# How many of you guys "regularly" fish Sanibel?



## AFMan916 (Apr 27, 2010)

So I was just sitting here tying some rigs for my upcoming trip to Sanibel, thinking about how I _ *hope*_ the trip will go like we all do, when I got to thinking, I wonder how many people "regularly" fish the waters around the island? And hell, by regularly I mean anything from daily to yearly haha. I don't really think I mean guides either when it comes down to it, I wonder how many everyday people (or whatever you would call us) fish those waters. I know on my trips down there I've met some great people, all of whom seemed to be tourists from another area like me. 

So I just thought I would post quick and see how many guys on a board such as this fish Sanibel "regularly", even if that's just a vacation every summer or something like that (which is what regular is for me). If you've got any great stories to share, please do! :fishing:

17 days, I hope the bite's on when I get there!!!


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## OChunter375 (Mar 27, 2011)

Me 2


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## yogai (Oct 21, 2005)

My dad took me fishing in Ding Darling and on the pier and Causeway beginning when I was 5 yrs old when we lived in Ft. Myers. I'm in college now and since moving to GA I've been fishing on Sanibel for 3-5 weeks each year, mostly in the summer. I spend so much time on the pier that I know most of the regulars and police on a first name basis. I've caught everything from pinfish to jewfish.

I don't have a great deal of time these days so I'm only going down for one week this summer (last week of June).

Last year I fished on the pier with a couple of guys from Ohio for a week and on one day we took turns fighting a ray from 9 am to 1:30 pm with a 6/0 reel, 100 lb rod, and 80 lb mono, and got it about 15 feet from shore when it turned on a dime and went under the pier. We never saw it, but I've landed rays with 5 ft wingspans with little jigmasters in under an hour.


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## AFMan916 (Apr 27, 2010)

That's great to hear man. Most of my fishing has actually been off the beach, and I'm thinking about making it over to the pier one evening I'm down there to try my hand at a shark or a big snook at night. Since most of my tactics are oriented towards the beach (less current/no structure) what sort of advice would you give me for fishing the pier? Is there a certain spot on the pier that's better than others (in case I get there and have the place to myself or something haha)?

Also, I'll be down at Sanibel Moorings from June 25 - July 4. If you're gonna be down there during that time and want to meet up at any point, let me know. It's always nice to share the water with someone and swap some stories.:fishing:


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## yogai (Oct 21, 2005)

If you aren't set up for some serious current, get there early. The current will usually start ripping around 2 pm and continue until sundown, and it's impossible to fish for anything except snapper by the shallowest pilings. Do it on a weekday (not Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) to avoid big crowds. What kind of rods are you bringing? if you want to try for big snook, or sharks you should have some thicker gear. For large snook I use a pretty hefty fiberglass rod and 50lb mono w/ 100 lb leader. Same rig for smaller sharks except with 150 lb wire. You can still catch a lot with smaller spinning rods though. There are a lot of guys who come out there with wide 6/0 reels, 100lb mono and 200 lb leaders just so they have a good chance with 50" snook under the pier. Tell me what kind of rods you're bringing and I can tell you what you should be doing.

I have too many ridiculous stories from that pier. two summers ago after an afternoon thunderstorm (absolute BEST time for snapper fishing) I was fishing with a guy who lives on captiva. We were the only ones on the pier and a manatee parked itself between the two shallowest pilings and was just sitting there and we noticed she had a tiny pup with her about 4 feet long. While I was throwing my net while wading the pup swam to me and just looked at me so I sat down in the water and it bumped into my leg. It wouldn't leave me alone as long as I was within ten feet or so of its mother and I started petting it and eventually rolling it around while the other guy was laughing hysterically. It apparently thought that was great fun, but Idk what I was thinking b/c the cops would have shot on sight if they saw me doing that b/c they care more about the wildlife than people.


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## Kurt (Mar 29, 2011)

I've been going to Captiva for the last 15 years so I guess that fits the bill for a yearly regular. Same time as you end of June till the 4th of July. We stay at our condo (Next to the Green Flash). Love it! Morning start early on the beach looking for snook, many whiting, jacks, cats, rays. Fun to watch the tarpon roll about 50 yrd out, just do not have the gear to reach them from shore. That bite typically dies for me around 9:00 AM and by that time I usually have amassed enough whiting for a fish taco dinner.

9:00 to 9:30 breakfast and loading up the boat for the day. I typically either have my inlaws or parents along with my kids with me so getting into the boat early never really seems to happen.  

9:30 - 3:00 In any case after a few tosses of the cast net from the dock for pins, pigs, and mullet we're off. Depending on where the tide is the days usually follow a pattern of hitting some old favorite spots in the sound and some drift fishing through the passes when it's moving. Every year we try some new spots or structures. With the advent of some of the new satellite imagery in the past couple of years it make for some fun detective work finding new holes, sandbars, etc..

After 3:00 PM it's Siesta time! Cold beer and story telling. I do not think any of our wives believe a thing that comes out of our mouths. 

10:00 PM Depending on tides again it's fun to head back to the beach (covered in bug spray, of course) to go looking for the big crusing female snook. Lots of shark close in as well. Landed some hefty suckers over the past couple of years.

That's the routine. But each year I like to try some new tactics and new stuff. This year I picked up some crab pots and figured I'd give it a go. Over the years you start to see them turn up in some predictable places and hopefully this year will be no exception. My Mother In Law is a crab fanatic and we always try and get her a few to snack on. Been trying to get at the non migratory pompano for the last few years as well. the weather is usually wrong and the timing is a couple months late but I've seen them caught, so sooner then later I hope to get hit. 

