Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 14, 2019: Redfish, Catch & Release!

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here; Getting Clearer (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 14, 2019: Redfish, Catch & Release!

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Sanibel Island Fishing, September 14, 2019.

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Saturday, September 14: Redfish, Catch & Release, Captain Joe’s Charters – the weather is great, no red tide, and a lot of good fish in the gulf, bay, and passes; Tarpon, Sharks, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, Snapper, Snook, and Seatrout are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Already seeing some positive impact.  Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

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

Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Redfish, September 12, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.

Redfish are now catch & release only.

Little Girl, Redfish, Catch & Release, Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, Sanibel Island, Saturday, March 24, 2018, [File Photo: Sunday, October 15, 2017}.

“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.

The red drum uses its senses of sight and touch, and its downturned mouth, to locate forage on the bottom through vacuuming or biting. On the top and middle of the water column, it uses changes in the light that might look like food. In the summer and fall, adult red drum feed on crabs, shrimp, and mullet; in the spring and winter, adults primarily feed on menhaden, mullet, pinfish, sea robin, lizardfish, spot, Atlantic croaker, and mud minnows.

Red drum naturally occur along the southern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Aquaculture activities involving them occur around the world.^[4] Immature red drum prefer grass marsh areas of bays and estuaries when available. Both younger mature red drum (3-6 years of age) and bull red drum prefer rocky outcroppings including jetties and manmade structures, such as oil rigs and bridge posts. Around this type of structure, they are found throughout the water column.”  Please see more information here.

Red Drum: Sciaenops ocellatus

Florida Regulations: (Harvest in federal waters prohibited)

Regulations	Northeast Zone	Northwest Zone	South Zone
Minimum Size Limit	Not less than 18″ no more than 27″ total length
Daily Bag Limit	2 fish per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit	1 per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit	1 fish per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit
Remarks	Bag limits apply in areas adjacent to fishing sites such as docks and parking lots 6 fish per person transport limit applies when traveling in a vehicle on land away from a fishing site. Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore Commercial harvest prohibited

 

Gear requirements:

• Legal Gear:  hook and line, cast nets
• Illegal Gear: Spearing (includes spearfishing, gigging and bow fishing) and/or use of multiple hooks in conjunction with live or dead natural bait is prohibited

Red Drum Management Zones

• Northwest: Escambia through Fred Howard Park Causeway near Pasco County
• South: Fred Howard Park Causeway through Monroe County (west coast) and Miami-Dade through Volusia counties (east coast)
• Northeast: Flagler through Nassau counties

State Waters Harvest Seasons

Habitat and Fishing Tips: Red drum, also called redfish, channel bass, spot tail, red bass or reds, are one of Florida’s most popular sportfish and the state’s most widespread estuarine fish.

Red drum are named after the “drumming” sound they make during spawning and when taken out of the water. The sound is produced by muscles rubbing against the inflated air bladder. Red drum inhabit the nearshore and offshore waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Key West. Juvenile red drum inhabit rivers, bays, canals, tidal creeks, and passes in estuaries for up to four years, after which they usually move to nearshore or open ocean waters as adults.

Red drum in Florida can reach lengths of 45 inches and weigh up to 51 pounds. The world record red drum was caught off North Carolina waters in 1984 and it weighed 94 pounds, 2 ounces.The oldest recorded red drum in Florida was aged at 40 years. Floating a live shrimp under a popping cork is a good way to fish for red drum.

They also chase crabs, mullet, pinfish, and killifish (mud minnows). Casting soft-bodied jigs, spoons and even top-water plugs will catch the attention of these powerful estuarine musicians.

State Record:

52 lb 5 oz, caught near Cocoa (1996)

Florida Rule

Please also visit:

Redfish Catch, Hold and Release Tournament Exemption Permit page

Red Drum Management

Management of red drum in Florida is considered a success story.  In the late 1980s red drum was overfished, thus several emergency closures were established to reduce fishing pressure. In 1989, the slot limit of 18-27 inches, the bag limit of one fish per person and a closed season from March-May were put in place. Red drum stocks have rebounded and are currently meeting or exceeding the FWC’s management goal of 40% escapement in most parts of Florida. Escapement is the proportion of fish that survive through age four relative to the fish that would have survived if there was no fishery.” Please see FWC for more information.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams. Sunday, September 30, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Redfish, Passes & Oyster Bars.

