July 7th- 14th

After returning from a much needed vacation to Ohio, the fishing has changed somewhat. The snook have all of a sudden suffered from lock-jaw and have ceased feeding. You can get the occasional bite, but not like it was last month. Not to mention, the whitebait is about the size of the minnows I was using in Ohio for panfish. The trout bite continues to be great over the grass, and the redfish bite has started to pick up. Look for the moving water and deep pockets around the mangroves and wear those areas out. Try throwing pinfish, and shrimp on the bottom. Don't forget about cut ladyfish, no redfish can resist the smell and taste of that. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

21 Jul 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

June 10th-20th

The fishing continues to be good right now. Had a few tarpon trips this past week, but they would not cooperate. Moving inshore, the snook and trout bite has been on fire. Continue to look for the snook off the beaches, and trout on the grass flats. Live whitebait or pinfish for snook, shrimp for trout. Don't forget to throw the occasional top water plug to both and hold on for some explosive strikes. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

21 Jul 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

June 1st- 7th

Well the fishing has been going strong for the past several days. The snook bite off the beach has been crazy to say the least. White bait if you can find it is the ticket, the golden ticket. Look for pods of fish right along the beaches. There will be some very large ones mixed in with the group, so try and pick some out. The trout bite has been very good as well. Shrimp and popping cork has been your bet bet. Artificial baits i.e. like zoom flukes, gulp, and top water have been working as well. Look for about 3-4 feet grass flat areas, and throw at the pot holes. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

21 Jul 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

May 23rd - 30th

Well I told you I would be looking for the silver king, and I have. Over the past seven days I have landed 4 out of 9 tarpon, with 1 landed every other day. I will take a 50% landing rate any day. There have been some large fish as well, with a few being over 115 lbs. On the 27th I had a group from Montana who landed 1/2, with a young lady battling her first tarpon for about 30 minutes. That is a honeymoon they will never forget. The 28th we were 1/3 with my friends from Lexington, KY. I had the pleasure of taking them again on the 29th and it was the father's turn to battle his first tarpon. The fight lasted around an hour and a half before losing the fish to a broken hook. There was a leader touch, making the catch legal and giving them memories they will never forget. I have not been doing much of other fishing, but concentrating on the tarpon off the beach. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

08 Jun 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

May 16th - 22nd

Well I switched gears this week and headed back to the back bays in search of redfish, snook and trout. The snook bite is going strong, with white bait being the bait of choice. Look under docks close to the passes and moving water. They have been hanging out at these locations. The redfish continue to be up and down. Some days you can find them and others you can't. Be patient, look around mangrove points with moving water. Shrimp and white bait seem to work. The trout continue to be plentiful over the grass flats. Shrimp under a popping cork, or gulp shrimp work great. I hear that the tarpon are still out there and I will be out there with them starting next week. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!!! Capt. Jon

08 Jun 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

May 9th - 15th

The tarpon continue to be off of Sanibel Island. We have been targeting rolling fish with live bait and fly for the past few days. The fish are there, but getting them to eat is another story. The snook bite around the docks continues to be red hot, with white bait the first choice. They are continuing their move towards the beaches as the water temps rise. Redfish continue to be the hard one to find, but when you do, game on. Shrimp and white bait seem to be the ticket. Look for points off mangrove lines where there may be some cover, and you should find some reds. Snook also have been caught while fishing for redfish. So don't be surprised if you get a nice snook while throwing for redfish. May everyone enjoy the as much as I do. Screaming drags!! Capt. Jon

08 Jun 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

May 2nd - 8th

Well tarpon season is here and I am ready. The bite has been off the southern point of Sanibel Island, also known as Knapps Point. The bite has been early, usually before 11:00 a.m. Get out there early and have your baits in the water as the sun comes up. Threadfins and pinfish have been the baits of choice. Large artificials, i.e. rapalas and yozurie's seem to be working as well. The snook bite has began to move to the beaches as well. As the water continues to heat up they will move off into the passes and off the beaches. Look for the moving up and down the beach just outside the wash. Throw your baits up onto the beach and work them back towards you. If you are fishing from the shore, cast parallel to the beach and try and work the baits away from the moving fish. The redfish bite has been up and down, the secret is finding them. White bait and shrimp seem to be working for the redfish. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do!! Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

08 Jun 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

April 24th - May 1st

Well like I thought the tarpon bite has only been getting better with the rising water temps. Live threadfins freelined to tarpon seem to be the ticket. Even large rapalas, surface and subsurface seem to be working. The snook bite has been great with them starting to show up off the beaches. White bait and threads seem to be your best bet. Chum some mangrove points and look for them hitting your baits. If nothing happens after approx. 10 minutes, move. When they start hitting your chum baits free line a few and hold on. There are some big boys out there. Off the beaches, look for them moving along the wash, feeding on white baits. Large trout will also start showing up before too long off the beaches as well. Use the same baits for them that you are using for snook, and have fun. Also, start looking for large redfish along mangrove points and inlets where the water is moving. Chum white baits and watch for signs of feeding. Soak some cut ladyfish, have a snack and wait. They will show up. If they don't within 10-15 minutes move. You will find them. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

08 May 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

April 16th - 23rd

The fishing is really starting to heat up down here. The snook fishing is getting better by the day, and the tarpon are starting to roll in. White bait or thread fins seem to be the ticket for snook around the docks and off the beaches. Trout can still be caught over the grass flats with popping corks and artificials. White bait has landed the biggest trout on the flats, so keep that in mind. The tarpon bite has started and only going to get better. Large threadfins, ladyfish, catfish tails, even mullet have worked. Soaking dead baits on the bottom also has proven great for some large sharks. We have caught some 6-7 foot spinner and nurse sharks over the past few days. There have been many sharks in the 3-4 foot range on a daily basis. As the water heats up, the tarpon will be a daily thing, so look for them rolling and even free jumping. Get in front and throw some live threads, or anchor up and soak some dead baits. Even try a little chum to help attract them. May everybody enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!!! Capt. Jon

08 May 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

April 8th - 15th

Well after spending a week in Arizona and Las Vegas it was back to fishing as usual. The snook bite continued weather permitting on live white bait and thread fins. Large jacks in the 14lb range have been a daily occurrence. The trout bite continues to red hot as well. Good old shrimp and a popping cork seems to be the ticket. Look for 4-5 feet of grassy water. Daily catches have reached as many as 25-30. Look for the snook to begin moving out to the beaches if the weather continues to stay warm. When the water temps reach 75 the move is on. Also, start looking for tarpon out off the beaches as the water heats up as well. Can't wait for that to start. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!! Capt. Jon

