With good spring temperatures on the horizon, the fishing is getting good around the bay and intercoastal waters. Guides throughout the harbor are catching pilchards, and transitioning into spring trends. That means snook are a main targeted species. We look for these groups of fish at "traditional" locations.  Because of the moratorium on inshore species, Snook are still catch and release in our region.  That means great numbers, and plenty of smiling faces with bent rods!!!  It's a fantastic time to go fishing in South West Florida.

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946
www.palmislandoutfitters.com
www.charlotteharborchronicles.com

The October fishing around Palm Island is typically some of the best of the year. Nearshore, we see a seasonal push of mackerel, Bonita, kingfish, and Cobia around our reefs and live bottom. Inshore, we still are catching snook and redfish on our areas flats and Mangrove shorelines. Tarpon are staging on mud flats and deep holes in the upper harbor system. They are fattening up on assorted baits, with the anticipation of winter's arrival. With the shorting of days, and dryer air moving into the region, fish become active and make the fall season on of my favorites, for weather and fish production. It's a great time of year to be fishing in South West Florida!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946
www.palmislandoutfitters.com
www.charlotteharborchronicles.com

Summer time in South West Florida means hot temperatures and hot bites.  Snook fishing is strong in the entire area.  From the outside of the back country, to the beaches, and passes, fish of all sizes are being caught on both the incoming and falling tides.  Inshore, our Mangrove snapper fishing is in full swing.  Fishing heavy cover on moving water is the key.  With the right tide, it's not uncommon to limit out, on a full boat limit with in an hour or so.  It's a great time to catch some offshore fish, inside, and a fun time to be fishing in South West Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
Palm Island & Boca Grande Fishing Charters

After a crazy week of holiday charters, our summer time fishing is still going strong. The tarpon are still hanging in the passes and on the beach for the early morning bite. Snook fishing around those same areas yielded lots of bites from juvenile fish, that kept the lines tight. Mangrove snapper have moved inside, so any structure that we fish for snook is holding good amounts of some food fish too. We have a low pressure weather system moving into the northern gulf this week. Expect some rain, but buy the weekend we should be ready to go back to fishing. It's a fun time to be fishing in Boca Grande and Palm Island Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
Palm Island and Boca Grande Fishing Charters

Fishing in South West Florida is in full swing! Our inshore snook fishing has been good, and turning great. Big packs of fish are being spotted by the passes and beach front. Tarpon have finally started to pour into our area from both North and South. There were literally thousands of fish on the beach for memorial day weekend. Nearshore fishing has exploded a bit later than usual.  Kingfish, mackerel, Cobia, and Bonita have taken up residence on our nearshore reefs and ledges. There has literally never been a better time to go fishing, while staying at Palm Island and Boca Grande Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946
www.palmislandoutfitters.com
www.charlotteharborchronicles.com

Tarpon season is here!!! Fish have moved into Boca Grande Pass by the thousands, and can be found both in the shallows of Charlotte harbor and off the beach front. Targeting these large "pods" of fish with live bait, large swim baits, or on fly is a sight fisherman's dream. Most fish being caught in our area will push the limits of your angling talent and endurance. These majestic gamefish often exceed 150-200lbs. There has never been a more exciting season to be fishing in Boca Grande and Palm Island Florida!

Capt. Mike Slattery
Palm Island, SW Florida Inshore and Offshore Fishing Charters

With windy conditions for the week of Easter, most of the fleet turned their attention to our inshore species of fish. Snook have been our preferred target species, due to the fact, that there are plenty of them around to catch. Redfish have been few and far between, although we tend to catch some while targeting snook on the higher side of the tide, while fishing shorelines. Most the redfish are smaller, between 18-24". Locally we are looking forward to the prevailing winds to move easterly, and getting back to a more common spring trend. When that happens, our beaches and passes will clear up, and we should see tarpon flooding into our estuaries daily.  It's a fun time to be fishing in South West Florida!

Fishing in March has been a challenge, due to cold fronts and water temperature dropping. We are looking forward to April, to see the water temperature rising and prevailing winds out of the east. With this trend, we expect fish to push out of the creeks, and flood the flats in the greater bay. The nearshore fishing should get better as well. With large reef species moving in from offshore, and pelagic fish pushing with the gulf temperature rising.  Cobia, kingfish, even blackfin tuna are expected to be in our nearshore waters within weeks. The bottom fishing will only get better, with more and more snapper moving in as the gulf temperature is climbing. April is a fantastic month to be fishing in South West Florida!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946
www.palmislandoutfitters.com
www.charlotteharborchronicles.com

The fishing around Palm Island has remained consistent this week.  We have had a lot of families on the water for spring break.  The mackerel fishing nearshore was great at the beginning of the week.  With plenty of rod bending action, and some filets to take home at the end of the excursion.  With the wind picking up towards the end of the week, we focused our attention inshore.  Lots of juvenile snook and redfish are in the bay, fishing deeper water shorelines on intermediate tides yielded the best catch.  It's a fun time to be fishing at Palm Island and Boca Grande FL.  

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946
www.palmislandoutfitters.com
www.charlotteharborchronicles.com

Spring time fishing got off to a great start this week. Our good client and great friend Tom caught 2 slot sized snook on his halfday inshore. Locally, our governing body has closed season on snook and redfish until further notice.  So, Tom and I, were happy to release the fish to help our areas efforts on rebounding quickly. We were able to find a nice school of pompano that kept us busy for almost an hour, and those are not catch and release. Tom took some home from a fresh fish dinner. It is a fantastic time to be fishing in South West Florida!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946
www.palmislandoutfitters.com
www.charlotteharborchronicles.com