Fishing Blog

From monster kingfish as pictured above to grouper, cobia, permit and even huge snook, the nearshore waters of Naples, Florida are rich with life. I have an infinite amount of wrecks, reefs and ledges for us to drop baits on. What I love most about fishing the nearshore is the variety of fish we catch and the thrill of not knowing what will bite next. Some of the best time to fish nearshore are the spring and early summer months as well as the fall.

The full moon in June and July provide excellent mangrove snapper fishing. We anchor on any of the nearby bottom structures and chum for them. Its not uncommon to get your limit of nice mangrove in just an hour or two. The full moon also provides excellent night fishing for Snapper.

The Fall is a great time to fish nearshore as well. The Gag Grouper bite a few days before the full moon in October, November and December can be outstanding. The Kingfish also move close to shore as well as Bonitas and Cobia.

In the spring the Tarpon fishing in Naples, Florida starts to pick up. Mid May is when the fishing goes from good to world class. During the months of may I focus my efforts on the Ft. Myers beach and Sanibel areas for Tarpon. The Fishing day usually begins about 45 minutes before dawn. We run out, fill the livewells with fresh thread herring and start looking for schools of Tarpon rolling. The pre-dawn bite is usually fast and furious with a decent amount of shots at some hungry “poons”. As the day progresses we switch to a “power” drifting tecnique using the trolling motor to keep us in the action while casting toward the rolling tarpon. Watching the fish daisy chain 20 feet from the boat is almost as exciting as catching them.

As the year progress’s I switch my efforts back down to Naples and Marco Island. We start the trip the same way as in the spring and, basically fish the same way for tarpon.  The only difference between spring and summer is, in the summer we have a chance to sight fish for tarpon in shallow clear water. The conditions have to be just right but the fishing can be exhilarating. There is nothing like stalking a 100+ pound fish in 3 feet of water. As the sight- fishing bite dies its just about time for the mullet run.

The mullet run usually occurs around the full moon in the months of September, October and November. The action is spectacular as schools of mullet are jumping for their lives as hungry tarpon prey on them. This time of year is also great to find huge schools of tarpon feeding on glass minnow schools in the gulf. Again the fishing typically starts in Naples about 45 minutes before sunrise but, the bite can last all day at times and double digit hook-ups are most probable at this time.

Naples backcountry fishing revolves around three major fish for most of the year. The fish we generally pursue are snook, redfish and tarpon. The tarpon is so exciting that it gets its own page but, don’t take the other two gamefish lightly.

Snook are the most sought after fish in southwest florida. These fish are crafty and finicky at times, but once they bite they put on quite a show. Snook can be caught in a variety of ways. The most popular (and my favorite) is with live bait. The best time of year for snook mirrors the tarpon season. Early spring through late fall is the peak, but a water temperature in the mid 70’s is usually all we need for a successful day of snookin’. I typically use medium spinning gear with braided line to subdue these line-sided acrobats. For a real thrill, book a night trip during the summer months where we fish artificial reefs and wrecks for big “breeder” fish.

Redfish  can be caught in southwest florida year-round, though spring and fall are prime seasons. Redfish are typically very aggressive and cooperative when it comes to taking bait. Once hooked, they exhibit powerful runs using their large, heavy head to try and shake their way free. I typically use a medium spinning outfit with braided line to conquer these copper croakers.