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.

We would appreciate if you like us on Facebook.

Fair winds and following seas,

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

Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 13, 2019: Spanish Mackerel & Ladyfish, Catch & Release!

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, September 13, 2019.

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Wednesday, September 13: Ladyfish & Spanish Mackerel, Catch & Release, Captain Joe’s Charters – the weather is warming up, red tide is gone and a lot of good fish have moved back into the gulf, bay and passes; water is much, much better – redfish, sheepshead, black drum, snapper, snook, and seatrout are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Already seeing some positive impact.  Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

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

Turner Beach, the beach adjoining Blind 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.

Captiva Fishing Charters

Spanish Mackerel, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island, September 13, 2019.

Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.

“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.

==================================================

“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.

Mackerel 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

==================================================

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.  Sunday, June 24, 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 or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 12, 2019: Redfish, Catch & Release!

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here; Getting Clearer (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 12, 2019: Redfish, Catch & Release!

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Sanibel Island Fishing, September 12, 2019.

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Thursday, September 12: Redfish, Catch & Release, Captain Joe’s Charters – the weather is great, no red tide, and a lot of good fish in the gulf, bay, and passes; Tarpon, Sharks, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, Snapper, Snook, and Seatrout are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Already seeing some positive impact.  Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

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

Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Redfish, September 12, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.

Redfish are now catch & release only.

Little Girl, Redfish, Catch & Release, Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, Sanibel Island, Saturday, March 24, 2018, [File Photo: Sunday, October 15, 2017}.

“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.

The red drum uses its senses of sight and touch, and its downturned mouth, to locate forage on the bottom through vacuuming or biting. On the top and middle of the water column, it uses changes in the light that might look like food. In the summer and fall, adult red drum feed on crabs, shrimp, and mullet; in the spring and winter, adults primarily feed on menhaden, mullet, pinfish, sea robin, lizardfish, spot, Atlantic croaker, and mud minnows.

Red drum naturally occur along the southern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Aquaculture activities involving them occur around the world.^[4] Immature red drum prefer grass marsh areas of bays and estuaries when available. Both younger mature red drum (3-6 years of age) and bull red drum prefer rocky outcroppings including jetties and manmade structures, such as oil rigs and bridge posts. Around this type of structure, they are found throughout the water column.”  Please see more information here.

Red Drum: Sciaenops ocellatus

Florida Regulations: (Harvest in federal waters prohibited)

Regulations	Northeast Zone	Northwest Zone	South Zone
Minimum Size Limit	Not less than 18″ no more than 27″ total length
Daily Bag Limit	2 fish per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit	1 per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit	1 fish per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit
Remarks	Bag limits apply in areas adjacent to fishing sites such as docks and parking lots 6 fish per person transport limit applies when traveling in a vehicle on land away from a fishing site. Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore Commercial harvest prohibited

 

Gear requirements:

• Legal Gear:  hook and line, cast nets
• Illegal Gear: Spearing (includes spearfishing, gigging and bow fishing) and/or use of multiple hooks in conjunction with live or dead natural bait is prohibited

Red Drum Management Zones

• Northwest: Escambia through Fred Howard Park Causeway near Pasco County
• South: Fred Howard Park Causeway through Monroe County (west coast) and Miami-Dade through Volusia counties (east coast)
• Northeast: Flagler through Nassau counties

State Waters Harvest Seasons

Habitat and Fishing Tips: Red drum, also called redfish, channel bass, spot tail, red bass or reds, are one of Florida’s most popular sportfish and the state’s most widespread estuarine fish.

Red drum are named after the “drumming” sound they make during spawning and when taken out of the water. The sound is produced by muscles rubbing against the inflated air bladder. Red drum inhabit the nearshore and offshore waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Key West. Juvenile red drum inhabit rivers, bays, canals, tidal creeks, and passes in estuaries for up to four years, after which they usually move to nearshore or open ocean waters as adults.

