Ft Myers Spanish Mack

[bonefishdick]

Thinking of planning a trip to Ft Myers area, want to try to get some Spanish, I caught one last January and thought they were absolutely a beautiful fish. ( It wasn't the only fish I caught) I was just impressed with it and thought i would like to catch some more. Looking to start gathering more info and start my planning

My question is what time of the year would be best to go. I was thinking around the April time frame. I know the weather can be a major player when it comes to trips, but you have to go with the best information available and I always thought it best go to the horses mouth and ask the people who fish the area.

I understand that the Venice area is supposed to a really great area also and any info on Venice would also be greatly appreciated. Plan on Fly Fishing and would like to find some areas for wading. I know when I fished Ft Myers we just walked the beach which is what I would like to do again.

Thanks in advance, please PM me or at least let me know the best time frame to go.

Thanks Again, I just have to make it through the winter for now and planning trips helps pass the time.

[En Fuego]

I live a two hours north on Tampa Bay. The Spanish Macks are biting now. My son and I caught two last week. Lots of Lady Fish as well. They will bite anything moving fast through the water. They are best targeted from a boat while watching them tear through the schools of glass minnows. The bigger King Mackeral (kingfish) move in around the end of March. Never got one on a Fly.

If your budget allows, I would consider staying out on Captiva Island. The Tween Waters Inn is a nice place. It is "Between" the beaches of the Gulf and the the inshore flats of the intercoastal. If you rent a kayak your about 100 yards from some mangroves for snook and grass flats for Reds, Trout. Or you can walk the beaches in the morning for snook. Back at the "NoSeeum" bar by happy hour. Ahhh.( Sorry day dreaming again).

The tarpon will be in usually by the end of May. April is a little early. If your plans allow I would come in the last week of May after the crazy Memorial Crowds have left. April can sometimes be hit or miss, its not really warmed the flats yet and you might have some windy days. With the exception of this last week we have had usually warm weather, so maybe April will be good this year.

I have fished the Venice inlet and the Nokomis Bridges on foot at night for snook. Never on the fly. I was in Venice for a soccer game this morning and I would think its a solid hour drive north from Ft. Myers.

There are alot of good fly fishing guides that work the above areas. Depending on your length of stay it would be a good idea to hire one for a day, then pick his brain for some wading spots.

[albacized]

I have relatives who live in Venice (unfortunately one less as my great uncle passed away the week before Christmas)...but anyway, I used to fish Venice Inlet on the south jetty fairly often - for both snook and spanish macs. I find that the action is much better during May and June, where I've caught up to a dozen or so smacks per morning, plus a 'boat load' (figuratively since I was fishing from shore) of ladyfish and some jacks. That's also the time you start to see some tarpon working the jetty. Small metals on spinning rods or small epoxy flies while flyfishing did the trick...

And I also caught snook there...I had always used live bait shrimp for them but tried flyfishing with a clouser minnow last time, to which I caught a couple, but experienced a great number of bumps without hooking up. I only tried that one evening and to honest, I don't even know how I managed to hook up twice with the way they were just bumping the fly all night.

But to going back to the time of the year, while my experience says that Jan and Feb are slower months, there are most definitely fish to be had. Smacks, jacks and ladyfish are still somewhat abundant - although not like I mentioned above in May and June. And remember, I'm talking an hour or more north of where you're planning on going.

Just to throw this in as an aside, I've always suggested to people who ask that if you plan on filling your vacations with charters, hit the east coast of FL or the Keys....but if you're hoofing it from shore, you can't beat the west coast...although I know someone who does well from shore in the Keys - but I don't have the experience there to know how he does it.