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Seasonal business is just beginning to pick up around here, though most of the recently reserved dates are for later this month and into next. I did get offshore Saturday, 10/10 with long-time customers Jerry and Barb Rudan, from Wisconsin. We headed out of NewPass to about 18 miles, but it was slow go...

Tuesday, 3/30, seas were rough offshore and I ended up re-booking my planned gulf trip with a trio of ladies who wanted to fish the bay. Karen Taylor, son Evan Taylor, and Evan’s grandmother, Kate Collins, fished with live shrimp and caught six keeper sheepshead to 18 inches and a keeper mangrove snap...

Wednesday morning, 4/28, I fished Estero Bay with Paul Martz and Christian LeClerc. We caught a 23-inch Spanish mackerel, released short snapper, and were bemoaning the slow action when, all of a sudden, two lines began bending, and we reeled in two keeper redfish, at 18 1/2 and 19 inches--so we end...

“No oil—No spoil Our Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday, 2/21, Don Kennis, his dad, Doug, and his twelve-year-old son, Bradley, fished a catch-and-release trip with me about 18 miles west of New Pass. We released a hogfish, thirty mangrove snapper, red grouper, grunts, porkfish and sh...

“No oil—No spoil Our Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday, 3/7, I fished with (I kid you not) Dave Hanson! After we laughed about captain and client having exactly the same name, Dave introduced me to the rest of his angling party, which included his son-in-law, Ryan Seipp and friend, Way...

“No oil—No spoilOur Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday morning, 4/4, I fished the near-shore reefs off Bonita Beach with Tim and Stephanie Cobb and their two children, Spencer and Sydney. We were fishing just ahead of a weather-front predicted to kick winds up to 25 knots by early afte...

After a few days off the water, with high winds and seas persisting into mid-week, I got back offshore on Friday morning, 5/20, with long-time customer Casey Miller. This time, Casey was in town for a wedding, and he invited the groom and friends to fish with us. The group, consisting of ( in addition to...

Monday, the first day of August, I fished with Paul Fenwick, daughter Emma, son Spencer, along with John Priddy, his daughter, Jordyn, and her cousin, Susan Carlisle. The group wanted big fish, so we spent some time catching bait for goliath grouper. Using live shrimp, we caught ten grunts, nine por...

After a long time off the water, nearly a month, due to our very slow slow-season, along with a couple weeks of consistent rains, I finally got out fishing again on Monday, September 12th. I fished with live shrimp in central Estero Bay with long-time customers Steve Spitzer and Jalissa Reeve...

With rough seas persisting into the weekend, my Saturday charter was deferred to Monday, 11/14/11, when seas calmed to two-to-three feet. I headed about 22 miles offshore, out of New Pass, with Bob and Stephanie Rose. We caught a bunch of grouper, but no keepers. Using shrimp and pinfish, we caught...

Just as busy season was gearing up, the first week of December brought not only high winds and rough seas, but also red tide conditions in the gulf and up into Estero Bay. The good news is that the weekend's wind direction helped push the red tide out to sea. And, the backwaters, at least the spots I fishe...

Monday morning, 12/19, I fished in the backwaters of Estero Bay with Larry Baumgartner, his son Chris, granddaughter, Madeline, and family friend, Walt Barney. The tide was a little on the low side, but we made the most of it, and were able to catch a 19 ½ inch pompano and three keeper sheepshead to 15 in...

After two days of windy, rough, unusually cold weather, thanks to a strong cold-front, I finally got back out fishing on Wednesday morning, 1-4-12. It was still a chilly 35 degrees first thing that morning, and seas were residually rough offshore, so Andy Oliver and Pat O’Neil opted to leave later in...

The week of 1/30/12 began with a cold-front that brought high winds and seas and small-draft advisories, which forced me to cancel both offshore trips planned for those days.Wednesday morning, 2/1, began a little rough offshore, but quickly calmed down and was flat by afternoon. I fished about 20 m...

After a couple days off the water, due to a cold front that brought frigid temps, high winds, low tides and rough seas, I headed to the near-shore reefs Monday, 2/13/12, to fish a catch-and-release trip with Richard and Trish Burdow. Seas had calmed to two-to-three feet near-shore, and the sheepshea...

Monday morning, 3/26, I fished over hard bottom in 35 feet, with Chris Ernberger, his dad, Jerry, and Chris's son, Carter. There was about a 3-foot roller left over from the windy Sunday that preceded our trip, so we didn't venture too far offshore. The guys used live-shrimp to catch six keeper mangro...

Monday, 4/9, seas had calmed at last, and I headed out to fish in spots between 22 and 28 miles west of New Pass with Bill Conklin, his son, Eric Conklin, and friend, Rick Weigand. Bill caught a keeper red grouper at 21 inches, and we released lots of red grouper just short of keeper size. The group also ca...

Monday, 8/6, I headed out to 35 feet to fish with Brian Woeste, Adam Bodkin and Tim Powers. The guys wanted to experience the thrill of big game, but also wanted some food fish. We started out catching blue runners and Spanish mackerel for goliath grouper bait. The guys caught and released a 70-pound go...

Labor Day Monday, 9/3, I fished at the near-shore reefs with Brian Lucas and his two young sons, Grady and Grant, along with Cadrin Cojanu and his two young children, Ben and Emily. The group used live shrimp to catch four Spanish mackerel to 23 inches, five pompano, all around 14 inches, a keeper mang...

Saturday, 10/20, I fished with long-time customer Marshall Swain, along with his family and friends. We used live shrimp, about 22 miles west of New Pass, and the group caught twenty-five keeper lane snapper to 12 inches, along with one keeper mangrove snapper at 13 inches. They released a half doze...

Monday, 11/5, I fished about 22 miles west of New Pass with Mark Cavanaugh and friends. The four guys used live shrimp to land five gag grouper, three of which would have been keeper-size, to 23 inches, except for the fact that season closed for those five days ago. So we released all of those, along with...

Monday, 11/5, I fished about 22 miles west of New Pass with Mark Cavanaugh and friends. The four guys used live shrimp to land five gag grouper, three of which would have been keeper-size, to 23 inches, except for the fact that season closed for those five days ago. So we released all of those, along wit...

Tuesday, 11/20, I fished inshore in Estero Bay with Al Tooley and his thirteen-year-old son, Aiden. The guys caught a 20-inch, keeper redfish, along with five keeper sheepshead to 15 inches, all on shrimp. They released seven smaller sheepshead and two stingrays. Wednesday morning, I again fish...

After cancelling six consecutive fishing trips, due to weather conditions offshore and red tide in the bays, I finally got to fish again on Thursday, 1/24.I headed out about 18 miles from new Pass with Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonse and Jack Dee. Fishing was a little slow, perhaps due to the cold nights we e...

Monday, 2/4, I headed offshore with Barry Pflueger and friends. I hadn’t been offshore in nearly a week, due to rough conditions out there. Seas were still fairly choppy early on, but they calmed down by mid-morning. Fishing was kind of slow although, if it weren’t for grouper season closing, we migh...

03/04/13- SW FL-Bonita Beach: Near-shore Reefs ProductiveAfter a cancelled trip on Monday, I got out fishing Tuesday, 2/19, as winds and seas finally began to calm down from their week-long highs of 30 knot gusts and 4-12 foot seas. It was still a little sloppy so I stayed near-shore, about 12 miles o...

