Weekend Fishing Forecast: Wind Drops the Water, Snook Run the Beaches Off Sanibel and Captiva
A week of east-northeast wind pushed water out of the back bays at low tide, but the snook bite along the beaches stayed outstanding — and lighter wind is on the way.
Fort Myers — It has been a while since Southwest Florida has seen this much wind. Speeds ranged from 10 to 35 miles per hour all week, predominantly from the east-northeast, and strong winds pushed water out of the back bays during the lowest tides, leaving some shallow areas looking like dry land, according to the Florida Sportsman southwest forecast for October 30 through November 1.
Where there was water, the back bays and inland waters fished well. Redfish, snappers, black drum and trout were the main catches inshore. The standout was nearshore: the snook fishing has been outstanding, with fish from 22 to 36 inches caught regularly along the beaches all week, with hot spots around the passes of Sanibel and Captiva, where bait cruising the beaches and good tidal movement have set up easy pickings.
The forecast window runs through Sunday, and the trend is in anglers' favor: the strong winds are expected to diminish next week, which should let the water clean up and conditions settle back toward normal after a blustery Halloween week on the water.
