The diversity of fishing in Southwest Florida can’t be beat. From fishing in lakes and canals for bass, snook and tarpon; to off-shore fishing for snapper, grouper and tuna; the fishing in Southwest Florida is like no other.
There are many different techniques to use, like using different knots and lines for either salt or freshwater fishing. In addition, knots can be used in various ways depending on the type of fishing.
“We use different knots for different reasons,” retired fisherman Dustin Goeggle said. “When we would go trolling, we would use the bimini knot. If you were just fishing off a dock or in a lake, we would use the improved clinch knot.”
There is also a technique to hook the bait on a fishing pole when casting or using bait.
“When you’re fishing in lakes you want to fish by structure because it has places to hide,” Goeggle said. “So when you’re fishing try to find places with structure or grass. Offshore is a bit different because there are different types of fishing like blue water, bottom fishing and more.”
The temperature of the water can also change how many fish are caught. Fishing in a lake is different from offshore fishing because there is a tide. Some fish might bite better when it is high tide or low tide.
“I think the best time to fish in a lake is a few days before a cold front or when there are south winds,” fisherman Joe Goggin said.
Weather plays a key role in fishing and helps determine if it is a good day to fish.
“When it’s sunny, a good temperature to warm up the water and/or maybe light rain or overcast is a good day to go offshore fishing,” Goeggle said.
There are many varieties of bait to use for lakes and offshore fishing. For lakes there are chatter bait, crank bait, top water, live bait, gummy bait and many more.
“Personally, I like to use lures that look like squid, and we would use them [for] bluewater fishing,” Goeggle said. “We did also use live bait and chop it up, but we mostly used lures.”
