Sunday, 4/24/11 … forecast for the week ahead

As we enter the last week of April on the third quarter of the moon, the tides will slowly get better as the week goes on (please see below for information on tides for the week).

Fishing around Sanibel, Captiva, North Captiva and Pine Island will be better in the mornings and the tides will be more fitting as the week progresses.

If you are chasing tarpon, I suggest you head out early, as the first three or four hours of the morning will likely be best (first light – 10:30 a.m.)   In my experience, as we near the new moon, the tarpon tend to leave the inlets and head to the east side of Pine Island Sound in search of food and less boat traffic.

I have been seeing schools of large thread fin herring and shad that have moved in on the inside of Captiva Pass and Redfish Pass.  If you can get your cast net around them, they will be perfect bait to toss in front of a hungry tarpon.

Everybody likes to catch a tarpon, but after fighting a big fish for a half hour, you might want to move onto something smaller.

If so, the trout seem to be starting their annual migration to their spawning grounds.  The sea trout like to lay their eggs in sandy areas like the beach side of Sanibel and Captiva, Captiva Pass and Redfish Pass, and adjacent grass flats in large pot holes.  Please only keep one or two for dinner since they are spawning.

The snook are also in these areas.  If you catch one, please leave them in the water and gently remove the hook to ensure a healthy release.  Remember to practice catch and release because a fish is too valuable to only catch once.

Please help preserve the tarpon, snook trout and redfish of Sanibel and Captiva for future generations.

Tight lines this week!

Tides for the last week of April, 2011:

Monday 04-25-2011
Sunrise  6:56 AM EDT, Sunset  7:57 PM EDT
Moonrise  2:20 AM EDT, Moonset  1:41 PM EDT
Low Tide:   2:23 AM EDT   0.1
High Tide:  10:40 AM EDT   1.2
Low Tide:   1:08 PM EDT   1.2
High Tide:   7:28 PM EDT   1.7

Tuesday 04-26-2011
Sunrise  6:55 AM EDT, Sunset  7:58 PM EDT
Moonrise  2:56 AM EDT, Moonset  2:34 PM EDT
Low Tide:   3:18 AM EDT   0.2
High Tide:  10:55 AM EDT   1.3
Low Tide:   2:56 PM EDT   1.0
High Tide:   9:04 PM EDT   1.6

Wednesday 04-27-2011
Sunrise  6:54 AM EDT, Sunset  7:58 PM EDT
Moonrise  3:28 AM EDT, Moonset  3:25 PM EDT
Low Tide:   4:02 AM EDT   0.3
High Tide:  11:13 AM EDT   1.5
Low Tide:   4:15 PM EDT   0.8
High Tide:  10:33 PM EDT   1.5

Thursday 04-28-2011
Sunrise  6:53 AM EDT, Sunset  7:59 PM EDT
Moonrise  3:59 AM EDT, Moonset  4:16 PM EDT
Low Tide:   4:39 AM EDT   0.5
High Tide:  11:30 AM EDT   1.6
Low Tide:   5:12 PM EDT   0.6
High Tide:  11:42 PM EDT   1.5

Friday 04-29-2011
Sunrise  6:52 AM EDT, Sunset  7:59 PM EDT
Moonrise  4:30 AM EDT, Moonset  5:07 PM EDT
Low Tide:   5:10 AM EDT   0.6
High Tide:  11:45 AM EDT   1.7
Low Tide:   5:57 PM EDT   0.3

Saturday 04-30-2011
Sunrise  6:51 AM EDT, Sunset  8:00 PM EDT
Moonrise  5:01 AM EDT, Moonset  5:58 PM EDT
High Tide:  12:37 AM EDT   1.4
Low Tide:   5:36 AM EDT   0.7
High Tide:  12:00 PM EDT   1.8
Low Tide:   6:37 PM EDT   0.1

Fair winds & following seas,

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ call 239-472-8658 or email captjoefred@gmail to book a charter.