Happy New Year's Eve from Palm Island Outfitters!

It's been beautiful this week on the water. We look forward to getting you out on the water in 2017!

We had a quick bout with Red Tide in south west Florida last week.  The good news is, it is starting to dissipate and the process of moving it offshore may be sped up with Hurricane Mathew scraping close to the East coast of Florida later this week.  Our guides have been focusing on the areas south in the larger waters of Charlotte Harbor during the last week.  Most of the fish have pushed way up in the back country to remove themselves from the effects of the deadly tide.  The guides that have been successful, have found fish at the heads of the creeks and most outer edges around the mouths, when the tide pushes high enough to access those areas. 

The tarpon fishing in the upper harbor system has made for some better fishing in typically deplorable conditions considering the effects of red tide.  Looking forward, we expect the bait to move back into the beaches and sounds, and that should move the fish back out into the bays with a willingness to feed after a week or so of fasting.  Schools of redfish will be found again once the water cleans up, and snook should move back to the middle bays looking to fatten up before the first couple cold fronts of winter move in.  The crab traps will be set next week for an October stone crab season, and that means our triple tail fishing will hopefully start with a bang.  With all things considered, we are looking forward to being back on the water after a slow week of charters due to some "stinky" conditions.

Capt. Mike Slattery
Cell- 941.626-6946
Office- 844.289-0741

With all the rain from Hermine, it made fishing the beach side bays tough due to lots of fresh water runoff. But, there is always a bright side.  In the oxygen strangled areas with heavy fresh water pushing into our estuaries, our guides are finding schools of Tarpon that have collected to take advantage of the slower moving prey.  They have gathered around the mud flats of Charlotte Harbor, and in the tide stricken areas of the outer bays and back country. This is sight fishing at its best, done with fly, artificial, or live bait they all have the same outcome.  Putting a tarpon skyward, always puts a smile on our clients faces! It's a great time to be fishing in South West Florida!!!
Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946
www.palmislandoutfitters.com
www.charlotteharborchronicles.com

We have an incoming tide this week that's going to clean the bay up, and allow the fresh water runoff and a lot of the floating grass to be pushed back into the creeks. This should allow for the schools of #redfish that have been hiding off the edges on the lower tides to be found with ease. Look for them moving over the grass again with the rising waters. Schools of #Bonita, #mackerel, and #kingfish are starting to show relatively close to shore. The birds working the showering schools of bait are a sure fire sign, that our fall fishing season is just around the corner. It's a great time to be fishing in South West Florida!!!

September fishing offers opportunities like no other season. Inshore there are large groups of pre spawn Redfish, both overslot and slot fish combining to create numbers that boggle the mind. Snook season opens September 1, for a 90 day window and a chance to dine on a true Florida delicacy. The tarpon fishing in the fall can be down right great! The fish begin to stage in the upper Harbor, and become vicious feeders on the ebb tides. We sight fish them with large swim baits, it's not uncommon to receive double digit bite days when the fish are active and the tide is right. This "dark water" tarpon fishing can be as fun as it gets.

Nearshore, the mangrove snapper fishing will remain strong close to shore as the fish wind down their summer spawn. As the water cools with an abundance of rain fall,we will see large groups of Spanish mackerel and Bonita within a stone's throw from the beach. The bait muds will hold spinner sharks, king fish, and the late migrating tarpon.  And the boys will begin to be set in the beginning of October for stone crab season, which affords us great sight fishing opportunities for cobia and triple tail. There truly is not a better time to be fishing in South West Florida!

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