February time Cape coral area.

Belfast Bill

Hi all, I'm hoping to come over on vacation again next year with my two boys God willing, I am staying in the Cape Coral area and have access to a boat.
Can anyone help me on what to expect around the first week or second week February? also any decent spots to try? not expecting your secret Honey holes but just some useful tips. Is it worth heading out through the mouth of the River to some artificial reefs or maybe one of the passes. 
Thanks for any help, I love coming over as being Irish the locals treat me nice  

1outlaw

You should get better info when it gets closer to you arriving. With the discharges currently going on it could make a huge difference on whats happening!

Belfast Bill

Thanks, is the fishing good in the channel between Sanibel and the Ft Myers shore near the big bridge?

1outlaw

Zero help for you. My home waters are south of Marco island in the 10k islands.

Dodger

Belfast Bill said:

Thanks, is the fishing good in the channel between Sanibel and the Ft Myers shore near the big bridge

That is a huge area with lots of boat traffic.  Some large yachts that throw a huge wake.  We call it the gauntlet!
If you fish the bridge pilings or docks close to Sanibel it can be good.  I like the beaches in that area too.  You can always find some mangrove snapper willing to eat a shrimp.  Definitely want to fish structure anywhere around that area. Tarpon can also be good off Lighthouse Point!  Usually spring through summer.

Belfast Bill

Sounds great many thanks.
 Bill.

Belfast Bill

Do any Kings run tha channel or Cobia or am I there the wrong time of year. We are going for the second week over to Canaveral, last year we had some great fishing from a party boat Caught Cobia, Snapper loads of Kings well worth the money.

Thank you for your help and advice,if you are around I'll buy you a few Beers.

Belfast Bill

Hi are Tarpon around February time? also Spanish Mackerel?

Thanks for any help,
Bill.

Lostconch

There are resident tarpon year around but the cold water will slow them down

Dodger

Belfast Bill said:

Do any Kings run tha channel or Cobia or am I there the wrong time of year. We are going for the second week over to Canaveral, last year we had some great fishing from a party boat Caught Cobia, Snapper loads of Kings well worth the money.

Thank you for your help and advice,if you are around I'll buy you a few Beers.

In this area you usually need to get offshore a few miles to come across cobia, kings and keeper snapper.  I guess cobia will cruise the beach occasionally but not very often.  I have caught kings and spanish mackerel chasing bait schools less than a mile from shore.  I think it was in late winter or early spring.  You can catch mangrove snapper anywhere close to structure but the trick is finding them big enough to keep.

Belfast Bill

Hi is there any man made reefs close by, by that I mean within 10 miles from shore that might be worth fishing.

Dodger

Yes but it depends on which direction you go.  There are reefs out off Sanibel and to the West and others closer to Redfish Pass.  I usually go West only because I fish out of San Carlos Bay.

Here is the link to the FWC Reef Map and List:

https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/artificial-reefs/locate/

Belfast Bill

Thanks very much, that link is amazing, shows lots of areas within reach of us. I owe you a beer.

CaptainBly

Pretty much every county has links to their reefs.  Just google around a bit you will find all the public #'s you want.  The near shore stuff off Caya Costa and Boca Grande has been very productive for me in the past but when I was down there this year it was still pretty slim pickens from the red tide a couple years ago.  Hopefully by now they are getting back to normal.  I haven't been there since June.  But those reefs can be very productive.  Fished a lot is the biggest issue.  Good luck.

Belfast Bill

What type of fish can you expect on those reefs around early February?
Thanks again for all the help.

CaptainBly

Pre redtide, we caught everything there.  I don't fish there in February though.  I would think mangos and grouper if it is back to normal health.  In warmer months we have caught redfish, snook, mangos, gags, cobia, spanish, ladyfish, tarpon, sharks, jewfish, etc...   They can be very productive.  I would chum pretty heavily and if it is back to health, you should get some mangos fired up at the very least.

Belfast Bill

Many thanks, I was going to get a few blocks of chum, is there anything else that we can use? We were going to fish a few live baits under a cork and drift them a bit off the boat to see if there any Mack's about.

Dodger

I usually soak a block of chum and then I freeze leftover pilchards/whitebait on previous trips  I cut them in half and throw them out with the chum and it really gets the mangos and other stuff going.  I freeline chunks of pilchards back into the chum with a small white jig and light line. 
If I'm looking for kings I freeline something live like a pinfish or a grunt. Then I usually fish the bottom with a 4 oz weight and a pinfish.  That way you have the whole water column covered.  Current is really important for all of this!

CaptainBly

If you can get a bunch of white bait, chop it up and spread that around too.  

Belfast Bill

Many thanks, if your around I will treat you to a few beers, I have a cast net and some Sabekis for to get bait.

Belfast Bill

Well latest update, had to cancel the holiday due to Covid19, disappointing but there are worse things that could happen. So I'm going to book for the first two weeks in April god willing. Now back to the same questions but different time of year so again any help would be most welcome. I've been to Florida over thirty times and love America, great people and very helpful, I'll pray that all the problems over the last year sort themselves out, because you have the best country in the World, just behind Ireland.

jake1975

We will be happy to welcome you, just let us know where you will be, meanwhile, you can get to know what we have or the fishing options you can find.

Cameron

Hopefully your plans are still good. If so, I recommend going out with John at Conway Charters at least one day. He can show you where to fish and what to fish better than just about anyone in the area. Well worth a half day excursion price to get the lay of the land.