FISHING HEADQUARTERS
 for Sanibel and Captiva Islands.       More than 100 years of local experience.
1041 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island, FL 33957
(239) 472-1618                 (239) 472-3035 ~ Fishing Guide Service
E-mail ~ baitbox@mindspring.com

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CATCHes of the Day
(Always a work in progress - Keep catching those fish!)
 

Page     

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Snook, I'd say! 

Thanks to you for your advice.  I set the hook and let my wife reel in this nice snook.  You can guestimate the size but this is the biggest snook either of us has landed.  We were fishing right off the beach in front of Island Beach Club at about 9pm.  So thanks again!

Best,
Matt and Elizabeth Sloan
Dear friend,
We caught these the week of July 25th, 2010. Including, a 27" Trout caught at Tarpon Bay with a live shrimp, a 24" Snook caught at Bowman's Beach by my father, on a little Cleo Spoon, and 17" Spanish Mackerel, caught on Sand Piper Beach caught on some Bait Box frozen thread fin.
Thank you for your interest,
Henry, 10 Years Old 
Colorado
Snook
Steven Orlandi and Dave Brizzolara
Size:
Bait:
Location:		 38 inches
Cut bait
West Gulf Drive
Nurse Shark
 
We caught this nurse shark off the beach of captiva island during our stay. We had stopped in at the store on our way in and purchased bait and tackle. We were using a 16/0 circle hook that we purchased at the bait shop. The cashier saw the hook and encouraged us to send a picture of the fish that we caught with that hook.

We actually ended up catching a total of 3 nurse shark 8ft and weighing who knows what. We also caught a couple of smaller but still hefty sand sharks on that same 16/0 circle hook. Our bait was whatever we caught on the beach but had the best luck with a 10 inch whole mullet. Our leader was a 6 foot section of 1/16 inch steel cable crimped to a 80 lb topshot and 65 lb braid. We were using a penn 330 gti and penn international. Cant wait for next year!

Garrett Bearden
Snook
I just got back from another great week at Sanibel. The snook were not as large as last summer, but they did fight hard. Carol & I had one busy morning with about twenty assorted fish, mostly hard fighting Spanish Macks. Sanibel is the still the fishing destination of choice!  Thanks to the Bait Box for providing some fine pinfish.

John Kabus
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Shark Shark And another
Shark
Niklas Sinz and Family
South Seas Plantation, Captiva

 

    
Luke's Catch... And what a catch it is!  40-inch Snook
   
  Size:
Bait:
Location:		 40 inches
Cut bait - whiting
Sundial Resort
Snapper Dinner! Morning Catch Spanish Mackerel

We just got back to Michigan after spending a great week in Captiva.  Fishing was really good.  Early in the week the surf was loaded up with big Spanish mackerel, bluefish and whiting.  There were also some nice snook cruising the cut.  Tarpon were rolling everywhere.  I hooked two casting from shore on a Yo-zuri minnow and my medium action spinning outfit.  I was able to battle one for awhile jumping him four times before the leader parted.  My son Eric out-fished me once again and kept the dinner table full.  He even caught a really nice mangrove snapper which was an added bonus.  Already looking forward to next year. 

Andy and Eric Berki
 
Snook   Black Tip Shark
This 40-inch, 20+ pound snook was caught with a chunk of shad. 
 		   This 4-foot black tip shark was caught at night on an outgoing tide with a Spanish mackerel head. 
 
I was only able to get two pictures of the biggest fish I caught. I was in Sanibel June 12-19 at the Island Beach Club. The fishing started slow but picked up throughout the week. Caught a huge Jack, couple mackerel, landed one snook and lost one, a blacktip shark, and my dad caught a seatrout.

Miguel
Huge Snook!

This unbelievable beast was battled for 20 minutes on the beach in front of Kings Crown condos.  Using the rod as a measuring stick it taped in at 46” !!!  Safely released to grow even larger!   
Another Huge Snook! 


 
I caught this 43 inch snook on the Sanibel Causeway on Fathers Day 6/20/10. What a fight! He weighed in at 35 lbs. I was using cut mullet. 
 
Chris Fennell

I wanted to say a special thanks for taking the time on a very busy day to teach my 10-year old how to throw the 5-foot Old Salt cast net we picked up at the Bait Box. My son spent a lot of time throwing that net and we really love it.

You & your staff make fishing enjoyable for the entire family, and now all my kids want to make the daily trip to the Bait Box to pick up shrimp & supplies.

Thanks,
Rod
Noelle, Amelia, Ray, Jackson and Evan
 

Shark

  
Nestor Barreca
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 3 feet
Unknown
Sanibel Pier

Lemon Shark

  
Chris Fennell
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 6 feet
Unknown
Captiva

Spade Fish... I'd say! 