Have a Great Time!

Kurt


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## AFMan916 (Apr 27, 2010)

Thanks for the replies guys!

Yogai as far as gear goes, I'm not really set up to deal with structure. I enjoy going for a more light tackle approach, since I mainly fish the beach, to test my skills without needlessly tiring out the fish. I go with 10# mono and 30# fluoro on my cut bait/live bait rigs, and my shark pole is rigged up with 25# mono and 100# fluoro with a 174lb single strand wire trace on the end. So as far as getting wrapped up in the pilings goes, about my only hope would be the shark rig. The reel on the shark rig is an Okuma Epixor baitfeeder, 8000 size class. Next biggest is an Okuma Avenger 5000 size (spooled w/ 10lb) and then a Shimano Baitrunner 3500 (again spooled with 10 lb). Rods are all Ugly Stik, 8' for the shark pole and 6'6" for both the bait rigs. I was thinking about just taking the shark rig out and maybe the next largest Okuma since it has a bit heavier duty drag system on it. I'd soak some bait for sharks and work some live bait closer to the pier. Thoughts?

Kurt that sounds like an awesome time! I wish I had a boat to bring with me haha. What tactics do you use in the morning for the wide range of fish you catch? Live bait? cut bait? artificials? I'm going to be trying my hand at getting better with lures during the morning, but will probably bring out the bait rods a morning or two as well.

10 days and I'll be in the air!


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## yogai (Oct 21, 2005)

If you have a cast net, get greenback sardines by casting it next to the pier. With the smaller rod with 10 lb mono, use a small long shank hook and one decent size split shot a foot above it and throw one greenback at a time off of the left side of the pier. This is the best way to catch spanish macks. You can do the same with live shrimp from a bait shop, but I always use a net and never pay for bait. You can also put on a 2 oz egg sinker above your leader and drop a shrimp/small pinfish/whatever bait between the shallow pilings before the cleaning tables to catch snapper. Keep your drag tight and be quick.

If you catch a spanish, throw a 6-10 inch chunk of it onto your shark rod. Use a 6 oz pyramid sinker or bigger and heave it out b/c you're going to want to have it far from the pier with your lighter shark rod. That's how I do it, just work my way up the food chain. You could also use a 100 lb mono/fluoro leader on your larger rod and cast out a big pinfish or threadfin herring to try for snook or redfish. Most of the snook are right under the pier, but you've really got to be able to lay into them to get them out. Threadfin can be caught with a sabiki rig on one of your smaller rods, just look for the flash of the threadfin school next to the pier and drop it in the middle. Heaving off of the left far corner is where I have hooked all my redfish and tarpon.

Those are your best bets: mangrove snapper and macks on the smaller rod, and sharks on the bigger rod, with redfish being more rare these days.


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## Kurt (Mar 29, 2011)

So for the beach I bring the following. 1 7 foot medium action rigged with a chicken rig (2 dropper loops to hook with a pyramid sinker on the bottom). I use this rod to go for the food fish (Whiting). I usually bait it with sand fleas that I dig from the sand. The fleas are fish magnets. Then I try and find a nice "suck out" in the trough and toss it into that area. The bites happened within minutes with mant doubles. 75% of the catch is typically whiting between 10 and 14, 20% catfish, 5%I'll hook into juvenile crevalle's. Occasionally a ray will slurp up the bait and that tend to never end well. You cannot pull a sheet of plywood from under the water very well on 20 lb braid.

I also bring another 7 footer medium action rod with a jig head for the soft plastics. Root Beer Gold Gulp Shrimp 3-4 inch are my goto bait. Just cast horizonatal to the shore and reel in. If the snook are they they'll bite and put on a fun run. I just walk up and down the shoreline trying to find them. Most (95%) are males less than 2 feet in length. Tons of fun to catch for sure. Night time is the only time I have been able to hook into the crusing females. That is always done using whole jacks, catfish tails, very large pinfish. Caught 'em up to 46 inches. Lots of shark gets in on that as well. The nighttime stuff is done with 10 foot rods, monster reels, and 50 lbs mono.

 Kurt


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## AFMan916 (Apr 27, 2010)

Thanks again guys, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.

Kurt, what have you found the best way is to dig for sand fleas? I would love to use some on my smaller rod and reel to try and catch whiting to use for live/cut bait.


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## Kurt (Mar 29, 2011)

I use a sand flea rake. I believe I got it at a WalMart. Had it for years. Getting sand fleas (on Captiva at least) is a snap. Just wait for the wave to recede and run that rake about 6 inches into the ground. It'll fill up with sand / coquinas, shell bit and sand fleas. Then simply just sift it out and you see the fleas scurrying about. I can put 50-100 in a bucket in about 10 minutes which will more than outlast my time at the beach each morning. I cover them with a wet paper towel and either use them the next day or take them out on the boat and use them as bait / chum for other fish.

Digging the fleas by hand is doable but ridiculous. Just takes too much time. The rakes are cheap and make for less time gathering and more time enjoying oneself.

Kurt


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## Kurt (Mar 29, 2011)

If the area you're sand flea hunting in appears to be non productive. Scan the shoreline for the little troops of ibises. If they're present their are looking for crustaceans. Let them lead you to the fleas.


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