November Morning in Matlacha: Redfish, Trout, and a Couple of Sharks

Tuesday morning, November 3, we pushed off the dock at 8:00 sharp for a half-day trip. Aaron and his guest were down from Maryland on vacation, and they had one thing on their minds: catch dinner for the night. Any day on the water is a good day — they said so themselves — but a cooler with something in it makes it better.

We worked the flats and passes around Matlacha and Pine Island Sound, the same water we've been fishing all fall. The redfish bite is still the story right now. They're schooled up and feeding, and when you find them, you find plenty of them. Aaron put a nice redfish in the boat early, and that set the tone for the morning.

The rest of the catch filled out the way a good fall morning should. Sheepshead are starting to show up in numbers now — they were picking at shrimp around the structure, and we landed a few good ones. Spotted sea trout were mixed in on the grass flats, and a bluefish or two crashed the party, the way bluefish do. All three — redfish, sheepshead, and trout — are fine eating fish, so the dinner plan was looking good.

Then the morning got interesting. Three stingrays came up over the side, and two sharks gave us a real pull on the line before we got them boatside for a quick look and a release. That's the thing about fishing around here in the fall: you go out after redfish and trout, and the water hands you something you didn't plan on. The sharks and rays aren't what you keep, but they're what you remember — and what you tell everybody about at dinner.

By noon we were back at the dock with a solid morning behind us. Aaron even left a review the same day, which means a lot — it tells me the trip did what it was supposed to do.

If you're thinking about getting out yourself, the fall fishing around Matlacha and Pine Island Sound is as good as it gets right now. The redfish are here, the sheepshead are turning on, the trout are steady, and the snook are still on the feed before their season closes at the end of November. The water's calmed down after a windy stretch, and the mornings have that clean fall feel to them.

Come fish with us. Half Day (4 hours) is $600, 3/4 Day (6 hours) is $800, and a Full Day (8 hours) is $1,000 — that's for up to four guests, with $100 more for a fifth or sixth. Book online at all4chuckfishingcharters.com or call 239-940-4901. We'll see you at the dock at 7:45, lines in at 8:00.