Ph.D.s for Pine Island Redfish

If you’ve ever spent a few hours casting to redfish in southwest Florida’s Pine Island Sound, you know that — perhaps due to local bait-fishers’ habits and “relaxed” boating techniques — these fish can be as astute and discerning as Islamorada bonefish. “Mike McComas of Lee Island Outfitters/Orvis in Fort Myers, ranks Pine Island reds among the most challenging quarry anywhere. ‘These fish are every bit as wary and as smart as bonefish in the Keys,’ says McComas, who fished for 17 years in the Ten Thousand Islands before switching to the Sound.” Norm Zeigler suggests methods for catching these difficult fish in Florida Sportsman.