20 Apr 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

March 20th - 29th

I can honestly say that the snook bite has continued to be red hot when the weather allows. The bait is out there, but some days it is harder to get than others. The tides have been really poor this past week, making the fishing up and down. Look for moving water along mangrove lines or passes and that is where you will find the snook. But with the poor tidal flow, the bite has decreased some this past week. The trout have still be out there in about 4-6 feet. Continue with the popping cork and gulp baits and you can fish all day long. I continue to see free jumping and rolling tarpon back in the bay, but can't seem to get them to eat. Won't be long and they will be off the beaches. Can't wait for that, tarpon on one side beach snook on the other. What a combination!! May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

07 Apr 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

MArch 14th - 19th

The fishing has continued to be good weather permitting, we have had some good days and there have been some really good days. The snook bite continues to be extremely hot right now. Live threads and pinfish around the mangroves and docks the ticket. The trout bite is still on fire, popping cork gulp shrimp, hang on. The tarpon have been moving around on a daily basis lately and that is going to get going pretty soon. The have been rolling and free jumping in about 3 - 6 feet of water. That really gets your blood pumping. As the water temps heat up the snook will be moving out and the tarpon will soon be up this way as they follow their migration north. Average snook per trip has been around 8-12 size ranging from 18-29 inches. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

07 Apr 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

March 7th - 13th

The weather changed for the better, with warmer temps and decreasing winds which only increased the fishing. We have been getting goods numbers with regards to snook and the trout bite is still going strong. There have been some good size snook caught the past several trips. With snook in good numbers and trout keeping pace, the jack bite has even increased. Bait of choice remains the white bait and thread fins for snook and jacks, and the good old popping cork for trout. Hopefully the cold fronts are a thing of the past and we can get ready for the beaches and the silver king. The bite should only increase from here on out. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!!! Capt. Jon Fetter

16 Mar 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

February 28th - March 6th

The bite has been on fire towards the beginning of the month. We have been getting snook in very good numbers, trout daily, and large jacks. The bait of choice has been the white bait and thread fins which are all over the bridges. Trout have been caught on just about anything under the popping cork, with gulp shrimp catching the most. The snook are all over the docks and mangroves right now and are fun to get on light tackle. There have been some jacks in the 6-8 lb range with some over 10lbs. As long as the temps don't change much, the bite should only increase with the tarpon moving in as well. Won't be long and we will be switching gears and chasing those silver kings and snook on the beaches. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!!! Capt. Jon Fetter

16 Mar 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

February 22nd- 27th

Well with the warming temps came better fishing. The bite has directly followed the weather patterns. With the warming weather, the bite picked up. But when the temps decreased, so goes the fishing. The snook bite has began to pick up with each warming trend. The trout bite has increased with each day. As long as the winds stay down, the trout bite has been really good. Popping cork and a grub tail with 1/4 oz jig has been the ticket. The snook have been biting on shrimp, but the white bait and thread fins have began showing up at the bridges and that only increases your chances on snook. If the temps continue to increase the snook bite should increase as well. The silver king should start making their return as the water heats up. Those giants are right around the corner and it should be a good year. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon Fetter

16 Mar 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

February 14th - 21st report

I spent the weekend in the old stopping grounds of Gainesville and took sometime out of our schedule to fish the Suanwee River. We manages numerous redfish ranging in size from 16-18 inches and quite a few trout although season is closed in that part of Florida. We even caught a few nice black drum and sheephead for the dinner table. Upon return to Southwest Florida, I had three trips this past week and the fishing continued where it left off last week. The trout bite is still on fire, redfish has been here and there, and the snook have been hanging around. Baits still seem to be gulp shrimp, live threads, and rapala x-raps. Yesterday's totals 2/21/08 were snook to 28.5 in, too many trout to count, tripletail, ladyfish, and spanish macs for about a hour straight. All in all I believe my group had a wonderful time and I hope to see them again in the future. With the water temps continuing to rise won't be long and the silver kings will be back and the real fun will start. Can't wait for that to return. Stay tuned for the updats and look at some new pictures. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!! Capt. Jon Fetter

22 Feb 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

February 7th - 13th

Well the past week has seen many changes in the fishing in the Estero Bay and surrounding areas. First of all the trout bite has been on fire and by fire I mean catches in the 40-50 fish range. Gulp shrimp and a popping cork seem to be the ticket. The redfish bite has been up and down since they have not really schooled up due to the very good weather we have had this winter. They can be found, but not in large numbers as in the case of Pine Island. Work the mangrove lines along the east wall of Estero Bay and you might get a few. The snook bite has been pretty good as well. There have been some large fish caught on live bait under the mangroves and along certain docks. Fish the moving water and you should have battles with some large fish. One thing that has been consistent is the Jack bite. There have been some big fish in the 10-15 lb range caught on a daily basis while fishing the passes and around docks with live bait. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!! Capt. Jon Fetter

22 Feb 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

February 1st - 6th report

The weather continues to be a factor in the backcountry fishing game. With the passing fronts and ever changing outside temps, the fishing continues to be up and down. Some days the bite is great and the following day there are none to be found. These days there is quite a bit of time looking for fish, almost as much as there is fishing for them. Even the trout bite has been up and down depending on the wind direction and speed. The Bay has become clouded due to the wind and that has stirred up quite a bit of mud, making the flats a tough place to fish. The shrimp popping cork combo still remains the bait of choice, with rapala a close second. Top water baits, walking the dog looking for fish has been working also. I know this sounds like a broken record, but the redfish bite continues to be a hard one. The snook bite has been getting better due to warmer water temps. Look for good mangrove shorelines with some nearby deeper water, and also start fishing the docks. Live bait is the key factor, but silver spoons, and jerk baits seem to be working. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!!! Capt. Jon

10 Feb 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

January 26th- 31st

Well the fishing has been about the same as the weather. Up some days, down on others. That is what happens in the winter months in Southwest Florida. The trout bite continues to be good over the grass flats, with the shrimp popping cork combination working the best. The redfish bite continues to be a hard one with only a few if any being caught. The occasional snook is still there, but has changed due to the weather patterns. Won't be long and the water temps will start to rise then, Game On!!! Jacks have been around in the passes and they make for a fun time on light tackle. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

