Gear & Tackle
Pine Island Sound

Saltwater & Coast

Fly Fishing

Spin, Cast & Bait

Pine Island Sound Fishing Guide

Florida

Photo: James St. John via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

The sound between Pine Island and Captiva, fed by the Gulf through Redfish, Captiva, and Boca Grande passes, with seatrout, tarpon, red drum, sheepshead, and snook.

Trip at a Glance

Anglers come to Pine Island Sound for redfish, speckled trout, snook, tarpon and sheepshead. In October, redfish, speckled trout and snook are at their peak, and Clouser Minnow, EP Baitfish and Spoon Fly are a good place to start. There are 12 shops within 25 miles (2 fly, 10 bait and tackle); the closest is Pine Island Bait and Tackle in St James City, about 6 mi away. Charlotte Harbor is about 14 mi away if you want to make a trip of it.

Season at a Glance

Redfish
Speckled Trout
Snook
Tarpon
Sheepshead
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Peak: best fishing Open, slower

View Larger Map

Plan Ahead

Planning for a Month

Peak in October

Redfish, Speckled Trout, Snook

Daylight

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Moon

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Typical Weather

87°F high, 69°F low

About 3.1 in of precipitation for the month.

Typical for October, not a forecast. Weather from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at a station about 19 mi away. Check the live conditions on this page before you go.

Ways In

Ramps and Launches on Pine Island Sound

Marina

Pine Island Commercial Marina (Weekends and Holidays Only)

Stand Alone Ramp; Fee; 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM Saturdays, Sundays and Lee County-recognized holidays

Directions

Marina

Monroe Canal Marina

Stand Alone Ramp; Fee; 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Directions

Paddle Launch

Pineland Monument Park Paddlecraft Launch

Hand Launch Only; Dawn to Dusk

Directions

Boat Ramp

Safe Harbor Pineland Marina, Boat Ramp, Kayak Launch and Ships Store

Stand Alone Ramp; Fee; 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Directions

Boat Ramp

Lavender's Landing / Bokeelia Public Boat Ramp

Stand Alone Ramp; Fee; 7:00 AM to 9:30 PM

Directions

Fishing Pier

Bocilla Island Seaport and Fishing Pier

Stand Alone Ramp; Fee; 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Directions

From Florida FWC Boat Ramp Inventory (FWC-FWRI). Hours, fees, and conditions change; check with the operator before you go.

What You'll Catch

Pine Island Sound Species

Redfish

Redfish

Prime Now
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F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Peak: Year-round

Speckled Trout

Speckled Trout

Prime Now
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Peak: Year-round

Snook

Snook

Prime Now
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Peak: Year-round

Tarpon

Tarpon

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Peak: Mar to Jul

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Peak: Dec to Feb

Images: Duane Raver, USFWS; jose_colorado-dapa; U.S. Bureau of Fisheries; U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Public domain, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Plan by Month

What to Use

Month
Fish

11 picks for October. marks species at their peak in October.

  • Clouser Minnow #1/0-8

    Fly

    Streamer · Speckled Trout, Redfish

    Shop This Fly

  • EP Baitfish #2/0-2

    Fly

    Streamer · Redfish

    Shop This Fly

  • Spoon Fly #1/0-2

    Fly

    Flats Fly · Redfish

    Shop This Fly

  • Walking Topwater 4 to 5 in

    Lure

    Topwater · Snook, Speckled Trout, Redfish

    Shop This Lure

  • Paddle-Tail Swimbait 3 to 5 in

    Lure

    Soft Plastic · Snook, Speckled Trout, Redfish

    Shop This Lure

  • Popping Cork Rig 18 to 30 in leader

    Lure

    Rig · Speckled Trout, Redfish

    Shop This Lure

  • Weedless Gold Spoon 1/4 to 1/2 oz

    Lure

    Spoon · Redfish

    Shop This Lure

  • Live Shrimp 2 to 4 in

    Bait

    Live Bait · Sheepshead, Snook, Speckled Trout, Redfish

  • Sand Fleas Small

    Bait

    Live Bait · Redfish · Surf.

