Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mindy Knight on July 22, 2010 at 5:47am

Hi Bill... if you are coming to the Ft Myers area, there is NO OIL HERE!! The beaches are still pristine! If you are planning on going out deep sea fishing on the gulf, that is when you may run into problems. But local fishing is FINE. The reason for all the hullabaloo is MOST people that come out here on vacation, aren't ASKING questions, they are just cancelling and people here who depend on that tourism are losing business before it even happens!

So..if you are planning to come to Ft Myers area.. come on, plan on a great time and have NO FEAR!!!

Thanks for asking!
Mindy

Permalink Reply by cordell baum jr on July 22, 2010 at 6:31am

I am in Miami....the problem is not oil but the death of all the fish from last yrs freeze....fishing is down 90% on Biscayne Bay's west side...there is still fish though...the tarpon this yr seem to be very abundant and aggressive on my side...I must point out that I flyfish only so bait would bring much more action

Permalink Reply by michael mancke on July 22, 2010 at 12:45pm

I live north in the Sarasota area, but lived in Fort Myers for a long time so know many folks that fish that area. Right now there is no problem with oil for inshore and near shore, and when I say near shore, I'm talking 50 to 100 miles...

I did send you question to couple of very active fishing folks that live in the Fort Myers area, so I hope they will get back with you as well.

The last NOAA forecast I saw showed that from Tampa all the way south to Naples that our coast has a less than 1% chance of being affected. Here's the link that NOAA report.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100702_longterm.html


I think you will have a GREAT FALL FISHING TRIP to Fort Myers...

Michael

Permalink Reply by Sheldon Dean on July 26, 2010 at 11:38am

I live in Cocoa Beach near Port Canaveral, went out Sunday to catch bait. Fish every where seen some Turtles, Dolphin, and Tarpon. The fishing is still great here come on down and Charter a Boat!!!!

Permalink Reply by Florida Fishing Insider on August 10, 2010 at 10:23am

August has always been a great month to fish the waters off Escambia County. Perdido Key and Santa Rosa Island have some of the best offshore fishing in not only the Gulf of Mexico but the United States.

But the area’s anglers found themselves shore bound in recent weeks. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission closed local waters on June 14 as a precautionary measure due to possible impacts of oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon spill.

State officials have monitored the situation closely in recent weeks and determined that the area is free and clear of any oil, and as a result, state officials reopened state waters offshore of Pensacola on July 31.

The 23-mile stretch of state waters is one of the most productive fishing grounds in Florida. Anglers can catch everything from marlin to red drum. Not only has no oil been observed in the closed area but fish caught and sampled by biologists are also safe to eat.

The reopened area to the harvest of saltwater fish includes state waters from the beaches out 9 nautical miles into the Gulf from the Alabama line east to the Pensacola Beach water tower. Oysters, clams and mussels were not included in the closure and remain open to harvest in this area. The area will remain closed to the harvest of shrimp and crabs, pending additional testing. For more information, go to www.visitflorida.com/experts/boating_and_fishing/action.blog

Permalink Reply by michael mancke on August 10, 2010 at 11:09am

Florida Insider... I don't think your link is working...

Permalink Reply by michael mancke on March 19, 2011 at 10:57am

link still not working...