10 Feb 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

January 16th - 25th

Well the fishing has been up and down for the past few days. There are days when the fishing has been on fire and other days when you think there are no more fish out there. The trout bite has been the most consistent one going. Shrimp under a popping cork has been bait of choice. Look for grass flats in 2-5 feet of water. Other baits working include grubs on jig heads, spoons (silver), and rootbeer colored jerk baits. Float the flats with the wind and make long casts, working the popping cork back to you. The redfish bite has been few and far between with most caught on live shrimp and gold spoons around oyster bars. The snook bite has been getting better with the water temps staying somewhat the same. Docks and mangrove banks seem to be the ticket. Live bait and jerk baits seem to be the best. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!!! Capt. Jon

10 Feb 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

January 9th - 15th report

Well we knew it was just a matter of time, but the cold air moved in and changed things drastically. Over the past few weeks the temps dropped considerably overnight and that cooled the water very fast. As a result of such sudden drop in temps a fish kill has reached most of Southwest Florida. We had snook, tarpon, and large numbers of baitfish killed in the temp changes, but hopefully we will manage and move on. The locals who have seen this before seem to believe it could have been much worse. I have seen many dead fish in the back bay areas of Estero Bay and Pine Island Sound. The changes in temps have affected the redfish bite as well. Combine the cold temps with the extremely low water levels and it is hard to get to certain locations to chase the reds. Although this may be the case for reds, the trout bite continues to be red-hot. Shrimp and a popping cork have been tearing them up on a daily basis. Anybody just wanting to catch fish, this is the ticket. Once the temps level off and become consistent, I believe the fishing will just get better. May everybody enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!! Capt. Jon

18 Jan 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

January 1st - 7th report

The fishing continues to be really good right now. We have had some changes in water temps, but the fish have remained the same. The daily catches have continued to top out around 40-60 per trip. There has been a mixed bag including redfish, trout, ladyfish, jacks, and some snook. The snook bite has started to decline, but it about that time. With the snook bite decreasing, the trout bite has increased. Sizes ranging from 18-24 inches have been daily. With ladyfish and redfish mixed in, it has been some really enjoyable fishing. Shrimp continues to be the live bait of choice under a popping cork for added attraction. As for artificials jerk bait and rapala have been the number one choice. There are some weather changes looming around and that is going to change somethings up and slow things down, but the temps will increase again and that will bring the bite back. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags! Capt. Jon

18 Jan 2008 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

December 25th - 27th

Well after spending Christmas on the 24th it was back to the fishing on the 25th with my father. The bite had slowed somewhat, but we still managed to catch a mixed bag of trout, ladyfish, redfish, and jacks. All in all I believe we landed around 45 fish in 4 hours. Won't be long and trout season will be here, but I'm sure they will leave and head for the hills. On the 27th I had the pleasure of having two gentlemen from the northeast on board. We started out on the crab pots in search of food for their dinner table, but the tripletail did not hear us. We spotted none, but continued on our way. We then started following the birds and watching bonita and spanish macks crush the bait pods on the surface. Motored up on a bait pod and second cast, fish on!! What a rush for these guys. Screaming drags, taking 100 yds of power pro before you could even think. They managed to land 3, but lost 3, and almost lost a rod and reel. The power that those fish have is amazing. Later after the water had moved in we decided to go to new redfish spot I have been working. Put the power pole down, put the baits out, and began waiting. What seemed like hours went by, then drag started screaming out and fish on. But to my surprise it was a snook, not a redfish. And about a 30 inch snook at that. Boated the fish took some pictures and released for another day. All in all, I believe they had a wonderful experience, and even though they didn't get anything for dinner I think they would trade the dinner for the battles they had today. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!! Capt. Jon

28 Dec 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

December 17th - 21st

Well after a weekend in wonderful Orlando with Mickey and the gang it is back to business as usual. The fishing continues to be on fire. The trout bite is heating up just in time for open season in January. Redfish have been caught on a daily basis and there have even been snook in the mix as well. It is not uncommon to catch 100 fish in a 4 hour period. We have been catching all our fish on artificials right now. I have not even purchased shrimp in weeks. Slow moving suspended plugs as well as surface walkers are working on the trout, ladyfish, redfish, and jacks. Speaking of jacks, I had 3 over 10lbs, and 2 over 8lbs this past week. Talk about a good time for a visitor from the north. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!! Capt. Jon

28 Dec 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

December 6th - 11th

Well the inshore fishing has continued to be great with the trout bite on fire. The redfish have been few and far between, but that is ok with the way everything else has been. It is not unlikely to catch 100 fish on any given trip right now. We have not even been using live bait most time. You can go through 100 shrimp in a few hours and that is the reason for artificial baits. All along the grass flats in about 3-6 feet the trout, ladyfish, jacks, bluefish, and spanish mackrel have been crazy. The only bad thing with all this action is that it doesn't take long for the dolphins to show up and spoil the party. They are fun to watch, but terrible for the fishing. I'm sure the bite is only going to get better as the water gets colder and the bigger trout start moving over the potholes. Throwing top water early in the a.m. and also jerk baits and exude rt slugs will provide hours of fun for everyone. Use live bait and you could catch something on every cast. That sounds like fun to me. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon Fetter

11 Dec 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

December 1st- 5th

Well after a stomach full of turkey and all the fixings, it was back to the fishing. It picked up right where it left off, red hot. Went to some offshore structure this week to check out the kingfish bite. After picking up some beautiful whitebait we headed off in search of structure. Anchored up and threw out some baits and about 15 minutes later screaming drag!!! Fish on!!! After about 25 minutes we landed about a 35 lb kingfish. We continues to catch kings ranging from 15-a 50+ lb smoker. We had a great time and actually ran out of bait and had to return to sanibel to get some more. Headed back out and the bite continued. We even battled a goliath grouper for about 10 minutes until the line broke. After we had our fill with this offshore species, we headed inside to look for trout and redfish. We did not find any reds, but the trout and ladyfish we hot for the rest of the day. We were catching fish on every cast and we were actually getting tired of catching so we decided to call it a day. All in all we had a great day and would have loved to be in any kingfish tourny because we would have had a chance at the big money. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon Fetter

11 Dec 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

November 14th - 20th

The trout bite has continued as expected, along with large ladyfish. We continue to catch some redfish although not much size to them. Most have been around 18 inches. The grass flats are really heating up every day. You never know what you are going to tie into out there. We are still seeing large redfish out there, but can't seem to get them to feed. Artificial has been working really well. Rapala x-rap x-8 olive color has been the bait of choice. Can't forget about live bait, shrimp has been working as well. Won't be doing any fishing next week with the holiday, but I will keep everybody posted when I get back and get back out on the water. Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving with family and friends. I will be fishing in the keys next week for sailfish. Something different for me, but I am excited about the potential. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

