Saint James City Fishing Reports (May 2026)

Kyle H.
Cape Coral, Florida
Reported 2 years ago

The grouper bite has been really really good the best I have seen in years. We are getting a lot of Red Grouper over 30 inches 20lb range. American red snapper are in but the fish have been a little scattered. A lot of big Mangrove snappers being caught.

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Kyle H. Cape Coral, Florida Reported 2 years ago

The grouper bite has been really really good the best I have seen in years. We are getting a lot of Red Grouper over 30 inches 20lb range. American red snapper are in but the fish have been a little scattered. A lot of big Mangrove snappers being caught.

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Brandon D.
Bartow, Florida
Reported 3 years ago

Nearshore has been our go-to all week long with calm water and winds. We are fishing between 6 and 9 miles out in 40-60 feet of water using live shrimp. Lanes and mangrove snapper, sheepshead, white grunt, red and gag grouper have been our main targets and we have been...

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Brandon D. Bartow, Florida Reported 3 years ago

Nearshore has been our go-to all week long with calm water and winds. We are fishing between 6 and 9 miles out in 40-60 feet of water using live shrimp. Lanes and mangrove snapper, sheepshead, white grunt, red and gag grouper have been our main targets and we have been catching a boat full of everything. Groups have been keeping me busy baiting hooks, it’s typical to get one fish for every bait that hits the bottom and we’ve got some good fighters out there for light tackle. A two ounce knocker rig on a 3/0 circle hook and 40 lb leader has been the setup that has been working best for these nearshore species. We take advantage of these calm days to go nearshore, they don’t come often enough this time of year and right on schedule the next week or so is looking to be windy and choppy in the deep water. Finding the window to go is imperative.

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Brandon D.
Bartow, Florida
Reported 3 years ago

Weather has been good at times windy a lot of the time but we are managing. Targeting sheepshead, redfish and trout inshore, days we are able to go a few miles offshore we are getting lane snapper, grunt, tripletail, red grouper and triggerfish.

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Brandon D. Bartow, Florida Reported 3 years ago

Weather has been good at times windy a lot of the time but we are managing. Targeting sheepshead, redfish and trout inshore, days we are able to go a few miles offshore we are getting lane snapper, grunt, tripletail, red grouper and triggerfish.

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Brandon D.
Bartow, Florida
Reported 3 years ago

The last couple days have been nothing short of fishy, any and every species you can think of inshore and nearshore. The sheepshead bite has been as good as it’s ever been. Getting limits and personal best fish for customers. Lane snapper are plentiful on nearshore wrecks and reefs, and...

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Brandon D. Bartow, Florida Reported 3 years ago

The last couple days have been nothing short of fishy, any and every species you can think of inshore and nearshore. The sheepshead bite has been as good as it’s ever been. Getting limits and personal best fish for customers. Lane snapper are plentiful on nearshore wrecks and reefs, and the redfish and trout have been keeping us busy inshore with a few snook mixed in.
The cold hasn’t slowed the bite down one bit. Fishing shrimp on jig heads for our bottom and structure dwelling fish and popping corks for the inshore fishing.
Sight fishing reds has been the go-to on grass flats, pot holes and mangroves. We’ve been catching upper slot trout and getting a few over slot gator trout on every outing. The bite is bound to stay hot with some of these strong flowing tides we get in the winter months.

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Roger G.
Charlotte Harbor, Florida
Reported 3 years ago

I have always said when the weather is good the fishing is good. A recent stretch of favorable weather seems to have improved the fishes' appetites. Snook, Reds, and trout are making up for lost time on the flats as the bite is becoming more consistent.

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Roger G. Charlotte Harbor, Florida Reported 3 years ago

I have always said when the weather is good the fishing is good. A recent stretch of favorable weather seems to have improved the fishes' appetites. Snook, Reds, and trout are making up for lost time on the flats as the bite is becoming more consistent.

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Dylan H.
Cape Coral, Florida
Reported 3 years ago

Schools of redfish are all over the place eating artificial baits and live bait.

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Dylan H. Cape Coral, Florida Reported 3 years ago

Schools of redfish are all over the place eating artificial baits and live bait.

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Dan M.
Fort Myers, Florida
Reported 3 years ago

I took my brother out yesterday for an early morning Topwater lure run. Excellent morning as we caught three redfish on top water and a few snook as well, including a 28 1/2 inch one!

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Dan M. Fort Myers, Florida Reported 3 years ago

I took my brother out yesterday for an early morning Topwater lure run. Excellent morning as we caught three redfish on top water and a few snook as well, including a 28 1/2 inch one!

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Dan M.
Fort Myers, Florida
Reported 3 years ago

Fishing has been pretty steady even though we have water temperatures in the high 80s. Today the guest, a non-fisherman, brought in a 32-inch Snook off the flats today! What a great find this time of year. I have also seen plenty of red fish this last week and the...

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Dan M. Fort Myers, Florida Reported 3 years ago

Fishing has been pretty steady even though we have water temperatures in the high 80s. Today the guest, a non-fisherman, brought in a 32-inch Snook off the flats today! What a great find this time of year. I have also seen plenty of red fish this last week and the speckled sea trout bite is still hot as usual. No live bait needed for the Speckled SeaTrout, as they will hit soft plastics and hard Subsurface Baits as long as you work them correctly.

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