My SWFL Fishing Stories W/Pictures

[teetime4one]

I tend to fish a lot. I have my phone close at hand for most fish landed. It takes pretty good pictures for a cell phone. Some pictures taken are from other anglers phones...they are typical crappy cell pics. I have shared most, if not all, of my fishing pictures on FB. This has made it easier for me to upload them to photobucket in order to share them on this forum.
I wanted to start a thread, that I can add to, which will allow me to post daily updates and give a first hand account of weather, tides, water conditions and fish tales.
I target two species; Snook & Black Bass.
My fishing buddy has two boats, he wants to target Tarpon...I'll do that too! Yet, we have only managed to get out once, without success. It will happen tho!
Here are some pics dating from the 3rd week of August until recently. Enjoy

[Tgreen25]

Nice fish man! Where at in SW Florida?

[teetime4one]

Nice fish man! Where at in SW Florida?

Thanks!
Cape Coral.

[teetime4one]

I purchased a new Penn Conflict 4000 yesterday. Got called back to Naples to repair more wheels before making it to my local bait shop for the rod I wanted. I woke up at 5:00am today in order to get to the bait shop by 6:00 to purchase it. I purchased a 7' Star Rods Stellar Lite. Then I hit the water!
I caught 15-20 bass in the 2 hours I was out. The bite was slow on the crank bait, but that's what the Snook like...so I had to try it. Landed a few bass before changing to a plastic worm. Once I was set up with the worm, I really tore into them! The largest was close to 5 pounds. Here are some pics:






I will be headed to the bridge tonight for my regular Snook fishing adventures with friends.
Hope everyone had a fun & safe New Years Eve last night.

[teetime4one]

Skunked at the bridge last night. I did meet a few new people tho. So, I'm okay with that.

[fishnfool73]

Some real nice linesiders, great work.

[gruntking]

nice fishing bud

[teetime4one]

Thanks guys.
I went out early this afternoon. Fished a canal in Naples with no success. Then found myself at my buddies place fishing on his canal. Landed a few nice bass, but the wind was blowing hard and I couldn't get a feel for my offerings. So, I cut it short. No pics

[teetime4one]

I went to the Bascule bridge at Matlacha this afternoon. Got there at 4:30 and left by 6:30. The wind was/is blowing super hard again today...and it's 52 degrees outside. Needless to say, I froze my arse off!
Hooked into 4 Snook. 3 broke me off and I landed one.

[teetime4one]

I bass fished a local pond yesterday. First cast with a watermelon colored plastic worm landed a nice one. Shortly after this it started to rain. 30-or-so casts later...I was done!
Came home thinking I was done for the day when my buddy called me with a challenge. He suggested that we fish for one hour and see who could catch more bass than the other (Snook counted for 2). Challenge excepted!
I packed up my fishing car with all of my gear (fresh and salt) along with 4 Pinfish I had left-over from Friday night. Headed to his place for the challenge...as I crossed the Caloosahatche river the rain really picked up. I knew the fishing would be slow...I had experienced that at my local bass pond. One bass was landed in the hour. I have never seen my buddy give so much effort into working his bass lures. Still, he lost the challenge.
I jumped in the car and drove over to the Bascule bridge. I had a big fish on that broke off when my braid touched the bottom of the bridge. No more hits after that. I left at 5:45pm...soaked from a steady drizzle.

[teetime4one]

I fished for 1 hour 25 minutes today. When I got to the Bascule bridge it was 4:55pm. The wind was steady at 35-40 MPH. The tide was ripping under the bridge. I set up my gear on the South side with the current taking my Pinfish away from the bridge, not under.
I landed my first Snook just after 5pm. It was a slender 29.250". The second was a better brawl at 32". I also landed a little guy. One other hit, and that was it.
Right about the time we were leaving, a tarp drifted under the bridge and snagged my line. It got about 70' out from the bridge when I stopped it. As I reeled it in the thing opened up and sailed like a kite, one half out of the water. I let my line down and walked it to the bank. My hook was set real good on this nice tarp. So, I brought it home so I could get my hook back. lol

[kcdahunter]

nice fish man keep them comeing

[teetime4one]

nice fish man keep them comeing

Thanks. I have been fishing a lot lately. The Snook bite has turned ice cold. A few small Snook have been caught free-lining shrimp, but Pinfish have done nothing since the beginning of January.
So, I've been concentrating on the bass ponds and canals I like to frequent. Landed a few bigguns here and there...nothing to exciting tho.I'm ready for the warm weather to return.