26 Nov 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

November 7th - 13th

Well the fishing continues to be really good. I have began to expand my territory to include Matlacha in search of some more good fishing holes. I haven't been let down yet. The trout are beginning to move in and they are getting bigger by the week. Average size is 18--24 inches. Average number caught on any given day, 25-30. That is a fun day. Throw in some redfish, ladyfish, a few small grouper and that is a fun filled day on the water. We have been seeing really large redfish on the flats during periods of moving water. Even tangled with a 38.5 inch cobia this week, what a ride!!!! Well the trout fishing should just get better as it gets colder and the water temps decrease. And the redfish bite should remain stable as well. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!!! Capt. Jon

26 Nov 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

November 1st-6th report

Well the fishing has continued to be plentiful. The tarpon stayed until the first cold front and now they have left, but boy what ride the past few weeks. Fishing for redfish near the docks and around mangrove islands has been great. Shrimp seems to be the bait of choice. There are still some snook hanging around those docks and islands as well, but not in the numbers that they have been. There have been schools of bonita offfshore around 1-3 miles. The have ranged in size from 3-10lbs. Silver spoons and rapala x-8's have worked well. The sheephead have began making there way back to their winter hideouts and that is only going to get better. Still have not seen many tripletail out there, but it is only a matter of time for them. Well I will keep the reports coming as business has picked up considerably and hopefully only gets better. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags!! Capt. Jon Fetter

12 Nov 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

October 17th-29th Report

Well the fishing has continued to be red-hot. I can't remember when it has been this good at this time of the year. I guess it has to do with the warm temps that we are still having. The tarpon fishing has been crazy with hook-ups daily and landings every other trip. There have been huge snook caught on the beaches throughout the area. The bait has been plentiful and that has helped with the beach snook. We have also been catching large snook on the docks all over, which sometimes can be tricky to get them away from those pilings. Both shrimp and whitebait have been working for the dock snook and redfish. The redfish bite has been consistent as well. Along the mangrove lines and oyster bars has provided the best opportunities for hook-ups. Keep an eye out for moving water. The sheephead are starting to move back in and that will provide non-stop action for months to come. We will see what the next few months has in store for the fishing, hopefully it will continue on the blistering pace it currently is. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming Drags. Capt. Jon Fetter

31 Oct 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

October 11th - 15th Report

Well the fishing over the past two weeks has been great. A wide variety of fish are being caught in good numbers. Last week on a trip we caught 11 different types of fish from snapper to snook to redfish. We even went into the Gulf and managed spanish mac's and bluefish. Followed that up a few days later and found trout, jacks, ladyfish, and a few snook. The past few days have been tarpon central, with daily average of hook-ups around 4, with one landed per day. We even managed a 40 inch snook to go with all the tarpon action. The spanish mac bite has been out of control and the life on the water right now is unbelievable. The amount of bait and birds working that bait all around is fantastic. There is an abundance of life out there right now and that is good to see. No redtide this year and no run-off from Lake O has made a difference. Will keep you all up to date on what is happening. Check out some of the new pictures on the web-site. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Captain Jon

16 Oct 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

October fishing report

Well liked I had hoped, the fishing so far in October has been great. The tarpon bite has slowed considerably, but it was fun while it lasted. Can't wait for them to return next year. The snook and redfish bite has continued however. The beaches and docks have been holding some fish and some large snook have been caught. Bait of choice continues to be shrimp. I really think it is because we have had so much live bait around, that throwing something new at them is the key to success. The fact that we had no red tide this season, no run-off from lake O, and constant temps I believe that is the reason this season has been so great. I am really excited for next summer, it should only be better that this one. I know that we are only in the first half of October, but it has been really good and hopefully it continues. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Captain Jon Fetter

08 Oct 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

September report

Well September picked up right where August left off, the fishing that is. The fishing as well as the temps were still very hot. The snook bite remained fantastic off the beaches and along the docks. The redfish bite stayed very good as well with a majority of them caught off the docks. The docks were also holding grouper and there share of snapper. The bait of choice has been shrimp, that's right shrimp. Since there has been more than enough white bait around, they wanted something different and shrimp has provided that for them. Towards the end of Sept, the tarpon bite returned off of Sanibel Island. There were anywhere from 3-15 feet of water and hitting bait on the surface. Bait of choice for them was large white baits. Look for the fish use your trolling motor and cast to them. Soaking catfish tails and cut ladyfish was also working. All in all, September has been a great month for fishing of all types. Hopefully October will be the same. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags! Captain Jon Fetter

08 Oct 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

August 17th-18th report

Went up to Gasparilla, Little Palm Island this past weekend to fish with some friends. Headed out looking for snook and redfish off the docks and beaches. The first day we ended up getting into some snook off the beaches in the evening. The average size was around 24 inches. We left the dock at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday to get some good whitebait, but didn't have much luck. Managed to get plenty of pinfish which has been working for the snook on the beach. We fished the northern end of Caya Costa where we got into cruising fish. The pinfish were working great and the snook were there. We came across some structure hanging out into the water and the snook were all over it. We managed probably 25-30 fish in a few hours. We then decided to meet up with the rest of the group and have lunch on Cabbage Key. The food was great and the atmosphere was even better. After we ate we decided to head back to the beach and look for more fish. We returned to the same spot only to find swimmers hanging out and snorkeling in the structure. We anchored up anyway about 50 feet from them and started catching fish again. After a while we decided to call it a day and get back before the storm. All in all it was a great time catching fish and hanging out with friends. The beach fishing is great right now and should continue for sometime. The key is good baits, white bait preferred, but pinfish will work. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Captain Jon Fetter