Red drum in Florida can reach lengths of 45 inches and weigh up to 51 pounds. The world record red drum was caught off North Carolina waters in 1984 and it weighed 94 pounds, 2 ounces.The oldest recorded red drum in Florida was aged at 40 years. Floating a live shrimp under a popping cork is a good way to fish for red drum.

They also chase crabs, mullet, pinfish, and killifish (mud minnows). Casting soft-bodied jigs, spoons and even top-water plugs will catch the attention of these powerful estuarine musicians.

State Record:

52 lb 5 oz, caught near Cocoa (1996)

Florida Rule

Please also visit:

Redfish Catch, Hold and Release Tournament Exemption Permit page

Red Drum Management

Management of red drum in Florida is considered a success story.  In the late 1980s red drum was overfished, thus several emergency closures were established to reduce fishing pressure. In 1989, the slot limit of 18-27 inches, the bag limit of one fish per person and a closed season from March-May were put in place. Red drum stocks have rebounded and are currently meeting or exceeding the FWC’s management goal of 40% escapement in most parts of Florida. Escapement is the proportion of fish that survive through age four relative to the fish that would have survived if there was no fishery.” Please see FWC for more information.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams. Sunday, September 30, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Redfish, Passes & Oyster Bars.

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.

We would appreciate if you like us on Facebook.

Fair winds and following seas,

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

Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 11, 2019: Snook, Catch & Release!

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, September 11, 2019.

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Vote Water For Florida’s Future!

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Wednesday, September 11, Snook, Catch & Release, Captain Joe’s Charters – weather is great and no red tide; a lot of good fish in the gulf, bay and passes; water quality is great right now – Sharks, Cobia, Tarpon, Spanish Mackerel, Kingfish, Redfish, Snapper, Snook, and Seatrout are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Already seeing some positive impact.  Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

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

Turner Beach, the beach adjoining Blind 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.

Snook, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island, September 11, 2019.

Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.

Captiva Fishing Charters

Redfish continue to be less prevalent and are now catch & release only; for more information just see recent fishing reports, background on any species, and other recent fishing, water quality reports, and information.

Snook, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters; please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.  

lands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Snook, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island, Monday, July 16, 2018.

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

a Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Snook, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island, Monday, July 16, 2018.

“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.  Snook, Friday, June 22, 2018; Captiva Island Fishing Charters, 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.

Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, September 10, 2019: Bull Shark, Catch & Release!

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, September 10, 2019.

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Vote Water For Florida’s Future!

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Tuesday, September 10: Bull Shark, Catch & Release, Captain Joe’s Charters – the weather is great, no red tide and a lot of good fish have moved back into the gulf, bay and passes; water is much, much better – tarpon, redfish, snapper, snook, seatrout, and sharks are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

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

Turner Beach, the beach adjoining Blind 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.

Caught some nice redfish last week, for more information just use the menu for recent fishing reports, background on any species, and other recent fishing, water quality reports, and information.

September 10 Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Bull Sharks & Blacktip Sharks, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites. 

“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 freshwater 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 freshwater 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 freshwater,^[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 increased 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 freshwater 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 seabirds.

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. and 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.

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 9, 2019: Snapper, Catch & Release!

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Sanibel Island Fishing, September 9, 2019.

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Monday, September 9: Snapper, Inshore, Catch & Release, Captain Joe’s Charters – the weather is great, no red tide, and a lot of good fish in the gulf, bay, and passes; Tarpon, Sharks, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, Snapper, Snook, and Seatrout are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Already seeing some positive impact.  Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

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

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

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

Some big, nice redfish around; for more information just use the menu for recent fishing reports, background on any species, and other recent fishing, water quality reports, and information.

July 8, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Snapper, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites. 

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel Island Fishing Charter or a Captiva Island Fishing Charter, also Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

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

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

Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles

Gray Snapper: Lutjanus griseus

Appearance:

“Also known as mangrove snapper, mango or black snapper.

