Fishing Reports by Capt. Dave Hanson

Some Big Game this week - I was off the water for a few days, with busy season winding down, and fishing trips not scheduled every day of the week, as they have been for the past several months. On Wednesday, 5/11, I fished inshore in lower Hickory Bay with Nat Drourr and his more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Grouper & snapper & shark, oh my - After a couple days off, I was back on the water Tuesday, 4/26, when I headed 28 miles offshore in calm seas with frequent fishers Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonso, and Dick Arnett, joined by friend, John. This was the last fishing trip of the season for Ro more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Grouper, snapper, shark, trout - Monday, 4/11, I headed offshore with Tom Breyer, his son Scott, grandson Reid, and Reid's friend, Logan. Winds were hefty, and NOAA's prediction for two-to-three-foot seas was about a foot short of reality. We tried fishing a few spots close-in but t more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Lots of Action! - Saturday morning, 3/26/16, I fished 23 miles west of New Pass in calm seas with Bob Bockhorst, his son-in-law, Don Leesman, and Don's college-aged kids, Dave, Kevin, and Kristen. Dave used a pinfish to reel in a 31-inch gag grouper—it was a beauty, more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita beach: Lots of variety offshore and inshore - Saturday morning, 3/12, I fished 22 miles west of New Pass with Mike Wickman and his friend, Paul. The guys used baitfish to land two keeper red grouper at 21 ½ inches and 24 inches. They released numerous red grouper shorts. Using live shrimp, they more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Grouper, snapper, big sheepshead, trout - Saturday morning, 2/27, was chilly at 48 degrees, with a pretty hefty wind blowing and low tide conditions in the backwaters, where I fished a catch-and-release trip with Richard Plum. He caught and released two sheepshead, a 16-inch trout, and a doz more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Snapper abundant offshore; Trout inshore - Monday, 2/15, was a windy day, and seas offshore were about three feet and sloppy when I headed out to 22 miles west of New Pass with Brian and Marcia Wilson. The couple used live shrimp to catch six keeper mangrove snapper that ranged 14 inches to 1 more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

SW FL-Bonita Beach: Big snapper, sheepshead, redfish, trout - Tuesday, 2/2/16, I headed 20 miles offshore in calm seas with Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonso, and Dick Arnett. The guys used live shrimp to catch seven nice mangrove snapper keepers to 16 inches, a dozen lane snapper keepers to 15 inches, seven porgies al more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Fishing great when weather allows. 22-inch mutton snapper! - Monday and Tuesday, 1/18 and 1/19/16, began just as the preceding week had begun, that is, with a cold front that brought high winds and seas, along with some cold temperatures. The two offshore trips I had planned for those days had to be canceled. more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach

Gotta love the grouper bite! - Saturday, 1/2/16, my first day of the new year on the water, was spent in the backwaters with Ann McManus, her brother, Phil Arnes, and their friends, Roger and Maureen Paruie. The group opted to fish the bay instead of the gulf, since a cool front a more...
Capt. Dave Hanson - Bonita Beach