20 Aug 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

August News

It has been a while since my last report so I am going to put many trips into one single repost. The fishing was really good the entire month of July with the snook fishing leading the way. The dock fishing was great with many snook all over. The bait of choice was white bait until the big ones moved offshore. The the pinfish picked up the slack and took control. Night fishing around the docks has produced many fish as well. Small jerkbaits and shrimp pattern baits have seemed to be the bait of choice. I had six trips in the month of July and all produced fish. We had guests from Ohio for a week and they enjoyed some good fishing. They caught trout, ladyfish, and sharks. We also rented a pontoon boat for a day and everyone had a chance to land some trout and ladyfish. The kids had a ball as did the grownups. We had a manatee come right up to the boat, everybody thought that was pretty neat. The chance of a lifetime for them. The only other time they have seen a manatee is at Seaworld and the zoo. I had other trips where the fishing was really good. We also took our annual family trip to the Keys for mini lobster season and some tarpon fishing. The lobster fishing was not the best, but we had a good time with family and friends. The fishing produced a really nice surprise this time around. We were floating crabs near the bridges in Islamorada and just as we were about to leave one of the rods began pulling drag, and would not stop. I handed the rod over and fired up the engine to chase down the large fish. We all thought it was a large tarpon since it did not jump, but to our surprise after 1/2 hour fight that it wasn't a tarpon at all, but a really large Permit. The urgency changed dramatically as we chased the fish and gained line until the fish finally came up to the side again. After I grabbed the tail we took many pictures and put the beast back into the water to fight another day. The fish was so large that I could fit my entire hand in the mouth with room to spare. Estimated the beautiful fish at around 40 lbs, the fish of a lifetime. All in all, it was a wonderful time with the family and our friends. That fish will never be forgotten. August started where July ended, with the fishing being as good as it gets. The snook fishing fishing has been out of control with fish all over the beaches, mangroves, and docks. Pinfish seem to be working best and they are the easiest to find right now. They are all over the grass flats, only a few throws of livewell is full. I can only hope that the fishing continues as the big spawning fish move to the passes and off the beaches. It won't be long and the tarpon will be back off the beaches as they move their way back south. I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer and I look forward to having some of you on future trips. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!!!! Captain Jon

12 Aug 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

June 18th report

Had a group today, brothers and their uncle two from the northeast and one from Naples. The day started out with bait problems, couldn't find what I was looking for, but kept searching. Only able to come up with about a dozen white baits, but we started anyway. The first place we stopped the uncle hooked up with a jack. He was having a ball as were we watching him fight this fish from the bow of the boat. After a small fight we boated the fish and after taking some pictures released it back to fight another day. We had a few more bites at this spot, but no hook-ups so we decided to move to another spot. This new spot produced a snook on the very first cast and I was really excited. The only drawback was that we only had a few more baits left. We boated the snook took pictures and released her back. Again there were a few more bites, but no more hook-ups. WE moved to a grass flat that has produced some fish lately. It didn't take long for the bites to happen. There were a few quick ladyfish attacks, but no hook sets. We did manage 1 large sail cat and another catfish, but no trout. We did have our chances with bites, but no hook-ups. I decided to return to our previous spot and throw some artificials and see if the snook would bite. We threw on many docks without any takers, until the last cast of the day produced a boil-up that actually tore the jerk bait in half, but no hook-up. Oh well that is why it is called fishing and not catching. I had a really good time with this group and I hope they will return next year for another fun filled trip. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!! Capt. Jon

19 Jun 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

June 14th report

Went out today with a friend of mine and his cousin for a mourning of fishing. Started out the day getting white bait from Big Carlos, decided to chum instead of look around. Make the bait come to you that is what I think. After getting a live well full of good baits we decided to look for tarpon off Knapps Point. Pulled into our spot and saw a few rollers and thought we were in a good spot. Anchored up and put out our baits. Besides some spanish hits we saw nothing. No more rollers, no fish in sight. We pulled up the baits and decided to move inshore in search of snook on some docks. We stopped at at place that another guide told me about and things heated up right away. Very first cast had a nice jack on, but lost it. The bite stayed for about 45 minutes. They caught some grouper and jacks, but no snook. I have a strong belief that there is a very large goliath down there, but we did not have the right gear to go after it. They had a few more bites, but we decided to move to another spot that I had found a few days earlier. Started pitching baits under some docks and the fish were there. We had numerous bites, but lost everyone to pilings and docks. It was getting aggravating losing these nice fish, but that is how it goes sometimes. Next time bigger tackle might due the trick. All in all we had a fun day on the water and found some new places. May everyone enjoy th fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

19 Jun 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

Finally

Well the new boat arrived today 5/11/07 and she looks great. I can't wait to get her in the water. 18.5 foot Baycraft out of Deland Florida. Completely decked out fishing machine, ready to do battle with whatever may come her way. I will be back and up and running by next Monday. And not a moment to soon, the tarpon fishing has been really hot. Everybody I am talking to says this year has been great already. Although snook season is closed they are on the beaches, and the bait is plentiful. Hopefully you have been keeping up with the fishing reports and updates that I have posted and are ready to get on some great fishing action. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags!!! Captain Jon

11 May 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

March 10th report

Well found out some bad news today. My boat is beyond repair due to some large stress cracks in my hull. Not really sure how it happened, but I'm down and out for at least 8 weeks until the new boat arrives. The new boat will be a Baycraft out of DeLand , Florida. Can't wait, it is going to be really nice. At 18.5 feet in length almost 8 feet wide this will be a fishing machine that drafts in 9 inches. No place to hide now redfish!!! It will be powered by a 115 optimax with 8 ft. power pole, and 71 lb thrust minn kota trolling motor with auto pilot. Complete fishing machine. So I may be down now, but wait till May. Just in time for tarpon season, and it should be a good season at that. So there will not be any reports until the new boat arrives. Don't hesitate to call for a trip in late April early May, we will be up and running by then. May everybody enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

02 Apr 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

March 5th and 6th report

Well the past two days I hosted two men from Maryland and they brought the cold mournings with them. Both a.m. travels were quite cold and windy, but they were both good sports. I think it was warm to them, but not to me. We started on some grass flats and it amazes me ever time I am out that one day the fish are there and the next they are not. We moved to numerous spots and finally anchored up on one of my sheephead head spots. The bite never stopped for 2.5 hours. We managed probably 30 sheephead ranging from 1.5 lbs to 5.5 lbs. They had a great time. One the 6th we started out in other grass flats with no luck, so moved to many grass areas until they wanted to catch more sheephead. The spot didn't let them down. The bite started immediately and continued until it was time to leave. We caught 25-30 fish with 6 being over 5 lbs and one tipping the scale at a little over 7 lbs. New record for my boat. These two men had a great time and they too enjoyed the dolphin show displayed as they took sheephead upon release. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

09 Mar 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

March 1st report

Had the pleasure today of having two gentlemen from Frankfort, Kentucky. Both had a good fishing background so I could tell early that there was going to be some friendly competition. We started at quality sheephead spot and they didn't let me down. The bite started as soon as the anchor took. They battled back and forth until they were ready for something else. On to the grass flats for trout. The fish would not help us, although we did manage a blue fish and a small trout. The catch of the day happened to be a bird, which was released unharmed to fly away. I don't think it will be chasing shrimp for a while. We moved to another grass area and the bite started right away. With each drift we managed many ladyfish and a few trout. By the end of the day we emptied the livewell of 5 dozen shrimp, so all in all it was a quality day. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