  • Cut Mullet Chunk or strip

    Bait

    Natural Bait · Redfish · Surf and passes.

  • Live Pinfish and Mullet 3 to 6 in

    Bait

    Live Bait · Snook

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Rod & Reel

Recommended Setups

Redfish

Fly 9 ft 8 wt rod, floating redfish line, 16 to 20 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Spin / Cast 7 ft medium spinning rod, 3000 reel, 15 lb braid with a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Speckled Trout

Fly 9 ft 7 wt rod, floating or intermediate line, 15 lb leader, Clousers and shrimp flies.

Spin / Cast 7 ft medium-light spinning rod, 2500 reel, 10 lb braid with a 15 to 20 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Snook

Fly 9 ft 8 or 9 wt rod, floating or intermediate line, 30 to 40 lb bite leader.

Spin / Cast 7 ft medium-heavy spinning rod, 4000 reel, 20 lb braid with a 30 to 40 lb fluorocarbon leader.

Tarpon

Fly 9 ft 11 or 12 wt rod, floating or intermediate tarpon line, 60 to 80 lb shock tippet.

Spin / Cast 7.5 ft heavy spinning rod, 6000 to 8000 reel, 50 lb braid with an 80 lb leader.

Matched to These Species

Gear for Pine Island Sound

Fly Lines

RIO Redfish Fly Line

A heavy front taper for quick shots at tailing fish in warm, humid conditions.

Check Price

Floats & Rigs

Cajun Thunder Popping Cork

The clacking cork that calls trout and reds to shrimp or a soft plastic.

Check Price

Leaders & Tippet

Seaguar Tarpon Leader Material

Heavy fluorocarbon shock leader that survives tarpon jaws and gill plates.

Check Price

Fly Lines

RIO Tarpon Fly Line

A tropical line that stays stiff in heat for long casts to rolling tarpon.

Check Price

Reels

Penn Battle III Spinning Reel

A metal-bodied reel built to survive saltwater and big runs.

Check Price

Rods

Penn Battalion II Inshore Spinning Rod

A medium inshore rod for jigs, popping corks, and live bait.

Check Price

Line

PowerPro Spectra Braided Line

Thin, strong braid for long casts, sensitivity, and pulling fish from cover.

Check Price

Sunglasses

Costa Polarized Fishing Sunglasses

Polarized lenses cut glare so you can see fish, structure, and flats.

Check Price

Buy Local

Rather pick it up in person? Shops near Pine Island Sound:

Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.

Within 25 Miles

Shops Near Pine Island Sound

Within 25 Miles

Guides and Charters Near Pine Island Sound

Make It a Trip

Nearby Water

Saltwater & Coast · Florida · About 14 mi

Charlotte Harbor

A huge estuary including Boca Grande Pass, the epicenter of Florida tarpon fishing.

Tarpon · Snook · Redfish

Saltwater & Coast · Florida · About 30 mi

Lemon Bay

A narrow aquatic preserve behind Manasota Key at Englewood, where redfish, tarpon, and snook are common and seatrout work the shorelines.

Redfish · Tarpon · Snook

Saltwater & Coast · Florida · About 45 mi

Rookery Bay

Mangrove backwaters of the Rookery Bay reserve between Naples and Marco Island, where redfish, seatrout, snook, and tarpon are the popular catches.

Redfish · Speckled Trout · Snook

Saltwater & Coast · Florida · About 63 mi

Sarasota Bay

The bay between Longboat Key and Sarasota, where the state's angling guide sends anglers to City Island, Ringling Causeway, and New Pass for flounder, redfish, sheepshead, snook, and seatrout.

Flounder · Redfish · Sheepshead

Saltwater & Coast · Florida · About 68 mi

Ten Thousand Islands

A maze of mangrove islands from Everglades City to Chokoloskee with snook, juvenile tarpon, and reds.

Snook · Tarpon · Redfish