• Dark brown or gray in color, with red-orange spots in bars along the sides
• Two large canine teeth near front of upper jaw
• Anchor-shaped vomerine tooth patch
• Dorsal fins with dark or reddish borders
• Young have dark stripe from snout, through eye, to upper edge of gill cover

Similar Species: Cubera snapper, L. cyanopterus (triangleshaped tooth patch and grow much larger than gray snapper); schoolmaster, L. apodus (yellow fins and faint white bars); and true black snapper, A. dentatus (rare in Florida; do not range north of the Florida Keys)

Size: Common to 24 inches (10 pounds)

Habitat:

Coastal waters near structure such as reefs, mangroves and seagrass.  Juveniles may enter freshwater.

Behavior:

Spawn June through August.  Feeds on crustaceans and small fish.

Additional Information

Gray snapper caught offshore are common 8 to 10 pounds.”  Recreational Regulations.  More Information &  Source @ FWC.

“The mangrove snapper or gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) is a species of snapper native to the western Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. They can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including brackish and fresh waters. It is commercially important, as well as being sought as a game fish. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.^[2]

Its color is typically greyish red, but it can change color from bright red to copper red. It has a dark stripe running across its eye if observed from the top when it is under water. This species can reach a length of 89 cm (35 in), though most do not exceed 40 cm (16 in). The greatest recorded weight for this species is 20 kg (44 lb).^[2]

The mangrove snapper can be confused with the Cubera snapper or black snapper, Lutjanus cyanopterus. Mangrove snapper are typically much smaller than Cubera, but when they are of similar size, the two species can only be distinguished by examining the tooth patch on the inside roof of the mouth.

Many specimens caught in Florida, specifically Punta Gorda, are actually misidentified dogtooth or dog snapper, Lutjanus jocu. The best way to distinguish between the two species is dog snapper has a lighter triangle of color with a blue band under the eye and large, sharp fangs in the front (canines), hence its common name. These fangs can deliver a painful bite, even in a small fish.

The mangrove snapper feeds mostly on small fishes and crustaceans. It was also observed as systematically waiting under the maternal colony of Buffy flower bat for falling bats near the entrances of Lucayan cavern, Bahamas.^[3]

The mangrove snapper is one of the most common species of snapper in warmer regions. It can be found in many areas from canals to grass flats, as well as in open water. Most mangrove snapper in the open water are generally found near bottom structure or reefs. They can be found at depths from 5 to 180 m (16 to 591 ft) though are mostly found at less than 50 m (160 ft).^[2]

Mangrove snapper is a common target for anglers and is highly prized for its light and flaky flesh. It can be caught on a variety of baits but is typically caught with live or frozen shrimp, squid, minnows and occasionally on artificial lures or baits.

They can be spearfished, as well, but are sometimes a tough target, as they tend to be more wary of divers, rather than curious, and their wariness of baits and divers tends to increase as the fish grow larger. Most mangrove snapper are caught on light to medium tackle, and typical catches range from eight to 14 in long in shallow or inshore waters, and up to 20 in long in deeper waters. Larger fish are uncommon, but not rare.  Please see more information here.

FWC: Gray Snapper Overview

“Also known as mangrove snapper, mango or black snapper.

• Dark brown or gray in color, with red-orange spots in bars along the sides
• Two large canine teeth near front of upper jaw
• Anchor-shaped vomerine tooth patch
• Dorsal fins with dark or reddish borders
• Young have dark stripe from snout, through eye, to upper edge of gill cover

Similar Species: Cubera snapper, L. cyanopterus (triangleshaped tooth patch and grow much larger than gray snapper); schoolmaster, L. apodus (yellow fins and faint white bars); and true black snapper, A. dentatus (rare in Florida; do not range north of the Florida Keys)

Size: Common to 24 inches (10 pounds)

Coastal waters near structure such as reefs, mangroves, and seagrass.  Juveniles may enter freshwater.

Spawn June through August.  Feeds on crustaceans and small fish. Gray snapper caught offshore are common 8 to 10 pounds.”  Please Click Here For More Information and Recreational Regulations.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Saturday, March 31, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Mangrove Snapper, 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.

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 Fishing Charters, September 5, 2019: Spanish Mackerel!

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, September 5, 2019.

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Thursday, September 5: Spanish Mackerel & SeaTrout, Captain Joe’s Charters – the weather is great, no red tide, and a lot of good fish in the gulf, bay, and passes; Tarpon, Sharks, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, Snapper, Snook, and Seatrout are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Already seeing some positive impact.  Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

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

Turner Beach, the beach adjoining Blind 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.

