The Tarpon fishing this week has been tough. Slow tides during the day, and an evening fall has resulted in lackluster fish in the early morning. Thus, again we turned our attention to another species for "bites". The big snook fishing in the summer time can be some of the best fishing in the area. Multiple bites, and still the opportunity to land quality game fish even on the "off" days of tarpon fishing. With full moon tides on the horizon, and the tarpon spawn in progress... Next week can turn out to be a fantastic time to go fishing in South West Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

Summer time fishing is in full swing!!! With the addition of a "new to us" boat to our fleet, we have been in consistent Tarpon and snook fishing. The tarpon fishing is being done in Boca Grande pass, and on the beach front. Our Parker 25' can accommodate a larger party, up to 6 anglers, and affords comfortable and stability. Our snook fishing is being done out of the Pathfinder 22' and has all the latest technology to put your party up to 4 anglers on great inshore game fish.  It's a fantastic time to go fishing in South West Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

Spring has sprung, around Palm Island and Manasota Key Florida.  We are seeing spring like conditions throughout the fishery.  Bait is being caught throughout the harbor system.  That opens the door for a spring trend, fishing snook and redfish.  We are working deep edges during this transition period, to find nice sized fish on lower tides.  When the tide begins to rise, we are finding nice redfish along our grass flats and mangrove haunts.  It's a fantastic time to go fishing in Southwest Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

We have had a good week of fishing around Palm Island and Manasota Key Florida. Warming water temperatures and clean water has opened up the fishery. We are catching lots of pompano throughout the bays, deep channels and bedded grass with tide flow helps.  Warming water has led to Redfish and snook to start moving out of the creeks, and staging for a spring feed on nearby grass flats. Nearshore, with prevailing East winds, we have had calm seas that has allowed for good triple tail fishing.  It's your choice what flavor you want to try and catch, and as always....  It's a FANTASTIC time to go fishing in Southwest Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

With cold temps in the air now, winter is really here... No fooling this time, it's for real!  So we are locked into our bay pompano fishing.  We are finding these great tasting fish, throughout the region.  Tide, and sandy bottom with broken grass is important, clean water helps too.  We are also finding nice trout and redfish on the flats, warming on the grass with rising temperature and water.  It really is a fantastic time to go fishing in Southwest Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

Cold winter winds bring opportunity in Southwest Florida. With late fall cold fronts, our water temperature's have dropped considerably.  We have started an early winter trend around Palm Island and Manasota Key.  With bay and gulf temperatures being in the high 60s, we are targeting our winter species early this year.  Pompano and Tripletail are our target species inshore.  These trips offer anglers multiple site fishing opportunities, as well as high quantity and catch rate.  Great for a late fall or winter time fishing experience.  It's a great time to be fishing in Southwest Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

Early November cold fronts have started to decrease the water temperature fairly rapidly around Palm Island and Manasota Key.  This has moved some of the local guides to start fishing their winter trends.  For me, that takes my attention off of the usual suspects (reds, snook, and trout) and turns my attention to some "food" fishing.  Triple tail and pompano are on my menus for winter time.  Both are delicious, and fun to catch.  Both have a fairly abundant population locally, and both can be caught on either live bait or artificial.  As it gets cold up north, it becomes a fantastic time to go fishing in Southwest Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

Finished up a busy week of charters, with the Redbone Celebrity Fishing Tournament. Which I, after 10 years of fishing the tournament, have the opportunity to chair. And, benefits cystic fibrosis research, a disease that affects children.

We had 38 inshore fishing guides, fishing clients from around the US.  Each client is his/her individual team with their assigned guide, 2 clients per boat. All boats were tasked with going out and capturing the inshore Grand Slam (Snook, Redfish,Trout, and Tarpon).  With the fall season offering great weather and fantastic fishing, the guides and clients alike enjoyed the experience and tournament format.  The catch numbers are impressive even without all boats recording their catch.  The big winner are they clients and guide teams that can complete the grand slam!  With most teams only fishing 10-12 he's over a 2 day period, catch 4 particular inshore game fish species is not an easy task. 

Congratulations to all the clients and guide teams that won a category.  And thanks to all that donated time and money for a great cause.  As always, it's a fantastic time to go fishing in SW Florida!!!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

Fall fishing has been great so far in the Manasota Key area, even with a small bout with redtide. Locally, the bays that are closest to the passes and the beach, seem to be taking a little more time to come back. But, the backcountry of Placida Sound has been producing good catch numbers, for all the marquee inshore species.  Schools of redfish can be found on almost any tides.  Snook fishing has been good when the water is moving.  And, we are finding random trout, Jacks, and mangrove snapper along the way.  It's a fun time to go fishing in South West Florida!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946

The wind has been brutal since memorial day weekend. So, the Tarpon bite has been lackluster to say the least.  Because of that, I tend to turn my focus on another "big game" species we have available in summer time. Big snook hunting can be some of the most fun and rewarding fishing we offer. Multiple bite days, often in the double digits, with the opportunity for the anglers to land a trophy sized fish.  June is the month for catching big critters, and we have them in fantastic order.  It's a great time to be fishing in South West Florida!

Capt. Mike Slattery
941-626-6946
Manasota Key Fishing Charters