Conditions: The big wind and seas have subsided, the tarpon have returned to the beaches outside of Pine Island and Gasparilla Sounds.

Bait: threadfin herring, Green back Herring, pinfish, shrimp, crab

Species to target this week: Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, Seatrout, Jack Crevalle

Fishing Tactics: The backcountry fishing as slowed up a bit but the sounds and beaches are producing. Go early and work the troughs and edges until the light get good for sight casting.

My Fly Fishing Tip of the Week: There’s a lot of Pilchards and threadfins on the beaches… If your favorite pattern is not working swap to a whitebait imitation.

My Spin Fishing Tip of the Week: Its tarpon time – lube your reel service your drag and pull test your knots.

7 day outlook: Tides will be close to neap early in the week with good flow returning by the weekend. Light to moderate east winds will provide for excellent beach tarpon and snook fishing. Watch for those afternoon thunderstorms.

Sometimes Mother Nature throws you a big fat hanging curve. Sometimes she jambs you on the knuckles with a smoking fastball… John and Bill from CT got jammed on Monday. 20-25mph east winds with gusts over 35 at times. Our hopes of beach tarpon off Captiva and Sanibel Islands dashed, we headed for Pine Island and fished the back country of the Matlacha pass national wildlife refuge with John’s first saltwater fly fishing catch as a goal. Mission accomplished, John landed some snook on a whitebait pattern using an Orvis Helios2 9wt rod.  60' casts in 20+mph winds? - piece of cake. 5 hours of poling an 18' skiff in 20+ mph winds? not a piece of cake - thank you hot shower and Advil.

This week's Fishing Report

Conditions: The water level in the backcountry will be high enough to get way back in the creeks. The passes, sound and beaches will have a lot of moving water. Water temps will be in the low mid 70s and slowly rise throughout the week. The winds the first part of the week will make it really tuff fishing on the beaches.

Bait: threadfin herring, Green back Herring, pinfish, shrimp, crab

Species to target this week: Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, Seatrout, Jack Crevalle

Fishing Tactics: Tarpon will be the target later this week as the water calms down on the beach. Look for fish moving into the passes on the incoming tide. In the meantime, the deep holes in backcountry creeks should be holding redfish and snook should be hanging around the mangroves near moving water.

My Fly Fishing Tip of the Week: When the visibility drops anchor up along the bar edges and wait for the tarpon to come to you. You’ll need weighted flies and possibly even sink tip line to get down to the fish in time if they are running deep

My Spin Fishing Tip of the Week: Pass crabs drift along in the current, they don’t swim like baitfish. I have never seen a tarpon chase a crab being retrieved upstream.

7 day outlook: Temps will rebound into the mid 80s. The front will lift to the north by mid week bringing improved fishing conditions. Morning flood tides will provide good moving water all week.

Looking for trvel info and more things to do in Charlotte Harbor?

Tarpon have arrived in Charlotte Harbor/ Boca Grande / Pine Island Sound. The next six week will provide the best tarpon light tackle and fly fishing action in Florida. I have some open charter dates, call / text 207-841-1444 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. today for availablity.

Full length version

Just under a minute of crazy 80 pound tarpon action. Caught with light tackle spinning gear using a live crab on the beach off Pine Island Sound's barrier Islands.