Finally, a day with warmer temps, light winds and calm seas—That was just what frequent customers Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonso, and Dick Arnett were hoping for on Tuesday, 3/5, when we headed out to fish about twelve miles west of New Pass, with a bait-well full of live shrimp. And, what a glorious day it t...

Monday, April 1st was the first day of red grouper season re-opening, and I headed out to fish in spots 28 miles and 36 miles west of New Pass with Ron Lash, Kelley Wood, Peter Vitale, and their friends Bob and John. We used a few different live baits—shrimp, pinfish and grunts—to catch a bunch of fish of a...

Monday, 5/13/13, I fished the backwaters of Estero Bay with David Bloomfield and David Price. Using live shrimp, the guys caught three redfish, two of which were keepers at 19 ½ and 20 inches. They also caught two 14-inch sheepshead and a 15-inch black drum. They released mangrove snapper shorts. T...

I fished Saturday, 6/1, and I headed offshore about 36 miles west of New Pass to fish in 71 feet with Craig Daniels, Chip Lehman, and friends Bubba and Paul. We had a great day of fishing in good conditions. We used shrimp and squid to catch most everything, except the grouper, which bit grunts. The guys l...

Well, anglers awaiting the re-opening of gag grouper season are disappointed here today, with 3-5 foot seas and stormy conditions…let’s hope weather improves quickly! Chris & Jenny Phillips and their three teen-aged children, Emily, Bradley and Ryan, fished 18 miles out of New Pass with me...

Bob O’Hara and grandson, Kevin, who had fished offshore with me on Friday, 7/12, fished again with me on Monday, 7/15. We headed offshore again, twenty miles from New Pass and had a fun fishing adventure, as well as bringing home some nice fish. The guys battled and brought to the surface a 30-pound bar...

Redfish have been the best bet around here lately, with trips scarce overall, and with favorable bay tides trumping some sloppy conditions offshore. Monday morning, 9/23/13, I fished the backwaters of Estero Bay with Doug Duncan, Eric Bastion, and Randy Cummings. The guys had originally planned...

Friday morning, 10/11, I fished 22 miles offshore with Roberto Russi, his father-in-law, John, and friend, Bill. We used a grunt to land a nice, 25 ½-inch red grouper, and we also had something big cut 100-pound, braided line, so that might have been a bigger grouper! The guys used live shrimp to catch...

Bob and Jo-Ellen Exby fished 18 miles offshore with me on Tuesday, 10/22, just ahead of a cool-front due in the next day. The day began calm, and seas of one-foot were predicted by NOAA, but we had two-to-three foot seas most of the morning, as winds picked up to 15 knots prematurely. The couple used live...

Tuesday, 11/12/13, I fished offshore with long-time customers Kari Vilamaa, George Dyer, and Paul Kikendall. We were one day ahead of a cold front that was predicted to bring strong winds and seas of six to eight feet offshore, but we had calm conditions all day, and we were able to fish in various spot...

Tuesday, 11/26/13, I fished on a very windy morning in Estero Bay with Al Tooley and his two sons, Jeff and Aiden. The tide was up, making for favorable conditions in the bay, and the guys did well, fishing with live shrimp. Catches included a 25-inch keeper redfish, an 18-inch keeper black drum, and fi...

Saturday morning, 12/21/13, the winds, which had been pretty much steady all week, were still blowing hard, and seas were predicted to be three-to-four feet offshore. But, with dead-low tides in the bay, Butch Haggin, his son-in-law, John Sims, and grandson, John Sims, Jr. decided they’d have a be...

The week of January 5th, 2014, was pretty much a loss for fishing. We had near-freezing temps for a couple of days, thanks to a strong cold front that made it this far south, which is unusual. That front also brought high winds and rough seas, and the wind direction was such that it sucked most of the water...

Monday, 1/20/14, was the first day in about two weeks that was suitable for offshore fishing. Successive, relentless weather fronts had forced me off the water for about a week, then into the backwaters for the next week or so. Another front, predicted to bring high winds and seas again was on the hori...

Monday, 2/17/14, I headed offshore from New Pass about 17 miles, with Jim Swanger and Ron Kaplan. Seas weren’t quite as calm as predicted early-on, but they calmed down nicely by mid-morning. The guys used live shrimp to box seven 13-inch mangrove snapper, two 14-inch porgies, a keeper porkfish, a b...

Tuesday, 3/4/14, was a beautiful, calm day offshore. I spent it fishing with frequent customers, Ron Musick and Eddie Alfonso, and this time, Ron’s brother, Stanley Musick was in town to go with us. We headed out about 29 miles from New Pass, and had steady action all day. The red grouper bite was hot, a...

Winds were still gusting to 25 knots Tuesday morning, 3/18, after a gusty day Monday and heavy rain overnight. The only good news was that the wind direction was beneficial for the tide in the backwaters, where I fished the island groups by Little Carlos Pass with Steve Davis, his son Matt, and his son-...

Monday morning, 3/31, it was a hard call on whether to fish offshore or inshore for the Frantz family--Mike and Sue, daughter Kim, and grandson Kevin. After many days of wind and high seas, predictions were for calmer conditions, with two-to three foot seas, but winds were still blowing pretty stron...

Monday morning, 4/14, I fished a catch-and-release trip about 12 miles west of New Pass with Carol Harris, her daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Jeff, and their teen-aged sons, Bradley and Alex. The group used live shrimp to catch four Spanish mackerel to 22 inches, six ladyfish to 20 inches, twenty...

Monday, 4/28, I fished a full day offshore with Bob Donelson, Kent McCarthy, Chuck Babcock, and Skip Hamilton. The guys wanted to go after big, catch-and-release fish, so we headed out to spots between 28 and 36 miles from New Pass. We released four goliath grouper, each angler getting a chance to wre...

I spent about a week off the water, as I only had a couple of fishing trips scheduled and they were both offshore trips that were made impossible by the winds and rough seas, which were relentless for days on end. I finally got back out fishing on Monday, 5/19 and, even then, winds were still blowing about...

Tuesday morning, 7/29, winds were stronger than they had been in about a week, and they were straight out of the west. I advised brothers Jose and Robert Garcia and their sons that we would likely be fishing near-shore, rather than well offshore. Even the spots we fished 8 to 12 miles west of New Pass wer...

Bob Donalson and Steve Volz fished with me Monday morning, 8/11, offshore. The last time Bob fished with me was last April when he was down in FL, so this was his first summer-time excursion. We headed out 20 miles from New Pass and fished with live shrimp. The red grouper were biting, but they were short...

Joe Hahn is expecting delivery of his new bay boat soon, and he took a morning to fish Estero Bay’s backwaters with me on Monday, 9/8/14, hoping to learn the best techniques for fishing in the backwaters. Prior to now, most of Joe’s fishing experience has been from shore. So we headed out to fish various...

Paul Szemplenski, his young daughter, Evie, and his father-in-law, Ed fished inshore with me on Friday, 10/17/14. The group had originally planned to fish offshore, but residual seas from the weather front that passed through a couple of days prior were still too rough for gulf fishing. So, we fish...

First, Happy Thanksgiving to all! Now, let’s go fishing! Tuesday, 11/11/14, I fished 19 miles west of New Pass with brothers, Mike and Pat Connealy. We had steady action, and the guys used live shrimp to catch and release lots of red grouper to 24 inches, many of which would have been keepers, had red g...