Captiva Fishing Charters

Spanish Mackerel, Catch & Release, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island, September 5, 2019.

Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.

“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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“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.

Mackerel 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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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.  Sunday, June 24, 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 or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 4, 2019: Redfish, Catch & Release!

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here; Getting Clearer (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 4, 2019: Redfish, Catch & Release!

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Sanibel Island Fishing, September 4, 2019.

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Wednesday, September 4: Redfish, Catch & Release, Captain Joe’s Charters – the weather is great, no red tide, and a lot of good fish in the gulf, bay, and passes; Tarpon, Sharks, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, Snapper, Snook, and Seatrout are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Already seeing some positive impact.  Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

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

Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Redfish, September 4, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Fort Myers, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites.

Redfish are now catch & release only.

Little Girl, Redfish, Catch & Release, Sanibel Fishing & Captiva Fishing, Sanibel Island, Saturday, March 24, 2018, [File Photo: Sunday, October 15, 2017}.

“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.

The red drum uses its senses of sight and touch, and its downturned mouth, to locate forage on the bottom through vacuuming or biting. On the top and middle of the water column, it uses changes in the light that might look like food. In the summer and fall, adult red drum feed on crabs, shrimp, and mullet; in the spring and winter, adults primarily feed on menhaden, mullet, pinfish, sea robin, lizardfish, spot, Atlantic croaker, and mud minnows.

Red drum naturally occur along the southern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Aquaculture activities involving them occur around the world.^[4] Immature red drum prefer grass marsh areas of bays and estuaries when available. Both younger mature red drum (3-6 years of age) and bull red drum prefer rocky outcroppings including jetties and manmade structures, such as oil rigs and bridge posts. Around this type of structure, they are found throughout the water column.”  Please see more information here.

Red Drum: Sciaenops ocellatus

Florida Regulations: (Harvest in federal waters prohibited)

Regulations	Northeast Zone	Northwest Zone	South Zone
Minimum Size Limit	Not less than 18″ no more than 27″ total length
Daily Bag Limit	2 fish per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit	1 per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit	1 fish per person per day; 8 fish vessel limit
Remarks	Bag limits apply in areas adjacent to fishing sites such as docks and parking lots 6 fish per person transport limit applies when traveling in a vehicle on land away from a fishing site. Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore Commercial harvest prohibited

 

Gear requirements:

• Legal Gear:  hook and line, cast nets
• Illegal Gear: Spearing (includes spearfishing, gigging and bow fishing) and/or use of multiple hooks in conjunction with live or dead natural bait is prohibited

Red Drum Management Zones

• Northwest: Escambia through Fred Howard Park Causeway near Pasco County
• South: Fred Howard Park Causeway through Monroe County (west coast) and Miami-Dade through Volusia counties (east coast)
• Northeast: Flagler through Nassau counties

State Waters Harvest Seasons

Habitat and Fishing Tips: Red drum, also called redfish, channel bass, spot tail, red bass or reds, are one of Florida’s most popular sportfish and the state’s most widespread estuarine fish.

Red drum are named after the “drumming” sound they make during spawning and when taken out of the water. The sound is produced by muscles rubbing against the inflated air bladder. Red drum inhabit the nearshore and offshore waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Key West. Juvenile red drum inhabit rivers, bays, canals, tidal creeks, and passes in estuaries for up to four years, after which they usually move to nearshore or open ocean waters as adults.

Red drum in Florida can reach lengths of 45 inches and weigh up to 51 pounds. The world record red drum was caught off North Carolina waters in 1984 and it weighed 94 pounds, 2 ounces.The oldest recorded red drum in Florida was aged at 40 years. Floating a live shrimp under a popping cork is a good way to fish for red drum.

They also chase crabs, mullet, pinfish, and killifish (mud minnows). Casting soft-bodied jigs, spoons and even top-water plugs will catch the attention of these powerful estuarine musicians.

