Submitted photo

Tom, left, and Pat Pruett with grandchildren Cody and Breanna Hunt, Tom and Lynn Egizii, vacationers from Springfield, Ill., caught eight nice size keeper Gag grouper on a ¾-day charter aboard the Carole Ann II with Capt. Scott Rayon. Carole Ann II Charters is located at Marco River Marina and can be reached at 248-5473 or www.marcoislandfishingcharters.net.

Submitted photo

Matt Crawford holds a 56-inch barracuda he caught while fishing with his fishing buddies and Capt. Joe Lisa of Seagone Fishing Team. The group also caught some nice kingfish and grouper.

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While the first winter cold front that moved into Southwest Florida was not as bad as many others I have seen, it did kill some snook and catfish according to Naples angler John Brossard.

He was fishing near the Bonita Beach area and found a lot of dead snook and catfish. Brossard also noted, I guess that’s why the further you go north the catfish and snook seem to think out in their numbers.

Brossard stopped to talk with two other anglers that were targeting sheepshead. They told him they could see them and put the bait right in front of their nose but they were not interested.

Additional reports were turned in of snook kills as far south as the Ten Thousand Islands but it was not as bad as the one north of us.

All of this is really not new news, back in the early ’50s, I remember seeing many snook floating on the surface, some were still breathing as the sun got higher. There were no size or bag limits on snook then and anglers would use a weighed triple hook to snitch both black mullet and snook.

I forget the year but it was about the time Vanderbilt Beach Road was being developed and it stopped the inland water flow from Clam Pass to Wiggins Pass. The water on the north side of the road was shallow and fishermen would wade the waters, one with a club in his hand, the other holding a heavy cord for a fish stringer. The snook were so cold they could hit them with the club and the other fishermen would string it.

After about four or five snook they would drag them to shore and place them in a box with ice and wade back out for more fish. Of course, they would sell the snook at the fish house later.

Another angler asked, I have not seen as many black mullet this year, does the cold water affect them also. I do not think that is the problem as they seem to arrive here to spawn about the time the water temperature starts to drop. It would not surprise me if there is a noted decline in their numbers. The harvesting of any species during their spawning time has to have a negative effect on them.

I think mullet would have a better chance to bounce back if there was a closed season or a limit of the total commercial tonnage taken.

One also wonders why snook are hatchery raised and release in an area that is about as unfriendly to cold weather as it gets. Wouldn’t it be better to release a good number of them in the Ten Thousand Islands where they would have a better chance of survival. Let me know what you think. I think I just heard a faint drum beat.

Anglers fishing the inland waters, passes and outer shoreline should be able to find some nice action from a large list of species including redfish, snook, sheepshead, black drum, some pompano, trout, ladyfish and jack.

Anglers using tipped jigs, spoons and lures might be wise to work them a little slower as the cold water will be less clear then it has been. Setting a live minnow, pinfish, grunt out with a popping cork could entice some of these species. A tarpon or shark might beat them to the bait. Do not rule out the same game plan using a fresh piece of mullet or ladyfish.

A quick warm up should bring the Spanish mackerel back to the nearshore waters.

Offshore fishing could see some increase in the numbers and average size of gag grouper closer to shore. We may also see an increase in the numbers of amberjack, some stray kingfish and cobia at the fish havens, wrecks and towers.

Allen Chamberlain of Seagone Fishing Team reports Matt Crawford caught a 56 inch barracuda while fishing with his fishing buddies and Captain Joe Lisa of the group also caught some nice size kingfish and grouper.

You may contact Allen at (239)293-7483 or visit the Seagone Web site at www.fishmarcoisland.com for more information.

The January monthly Coastal Conservation Association fishing tournament went well with some very nice catches of redfish weighed in.

The CCA holds the tournament the first Sunday of each month. It is for members only but you can get there early, join the CCA and enter the event. You may call Wright Taylor (239)821-9203 or Terry Metzger (239)597-4973 for more information.

Here are the winners of the January event.

First Place team Taylor and Giampaoli with two redfish weighing in at 12.89 pounds. Second place went to the team of Zumfilde and Aldacosta with two redfish weighing in at 10.52. Third place went to the Minarcin team with two redfish weighing in at 8.73 pounds. Forth place went to the team of Meland and Shaw with two redfish weighing in at 8.69 pounds. Fifth place went to the team of Campbell, Metzger and Ward with two redfish weighing in at 8.08 pounds. Sixth place went to the team of Turner and Simmons with one redfish weighing in at 6.33 pounds.

The largest redfish went to the team of Taylor and Giampaoli with a 6.57 pound redfish.

I know this is a short notice but just maybe you will want to get to the Everglades National Park meeting today (Jan. 18) at 5:30 p.m. at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Delnor Auditorium, 1450 Merrihue Drive, Naples. You may call (239)262-0304 for more information or go to their Web site www.conservancy.org. You may also contact Barbara J. Wilson, Director of Marketing & Communications, Conservancy of Southwest Florida (239)403-4216.

Have a great week!

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Red Stier is a weekly contributor to the Marco Island Eagle. Questions or comments may be directed to redstier@aol.com or 172 Trinidad St., Naples, FL 34113.