Monday morning, 11/24/14, was windy, as had been the case for several days, and I fished inshore in Estero Bay’s flats with Jim Fares and his father-in-law, Doug, on a catch-and-release trip that yielded five sheepshead and a crevalle jack. Tuesday, 11/25, I had an offshore trip scheduled, and I wa...

Long-time customers, Erwin and Millie Metusiak fished the backwaters with me on Monday morning, 12/8/14. Using live shrimp, the couple caught and boxed two pompano at 14 inches and 15 inches, along with a 13-inch sheepshead. They released some smaller sheepshead, along with four crevalle jacks....

Monday, 12/22/14, there was a weather front approaching our area, and winds, though calm in the early morning, were predicted to pick up, with seas rising as well. Bradley Miller had a choice between trying to beat the worst of the wind and fish offshore, or playing it safe in the backwaters. He decide...

As a windy weather front approached the area on Monday, 1/5/15, small craft advisories were issued, and my anglers, Allen Jacobs, Phil Corey, and friend, Lenny traded their offshore plans for a morning of fishing in central Estero Bay. Using live shrimp, the guys caught a half dozen nice sheepshead...

Monday, 1/19/15, predictions for 15-knot winds and seas of two to three feet were just wrong! The wind blew 20 to 25 knots and seas were four-feet-plus at times, 18 miles west of New Pass, where I fished with David Bloomfield, David Price, and David Price, Jr. the guys used live shrimp to catch fifteen p...

Monday, 2/2/15, brought a cold front, right on the heels of a previous front. It was raining by early in the day, and winds and seas kicked up to small craft advisory levels—not a happy way to begin a new month of fishing! Tuesday, 2/3, brought an even more blustery day, with seas of 4-6 feet offshore, wh...

Monday, 2/16/15, I fished the backwaters of lower Hickory Bay with Patrick Gartland, his dad, Tom Gartland, and friend, Chris Ladtke. The guys used live shrimp to catch four nice sheepshead to 16 inches. They released four redfish shorts in the 17-to-18-inch range, along with a dozen mangrove snap...

Monday, 3/16/15, I headed offshore nineteen miles west of new Pass with frequent angler, Mike Connealy and his friend, Roger. The guys used live shrimp to catch and release lots of red grouper shorts to 18 inches, lots of mangrove snapper shorts, and lots of blue runners. As for keepers, they boxed ni...

Stormy weather began setting in on Monday, 4/27, with lots of moisture over the gulf. By the time Tuesday rolled around, there were scattered showers over much of the area, but Mike Boden and I managed a morning of bay fishing, with just a few drizzles, and returned to the dock just before the heavy rain...

Monday morning, 5/18, Mike and Casey Calvert fished a catch-and-release trip with me in Estero Bay’s Mound Key area, using live shrimp for bait. The couple caught and released a good variety of fish, some of which were would-be keepers. The couple released a pair of 18-inch snook, a 16-inch black dru...

Sunday morning, 2/25, I headed out to 19 miles west of New Pass to fish with Charles Bisgaier and his friend, Andy. The red grouper bite was active, and the guys released twenty red grouper shorts to18 inches, along with two mangrove snapper shorts. They loaded the cooler with twenty-one grunts, all a...

Mark Aldridge, his two sons, George and Alfie, and Alfie’s girlfriend, Marie, fished 23 miles west of New Pass with me on Wednesday, 12/1/21. The group used squid and cut-bait to catch twenty lane snapper to 15 inches. Unfortunately, those all had to be released, due to the current moratorium on har...

