Catching bait from shore Ft Myers

otdrzmn04

Will be down in Ft Myers this weekend. I have caught a few pinfish under the Sanibel bridge but not much luck. Any info on places to try from shore for pinfish or mullet. Either cast net or pole is fine

Gav

I saw millions of baitfish at the lighthouse pier the other day. You can't cast from the pier but if you wade in in a bit you will get all you want. lots of needlefish and mullet at ding darling but I'd bring a long dip net there as the oyster beds will rip up the cast net. Really casting at any pass will get you pin fish.

otdrzmn04

Is it safe to throw net under sanibel bridge on ft myers side? 

JerseyBlue732

Gav said:

You can't cast from the pier 

I don't mean to hijack, but what is the purpose or thinking behind piers prohibiting using cast nets?  Is it a hazard of some sort, or do they do it to force you to buy bait from the local/on-pier vendor?

Gav

Different piers have different posted rules. no vendors are there to sell bait. Small pier so they probably don't want bait fisherman there hogging up room or inuring someone.

14foothammer

You can pretty consistently get big pilchards at Fort Myers pier with a sabiki.