I have been in Southwest Florida for 4 days and I have fished every day, with no luck. I'm using a Penn Spinfisher V 8500 with a Penn Prevail surf casting rod and casting my bait out. For bait I've used ladyfish, mullet, and whiting. I've fished Bonita Beach 3 times and Big Carlos Pass once, usually friends noon to an hour past sunset.
Any advice on anything I can do different (locations, time of day, bait, etc) to help improve my chance? I have 6 days left!!
I don't know anything about the west coast but I seemed to have good luck over here when a high tide is close to or just after dusk.
You may have to get the bait out farther or get some with that bait.
You could try chumming the water. Just check and see if it's legal on the beach you're fishing.
Caught a bunch of Jacks today to use for bait and I'm heading to Sanibel tomorrow, hopefully my luck will turn around!
You are right where I fish most of the time. Are the dredgers still out in front of Big Carlos Pass? My theory is that they have screwed up the fishing in that immediate area. Fish don't want to come out of the pass. May take some time for the natural flow of sand etc to settle down. I usually catch 10-15 sharks in a week or so period. I had maybe 4 all year.
Next year will be better.
Chumming is not allowed on those beaches. You will mess it up for the rest of us.
Sanibel is your best bet.
Lol I definitely won't chum if it's not allowed. But yes the dredgers are still at Big Carlos.
Do you guys normally fish right in the pass at Blind Pass? It looked really shallow to me so I walked a bit down the beach and fished from there, not sure if I was in the right spot.
we spent a night there in July. Yes it gets really shallow out in front'. We set up to the south of the pass right by the small bridge, towards Bowmans beach, but didn't catch a thing that night. There have been some monsters caught there. You could try to the north of the pass. I really don't think that it matters. You can't fish in the current as the weed will mess you up.
You could try on the bridge??? It's deeper right there. If something is moving from the back bay into the gulf, it's gotta swim past your bait. Try the outgoing tide starting at slack tide. Anything moving past the pass will smell it.
Hmm I like the bridge idea I am going to try that today. I also have been reading that Lighthouse beach is good in the evening when it isn't crowded.
I caught my first Bull Shark at Lighthouse point. It is an excellent place to fish for nearly anything. Don't catch the paddleboarder that disappeared there a few days back!
The Gulf side is best, but if the wind is up, you can go on the inside as long as the current isn't ripping. The markers are a bit close.
Any luck at blind pass?
I finally gOT one! I'll post it in the responds section!