 
David Driggers
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 6 pounds
DOA mullet
Sanibel Pier

Nice SnookS!
Tim
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 32 to 34 inches (10 to 15 pounds)
Cut threadfin herring and live pin fish
Beach at Sanibel Moorings
We were disappointed to find that snook season had been closed due to a kill off caused by the cold winter. Our disappointment quickly faded when we discovered that Blind Pass was finally reopened and full of hungry sheepshead. I landed a 14 inch sheepshead on my first cast. This is the first time in my life that I have seen water under the bridge at Blind Pass. My Dad remembers fishing there when he was my age. Parking at the pier was crazy that day. so we made sure to leave early to hit the pier the next morning . Sad to say the snook are not lined up between the pilings like they were last year, but Dad was able to land a nice 23 inch snook on his first cast. His fish brought an excited shout from the locals, and drew a crowd of spring breakers. Dad got it back in the water fast, but it was funny to see how many people took pictures of him with the snook. As always you guys at the Bait Box rock and we look forward to seeing you when we get to visit. I have been coming to Sanibel since I was not even 2 years old and you guys have been helping me since I still had to stand on the cooler to fish at the pier.

Sincerely,
Allen from Winston, GA
 
Now that's a Redfish!
Steve Krates
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 35 pounds!!!
Shrimp
Off Sanibel beach

Hey guys – Wife and I snuck away from the kids last week for a long weekend on Sanibel.  Didn’t have much time to prep for this trip but can’t stand being near the water and not fishing.  The Bait-box was our first stop (after the liquor store), and can’t say enough about the service.  Had never caught a snook before and really wanted to, so you guys set me up with a rental, recommended a couple good baits, and I managed to catch my first snook, and a couple very nice trout from a kayak in tarpon bay (all on mirror lure).  Casting a spoon from the beach I caught a few lady fish, a little jack, and a break off of something much larger.  Kinda got hooked on the snook, so you folks set me up with Captain Steve Waugh on short notice.  Fished the rain Saturday AM with my wife, and couldn’t have been more pleased with Steve.  He had extra foul weather gear for my wife, a nice boat, excellent equipment, plenty of patience, and worked hard to keep us on the fish.  We had more opportunities than fish (not much of a live-bait fisherman, and the circle hooks took a little getting used to), but still managed a half a dozen snook, a number of snapper, a couple jacks, and a redfish. 

I hesitate to charter as you never know who you’ll end up with, but if your other guides are anything like Steve, then I will gladly recommend you folks to anyone I know heading down that way, and expect to be back again next year for more of the same.  Thanks Again.

Brian and Carol Held  Jefferson, MD
My family's Summer vacation this year is our 3rd in Sanibel in the last 6-years and the excellent fishing is always one of the attractions of this lovely island.
 
My son Chris Griffin caught this 42" Tarpon from our rented boat fishing Kesson Bayou near the Ding Darling Preserve during August. 
 
The fish was caught on float fished frozen shrimp and took around 15 minutes to land, it was returned to the water safely to fight another day.  I also caught a decent 34" Snook from the beach near Blind Pass on a gold Crocodile lure.
 
I'd love to spend ever summer in Sanibel but the flights and other costs travelling from England rules that out.  We will be back though and will be sure to visit the Bait Box for fishing supplies and the excellent friendly service in your store.
 
Best Regards,
Kevin and Chris Griffin  Hampshire, England
AWESOME!

Two fishing rods, two reds , same time...

Sizes: 32 " and 28"
Location: Sanibel Pier

We were fishin' off the beach near Casa Ybel at 9 am on Thursday the 24th of September into an outgoing tide, of course, when this monster hit on a circle hook with cut mackerel. Only took 35 minutes to reel in with our Penn reel and 90 pound test and 6 feet of wire leader. Although we didn't snap the picture when we reeled her in, the hook was in the tail and once landed we wiggled it an it fell out! We love Sanibel and the Bait Box for all our fishin' needs.

Matt and Ron from Moline,il

Snook and Grouper
Kevan Smith and Steve Mock
 

Lemon Shark
This year on vacation off the beach we managed to land another nice lemon shark. We fought him for around an hour then finally got him in. We released him unharmed after a couple of pictures. Thanks for the advice bait box.

Chris & Tom Tepe
Redfish
Nestor Barreca
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 40 inches! 
Shrimp
Sanibel Pier
Snook
Chris Denick - "Thanks to Bait Box for all your good advice."
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 Bruiser
Unknown
Off Beach
Snook Lemon Shark
Joel, Rhett (age 12) and Tyler (age 10)
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 Snook - 14.5 lbs.  Shark - 5 ft. 
Live pilchard
Casa Ybel - Off Beach
Spotted Sea Trout
Peter Wood
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 Unknown
DOA rootbear shrimp jig
East Side of San Carlos Pass
Snook
Vincent Crosby -
"The Sanibel Snowbird Sheepshead Specialist"

 

 

 

 

 Goliath Grouper

 

 
Carl Stephenson
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 Wow! 
Shark rig
Sanibel Pier
Snook
Thomas - "Live bait is the way to go! The Sanibel area definitely has some world class snook fishing."
 

Size:
Bait:
Location:

 36 inches
Live pilchard
Off Beach
Snook
With my father Nestor we are going every week to Sanibel Island looking for sharks. While we wait for that great moment to happen, we caught this nice snook and we though it was a good idea to share it with our friend of this great website. He was safely released.

Leandro Barreca