09 Mar 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

February 21 st report

Had the pleasure of having the Fricke family from the northeast today for a fun time on the water. Twin boys and their father for a day in the water. The fishing wasn't the best, but we all enjoyed the company and a nice day. The weather had been bad the days before their trip so we decided to fish some grass flats and then the winter sheephead spots. The grass flats didn't produce any fish although they had many bites. We decided to move out of the weather and into a sheephead spot that has been producing. Again the bite was there, but no fish boated. The boys had a good time watching the dolphin show that was going on behind the boat. I think we ended up boating 3 fish, and they understood that is why it is called fishing. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

09 Mar 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

February 9th report

Took a buddy from work today for some tripletail action. I thought today would be as nice as the previous two days, but was I wrong. At least at first. The wind was blowing out of the Northeast and the weather was cold. As cold can be in the upper 50's. We started running crab pots and around the third or fourth one sat Mr. tripletail. We u-turned and headed back to the bouy, but couldn't make him eat. We moved on and the wind seemed to increase so we moved inland and fished for sheephead. Very first cast under the dock, line screaming. We both thought it was a redfish or jack, but certainly not a sheephead. A few minutes later and it was a sheephead, and a very large one at that. We used the net to land it and he weighed in at a little over 5 lbs. Wow, that is a monster we thought. We contined to catch some sheephead and snapper, but none like the first one. We decided to look for some redfish, but there was no water to speak of in Estero Bay. The wind seemed decrease as the day went on, so out to the crab lines we went again. Things started out slow but picked up when we moved out into deeper water. We got on a good line and things started happening. First a large tripletail, but would not eat. About three bouys later a cobia around 30-35 inches showed itself. We could not seem to get him to eat either, so we continued down the line. We then saw another cobia, this one every bit 45 inches hanging out by the bouy. We turned around and headed back, but again could not seem to make it eat. We couldn't seem to get things going today so we decided to call it a day, beaten by the tripletail and cobia. We will get our day, oh yes it will come. All in all and good day on the water. Good fishing with good friends. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

09 Feb 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

February 1st report

I had two fine gentlemen from Connecticut today, and I believe they brought the northern winds with them. The wind was blowing 15-20 out of the Southeast making the day very interesting. We eventually arrived at our spot and put out popping corks complete with shrimp. The waves were making it hard for them to see the corks, so I switched them over to bucktail jigs and 1/4 oz. jig heads wih cury tail grubs. Things started out slow but picked up as did the winds. The trout were coperating and biting well. The wind picked up so much that I had to use my drift anchor for the first time. We couldn't really seek shelter from the wind because we have had negative tides for sometime now and that combined with strong winds makes for interesting trips. They kept catching trout as we drifted over the grass in about 5 feet of water. As the winds began to build we called it a day and the ride in was to say the least an adventure. Althought they said that they had a good time, the weather could have been much better. There will be better days. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags! Capt. Jon

01 Feb 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

combined fishing report for November and December

It has been quite a while since my last report, so I will go back in time and let you know what has been going on. The fishing has been up and down, kind of like the weather. There was a time when we had a cold front followed by warm days follwing yet anotehr cold front. When the temps were not the issue the winter winds were. They have been blowing quite briskly over the past few months, but that is the winter time! As for the fishing, there have been good days and bad days. The good news is, the snook are still here and in large numbers, due in part to the wacky weather patterns. The redfish have biting as well on the flats and the oyster bars on a daily basis. The trout and ladyfish have been on fire also. We have been catching large sheepshead on a daily basis as well all on shrimp. Live bait has not been a problem either, it is everywhere in large numbers. The bad news is that it hasn't been the same day after day. Somedays there are many fish and other days the numbers are down, but every day there has been a catch. The tripletail fishing has been good as well. They seem to be hanging around all the debris either floating or on the crab trap lines. I'm sorry there have not been many reports for sometime, but my father has been in town visiting from Ohio and we have been fishing whenever possible, dodging the changing weather patterns and having a great time. I have really enjoyed watching the smiles on his face while he pulls in those large fish, much in the way he must have felt watching me when I was a kid fishing those small farm ponds and lakes in Ohio and Michigan. I can only hope he is having as much fun as I am. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

15 Jan 2007 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

Nov 7th report

Well , decided to brave the weather today for some fun triple tail fishing off of Fort Myers Beach. The weather all the way to the ramp was rainy and windy, but my friends Paul and Heather wanted to go anyway. This was her first salt water experience, so I was hoping for better conditions. Oh well, take what you can get. Launched the boat at Lovers Key around 8:00 am and off into the rain we went. Began to look for trap lines and at the first bouy we were greated by Mr. Triple Tail. Paul was up first, he threw the shrimp perfect and game on. 1st bouy and 1st fish, boy was I happy. Just as my excitement level began to rise, the fish jumped off. We were crushed, oh well off we went. We began running the lines getting killed by rain and wind. Then we decided to turn around and head back, when I saw a large school of Spanish Mac's crashing the water. I told Paul to cast into the school, then fish on. And it was a large one. I put another line in the water for Heather as Paul was fighting his. He managed to pull in what seemed to be a monster spanish about 29 inches. Our jazz level was elevated. Then Heather began fighting a fish, it started to jump and peel line. It ended up being a lady fish about 20 inches, so not bad for her first fish. We could not stay with the school due to the wind, so we decided to fish some docks that were out of the wind. Anchored up on some docks and we immediately started catching snapper, and some with size. Heather was having a ball. Well Paul was on to something big that was pulling drag, Mr Redfish. Wow, we were all happy to see that. Ended up being about 18 inches or so, but back to the water it went. Very next cast, Paul was on to something bigger. Pulling drag, walking him all around the boat. The fish appeared and it was a very nice Jack. Paul ended up fighting this jack for a few minutes and manages to get it into the boat. He tipped the scales at around 9 lbs. Paul had a ball. On the very last cast of the day, Heather hooked into something bigger also. Ended up being a nice 18 inch sheepshead. She seemed to have a ball fighting that fish. All in all, even with the bad weather I think they had a wonderful time catching a wide variety of fish. I think they will come back when the weather is better and the fishing is much better. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

