Good Time Charters

Capt. Michael Denegre of Good Time Charters reports a productive week in Estero Bay and its adjacent passes.  Fishing with live shrimp on jig heads caught many nice sized spotted sea trout and spanish mackeral in the passes.  Drifting while bouncing the bait off the bottom had the best results picking up an occasional flounder and black tip shark.  Through some of the deeper areas around the passes produced a  good snapper bite with whiting mixed in.  Fishing the grass flats of Estero Bay with popping corks and live shrimp on jigs found lots of hungry trout on the moveing tide and preferably early in the day.  Trout topping 22 inches were common.  Captain Mike’s charters also visited some near shore reefs where a slew of spanish mackeral and grouper were gobbling up both the live shrimp and cut bait,  starting at the bottom and working back to the surface.

Capt. Mike Denegre of Good Time Charters reports that the spanish mackeral have moved in just in time to replace the departing sheepshead following a great spawn this year.  Spanish mackeral are a blast on light tackle and are great eating.  The mackeral have been hitting on the moving tide in or out.  Mike’s charters found jig heads tipped with shrimp to work great, just be sure to not give them to much time before setting the hook as they will cut through most leader with ease.   The mackeral have been ranging from all sizes and mixed in are pompano, blue fish, bonnet heads, and black tip sharks.  Needless to say lots of great action following this warmer weather.  In Estero Bay around the mangroves and oyster bars still finding sheepshead of decent size and red fish are becomming a lot more active with a couple oversized fish being released this past week. As for some unexpected surprises, several flounder were caught some in the passes and others in the back bay, caught wile dragging jig heads tipped with shrimp along the bottom.  A few mangrove snappers have also been caught in the bay this week and those numbers should sky rocket if the weather continues on this track.

Captain Mike Denegre of Good Time Charters reports the sheepshead spawn is on!   This past week captain Mike’s charters roped in loads of sheepshead in the 4 to 5 pound range.  All the fish were caught on small to medium live shrimp around oyster bars and the base of mangrove islands in areas of 3 to 4 feet deep.   Mixed in with the sheepshead were red fish and an occasional snook,  the better catches of the week being a nice 31 inch red caught using live shrimp on a jig head deep under the mangroves in good current.  When captain Mikes charters got tired of beating on the sheepshead it was to the trout holes where there was lots of action between slot trout and more ladyfish than you could shake a stick at.  The trout were found around the mangroves in areas of good current, picking up jigheads tipped with live shrimp.  For the trout and ladyfish bouncing the bait on the bottom or floating under a cork proved sufficient.  Several pompano and spanish mackeral were caught as well this past week in the back bay, an encouraging look at what may be ahead with this warmer weather.

Capt. Mike of Good Time Charters reports a productive week in Estero Bay with Trout, Sheepshead, and Redfish being the most prodominant.  If the trout bite continues into the new year as well as it has been this past week He expects to see lots of nice fish being brought in.  Most of the trout caught were low to mid slot with several topping 20″.  The trout caught this week weren’t on the flats but in deep troughs running out from the mangroves in good current.  Live shrimp either free lined or lightly weighted worked great.  The sheepshead are everywhere and starting to show some decent size several convicts over 7 lbs were hooked using live shrimp on small hooks.  The sheepshead are found oyster bars and mangroves as well as dock pilings, anywhere there is shellfish.  Redfish were found in these same locations often mixed in with the sheepshead and hitting the live shrimp as well.

Despite Hurricane Ida’s winds today Captain Mike’s charter still had a great day of fishing. Check out this 31 in black drum they reeled in this morning. What a beauty.

Capt. Mike Denegre of Good Time Charters reports a great week of back country fishing in Estero Bay.  The variety of species being caught has been awesome this last week.  Flounder have been caught in various areas of the bay where the bottom is a little silty.  Flounder were also caught while drifting Big Carlos Pass for snapper which were plentiful and reasonably sized.  Nearly all the mangrove snapper caught are in the 11 to 13 range.  The pass has also been loaded with great action fish like Ladies, Blues, Jacks, and bonnet head sharks.  Several Pompano were caught this week both out in the passes and while fishing the flats of the back bay with live shrimp.  While fishing the mangroves with good water movement has produced a nice redfish bite.  Big schools of undersized reds are being found all over with some nice bruts mixed in including a couple over slot.  The trout are still all over the grass beds being caught on live shrimp under popping corks, just look for the terns diving for bait and the fish won’t be far off.

Capt. Mike Denegre of Good Time charters reports the grass flats of Estero Bay are banging with sea trout.  This past week saw an exceptional bite in the morning.  Floating live shrimp under a popping cork just enough to keep the shrimp above the grass worked great.  Popping the cork under the water was key to drawing these fish in.  Once hooked bringing them to the boat gently was crucial so as not to tear the hook from their weak mouth.  The larger trout ran just over 20″ but there were plenty within the slot and below.  The mangrove islands are alive with mangrove snapper who were more then anxious to pounce on live shrimp.  when targeting mangrove snapper capt. mike recommends smaller to midsize shrimp as they will hit the hook quicker then if they have to break up a bigger one. 12″ snapper were abundant but you may have to weed through a lot of shorties too.  End of the week saw an improvement in the redfish bite.  Reds were found feeding along the mangroves often deep under the branches.  floating a shrimp into these hard to reach spots with popping corks works great.

Captain Mike Denegre of Good Time Charters spent better part of the week fishing Estero Bay.  Live shrimp was the bait of choice while targeting sea trout on the open grass flats.  drifting these flats in about 2 to 4 feet of water with popping corks produced some great action.  Lots of slot trout mixed in with ladyfish and jacks.  Along the mangrove islands redfish and mangrove snapper were inhaling the live shrimp.   The snapper have posted up below just about every submerged branch in the bay literally fighting over the bait.  The redfish have been found in similar location and deep under the overhanging mangroves.   snook were especially active this past week,  particularly in the morning with good tidal movement.  Juvenile snook were in abundance, sucking up the bait almost as soon as it hit the water.  Live shrimp free lined under the mangroves proved irresistible to them.

Capt. Mike Denegre of Good Time Charters reports lots of action in the passes.  Most of his charters this past week focused on Estero Bay and big Carlos pass where spanish mackeral were in with large numbers along with the regular area residents ladyfish, bonnet head sharks, blue fish and jacks.  Also mixed in with the bag were several small black tip shark and pompano all caught with live shrimp either on a jighead or free lining.  The passes proved to be pretty consistent either tide but the bay showed much more productivity on the morning incoming tide last week.  The grass flats still produce sea trout of mid to upper slot with several nice ones over 20 in.  Along the mangroves both redfish and snook were sucking up green backs as well as live shrimp, free lining when able and using as little weight as possible if needed.  most submerged branches, especially those sunk deep, are housing lots of mangrove snapper right now and they love small bite size shrimp or even pieces of bigger shrimp.

Captain Mike of Good Time Charters reports a productive week in Estero Bay.  Lots of fish caught on live shrimp.   Trout were found feeding on the grass flats in about 4 feet of water caught under a popping cork.  The trout were especially active in times of good tidal movement.  Mixed in with the trout were some hungry ladyfish and a couple pompano.  The sheepshead have about wrapped up their anual spawn but a bunch of nice 3 to 4 pounders out and about.  Baiting live shrimp on small 2/o jay hooks and a little wait works great.  Lots of mangrove snapper ranging from just legal 10″ on up to 14″ were found under dead mangrove branches draped in the water.  Catching the snapper using practically the same setup for sheepshead.