Conditions: Water temps in the high 70s to low 80s and mid day high tides. This is the week for an inshore slam.

Bait in the Area: scaled sardines, pinfish, shrimp, crabs, some threadfin herring.

Species to target this week: Snook, Redfish, Seatrout, Jacks, Ladyfish.

Fly Fishing Tactics: Start the day around the oyster beds and the cuts. As the tide rises and the sun comes up move to the mangroves and creek mouths. Shrimp, crab and small baitfish imitations will all work.

My Fishing Tip of the Week: Redfish will be around oyster beds at low tide and move to the mangroves and creek mouths as the tide rises.

My Spin Fishing Tip of the Week: The old standby gold spoon or Mirro Lure jerk bait are the hot set up right now. If the bite falls off swap to a live shrimp on a jig head.    

7 day Outlook: Wow what a week! Dry all week temps in the 80s and light winds. Great morning incoming tides should provide consistent action. 

(file photo)

Conditions: We will see temps in the 80s and there will be a chance of off and on showers with light winds throughout the week. Water temps will be in the low to mid 70s. No red tide is predicted. There will be Mid-day ebb tides of average height early in the week and neap tides at the end of the week.

Bait: threadfin herring, pinfish, shrimp, crabs

Species to target this week: Redfish, Seatrout, Snook, Jacks, Ladyfish, Bluefish. Maybe a cobia or baby tarpon.

Fishing Tactics: Make your redfish presentations to the edges of potholes in grass flats. Baitfish and shrimp imitations will work best. Seatrout will be on banks near grass. Chartreus or hot pink Clousers will be productive.

My Fly Fishing Tip of the Week: The Redfish on the grass flat will be spooky. Stake out or drift and watch for schools of reds moving over the flats. Long casts and stealth will be key in hooking up.

7 day outlook: Trout and redfish are moving onto the grass flats Pine Island Sound. In the upper harbor the Redfish are in the holes around the mangroves. The Snook are getting more active as the water warms. 

For all our friends in the Northeast; it’s not all flip flops and sunscreen here in SW Florida. David Soule, Jim Soule joined me for a not so warm and sunny day fly and light tackle fishing in the Matlacha Pass Refuge. Low 70s light winds and on and off rain along with a neap tide made for a challenging day. We all agreed a slow wet day of fishing was still way better than shoveling roofs and busting up ice dams…  

Conditions: Warmer weather has allowed the water temps to rebound into the high 60s – low 70s. Low water levels exist especially during northerly winds. No red tide has been detected.

Bait: threadfin herring, pinfish, shrimp

Species to target this week: Redfish, Snook, Seatrout, Jacks, Ladyfish, Bluefish.

Fly Fishing Tactics: As the water temps get into the 70s the redfish and snook will move back into the shallows along the mangroves. Seatrout will be on the grass flats.

My Light Tackle Fishing Tip of the Week: Moving water is the key to finding snook and redfish. Deep holes at creek mouths will hold redfish. Mangrove points will hold snook.

7 Day Outlook: Morning fog early in the week. Some rain is predicted for Thursday and Friday. Light to moderate winds and temps in the mid 60s to mid 70s

Warming waters bring the bite back to Matlacha Pass. Seatrout and ladyfish woke up today. Redfish are moving back onto the oyster beds and the snook are moving back on the sand flats. This week is going to be good! Thanks to good friend Gordon Gillies for joining me today.