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sal****er offshore inshore gulf bay Gulf of Mexico Estero Bay SW FL Bonita beach Naples Ft. Myers Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters light tackle flats fishing bottom fishing guide charter captain live bait sheepshead snapper spadefish bonito shark trout SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice Kings, Bonito, Shark, Snapper & Trout (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	1050	Oct 22, 2009 by fishbuster
Seasonal business is just beginning to pick up around here, though most of the recently reserved dates are for later this month and into next. I did get offshore Saturday, 10/10 with long-time customers Jerry and Barb Rudan, from Wisconsin. We headed out of NewPass to about 18 miles, but it was slow go...
sal****er bay gulf inshore offshore Bonita Naples Ft. Myers SW FL Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters grouper snapper hogfish trout sheepshead light-tackle live-bait SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good Action Inshore & Offshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	892	Apr 13, 2010 by fishbuster
Tuesday, 3/30, seas were rough offshore and I ended up re-booking my planned gulf trip with a trio of ladies who wanted to fish the bay. Karen Taylor, son Evan Taylor, and Evan’s grandmother, Kate Collins, fished with live shrimp and caught six keeper sheepshead to 18 inches and a keeper mangrove snap...
sal****er bay inshore flats gulf offshore bottm-fishing live-bait SWFL Bonita beach Naples Ft. Myers Fishbuster Charters Captain Dave Hanson redfish snook snapper SW FL-Bonita Beach: Inshore & Near-shore recent trips report (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	848	May 11, 2010 by fishbuster
Wednesday morning, 4/28, I fished Estero Bay with Paul Martz and Christian LeClerc. We caught a 23-inch Spanish mackerel, released short snapper, and were bemoaning the slow action when, all of a sudden, two lines began bending, and we reeled in two keeper redfish, at 18 1/2 and 19 inches--so we end...
saltwater offshore Bonita Beach Naples Ft. Myers SW FL Fishbuster Charters Captain Dave Hanson flats-fishing inshore Estero Bay bay Gulf of Mexico porgies snapper hogfish mackerel trout flounder sheepshead live-bait light spinning tackle bottom fishing SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good Action--Lots of Hogfish! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	903	Mar 7, 2011 by fishbuster
“No oil—No spoil Our Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday, 2/21, Don Kennis, his dad, Doug, and his twelve-year-old son, Bradley, fished a catch-and-release trip with me about 18 miles west of New Pass. We released a hogfish, thirty mangrove snapper, red grouper, grunts, porkfish and sh...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf bay Estero Bay flats-fishing Gulf of Mexico bottom-fishing live-bait Naples Ft. Myers Bonita beach SW FL Captain Dave Hanson. Fishbuster Charters snapper mackerel hogfish sheepshead trout SW FL-Bonita Beach: Inshore & Near-Shore Report (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	886	Mar 21, 2011 by fishbuster
“No oil—No spoil Our Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday, 3/7, I fished with (I kid you not) Dave Hanson! After we laughed about captain and client having exactly the same name, Dave introduced me to the rest of his angling party, which included his son-in-law, Ryan Seipp and friend, Way...
saltwater offshore SW FL Bonita Beach Naples Ft. Myers Fishbuster Charters Captain Dave Hanson kingfish mackerel grouper snapper almaco jacks banded rudder fish shark trout redfish live-bait bottom-fishing spinning-tackle flats-fishing inshore bay backwater Estero Bay Gulf of Mexico guide charter SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper, Snapper, Shark, Kingfish & More (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	874	Apr 18, 2011 by fishbuster
“No oil—No spoilOur Beaches are Clean—Our Waters Pristine” Monday morning, 4/4, I fished the near-shore reefs off Bonita Beach with Tim and Stephanie Cobb and their two children, Spencer and Sydney. We were fishing just ahead of a weather-front predicted to kick winds up to 25 knots by early afte...
saltwater offshore cobia shark permit grouper snapper goliaths inshore flats snook redfish sheepshead trout Bonita Beach Naples Ft. Myers SWFL Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters live-bait bottom-fishing flats-fishing spinning-tackle Gulf of Mexico Estero Bay SW FL-Bonita Beach: 30-pound Permit & Goliaths to 425 pounds! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	859	May 30, 2011 by fishbuster
After a few days off the water, with high winds and seas persisting into mid-week, I got back offshore on Friday morning, 5/20, with long-time customer Casey Miller. This time, Casey was in town for a wedding, and he invited the groom and friends to fish with us. The group, consisting of ( in addition to...
saltwater gulf gulf of mexico Estero Bay Bonita Beach Naples Ft. Myers SW FL Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters live bait spinning tackle bottom fishing flats fishing offshore inshore deep-sea bay backwaters shark grouper snapper mackerl porgies redfish black drum mackerel SW FL-Bonita Beach: Good Variety and another goliath video (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	1043	Aug 22, 2011 by fishbuster
Monday, the first day of August, I fished with Paul Fenwick, daughter Emma, son Spencer, along with John Priddy, his daughter, Jordyn, and her cousin, Susan Carlisle. The group wanted big fish, so we spent some time catching bait for goliath grouper. Using live shrimp, we caught ten grunts, nine por...
saltwater offshore gulf inshore bay backwaters Gulf of Mexico Estero Bay Bonita Beach Naples Ft. Myers SW FL Florida Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters live-bait bottom-fishing flats-fishing spinning tackle shark goliath grouper bonito redfish sheepshead snapper SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark, Goliaths, Bonito, Snapper & Reds-new videos (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	894	Sep 26, 2011 by fishbuster
After a long time off the water, nearly a month, due to our very slow slow-season, along with a couple weeks of consistent rains, I finally got out fishing again on Monday, September 12th. I fished with live shrimp in central Estero Bay with long-time customers Steve Spitzer and Jalissa Reeve...
saltwater gulf bay Gulf of Mexico Estero Bay SWFL Bonita Beach Florida Naples Ft. Myers Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters offshore inshore bottom-fishing flats-fishing live-bait spinning-tackle drum sheepshead redfish snapper yellowtail grouper amberjack goliaths SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper Offshore; Redfish Inshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	827	Nov 28, 2011 by fishbuster
With rough seas persisting into the weekend, my Saturday charter was deferred to Monday, 11/14/11, when seas calmed to two-to-three feet. I headed about 22 miles offshore, out of New Pass, with Bob and Stephanie Rose. We caught a bunch of grouper, but no keepers. Using shrimp and pinfish, we caught...
saltwater offshore gulf Gulf of Mexico inshore bay flats backwaters Estero Bay Bonita Beach SW FL Captain Dave Hanson FGishbuster Charters live-bait spinning tackle bottom-fishing redfish sheepshead hogfish grouper snapper SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big Sheepshead are Back! Grouper, Snapper, Hogfish too (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	893	Dec 19, 2011 by fishbuster
Just as busy season was gearing up, the first week of December brought not only high winds and rough seas, but also red tide conditions in the gulf and up into Estero Bay. The good news is that the weekend's wind direction helped push the red tide out to sea. And, the backwaters, at least the spots I fishe...
saltwater inshore bay Estero Bay flats-fishing live-bait light spinning tackle offshore near-shore gulf Gulf of Mexico trout pompano sheepshead drum flounder snapper Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters Bonita Beach SW FL SW FL-Bonita Beach: Great Fishing Inshore and Near-shore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	824	Jan 2, 2012 by fishbuster
Monday morning, 12/19, I fished in the backwaters of Estero Bay with Larry Baumgartner, his son Chris, granddaughter, Madeline, and family friend, Walt Barney. The tide was a little on the low side, but we made the most of it, and were able to catch a 19 ½ inch pompano and three keeper sheepshead to 15 in...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf bay SW FL Bonita beach Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters bottom-fishing flats-fishing live-bait grouper snapper sheepshead porgy snook redfish trout SW FL-Bonita Beach:Grouper to 32 inches reluctantly released! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	653	Jan 16, 2012 by fishbuster
