Coastal Breeze News

By Capt. Pete Rapps February is a month where we have been seeing some subtle changes from January’s cold fronts and wind. The cold fronts are still hitting us, but seem to be a little less powerful. Water temperatures have been hovering in the high 50’s to mid 60’s, and if the daytime air temperatures continue to hit the high 70’s to low 80’s, the water temp will continue to rise. Keep an eye on your tide chart because we have some extremely low tides around both the new moon and full moon. Be mindful of the morning low tides ... Read More »

by Capt. Pete Rapps The Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), also called Speckled Trout, Specs, Trout, or Spotted Weakfish, is a common shallow water fish found in our area of the Ten Thousand Islands. They are closely related to the northern Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis). Even though most of these fish are caught on shallow grassy flats, Spotted Seatrout reside in virtually any inshore waters, from the outside flats to far up our coastal saltwater rivers, where they often move to for shelter during the colder winter months. Contrary to its name, the Spotted Seatrout is not a member of the trout ... Read More »

by Capt. Pete Rapps The new year is upon us and along with that comes some changes to our local fishery. We normally receive several cold fronts accompanied with high wind.  It is because of this that we spend a lot of time in the back country where we can duck away from the elements. Keep an eye on your tide chart because we have some extremely low tides around both the new and full moons. If you get caught in a -.5 low tide that you did not anticipate, it could ruin your day!  Be extra careful with the ... Read More »

by Capt. Pete Rapps I moved to Southwest Florida in 1989 from a cozy little town in the Pocono Mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania.  I graduated from college with a degree in building construction, and was looking to relocate to an area that was experiencing rapid growth and had opportunities in the residential construction field.  I saw an article in Money Magazine that had just rated Naples, Florida as the #1 town in the US for growth.  It was then that I made the move. In 1989, not long after arriving here in Collier County, I researched and read a little ... Read More »

by Capt. Pete Rapps There are so many different species of fish that we catch here in shallow near shore and backwater areas of the 10,000 Islands and the Everglades National Park. Some fish that are targeted for food purposes, depending on their open season, are Redfish, Snapper, Trout, Flounder, Mackerel, Tripletail, Cobia, Pompano, Snook, Grouper and more. Some fish we target for sport. Tarpon are a great sport fish that are never eaten, however others like Snook, Permit, & Shark are mostly targeted for sport and sometime for food. Others like Ladyfish, Jacks, & Catfish can be considered sport, ... Read More »

By Capt. Pete Rapps Since we have recently experienced our first cold front of the fall season here in SW Florida, I thought it would be appropriate to explain how cold fronts affect our local fishing patterns. Mother Nature has programmed into a fishes head that it’s time to hunker down and find shelter when the barometric pressure builds. They come equipped with what is described as a “lateral line”. You can see the line running down the side of just about every fish. This line is in fact a sensing organ. …… a barometer of sorts, that fish use ... Read More »

Forty-five young people ignored the “No Fishing” sign and cast their baited lines into the marina waters of Port of the Islands. Adults stood by and watched. Of course, this was the Fourth National Wildlife Refuge Week Fishing Clinic sponsored by the various national wildlife refuges of Collier County and participated in by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Marco Sportfishing Club, Florida Sea Grant, Fish Florida, Double RR’s Tours, and Port of the Islands. So, it was OK for the youth to fish there on that day. The elementary, middle and ... Read More »

Lately I have been hearing about it everywhere I go. Local fishermen in the 10,000 islands have been reporting abundant catches of small “Rat Reds” in the 10”-14” range. It’s not unusual to hear of catches of 15 or more in a single morning. They are hitting everything from artificials like DOA Shrimp or Gulp Shrimp, to natural baits like live or frozen shrimp, cut mullet, or cut ladyfish. You can usually find them on the last part of the incoming tide around the barrier island mangrove roots and oyster bars. I can’t remember a time when we had so ... Read More »

We are approaching one of my absolute favorite seasons here in the 10,000 Islands and Everglades National Park! My reasons are numerous and I could go on forever describing them, but some of the highlights are: 1) Mild weather patterns with little rain, lower humidity, and light winds, 2) Fish are actively searching and feeding on the huge bait pods just off the coastal beaches, 3) Daytime temperatures are comfortably hovering in the high 70’s to low 80’s, 4) Migratory birds are arriving in mass quantities for the winter……. and the list goes on! With the change of seasons, comes ... Read More »

So many times when we arrive back to the dock with the day’s fresh catch of fish, my clients ask me the same question…… “How do I prepare these nice fillets once we get home?” Oooooh, now I am EXCITED! That’s music to my ears because fishing and cooking are two of my favorite things to do in life! I started giving verbal recipes using different individual spices that would blend well with others for the particular fish they were going to cook. Then I thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice to blend up a few of those spices so they ... Read More »