07 Nov 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

October 19th report

I picked up George Dodd and his two young boys visiting from Scotland today for a funfilled day on the water. Their only request was to catch fish and have a great time. Well I didn't let them down. We first stopped at a grass flat off of Pine Island where I knew there would be trout and ladyfish. Those two boys caught ladyfish until they were blue in the face. They even managed a few blue fish along the way, but no trout. It was extremely fun watching them catch these fish on light tackle as the drags screamed. They were extremely impressed by the great ariel displays that the lady's provided. I decided to move on to bigger and better fish for them so off to some of the islands for redfish and snook. Well the snook were there, but would not bite on our offerings. We moved to yet another island where the redfish have been hanging out. Pitching cut ladyfish onto the grass flats provided some great redfish fights for the three of them. The redfish bite went on for about 1.5 hours and then it was time to head home for the day. Hopefully I provided them with many memories and a great day on the water here in Southwest Florida. They will forever be included on my website picture page. Thanks to the Dodd family for a wonderful time on the water. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

20 Oct 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

September 22nd report

Went out today with my lovely wife for a day of snook fishing. We decided to try some new places today so we started out getting bait at Pinic Island. Put out some chum and waited for the bait to come. My wife decided to start throwing a small weighted jig while we waited and she started pulling in small grouper, cast after cast. She was having a ball, so I decided to get in on the action. I have to say those small grouper daddy's are really fun to catch. There is no quit in them. We managed some bait and then it was off to new spots. We headed for the west side of Pine Island to fish some docks and mangrove lines. We located some fish, but they wouldn't bite. The water quality was very good and visibility was easy. We continued to spot fish without any luck or takers. We decided to move and fish some little islands on the high tide. It didn't take long before our pinfish stated getting nervous and fish on. It was a monster snook and it made several runs and the drag was screaming. It made a final run into the trees then snap, gone. That stinks, but it happens. Re-tied and put another line out, then bang another monster. I could get used to this. Tangled with this one for a while until it made a last, final run up into the trees then snap. This is getting crazy and I was really getting mad. But we kept at it. There were also quite a few snapper caught which are fun as well, but not as fun as those monster snook. We were getting ready to leave when the bobber went down again, and I wasn't about to lose this one. Managed to get it out of the trees and into the shallow water. It looked and felt like a huge oversized redfish, but turned out after a few minutes and some great runs, it was a nice size goliath grouper. Boga grip weight 13 lbs, and released to fight another day. We decided to leave this spot and head home for the day. We had a great time and learned some new really good spots that hold fish. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

23 Sep 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

Sept 4th report

Today was my first day out since snook season opened, and I was excited since I have been catching keeper sized fish. I figured I would hit the docks early and take my chances. There were numerous boats on the water already at 6 a.m. but I had my spots. First few cast and fish on, and it felt like a good one. It made a few runs into the dock pilings, but I managed to pull it out. But it made one more run in and snap, off she went. I figured there would be more where that came from, and I was right. I managed a few undersized fish, and about 4 break-off's from larger fish. I also managed another massive goliath, I was never able to see it, but it had to be in the 150-200 lb range. I tried everythng to get that bad boy out, but I was greatly overmatched by this fish and I failed. The fight lasted about 10 minutes until you guessed it snap. Well at least I know there is one there. I was not as happy with the outcome today, I guess the bigger fish know that season is in and they are staying away from the baits right now. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming dargs. Capt. Jon

06 Sep 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

Aug 29th report

I have been out of town for a while, but back at it today. Again I decided to hit the docks since they have been productive early in the a.m. Left the marina @ 6a.m. first cast @ 6:15 a.m. The snapper would strike first. Fish after fish on small shrimp. I started getting mad since the snapper would not allow the bait to get down to the snook, then bang big fish on. It made a mad rush back into the pilings and then broke off. Dang, that was a good fish, oh well there will be more. Sure enough, the bite started picking up and the snook were on fire. It seemed like there were numerous snook on every dock we fished. We were pulling in more than one per area, and that was great. A few 31 inchers, and numerous underslot fish, but they are still fun. We also managed a few goliath's again. They seem to be making a great come back. Total for the day; 2 31 inch snook 15-20 undersized snook 20-30 snapper 3 goliath May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

06 Sep 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

Aug 21st report

Decided to hit the docks today in search of snook and reds. The snook would cooperate, but not the reds. Since the shrimp are so hard to get good size right now, I guess that is why they call them shrimp, artificial was the way to go. White jerk baits seemed to be the bait of choice. Fishing the docks is fun, but you do lose a lot of rigs due to break-off's. We had a really good time today and the fsihing was really fun. It is always fun to see others have a good time catching fish. Tally for today; 10 snook 6 small goliath's 3 black groupers 15 snapper numerous break-off's May everyone enjoy fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

06 Sep 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

August 19th report

Decided I would try something a little different today and look for new spots and get away from the reliable places. With this in mind I headed for East Estero Bay and the shallow mangrove islands. The fishing started off slow, but picked uast. Soon there were fish o'plenty and I was having a blast. The fishing seemed to last until the sun began beating down on us. After what seemed like forever, we decided to call it a day and head back. The total for the day: 7 snook dozen's of snapper numerous trout 3 grouper May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

06 Sep 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

August 16th report

Had a pair out today, one from Michigan around Detroit and the other from here in Ft Myers. Went looking for the early a.m. bite as usual, and we were not let down. The fish were there in numbers, but getting them to take shrimp was another story. There were many small tarpon, but they would not cooperate. We managed a mixed bag today; lady fish, sail cats, goliath's, spanish mack's, and plenty of snapper. The snapper bite was great and consistant. Overall, I think they had a great time catching fish for about 4 hours. Total for the day: 4.5lb. sail cat 4lb goliath 3lb goliath (3) lady fish (1) spanish mack (15) assorted snapper. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

16 Aug 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

August 15th report

Went out today looking for the usual suspects, but instead had more of a mixed bag. Started early, around 6:00 a.m. on the docks in Estero Bay. The bite was strong and on-going from the start. First cast, little tarpon around 8 lbs or so. Next cast, goliath around 4 lbs. The tarpon bite kept coming and coming. Boy those little ones are a ball to catch, and watching them jump and pull drag it doesn't get much better. It was a really nice time today, even threw in a few good sized snapper. All in all, it was really fun, but what started out fast and crazy cooled off just as fast. It seems when the air heats up the fish seem to run. Can't say that I blame them. On the water at 6:00 a.m. off by 1:00 p.m. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