After two days of windy, rough, unusually cold weather, thanks to a strong cold-front, I finally got back out fishing on Wednesday morning, 1-4-12. It was still a chilly 35 degrees first thing that morning, and seas were residually rough offshore, so Andy Oliver and Pat O’Neil opted to leave later in...
saltwater offshore deep-sea gulf of mexico bottom-fishing inshore backwaters estero bay flats-fishing live-bait spinning tackle redfish snook snapper hogfish mackerel shark grouper SW FL Bonita Beach Naples Ft. Myers Fishbuster Charters Captain Dave Hanson SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark, Hogs, Mutton, Mangs & Mackerel (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	938	Feb 14, 2012 by fishbuster
The week of 1/30/12 began with a cold-front that brought high winds and seas and small-draft advisories, which forced me to cancel both offshore trips planned for those days.Wednesday morning, 2/1, began a little rough offshore, but quickly calmed down and was flat by afternoon. I fished about 20 m...
saltwater gulf gulf-of-mexico grouper snapper shark hogfish mackerel triggefish porgies inshore bay Estero Bay redfish snook trout flounder live-bait bottom-fishing flats-fishing spinning-tackle Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters Bonita Beach Naples Ft. Myers SW FL Ft. Myers Beach SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark-Battles, Snapper, Sheepshead, Hogs (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	1035	Feb 27, 2012 by fishbuster
After a couple days off the water, due to a cold front that brought frigid temps, high winds, low tides and rough seas, I headed to the near-shore reefs Monday, 2/13/12, to fish a catch-and-release trip with Richard and Trish Burdow. Seas had calmed to two-to-three feet near-shore, and the sheepshea...
saltwater gulf offshore bottom-fishing live-bait spinning tackle gulf of mexico inshore bay backwaters estero bay flats fishing Naples Ft. Myers Bonita Beach SW FL Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters grouper snapper hogfish mackerel shark porgies sheepshead redfish SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper are Back! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	944	Apr 9, 2012 by fishbuster
Monday morning, 3/26, I fished over hard bottom in 35 feet, with Chris Ernberger, his dad, Jerry, and Chris's son, Carter. There was about a 3-foot roller left over from the windy Sunday that preceded our trip, so we didn't venture too far offshore. The guys used live-shrimp to catch six keeper mangro...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico live-bait bottom-fishing spinning tackle Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters SW FL Bonita Beach Ft. myers Naples shark grouper hogfish snapper mackerel backwaters bay estero bay flats-fishing redfish seatrout inshore SW FL-Bonita Beach: Lane Snapper Plentiful. Red Grouper, Shark & Goliath Battles (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	1005	Apr 23, 2012 by fishbuster
Monday, 4/9, seas had calmed at last, and I headed out to fish in spots between 22 and 28 miles west of New Pass with Bill Conklin, his son, Eric Conklin, and friend, Rick Weigand. Bill caught a keeper red grouper at 21 inches, and we released lots of red grouper just short of keeper size. The group also ca...
saltwater offshore gulf-of mexico inshore bay Estero Bay flats-fishing bottom-fishing spinning-tackle live-bait Fishbuster Charters Captain Dave Hanson Bonita Beach SW FL Naples Ft. Myers goliath-grouper red-grouper gag-grouper shark cobia mackerel snapper redfish snook flounder trout SW FL-Bonita Beach: Goliaths, Gags & Snapper (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	823	Aug 20, 2012 by fishbuster
Monday, 8/6, I headed out to 35 feet to fish with Brian Woeste, Adam Bodkin and Tim Powers. The guys wanted to experience the thrill of big game, but also wanted some food fish. We started out catching blue runners and Spanish mackerel for goliath grouper bait. The guys caught and released a 70-pound go...
saltwater offshore gulf bay inshore flats-fishing bottom-fishing live-bait SW FL Bonita Beach Naples Ft. Myers Captain Dave hanson Fishbuster Charters spinning-tackle grouper snapper mackerel porgies redfish trout flounder sheepshead SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice variety--even caught a scamp! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	757	Sep 24, 2012 by fishbuster
Labor Day Monday, 9/3, I fished at the near-shore reefs with Brian Lucas and his two young sons, Grady and Grant, along with Cadrin Cojanu and his two young children, Ben and Emily. The group used live shrimp to catch four Spanish mackerel to 23 inches, five pompano, all around 14 inches, a keeper mang...
saltwater inshore offshore flats-fishing bottom-fishing gulf of mexico estero bay SW FL Bonita beach Naples Ft. Myers Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters grouper snapper sheepshead shark redfish snook SW FL-Bonita Beach: Snapper, Grouper, Shark, Sheeps, Reds, Snook (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	688	Nov 5, 2012 by fishbuster
Saturday, 10/20, I fished with long-time customer Marshall Swain, along with his family and friends. We used live shrimp, about 22 miles west of New Pass, and the group caught twenty-five keeper lane snapper to 12 inches, along with one keeper mangrove snapper at 13 inches. They released a half doze...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf estero bay bottom-fishing flats-fishing live-bait Captain Dave Hanson Fishbuster Charters Bonita Beach naples Ft. Myers SWFL snapper grouper hogfish shark porgies redfish trout snook permit SW FL-Bonita Beach:Good Action and Variety Inshore& Offshore (Preview)	Florida SouthWest	0	1115	Nov 20, 2012 by fishbuster
Monday, 11/5, I fished about 22 miles west of New Pass with Mark Cavanaugh and friends. The four guys used live shrimp to land five gag grouper, three of which would have been keeper-size, to 23 inches, except for the fact that season closed for those five days ago. So we released all of those, along with...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf estero bay flats-fishing bottom-fishing live-bait fishbuster charters naples bonita beach ft. myers captain dave hanson snook redfish trout snapper porgies grouper hogfish shark SW FL-Bonita Beach:Good Action and Variety Inshore& Offshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	706	Nov 20, 2012 by fishbuster
Monday, 11/5, I fished about 22 miles west of New Pass with Mark Cavanaugh and friends. The four guys used live shrimp to land five gag grouper, three of which would have been keeper-size, to 23 inches, except for the fact that season closed for those five days ago. So we released all of those, along wit...
saltwater gulf of mexico offshore estero bay inshore backwaters captain dave hanson fishbuster charters bonita beach naples ft. myers swfl live-bait bottom-fishing spinning-tackle light-tackle flats-fishing grouper snapper porgies sheepshead redfish hogfish SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper Gulfside; Big Sheepshead Inshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	826	Dec 3, 2012 by fishbuster
Tuesday, 11/20, I fished inshore in Estero Bay with Al Tooley and his thirteen-year-old son, Aiden. The guys caught a 20-inch, keeper redfish, along with five keeper sheepshead to 15 inches, all on shrimp. They released seven smaller sheepshead and two stingrays. Wednesday morning, I again fish...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico inshore estero bay bottom fishing flats fishing light spinning tackle fishbuster charters captain dave hanson swfl bonita beach naples ft. myers grouper snapper hogfish porgies triggerfish mackerel sheepshead snook redfish trout SW FL-Bonita Beach: Plenty of Grouper in Closed Season! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	726	Feb 4, 2013 by fishbuster
After cancelling six consecutive fishing trips, due to weather conditions offshore and red tide in the bays, I finally got to fish again on Thursday, 1/24.I headed out about 18 miles from new Pass with Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonse and Jack Dee. Fishing was a little slow, perhaps due to the cold nights we e...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf of mexico estero bay backwaters flats-fishing bottom-fishing light spinning tackle live bait swfl bonita beach naples ft. myers captain dave hanson fishbuster charters hogfish grouper snapper porgy triggerfish trout snook redfish sheepshead SW FL-Bonita Beach: If only the winds would stop... (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	740	Feb 18, 2013 by fishbuster
Monday, 2/4, I headed offshore with Barry Pflueger and friends. I hadn’t been offshore in nearly a week, due to rough conditions out there. Seas were still fairly choppy early on, but they calmed down by mid-morning. Fishing was kind of slow although, if it weren’t for grouper season closing, we migh...
saltwater gulf of mexico offshore inshore estero bay sw fl bonita beach naples ft. myers captain dave hanson fishbuster charters live bait bottom fishing flats fishing sheepshead grouper snapper hogfish mackerel triggerfish porgies SW FL-Bonita Beach: Near-shore Reefs Productive (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	824	Mar 4, 2013 by fishbuster