In spite of hard times, some area fishing guides were willing to show their appreciation to Active Duty Personnel from MacDill Air Force Base and guide them on a free fishing charter last weekend. Volunteer captains had a brief Captains Meeting on Friday, September 17th where names were drawn to determine which boats participants would board the next morning. The volunteer captains departed from Calusa Island Marina at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 18th, and there was a cook-out at the Marina at 2:30 p.m. to share fishing stories and celebrate good times. Following is Captain Pam Stop’s account of this special day. The inaugural “Take a ... Read More »

Get ready for longer fishing days Yippie! October is right around the corner and, believe it or not, we will finally see our first signs of the fall cooling trends. This much-welcomed trend will help prolong the bite throughout the day. We will begin to see schools of large Thread Herring and Pilchards pour into the area. You can catch them with your cast net close to the shorelines at high tide, and out just a little deeper in low tides. Follow the tide line and look for the birds – you will be rewarded with the best bait around. ... Read More »

I have always believed that fishing lures catch more fishermen than fish. Over the years, I have purchased lures that bubbled, gurgled, burped, buzzed, sman backwards and glowed in the dark. I’m not making this up, and I must confess that this is only a partial list. I am even less proud of the fact that several of these lures were purchased at a very low price because I was among the first twenty callers. My tackle box in the past hath runneth over with various contraptions that promised me that I had finally found the solution (read “secret”) to ... Read More »

I remember it like it was yesterday. Ten days of freezing temperatures in January killed hundreds of thousands of Snook around the state. Down here in the Ten Thousand Islands and the Everglades National Park, I saw shallow backwater bays literally white in color from “belly-up” Snook. Since then, sure, we have been catching Snook again, but nowhere near as many prior to the mass extermination this winter. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently announced that they are extending the emergency Snook fishing closure, implemented after last January’s freeze, temporarily until September 16. The extension of the ... Read More »

The middle of August can be one of your most productive fishing periods of the year…if you plan your day correctly. Daytime air temperatures are now averaging around 92 degrees. Water temps are around 88 degees. Plan on getting an early start before the mid-day heat sets in. The daily thunder storms will drive you back to the dock just as the bite drops off in the heat of the day. However, after the storms are over and things cool off a bit, head back out again for some great early evening action.  Snook will bite best on an outgoing ... Read More »

Every year for the past twenty years, Florida cattleman Hal Phillips, a third generation cattleman, has left the Phillips Ranch in Morriston and come to Marco Island for the annual Florida Cattlemen’s convention. For the past fifteen years he has taken a fishing trip with Captain Bubby Hail. This week with his wife, Debbie, and sons, Harrell, 11, and Charles, 7, Phillips says, “This is the best day we’ve ever had!” The Phillips family got to keep twenty-seven fish. Capt. Hail reports, “These days we’re getting the best catches of  tarpon, grouper, shark, and Spanish mackerel.” See more photos in ... Read More »

Father’s day is a great time and a perfect occasion to schedule a day of fishing and grilling out with dad! The latter half of June is here and the fish bite is on!  Daytime air temperatures are now hovering around 92 degrees each day, bringing the water temperatures up over 86 degrees.  Since the daily storms usually show up midday, you will need to get an early start so you can get a few productive hours of fishing in before they come. The Trout bite right now is steady.  They are generally a little smaller than the winter Trout, ... Read More »

Being a fishing captain and backwater guide, I am fortunate to have a lifestyle and profession and be able to fish anytime during the course of the year. For those of you who do not have the opportunity to fish at will, the best time to fish, of course, is whenever you have the chance! If you do have a choice, though, you should always consider the tides. Three factors that mainly affect the feeding habits of fish are the barometric pressure, water temperature, and the tides. There is not much you can do about the first two; however, you ... Read More »

I often get asked by both boat and shoreline fisherman…. “What local fish can we catch fairly easily that we can cook and eat for dinner?” The answer here in Southwest Florida is quite simple…… Mangrove Snapper! Although Mangrove Snapper are generally a small fish, they rank right up at the top of the list for white, sweet, flaky meat.  Fried, baked, or broiled, mangrove snapper ranks as one of the most delicious species. Mangrove snappers are typically found in and around the root structures of Mangrove trees or other near-shore structure. They generally patrol these structures looking for food, ... Read More »

Reading signs are important in traveling from one place to another. To follow the fish, though, the signs fishermen read aren’t the kind you see along the road. The signs we use are the indications in nature that tell the story and point the way. If you are the kind of person who spends time outdoors, you probably are already aware of subtle and not so subtle observations in changes of weather, the understated change of seasons in southwest Florida, and the seasonal patterns of plant and animal life. Passionate fisherman and even charter captains, for example, are always on ... Read More »