Will Geraghty

Daily News Correspondent

For many anglers, it is the intrigue that fuels their passion to participate in the sport or activity of fishing. With every cast and subsequent bite, the level of suspense grows greater and greater. Yes, our Southwest Florida fishery is indeed diverse, requiring a mindset to always expect the unexpected.

Here in the region, many exceptional or out-of-the-ordinary catches often go unreported. However, a recent catch recorded from the deep is quite noteworthy and deserves heaps of accolades.

On a recent outing, Marco Island anglers Frank Renkel, Derrick Raider and Mike Livorsi ventured out to the offshore grounds on what they thought would be a routine trip targeting king mackerel.

While at anchored in 65 feet of water depth, a 6-foot sailfish estimated to weight 130 and 140 pounds decided to crash their party. Hitting a free-lined live sardine deployed on a 2/0 hook, an epic battle ensued on light tackle spinning gear.

Quickly pulling the anchor and giving chase, the angling trio each took turns fighting the sailfish until she came boatside. Carefully landed and brought on board for several quick photographs, the beautiful Marco Island-caught sailfish was released unharmed to thrill another day. Congrats on an outstanding and unique sailfish catch.

While the fortunate Marco Island trio was reeling in sailfish, our vibrant Southwest Florida fishery was providing the rest of us with mixed bag opportunities, both shallow and deep.

The inshore waters have cooled and tempered the snook bite, yet filling the void have been good catches of redfish, pompano, silver/speckled trout and bruiser-sized jack crevalle. The passes, middle bays, and beaches have provided the most reliable action.

Red grouper continue to chew live and dead baits out in the 20- to 25-mile range. In the same areas, lane/mangrove snapper and kingfish are keeping the rods bent between grouper bites.

We are approaching a time when anglers need to capitalize on the good weather days to achieve piscatorial success. If the weather is good, go fish because you never know what species is going to bite the hook.

Offshore: Aboard the Ms. B. Haven, Capt. Stephen Iannotta has been plying the nearshore grounds on half-day outings and returning to the docks of Port of Naples Marina with mixed bag catches of snapper, Spanish mackerel and tripletail.

Iannotta has been pointing the bow of his vessel out to 35 to 38 feet of water depth and concentrating on select areas of hard bottom and rock piles. Lane/mangrove snapper and silver grunts have been coming over the rail using live scaled sardines and shrimp. While at anchor, Iannotta has been free-lining live shrimp on a long shank 2/0-3/0 live bait hook, and scoring with a scattering of Spanish mackerel.

Throughout their travels, Iannotta and the Ms. B. Haven crew have been crossing paths with the occasional tripletail. Free-lined jumbo shrimp or a live sardine have been Iannotta’s go-to tripletail offering.

Naples/Estero Bay: Aboard the Grand Slam, we have been plying the passes, beaches and middle bays surrounding Naples and Marco Island for quality tablefare species.

Timing the tide coupled with seeking shelter from the winds has been paramount for capitalizing on a reliable pompano bite. The clean water quality of the top half of the incoming and outgoing tidal phase has been best. Small brown tube jigs tipped with a fresh piece of shrimp and slowly worked along sand bar edges and stretches of shell substrate have been effective.

During the middle to upper stages of the incoming tide, live scaled sardines and shrimp presented under a popping cork around oyster bars and current swept points have been fooling redfish, large jack crevalle and small- to medium-sized sheepshead.

With this weekend’s approaching cold front, I expect the inshore pattern to begin to resemble a more winter-like mode once the winds have diminished and high pressure becomes re-established.

Ten Thousand Islands: “Backcountry fishing within the Ten Thousand Islands has been difficult due to extreme low tides and strong winds,” said Goodland- and Naples-based light tackle skipper Capt. Paul Nocifora.

With the conditions too windy to effectively throw the fly, Nocifora has been working oyster bars and shoreline drop-offs with a slowly worked Berkley Gulp shrimp imitation for cruising redfish and staged-up snook.

Speckled trout have also been on Nocifora’s guiding radar. Drifting the deeper island cuts located in the middle bays and Gulfside flats early in the fishing day with top-water lures and DOA paddle tail soft plastics has resulted in speckled trout catches for Nocifora and his clientele.

If you have a report to share, email captwill@naplessportfishing.com.

Anglers, email your photos to news@naplesnews.com or post them at www.naplesnews.com/participate and we will compile your images into an online gallery that’s featured each Thursday morning at www.naplesnews.com. Please do not submit photos of fish caught illegally.