15 Aug 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

August 5th report

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. We were on our yearly vacation in the keys over mini lobster season and we had a blast. We didn't do as wells as we hoped, but still managed to bring home 5 tails. Didn't do much fishing, the weather didn't seem to care that we were there to fish as well as lobster. But now I am back home and the fishing has been really hot. The snook are biting everywhere and the redfish bite is heating up. There are small tarpon in the 15-30 lb range in the backcountry and they are fun. Managed to get a few today around some docks early in the a.m. The bite seems to slow once the hot sun appears. As I was saying the snook bite is hot right now, on the beaches, mangroves, just about anywhere. Whitebait, shrimp, and artificials seem to be working. The redfish bite was slow for a while, but it too is heating up. Was able to get some today off docks and mangroves, and they are a ball to catch. Well I will do a better job posting my trips from now on, so keep reading. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags. Capt. Jon

05 Aug 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

June 21st report

Went on two separate trips today. The day started out early, leaving the marina at 6:30 a.m. Headed straight for Big Carlos Pass for bait, and it didn't take long to have plenty in the bait well. I was off for Knapps Point in search of the silver king. I anchored up, put the lines out, and began chumming. Didn't take long for the drags to start screaming, but it wasn't what I had in mind. SHARKS, boy they are everywhere. They were picking up free-lined threadfins, not just the baits I had soaking on the bottom. They just kept coming, then I had another visitor, Spanish Mack's they are fun until they start breaking you off everytime. I must of re-tied 4 or 5 times before I had enough. By then it was time to pick up my lovely wife for an afternoon of beach fishing. After picking her up we decided to gather more bait for our trip north, so off to the causway we went. After filling up the livewell, with one cast we started up the coast. The first couple spots we stopped at the action was bad, so we kept moving north and then things heated up. We stopped on the beach and I got out and started wadding while my wife stayed in the boat. She caught the first one then I was on. Before you know it we were catching them right after another. We were having a ball. We also had a visitor, a wild pig began walking towards us on the beach. That was interesting, she was huge. We could see the afternoon storms to the East and we decided to get going. We didn't quite make it however and were forced to pull into a cove to ride out the storm. Here we met a wonderful man by the name of Ralph Woodring. He owns a bait and tackle store on the island. Come to find out, he was born and raised on the very spot we pulled into. We must have talked for a hour at least, but the storm had cleared somewhat and we decided to pull up anchor and head home. Tally for the day: 3 sharks 3 Spanish 10 snook 1 wild pig and 1 Wonderful Man May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags Capt. Jon

22 Jun 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

May 31st report

Today I picked up one of my wife's co-workers for a day on the water. The day started out slow but picked up considerably. After picking up some bait in Estero Bay under the bridges, we decided to go after the silver king off of Sanibel Island. So off we went with a livewell of very large threadfins and a few mullet. It was easy to tell that many other people had the same idea as us, as we appraocehed there were quite a few boats in the area. As we pulled into our spot there were tarpon surfacing everywhere. They were rolling and free-jumping all over. It was an awesome site. Another boat was hooked-up as we approached, so we were really excited about our chances. We anchored up and put our baits in the water. It didn't take five minutes and the first rod bent over. It never came to the surface so we figured it must be a shark. Sure enough shark #1, about a three foot lemon. Minutes after that the other rod goes off. Didn't come to the surface, so you guessed it, another shark. This time it was a blacktip, and boy was she beautiful, all three feet of her. We decided to pull anchor and begin drifting through the large number of tarpon that were in the area. The tarpon were everywhere, and the baits were in the water. Again, another shark, then another, we seemed to have found the sharks as well. All in all, I believe we caught 5 sharks ranging from three to four feet long, some on 10 lb. light tackle which made the fight long and extremely enjoyable. They are really fun to catch, and even more fun to bring on the boat for a picture. I will post pictures later. Well sad to say the day came to an end without any tarpon hook-ups, but that is fishing. We were in the right area, had the right bait and doing all the right things. I guess it just wasn't our day. We will be back, you can count on that. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags! Capt. Jon

01 Jun 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

Late May 4th report

Went out today with my brother in law looking for big game. We headed to some flats to pick up some ladyfish and cats for bait. Managed to catch a cat, so off we went in search of tarpon. We cruised the beaches and managed to pick up some tripletail while we waited. While we were throwing at a triple tail and school of jacks showed up complete with a good sized cobia following behind. We threw some baits at it, but would't eat. We did manage some jacks and they are always fun to catch. I jumped up on my platform to attempt to sight the cobia when a 7 foot shark began to circle the jacks. We tried to get into casting distance, but that big boy would's eat either. We decided to look again for tarpon, so we turned around and started back along the beaches. We did see a free jumper off the beach so we drove over and anchored in front and put out our baits. We waited fot about 1/2 hour with nothing so we decided to call it a day and get something to eat. It is always nice to be out on the water with family, we had a good time and I look forward to many more days like that. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags! Captain Jon

14 May 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

late report for MAy 3rd

Went out today in search snooks and redfish today with my wife. We headed for the beaches of the islands after picking up bait, which as I said last time is everywhere. No problem filling the net with a single throw. As we headed for the beaches we looked for tripletail and they were there. We both hooked up on these little fighters, and brought home one for dinner. We strated fishing the beaches with live and artificial with some luck. We managed to catch some good sized trout, but we had to leave our spot early and head home. All in all it wasn't a bad day, we were able to get out on the water and spend some time together. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags! Captain Jon

14 May 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

May 2nd report

Had planned on big game today, tarpon and shark off of Sanible Island. Decided to look for tripltail on my way to the fishing spot, and wow was it hot. They seemed to be on all the floating debris and there was a lot of that. I started thinking that maybe the fishing gods were telling me to bag the big game and continue the hot tripletail action. While I was running in search of the prehistoric looking tripletail I noticed a area of nervous water that had bait jumping frantically. I continued to watch and then noticed a fin moving through the bait, then another, then another. Well as I drove over, then it happened. Leaping out of the water came a tarpon, it was a school of travelling tarpon. Must have been 80 or so, all of various sizes. It was amazing, that is so cool to see. The only bait I had were shrimp, because of the tripletail so I thought what the heck. Nothing happened then all of the sudden we had tight lines, and the battle was on. I eventually lost the fish, trying to drive and fish at the same time proved to much for the silve king. I re-tied and tried again, but nothing. The pod just kept smashing bait and rolling. So after all, I managed some big game although only for a short time. The fishing is getting really hot, the snook are everywhere, but season is closed., so back to catch, photo, and release. Reds, jacks, and trout are numerous, with bait schools are everywhere I think it is going to be a good summer, if of course the red tide stays away. Good bye for now, more reports to come. May everyone enjoy the fishing as much as I do. Screaming drags! Captain Jon Fetter

03 May 2006 by Captain Jon Fetter comments (0)

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