Sanibel Island Fishing

Posted by augie on March 19, 2018

Sanibel Island Fishing on a Friday Night

While Friday nights are often seen as a way to wind down from the work week by going out to dinner or maybe seeing a live band play at your local venue, I prefer to end the work week with an evening of fishing adventure. During lunch on Thursday, I scanned the local SW Florida fishing reports and formulated a new mission, “Sanibel Island fishing on the beach”. According to the local fishing reports, snook, trout and a few reds were cruising the waters off the Sanibel Island beaches at Knapps Point. Since my November arrival at SW Florida, I have not attempted fishing the beaches. I have been focusing my fishing efforts in the mangroves and back bays. However, The fish have left my kayaking waters of Estero Bay and it was time to explore new options.

The Plan

Using google earth, I scanned Sanibel Island and found Knapps Point. Parking on the island for public beach access can be limited depending on where you wanted to go. Scanning google earth, I located a public beach access at the end of Algiers Lane. Next I checked the tides and pleasantly found that on Friday at sunset was a newly turned incoming tide. I had reports of fishing being caught at a place I had not yet fished, available parking close, good weather predicted and an outgoing tide; the plan was coming together. Almost. Next I had to plan the method of attack. Tossing bait out into the surf and sitting in a beach chair waiting for a fish to bite has never been very productive for me. I needed a more proactive approach. The fishing report stated huge snook were holding and cursing the beach along the first trough. I figured, I could wade out in the Gulf surf and cast soft plastic baits parallel to the beach keeping the bait in the trough where the fish were supposed to be hanging. The plan was complete. I was off to Sanibel Island fishing on Friday evening.

Execution of the Sinibel Island Fishing Adventure

Joining me on this Sanibel Island fishing excursion was Craig, a fellow FEMA employer who also enjoyed wetting a line from time to time. I arrived a few minutes before him at the parking lot and as I removed my fishing rod from the car, the only one I have with me here in Florida, I panicked when I discovered that in my haste, I had clipped off the tip with the rear hatch of the car. Quickly I grabbed my phone and checked the location of the closest fishing shop. I was in luck and Whitneys’ Bait and Tackle was just a few miles up the road.

Entering Whitney’s I proclaimed, “I’ve got a fishing emergency! I need a new rod.” The guys in the store quickly handed me a TFO Professional in the size I needed and with the credit card still smoking, I buzzed out of the store and back to the parking lot where Craig was waiting.

The Gulf water was colder than we expected, but soon our bodies acclimated to the wet environment. Wet up to our waist, I began casting and retrieving my imitation bait. Craig tossed his live shrimp on a cork rig and let it drift with the current. Slowly we worked west up the beach casting and searching.

I read the surf and the beach finding a deeper section of water edged with a slight rise in the beach bottom contour. It looked fishy. I guessed right, as I caught my first fish of the night, a solid 18-in sea trout. Craig was a good distance behind me down the beach and I called for him to join me and fish this section of beach with his live shrimp.

Small whitings kept Craig occupied until the sun finally set in the west and the cool air chilled us enough to call it an evening. I switched it up for a while and live lined a whiting with no results. Then ended the evening with a second sea trout using a live shrimp on a jig-head.