03/04/13- SW FL-Bonita Beach: Near-shore Reefs ProductiveAfter a cancelled trip on Monday, I got out fishing Tuesday, 2/19, as winds and seas finally began to calm down from their week-long highs of 30 knot gusts and 4-12 foot seas. It was still a little sloppy so I stayed near-shore, about 12 miles o...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf of mexico estero bay light tackle live bait bottm fishing flats fishing guide captain dave hanson fishbuster charters bonita beach naples ft. myers swfl florida snapper grouper drum sheepshead hogfish porgies triggerfish mackerel redfish SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big Drum, Grouper, Plentiful Snapper (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	712	Mar 18, 2013 by fishbuster
Finally, a day with warmer temps, light winds and calm seas—That was just what frequent customers Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonso, and Dick Arnett were hoping for on Tuesday, 3/5, when we headed out to fish about twelve miles west of New Pass, with a bait-well full of live shrimp. And, what a glorious day it t...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico inshore estero bay sw fl bonita beach naples fort myers captain dave hanson fishbuster charters guide bottom fishing flats fishing light tackle spinning tackle live bait snapper grouper redfish drum sheepshead bonito mackerel hogfish porgies SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper Season is On! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	715	Apr 15, 2013 by fishbuster
Monday, April 1st was the first day of red grouper season re-opening, and I headed out to fish in spots 28 miles and 36 miles west of New Pass with Ron Lash, Kelley Wood, Peter Vitale, and their friends Bob and John. We used a few different live baits—shrimp, pinfish and grunts—to catch a bunch of fish of a...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf of mexico estero bay bonita beach naples ft. myers swfl captain dave hanson fishbuster charters goliath grouper gag grouper red grouper king mackerel redfish sheepshead black drum bottom fishing flats fishing light tackle live bait SW FL-Bonita Beach: Kingfish, Grouper, Snapper, Shark; Redfish, Black Drum, Sheepshead Inshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	701	May 25, 2013 by fishbuster
Monday, 5/13/13, I fished the backwaters of Estero Bay with David Bloomfield and David Price. Using live shrimp, the guys caught three redfish, two of which were keepers at 19 ½ and 20 inches. They also caught two 14-inch sheepshead and a 15-inch black drum. They released mangrove snapper shorts. T...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico inshore estero bay swfl bonita beach naples ft. myers captain dave hanson fishbuster charters bottom fishing flats fishing light tackle live bait cobia shark grouper snapper flounder redfish pompano SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper, Snapper, Cobia, Shark, Redfish, Pompano (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	729	Jun 17, 2013 by fishbuster
I fished Saturday, 6/1, and I headed offshore about 36 miles west of New Pass to fish in 71 feet with Craig Daniels, Chip Lehman, and friends Bubba and Paul. We had a great day of fishing in good conditions. We used shrimp and squid to catch most everything, except the grouper, which bit grunts. The guys l...
saltwater gulf of mexico offshore estero bay inshore bottom fishing flats fishing live bait light tackle captain dave hanson fishbuster charters swfl bonita beach naples ft. myers grouper snapper mackerel hogfish redfish sheepshead snook SW FL-Bonita Beach: Stormy Conditions 1st Day of Gag Season (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	661	Jul 1, 2013 by fishbuster
Well, anglers awaiting the re-opening of gag grouper season are disappointed here today, with 3-5 foot seas and stormy conditions…let’s hope weather improves quickly! Chris & Jenny Phillips and their three teen-aged children, Emily, Bradley and Ryan, fished 18 miles out of New Pass with me...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico inshore estero bay bottom fishing flats fishing light tackle live bait swfl bonita beach naples ft. myers fishbuster charters captain dave hanson hogfish grouper snapper mackerel shark triggerfish porgy snook redfish SW FL-Bonita Beach: Nice Hogfish, Red Grouper, Gag, Snapper, Redfish (Preview)	Florida SouthWest	0	1581	Jul 29, 2013 by fishbuster
Bob O’Hara and grandson, Kevin, who had fished offshore with me on Friday, 7/12, fished again with me on Monday, 7/15. We headed offshore again, twenty miles from New Pass and had a fun fishing adventure, as well as bringing home some nice fish. The guys battled and brought to the surface a 30-pound bar...
saltwater inshore near-shore estero bay gulf flats-fishing live-bait spinning tackle light tackle captain dave hanson fishbuster charters bonita beach naples ft. myers swfl redfish snook snapper grouper SW FL-Bonita Beach: Inshore & Near-shore Report-Reds! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	600	Oct 8, 2013 by fishbuster
Redfish have been the best bet around here lately, with trips scarce overall, and with favorable bay tides trumping some sloppy conditions offshore. Monday morning, 9/23/13, I fished the backwaters of Estero Bay with Doug Duncan, Eric Bastion, and Randy Cummings. The guys had originally planned...
saltwater offshore inshore swfl bonita beach naples ft. myers live-bait light tackle bottom fishing flats fishing captain dave hanson fishbuster charters hogfish red grouper yellowtail snapper lane snapper mangrove snapper triggerfish porgy shark redfish sheepshead SW FL-Bonita Beach: 22-inch Hogfish! Red Grouper, Snapper & Redfish (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	591	Oct 21, 2013 by fishbuster
Friday morning, 10/11, I fished 22 miles offshore with Roberto Russi, his father-in-law, John, and friend, Bill. We used a grunt to land a nice, 25 ½-inch red grouper, and we also had something big cut 100-pound, braided line, so that might have been a bigger grouper! The guys used live shrimp to catch...
saltwater offshore inshore swfl bonita beach naples ft. myers live-bait bottom-fishing flats-fishing light tackle spinning tackle grouper snapper hogfish shark flounder redfish sheepshead SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red grouper, Hogfish, Shark, Redfish & Sheepshead (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	575	Nov 11, 2013 by fishbuster
Bob and Jo-Ellen Exby fished 18 miles offshore with me on Tuesday, 10/22, just ahead of a cool-front due in the next day. The day began calm, and seas of one-foot were predicted by NOAA, but we had two-to-three foot seas most of the morning, as winds picked up to 15 knots prematurely. The couple used live...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf of mexico estero bay sw fl bonita beach naples ft. myers captain dave hanson fishbuster charters grouper snapper hogfish shark black drum sheepshead flats fishing bottom fishing live bait light tackle spinning tackle SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper, Snapper, Hogs, Shark, Drum-who could ask for more? (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	544	Nov 25, 2013 by fishbuster
Tuesday, 11/12/13, I fished offshore with long-time customers Kari Vilamaa, George Dyer, and Paul Kikendall. We were one day ahead of a cold front that was predicted to bring strong winds and seas of six to eight feet offshore, but we had calm conditions all day, and we were able to fish in various spot...
saltwater inshore offshore estero bay gulf of mexico bonita beach naples ft. myers swfl captain dave hanson fishbuster charters snapper grouper shark redfish drum sheepshead porgy triggerfish margate SW FL-Bonita Beach: So now that gag season closed... (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	655	Dec 9, 2013 by fishbuster
Tuesday, 11/26/13, I fished on a very windy morning in Estero Bay with Al Tooley and his two sons, Jeff and Aiden. The tide was up, making for favorable conditions in the bay, and the guys did well, fishing with live shrimp. Catches included a 25-inch keeper redfish, an 18-inch keeper black drum, and fi...
saltwater inshore offshore flats fishing bottom fishing live bait light tackle spinning tackle estero bay gulf of mexico captain dave hanson fishbuster charters swfl bonita beach naples ft. myers pompano drum sheepshead grouper snapper hogfish mackerel SW FL-Bonita Beach: Pomopano, Sheepshead, Drum (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	552	Jan 6, 2014 by fishbuster
Saturday morning, 12/21/13, the winds, which had been pretty much steady all week, were still blowing hard, and seas were predicted to be three-to-four feet offshore. But, with dead-low tides in the bay, Butch Haggin, his son-in-law, John Sims, and grandson, John Sims, Jr. decided they’d have a be...
saltwater inshore estero bay bonita beach swfl naples ft. myers captain dave hanson fishbuster charters light tackle spinning tackle live bait flats fishing black drum drum sheepshead snapper pompano SW FL-Bonita Beach: Inshore the only place to be (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	503	Jan 20, 2014 by fishbuster
