Captiva Fishing, Snapper, October 10!

Current Red Tide & Water Quality Update Here (Page Down For Detail On Sampling & Location Table).

Captiva Fishing: Please Click For Rates & To Book A Captiva Fishing Charter Or Call 239-472-8658.

Live Weather Cams Here.

Sanibel Fishing Charters, October 10, 2019: Snapper, Catch & Release!

Please Click To Rent Homes Direct From Captiva Homeowners; No VRBO Booking Fees.

Sanibel Island Fishing, October 10, 2019.

Captiva Fishing Guide Report: Thursday, October 10: Snapper, Inshore, Catch & Release, Captain Joe’s Charters – the weather is great, no red tide, and a lot of good fish in the gulf, bay, and passes; Tarpon, Sharks, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, Snapper, Snook, and Seatrout are currently present.

Redfish & snook are regulated as catch & release at this time.

Already seeing some positive impact.  Some very nice big redfish and snook around, more big redfish than snook.

The Caloosahatchee freshwater releases are also not an issue right now, but still a huge long-term problem.

Extremely frustrating.  We need wholesale changes in the Florida state government.  It is not a Republican or Democrat issue – it is a Big Sugar control everyone issue.  It is stunning how we continue to let the sugar industry and the agriculture north of Lake Okeechobee to damage the water and all of Florida.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

We’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

We’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658.

Some big, nice redfish around; for more information just use the menu for recent fishing reports, background on any species, and other recent fishing, water quality reports, and information.

October 11, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters & Sanibel Island Fishing Charters: Snapper, Catch & Release.  Please also visit the Sanibel, Florida Fishing Report and Cuban Fishing sites. 

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel Island Fishing Charter or a Captiva Island Fishing Charter, also Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.

We’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.

Image Credit: © Diane Rome Peebles

Gray Snapper: Lutjanus griseus

Appearance:

“Also known as mangrove snapper, mango or black snapper.

• Dark brown or gray in color, with red-orange spots in bars along the sides
• Two large canine teeth near front of upper jaw
• Anchor-shaped vomerine tooth patch
• Dorsal fins with dark or reddish borders
• Young have dark stripe from snout, through eye, to upper edge of gill cover

Similar Species: Cubera snapper, L. cyanopterus (triangleshaped tooth patch and grow much larger than gray snapper); schoolmaster, L. apodus (yellow fins and faint white bars); and true black snapper, A. dentatus (rare in Florida; do not range north of the Florida Keys)

Size: Common to 24 inches (10 pounds)

Habitat:

Coastal waters near structure such as reefs, mangroves and seagrass.  Juveniles may enter freshwater.

Behavior:

Spawn June through August.  Feeds on crustaceans and small fish.

Additional Information

Gray snapper caught offshore are common 8 to 10 pounds.”  Recreational Regulations.  More Information &  Source @ FWC.

“The mangrove snapper or gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) is a species of snapper native to the western Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. They can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including brackish and fresh waters. It is commercially important, as well as being sought as a game fish. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.^[2]

Its color is typically greyish red, but it can change color from bright red to copper red. It has a dark stripe running across its eye if observed from the top when it is under water. This species can reach a length of 89 cm (35 in), though most do not exceed 40 cm (16 in). The greatest recorded weight for this species is 20 kg (44 lb).^[2]

The mangrove snapper can be confused with the Cubera snapper or black snapper, Lutjanus cyanopterus. Mangrove snapper are typically much smaller than Cubera, but when they are of similar size, the two species can only be distinguished by examining the tooth patch on the inside roof of the mouth.

Many specimens caught in Florida, specifically Punta Gorda, are actually misidentified dogtooth or dog snapper, Lutjanus jocu. The best way to distinguish between the two species is dog snapper has a lighter triangle of color with a blue band under the eye and large, sharp fangs in the front (canines), hence its common name. These fangs can deliver a painful bite, even in a small fish.

The mangrove snapper feeds mostly on small fishes and crustaceans. It was also observed as systematically waiting under the maternal colony of Buffy flower bat for falling bats near the entrances of Lucayan cavern, Bahamas.^[3]

The mangrove snapper is one of the most common species of snapper in warmer regions. It can be found in many areas from canals to grass flats, as well as in open water. Most mangrove snapper in the open water are generally found near bottom structure or reefs. They can be found at depths from 5 to 180 m (16 to 591 ft) though are mostly found at less than 50 m (160 ft).^[2]

Mangrove snapper is a common target for anglers and is highly prized for its light and flaky flesh. It can be caught on a variety of baits but is typically caught with live or frozen shrimp, squid, minnows and occasionally on artificial lures or baits.

They can be spearfished, as well, but are sometimes a tough target, as they tend to be more wary of divers, rather than curious, and their wariness of baits and divers tends to increase as the fish grow larger. Most mangrove snapper are caught on light to medium tackle, and typical catches range from eight to 14 in long in shallow or inshore waters, and up to 20 in long in deeper waters. Larger fish are uncommon, but not rare.  Please see more information here.

FWC: Gray Snapper Overview

“Also known as mangrove snapper, mango or black snapper.

• Dark brown or gray in color, with red-orange spots in bars along the sides
• Two large canine teeth near front of upper jaw
• Anchor-shaped vomerine tooth patch
• Dorsal fins with dark or reddish borders
• Young have dark stripe from snout, through eye, to upper edge of gill cover

Similar Species: Cubera snapper, L. cyanopterus (triangleshaped tooth patch and grow much larger than gray snapper); schoolmaster, L. apodus (yellow fins and faint white bars); and true black snapper, A. dentatus (rare in Florida; do not range north of the Florida Keys)

Size: Common to 24 inches (10 pounds)

Coastal waters near structure such as reefs, mangroves, and seagrass.  Juveniles may enter freshwater.

Spawn June through August.  Feeds on crustaceans and small fish. Gray snapper caught offshore are common 8 to 10 pounds.”  Please Click Here For More Information and Recreational Regulations.

Please click here to Book A Charter or call 239-472-8658 and here for Live Sanibel Traffic Cams.  Saturday, March 31, Captiva Island Fishing Charters, Mangrove Snapper, click here for College Of Fishing Hats & Apparel.

We’re located in Castaways Marina, Santiva, Sanibel Island, just before the Blind Pass bridge to Captiva Island.

After a fierce storm, Turner Beach, the beach adjoining the Pass, is frequently covered with a bounty of shells from Olives to Fighting Whelks to the more common Conchs. The fishing is also renowned for sharks in the summer, tailing redfish on the bayside flats and snook under and off the Blind Pass bridge. Because Turner Beach faces Westward, the sunsets are spectacular and a popular viewing point for residents and visitors alike.

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Fair winds and following seas,

Captain Joey Burnsed ~ please click calendar at the upper left or call 239-472-8658 to book a Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Boca Grande or Fort Myers fishing guide trip or shelling charter.