inspiration for Peter Benchley‘s novel Jaws.^[48] The speculation of bull sharks possibly being responsible is based on two fatal bites occurring in brackish and fresh water.

The bull shark is responsible for biting swimmers around the Sydney Harbour inlets.^[49] Most of these bites were previously attributed to Great White sharks. In India, bull sharks swim up the Ganges River and have bitten bathers. Many of these bite incidents were attributed to the Ganges shark, Glyphis gangeticus, a critically endangered river shark species, although the sand tiger shark was also blamed during the 1960s and 1970s.

The bull shark prefers coastal water which is less than 100 feet in depth. This is mostly due to their feeding patterns, since they prefer murky waters. This is also a problem since this gives the most interaction with humans. It is known that bull sharks inhabit areas off the coast of Florida, and there have been reports of bull sharks getting close enough to the coast to bite humans since the bull shark is a territorial animal, which encourages aggressive behavior.^[50]  Please see more information here.

“Habitat
Common apex predator that inhabits estuarine, nearshore and offshore waters of both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida. Commonly enters estuarine waters and is one of the few shark species that may inhabit freshwater, sometimes venturing hundreds of miles inland via coastal river systems.

Feeding
Versatile and opportunistic feeder. Stomach contents have included a variety of bony fishes and invertebrate species, sharks, rays, dolphins, sea turtles, and sea birds.

Reproduction
Gives birth to live young. Litters contain 1-13 pups. Size at birth about 2.4 feet. Utilizes shallow bays and coastal lagoons as nursery areas.

Size/Age
Maximum size about 11 feet. Matures at approximately 14-18 years of age (about 6.5 feet) and is estimated to live 24+ years.

Human factors
Constitutes only a small portion of the commercial shark fishery. Hardy species; does well in captivity. One of the more dangerous shark species, accounting for the third highest number of attacks on humans.”  Please see more information here.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Wednesday, February 21, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sneaky Bull Sharks, Off Oyster Bars, click here for College Of Fishing Hats & Apparel.

We’re located at Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

After a fierce storm, Turner Beach, the beach adjoining the Pass, is frequently covered with a bounty of shells from Olives to Fighting Whelks to the more common Conchs. The fishing is also renowned with sharks in the summer, tailing redfish on the bayside flats and snook under and off the Blind Pass bridge. Because Turner Beach faces Westward, the sunsets are spectacular and a popular viewing point for residents and visitors alike.

And you can like us on Facebook.

Fair winds and following seas,

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar at the upper left or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Sanibel Island Fishing & Captiva Island Fishing, February 20, 2018: SeaTrout!

Captiva Fishing Report,  Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Tuesday, February 20: SeaTrout, Grass Flats, Catch & Release; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, impact minimal, broken up and largely dispersed); more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.

Tuesday, February 20, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters &Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: SeaTrout, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.

“Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout, also known as speckled trout, is a common estuarine fish found in the southern United States along coasts of Gulf of Mexico and the coastal Atlantic Ocean from Maryland to Florida. These fish are also found in estuarine locations around Cape Breton Island of Nova Scotia, Canada.

While most of these fish are caught on shallow, grassy flats, spotted seatrout reside in virtually any inshore waters, from the surf of outside islands to far up coastal rivers, where they often come for shelter during cold weather. Contrary to its name, the spotted seatrout is not a member of the trout family (Salmonidae), but of the drum family (Sciaenidae). It is popular for commercial and especially recreational fishing in coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Adults reach 19-32 inches in length and 3-15 pounds in weight.

Spotted seatrout live in the top of the water column and are most numerous along the coasts of the southeastern states, such as Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. They are also common along the coasts of North and South Carolina and Virginia. Estuarine coasts are prime settlement areas. They are uncommonly seen north of Delaware Bay and along the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Spotted seatrout is the common name endorsed by the American Fisheries Society. However, this fish has many other common names, including speckled trout, speck, speckles, spec, truite gris (Louisiana French), trucha de mar (Mexican Spanish), spotted weakfish, spotted seateague, southern seateague, salmon, salmon trout, simon trout, winter trout, seatrout, Nosferatu fish, and black trout. Particularly large ones are nicknamed gator trout.^[1]

The spotted seatrout has prominent canine teeth. Like other fish of the family Sciaenidae, it has an elongated, soft dorsal fin with scales; it is separated from the spinous dorsal fin by a deep notch. It usually has two anal spines and the lateral line extends to the tip of the caudal fin. The back has distinct spots scattered on it, including on the dorsal and caudal fins. Unlike some other members of the family Sciaenidae, the spotted seatrout does not have any chin barbels. In stained water, this fish’s background may take on a golden hue. Its shape and coloration is reminiscent of a brown trout. This fish is closely related to the weakfish, Cynoscion regalis.

The average size of spotted seatrout is 0.5-1.0 kg (1-2 lb), but in most areas fish up to 2.5 kg (5 lb) are fairly common. Fish weighing 3.5-4.5 kg (8-10 lb) are rare. The world record is 7.9 kg (17 lb 7 oz).

Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As they grow larger, their diets shift toward fish, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullet; a large trout will find the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout.^[2]”  Please see more information here.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Tuesday, February 20, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, SeaTrout, Grass Flats & Oyster Bars, click here for College Of Fishing Hats & Apparel.

We’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

After a fierce storm, Turner Beach, the beach adjoining the Pass, is frequently covered with a bounty of shells from Olives to Fighting Whelks to the more common Conchs. The fishing is also renowned with sharks in the summer, tailing redfish on the bayside flats and snook under and off the Blind Pass bridge. Because Turner Beach faces Westward, the sunsets are spectacular and a popular viewing point for residents and visitors alike.

And you can like us on Facebook.

Fair winds and following seas,

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar at the upper right or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, February  19, 2018: Redfish.

Captiva Fishing Report,  Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Monday, February 19: Redfish, Oyster Bars & Mangroves, Catch & Release; water quality in relatively good shape; (Caloosahatchee: no/little freshwater runoff impact right now; Red Tide Report, impact minimal, broken up and largely dispersed); more fishing reports from other areas and Captains below.

Monday, February 19, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Redfish, Oyster Bars, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  Better water moving north of Sanibel up through Captiva & North Captiva.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.

“The red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), also known as channel bass, redfish, spottail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexico.^[1] It is the only species in the genus Sciaenops.

The red drum is related to the black drum (Pogonias cromis), and the two species are often found in close proximity to each other; they can interbreed and form a robust hybrid, and younger fish are often indistinguishable in flavor.^[2]

Red drum are a dark red color on the back, which fades into white on the belly. The red drum has a characteristic eyespot near the tail and is somewhat streamlined. Three-year-old red drum typically weigh 6-8 lb. The largest red drum on record weighed just over 94 lb and was caught in 1984 on Hatteras Island. Red drum and black drum both make a croaking or drumming sound when distressed.