The week of January 5th, 2014, was pretty much a loss for fishing. We had near-freezing temps for a couple of days, thanks to a strong cold front that made it this far south, which is unusual. That front also brought high winds and rough seas, and the wind direction was such that it sucked most of the water...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico inshore estero bay backwater bottom fishing flats fishing live bait light tackle swfl naples bonita beach ft. myers captain dave hanson fishbuster charters grouper hogfish snapper porgies black drum drum sheepshead guide charter SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper & Hogs, Sheepshead & Drum (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	638	Feb 3, 2014 by fishbuster
Monday, 1/20/14, was the first day in about two weeks that was suitable for offshore fishing. Successive, relentless weather fronts had forced me off the water for about a week, then into the backwaters for the next week or so. Another front, predicted to bring high winds and seas again was on the hori...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf of mexico estero bay swfl captain dave hanson fishbuster charters live bait bottom fishing flats fishing light tackle sheepshead pompano redfish snook grouper snapper mackerel porgies SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big Sheepies Rule! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	615	Mar 3, 2014 by fishbuster
Monday, 2/17/14, I headed offshore from New Pass about 17 miles, with Jim Swanger and Ron Kaplan. Seas weren’t quite as calm as predicted early-on, but they calmed down nicely by mid-morning. The guys used live shrimp to box seven 13-inch mangrove snapper, two 14-inch porgies, a keeper porkfish, a b...
saltwater offshore inshore swfl bonita beach naples fort myers gulf of mexico estero bay bottom fishing flats fishing light tackle captain dave hanson fishbuster charters kingfish mackerel grouper snapper redfish black drum sheepshead SW FL-Bonita Beach: The Kings Have Returned! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	509	Mar 17, 2014 by fishbuster
Tuesday, 3/4/14, was a beautiful, calm day offshore. I spent it fishing with frequent customers, Ron Musick and Eddie Alfonso, and this time, Ron’s brother, Stanley Musick was in town to go with us. We headed out about 29 miles from New Pass, and had steady action all day. The red grouper bite was hot, a...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf of mexico estero bay bottom fishing flats fishing light tackle live bait captain dave hanson fishbuster charters bonita beach naples fort myers florida swfl grouper gag snapper sheepshead black drum redfish SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big Gags Biting Gulfside; Drum Inshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	523	Mar 31, 2014 by fishbuster
Winds were still gusting to 25 knots Tuesday morning, 3/18, after a gusty day Monday and heavy rain overnight. The only good news was that the wind direction was beneficial for the tide in the backwaters, where I fished the island groups by Little Carlos Pass with Steve Davis, his son Matt, and his son-...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico inshore backwaters estero bay bottom fishing flats fishing light tackle live bait bonita beach bonita springs naples ft myers swfl florida captain dave hanson fishbuster charters kingfish mackerel shark barracuda grouper snapper redfish snook SWFL-Bonita Beach:50 lb. King, 8 1/2-foot Hammerhead, Grouper (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	651	Apr 15, 2014 by fishbuster
Monday morning, 3/31, it was a hard call on whether to fish offshore or inshore for the Frantz family--Mike and Sue, daughter Kim, and grandson Kevin. After many days of wind and high seas, predictions were for calmer conditions, with two-to three foot seas, but winds were still blowing pretty stron...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico inshore estero bay grouper goliath snapper mackerel shark drum sheepshead bonita beach bonita springs naples fort myers swfl florida captain dave hanson fishbuster charters live bait bottom fishing light tackle flats fishing SW FL-Bonita Beach: Goliath Battles, Shark Attacks & Red Grouper Action (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	598	Apr 28, 2014 by fishbuster
Monday morning, 4/14, I fished a catch-and-release trip about 12 miles west of New Pass with Carol Harris, her daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Jeff, and their teen-aged sons, Bradley and Alex. The group used live shrimp to catch four Spanish mackerel to 22 inches, six ladyfish to 20 inches, twenty...
saltwater offshore inshore naples fort myers bonita beach swfl florida captain dave hanson fishbuster charters live bait bottom fishing flats fishing offshore inshore estero bay gulf of mexico goliath grouper gag grouper red grouper lane snapper yellowtain snapper mangrove snapper king mackerel Spanish mackerel shark hammerhead tiger shark nurse shark sandbar shark black drum redfish sheepshead SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big Game and Food Fish (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	790	May 12, 2014 by fishbuster
Monday, 4/28, I fished a full day offshore with Bob Donelson, Kent McCarthy, Chuck Babcock, and Skip Hamilton. The guys wanted to go after big, catch-and-release fish, so we headed out to spots between 28 and 36 miles from New Pass. We released four goliath grouper, each angler getting a chance to wre...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf of mexico estero bay flats fishing bottom fishing live bait light tackle captain dave hanson fishbuster charters bonita beach naples ft. myers grouper snapper shark mackerel redfish black drum snook sheepshead SW FL-Bonita Beach: Great Grouper Action! Shark & more! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	497	May 26, 2014 by fishbuster
I spent about a week off the water, as I only had a couple of fishing trips scheduled and they were both offshore trips that were made impossible by the winds and rough seas, which were relentless for days on end. I finally got back out fishing on Monday, 5/19 and, even then, winds were still blowing about...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf of mexico estero bay bottom fishing flats fishing bonita beach swfl naples fort myers drum redfish sheepshead snapper grouper shark captain dave hanson fishbuster charters SW FL-Bonita Beach: Fishing Great, Inside and Out (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	628	Aug 11, 2014 by fishbuster
Tuesday morning, 7/29, winds were stronger than they had been in about a week, and they were straight out of the west. I advised brothers Jose and Robert Garcia and their sons that we would likely be fishing near-shore, rather than well offshore. Even the spots we fished 8 to 12 miles west of New Pass wer...
saltwater offshore inshore bottom fishing gulf of mexico flats fishing estero bay red grouper goliath grouper yellowtail snapper lane snapper mangrove snapper porgy sheepshead bonita beach bonita springs naples fort myers captain dave hanson fishbuster charters swfl florida SW FL-Bonita Beach: Lanes, Yellowtail & Grouper (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	502	Aug 25, 2014 by fishbuster
Bob Donalson and Steve Volz fished with me Monday morning, 8/11, offshore. The last time Bob fished with me was last April when he was down in FL, so this was his first summer-time excursion. We headed out 20 miles from New Pass and fished with live shrimp. The red grouper were biting, but they were short...
saltwater inshore estero bay hickory bay bonita beach naples fort myers captain dave hanson fishbuster charters redfish snapper sheepshead flats fishing live bait light tackle swfl florida SW FL-Bonita Beach: Redfish, Sheepshead & Snapper Inshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	555	Sep 22, 2014 by fishbuster
Joe Hahn is expecting delivery of his new bay boat soon, and he took a morning to fish Estero Bay’s backwaters with me on Monday, 9/8/14, hoping to learn the best techniques for fishing in the backwaters. Prior to now, most of Joe’s fishing experience has been from shore. So we headed out to fish various...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf gulf of mexico estero bay bonita springs bonita beach fort myers naples fishbuster charters captain dave hanson light tackle live bait flats fishing bottom fishing swfl florida gulf coast grouper snapper yellowtail lane snapper porgy redfish sheepshead crevalle jacks SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper, Yellowtails, Lanes (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	472	Oct 26, 2014 by fishbuster
Paul Szemplenski, his young daughter, Evie, and his father-in-law, Ed fished inshore with me on Friday, 10/17/14. The group had originally planned to fish offshore, but residual seas from the weather front that passed through a couple of days prior were still too rough for gulf fishing. So, we fish...
