Red Stier/Special to the Eagle

Mike Nakamura and his fishing buddy, Kevin Tennyson of Rockville Maryland. Both are holding a nice cobia one of several they caught and released using large minnows at an offshore honey hole. They also caught several other species that included large Spanish mackerel, two black tip sharks, and mangrove snapper using smaller live minnows.

Red Stier/Special to the Eagle

Mike Nakamura and his fishing buddy, Kevin Tennyson of Rockville Maryland. Both are holding a nice cobia one of several they caught and released using large minnows at an offshore honey hole. They also caught several other species that included large Spanish mackerel, two black tip sharks, and mangrove snapper using smaller live minnows.

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July has arrived and with it continued productive fishing and catching on most all our fishing fronts.

Our near and offshore waters should have the same menu of species lurking on the bottom including yellowtail, lane and mangrove snapper; red, black and gag grouper. Add to that some cobia, amberjack, shark a few kingfish and lots of barracuda looking for your fresh cut bait or small live bait. Live mullet, defined catfish, minnows, jack, bluerunner and ladyfish make up the list of live bait.

Anglers using chum will enhance their chances of productive fishing.

Of course, fishing reports will always range from “we really kicked their butt” to “things were really slow this trip.” Most of the slow reports are referring to the bottom fishing. It’s a good bet anglers turning in the slow reports about bottom fishing took the luck of the draw and lost when deciding where to fish. Their honey holes were fished hard a day or two before they arrived. Then add the large numbers of giant goliath grouper that are there 24/7 and it is easy to see why some have a slow day on their fishing trips.

The wise angler will be prepared to fish both the bottom and near the surface and have at least two other locations close enough to fish using a minimum amount of fuel and time in the event the first spot is slow.

One very positive report just in from Mike Nakamura of Marco Island and Rockville, Maryland. He writes the following: Just wanted to let you know the cobia have been hitting pretty well this month. I caught and released the cobia shown in the attached photo. It was 32.5 inches at the fork. My buddy Kevin Tennyson caught a 29-incher and released it. A boat about 25 yards away hooked a much larger cobia on a small rod and had to chase the fish down. Not sure if they boated it or not.

This occurred several miles out from Marco with a lot of bait in the water, some Spanish mackerel and other stuff hitting top side as well.

The cobia were caught on large pilchards hooked through the nose and drifted off the stern of the boat.

Thanks for the pictures and great report Mike, look forward to hearing from you again soon.

More good news, our inland, passes and outer shoreline should continue to offer anglers some nice size redfish, snook, snapper, a few pompano and trout all with a great food value if they are in the legal size window. The larger tarpon just might be a little bit smaller in their numbers in the inland waters with a better chance of larger tarpon in the passes, nearshore fish havens and wrecks.

Finding Spanish mackerel working the bait could also have some larger tarpon intermingled in them.

Closer to shore our large spawning snook continue to cruise the outer shoreline, beaches, passes and some waterways. While they are protected until Sept. 1 they are great sport.

Soaking live bait including mullet, crab, pinfish and grunt on the bottom of the deeper holes at the passes can get some action going fast during the high incoming or high falling tide. Using the same bait at the nearshore wrecks and fish havens will also work well. Using tipped jigs and lures at the beach at daybreak or late afternoon could be successful also.

Please use single hook lures as often as you can as it makes it easier to release them.

Flashback. Many of you will remember for the past several years I have suggested in my articles that the State of Florida should get together with the oil companies and allow them to drill – with some strings attached. The strings include royalties paid to the state that would fund other saltwater projects, such as saltwater hatcheries here in Southwest Florida, and take an active role in building fish havens near their rigs. Some would be protected, creating natural fish hatcheries, others open to sportfishing.

My reason for contacting them was, sooner or later they will find a way to get what they want anyway. Guess what, we now know what they have come up with a plan likely to nudge the powers that be throughout our country to reconsider the offshore drilling because of pressure at the pump.

The sun is setting on cutting such a deal with them but just maybe if the state moves fast enough it is not too late to get our licks in before the door is closed. God, I hate to tell you I told you so, but I did tell you so several times. Sooner or later they will find a way to get permission to drill anyway.

Have a great holiday weekend!

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Red Stier is a biweekly contributor to the Marco Island Eagle. Questions or comments may be directed to redstier@aol.com or 172 Trinidad St., Naples, Fla., 34113.