Perched on the Gulf of Mexico along Florida’s sunny Southwest coastline, Naples is the perfect place for nature lovers. While some prefer exploring the Paradise Coast’s beautiful beaches and sophisticated dining, others count the days until they can taste its angling opportunities. If your goal is tight lines and a lot of action, check what deep sea fishing Naples, FL has to offer.
In this guide, we’ll talk about the offshore fishing opportunities in this memory-making heaven. We’ll talk about the top catches of the deep sea scene, as well as how to catch them and when.
Curious to learn more about Naples’s inshore and nearshore fishing scene, the top spots, targets, and seasonality? Check out our full guide here. To find out what makes deep sea fishing so special here, read on…
Top Naples Deep Sea Fishing Catches
Wondering what the answer to the question ‘What can I catch while deep sea fishing in Naples?’ is? Well, anything big, tasty, and feisty. Naples’s offshore fishing grounds are home to a myriad of fish species. In fact, we’d need a separate article if we were to create a full list! But here’s our pick of the top species you can find along the reef bottoms, wrecks, and deep water grounds.
Snapper
Deep sea fishing in Naples deserves a full-day trip at least, first of all because of all the Snapper you can catch. Mutton, Lane, Mangrove, Yellowtail, and, of course, Red Snapper are available off the coast in abundance.
You can start looking for Snapper from 9 miles out, on your way to the deeper waters. Larger fish, such as Lane Snapper, hang out around 40 miles offshore in the deeper reefs. Meanwhile, you can find smaller Yellowtail and Mangrove Snapper within 20 miles of the coast.
When’s the best time to fish for Snapper? Well, it depends on which one you’re after. As you might already know, Red Snapper is a heavily regulated species. There’s a strict season that varies each year.
Lane Snapper is available in state waters year-round. However, if you decide to target them further offshore, make sure to consult the local rules and regulations before you hit the water.
Mutton Snapper bite best from June to September, while the peak of the Yellowtail season is slightly shorter – from May until June.
Grouper
Anyone who’s planning a deep sea fishing trip in Florida can expect a nice selection of Grouper. And Naples doesn’t disappoint, either! Here, you can target Red, Gag, Black, Goliath, and Scamp Grouper. Yep, all of them! Although you might not be able to score all 5 in one trip.
A winter Naples deep sea fishing trip might result in both tough battles and a rewarding meal. Red, Black, and Gag Grouper hang out in the offshore reefs during the cooler months.
Whenever you go, there’s always a Grouper in season. Goliath Grouper, for example, bite best from April until October. For Gag Grouper, you may want to plan a trip from October until the end of the year, keeping in mind that the season is closed from January until March.
As the Gag season comes to an end, you can switch your focus to Red Grouper in January. Alternatively, Reds’ bite is strong from April until September.
While you can always look for Grouper in the nearshore waters, the further you go, the bigger your catch may be. Why? Groupers tend to head out to the deep waters as they mature, which means they get to pretty impressive sizes offshore.
Amberjack & Cobia
It’s understandable why deep sea fishing in Naples, FL should be a full-day extravaganza. There are so many species you can get your hands on. However exciting Snapper and Grouper fishing might be, it’s not always all about them.
Out there in the Gulf of Mexico, various ledges, reefs, wrecks, and towers teem with other species. Amberjack and Cobia are among them. With big fish, you can expect a big fight. Amberjack, also known as “reef donkeys,” usually hang out around deep structures and reefs, although anglers can sometimes spot them closer to the surface.
The best time to go for Amberjack is during the winter months, so you can plan your trip from November through March.
Next, you have Cobia. These beautiful fish are pretty good pals with Amberjacks. In fact, you don’t even have to switch techniques if you spot a Cobia while fishing for AJs. Look for them near structure, buoys, and reefs. Cobia bite best during the winter months, although you can target them year-round.
Kingfish
If you’re looking to taste the offshore waters and make it past the 25th mile, chances are you’ll spot a school of King Mackerel – or Kingfish, as they’re royally known. These are perfect targets for trolling without having to go too far out. Some anglers look for Kingfish when targeting Gag Grouper – a saltwater game fish combination we don’t mind!
When’s the best time to go for Kingfish? Anytime, but especially from September all the way through to May. At this point, we guess you’re not surprised to hear that deep sea fishing in Naples, Fl is a year-round pleasure!
And More!
You may associate Permit with inshore fishing, but in Naples, they live offshore too. And, they grow to incredible sizes here come summer.