State Record:

52 lb 5 oz, caught near Cocoa (1996)

Florida Rule

Please also visit:

Redfish Catch, Hold and Release Tournament Exemption Permit page

Red Drum Management

Management of red drum in Florida is considered a success story.  In the late 1980s red drum was overfished, thus several emergency closures were established to reduce fishing pressure. In 1989, the slot limit of 18-27 inches, the bag limit of one fish per person and a closed season from March-May were put in place. Red drum stocks have rebounded and are currently meeting or exceeding the FWC’s management goal of 40% escapement in most parts of Florida. Escapement is the proportion of fish that survive through age four relative to the fish that would have survived if there was no fishery.” Please see FWC for more information.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams. Sunday, September 30, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Redfish, Passes & Oyster Bars.

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.

We would appreciate if you like us on Facebook.

Fair winds and following seas,

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

Sanibel Fishing Charters, September 3, 2019: Blacktip Shark, Catch & Release!

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, September 3, 2019

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Tuesday, September 3, Blacktip Sharks, Catch & Release, Captain Joe’s Charters – some rain from hurricane bands, but not a big deal, weather is great and no red tide; a lot of good fish in the gulf, bay and passes; water quality is great right now – Sharks, Cobia, Tarpon, Spanish Mackerel, Kingfish, Redfish, Snapper, Snook, and Seatrout are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Already seeing some positive impact.  Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

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

September 3, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Blacktip Sharks, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites. 

Captiva Fishing Charters

September 3, fishing is very good right now; for more information just use the search box and search on any species for recent fishing reports, background on any species, and other recent fishing, water quality reports, and information.

Tarpon, snook, redfish & seatrout fishing; we’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

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

“The blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) is a species of requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae. It is common to coastal tropical and subtropical waters around the world, including brackish habitats. Genetic analyses have revealed substantial variation within this species, with populations from the western Atlantic Ocean isolated and distinct from those in the rest of its range.

The blacktip shark has a stout, fusiform body with a pointed snout, long gill slits, and no ridge between the dorsal fins. Most individuals have black tips or edges on the pectoral, dorsal, pelvic, and caudal fins. It usually attains a length of 1.5 m (4.9 ft).

Swift, energetic piscivores, blacktip sharks are known to make spinning leaps out of the water while attacking schools of small fish. Their demeanor has been described as “timid” compared to other large requiem sharks. Both juveniles and adults form groups of varying size. Like other members of its family, the blacktip shark is viviparous; females bear one to 10 pups every other year.

Young blacktip sharks spend the first months of their lives in shallow nurseries, and grown females return to the nurseries where they were born to give birth themselves. In the absence of males, females are also capable of asexual reproduction.

Normally wary of humans, blacktip sharks can become aggressive in the presence of food and have been responsible for a number of attacks on people. This species is of importance to both commercial and recreational fisheries across many parts of its range, with its meat, skin, fins, and liver oil used. It has been assessed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, on the basis of its low reproductive rate and high value to fishers.”  Please see more information here.

Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles

“Blacktip Shark: Carcharhinus limbatus

Appearance:

• Back is dark bluish-gray (juveniles paler) fading to a whitish belly
• Anal fin lacks black tip (in adults); dorsal fins, pectoral fins, anal fin and caudal fin lower lobe are black-tipped in juveniles (fades with growth)
• First dorsal fin starts above pectoral fin inner margin
• Long snout that appears nearly V-shaped from below
• No inter-dorsal ridge

Similar Species: Spinner shark, C. brevipinna (first dorsal fin starts behind the pectoral fin; anal fin is black-tipped)

Size: Up to 6.5 feet

Habitat:

Coastal to offshore waters. Blacktips often come inshore in large schools, particularly in association with Spanish mackerel. Frequently, the most common shark in clear-water cuts and along beaches in Florida and Bahamas.

Behavior:

One of the most common shark species in Florida coastal waters

Additional Information

State Record: 152 lbs.

Fishing Tips and Facts: Blacktip sharks are sometimes caught by sport fishers off the beach or offshore. They provide a good fight, often leaping out of the water.”

Recreational Regulations here.  Please see source & more information here.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Monday, July 9, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Captain Joe’s Charters, Blacktip Sharks, Catch & Release, 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 here for calendar or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.