It’s been an awesome winter here on Sanibel & Captiva! We’ve had some absolutely gorgeous weather, along with some that was just flat out cold (for us Floridians, anyway). Thankfully, we don’t experience much of the extreme cold and snow that many of you up north see! However we get our share of cold fronts that we battle through each year. One thing is certain, the fishing is always outstanding on Sanibel & Captiva, and this winter was no exception!
Thanks to the widespread “lockdowns”, we’ve been blessed to welcome many new and old customers aboard the islands and to our boat in recent months! We’ve even had the opportunity to help a number of kids, and some adults catch their first fish ever! It’s always a joy for me to introduce someone to the fishing! I hope we helped provide great memories and develop a passion for the outdoors for a long time to come! Thankfully the fish have been willing participants, so by all means stay safe, but don’t forget to get outside and enjoy everything life has to offer!
Winter fishing was hot!
The winter fishing this year was excellent. We had a brief, early battle with Red Tide however, it cleared relatively quickly and the waters soon rebounded to be clear, cool and calm. The cooler water temps really turned on the near shore snapper and grouper bite. While inshore, Redfish, Speckled Trout, Snook and Sheepshead fishing stayed strong as ever. Bait hung around almost all winter and overall, the fishery has never looked better!
Spring Expectations
As Spring arrives here in Southwest Florida, the water temps will start rising and we’ll start transitioning into our spring patterns. That means we’ll start seeing increased number of Mangrove Snapper as well Spanish Mackerel roaming the beaches and grass flats. Trout and Redfish thrive in these conditions. We are slowly starting to see increases in the number of Snook and even the return of our migrating Tarpon!
As you can imagine this is a busy time of year! So if you’re planning your trip, and want to book a fun filled day on the water with your family or a day to chase a trophy like the Silver King please schedule your dates as early as possible. My calendar is quite full already, but as always I will do what I can to accommodate your day(s) on the water! You can send me an inquiry here.
Thank you all for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you all very soon! Stay safe, enjoy life and tight lines!!!
Capt. Bryan Dollar
PS: You can see the most up to date weather information for Sanibel & Captiva here!
