Some really cool temperatures moved into the area over the Christmas and New Year holiday. The blustery winds and cooler temperatures had the pompano moving throughout the bay nicely.  A delicious fish to target, their table fair is top 5 in my book. They are also really fun to catch, will hit a jig like a sack of bricks!!! With cooler temperatures on the horizon, and a full box of jigs, it's a fantastic time to go fishing in South West Florida!!!

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

Happy New Year fishing followers!!! 

Our 2023 season ended with some incredibly cool and unusual weather. We had a low pressure system move into the Gulf the week before Christmas, and it was followed by the coolest temperatures of 2023.  That set us up for some winter time conditions.  

When our water temperature falls under 68°, we turn our attention to some "off brand" species.  Pompano are available throughout the bay, during these cold temperatures of the winter season.  Working diligently to jig the deep water flats, produces a high rate of by-catch, and the value of the target species is worth the hunt. 

With the right guide service, winter time can be a fun and tasty time to fish in South West Florida!!!


Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

With the winter winds bringing cold air down from the north, our winter season has started early this year. 

When our inshore water temperature drops under 70 degrees, our inshore fishing changes. We put up our live bait rods, and break out the Jiggs!!! Jigging the bay for pompano, can be some really fun fishing, that can produce some excellent table faire. Pompano are typically found on our beach front, traversing the passes and sand bars. But, when the big north blows happen, and the water temperature drops, they move inshore!!! We concentrate our efforts on the sandy bottom channels that make up the bay, and use a solid drifting technique to maximize our coverage as we search for schools. The by-catch is but not limited to: trout, flounder, jacks, bluefish, mackerel, and my favorite, the "lovely Lady" fish!!!

Because winter has come early, and the pompano are in the bay, it's an fantastic time to go fishing in South West Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

With our first real cold front of the year on our front door step, the fall fishing has been excellent thus far. Bait has been abundant and available for most days to catch on your leisure. 

Inshore, redfish have starting their spawning routine and can be found in massive schools throughout the harbor system. Snook, are always fun to target this time of year, and it's been hard to find a shoreline that doesn't have a few sitting on it. 

Trout are being caught on the deeper edges of grass and oyster bars throughout the region. The winter months seem to be the best season for finding big trout in shallow water. Look for the "Gators" sunning in shallow sand holes near those same oyster bars, in which you like to fish the deep grasses. 

As always, it's a fantastic time to go fishing in South West Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

With September rains, the inland and harbor water temperature have started to fall. This triggers all of our inshore gamefish, to start moving into a fantastic fall trend. Trout can be found in abundance, over the deep water grasses on the bar edges throughout the harbor.

Snook have started to move from the passes and beaches, into traditional trends heading for warm water refuge for a fall feed looking forward to winter time. Redfish can be found scattered throughout the harbor and bays, most fish caught on shorelines are under slot... But, big schools of over slot breeding fish are starting to pop up throughout the fishery on moon tides. Like most fall seasons, it's a fantastic time to be fishing in South West Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

We have finally progressed through our late season push of summer travelers. With school starting back up, and the summer heat continuing to warm the Gulf of Mexico, we continued to concentrate on our late summer time trends. Limits of mangrove snapper are being caught on most trips. Snook fishing is strong as ever. Schools of redfish are beginning to show up throughout the harbor. With a tropical system looming in the south west Caribbean, our locals have their attention fixed to the forecast. With all that said, we can use the rain, and it remains a fantastic time to go fishing in South West Florida!! 

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

The summer heat has set in!!! The good thing is, we know just what to do when that happens!!!  Our summer time snook fishing is about as good as it could get!!! Early morning days with 20-30 fish, along with some big fish mixed in is common on a good tide!!! 

Mangrove snapper are the targeted species to take home for dinner, a trend tat should hold strong into the month of August.

Tarpon, are still holding in the passes, and are starting to stage in the harbor system for a fall feed.

Capt. Mike Slattery

Who likes to cat BIG fish??? Because if you do, now is that time to fish Manasota Key, Palm Island, and Boca Grande!!!  Giant tarpon are all over our fishery, and feeding hard on the falling tides in our passes.  Free lining of crab, is the ticket to getting tight, but you have to play the tides to win at this game. Beach fishing has been harder than typical. We have incredibly clear water throughout the fishery, and the beach bite has been tough in sun lit conditions. The most productive time has been early morning, when the light is low, and the fish can't "study" the bait. 


Big snook fishing has been rough over the last few weeks. Bites are aggressive, but again due to the clarity, the fish are spooky. We have still been able to land some good ones, but the anglers on the rod, must capitalize on the opportunity of the bite!!!

It's an incredible time to go fishing in South West Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

We have entered the "Goldilocks zone"... That's what I like to call the time of year, before the summer rain starts and the water becomes "gin clear" with freshwater run off.  Also, the water temperature is just right for fish to be aggressive but not too warm to make them lethargic!!!  The perfect match of clarity and temperature, matched with good tides, equals quality outings with productive opportunities throughout the fishery. 


Tarpon on the beach front and passes, and good packs of Big Snook gathering for a summer spawn.  When you have the right conditions, targeting both can be done in a half day trip!!! Only 4 hrs, to land bucket list trophy fish!!! It's a great time to go fishing in South West Florida!!!


Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

Spring time fishing around Palm Island, Manasota Key, and Boca Grande FL. has gotten good! We are seeing schools of redfish on the flats, and lots of snook for rod bending action. Our water temperature has been hovering in the high 70s, but we are yet to see 80 degrees consistently this spring season. Even though, there are tarpon being caught in the southern sound, and groups of fish gathering in "Big Pass".

We are on the door step of some stellar fishing. The next few weeks, the weather should become a bit more consistent and with that the fishery will explode with opportunity!!! This late spring/early summer season is shaping up to be a great time to go fishing in South West Florida!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946