From spring until late fall, deep sea anglers in Naples can be rewarded with beautiful Mahi Mahi and Wahoo. You only need to venture past the 40-mile mark to get to their hunting grounds. As soon as you do, get ready for some tough fights and big catches. And, if you go just a bit further, you may even come across Tuna.
If that’s not enough, and you’re willing to look for even more serious battles, you’ll have to go even further out. By that, we mean heading over 100 miles out to get to the Billfish grounds. If that sounds like your thing, we recommend booking an extended full-day charter and aiming for over 10 hours on the water.
Where to go deep sea fishing in Naples, FL?
With every Naples deep sea fishing trip, your playground will be the mighty Gulf of Mexico. Unlike the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf is much more shallow. Because of this, you sometimes need to travel further out to reach deeper waters. And that, of course, means bigger fish.
There are various spots throughout Naples that you can use as your starting point, from the historic Tin City Docks to various marinas and boat launches. From here, you can stay within 9-20 miles from shore and target the majority of the species we’ve talked about earlier. However, if you’re after bigger fish, the sky’s the limit.
Think of all the species you can land 20 miles offshore, but much bigger. In fact, you can come across big fish even within 40 miles, but a deep sea trip 100 miles offshore might result in Tuna and even Billfish.
You can head to the beautiful deep water wrecks and coral reefs of the Dry Tortugas, which is a couple of hundred miles from Naples. This is a remote island with an amazing fishing menu. From Mahi Mahi and Mutton Snapper to Golden Tilefish and Sailfish – it’s all possible.
Wherever you decide to fish, it’s always a good idea to book a charter with a licensed captain. There are many experienced guides in Naples that specialize in deep sea fishing. No one knows the area better than local captains, and a Naples deep sea fishing charter is the best way to experience it. A lot of them have been sunburned and beaten up by storms for decades to find the perfect deep sea fishing spots in Naples!
How to Go Deep Sea Fishing in Naples
Now that you know what you can catch on a Naples deep sea fishing charter and where to go, it’s time to talk about techniques. In this section, we’ll go through the most popular methods to land the most prized offshore species. Let’s start with the technique that can help you catch Snappers and Groupers, first and foremost.
Bottom Fishing
When you’re bottom fishing in Naples, you’re trying to hook fish that live close to the ocean floor. Depending on your target, you may be fishing near structure, be it a reef a wreck in the heart of the Gulf. Bottom fishing is the most productive technique out there, allowing you to entice fish onto the end of your line.
You’ll drop your line to the ocean bed or structure and try to mimic the action of the bait fish by dragging your line. When you hook a fish, it will try to get back into the structure and hide there. Rest assured it will try to break your line by rubbing it against the structure. To avoid losing your line, your captain will most likely position the boat to help you.
There are different types of bottom fishing, and the one you’ll try will depend on what you’re hoping to catch. For example, dead and live bait, such as squid, herring, and bonito, work well with power drifting and anchoring up. On the other hand, a long leader with a sinker works well to catch large Grouper, Snapper, and even Amberjacks.
Deep Dropping
Now that you’re ready for a bottom fishing trip, what if you decide to go really far out and target something really big? You’ll most likely be interested in deep dropping.
This is essentially bottom fishing, but deeper and heavier. In some spots, regular lines are just not enough. Deepwater Groupers, along with other large trophies like Tilefish and Swordfish, can be caught with electric reels. Of course, you can reel them in manually, but nobody can guarantee that you can handle the fight.
Apart from electric reels, your captain might also use braided fishing lines, which are strong enough to cut right through the Gulf’s currents.
Trolling
Last but not least, trolling is arguably the most popular way of deep sea fishing in Naples, FL. It gives you flexibility as you move in the open waters, dragging the bait along. This method usually includes trailing your bait of choice alongside or behind the boat, sometimes using so-called trolling spreads.
Your captain might set a mix of bait and lures with different sizes and colors that will mimic your target’s prey. Once you see a rod bend and hear the reels screech, it’s fish on.
How and where you’ll be trolling will depend on what you’re after. Cobia, for example, mainly feed near structure. You might fish around reefs, dropping the bait—live bait or artificial—just above the fish if you manage to spot it.
FAQs
Deep Sea Fishing in Naples – Florida at its finest
Now you know that when it comes to deep sea fishing, Naples, FL is the place to be. Perhaps, there’s already a clear picture in your head of what you want to catch and when you want to go. But you might not understand how great deep sea fishing in Naples is until you bring the first Snapper or Grouper to the boat. Come and try it out!
We’ve done our best to describe the local fishing scene, now it’s over to you. Have you ever been deep sea fishing in Naples, FL? What did you catch? Let us know in the comments below!