saltwater gulf gulf of mexico estero bay naples fort myers bonita beach swfl captain dave hanson fishbuster charters. live bait flats fishing bottom fishing light tackle grouper snapper triggerfisdh porgy sheepshead drum guide charter offshore inshore SW FL-Bonita Beach: Red Grouper, Gag Grouper, Sheepshead & Drum (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	605	Nov 24, 2014 by fishbuster
First, Happy Thanksgiving to all! Now, let’s go fishing! Tuesday, 11/11/14, I fished 19 miles west of New Pass with brothers, Mike and Pat Connealy. We had steady action, and the guys used live shrimp to catch and release lots of red grouper to 24 inches, many of which would have been keepers, had red g...
saltwater offshore gulf gulf of mexico bottom fishing snapper grouper porgy triggerfish live bait inshore estero bay backwaters flats fishing snook redfish sheepshead black drum naples fort myers bonita springs bonita beach captain dave hanson fishbuster charters SW FL-Bonita Beach: Fighting Fish...and Weather! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	512	Dec 8, 2014 by fishbuster
Monday morning, 11/24/14, was windy, as had been the case for several days, and I fished inshore in Estero Bay’s flats with Jim Fares and his father-in-law, Doug, on a catch-and-release trip that yielded five sheepshead and a crevalle jack. Tuesday, 11/25, I had an offshore trip scheduled, and I wa...
saltwater offshore gulf gulf of mexico estero bay backwaters inshore bottom fishing flats fishing light tackle live bait bonita beach bonita springs fort myers naples florida gulfcoast swfl guide charter captain dave hanson fishbuster charters grouper goliath grouper snapper hogfish shark porgy triggerfish redfish black drum sheepshead pompano redfish snook SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big Sheepshead Return:; Grouper Action Good! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	557	Dec 20, 2014 by fishbuster
Long-time customers, Erwin and Millie Metusiak fished the backwaters with me on Monday morning, 12/8/14. Using live shrimp, the couple caught and boxed two pompano at 14 inches and 15 inches, along with a 13-inch sheepshead. They released some smaller sheepshead, along with four crevalle jacks....
saltwater offshore gulf gulf of mexico bottom fishing live bait light tackle grouper snapper shark triggerfish porgiy inshore bay estero bay flats fishing redfish drum trout sheepshead captain dave hanson fishbuster charters bonita springs bonita beach swfl florida gulf coast guide charter naples ft. myers SW FL-Bonita beach: Excellent Action Offshore & Inshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	530	Jan 5, 2015 by fishbuster
Monday, 12/22/14, there was a weather front approaching our area, and winds, though calm in the early morning, were predicted to pick up, with seas rising as well. Bradley Miller had a choice between trying to beat the worst of the wind and fish offshore, or playing it safe in the backwaters. He decide...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico captain dave hanson fishbuster charters bonita beach naples fort myers swfl florida kingfish grouper snapper hogfish backwaters estero bay inshore sheepshead redfish light tackle live bait bottom fishing flats fishing SW FL-Bonita Beach: Kingfish, Grouper, Snapper, Hogs & More (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	847	Jan 19, 2015 by fishbuster
As a windy weather front approached the area on Monday, 1/5/15, small craft advisories were issued, and my anglers, Allen Jacobs, Phil Corey, and friend, Lenny traded their offshore plans for a morning of fishing in central Estero Bay. Using live shrimp, the guys caught a half dozen nice sheepshead...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico bottom fishing live bait light tackle inshore backwaters estero bay bonita beach bonita springs fort myers naples swfl gulfcoast florida captain dave hanson guide charter fishbuster charters shark grouper snapper porgy hogfish redfish sheepshead SW FL-Bonita Beach: Shark, Grouper, lots of rough seas (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	447	Feb 2, 2015 by fishbuster
Monday, 1/19/15, predictions for 15-knot winds and seas of two to three feet were just wrong! The wind blew 20 to 25 knots and seas were four-feet-plus at times, 18 miles west of New Pass, where I fished with David Bloomfield, David Price, and David Price, Jr. the guys used live shrimp to catch fifteen p...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico live-bait bottom-fishing inshore backwaters estero bay light tackle swfl florida gulfcoast bonita springs bonita beach fort myers naples porgy grouper snapper captain dave hanson fishbuster charters SW FL-Bonita Beach: Challenging conditions, big porgies, nice lanes, grouper & more (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	564	Feb 16, 2015 by fishbuster
Monday, 2/2/15, brought a cold front, right on the heels of a previous front. It was raining by early in the day, and winds and seas kicked up to small craft advisory levels—not a happy way to begin a new month of fishing! Tuesday, 2/3, brought an even more blustery day, with seas of 4-6 feet offshore, wh...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf bay light tackle live bait bottom fishing flats fishing captain dave hanson fishbuster charters guide floridagulfcoast bonita springs bonita beach fort myers naples swfl grouper snapper kingfish porgy redfish sheepshead SW FL-Bonita Beach: Fishing good when conditions allow (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	461	Mar 2, 2015 by fishbuster
Monday, 2/16/15, I fished the backwaters of lower Hickory Bay with Patrick Gartland, his dad, Tom Gartland, and friend, Chris Ladtke. The guys used live shrimp to catch four nice sheepshead to 16 inches. They released four redfish shorts in the 17-to-18-inch range, along with a dozen mangrove snap...
saltwater offshore inshore gulf of mexico estero bay flats fishing bottom fishing light tackle live bait bonita springs bonita beach fort myers naples swfl florida gulfcoast grouper kingfish mackerel snapper porgy triggerfish redfish snook sheepshead fishbuster charters captain dave hanson SW FL-Bonita Beach: Kingfish are here! Grouper, Snapper, Redfish Too (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	581	Mar 28, 2015 by fishbuster
Monday, 3/16/15, I headed offshore nineteen miles west of new Pass with frequent angler, Mike Connealy and his friend, Roger. The guys used live shrimp to catch and release lots of red grouper shorts to 18 inches, lots of mangrove snapper shorts, and lots of blue runners. As for keepers, they boxed ni...
saltwater offshore grouper snapper bottom fishing live bait inshore backwaters bay estero bay swfl florida gulf coast naples fort myers bonita beach redfish sheepshead captain dave hanson fishbuster charters guide SW FL-Bonita Beach: Grouper bite on! (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	601	May 14, 2015 by fishbuster
Stormy weather began setting in on Monday, 4/27, with lots of moisture over the gulf. By the time Tuesday rolled around, there were scattered showers over much of the area, but Mike Boden and I managed a morning of bay fishing, with just a few drizzles, and returned to the dock just before the heavy rain...
saltwater offshore gulf of mexico live bait bottom fishing spinning tackle inshore backwaters estero bay flats fishing fishbuster charters captain dave hanson florida gulfcoast swfl bonita springs bonita beach naples fort myers grouper snapper porgy shark goliaths redfish flounder SW FL-Bonita Beach: Lots of Action Offshore & Inshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	499	Jun 6, 2015 by fishbuster
Monday morning, 5/18, Mike and Casey Calvert fished a catch-and-release trip with me in Estero Bay’s Mound Key area, using live shrimp for bait. The couple caught and released a good variety of fish, some of which were would-be keepers. The couple released a pair of 18-inch snook, a 16-inch black dru...
saltwater offshore inshore bottom-fishing flats-fishing swfl+ bonita beach naples captain dave hanson fishbuster charters estero bay gulf of mexico snapper grouper cobia shark mackerel triggerfish hogfish porgy porkfish sheepshead permit pompano trout redfish black drum snook crevalle jack SW FL-Bonita Beach: Lots of nice catches offshore and inshore (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	505	Mar 17, 2018 by fishbuster
Sunday morning, 2/25, I headed out to 19 miles west of New Pass to fish with Charles Bisgaier and his friend, Andy. The red grouper bite was active, and the guys released twenty red grouper shorts to18 inches, along with two mangrove snapper shorts. They loaded the cooler with twenty-one grunts, all a...
swfl bonitabeach offshore inshore December, 2021 Wrap-up (Preview)	Florida West Coast	0	74	Dec 30, 2021 by fishbuster
Mark Aldridge, his two sons, George and Alfie, and Alfie’s girlfriend, Marie, fished 23 miles west of New Pass with me on Wednesday, 12/1/21. The group used squid and cut-bait to catch twenty lane snapper to 15 inches. Unfortunately, those all had to be released, due to the current moratorium on har...