A nice summer time tarpon in Naples.
Summer here in Southwest Florida one word comes to mind, hot. The hot air temperatures also rise the water temperatures which make the fish most active in the mornings and the evenings. For our Naples fishing charter to be productive a early start is key. Snook, tarpon and mangrove snapper are our typical summertime targets. These fish love the warm water of the summer and are most easily caught on the beach is it in the passes. Baitfish are also plentiful to aid in catching these fish.
When targeting Snook here in Naples I like to fish in early outgoing tide if possible. The outgoing tide at this time of the year tends to bring dirty water out with it. This dirty water helps to hide our leader and hook to find success with these weary game fish. Snook have been taking live baits and well presented artificial as well as top water. Most of the fish are two to six pounds right now and can be caught along the beaches and the passes and within the first few bays as you enter the backwaters. Look for sandy bottoms and moving water.
I’ve also been finding great success with Tarpon early in the mornings. The tarpon are found off the beaches of Naples and Marco. Again I like to get an early start. I cruise the beaches in the pre-dawn hours looking for Rolling fish or schools of bait fish. 1 spotted I put the trolling motor down and have been using live crabs, thread Herring and pin fish as bait. Most tarpon been in the 60 to 100 pound range and with the warm water typically put on quite an acrobatic show.Last but not least mangrove snapper fill in the void between the tarpon and Snook. Mangrove snapper spawn in the summertime in the week ahead of the full moon. These fish Gather in big schools near reefs and wrecks close to shore. Chumming with small pilchards has proved productive on recent Naples fishing charters. Most of these fish have been one to three pounds. And quick limits are usually caught on most trips.
All in all summer is a great time to go on Naples fishing charter. Starting early and targeting the right species will ensure success. Another nice thing about the summer is the lack of boat traffic on the water. We may go all day and see just a few boats. This helps alleviate some of the pressure our area is felt by recreational Anglers.