Sanibel Fishing

This is one of the reports that is not easy to do, but I believe in being honest when telling folks what to expect. The winter has been especially brutal for the last 10 days. One of the fish that I love to catch, and guide clients to is in rough shape. The Snook are dying in large numbers around Pine Island Sound. The extent of the damage won't be known untill the spring when the water warms. I know that the fish that are in the River and possibly on the wrecks offshore have a good chance of surviving. Today's water temperatures will reach the low to mid 50's. This is the top of the danger zone for snook. Most snook can't survive long below the mid 40's. I was out last Monday 01/11/10 to check the damage and try fishing. The water was 44 to 48 degrees. Lots of dead catfish, Snook and sand bream. No bites on artificals from any species. The fish that will be able to tolerate the cold and are my targets next week are.... Redfish, Trout, and Sheephead. There will be a good recovery as the water warms, I expect the bottom of the food chain, crabs, shrimp, and clams to have a great year. Mother nature is always inspiring and sometimes cruel. Captain Dave Andrews