Sanibel Island mid-February

[Jason Paragas]

Heading to Sanibel in mid-February, what are peoples thoughts about what to surf fish? I am thinking that I will need to DIY, but am open to ideas. Tight lines

[Yambag Nelson]

I've never been but am going the first week of March.  From what I've read the surf isn't really the way to go that time of year.  Better off focusing on dropoffs around the flats and mangroves.  I'm spending a couple days around sanibel and will probably try ding darling and then am headed over to costa cayo to camp and fish for a couple of days.  

There is a flyshop on sanibel that supposedly has good info.  

I'm going DIY myself.  Thought about getting a guide but $700+tip was a bit much for me to pay to catch redfish and trout.

Post a report when you get back.    

[Jason Paragas]

Thx, I have another thread going on stripersonline, a couple of folks have suggested that snook in the wash could work. I might give it a cast.

[Andrew Sarcinello]

I'm not sure how the surf will be this time of year. Here are two places that have produced for me:

1. Head to Ding Darling in late afternoon before the entrance gate closes. Chill out, eat some food, take a nap, wait for sunset...then fish around the culverts. If the tide is moving you will crush fish from sunset until well after dark. Mostly snook and ladyfish there. Bring bug repellent!! FYI, do not wade in the refuge - there are a few gators there.

2. During the day, I've done well renting from Tarpon Bay Explorers and paddling in to Commodore Creek. In February it should be loaded with mangrove snappers and sheepshead, I've caught plenty of both there along with a lone redfish and also a pretty nice flounder. I'm certain snook are there but I was still pretty novice at chasing saltwater fish on the fly when I was there last, and I didn't tangle with any.

I've caught all my fish there on clousers of various colors. Always fly fished both places. 

[Miles]

Clousers are a great fly for a lot of species in Florida, but most snook flies sit closer to the top of the water column. Fluffy marabou flies or zonker strips tend to be popular.

I tie a fly that's sort of a Razorback crossed with a Double Bunny (call it the Doubleback). It has worked pretty well for me on both coasts of Florida. I've caught several snook on it. It would be my first choice for a surf or mangrove fly for snook. I sketched out the pattern if you want to tie some up. There's a special glue you need to bond the zonker strips to each other a la Double Bunny, but it's not really necessary if you're using a fairly short strip on this fly. I tried to cheap out on my first batch and used super glue, and it didn't hold long, but I still caught fish with the two zonkers separated.

Good luck!

Miles

[GSFeder]

Miles --

Great sketch and helpful tips.  

I'm thinking if you tie this fly in smaller sizes, with maybe copper wire to segment the zonker strips, you could call it the baby back, ribbed. 

Cheers, 

-- Greg

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 11, 2020, at 7:50 PM, 'Miles' via Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



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[Richard Farino]

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[Dalton Terrell]

I second Andrew’s recommendation of Tarpon Bay. Pray for very light SW winds and warm temperatures. Try to rent a canoe if they let you, but they will try to push you to a kayak. If the wind is up, go straight into Commodore Creek but with light winds stay in the bay and focus on the mangrove shorelines. With higher tides, stay about 30-40 feet from the trees and drop casts as close to the mangroves as you can. With lower tides, stay a little farther back and look for cruising or sunning fish, but also blind to the water in front of the mangroves and focus heavily on creek mouths.

For flies, I like various Enrico Puglisi baitfish patterns in size 4-6. Make sure you bring a spool or 30 lb Flouro as shock tippet, I use 30” connected to a 15lb leader/tippet. Snook have bass teeth on steroids that will immediately chafe through anything smaller than 20 lb, and 30 lb is the safest bet. Check your leader after after fish and you’ll probably need to cut the shock back a few inches and retie; once the shock gets shorter than 18”, tie on a new shock.

Good luck!

[tperkins]

For snook definitely don't use anything less than 25lb! Lost a really nice snook very quickly on 20lb.  A really simple fly is 239 Flies take on the EP A2Z fly. It is just two brushes and set of eyes. I've had good luck on white body and red head. (This was on the Atlantic coast)

[Jason Paragas]

Thanks all! Do you think a 7/8 is too much? It is a two handed overhead rod that I use for the CA surf.

[Dalton Terrell]

Go for a single hand rod between 7-10wt. If you do find snook on the beach, they will mostly be within 10 ft from dry sand—they get stupid close to the beach. Farther out in the surf you are likely to tangle with small, miscellaneous fish, occasional trout and jacks, but mostly ladyfish and blue runners. Whether in a boat or on shore, short accurate casts are going to catch way more snook than slinging 100 ft of line.

Dalton

On Wed, Feb 12, 2020 at 9:33 AM Jason Paragas <jpar...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks all! Do you think a 7/8 is too much? It is a two handed overhead rod that I use for the CA surf.

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[Andrew Sarcinello]

Miles, great looking fly! 

On my last visit to FL, in a different area, I caught a few little snook on a Murdich minnow. 

Jason, clousers will get the mangrove snappers although they do have a tendency to short strike. They like to hang out under the more complex mangrove root systems along channel edges. Especially on the downcurrent side where it's a little calmer. The best chance of hooking one is if you find a school, they will compete with each other for the fly. When solo they just nip at the tail. Sheepshead aren't as aggressive toward flies but occasionally one will slip up.

If you do go to the Wildlife Drive culverts, the current flushing through on a moving tide is pretty strong (think Gravelly Point) - even a clouser will be in the top foot of the water column. Don't ignore right up against the culvert walls because that's where the snook will be trying to pin baitfish. My PB snook came on a 10 foot cast to the wall I was standing on. Ladyfish hang out farther out in the open near the edge of casting range - a good way to reach them is just to let the current take the fly to them, and then strip back as fast as you can. 

[Jason Paragas]

I am getting the picture, I would of blasted it into troughs, rips and eddies. This is very helpful

[Miles]

Allow me to present to you... Greg's BabyBack Ribbed - #4, Olive. I don't have quite the materials I wanted to use on it (the chenille should be fluffier, or maybe a dubbing loop), but I think it's close enough. Pine squirrel on top, mink on the butt, olive chenille bod, gold wire rib. Probably catch the hell out of some trout or bass with it. 

Miles

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at 8:30:42 PM UTC-5, GSFeder wrote:

Miles --

Great sketch and helpful tips.  

I'm thinking if you tie this fly in smaller sizes, with maybe copper wire to segment the zonker strips, you could call it the baby back, ribbed. 

Cheers, 

-- Greg

\

[GSFeder]

Thanks, Miles.  Love it!

Cheers, 

-- Greg

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 1, 2020, at 8:20 PM, 'Miles' via Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



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[arthur noglak]

Looks Fishy

Art